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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/16/2021 1189576 Ducks replace two assistant coaches, hiring Mike 1189603 Fans pick Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau as having best Stothers, Geoff Ward assist of the year 1189577 Ducks add Geoff Ward, Mike Stothers to Eakins’ 1189604 Lucas Wallmark leaves Florida Panthers (again), this time coaching staff for Moscow Kings 1189578 Don Sweeney, know change is needed for 1189605 “ Returns – Kings to host Vegas for preseason Bruins to win another game in Utah on 9/30 1189579 Once again, Bruins left looking for a key contributor on defense 1189580 Bruins face an uncertain immediate future 1189606 Montrealers take cautious approach toward Canadiens’ 1189581 Will Bruins run it back in 2021-22? Neely gives interesting surprise success take 1189607 Canadiens legend Ken Dryden knows what it’s like to be in 1189582 Bruins GM gives free agency updates on Taylor Hall, Cole Caufield’s skates David Krejci 1189608 Canadiens Notebook: Scoring first could be key for 1189583 Bean: Why B's fans should root for the rival Habs Habs in Game 2 (seriously) 1189609 Canadiens happy to play in front of a full house again in 1189584 Bean: The best offseason move for the Bruins doesn't Vegas involve a player 1189610 Ageless Vegas goalie Marc-André Fleury stands in 1189585 BHN Daily: Boston Bruins Still Clinging To And Trying To Canadiens' way Move On From 2011 1189611 Quebec allows up to 3,500 people at Bell Centre and other 1189586 Neely Remembers ‘Elated’ Bruins Fans After 2011 Stanley venues Cup 1189612 Canadiens at Golden Knights: Five things you should 1189587 Neely Looks Back ‘A Lot’ on Boston Bruins 2015 Draft know about Game 2 Blunders 1189613 About Last Night: Habs dealt 4-1 loss by Vegas in Game 1 1189588 Neely: Bruins Biggest Need ‘Elusive Left D That Chews 1189614 Canadiens playoff notebook: The true cost of penalties, Up Minutes’ mistake management, who is bumped when Jeff Petry 1189589 Haggs: Boston Bruins Plan For Krejci, Hall Return retu 1189590 Why the Bruins are better suited for a playoff rotation in the future, with or without Tuukka Rask 1189615 Five prospects the Preds could target at No. 18 overall Flames 1189616 Rinne becomes first Predator to win King Clancy Trophy 1189591 Former Flames bench boss Geoff Ward lands new gig with Ducks 1189617 Ex-Devils GM Ray Shero returns to the NHL and his hockey roots 1189592 Can the Hurricanes afford to lose Dougie Hamilton? 1189618 NHL rumors: Devils’ P.K. Subban picks up TV gig for Blackhawks 1189593 Blackhawks sign forward Jakub Pour, continuing European pipeline 1189619 Goalie leaves game after collision as 1189594 Blackhawks agree to terms with Jakub Pour Islanders drop Game 2 to Lightning to even Stanley Cup s 1189595 Reichel looking to compete for spot in training camp 1189620 Islanders can’t be taking this many penalties 1189596 Inside Ryan Stewart’s ‘tremendous run’ from a folding 1189621 Islanders facing daunting task you had to see coming ECHL team to Blackhawks assistant GM 1189622 Ilya Sorokin delivers for Islanders under difficult circumstances 1189623 Lightning topple Islanders in Game 2 to even series 1189597 Colorado Avalanche final 2020-21 report card: 1189624 Islanders’ playoff run fueled by crowd energy End-of-season grades for , and 1189625 Islanders’ makeover is nearing its completion each player 1189626 Islanders-Lightning Game 2 recap: Winning goal, key stat, 1189598 AVALANCHE OFFSEASON Avalanche and their fans more can’t give up now 1189627 No surprise that the Lightning struck back against Islanders in Game 2 1189628 Islanders fall to Lightning in chippy Game 2 that ties the 1189599 Stars defenseman Joel Hanley undergoes surgery to series repair core muscle injury 1189629 Greg Van Roten tightening Jets' bonds at Islanders playoff gatherings 1189630 Cuomo: New York going back 'to life as we know it' after 1189600 If Detroit Red Wings re-sign Sam Gagner or Bobby Ryan, reaching vaccine threshold they should choose this player 1189631 Nassau County Executive Laura Curran hoping to throw a 1189601 Red Wings could be tempted by goalie with sixth pick in Game 5 watch party for Islanders draft 1189632 Islanders and Lightning looking to rachet it up for Game 2 1189633 Kenny Albert's Cup runneth over with Islanders memories Oilers 1189634 Rapid Reaction: Islanders Thunderstruck in Game 2 Loss 1189602 Ten teams the Oilers should be targeting for trades ahead to Bolts of the Kraken expansion draft 1189635 Playoff Gameday: Islanders Game 2 Lines, Matchups and Game Notes vs. Lightning 1189636 America’s Team? Changing Perception of Islanders Highlighted by New Twitter Data 1189637 Gerard Gallant is ideal choice to solve star issue that 1189662 Newlyweds celebrate wedding night at Golden Knights haunted Rangers game 1189663 William Karlsson returns to 1st-year form for Golden Knights 1189638 Profile in courage: Oskar Lindblom becomes 4th Flyers 1189664 Golden Knights to play preseason game in Utah player to win Masterton Trophy 1189665 NHL fans award Marc-Andre Fleury with save of year 1189639 A Nolan Patrick ? A deal to entice to take 1189666 Golden Knights’ third line comes together at perfect time Jake Voracek? A move to get Dougie Hamilton? Flyers fa 1189667 Golden Knights defensemen handle scoring load in Game 1189640 Hamilton not a 'top target' for Flyers? Here's what we 1 win make of it 1189668 Golden Knights to play preseason game vs. Kings in Salt 1189641 Flyers sign 2016 1st-round pick, Swedish winger to Lake City contract extensions 1189642 Connecting Flyers to final four, Hart Trophy, more in 3 thoughts 1189669 What is the plan in net for the Caps in 2021-22? Penguins Websites 1189643 Penguins A to Z: Cody Ceci found some much-needed 1189675 The Athletic / Top 151 Prospects for 2021 NHL Draft: consistency Owen Power leads Corey Pronman’s final rankings 1189644 Penguins mailbag: What are the futures of , 1189676 .ca / Despite missed season, tough opponent, Mike Sullivan and their gold alternate jerseys? Kucherov remains a playoff virtuoso 1189645 Big-Time Potentials; Should Hextall Rethink Penguins 1189677 Sportsnet.ca / Islanders let frustrations with officials derail Plan? | PHN+ them in Game 2 loss 1189646 Penguins Free Agency: What is Teddy Blueger Worth and 1189678 Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: How Stanley Cup Playoffs Can Pens Afford Him? could affect the blueliner market 1189647 Dan’s Daily: NHL Trade Talk, Rangers Hire a Coach, 1189679 Sportsnet.ca / "WHERE SOCIETY FAILS" Fleury & VGK Roll Habs 1189680 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ Game 1 loss exposes problem Montreal faces without Petry 1189648 Flyers’ Oskar Lindblom wins Masterton Trophy; Patrick Jets Marleau was a finalist 1189670 Jets arena to be known as as of July 1 1189649 Less than a year after beating cancer, Lindblom is a SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 Masterton Trophy winner 1189650 Sharks bolster depth with Viel, Lemoche re-signings 1189651 Sharks’ comeback over Vegas among century's top playoff series 1189652 When Jumbo made Sharks teammate fight vs. Stars in 2010 1189653 Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli ‘should be okay’ after post- game scrum 1189654 Stanley Cup semifinals: Lightning-Islanders Game 2 live updates 1189655 Lightning’s key to drawing penalties: Make Islanders feel desperate 1189656 Lightning’s Blake Coleman welcomes second child after Sunday’s game vs. Islanders 1189657 Vo Williams’ playoff anthem energizes Amalie Arena for Lightning games 1189658 Where has the offense gone for the Lightning defensemen? 1189659 Five reasons the Lightning evened the semifinal series with the Islanders 1189660 Inside Blake Coleman’s whirlwind Sunday: Game 1 against the Islanders and a new baby Maple Leafs 1189661 Nevermind their offence, Vegas' defence is what Montreal needs to shut down in Game 2 Canucks 1189671 Canucks: Comparables could shed some light on Alex Edler contract extension 1189672 10 years later: Unique perspectives of the 2011 Stanley Cup riot 1189673 on parting ways with Canucks, memories of 2011 and the drop pass: ‘It’s hard to defend’ 1189674 How should the Canucks approach negotiations with their 2 superstar RFAs? 1189576 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks replace two assistant coaches, hiring Mike Stothers, Geoff Ward

Staff Report

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

JUNE 15, 2021 6:22 PM PT

The Ducks have hired Geoff Ward and Mike Stothers to replace assistant coaches Mark Morrison and Marty Wilford.

The Ducks announced the overhaul of head coach ’ staff Tuesday. Morrison and Wilford both could end up in other jobs in the organization.

Anaheim (17-30-9) elected to keep general manager Bob Murray and Eakins earlier this spring after finishing with the worst record by points percentage in franchise history, and the second-worst record in the entire NHL. The Ducks will have the third overall pick in the upcoming draft after missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Although Eakins kept his job after two losing seasons, Murray said the Ducks would make changes on his staff, particularly to address the inept power play employed by the team that finished last in the league in goals for the second time in three seasons. Anaheim scored on just 8.9% of its power play chances, the worst mark in modern NHL history.

The 59-year-old Ward was the ’ head coach from November 2019 until last March, going 36-26-5 and leading the club to the 2020 playoffs in his first stint in charge of an NHL bench. He has been a head coach in the AHL and in Germany’s top league, and he won a Stanley Cup ring as an assistant with the Boston Bruins in 2011.

The 59-year-old Stothers was the head coach of the ’ AHL affiliate from 2014 until 2020. He won a championship in 2015 and was named the league’s coach of the year. He has been an NHL assistant with Atlanta and Philadelphia.

HOCKEY

NHL draft lottery: Ducks drop to 3rd, Kings 8th; get first pick

The Ducks fell from the second position to the third position in the NHL draft after the lottery, which was held Wednesday. Buffalo has the No. 1 pick. The Kings pick eighth.

LA Times: LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189577 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks add Geoff Ward, Mike Stothers to Dallas Eakins’ coaching staff

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: June 15, 2021 at 9:54 a.m. | UPDATED: June 15, 2021 at 4:23 p.m.

The Ducks lost this past season when the Calgary Flames hired him 24 games into the pandemic-shortened, 56-game season to replace Geoff Ward as their coach. The Ducks on Tuesday hired Ward to replace Sutter, who served as a special assistant to Coach Dallas Eakins.

In addition, the Ducks also hired Mike Stothers, former coach of the Kings’ AHL teams in and Manchester, New Hampshire, as an assistant coach as General Manager Bob Murray scratched two significant items off his lengthy offseason to-do list.

Assistants Mark Morrison and Marty Wilford will not return to Eakins’ staff, but it’s believed they could shift to new roles within the organization, possibly as assistants with the AHL’s .

Ward, 59, had a 35-26-5 record over parts of two seasons with the Flames, who failed to meet expectations in 2019-20 or ’20-21. Calgary was 11-11-2 when it fired Ward and replaced him with Sutter, who joined Eakins’ staff in 2019-20, after leading the Kings to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and ’14.

Stothers, 59, coached the from 2015 to 2020 and the Manchester Monarchs in 2014-15. Manchester won the Calder Cup in 2015 and Stothers was named the AHL’s coach of the year. He served as an assistant with Canada in the Under-18 World Championships earlier this spring.

The Ducks reportedly also considered hiring former NHL player Kirk Muller, who joined Sutter’s staff last week. Muller was an associate coach for five seasons with the Montreal Canadiens before he was fired in a midseason coaching shakeup that cost Claude Julien his job.

Murray, during his annual state-of-the-team chat with reporters last month, stressed the need to add an assistant coach to rejuvenate the Ducks’ historically bad power play. Murray also said he would re-evaluate the coaching staffs of the Ducks and the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

“He needs some help going forward with the group we have,” Murray said, referring to Eakins. “We’ve got to get him somebody to help with the power play. He’s got to communicate with the players. He’s got to be free to just go around. What he does best is communicate, and he’s got to do it. And that’s why we’re re-evaluating the whole coaching staff up and down the organization.”

Orange County Register: LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189578 Boston Bruins “I can tell you this,” Neely said. “I know that March [Brad Marchand] and Bergy, understandably, would like us to take another run. If we get the pieces signed that we’d like to, I think it’s worth one more at it here.”

Don Sweeney, Cam Neely know change is needed for Bruins to win Sweeney, though, sounded as if he recognized the reality of time and another Stanley Cup inevitable depreciation of assets — a calculation the Bruins made late last year in telling Zdeno Chara he was a spare part in their plans.

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff “Can they continue to do it?” said Sweeney, noting the remaining proud vets. “The tread life of the tires … you don’t get to swap that out. So, it’s Updated June 15, 2021, 6:26 p.m. going to drop off. The performance level of several of the guys we’ve discussed has been pretty proficient over the years and we’ve been

fortunate in that regard.” The Bruins have some fixin’ to do if they’re going to be bona fide Stanley They’d like to find a pathway (read: money) to keep left winger Taylor Cup contenders next season and over the next few years, though Hall and perhaps defenseman Mike Reilly. Coach Bruce Cassidy on general manager Don Sweeney didn’t sound Tuesday morning as if he Monday placed a priority on adding a veteran presence to ride with stands poised to make seismic changes. Brandon Carlo (two of the eight concussions) on the No. 2 pairing. Sweeney, in his end-of-year Zoom presser, was a mix of status quo and “Every coach is going to ask for the best players they can possibly have,” status whoa — the latter being his regret, a reasonable one, that his Sweeney mused. “Bruce would be no different in that regard. It’d be like defensemen (13 total) sustained eight concussions in a season that Christmas every day. If we could find a new present under the tree, we’d lasted a mere five months. That’s a bad spin rate. be happy to unwrap it.” Team president Cam Neely followed with a Zoomer of his own, per But gifts are few in pro sports, especially so in the salary-capped NHL. standard practice, then clearly stated the obvious: Something needs to Sweeney did a fine job clipping the smooth-skating Reilly off the change. Senators roster at the deadline. He’s not perfect, but at the right price, he “I don’t think we can look at the roster now, when you lose in the second might be the best option. round, and say you can compete for a Stanley Cup,” Neely said, quickly Some 450 miles away in Buffalo, what must Bruins owner adding, “I think we have to look at improving our roster to improve our make of all this? Neely is the conduit. He said ownership was excited chances to win a Cup.” about the deadline acquisitions in April, then disappointed by the Here are the hard facts: Beyond the electrifying Cup Final run of 2019, truncated playoff run. which ended 60 minutes shy of a championship, the Bruins have not won “They’ve certainly wanted us to do better than we’ve done,” the Hall of more than a single playoff round in five of their last six postseasons. In Famer said. “And this year, I think the expectations were certainly a team 2015-16, Sweeney’s first as clerk of the works, they missed the that could get out of the second round, at the very least. So, some postseason entirely, then fell to Ottawa in Round 1 the next season. disappointment there, there’s no question.” Not good enough. Not here in Titletown USA, where a quiet Duck Boat is Keep in mind, the Bruins won the ’11 Cup under GM Peter Chiarelli, and a dead Duck Boat. It’s certainly not sufficient to satisfy a faithful Black- made the Cup Final in ’13. Following a second-round dismissal by and-Gold fandom whose eyes, since the Orr-backed ’72 Cup, now have Montreal in 2014, Chiarelli was shown the door after the club did not seen the glory of the coming of only the ’11 Cup these last 49 years. make the playoffs the following season. While that’s not exactly a half-century of misery (search: “Maple Leafs, So we can be a fickle bunch, fans and media, but history shows that’s Toronto” for unbearable pain), the Hub has become a familiar field of also true of Bruins ownership. Jacobs et al know what we know: Bruins postseason lamentations. Something has to change, and for the better. Thankfully, that’s just the The latest version of “Keeping Up With What Went Wrong With the way it is here in Titletown. Bruins” included a bunch of dinged-up defensemen, three lines that played roughly 99 cents short of a buck in Round 2, and a veteran goalie, Tuukka Rask, who hobbled through 11 postseason starts and ultimately Boston Globe LOADED: 06.16.2021 looked as spent as Lines 2, 3, and 4 when the knockout came last Wednesday night on Long Island.

Some bad luck there, for sure, but another season falling short can’t all be fully explained away today as some bad breaks, a bunch of injuries, dumb officiating, and capricious bounces of the puck.

Both Sweeney and Neely need to do better. They need to shore up a roster, now with fewer than 90 days to go before training camp, with a back end better able to withstand the rigors of physical play, and with a front end that won’t shuffle off into the woods in slippers when faced with big, stout defensemen and relentless, punishing forecheckers.

The GM and Prez also need to figure out whether they want to re-sign Rask, who is about to undergo hip surgery, and/or move ahead with youngsters Jeremy Swayman and Dan Vladar.

All of that is critical summer homework, with management also having to factor in that No. 1 center Patrice Bergeron will be 36 next month and No. 1A pivot David Krejci is 35 and yet to indicate whether he wants to continue his NHL career. Heavy miles on both.

“I don’t think you can expect to bring the band back together,” said Sweeney, asked if he believed his team, as constructed around its veteran core, can return and win, “if it wasn’t able to compete and accomplish the ultimate goal in the last couple of years.”

The modus operandi here since Sweeney’s arrival in the spring of ’15 has been to augment around the aging veterans from the ’11 Cup, optimize the window of opportunity. From here, that window looks about as closed as the betting cages at Suffolk Downs.

But, wait, it may be the focus again. 1189579 Boston Bruins Islanders got three goals from their lower two lines (Clutterbuck, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac).

It’s yet another issue the Bruins hope to fix. Sean Kuraly (UFA) and Once again, Bruins left looking for a key contributor on defense Ritchie (RFA), the latter of whom could be exposed in the Seattle expansion draft, could be out the door.

By Matt Porter Globe Staff “You get into playoffs, you pray for health. You pray for good goaltending. You pray for timely scoring,” Neely said. “We didn’t get the depth scoring ,Updated June 15, 2021, 6:03 p.m. that we thought we might get, and we expected to get. That was a little frustrating for us for sure.”

Tending to important business Wanted: left-shooting defenseman to log big minutes in the Bruins’ top four. Must have shutdown ability, touch with the puck and acumen at the Like Cassidy, Sweeney and Neely were noncommittal about a Tuukka offensive blue line, perhaps working as Brandon Carlo’s partner. Rask return. The netminder’s upcoming hip surgery will determine if the Candidate will report to Brighton in advance of September training camp. Bruins scour the free agent market for a veteran stopper (UFA options include Philipp Grubauer, Petr Mrazek, Chris Driedger, Jonathan Bernier This is the same need the Bruins had last year, before acquiring Mike and Frederik Andersen), or roll the dice with Jeremy Swayman and Dan Reilly at the deadline. Reilly, a pending free agent, acquitted himself well Vladar. as a puck-mover. The door is open for a return, financial needs depending. Still, in their year-end Zoom calls this week, team president “Which is a tall task,” Sweeney said of the idea of two youngsters sharing Cam Neely, general manager Don Sweeney and coach Bruce Cassidy all the net. “Make no mistake about it, it’s a tall task.” said they want a stouter, more complete player. Neely, on the other hand, sounded confident in using one of them, at “The elusive left D we’ve been looking for that can chew up a lot of least in the early going. minutes,” Neely said Tuesday, when asked about the team’s most significant needs. “As we saw, you can never have enough D and we “Haven’t seen enough of Vladar but Swayman gave us a little bit of a never seem to have enough. For some reason or another, we get banged taste of what type of goalie he can be in the ,” up.” Neely said. “So, we feel pretty comfortable starting the season with him.”

In review of his defense corps, Sweeney revealed Tuesday that the Krejci mulling it over Bruins had “eight concussions alone on our back end.” Neither he nor Sweeney said David Krejci asked for a few days to discuss his future with Neely, who referenced the same figure, provided further detail. his family, before sitting down with the Bruins’ brass to decide on a That’s not including forwards like Ondrej Kase, who had two known contract: “He’s made it pretty clear that if he’d like to continue his career, concussions this year. Neely called it “something I don’t know how to this is the place he’d continue to play should he choose to stay at the combat.” NHL level.” Krejci said he could return home to play in the Czech Republic, where his parents could watch him and his children can learn Brandon Carlo accounts for two of the blue line concussions, on hits from his native language . . . Sweeney confirmed he has had initial talks with two of the league’s most prolific jackhammers (the Capitals’ Tom Wilson Taylor Hall’s camp . . . Teams and players can have general discussions, on March 5, the Islanders’ Cal Clutterbuck on June 3). Carlo, who has Sweeney said, but not agree to terms before free agency opens July 28. had at least three concussions (Alex Ovechkin hit in 2017) said Friday he The new CBA, signed last July, eliminated the “interview period” before didn’t think his long-term health was in jeopardy. the UFA market opened.

“It’s no fun, but I’m not going to sit here and get discouraged or think that my career is heading down a wrong path,” he said. “I hope this is the last one of my career and hopefully I can play as long as possible, but for Boston Globe LOADED: 06.16.2021 how I’ve recovered from these. I don’t feel like there’s any issue there.”

In his breakup day Zoom call, Kevan Miller confirmed he was concussed May 21, when Washington’s Dmitry Orlov hit him in the chin.

Jarred Tinordi, who suffered what the club called an “upper body injury” when the Penguins’ Brandon Tanev decked him into the boards March 16, may have sustained one on that play. He may have had another on a beak-busting, April 18 hit from the Capitals’ Garnet Hathaway. Tinordi’s history includes being knocked out during an AHL fight in 2015.

The Bruins were vague about an April injury to Matt Grzelcyk, who missed five games with an upper body ailment. Jakub Zboril missed a handful of games, and the whole postseason, with an upper body injury. Urho Vaakanainen and Jack Ahcan never pushed through.

The free agent market lacks left-shot options (arguably the biggest prize, Dougie Hamilton, shoots right). One candidate that seems to fit the bill: Dallas’s Jamie Oleksiak, the Northeastern product.

Particularly if they lose Reilly, Miller, Tinordi and Steven Kampfer, all of whom are UFAs, the Bruins will be hunting for D.

“That position is something that we’ve been looking for, for a while,” Neely said. “And hopefully we can do something to grab someone that’s going to help, maybe play 20 minutes a game for us.

Coyle to have surgery

Sweeney revealed that Charlie Coyle, the third-line center, will have an offseason surgery to fix an undisclosed issue. In the postseason, Coyle showed flashes of his puck-possessing, physical best self, but was not able to drive the third line as hoped. The third and fourth lines struggled, and were outplayed in the loss to the Islanders.

Coyle (goal), Nick Ritchie and Karson Kuhlman (assist each) were the only bottom-sixers to score in the second round. In Game 6 alone, the 1189580 Boston Bruins Sweeney did not second-guess sticking with the injured Rask in the Islander series, but acknowledged going with something of a rotation in the playoffs could be the future.

Bruins face an uncertain immediate future “We went with Rask in the Washington series, and he played really well,” said Sweeney. “We felt all along, we had this same mindset over the past few years that we were going to manage the starts and the workload of By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald all the , and rightfully so. As it turns out, the vast majority of teams have used two goaltenders, even in the playoffs. That’s something PUBLISHED: June 15, 2021 at 6:07 p.m. | UPDATED: June 15, 2021 at that I think you have to be aware of going forward. I think you may have 6:19 p.m. to, whether that’s performance based or injury based. In hindsight, Game 5 would probably be the only one we’d second guess in that, right? Because Tuukks didn’t feel his best in that particular game; the other On the 10th anniversary of the Bruins’ exhilarating Stanley Cup victory in games, he felt fine. We established that he was fine to play in Game 6. Vancouver, the B’s brass met with reporters over Zoom on Tuesday to Second guessing is not part of it. Re-evaluations as to whether or not we discuss why a similar moment has eluded the team again this spring. can make better decisions and what puts all of the players and the team in the best situation to have the most success is really all that matters.” And despite the advancing ages of some of their players and contractual uncertainty of others, team president Cam Neely believes there’s another Odds and ends kick at the can to be had with the current core. Sweeney said the best case scenario would be to consummate any But Neely was not kidding himself into believing that the current roster is possible deals with his UFAs after the July 21 expansion draft, so that the good enough to go all the way. team would not have to protect those players. …

“I don’t think we can look at the roster now when you lose in the second It was not a good year for the B’s with regard to head injuries. Sweeney round and say you can compete for a Stanley Cup,” said Neely. “I mean, said that the B’s defense corps suffered eight separate concussions this players that are on that roster that are coming back certainly need to season. … improve. We need to get more out of the third and fourth line. Even the second line, we didn’t get enough of in that last series. I think we have to Sweeney said that Charlie Coyle will undergo surgery to provide some look at improving our roster to improve our chances to win a Cup.” “maintenance” on an unspecified injury.

The B’s also must secure some pieces that are already here. David Krejci, Taylor Hall, Tuukka Rask and Mike Reilly, all unrestricted free Boston Herald LOADED: 06.16.2021 agents with their own unique circumstances, are players that it appears the B’s would like have back.

Krejci has asked for a little bit of time to decide if he wants to remain in the NHL or head back home to the Czech Republic and Rask is facing hip surgery that, in a best case scenario, will keep him out until January or February. Both Reilly and Hall are players in their primes who have expressed desires to stay in Boston. GM Don Sweeney believes there’s a mutual interest in Hall and Krejci to re-sign.

“It really is going to depend upon what happens with some of the UFA’s that we’re going to look to try and sign,” said Neely. “We have some holes if we can’t get those guys signed and that will certainly dictate what direction we may have to go in. I can tell you this, I know that (Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron) understandably would like us to take another run. If we get the pieces signed that we’d like to, I think it’s worth taking one more shot at it here. Dependent on what we can do on the back end as well. Tuukka is up in the air with his surgery, so we’ll see where that goes. But we’re pretty confident in our goaltender with Jeremy Swayman and also (Daniel) Vladar. Haven’t seen enough of Vladar but Swayman gave us a little bit of a taste of what type of goalie he can be in the National Hockey League. So, we feel pretty comfortable starting the season with him.”

While Reilly is in play, Neely said that they will be in the market for a top four left defenseman.

“That position is something that we’ve been looking for, for a while. And hopefully we can do something to grab someone that’s going to help maybe play 20 minutes a game for us,” said Neely.

That would suggest that the president doesn’t believe that any of Jakub Zboril (first round 2015), Urho Vaakanainen (first round, 2017) or Jeremy Lauzon (second round 2015) is that guy.

As for Rask and the goaltending in general, Sweeney acknowledged there is some uncertainty concerning which direction the team will go but sounded like he’d welcome back a healthy Rask. They could also look to add a veteran goalie.

“He indicated to us that he fully intended to rehab with the intention of coming back and we’ll go through our meetings and such and go forward,” said Sweeney. “But we have to factor in that he could be a part of that. Whether or not that means that the two young guys get the bulk of the work in the early going and see where Tuukka comes in, or we go to augment our group and create internal competition and then re- evaluate how Tuukka’s doing coming out of the rehab process.” 1189581 Boston Bruins

Will Bruins run it back in 2021-22? Neely gives interesting take

BY NICK GOSS

The Boston Bruins have some huge decisions to make this summer.

Perhaps the biggest one is whether to fortify the roster for another run at the Stanley Cup or instead look toward the future and make moves for the long term.

The smart play is trying to make one more run with the veteran core.

Bruins GM gives free agency updates on Taylor Hall, David Krejci

Bruins president Cam Neely was asked Tuesday during his season- ending media availability about taking a hard look at the team's roster this summer. It sounds like he wants to give this group one more crack at the Stanley Cup.

"It will really depend on what happens with some of the (unrestricted free agents) we're going to look to try and sign. We have some holes that if we can't get those guys signed, that might dictate what kind of direction we might have to go in," Neely explained.

"I can tell you this, I know (Brad) Marchand and (Patrice) Bergeron, understandably, would like us to take another run. If we get the pieces signed that we'd like to, I think it's worth taking one more shot at it here, depending on what we can do on the back end as well."

The unrestricted free agents who Neely is referring to could include second-line center David Krejci, second-line left winger Taylor Hall, defenseman Mike Reilly and goaltender Tuukka Rask. They are four of seven UFAs from Boston's playoff roster.

Krejci and Hall absolutely need to be re-signed for the Bruins to make another title run. The team doesn't have any quality internal options to replace either player. If Krejci or Hall leave, the second line would immediately go from a strength to a weakness. Reilly could potentially fetch a contract on the open market that's richer than what the B's would like to pay, but he was a good fit on the blue line after Boston acquired him at the trade deadline. It makes sense to keep Reilly at the right price.

Goaltending is another hugely important area for the Bruins to address this summer with Rask hitting free agency. The 34-year-old netminder also plans to have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip that bothered him during the 2021 playoffs. But even without Rask, the Bruins seem comfortable with their goalie situation entering next season.

"Tuukka (Rask) is up in the air with his surgery, so we'll see where that goes, but we're pretty confident in our goaltenders with Jeremy Swayman and also (Dan) Vladar," Neely said.

"We haven't seen enough of Vladar, but Swayman gave us a little bit of a taste of what type of goalie he can be in the NHL. So we feel pretty comfortable starting the season with him."

The Bruins will need to replenish their prospect pool at some point in the near future. It's arguably the worst in the league, and not drafting in the first round two of the last three years certainly contributed to that.

But given the age and talent of Boston's veteran core, plus young stars such as Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak, the Bruins' best offseason approach should be an aggressive one that looks to address roster holes with the hopes of competing for the Stanley Cup in 2022.

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Bruins GM gives free agency updates on Taylor Hall, David Krejci

BY NICK GOSS

The Boston Bruins have several players able to become unrestricted free agents this summer, and two of the most important are Taylor Hall and David Krejci.

They both play key roles in the Bruins' offense by making up two thirds of the second line. This duo was excellent together over the final 17 games of the regular season after the Bruins acquired Hall from the Buffalo Sabres before the April 12 trade deadline.

Hall has expressed an interest in remaining with the Bruins beyond this year ever since he arrived in Boston. He reiterated that stance last week after the team's second-round playoff exit against the New York Islanders. Krejci said last week that he can't see himself playing for another NHL team. He's also 35 years old and has expressed a desire to potentially play in his native Czech Republic at some point.

Cassidy assesses Taylor Hall's Bruins tenure, hopes he returns

What's the latest on Hall's and Krejci's free agency? Bruins general manager Don Sweeney provided an update on both players during his season-ending media availability Tuesday morning.

"In talking with both players at the end of the year, and even when Taylor got here, he's expressed interest -- mutual interest to have him back. We had an early conversation with his representatives and obviously we'll have to see where all the pieces fit together," Sweeney explained.

"In David's case, it's very unique in the fact he would like to continue to play with the Bruins and he's expressed interest that he might return (to play at) home at some point in time, whether that's next year or down the road. The family dynamic is important to him. He's asked to have a little bit of time over the coming days to allow him to have conversations with his family and then we'll sit back down and have a real honest conversation.

"I do believe David does want to continue to play. He's been pretty clear and we would like to make it clear this is the place he should continue to play should he choose to be at the NHL level."

The need to bring back both Krejci and Hall is a huge one for the Bruins, and one of the biggest reasons for that is the team doesn't have any good internal options to replace either player. There isn't another true No. 2 center on this B's roster. Charlie Coyle could potentially move into that role if Krejci didn't come back, but he's more of a third-line center.

There's a similar scenario at left wing. If Hall leaves, Brad Marchand would be the only legit top-six left winger on the roster. One of the reasons why the Bruins acquired Hall was to gain some much-needed scoring depth on the wing. Letting him leave would make scoring depth an even bigger weakness than it currently is right now.

The Bruins have other key players set for free agency this offseason, but a case could be made that the two most important ones are Krejci and Hall. The B's need these players back in 2021-22 if they want to be true contenders for the Stanley Cup.

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Bean: Why B's fans should root for the rival Habs (seriously)

BY DJ BEAN

It sounds like the most outrageous question you could ask. If the Canadiens aren’t Boston's most hated team, they’re second or third. Historically, it’s in a Bostonian’s DNA to hate Montreal (while admitting the city is awesome).

But is it acceptable for a Bruins fan to pull for the Canadiens in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs? I say yes.

Your options are the Vegas Golden Knights, Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders. There’s only one totally safe choice for a Boston fan, which is Vegas, and there are plenty of reasons to like them: the Golden Knights winning can’t reflect poorly on the B’s, they’re still new and shiny enough and, most importantly, they have Dave Goucher.

Bean: The best offseason move for Bruins doesn't involve a player

But they’re a favorite, and that can be a turn-off. No Bruins fan is rooting for Tampa, given that they’ve been a greater threat to Boston in recent years than anyone. Plus, if Tampa wins another one, it only pushes the Bruins down the list of best Eastern Conference teams of the last decade-plus.

The Islanders? Definitely a likable team, but they just knocked the Bruins out. There’s going to be some hard feelings with Bruins fans.

Once you get past that whole "nearly century-long bitter rivalry" thing, the Canadiens really are a fun team to root for this year. Of the four teams remaining, they’re the one that truly came out of nowhere. They had the fewest wins and points of any team to qualify for the playoffs, and they really only qualified because there was a Canada-only division this year.

Having that division, it seemed, guaranteed that the or would make it past the second round. With Canada not having raised the Cup since 1993, an emerging Canadian team would get a crack at it by being one of the last four teams standing.

Oh, Canada...

Number of years since a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup

28

Then the Leafs and Oilers fell apart in the first round and here we are. The had no business even being in the second round, so they ended up being easy work for the Canadiens, who fired their coach this year.

The Canadiens making a run is the most ridiculous scenario possible. Plus -- and this is important -- you shouldn’t feel guilty for rooting for them because there is absolutely no way they’re winning the Cup. Vegas should smoke them (as they did in Game 1), and if they don’t, Tampa will.

But this is a weird year. It’s a different format and the league wasn’t sure what it would get. What it has now is a final four consisting of two wagons and two underdogs. The Canadiens just so happen to be the ultra underdog.

So root for the madness. Pull for the Canadiens. It’s OK. It’s not like they’re actually going to win.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189584 Boston Bruins Sweeney’s missteps in the draft and free agency (sometimes in conjunction; they had to give up its first-rounder last year to get another club to take David Backes’ contract off their hands) make it unclear Bean: The best offseason move for the Bruins doesn't involve a player whether he’s the man for the job long term. Sweeney has been a fine manager, but there’s nothing scarier to some fans than a GM who might be trying to save their job.

BY DJ BEAN This is going to be a busy offseason for the Bruins. They’ll lose somebody to the expansion draft and will have to figure out what to do

with Krejci, Rask and Taylor Hall. Unlike last year, they have a first-round The blame for the Bruins’ inability to cash in on the last several years of pick. their star core falls on the front office. Under Don Sweeney, the Bruins Every offseason is important, but this one could be pivotal if the Bruins have drafted poorly and struggled in free agency, resulting in the top want to add years to their run of being one of the East’s top teams. players he inherited as general manager having insufficient returns. Gorton coming in to save the farm system would be a godsend, but it’s As fate would have it, an executive whose lone draft for the Bruins was hard to see there being a fit without a bigger front office shakeup. historic is between jobs, so should local guy and ex-Rangers GM Jeff

Gorton be the Bruins’ top target this offseason? Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 Cassidy assesses Hall's Bruins tenure, hopes he returns

The Melrose native was Boston’s interim general manager for the 2006 NHL Draft, when the Bruins were transitioning from Mike O’Connell to Peter Chiarelli. He knocked it out of the park, selecting Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand. Gorton also flipped Andrew Raycroft to the Leafs for Tuukka Rask, making that weekend instrumental in constructing this era of the B’s.

After returning to an assistant GM role and being fired by Chiarelli, Gorton joined the Rangers and took over as GM in the same offseason that the Bruins replaced Chiarelli with Sweeney. Gorton was a highly respected executive and team-builder, but was shockingly fired last month as part of owner James Dolan’s bizarre overreaction to Tom Wilson not being suspended for his actions in a Rangers-Capitals fracas.

Honestly, it’s hard to see Gorton coming back to Boston. They probably don’t want to give him the job he deserves and he’s probably overqualified for what they would be able to offer.

Sweeney is scheduled to meet with the media Tuesday, which suggests the Bruins plan on keeping him around. He’s less than two years removed from being named NHL General Manager of the Year, so a dismissal of him now would be surprising. As such, Gorton would have to serve a different role.

Cam Neely doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, so adding Gorton as a vice president might be awkward given that it would slot Gorton in the middle of Boston’s management tandem of Neely (president) and Sweeney (GM).

Assistant general manager would make more sense for Boston’s structure, though there’s obvious reasons to doubt it. For one, Gorton should be able to find a better gig elsewhere, and adding Gorton to the staff would essentially introduce an immediate replacement for Sweeney if the current GM were to ever lose his job. It’s hard to see Sweeney and Neely wanting that.

Gorton never repeated his 2006 draft while in New York, though he’s held up his reputation as a strong drafter. Prior to the 2019-20 season, the Rangers topped The Athletic’s 2019-20 farm system rankings, though part of that was No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko and trade acquisition Adam Fox.

First-rounders K’Andre Miller (2018) and Filip Chytil (2017) have become full-timers for the young Rangers. Right wing Vitali Kravstov (ninth overall in 2018) played 20 games this season and is considered a bright prospect. Alexis Lafrenière headlines New York’s chest of young players, though that was more a product of winning the draft lottery than anything Gorton did. Thanks also to the signing of Artemi Panarin, Gorton left the Rangers in strong position to be competitive in the coming years.

In fairness to Sweeney, his selection of Charlie McAvoy in 2016 is better than anything Gorton did for the Rangers in the draft outside of the top 10. That said, Gorton’s been the better drafter of the two.

The Bruins are certainly at a crossroads. Though it seems like we annually ask whether the Bruins are making their last run with the Bergeron-Rask-Krejci-Marchand core, it’s a legitimate question now. Rask and Krejci are free agents and Bergeron is turning 36 next month. The next phase of the Bruins must be figured out and fast.

Why B's stuck with Rask over Swayman vs. Islanders 1189585 Boston Bruins So why did Gerard Gallant, a former Detroit Red Wings player, and teammate of current GM end up with the New York Rangers and not back in Motown as the Wings next head coach? (Detroit BHN Daily: Boston Bruins Still Clinging To And Trying To Move On From Hockey Now) 2011 What’s the value of winger Teddy Blueger on the UFA market? (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Published 11 hours ago on June 15, 2021 Could the Philadelphia Flyers be a team that former Boston Bruins defenseman Dougie Hamilton agrees to be traded to? (Philly Hockey By Jimmy Murphy Now)

NHL

Ten years after winning their sixth and only Stanley Cup in the last 49 Former Boston Bruins assistant, and a member of that Cup-winning years, the Boston Bruins are still hoping the remaining core of the 2011 coaching staff ten years ago, has been hired as an assistant coach for Stanley Cup team has one more Cup run in them. the Anaheim Ducks. (OC Register)

On the same day that Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney So how did Gallant become the new bench boss for the Rangers? (NY and team President Cam Neely dissected the Bruins’ 2021 season and Post) looked ahead to the offseason, Bruins Nation celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the Bruins winning the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. On Monday I reported in the latest ‘OTR’ that the plan to be active on the NHL Trade market and on Tuesday Sportsnet NHL In addition to reflecting on the 2011 Stanley Cup run, Neely reflected on Insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed that. Friedman also said Hamilton the worst NHL Draft in team history. could be a player they target. Friedman did have one Bruins tidbit too. (Sportsnet) We’ve also got Stanley Cup Playoffs semifinal coverage for you from our teammates at NYI Hockey Now and Vegas Hockey Now, as well as national coverage. Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 That and more in the latest Boston Hockey Now Daily!

Neely And Sweeney Pressers

Ten years after David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Tuukka Rask helped win the team’s sixth Stanley Cup, it appears the Boston Bruins are keeping the band together for one more run. (BHN)

While the Bruins will use a projected $30 million in cap space to try and sign Krejci, Rask, Mike Reilly and Taylor Hall, they will also try to finally land that elusive top 4, left-shot defenseman on the NHL trade or free agency market. (BHN)

On a day when Bruins Nation was reflecting on the 2011 Stanley Cup win, Neely was asked to reflect on the botched 2015 NHL Entry Draft and how it’s still lingering over the Boston Bruins franchise. (BHN)

2011 Stanley Cup

Bruins social media and plenty of Boston bruins content focused on that glorious night in Vancouver ten years ago tonight and Neely recalls just how much that Cup win meant to Bruins fans. (BHN)

So how did the and Boston Bruins suddenly become bitter rivals in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final? (ESPN)

The Boston Bruins are celebrating that 2011 Stanley Cup win with a special four-part series on ‘Behind The B’. (Boston Bruins)

Ten years ago tonight, the city of Vancouver was almost burned to the ground! (Vancouver Province)

Finally, I was lucky enough to break the news on the eve of Game 7 at the 2011 Stanley Cup Final that it would be Mark Recchi’s final NHL game. After the game, I was the last to interview Recchi in his hall of fame career. (ESPN)

Stanley Cup Playoffs Semifinals

It appears that the New York Islanders have become ‘America’s Team’. (NYI Hockey Now)

Will Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom draw in for veteran Travis Zajac in Game 2 of the semifinals against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night? (NYI Hockey Now)

Could Islanders Anders Lee pull a Willis Reed? (NYI Hockey Now)

The Vegas Golden Knights continue to ride their scoring depth. (Vegas Hockey Now)

The Montreal Canadiens really missed defenseman Jeff Petry in Game 1 and there’s no telling when the puck-moving rearguard will return. (TSN)

National Hockey Now 1189586 Boston Bruins

Neely Remembers ‘Elated’ Bruins Fans After 2011 Stanley Cup

Published 14 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By Jimmy Murphy

Ten years ago tonight, the Boston Bruins hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time in 39 years. That improbable run to the 2011 Stanley Cup win in Vancouver on June 15, 2011 and the way the city of Boston and the team embraced each other during it and in the months and years after is something Boston Bruins team President and hall of famer Cam Neely holds dear to his heart.

“Just how nervous I was,” Neely replied when asked what he felt like ten years ago tonight. “Game seven, in the away building, you never know how it’s going to play out. But for me, I was just so excited, not only for the group and the coaching staff and everybody that put the work in during that season but the fan base in particular. Just how long they’d been waiting for us to win another Stanley Cup.

We had some runs over the years but never was able to lift the cup. For me, it was what it meant to the city of Boston and New England and our Boston Bruins fans, to be honest with you. Just how excited and elated everyone was and it was kind of a long time coming.”

That was the Bruins’ last Stanley Cup and they have now won just one Cup in the last 49 years. Neely was asked what the Boston Bruins need to do to get back to the top of the mountain and win the team’s seventh Stanley Cup?

“I don’t think we can look at the roster now when you lose in the second round and say you can compete for a Stanley Cup,” Neely replied bluntly. “I mean, players that are on that roster that are coming back certainly need to improve. Need to get more out of the third and fourth line. Need of the second line, we didn’t get enough of in that last series. I think we have to look at improving our roster to improve our chances to win a Cup.”

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189587 Boston Bruins

Neely Looks Back ‘A Lot’ on Boston Bruins 2015 Draft Blunders

Published 15 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By Jimmy Murphy

The 2015 NHL Entry Draft will forever go down in infamy when it comes to the recent and overall history of the Boston Bruins.

On Tuesday, just under a week after Mathew Barzal and the New York Islanders Islanders sent the Bruins to their second-straight exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs after two rounds, Boston Bruins President Cam Neely acknowledged the lingering effects of that botched draft for the Bruins. Neely admitted that maybe he didn’t leave enough time for Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney to acclimate himself into his new role as GM after being hired just over a month before the NHL Draft.

“I’ve looked back at that a lot, obviously. I think the timing of when we hired Don and then the draft was taking place – would have been good I think to have a little bit more time between the hiring and the draft,” Neely pointed out. “Not to say that Don wasn’t involved in the amateur meetings, but he wasn’t involved at the time, most of the time thinking that he was making the picks. I think Don did everything he needed to do leading up to that draft to get three first-round picks. I thought the moves that he made were really good and poised to set us up for the future.”

Barzal torched the Boston Bruins for a goal apiece in Games 3, 4, and 5 of the East Division Final and finished the series with three goals and three assists. With three consecutive picks (13, 14 and, 15) in the 2015 NHL Draft, the Bruins passed on Barzal, forward Kyle Connor, and defenseman Thomas Chabot three times. That trio was off the board three picks after the Bruins took Zach Senyshyn 15th overall. They also passed on Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser, Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny, and Carolina Hurricanes superstar Sebastian Aho. Instead, the Bruins ended up with defenseman Jakub Zboril, winger Jake DeBrusk, and Senyshyn. They did save some face taking defenseman Brandon Carlo in the second round at 37th overall.

Neely was asked how much that draft still lingers over the current roster five years later?

“The guys put the list together. I think maybe during that time, we should have taken some time out – as everybody knows, we tried to move up in the draft. It didn’t work. We probably should have taken the time out and really just digested that list a little bit more,” Neely recalled. “Then there was a pick that one of our scouts really thought that the player wouldn’t be available in the second round. Obviously, hindsight is everything we’d all love to have. moving forward and thinking about making different decisions or better decisions, I guess. You can always do that in every draft though, no matter where you pick and how many picks you have.

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Neely: Bruins Biggest Need ‘Elusive Left D That Chews Up Minutes’

Published 16 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By Joe Haggerty

Boston Bruins President Cam Neely wasn’t beating around the bush when it comes to the immediate needs for his hockey club. Certainly, there are incumbent free agents to be signed and decisions to be made on some pretty important roster players, but Neely listed one particular area of need at the top of the B’s “to do” list this offseason.

It’s a left-handed defenseman that can play top-4 minutes and contribute to all areas. Just as Charlie McAvoy is the clear-cut No. 1 defenseman for this Boston Bruins group, it sure feels like they could still use a No. 2 defenseman to that group that would essentially mirror what McAvoy can bring on the left side of the defense.

“The elusive left D we’ve been looking for that can chew up a lot of minutes,” said Neely, when asked what he would add to this current core Boston Bruins group in a perfect world. “Maybe play on the second pairing with Carlo. That’d be more of a shutdown or some puck movement [with] some offensive blue line acumen. As we saw, you can never have enough D and we never seem to have enough.

“For some reason or another, we get banged up. I think our D this year had maybe eight concussions, which is something I don’t know how to combat. But that position is something that we’ve been looking [at] for a while. Hopefully we can do something to grab someone that’s going to help maybe play 20 minutes a game for us.”

It was clear the Bruins needed at least one more established defenseman adept at retrieving pucks, breaking it out of the B’s defensive zone and handling the kind of pressure that the Isles forecheckers were throwing at them.

Clearly, they also need to get somebody bigger and heartier, as well, given the disturbingly high eight concussions that their blueline group suffered during the season.

The head injuries hurt badly in the playoffs as both Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller were knocked out of commission in a development that greatly compromised their kill against the New York Islanders. It also feels pretty apparent that asking Matt Grzelcyk to play big, heavy NHL minutes at 5-foot-9, 170-pounds is perhaps asking too much from a player that gives his everything each time he suits up for the Black and Gold.

The Boston Bruins went into the season looking toward youngsters Jakub Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon and Urho Vaakanainen to potentially develop into that player after both Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug walked in free agency last offseason. Zboril was inconsistent enough that the Bruins were forced to trade for veteran Mike Reilly at the NHL trade deadline and ended up injured during the playoff run. Lauzon looks like a solid bottom-pairing stay-at-home defenseman at this point in his career but is playing a bit above his level when asked to be a steady top-4 guy.

And the 22-year-old Vaakanainen probably should have been “the elusive left D” that Neely referred to, but simply hasn’t developed into the workhorse shutdown defenseman that the B’s envisioned him to be when they tapped him in the middle of the first round back in the 2017 NHL Draft. Instead, the Bruins are left to either re-sign the 6-foot-1, 199-pound Reilly after a pretty good stint following the trade deadline, or head out into the trade and free agent market to upgrade their roster.

Reilly, Alec Martinez and Alex Goligoski are the top left-handed defensemen on the UFA market next month, but there are others like Ryan Murray and Jamie Oleksiak that could be intriguing possibilities as well. Still, it feels like the Bruins would be better served using trade chips like Vaakanainen and Jake DeBrusk among others to land a younger, established left-shot defenseman that could grow along with the rest of the young Bruins D-man corps.

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189589 Boston Bruins about. Then we’ll figure that out, but hopefully we can make something work. That’s my goal.”

So, what’s the magic number for Hall? If he’s going to remain in Boston Haggs: Boston Bruins Plan For Krejci, Hall Return it’s going to be in the $5.5-6.5 million per year range for the Bruins on a 3-4-year deal that would take him into his mid-30’s, and potentially leave some money on the table so the B’s could retain his playmaking center Published 17 hours ago on June 15, 2021 David Krejci on a short-term deal as well. It makes all the sense in the world to keep that second line together after Hall, Krejci and Smith By Joe Haggerty clicked playing together, and give them another chance to fully support the Perfection Line after a full season together.

It certainly wasn’t the ending that anybody envisioned for the Boston The one big caveat at this point is whether or not the 35-year-old Krejci Bruins with their second round exit at the hands of the New York wants to remain with the Boston Bruins, or potentially go home and bring Islanders. And it couldn’t have been the final chapter to this season that his family to the Czech Republic at the end of his career. Taylor Hall had imagined after joining the Black and Gold either. The 29- “[Krejci] has asked for a few days to have conversations with his family year-old left wing had a great start to his Bruins career with eight goals and then we’re going to sit back down and have a real honest and 14 points in 16 games after being dealt from the Buffalo Sabres to conversation,” said Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. “We the Bruins and he chipped in a pair of goals during the five game playoff would like to make it clear [to him] that is the place he should continue to series against the Washington Capitals. play if it’s going to be at the NHL level.” Hall scored a goal in Boston’s series opening win against the Islanders in It also sounds like the plan with the Bruins and Hall at this point. Game 1, but the winger and the rest of the B’s second line essentially disappeared after that with just one point and a minus-4 for the rest of the “We’ve expressed mutual interest in having [Hall] back and we’ve had series. For a player that was brought to Boston to bring scoring balance early conversations with his representative. We’ll have to see where all and secondary offense to the Bruins, Hall didn’t live up to that bargain the pieces fit together. David’s case is unique where he’d like to keep when the Bruins needed it as things got tough against the Isles. playing with the Bruins, but he’s recently expressed interest in returning home at some point in time whether that’s next year or down the road,” “Our line, we had four really solid games. We didn’t have a lot to show for said Don Sweeney. “The family dynamic is important to him. He’s asked it. Then, the other two games, I thought we got outplayed and weren’t for a few days to have conversations with his family, and we’re going to able to produce for our team. And that’s on us. That’s hockey, I think sit back down and have a real honest conversation. We would like to every team that loses in the playoffs is going to say something along the make it clear that is the place he should continue to play if it’s going to be same lines. You’ve got to learn from it,” said Hall, who had just one shot at the NHL level. on net in three of the six games vs. the Islanders as he was effectively bottled up offensively. “Even though I’m 29, I still think there’s a lot of “We realize that you have to have depth and competition within our learning experiences to be had and a lot of things I can get better at. [forward] group. I think Taylor and David would add to that and need to be added to that [group]. If it’s not those two then it would need to be “As a line, I think we were great off the rush. I think in-zone, we struggled another two players that we will target and go after to add to the to come up with chances the same way that Bergy’s [Patrice Bergeron’s] competitiveness of our group.” line did. When the play is in-zone and we’re cycling around, I think that’s something we could have been better at. Producing offense that way None of it is going to come to fruition until after the NHL expansion draft instead of off the rush. But it didn’t work out, and we gave our best effort.” for the Seattle Kraken, of course, with NHL free agency opening up afterward toward the end of July. But all signs point toward the Bruins Bruce Cassidy certainly hopes that Hall, a potential unrestricted free and Hall agreeing on a long-term contract after a good run over the last agent, returns to Boston and thinks a full season with the Bruins would few months, and a lot of room for the talented left winger to grow in a be beneficial to getting him back toward the game that won him a Hart spot he’s waited his entire career for after tough times in outposts like Trophy just a few years ago. Edmonton, New Jersey, Arizona and Buffalo. “[Hall] played very well for us. Obviously, finishing up against the

Islanders, [he] didn’t have the numbers. Their whole line didn’t have the numbers they had against Washington in the regular season. Some of Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 that is a learning curve for the player, the deepest he’s ever been in the playoffs,” said Cassidy. “Usually, the harder it gets as it goes along. And those are some things you just have to learn on your own, as a player, to a certain extent. Hopefully he’s better off for it the next time he’s in that position. He really balanced out our attack in terms of lines of 1A and 1B, and I think that made it difficult on opponents. I think he really re- energized Krejci and his play.

“I think the next playoffs he’s in, he’ll be better prepared for it. I hope it’s with the Boston Bruins, he did a good job for us. He’s a good player, he’s a good person. He works hard. I think he knows what he wants out of his career now, he’s been in a few different places. He’s made some money. Hopefully both sides can make it work.”

Despite not quite living up to expectations or hopes in the second round, both sides sound committed to keeping Hall in Boston beyond this season. It means Hall is going to need to take less than top dollar while slotting in with the salaries of other top B’s players like Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, but that sounds like something he’s willing to do for a good situation.

“I don’t even know what my value is, at this point. I feel like I had two different seasons. I’m not looking to absolutely maximize my value at this point in my career,” said Hall. “I’ve been fortunate enough to make some good money in this league, and at this point, it’s about more of a fit for me than maybe money, or a long-term thing. You want to find a home for the next few years here and we’ll see what happens.

“I see a fit and hopefully they feel the same. We’ll let the dust settle on everything this year, I’m sure they have a lot of stuff going on and some other guys that have been here longer than me that they have to worry 1189590 Boston Bruins Rask met with the staff every day during the playoffs to review his fitness. He told the coaches he was good to go. All parties concluded he was healthy enough to play.

Why the Bruins are better suited for a playoff goaltender rotation in the The exception was after the second period in Game 5. Rask told future, with or without Tuukka Rask Essensa he was lacking some energy. Swayman took over in the third period. The next day, Rask said he was feeling better.

By Fluto Shinzawa “Felt ready to go,” Cassidy said of his ace. “Then it comes on to me. I have to make the final call: Who gives us the best chance to win? I chose Jun 15, 2021 Tuukka. So no regrets on that. We feel he gave us the best chance to win. It didn’t work out that way.”

Cassidy considered past performance when he made his Game 6 choice. During the 2020-21 regular season, all of which he played with a torn Rask had won 57 playoff games, most of any goalie in team history. His labrum in his hip, Tuukka Rask’s longest stretch of consecutive games .925 career postseason save percentage is higher than that of was three straight starts. He did this twice. Vasilevskiy, Price, Marc-Andre Fleury and Semyon Varlamov, the four In the playoffs, Rask started 11 straight games. It may not have been a remaining goalies. coincidence that his health and performance declined by the end. But by then, Rask was diminished for two reasons: injury and workload, In retrospect, rotating Rask and Jeremy Swayman in the playoffs may perhaps the latter more than the former. have produced a better outcome. The Bruins never considered shutting Rask down for hip surgery “I do believe it will become more common and is something we would midseason, even when he hurt his back. Rest and treatment helped Rask discuss going forward. We even talked about it this year a little bit,” said get through the regular season. coach Bruce Cassidy of postseason rotations. “But at the end of the day, The system shock of starting 11 straight playoff games, however, may Tuukka played so well against Washington that you don’t want to outthink have been too much for Rask to overcome. Rask has never been a yourself either. He’s playing well. He’s healthy. So you just keep going warhorse like Price or Vasilevskiy. back to that guy.” The 34-year-old Rask is a pending unrestricted free agent and will be out Since 2017-18, his first season as full-time coach, Cassidy has always until 2022 because of the surgery. He’s said he’d like to remain in leaned heavily on Rask in the playoffs. Rask started all 12 games in the Boston, but his future is uncertain. 2017-18 playoffs against Toronto and Tampa Bay. He doubled that workload the following postseason during the Stanley Cup Final run. It’s possible, then, that Cassidy’s belief of riding one goalie in the playoffs is due for adjustment — if Rask comes back or if he doesn’t, with an Rask’s streak of 78 straight career playoff starts ended in 2019-20 prior untested Swayman who will likely split games with another goalie in to Game 3 against Carolina because of a family emergency. Rask 2021-22. It makes little sense for teams that prefer semi-balanced resumed his standard postseason workload in 2020-21 against the tandems during the regular season to abandon this template for the most Capitals and Islanders. important games of the year. Even if the lure of riding a hot goalie is too In that way, Cassidy is not alone when it comes to goalies in the playoffs. tempting to ignore. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Carey Price, two of the four remaining puck “I still think there’s a lot of the way of thinking it’s one guy, it’s his net, off stoppers, have not shared the net during this year’s run. Philipp you go,” said Cassidy. “I think you’re going to see some teams that do Grubauer, Connor Hellebuyck, Jack Campbell, Cam Talbot, Tristan Jarry, use two goaltenders during the season quite a bit will go to that format. Juuse Saros, Mike Smith and Jordan Binnington were their teams’ That’s something to be considered down the road.” exclusive postseason goalies.

Rask, however, has more of a history of regular-season pacing than his counterparts. The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 Since 2017-18, Cassidy targeted 50 regular-season starts as a reasonable annual target for Rask. In theory, this gave the 176-pound Rask time to recover between starts. Vasilevskiy (225 pounds) and Price (220 pounds) are better designed for heavy-duty use.

That threshold, based on input from the department and goalie coach Bob Essensa, allowed the Bruins coach to expect two things from Rask: high regular-season performance and enough gas in the tank to carry the postseason load.

That upper limit required a limitation on repeated use. The Bruins exercised restraint well. In 2017-18, when he made 54 appearances, Rask started six straight games, his longest streak under Cassidy. In 2018-19, when he played 46 times, Rask’s high was three consecutive starts. In 2019-20 (41 games), it was four.

This year, because of Rask’s condition and the compressed schedule, the team’s general guidance was two starts a week. For the most part, they followed this template, even after Jaroslav Halak’s exit because of COVID-19, thanks to Swayman and Dan Vladar.

That changed in the playoffs. In the first round, Rask made five starts in nine days. In the second round, Rask started six games in 12 days. He completed Round 2 with an .897 save percentage, plunging from his .941 mark against Washington.

“We just got different results in the second round. Some of that, obviously, is team-oriented in both the first and second round,” Cassidy said. “We don’t put everything on the goalie when you lose. Just like you don’t when you win. We were never going to run out a player that wasn’t fit to play.” 1189591 Calgary Flames

Former Flames bench boss Geoff Ward lands new gig with Ducks

Staff Report

POSTMEDIA NETWORK

Publishing date: Jun 15, 2021

It didn’t take Geoff Ward long to find a job on an NHL bench.

The former Calgary Flames head coach was fired by the team and replaced by Darryl Sutter in early March after a sputtering start to the 2021 season.

On Tuesday morning, though, the Anaheim Ducks announced that Ward will be joining Dallas Eakins’ coaching staff as an assistant, along with Mike Stothers.

Ward took over the Flames head coaching duties in 2019, replacing , and guided the club to a 36-26-5 record over parts of two seasons. He was also an assistant coach for the Flames throughout the 2018-’19 season and had previously worked as an assistant for the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189592 Carolina Hurricanes (29) than any other defenseman over the past three seasons. He’s one of the main reasons the Hurricanes’ power play went from “cursed” to top five in the league. He has put up 112 points in 170 games with the Can the Hurricanes afford to lose Dougie Hamilton? Hurricanes, including 40 points in 47 games in 2019-2020 before mission 21 games with a broken leg. And about that broken leg: The nature of the injury itself allowed it to fully heal, but after missing so much time and all the follies the pandemic season presented, his bounce-back including 10 By Sara Civian goals and 42 points in 55 games was impressive. Jun 15, 2021 According to Natural Stat Trick, in Hamilton’s past three seasons he’s first among all defensemen in five-on-five rush attempts, by far. He’s got 31. Next up are Victor Hedman and Keith Yandle tied at 20. He’s third The NHL’s offseason is shortened this year, there’s about a month until among all defensemen in total five-on-five shots behind only general managers need to submit their protected lists for the Seattle and Brent Burns but first in five-on-five shots per 60. He’s third behind expansion draft and due to the flat cap and other pandemic-related Burns and Shea Theodore in rebounds created during this timeframe. financial concerns, free agents are entering one of the most uncertain Again, this data is at five-on-five. Knowing his impact on the power play negotiation periods of their careers. only enhances his overall value.

So, yeah, less than a week after the Carolina Hurricanes’ season ended, And before you say that those are mostly offensive stats, Hamilton also that’s the landscape in which Elliotte Friedman reported Monday that the has the best Corsi For percentage of any defenseman who has played team has given Dougie Hamilton permission to speak with other teams more than 35 games during that three-season span. The reason his ahead of free agency, which could open up the possibility of a sign-and- offensive numbers — and catch-all metrics like Luszczyszyn’s — are so trade. good is that the ice leans away from his goal when he’s on the ice.

Remember, the only teams that can sign a player to an eight-year term Not only is he one of the best defensemen in the league (or, if you want are his current team and the Kraken (if they select him in the expansion to get semantic, one of the defensemen with the highest probabilities to draft or acquire him before it), and to sign that length Hamilton needs to positively impact an outcome of a game), but he is this person be on the roster by the pre-expansion-draft trade freeze on July 17. consistently. Hamilton is turning 28 on Thursday, and he’s headed into what will be the biggest contract of his career. Especially in this time of uncertainty, he’s If Alex Pietrangelo, who is almost three years older than Hamilton, got a definitely aiming for that eight-year term and a ballpark of an $8.5 million seven-year deal at an $8.8 million AAV, something in this ballpark has to average annual value. be attainable for Hamilton. Pietrangelo is 11th on the list of five-on-five goals by defensemen in the past three years with 20 goals, and keep in Here’s where everyone starts to lose their minds because, for some mind he had a total of 3298:51 five-on-five minutes in this time when reason, you’re only allowed to consider Hamilton either the best or worst Hamilton had 3081:36. He and Hamilton tie at seventh with 42 high hockey player of all time. So it goes in the world of offensive danger chances at five-on-five, but Pietrangelo only has 13 rush attempts defensemen, especially when you’re 6-foot-6, 230 pounds and don’t fit in this situation compared to Hamilton’s 31. He’s got 37 rebounds created into the old-school “tough guy” mold. Add in some interests that at five-on-five compared to Hamilton’s 63. If you want to go there, he’s apparently go beyond cracking open a few cold ones with the boys, and even got more hits than Pietrangelo, at 233-107. for some reason, people project their own insecurities onto you. Pietrangelo’s got that Cup-winning captain leadership aspect that It seems like people want to either champion Hamilton the king of the probably helped move his paycheck along, but all of this goes to show nerds or declare him a locker-room cancer, and this has bled into that if this is the measuring stick, Hamilton deserves at least this much. analysis of his play more than anyone wants to admit. “Should the Canes be the ones to pay him?” is a trickier question. Then there are people who are either looking to hate or defend Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon’s unconventional (in the hockey world) Can the Hurricanes afford Hamilton? tactics. Criticism of Dundon and the shroud of mystery around his There was a period of time about halfway through Hamilton’s first season operation is valid: letting GM explore options before re- with the Canes when people were bending over backward creating signing him (and, uh, Dundon then saying he hates contracts), letting conspiracies as to why the Hurricanes went from being “the Corsi Canes” Jack Adams front-runner Rod Brind’Amour’s contract situation fester to actually “getting bounces” and scoring goals. while we all know it would be a slam dunk, among other things, are fair to question. There’s a certain inevitable factor of luck and chance in hockey, but in retrospect, this conversation (which I participated in) seems so silly. The But I think the Hamilton situation is a little different, and if you find Canes acquired Hamilton, Andrei Svechnikov joined the team, Sebastian yourself asking why Dundon would allow this, I want you to imagine this Aho took the next step and they spent money here and there on scoring was a team like the Maple Leafs or the Bruins. Given the specific upgrades. Hamilton was such a crucial part of this, and the Canes put situation we’re about to dive into, maybe this isn’t an instance of an themselves at serious risk of losing that X-factor if he leaves. owner being cheap but rather of two sides that disagree on a murky market trying to establish what market value actually is and going from As it stands, they’ve got around $28 million dollars to spend this there. offseason. Beyond Hamilton, their first priorities need to be hammering out Svechnikov’s and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic’s RFA contracts. I’d So let’s keep it simple and try to take emotion out of the equation as we speculate Svechnikov is going to be at least $6 million on the books for answer the two essential questions via facts and logic: What is next year in an ideal bridge-deal situation — unless there are some Hamilton’s worth, and can the Hurricanes afford to keep him? creative signing-bonus shenanigans, or maybe even with some signing- Hamilton’s worth bonus shenanigans. Who knows what Nedeljkovic’s contract will end up looking like (bridge deal?), but add those two in, then consider re-signing As we just went over, people lose their minds when trying to evaluate Jordan Martinook, Brock McGinn or both — while re-signing RFA Warren offensive defensemen. To me, people are focused way too much on Foegele. putting players in certain boxes and evaluating them within those boxes, instead of just focusing on their overall game-by-game impact and how Assuming the worst (within reason), for the sake of argument, you’re they change the complexion of their teams. This is why I love our very down around $14 million. own Dom Luszczyszyn’s Game Score Value Added (GSVA) metric. He Say Hamilton ends up commanding $9 million. You can sign him with and some of the folks below help us take our own biases out of how we about $5 million to spare. If that’s all you have to think about, you do it. evaluate the equation. But then there’s everyone’s favorite thing: contract term. With the flat This Luszczyszyn piece is from last year, but it highlights just why cap, you really, really have to ask yourself if what Hamilton brings to the Hamilton’s situation is unique and why it might be smart of the Canes to table right now is worth handcuffing yourself to a bad contract for three or outsource evaluation of his market value. four years at the end of his career. My mind wanders to a team like All the hand-wringing about how “defensemen should be defensemen” Vegas, with the Pietrangelo signing, trading for and extending Mark aside, Hamilton is a coveted right-shot D who has more five-on-five goals Stone, trading for and extending Robin Lehner and more. It’s impossible to know if their decisions are going to hold up well in a few years, but they saw a Cup window, decided to run with it, and now they’re perpetual contenders. You won’t have Aho and Teuvo Teravainen on these matching deals forever, and you won’t have a hungry new goalie as an RFA forever.

What are you going to do when you let Hamilton sign somewhere else and the Kraken potentially take another one of your defensemen?

I’m not saying the Hurricanes are doing this, and it’s pretty smart to let both sides get a true sense of the market before making a decision. But there doesn’t seem to be some up-and-coming Hamilton-type the Hurricanes can suavely trade for or pull up from the farm this time. There aren’t many players like Hamilton at all.

And it’s unfortunate that Hamilton’s comments about “losing to a team $18 million over the cap” were taken out of context, because the full comments actually send a strong message to the Canes.

“I wasn’t knocking the rules or anything. You realize how many weapons they have,” he said. “If you think about how many more players you could add with that money, and stuff like that, to your team and you realize how much deeper you would be. That’s just how it worked out, and I know it’s happened to teams in the past. I don’t have a problem with it.”

The Canes have the money for Hamilton, and I’m starting wonder if they can afford to lose him.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189593

Blackhawks sign forward Jakub Pour, continuing European pipeline

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Jun 15, 2021, 2:56pm CDT

European free agents keep pouring into the Blackhawks’ organization.

Jakub Pour, a 22-year-old Czech forward, became the Hawks’ latest import when he signed a two-year entry-level contract Tuesday. The contract carries a modest $842,500 cap hit.

Pour has played his entire career in the Czech Republic with the HC Plzen organization, where he was teammates and friends with Dominik Kubalik.

Pour had 16 points (including 12 goals) in 48 games last season in Plzen, production not quite comparable to Kubalik — who averaged nearly a point per game his last three seasons there — but good enough to receive NHL interest.

“Ever since Dominik Kubalik started playing for the Blackhawks, I have been following the club in great detail,” Pour said in a statement. “In Chicago, I will do my best to fulfill my dream of playing in the NHL. I believe it will be sooner than later, but I will be patient. Whether the chance comes after a month or in the second year of the contract, I have to be prepared.”

Pour likely will start next season with Rockford in the . Matej Chalupa, another young Czech forward who signed with the Hawks last summer in similar circumstances, spent all of 2021 in Rockford and had seven points in 27 games.

For the Hawks, the signing represents the continued strengthening of their pipeline from the European pro leagues, from which they’ve pulled many undrafted, relatively unknown players across the Atlantic in recent years.

The list of success stories includes Kubalik, Pius Suter, Artemi Panarin, David Kampf, Dominik Kahun, Michal Kempny and Erik Gustafsson, among others, and the Hawks already have dipped into it twice — for Pour and Swedish goalie Arvid Soderblom — so far this offseason.

Pour will likely start next season with Rockford in the AHL before working his way up the depth chart. Matej Chalupa, another young Czech forward who signed with the Hawks last summer in similar circumstances, spent all of 2021 in Rockford and recorded seven points in 27 games.

For the Hawks, the signing represents the continued strengthening of their pipeline from the European pro leagues, from which they’ve pulled many undrafted, relatively unknown players across the Atlantic in recent years.

The list of success stories includes Kubalik, Pius Suter, Artemi Panarin, David Kampf, Dominik Kahun, Michal Kempny and Erik Gustafsson, among others, and the Hawks have already dipped into it twice — for Pour and Swedish goalie Arvid Soderblom — again so far this offseason.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189594 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks agree to terms with Jakub Pour

BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS

The Blackhawks have agreed to terms with forward Jakub Pour on a two- year, entry-level contract, the team announced Tuesday. His cap hit is $842,500.

Pour, 22, registered 16 points (12 goals, four assists) in 48 games this season for HC Plzen of the Czech League, where he's spent the last four seasons. He was teammates with Dominik Kubalik during the 2017-18 campaign.

Pour is listed at 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, plays right wing and carries a left- handed shot. He hopes to compete for a roster spot in the near future but acknowledged in a team statement that he'll be patient with his development.

"It is a hockey dream come true," Pour said. "Every boy who puts on skates wants to start in the National Hockey League one day. I know that I have not reached this goal yet, but by signing the contract I have taken an important step towards it. I'm happier even more that I just signed with Chicago.

"Ever since Dominik Kubalík started playing for the Blackhawks, I have been following the club in great detail, the whole organization seems very nice to me. Great players, traditions, great triumphs. I'm excited and looking forward to it.

"In the summer, I will prepare myself at home to be 100 percent ready for a new challenge. In Chicago, I will do my best to fulfill my dream of playing in the NHL. I believe it will be sooner than later, but I will be patient. Whether the chance comes after a month or in the second year of the contract, I have to be prepared."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189595 Chicago Blackhawks

Reichel looking to compete for spot in training camp

BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS

The Blackhawks took care of an important housekeeping item on Wednesday when they agreed to terms with top prospect Lukas Reichel. His three-year, entry-level contract will begin next season and carry a $925,000 cap hit.

"I’m really proud to be part of the organization with the Blackhawks," Reichel said in his first media availability on Friday. "I'm so excited. I'm really looking forward to the future with the Blackhawks and I’m just really happy."

Soon after he was drafted by the Blackhawks with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Reichel was asked how long it might be before he envisions himself becoming a full-time NHL player.

"Two years," Reichel responded.

But he may have accelerated his timeline.

Reichel, 19, recorded 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 38 games this season for Eisbären Berlin of the DEL, Germany's top professional league, and added two goals and three assists in nine postseason contests. He also registered two goals and four assists in nine games at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, with his six points ranking third on Team Germany.

"I think I played a good season with Eisbären and the national team, too," Reichel said. "So yeah, I’m really looking forward and will give my best in training camp next season and this summer, too, and then we’ll see what happens."

The Blackhawks drafted Reichel as a winger but he played center for the majority of the year and excelled in that role, whether it was with Eisbären or Team Germany. It's unclear whether the organization views him long-term as a center or winger, but they certainly like the versatility he brings.

"That’s a great option for our coaches to have," President/GM said during his exit interviews in May. "It’s too early to tell whether he’ll be an NHL center or not, but the fact he’s got some experience there shows he has pretty good instincts and hockey sense. He took a nice step forward offensively, production-wise he had a good year, so that’s a positive.

"Style-wise, he’s going to fit in really nicely with our team. We’re going to be aware of the fact he’s only 19 years old. I’m not putting high expectations on him. I’m singling him out as someone in the coming couple of years as someone who can rise to prominence. It might take him a year or two, but that’s OK. We like the skill set he brings and I think he’s going to be a player who’s going to help us out in the coming years."

The next step for Reichel's development is putting on more muscle to be able to hang with men at the NHL level. Last season, he played at 74kg (163 pounds). This season, he was between 80-81kg (176-178 pounds).

The Blackhawks are going to be patient with Reichel, but it's difficult for Chicago not to get excited about what kind of impact he could make with the team for years to come if he continues to progress on the path he's currently on.

"I can’t wait to come over," Reichel said. "It’s a great city and a great organization. It’s like a dream for me to play for Chicago. I can’t wait."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189596 Chicago Blackhawks was more in line with what he wanted. Of course, he understood he’d have to put in the time and work to get to that level in the NHL.

Stewart decided to deviate from what he was with the Blackhawks during Inside Ryan Stewart’s ‘tremendous run’ from a folding ECHL team to his first two seasons. In Year 3, the Blackhawks were seeking more Blackhawks assistant GM scouting coverage in Ontario, and Stewart proposed himself for the position. So, he moved back to his hometown of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and began scouting. By Scott Powers He found another experience that added to what he would become. Jun 15, 2021 “You see these 17-year-old kids that you’re projecting how they will translate two, three years down the road to become NHL players and then you also get to learn the OHL is much different than the NCAA and Ryan Stewart was given the dream passage from hockey player to the USHL is much different than the kids playing in the minor leagues in hockey operations. and the WHL is different than the OHL,” Stewart said. “So you Stewart went from team captain of the Greenville Grrrowl of the ECHL get to learn the different elements of each league and then trying to study one season to their assistant coach and assistant general manager the and project the raw assets of each athlete and doing the background on next season at the age of 31. He was the head general manager within their makeup and their genetics and just their mental side of things.” two seasons. It was all happening so fast, and Stewart was learning a ton After two years as an amateur scout, Stewart spent two years as a pro in a short amount of time, but it was also perfect for him. He was being scout. Again, he tapped into what he had learned in his other positions given the opportunity to try out different positions and grow within an and had to learn new aspects of scouting. organization that believed in him. “When you switch to the pro side, in the American League, they’re still And then the organization was gone. men for the most part, they’re 20 and up, so they’re more defined, and The franchise struggled to draw fans and make money, and it folded in when you’re recommending NHL players … it’s more that puzzle of what June 2006, just after Stewart’s second season in hockey operations. fits for our team,” Stewart said. “So if I’m going to recommend a certain player under a certain monetary parameter, what are they going to do for “Local ownership closed the door on us, which was kind of a shock,” us and what area could they fit on our team and what would we have to Stewart said. “So you know, I had a young baby at home, and my wife, give up to get that? So that puzzle was always the intriguing thing that and we were out of work.” got my mind going.”

Stewart was then offered an opportunity that would change his hockey Once in that role, Stewart moved up the ladder and was given more and career gradually but required him to make a huge life change responsibility within the pro scouting department under Stan Bowman, immediately. Because the Grrrowl were the ECHL affiliate of the Chicago the Blackhawks’ president of hockey operations and general manager. Blackhawks, Stewart knew people within the organization. The Stewart was made director of pro scouting, then senior director of pro Blackhawks happened to have a video coach job opening and asked scouting, then vice president of pro scouting and, most recently, assistant Stewart if he’d be interested in interviewing for it. general manager of pro scouting.

He was. The Blackhawks offered him the job, and he accepted it. From Stewart is now responsible for a staff that scouts a wide array of amateur there, he’s followed a path within the organization that has included eight and pro players, including drafted pros in North America and Europe and job titles over 15 seasons. potential free agents.

Stewart’s hockey journey over that time has been sort of what he hoped “We’re looking to either sign or trade for those guys, so we have to have it would be when he left Greenville, S.C., in 2006, but he obviously didn’t an idea,” Bowman said. “So, it’s really blending. … He doesn’t do know exactly what was in store. He was just following his gut instinct. amateur scouting, but he looks at a combination of pros and amateurs. So, his sort of total number of players he covers is huge because it’s all “So my wife and I, when it was offered to me, we just said, you know the European leagues and it’s all the North American leagues. what, hockey’s in my blood, this is an opportunity to get into the NHL and see what happens to us,” Stewart said. “So we packed up my son and “Like right now, we’re looking at a free-agent list. In North America, moved up north and had a real eye-opening experience to start with. there’s college free agents, junior-age free agents and European free agents. So, trying to boil that down to the couple that you want to pursue. “But sometimes you got to take a couple steps back to move forward. It He’s played a large role in that aspect over the last few years, and was an interesting move going from being a minor-league GM, you’re certainly notable players that are in the league, whether they’re still with feeling like a big-fish, little-pond type of scenario, and then you go to the us or not, he played a large role and ultimately getting to the point where big pond and you’re the little fish. So there’s a lot of pride to be we’re signing them.” swallowed and just become that sponge and learn.” Bowman has given Stewart so much trust over the years because he Stewart had a lot to learn when he arrived in Chicago. He knew hockey, respects Stewart’s understanding of so many facets of pro hockey. That but he had to learn how to operate the video system, splice clips and so versatility was created over the past 15 years. on. There was also great attention to detail about teams’ systems. “Ryan’s somewhat of a jack of all trades,” Bowman said. “I think his Later in Stewart’s first season, Denis Savard asked him to join the background is going to serve him well in his current role because he’s Blackhawks coaching staff and help run the power play. Stewart had a little bit more exposure to different areas of the organization to continued with both the video and assistant coaching roles during the coaching and amateur scouting.” 2007-08 season. The assistant position allowed him a closer look at NHL players, which came in especially handy later in his career. When the Blackhawks signed Pius Suter from Switzerland, Stewart played a role in that decision. When they signed Mike Hardman out of “That was truly an eye-opening experience and a wonderful one because Boston College, Stewart was involved. And when they acquired Adam you get to see the differences amongst athletes and the different Gaudette at the trade deadline, Stewart provided knowledge in that variables that lead to successful players, and more than that, the transaction as well. chemistry involved,” Stewart said. “We obviously had a rough season (in 2006-07), but we were on the incline. And then the following season, I Stewart’s job is to advise Bowman which players have NHL ability and, came back and double duty, the video coach and the assistant coach, crucially, how that ability fits with the Blackhawks. For the European and, again, was able to work with Jonny (Toews) and Patrick (Kane) and players, it’s often about how their game translates to North America. a bunch of the young kids. So that experience and that level of just leniency as far as what they’re going to allow me to do was a massive “It’s hard because sometimes your staff has seen the college kids, but side to my growth and experience to become where I am now.” they’ve never seen the European,” Bowman said. “So how do you compare (college unrestricted free agent Trevor) van Riemsdyk to Stewart was grateful for that time as a Blackhawks assistant, but he also (European UFA Erik) Gustafsson, like the people watching them never learned that it wasn’t for him. He didn’t feel natural in it. He kept coming see the other player. So then Ryan has to kind of cross-check it and use back to building a team; his experience as general manager in Greenville his experience. ‘This guy’s playing this way in this league. Players coming out of that league typically do excel or don’t excel.’ (Dominik) Kahun was another one. And there’s been a number that have come through over the years that I think Ryan has been involved with deciding who we’re going to pursue.”

How does Stewart do it?

He keeps tabs on players himself but communicates often with his staff. He’s always talking with director of European scouting Mats Hallin and head pro scout Alex Brooks. Each also consults his own staffers.

“There’s a lot of layers to it,” Stewart said.

In a normal year, Stewart travels and scouts while keeping in touch with his staff. He’s done much more video scouting this season. The past few seasons have also been different because the Blackhawks haven’t been Stanley Cup contenders. They’ve been looking to add assets and trade off some players rather than looking for finishing pieces. That’s also changed Stewart’s job.

“When somebody wants Mattias Janmark, you kind of broke down lists of who we liked from those teams and what the cost should be to get those,” Stewart said.

Another example was Stewart’s involvement in acquiring Henrik Börgstrom’s rights from the Florida Panthers.

“You just study the whole book on the player,” Stewart said. “We know he was a dynamic talent in college. We know his transition to the NHL was not great. We’ve kind of had our own opinions as to why that happened. There’s a level of just where the player was used, how he was used, why he was used and why things didn’t work out.

“In the lens of optimism, can we turn that around? Can we put them in a different situation to succeed? The player himself, his skill set, his skating, his vision, his ability to create in tight with that reach. And again, the price that you pay for a player oftentimes comes into play here as well. But Börgstrom’s a unique type where you get that type of size with that type of skill set, you’re willing to explore the hope and projecting into next season in our lineup and what he could do for us.”

Stewart’s goal with each addition or subtraction is to get the Blackhawks back to being a contender. He doesn’t have the final say on each player, but he has a larger seat at the table now with his title and responsibilities. He took a chance 15 years when leaving Greenville, and it’s paid off. He’s building teams again.

“We’ve had a tremendous run that, now you look back on it — when you’re in it, you take a lot of it for granted,” Stewart said. “And then when that window is kind of closed for hopefully the short term, you kind of learn the elements needed to get back to that. So the continuity, it’s probably a comfort level, but there’s still the motivation and the passion to get back to where we were. And I think there’s just a chemistry that develops with Stan and myself and the rest of us as to how we want to make decisions and how we come to conclusions on certain things.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189597 Colorado Avalanche season while Erik Johnson was out with an upper-body injury. He was far from the Avalanche’s biggest problem in the postseason and averaged a point per game against Vegas.

Colorado Avalanche final 2020-21 report card: End-of-season grades for Brandon Saad Joe Sakic, Jared Bednar and each player Regular season — B

Playoffs — A By Peter Baugh Total — A- Jun 15, 2021 Saad showed how valuable he is during postseason play, scoring seven goals in 10 games for the Avalanche. An unrestricted free agent, he’ll be Grading the Avalanche’s players and staff for the 2021 season is difficult. difficult for the Avalanche to keep, especially after his playoff numbers. The team had a brilliant regular season, winning the Presidents’ Trophy But if Joe Sakic is able to bring him back, it would be a massive boost despite injuries and COVID-19, and while it came up short in the second going into next season. round of the playoffs yet again — looking lost at times and squandering a Nazem Kadri pair of third-period leads — this time the defeat came to a Vegas team that tied for the most points in the regular season. So how do you weigh Regular season — B the brilliance and the disappointment? Playoffs — F The Athletic will factor both into its final 2020-21 report card for players (though their overall grades won’t be an average of the two), while Total — D management and coaches only receive a grade for the combined effort. Fairly or unfairly, Kadri’s season will be remembered for the hit he laid on We’ll also grade on a scale, with a player’s performance considered Justin Faulk in Game 2 of the first round. That got him suspended eight against what was expected of him and what opportunity he had. For games, which turned out to be the rest of the Avalanche’s season. He’s a playoff grades, the Blues series is taken into account, but there was an gritty, skilled player and one Colorado could’ve used against Vegas. And emphasis placed on the season-defining Golden Knights series. unlike an injury-related absence, the games he missed were avoidable.

A few notes: Skaters had to play a minimum of 20 regular-season games Andre Burakovsky or one playoff game to receive a grade. Goalies had to appear in six or more games for the Avalanche to get a grade, meaning Philipp Grubauer Regular season — A- and Jonas Johansson were the only qualifiers. Playoffs — D Forwards Total — B- Nathan MacKinnon Burakovsky has brought the Avalanche quality play on the second line Regular season — A+ since coming over from Washington. He had another strong regular season, scoring 19 goals to nearly eclipse his career high (20), despite Playoffs — B- the shortened season. He’s played on the top line at points and is a Total — A- player with that kind of potential. But he can be hot-and-cold, and he wasn’t at his best against Vegas. He had only four points through the At the end of the day, for teams to have success, they need their best playoffs and, though he scored a big goal in Game 6, committed a costly players to step up in the biggest moments. MacKinnon, who was turnover the game before that led to Vegas’ first goal of the night. excellent as always during the regular season, has done that throughout his career, collecting 69 points in his first 50 postseason games. But, in Joonas Donskoi part thanks to Vegas’ , MacKinnon wasn’t at his normal Regular season — B+ playoff level in Games 2-5 of the second round. He failed to score a five- on-five point in those four contests. Playoffs — B-

It’s hard to give a Hart Trophy finalist anything less than an A-level grade, Total — B but MacKinnon was outplayed in a series the Avalanche ended up losing Donskoi, who spent the second half of the season on the Avalanche’s top and that has to be considered. power-play unit, posted a career high in goals and had one of the more memorable nights of the season, logging a hat trick within the first eight minutes of the first period against the Coyotes in March. He didn’t put up Regular season — A crazy postseason numbers but did have a big goal in Game 5 while Playoffs — C+ playing on the fourth line.

Total — B Tyson Jost

The Avalanche captain had one of the better regular seasons of his Regular season — B career, averaging nearly a point per game (52 points in 54 games). He Playoffs — C- also was everything Colorado could’ve asked for in the first round against the Blues, setting the tone with a fight, scoring and playing the hard- Total — B- working style the Avalanche needed. But, like MacKinnon, he didn’t play Though he didn’t put up gaudy scoring numbers, Jost had a strong at the level Colorado needed against Vegas and was moved from the top regular season and established himself as a legitimate middle-six center. line to the second in the last two games as coach Jared Bednar looked He developed good chemistry on a line with Valeri Nichushkin. But he for a spark. had a tough series against the Golden Knights, getting out-chanced 47- 24 while on the ice, per Natural Stat Trick.

Regular season — A Valeri Nichushkin

Playoffs — B+ Regular season — B

Total — A- Playoffs — B-

Rantanen likely received down-ballot Hart Trophy votes this season, and Total — B his numbers show why. He posted a career-high 1.27 points per game Nichushkin continued to bring aggressive forechecking and good defense and had 30 goals in 52 games. At 24 and under contract for the next four to the Avalanche. He had a bit of a slow start to the season after his seasons, he’s someone the Avalanche should be able to count on for the foreseeable future. He also wore the “A” for alternate captain most of the offseason training was disrupted by surgery but came on strong in the Ranta made his NHL debut during the postseason, playing in two games second half. against Vegas, both of which the Avalanche won. He had a minus-1 rating, but the fact that the Avalanche inserted him into the lineup in big J.T. Compher moments is promising for his future.

Regular season — C+ Defensemen

Playoffs — B Cale Makar

Total — B- Regular season — A+

Compher was visible against the Golden Knights, and the Avalanche Playoffs — B+ created more scoring chances than Vegas while he was on the ice, per Natural Stat Trick. And though he described his regular season as “up Total — A and down,” he scored big goals late in the campaign as the Avalanche were pushing for the Presidents’ Trophy, including a go-ahead goal in the At only 22 years old, Makar has firmly established himself as one of the last regular-season matchup with Vegas. best defensemen in the NHL. He’s a Norris Trophy finalist and averaged a point per game. He didn’t look his best in the middle of the Vegas Pierre-Edouard Bellemare series, having a minus-2 ranking in Game 4, but had stretches in the final two games in which he looked like the best player on the ice. Regular season — B Devon Toews Playoffs — B- Regular season — A Total — B Playoffs — B+ Bellemare continued to be a steady fourth-line presence and well-liked teammate for the Avalanche. His assist numbers were down, but he tied Total — A for a career-high nine goals. Colorado got exactly what it wanted in the deal for Toews, who scored in Alex Newhook Game 6 against Vegas. He had a plus-10 ranking in the playoffs and was plus-29 in the regular season. He can’t do quite as much on the ice as Regular season — Incomplete Makar but was vital to the team’s success. He and Makar were the only Playoffs — B Avalanche defensemen to have Corsi For percentages above 50 percent in the postseason, per Natural Stat Trick. Total — B Samuel Girard The fact that Newhook was able to contribute fresh out of college leads to him getting solid marks, even if he didn’t have crazy point totals. The Regular season — A Avalanche have to be happy about the 20-year-old’s potential heading Playoffs — C- into next season. Total — B Carl Soderberg Girard had a breakout regular season, at one point thrusting his name Regular season — C into the Norris Trophy conversation, and finished with 32 points. He didn’t Playoffs — C look like himself against Vegas, though, and had a minus-5 rating in the playoffs. Still, he’s only 23. There’s plenty of room for growth. Total — C Ryan Graves Soderberg’s low grades aren’t totally his fault. They mainly come down to the fact that he wasn’t what the Avalanche needed in a trade-deadline Regular season — B acquisition, especially considering he only played in four playoff games Playoffs — C- and only two against Vegas, both of which were losses. Total — C+ Logan O’Connor Graves is a good player, one the Avalanche relied on for his strong Regular season — B+ defensive ability, but can be frustrating at times. There’s no better Playoffs — B example than Game 5 against Vegas, when he fired two ill-advised shots into traffic, leading to Mark Stone’s breakaway goal. The loss doesn’t fall Total — B squarely on Graves’ shoulders, but looking back, the Stone goal might’ve been what decided the series. Throughout the series, while Graves was O’Connor wasn’t a big-time scorer while playing college hockey at on the ice, Vegas out-chanced and outscored the Avalanche, per Natural , and it’s clear every time he steps on the ice how he’s had to Stat Trick. He had a solid Round 1 series against the Blues, but the work for everything he’s gotten. He fights for pucks and is unafraid to hit Vegas games are what Avalanche fans will remember from these opponents. His weren’t great in the postseason, but his playoffs. physical play style gave the Avalanche a spark when inserted into the lineup for Game 5. Patrik Nemeth

Kiefer Sherwood Regular season — B

Regular season — Incomplete Playoffs — D

Playoffs — B Total — C-

Total — B As with Soderberg, Nemeth’s total grade is perhaps a little harsh, simply because he was not what the Avalanche needed in a trade deadline Sherwood did his job, giving the Avalanche productive minutes mostly as acquisition. His biggest value was his penalty-killing ability, but that was, a fill-in player. He came in for a pair of postseason games, both losses, to an extent, negated against Vegas because he committed three but had an assist and an even plus-minus rating. penalties in the series. After playing well enough in the Blues series, he Sampo Ranta had a few disastrous Game 4 turnovers against Vegas. And though he rebounded and had a nice Game 5, collecting an assist, he couldn’t clear Regular season — N/A the puck ahead of Vegas’ go-ahead goal in Game 6.

Playoffs — B Conor Timmins

Total — B Regular season — B Playoffs — B

Total — B The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021

Timmins improved the second half of the season and proved to be a capable third-pairing defenseman, which is encouraging for the Avalanche, considering he’s only 22.

Jacob MacDonald

Regular season — B+

Playoffs — N/A

Total — B+

MacDonald, who is 28, didn’t crack the playoff lineup, but he had a strong first full season in the NHL, scoring nine points in 33 games. He filled in well whenever the Avalanche had injuries.

Goalies

Philipp Grubauer

Regular season — A+

Playoffs — B-

Total — A-

Grubauer was a Vezina finalist after a career year that saw him post a .922 save percentage and 1.95 goals-against average. Though helped by a stellar defense in front of him, he deserves credit for the strides he made in his first year playing more than 40 games. His production dipped a bit in the playoffs (.914 save percentage) and he didn’t look comfortable in Game 6, which turned out to be the Avalanche’s final game. But he’s not one of the main players to blame for Colorado’s postseason disappointment.

Jonas Johansson

Regular season — B+

Playoffs — N/A

Total — B+

Johansson, acquired midseason from Buffalo, was a pleasant surprise and saw a massive post-trade uptick from his Sabres numbers. He had a .913 save percentage in eight games with Colorado, up from his .884 mark with Buffalo. He also stepped in and got a big win for the Avalanche in the final game of the regular season, which clinched the Presidents’ Trophy for the club.

Front office and coaching

Joe Sakic

A-

Though the season didn’t end the way the Avalanche envisioned, Sakic built the most talented roster in the league, and Colorado was good enough to win the Stanley Cup. The team couldn’t get it done, but that speaks more to player production on the ice than the moves he made. The only factor working against his grade is that, in an all-in year, no trade-deadline acquisitions made sizable contributions in the postseason. Nemeth struggled, and Soderberg only played two games against Vegas. Dubnyk and Johansson never saw postseason action.

Sakic’s offseason acquisitions, though, were brilliant. Toews was excellent as a top pair-level defenseman, and Saad had big moment after big moment in the postseason.

Jared Bednar

B

Bednar, who did a marvelous job leading the Avalanche in the regular season, accepted responsibility for the team’s second-round exit following Game 6, but a good portion of the blame should fall on the players. There’s not an easy coaching fix when a team’s top line is struggling during five-on-five play like Colorado’s did in the middle four games of the Vegas series. Still, there are decisions with which Bednar has to sit. For example, he stuck with Nemeth, who perhaps received an unfair amount of fan ire but certainly had multiple costly turnovers in the Vegas series. His adjustments (line blending, new forward insertions) ahead of Game 5 worked well, but Vegas’ Pete DeBoer seemed a step ahead throughout the series. 1189598 Colorado Avalanche

AVALANCHE OFFSEASONAvalanche and their fans can’t give up now

Published 12 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By Adrian Dater

This has been a lousy few days. As people who watch and care about the Colorado Avalanche, it was a lousy feeling watching last night’s Vegas-Montreal game.

I’m sure a lot of you felt this way too, but I was like: “This should be the Avs playing Montreal right now, at . It should be a full house. The Avs should be wearing their reverse retro jerseys, and this should be a ball to watch.”

It still doesn’t seem quite real to me that the Avs lost four straight to Vegas and are done playing any game that counts for four long months. This team had everything, or so it seemed to me. It was barely more than a week ago when the Avs had a 2-0 series lead, and a lead with 5:16 to go in the third period of Game 3 in Vegas. It was just one week ago today that the Avs had a 2-0 lead entering the third period of Game 5 at home, after having played what I thought was their best period of the postseason.

But it’s now Tuesday, the Avs are done and Vegas has a 1-0 series lead on Montreal. Hockey will break your heart, bottom line.

A lot of people want to point fingers of blame right now, and that’s just life in pro sports. Fire the coach, trade this guy, trade that guy, bring this guy in, etc. etc. etc.

I just don’t see where there is one big area of blame. Can anyone say Jared Bednar didn’t work his butt off for this team? Did he ever seem complacent or lazy to you? Not to me he didn’t.

Joe Sakic has made a ton of great moves to get this team back to a position of strength. We can’t blame him. The ownership by the Kroenkes? They spent right to the cap on this team. They are good owners. OK, they’re not the most visible owners, which lends itself to people making judgments about them, but they are good owners, period.

It’s just…the Avs didn’t play well enough at the crucial times. And, Vegas was a good enough team not to beat themselves, and to take advantage of Avs mistakes in those crucial times.

One thing I have been consistent about, if I have any criticism of the team as it’s currently composed, is that players somehow just let up a bit whenever there is some prosperity. It was evident in Game 3 of the Vegas series. The Avs just didn’t seem to come to play and Vegas seized on that. I’m sure their players might have thought, “Hey, maybe these guys think it’s going to be easy against us. Let’s show them.” And, they did.

Now hiring!

I don’t know what the solution to that problem is, if it exists at all. But, every team has to have a killer instinct. Every championship team has to feel like “We haven’t done anything yet” until that trophy is hoisted. I remember Patrick Roy looking at me like I had three heads when I asked if the 1996 season was already a success, after beating Detroit in the Western finals. Of course not, he scoffed. There’s still the Cup.

It’ll be a long, tough summer, no question about it. It’s easy to feel down and depressed right now, even about the future.

But, chins up. It’s still a good situation around here. Let’s count some blessings and keep living life.

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189599 Dallas Stars

Stars defenseman Joel Hanley undergoes surgery to repair core muscle injury

By SportsDay Staff

2:38 PM on Jun 15, 2021 CDT

Another member of the Dallas Stars has gone under the knife this offseason.

The team announced that defenseman Joel Hanley had a successful surgery on Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury. He is expected to be fully recovered by the 2021-22 season.

The Stars re-signed Hanley to a two-year contract extension in April, a deal that retained depth on the Dallas blue line with a manageable $750,000 cap hit.

Hanley has become a lineup regular for the Stars, ascending from a healthy scratch to a third-pair staple. This season, Hanley played a career-high 24 games with four assists.

“He’s played great for us,” Stars general manager said last month. “He’s a very cap friendly player that’s paid his dues. He’s a guy that can go in and out of the lineup anytime. He manages that well. Joel, he’s earned it. He’s earned this contract. He’s come in as a depth guy and has earned a spot in this lineup most nights and done a great job.”

The deal is the first one-way contract of Hanley’s career, meaning he will get paid the same at both the NHL or AHL level.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189600 Detroit Red Wings

If Detroit Red Wings re-sign Sam Gagner or Bobby Ryan, they should choose this player

HELENE ST. JAMES

Among Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman’s tasks this offseason is deciding whether to re-sign Sam Gagner and Bobby Ryan.

Both are veteran forwards and former high draft picks who have tried to reboot their careers as complementary pieces in the Wings' rebuild. Both have been brought in by Yzerman. Both can be had for similar no-risk contracts.

Yzerman signed Ryan, 34, last October, hoping he could add a smidgen of the offense Ryan showed in his heyday as a regular 30-goal scorer. Gagner was acquired at the 2020 trade deadline from Edmonton as part of the Andreas Athanasiou deal and re-signed last offseason.

Ryan (6-feet-2, 208 pounds) looked like he’d be part of a potent second line next to Robby Fabbri and Filip Zadina, but that line lasted less than a week because Fabbri and Zadina tested positive for COVID-19 a few days after the season began. Ryan, though, looked good at the start, scoring four goals in his first three games.

But the points stopped coming, even though Ryan did a good job getting into scoring positions. He finished with seven goals, seven assists and a minus-14 rating in 33 games, and averaged 15:19 or ice time per game, of which 2:47 came during man advantages. A torn triceps muscle in his right arm prevented Ryan from playing after March 28, and required surgery.

Gagner (5-11, 200) recorded seven goals, eight assists and a minus-4 rating in 42 games. He was among the five players who spent two weeks in quarantine because of COVID-19 in January. At varying points, Gagner was used on each line; he averaged 15:26 of ice time per game, 2:02 on the power play and 1:13 on the penalty kill.

Contract-wise, each player would be looking at a one-year deal, likely for less than $1 million. Both are quality veterans who set good examples for younger players and relish serving as one-on-one mentors. Both know what it is like to come into the NHL with high expectations, as Ryan was the second overall pick in 2005 and Gagner the sixth overall pick in 2007. Both have the advantage of being right-handed shots.

Both have been vocal about wanting to stay, saying they see a role for themselves in helping the Wings regain competitiveness.

If only one is brought back, the odds favor Gagner. He’s younger, and he can play both special teams. Ryan was limited to 33 games this season and 24 in 2019-20 — he took much of that season off to address a substance abuse issue — and has not played a full season since 2018- 19. And while he expects to make a full recovery from surgery, it will impact his ability to train this offseason.

There is, of course, the possibility Yzerman brings both back. Even if rookie Joe Veleno is a full-timer next season, the Wings will need depth. Ryan didn’t have the offensive season that both sides hoped for in October, but put him on a line with someone who can feed him the puck, or finish his passes, and there’s a good chance Ryan will deliver better numbers.

There’s no reason to sign either player until after the July 21 expansion draft. In all likelihood, Yzerman will bring back Gagner, and Ryan could be added later, depending on what happens in free agency, which is slated to start July 28.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189601 Detroit Red Wings similar move by the Red Wings here. Wallstedt has a calm, controlled style, tracks pucks well and already has experience playing in the top league.”

Red Wings could be tempted by goalie with sixth pick in draft NHL.com: Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough (OHL): Detroit has selected centers from Peterborough before, most notably Yzerman in 1983. Mike Morreale writes of McTavish: “A powerful skater with balance Updated Jun 14, 12:37 PM; Posted Jun 14, 12:37 PM and solid puck-protection skills, McTavish (6-1, 207) scored 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in 13 games on loan with EHC Olten in the By Ansar Khan | [email protected] Swiss League, the second-highest professional league in Switzerland. He scored 11 points (five goals, six assists) in seven games to help Canada win the U-18s.” Steve Yzerman’s teams have selected a goaltender in the first round once under his watch as general manager, and that worked out quite Sportsnet: William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden (Sweden): The Red Wings well. need to bolster their scoring and skill level throughout their system and Eklund would help in that area. Sam Cosentino wrote: “The Wings have Will the Detroit Red Wings do it this year with the No. 6 pick during the taken an abundance of D the past couple years and have a great first round of the draft on July 23? connection to Sweden. Why not go to the most improved draft-eligible player in all of Europe?” Jesper Wallstedt flourished with Lulea in the (2.23 goals-against average, .907 save percentage) and is regarded as The Sporting News: Wallstedt: Writes Josh Bell, “If there was a general one of the best goalie prospects of the past several years. manager to pick a goalie in the top 10, it’d be Steve Yzerman, right? With some excellent prospects at forward and defense, the Red Wings look to The Red Wings don’t have anyone in their system they can label as their between the pipes, landing their goaltender of the future. Wallstedt just goaltender of the future, especially if Keith Petruzelli doesn’t sign and spent the season in the SHL, even stealing the starting job in Lulea for a becomes a free agent. time. For a draft-eligible, that’s unheard of. Down the line, this could be It is risky to take a goalie that high because it is more difficult to gauge the steal of the draft.” how their abilities will translate to the NHL. They also take longer to develop than skaters. Michigan Live LOADED: 06.16.2021 As crucial a position as it is, only one goalie has been selected in the top six in the past 18 years (Carey Price fifth to Montreal in 2005). Only 12 goalies have ever been picked in the top six, a list that includes Hall-of- Fame talent (Price, Marc-Andre Fleury, ) and flops (Ray Martyniuk, Brian Finley).

The Red Wings have taken a goalie in the first round only once in the past 48 years and that was a bust (Tom McCollum 30th in 2008).

Tampa Bay, under Yzerman, selected Andrei Vasilevskiy 19th overall in 2012 (a pick the Lightning acquired from the Red Wings for Kyle Quincey via Colorado), and he is arguably the best in the league.

But it is easier to roll the dice on a goalie later in the first round than in the top 10. Maybe the Red Wings will doit at pick No. 22, which they acquired from Washington in the Jakub Vrana-Anthony Mantha trade. Sebastian Cossa (Edmonton, WHL) is another highly rated netminder many project to go in the first round.

Yzerman and the scouting staff pulled a surprise in 2019 by taking defenseman Moritz Seider at No. 6, and that appears to have been a shrewd move.

Will they surprise again at the same spot in this year’s draft? Some mock drafts project they will:

TSN: Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea (Sweden) – Craig Button, the former Calgary Flames GM and TSN’s draft expert said, “People might say, ‘Why would you take a goalie at No. 6? Steve Yzerman doesn’t care what other people think. Jesper Wallstedt is closer to being able to play rather than further away.”

Bleacher Report: Wallstedt: Lyle Richardson wrote: “The Detroit Red Wings lack depth in goaltenders among their 10 best prospects. The 6-3, 214-pound Wallstedt is a big, athletic netminder with a hybrid butterfly style. He could become a future starter for the Wings.”

The Hockey News: Luke Hughes, D, U.S. National Team Development Program – The third Hughes brother expected to be drafted in the top 10 (Quinn went No. 7 to Vancouver in 2018, Jack No. 1 to New Jersey in 2019) has good size (6-2, 184) and tremendous mobility. He committed to Michigan. Ryan Kennedy said, “Amazing skater; he might be the best skater of the three Hughes brothers. The stride is just incredible, and I think it’s such a weapon. You think about a Red Wings defense corps headed in the future by Moritz Seider and Luke Hughes, that’s a great foundation to start off with.”

NHL.com: Wallstedt – Adam Kimelman writes, “The Red Wings need a goalie to add to their development pipeline and Wallstedt is the best available. Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman is fearless when it comes to identifying talent. Two years ago, the Red Wings had the No. 6 pick and went against the grain to select defenseman Moritz Seider, who now looks like a future top-pair player. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a 1189602 Edmonton Oilers rearguard isn’t re-signed. Manson could also simply be another solid defensive addition to the back end, even if a lefty on the second pair is probably a more sensible option. Manson turns 30 in October and has a Ten teams the Oilers should be targeting for trades ahead of the Kraken 12-team no-trade list. His dad is former Oilers Dave expansion draft Manson, now an assistant coach with AHL Bakersfield.

Arizona Coyotes

By Daniel Nugent-Bowman The smart money is on the Kraken picking a Coyotes goaltender in the expansion draft, colleague Eric Duhatschek explains. With veteran Antti Jun 15, 2021 Raanta set to become a free agent, one of (one year, $4.5 million) and Adin Hill (RFA with arbitration rights) is slated to be

protected and the other exposed. Kuemper, the subject of trade rumours, The Oilers could be in position to pounce via trade ahead of the is expected to be on the saved list. expansion draft if the prices are right. But that raises a question: What if the Coyotes wanted to collect an asset As reported last week, the Oilers plan to use a 7-3-1 protection scheme or two from another team rather than risk losing Kuemper or Hill for unless both pending UFA blueliners Adam Larsson and Tyson Barrie are nothing? Could the Oilers take advantage? re-signed before lists are due. The Coyotes would probably have to take back a goalie in a trade Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, because expansion draft rules state they need a netminder under team Darnell Nurse and Ethan Bear are said to the protection locks. Without control to expose to Seattle. The Oilers have three of those right now — Larsson, Barrie, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and goaltender Mike signed veterans Mikko Koskinen and Alex Stalock and expansion-eligible Smith under contract, the Oilers could have slots worthy of filling up front, RFA Stuart Skinner. Getting rid of the final season of Koskinen’s $4.5 on the blue line and in goal. million cap hit will probably require a sweetener. It could also require Koskinen’s blessing since he has a 15-team no-trade clause. At forward, in particular, there would be as many as three forward spots open if RNH doesn’t put pen to paper by the afternoon of July 17. Josh Boston Bruins Archibald, Tyler Benson, and Jujhar Khaira are expected to The Bruins appear set to expose some pretty good players. Colleague be the players garnering consideration for them. Fluto Shinzawa reports Nick Ritchie, Curtis Lazar, Connor Clifton and With due respect, it wouldn’t hurt to make an upgrade or two there. It also Jeremy Lauron are slated to be exposed. These are players at least wouldn’t hurt to augment the other positions. There are several teams worth checking in on. that will have to expose some good players, and the Oilers should try to But it’s one player who is expected to be protected that stands out. Jake capitalize on their predicaments — even if it might not be easy for a few DeBrusk seems to always be mentioned in trade rumours and Edmonton reasons. is often a destination that pops up as a landing spot. DeBrusk had 27 From other teams’ perspectives, they’re all going to lose a player to goals two years ago and had 19 in a truncated 2019-20 campaign. This Seattle. It might just behoove them to take their medicine and say year he managed to score just five times in 41 games. He doesn’t turn 25 goodbye to one player instead of potentially compounding issues by until October. moving out more talent. If they want to have more control over the A change of scenery might do him wonders. The Oilers could use situation, there’s always the option of a side deal with the Kraken as well. someone like the 2018-19 version of the Edmonton native at left wing, Meanwhile, the Oilers don’t have a ton to trade. too. Shinzawa says DeBrusk could be on the block if the Bruins re-sign Taylor Hall. Of the six locks, McDavid, Draisaitl and Nurse are all but untouchable. Though it’s possible they deal Puljujarvi, Yamamoto or Bear, the chances Colorado Avalanche are slim since they’re all on cheap contracts (or expected to be in the Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has some big decisions to make after his team case of RFA Yamamoto) and they’re needed in the lineup. bowed out in the second round of the playoffs. The trade chips start disappearing quickly after them, especially since As colleague Peter Baugh explains, there are a couple of moving parts GM is on record saying it’s very unlikely he’ll deal top Sakic has to firm up in the next five weeks. One is whether he can re- prospects Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway or Ryan sign captain Gabriel Landeskog before the expansion draft. Another is McLeod. Caleb Jones is a possibility to be moved out, but it’s more potentially seeing if veteran Erik Johnson will waive his no-movement probable that would happen after the expansion draft since he’s eligible clause so Sakic can protect another blueliner, likely Devon Toews. for selection and most teams are set on defence. Regardless of what happens on those two fronts, Sakic and his staff will So, we’re talking B- or C-level prospects and picks with the potential of have some tough choices to make before submitting their protection list being in play here. And remember, the Oilers don’t have their second-, — barring a side deal with Seattle, of course. Some combination of the third- or fifth-rounders this year or their fourth next year. following players might have to be exposed: Toews, Ryan Graves, Still, that doesn’t mean they can’t make a trade. These are the teams Nazem Kadri, Joonas Donskoi, J.T. Compher and Tyson Jost. they should be targeting, listed in alphabetical order. They’re all on manageable contracts or under team control: Toews (three Anaheim Ducks years, $4.1 million AAV), Graves (two years, $3,166,667 AAV), Kadri (one year, $4.5 million), Donskoi (two years, $3.9 million AAV), Compher The Ducks could make winger Jakob Silfverberg available, colleague Eric (two years, $3.5 million AAV), Jost (RFA). Kadri has a 10-team no-trade Stephens reports. He’ll turn 31 in October, has three more years on his clause, but any of them would represent an upgrade on what the Oilers $5.25 million AAV deal and had surgery in April to repair a torn labrum have to round out their forward or defence slots. and a hip impingement. There would be risk involved, but Silfverberg did net at least 20 goals in four of the last five campaigns before 2021. He Sakic won’t give away these players, but he might be motivated to move has a 12-team no-trade list. out a piece even without the expansion draft at play. In addition to Landeskog weeks away from potentially hitting the open market, star Perhaps a better fit is Rickard Rakell. He has one more year left on his defenceman Cale Makar needs a new deal as a restricted free agent. contract at just under $3.8 million and is expected to be protected if he’s not traded before the expansion draft. Rakell’s offensive production has dipped over the last three seasons, but he had back-to-back campaigns The plan is for Columbus to trade one of their two netminders, Joonas of at least 30 goals before that. He’s 28 and playing with McDavid or Korpisalo or Elvis Merzlikins, our Aaron Portzline reports. All that’s left to Draisaitl could be the boost he needs. determine is which one will be dealt and when it’ll happen. On defence, Josh Manson is likely to be protected so he can potentially GM Jarmo Kekalainen told Portzline his decision regarding which goalie be a future trade asset. Moving him now, however, would allow the to pick and which one to move might come down to the quality of the rebuilding Ducks to block off another younger blueliner instead. The right- offers. Translation: low-ball offers are wasting his time. handed Manson could be a replacement for Larsson if the Swedish It’s worth noting Merzlikins is exempt from the expansion draft, so But it’s not entirely clear how that’ll happen. Kekalainen isn’t in a rush to make a trade beforehand. However, if he moves Korpisalo, he could then protect third-stringer Matiss Kivlenieks Colleague Joe Smith believes they’ll go the eight-skater route, which since Merzlikins cannot be selected. Columbus has depth goalie Cam would leave Yanni Gourde, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn Johnson, an RFA, who could be exposed if he’s tendered a qualifying exposed to the Kraken. Losing one of those players would clear up some offer. money, but they’ll probably need to relinquish another player. Smith reports the Lightning are $5 million over the cap for next season with 19 There might be an avenue where the Blue Jackets accept a goaltender players signed. as part of a package for Korpisalo or Merzlikins, but it seems less apparent than with the Coyotes. Again, Koskinen’s cap hit and partial The challenge for GM Julien BriseBois is that Gourde has a full no-trade NTC are impediments from Edmonton’s point of view. clause and the other three have partial NTCs. (Palat and Johnson can block off a trade to 20 teams and Killorn can say no to 16 clubs.) That likely puts Holland and the Oilers in tough.

The Wild’s expansion draft planning must be creating headaches for GM Palat (one year, $5.3 million) and Killorn (two years, $4.45 million AAV) and his staff. would be far more favourable targets than the fourth-liner Johnson (three years, $5 million AAV) unless the Lightning want to add a sweetener or As our Michael Russo explains, there are five players — Zach Parise, retain salary. Holland doesn’t appear to be inclined to sell off controllable Mats Zuccarello, , Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin — with assets for short-term fixes, so the price would probably have to be no-movement clauses. They must be protected unless they agree to relatively low for Palat. waive their rights. The latter three players are blueliners, meaning Mathew Dumba and Carson Soucy will have to be exposed unless the Washington Capitals Wild have a side deal in place with Seattle. Oh, and such a deal cost with Vegas cost them Alex Tuch in 2017. Our Tarik El-Bashir believes the Capitals could protect Justin Schultz over Brenden Dillon as their third defenceman. If that’s the case, would Guerin has said he doesn’t want to lose Dumba in the expansion draft. they rather get something for him than potentially give him up for free? For now, Russo has Dumba and Soucy being available, along with forwards Ryan Hartman and Victor Rask. There might be an opportunity Dillon could be a suitable replacement for Oscar Klefbom if the veteran for a team like the Oilers to acquire one of those players for futures. Oilers defender can’t play again next season. He turns 31 in October and carries a $3.9 million cap hit for the next three seasons. That’s Though the Wild have roughly $18 million in cap space, three of their comparable to Klefbom’s salary — $4.167 million for two more years. best forwards — Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala and Joel Eriksson Ek — need new contracts, and pending unrestricted free agents Marcus Dillon has been very durable recently, missing just two games over the Johansson, Nick Bonino and Nick Bjugstad will either need to be re- last five seasons, and he performed well against elite competition in signed or replaced. 2021. The Capitals outscored opponents 18-9 when Dillon was on the ice against top players. Nashville Predators

There’s a good chance Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok are exposed by the Predators, according to colleague Adam Vingan. The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021

Arvidsson has had recent injury issues and felt he lacked his typical bursts of speed last season. His offensive dip continued this season with just 10 goals and 25 points in 50 games. Arvidsson is 28 and has three more seasons at $4.25 million per year left on his deal. His advanced stats at five-on-five — 53.6 CF%, 59.6 GF%, 53.2 xGF% — ranged from very good to excellent.

Jarnkrok turns 30 in September but carries a much more affordable $2.2 million AAV deal for just one more year. Although his 47.4 Corsi for percentage at five-on-five wasn’t great, the Predators outscored their opponents 28-16 when he was on the ice in that situation. His 13 goals, in just 49 games, were three short of matching a career high. Jarnkrok, a Holland draft pick in Detroit, could be a middle-six upgrade in Edmonton.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Colleague Rob Rossi has Zach Aston-Reese, Jason Zucker and Marcus Pettersson on the exposed list in his latest mock.

Aston-Reese is a small depth forward who finished 25th in Selke Trophy voting last season. He turns 27 in August and is an RFA with arbitration rights coming off a $1 million cap hit. The Oilers need to augment their bottom six. One cause for pause: Aston-Reese’s advanced metrics at five-on-five were down across the board in 2021.

Zucker is coming off a down year, with nine goals and 18 points in 38 games. The 29-year-old has two more years on his $5.5 million AAV deal and can veto a trade to 10 teams. The Oilers need at least one top-six winger, though.

Pettersson has performed well against non-elite competition during his time in Pittsburgh. He’s 25 and would come with a hefty contract — four years at just over $4 million per. The Oilers might need help on the left side of their defence, so Pettersson could fit the bill. At that price, however, they’d want to ensure he could handle second-pairing duties before making a deal.

No sure things here, but some options to consider.

Tampa Bay Lightning

In case you haven’t heard, the Lightning are tight against the . Something has to give sooner than later, especially once Nikita Kucherov’s $9.5 million is added back on the books in the fall. 1189603 Florida Panthers

Fans pick Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau as having best assist of the year

By MALLORY SCHNELL

SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL

JUN 15, 2021 AT 1:28 PM

Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau has won the title of “Best Assist” in the National Hockey League Fan Choice Awards.

In a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 17, 2021, Huberdeau had a no-look, spinning backhand pass to Alexander Wennberg to tie the game.

“I think that pass was kind of a lucky play at the same time,” Huberdeau said in a postgame interview on Feb. 17. “It goes right to Wenny’s [Wennberg] stick. He was driving the net. I saw him and thought I had a better lane to do a little spin-o-rama and it worked.”

Fans were able to place their votes online for the NHL Fan Choice Awards from May 24 to June 14.

The only other Panthers to be nominated for awards were winger Anthony Duclair for “Best Dressed” and goaltender Chris Driedger for “Save of the Year.” Boston’s Patrice Bergeron took home “Best Dressed,” while Vegas’s Marc-Andre Fleury was awarded “Save of the Year.”

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189604 Florida Panthers

Lucas Wallmark leaves Florida Panthers (again), this time for Moscow

Published 19 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By George Richards

Lucas Wallmark and the Florida Panthers have parted ways — again.

On Tuesday, CSKA Moscow of the KHL announced it had signed the center to a one-year deal.

Former Panthers forward Maxim Mamim (2017-19) scored 15 goals with 35 points for CSKA last season.

This is the second consecutive offseason in which Wallmark has left the Panthers. Last year, Wallmark — who was one of four players who came back from Carolina in the Vincent Trocheck trade — was not given a qualifying offer by the Panthers and he signed a free agent deal with the Blackhawks.

Florida GM Bill Zito brought Wallmark back to South Florida before the trade deadline in the Brett Connolly-Riley Stillman-Henrik Borgstom deal.

Wallmark did not find a whole lot of playing time in his second stint with the Panthers.

After playing in his first three games following the trade, Wallmark was a healthy scratch in eight of the final nine regular season games. Wallmark did not play in any of Florida’s six postseason games.

Because he is a restricted free agent, Wallmark’s NHL rights would belong to the Panthers although the team would need to make him a qualifying offer.

So, Wallmark could come back to the Florida Panthers a third time.

Stranger things have happened.

As it stands right now, Wallmark has played in a grand total of 11 games with the Panthers over the course of the past two seasons with one goal and two points.

Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189605 Los Angeles Kings

“Frozen Fury Returns – Kings to host Vegas for preseason game in Utah on 9/30

By Zach Dooley

Montreal Canadiens Insiders, a bit of schedule news for you, as we approach the three months out mark from training camp and the 2021 preseason!

The Kings will host “Frozen Fury” as part of the club’s 2021 NHL isn’t taking anything for granted against Canadiens Preseason Schedule, the team announced this afternoon, as the club’s Frozen Fury exhibition series returns for the first time since 2016. Marty Klinkenberg The Kings and Vegas Golden Knights will face off in an at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, UT on September 30, the first meeting 6/16/2021 of a three-year series. The teams will also meet in Utah in 2022 and 2023 as a part of the new, multi-year agreement. Monday's defeat was Montreal's first loss since Game 4 in the opening The Kings have played an exhibition game in Utah during the past two round. preseasons, in 2018 and 2019. LA “hosted” the Vancouver Canucks in the Salt Lake Shootout in each of those two seasons, before the 2020 It is hard to quibble with anything the Golden Knights have done over preseason was cancelled, with no exhibition games leading up to this their first four years. After starting from scratch, they have gone on to prior season. become one of the most dominant franchises in the National Hockey League. This is their third Stanley Cup semi-final already; over that span, Tickets will go on sale on June 25, and the game is expected to be only the Tampa Bay Lightning have made it to the final four more than played as a “full capacity” event, meaning no capacity limitations are twice. anticipated due to COVID-19. Tickets will go on sale online at vivintarena.com. Per the arena – “Ticketmaster is the only authorized It is enough to make success-starved fans in Toronto – and most ticketing outlet for events at Vivint Arena. The walk-up box office is everywhere else on the hockey-playing planet – weep. currently closed for COVID-19 health and safety precautions.” They hammered the Montreal Canadiens in the opening game of the On the 25th, tickets for the game will be available on Vivint Arena’s series between the teams on Monday. It was Montreal’s first defeat since Website. Game 4 in the opening round. Vegas withstood a fast start by its opponent, took over in the second period and locked things down in the From 1997 through 2016, the Kings hosted the Frozen Fury event in Las third en route to a convincing 4-1 victory. Vegas, skating in 21 games across 18 seasons. Frozen Fury took place, yearly, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and also included the final The score would have been more lopsided if not for the brilliance of games in the series, played against Colorado at T-Mobile Arena, before Carey Price in the Canadiens’ net. He was splendid – and outdone by the Golden Knights entered the league. Marc-André Fleury, his counterpart with the Golden Knights. To watch them is like scrutinizing the brush strokes of two master painters in a September 30 adds another date to our calendars, following a reported desperate search for a flaw. Is that a bit of a tiny paint drip I see? Ah, September 22 opening date for training camp. The expectation is that the never mind. regular season will begin on October 12, giving teams the opportunity to hold a full training camp this season, after the shortened edition this past Fleury won Round 1, with the return engagement on Wednesday night at January. The remainder of the Kings schedule, including training camp, T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Games 3 and 4 will be on Friday and preseason and the regular season, will be announced at a later date. Sunday at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Remaining games, if necessary, will alternate between the cities. The first to beat the other four times Additionally, the Kings will help host adult and youth hockey clinics prior advances to the Stanley Cup final. Vegas did that in its inaugural season to Frozen Fury 2021, as they did in 2018 and 2019, to help grow the only to lose to the Washington Capitals and launch Alex Ovechkin on a game in Utah. More information on the hockey game will be available at days-long bender. a later date. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price stops the puck with his stick It has always been important for us to have a destination game in the during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the preseason. We feel Salt Lake City, and the surrounding areas, are the 2021 Stanley Cup semifinals at T-Mobile Arena. ideal setting. It will be great to play the Vegas Golden Knights in what will be a fun and festive atmosphere. Hockey continues to prosper in Utah Ten players remain on the roster from that first year. It was a team that and playing against our rival is a natural fit for this game and for the next was constructed out of castoffs around Fleury, who won it all three times few games in subsequent seasons. in Pittsburgh before the Penguins cut him loose in the expansion draft.

The LA Kings have been tremendous partners with us. Holding a portion With all of its gifted players, Pittsburgh has won one postseason series of training camp, conducting a youth clinic and playing a game in Utah since then. The Golden Knights are shooting for their eighth now. make this a unique opportunity to bring the NHL to our community. “It’s been some time now, but a lot from that first year still lingers,” Brayden McNabb, the Vegas defenceman, said Tuesday. “The city itself and the fans are still as awesome as ever. The experience from that first LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 06.16.2021 run goes a long way for the guys who were there.

“The team has changed quite a bit – has brought in a lot of good players, good character guys and good leaders, and I think we have gotten better from that.”

The Golden Knights won 40 times during the COVID-abbreviated, 56- game regular season. That was the most in the league, and now in the Canadiens they face a club that is playing its best at the most opportune time.

Montreal is a big underdog, but has done well to rally to win three in a row to beat Toronto then win four straight over Winnipeg. “We are not taking anything for granted,” Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer said Tuesday. “We know the character of that team over there. We know what they have done. We have been in that spot ourselves, where people have written us off.

“We have won one game. I think we can play better, and I am sure they will say they can play better, too. It all comes down to who responds the best in Game 2.”

The Golden Knights came from behind to win their previous series over the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche. They jumped all over Montreal on Monday and looked very much like a team that is ready to take the next step. With three more wins, they will get a second crack at a Stanley Cup.

“I think there is a bond between the players from our first year that are still here,” William Karlsson, a Vegas centre, said. “I think it is always going to be there.”

There are new faces such as Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo that have solidified an already formidable core.

“They are a very good team and are here for a reason,” Canadiens centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi said. “So are we. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”

It gets harder after a team loses Game 1.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189606 Montreal Canadiens does appear the team from is a much stiffer challenge than the previous Canadian competition.

“Canadiens fans are like Wile E. Coyote waiting for the anvil to drop,” Montrealers take cautious approach toward Canadiens’ surprise success said Conor McKenna, host of The Morning Show on Montreal’s TSN 690 sports radio.

McKenna, like Branco and Saba, believes some nice weather and a win Les Perreaux or two could spark the joy that has accompanied runs in the past. “If cases stay low, if the weather gets nice, this is a combination of factors 6/16/2021 that could get the city where we’d all like it to be,” McKenna said. “But first and foremost is winning. Wins would instill some confidence in all those people waiting for another shoe to drop.” Montreal Canadiens’ Jesperi Kotkaniemi (15) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Montreal on May 29. The last time the Montreal Canadiens were on such a playoff run, in The Habs would go on to defeat the Maple Leafs in seven games, and 2014, Quebec was coming out of a particularly grim period. A public the Winnipeg Jets in four, to advance to the third round of the playoffs. inquiry had exposed rampant corruption. The L’Isle-Verte seniors’ home fire had killed 32 people and the Lac-Mégantic train explosion killed 47 The playoff run that has brought the Montreal Canadiens eight wins away more over the year. from the Stanley Cup prompted Quebec Premier François Legault to extend bar hours to allow the revelry that usually breaks out when Les As the team advanced to become one of the final four teams in the Glorieux are on a run. Stanley Cup playoffs, people packed bars and danced in the streets from one end of Montreal to the other. The city and province got a huge lift So far, he need not have bothered. when they desperately needed it.

As the Montreal Canadiens face the Las Vegas Golden Knights for the Will this playoff run give Montrealers a similar morale boost coming out of right to move on to the Stanley Cup final, the playoff fever that usually the biggest crisis most city residents have ever seen? Saba thinks it is grips the hockey-mad city has yet to appear beyond a sporadic outburst already happening, just in a quieter way than usual. or two. In many ways, she said, the team’s season is a mirror of the city’s 15 Instead of a release of pent-up energy from long months of COVID-19 months of pandemic. sickness and death along with curfew and confinement, Montrealers appear to be taking a cautious approach, both to newfound liberty to get “We learned hard lessons early on. We became disciplined, careful, together and to the surprise success of their beloved hockey team. smart. Everybody played their role, did what was needed for the greater good. We stuck to the plan, it paid off,” she said. “Hopefully it continues Quebec was the hardest-hit Canadian province during the COVID-19 on the ice as well.” pandemic and Montreal was the epicentre. The city has about 5 per cent of Canada’s population, but 18 per cent of the country’s COVID-19 deaths, a large portion of them in the early months of the pandemic. Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.16.2021 Laura Saba, a podcaster and keen observer of the cultural side of hockey, said the grim recent past hangs over the city. That awareness helped Montreal escape the ravages of the third wave and motivated Quebeckers to lead the country in vaccinations.

“The pandemic was extremely present in our lives and people have understood if we go too far the other way, we could end up back where we started,” said Saba, who co-hosts the Locked on Canadiens podcast. “The exuberance is there but people are cautious about expressing it.”

On Monday night, as the teams faced off for Game 1, the game was shown on dozens of restaurant and bar screens in the usually festive Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood. In a normal playoff run, every bar and pizza joint with even a small screen would be busy. Seats Monday were mostly empty.

In past playoff years, a Montrealer could keep up with the Canadiens’ score by listening for the sound of neighbours’ jubilation out the window. This time, even the first playoff goal by fan-favourite rookie Cole Caufield failed to raise an audible stir.

As the Canadiens started to falter badly in the second period, many diehards started to drift away. When a gentle rain started to fall in the third period, most were already gone. The Habs lost 4-1. Game 2 is Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

While the pandemic continues to cast a shadow, other reasons help explain the muted enthusiasm. Most people have only had a single dose of vaccine. The weather’s been drizzly. The game played in Las Vegas was late, starting at 9 p.m. Montreal time. Monday was the first night many bars reopened at half-capacity and it was, after all, a Monday.

Many places have yet to open. The Fabuleux Chez Serge, one of the city’s most popular sports bars, remained closed as owner Paulo Branco was completing a move up Saint Laurent Boulevard. He hopes to be ready to open for the final. “I think the fever will start now,” Branco said. “Especially if the Canadiens get a win.”

Many hockey fans are also eying the team with wariness after it advanced by beating the cursed Toronto Maple Leafs and a Winnipeg Jets team that seemed more interested in starting summer holidays. That series in particular was over in four games before any drama could build. Many hockey experts have said the Canadian teams are inferior and it 1189607 Montreal Canadiens Teammate Josh Anderson has been impressed by Caufield’s play since he was called up from Laval after posting three goals and one assist in two AHL games. In 10 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Caufield had four goals and five points. Canadiens legend Ken Dryden knows what it’s like to be in Cole Caufield’s skates “Usually those small guys are very difficult to hit,” Anderson said after the morning skate. “He’s a really shifty player. He’s played this game for a long time and he knows how to get out of those positions. He’s not afraid to go in the corners. I think you saw that against Winnipeg, where Roy MacGregor sometimes he’s taking the big hit to make a play. You can see his 6/16/2021 confidence growing each game and him getting comfortable, so it’s great to see.”

“He’s had the kind of year that has been just amazingly exciting,” Dryden “It’s great to be young and a Hab.” said. “From one high to the next.

Ken Dryden has taken a legendary quote from baseball pitcher Waite “They need him. They need his scoring. This is not someone you bring Hoyt – “It’s great to be young and a Yankee” – and used it to describe the up to play on a fourth line maybe five minutes of ice time a game. They hockey phenomenon known as Cole Caufield, all 5 foot 7 and 162 need his scoring.” pounds. Dryden wonders what it all must feel like to young Caufield. He The 20-year-old was the only Montreal player to score Monday night as remembers his own rookie Stanley Cup experience vividly, and says that his Canadiens fell 4-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of their Caufield will never forget this “surreal” year. semi-final match in the Stanley Cup playoffs. “People talk about being in the moment – well, the moment doesn’t end,” The little guy has a flare for the dramatic; his brilliant passing setting up he said. “World juniors was big. A pro contract was big. Laval was big. an overtime goal for 21-year-old Nick Suzuki that won Game 5 against The Canadiens was big. The Stanley Cup is big. the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. “You can’t believe these things are happening. What you’ve been training As New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik tweeted that night, “Caufield-Suzuki. for all your life, well, those things are happening right now. This is the The future.” NHL, the playoffs. You just hope it never ends – but you don’t have time to hope. This, however, is the present, and Montreal is going to need a lot more from this young duo if it is to stand a chance against the powerful team “You are just riding the emotional wave and it’s fantastic. He doesn’t from Las Vegas. even have time to pinch himself.”

Caufield scored Montreal’s goal on a rebound in the second period, with his team down 2-0 at the time. It was one of his team-leading six shots in the game and leaves him tied with , Tyler Toffoli and Globe And Mail LOADED: 06.16.2021 Brendan Gallagher for the most Montreal shots in the 2021 playoffs – quite the accomplishment given that he was a healthy scratch for the first two matches.

“He’s dynamic,” Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said Tuesday. “He really pays attention to detail. He’s learning quick, [has a] really great attitude.

“He’s got a bright future because he’s got that mentality.”

Dryden is only too familiar with what it is like to skip from American college hockey to the American Hockey League to the NHL and the Stanley Cup playoffs. He did it in 1971, called up to play a mere six games at the end of the regular season and then leading the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup. Dryden was awarded the as the most valuable player of the playoffs.

Dryden played for Cornell University, Caufield for the University of Wisconsin in his home state. In late March, Caufield ended his college hockey career when the Badgers fell to Minnesota’s Bemidji State University in the NCAA tournament. A day later he signed a pro contract with the Canadiens, who picked him in the first round of the 2019 draft, and was told to report to the Laval Rocket, Montreal’s AHL affiliate.

Despite often being dismissed for his size, Caufield has excelled at every level. He won a gold medal at the world juniors. He won the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in NCAA hockey. He set a record with 126 goals during his time with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He was named Big Ten rookie of the year when he joined the Badgers and the following year led the NCAA in scoring.

When the Canadiens stalled near the end of the season and were struggling mightily against the Leafs in the first round of the playoffs, social media in Montreal was calling for the team to get him out of the press box and onto the ice. Fans knew what they were getting, as RDS televised the Badgers’ games over the winter.

“It was something special to have my college games showing on Canadian networks,” Caufield told the media.

“It’s kind of surreal.”

It was also just the beginning. The fans’ calls were finally answered and, since then, Caufield has shown, as he always has, that he can excel at any level. 1189608 Montreal Canadiens “We need to stay out of the box,” the Canadiens’ Jesperi Kotkaniemi said. “I think our team’s the best when we can run all four lines. I think that’s our strength as a team.”

Canadiens Notebook: Scoring first goal could be key for Habs in Game 2 The first and third goals by Vegas came after Nick Suzuki and then Kotkaniemi lost faceoffs clean in the defensive zone.

“I think there was just some self-inflicted mistakes that we made and a Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette couple of breaks off faceoffs,” Staal said. “A couple of things that I think we’re able to clean up. We’ve talked about it … I think a lot of guys did Publishing date: Jun 15, 2021 last night. We felt good about the way we started in our first (period). We were close to breaking through and getting that first goal and going from there. But it didn’t happen. First goal wins? “Obviously, momentum shifted a little bit in the second with the The Canadiens might be thinking that heading into Game 2 of their penalties,” Staal added. “Our rhythm seemed to not come through as well Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Golden Knights Wednesday in as it has in the last stretch of games. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow. Las Vegas (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). We’ll be excited for the challenge and getting that rhythm, getting everybody engaged, getting everybody going. We’re back into it again The Canadiens had won seven straight games heading into Game 1 of here and, obviously, a huge, huge test for us tomorrow.” the series Monday night at T-Mobile Arena and had scored the first goal in all seven games. Vegas scored first in Game 1 and went on to win 4-1. Missing Petry It was the fifth straight win for the Golden Knights and they have scored the first goal in their last four games. The Canadiens really missed defenceman Jeff Petry in Game 1 as he recovers from what is believed to be a hand injury. “When you’re playing with the lead it obviously makes the game a lot easier,” the Canadiens’ Tyler Toffoli said Tuesday. “We definitely had “It’s too early right now to talk about tomorrow’s lineup,” head coach some really good opportunities the entire first period. That was our best Dominique Ducharme said when asked if Petry might be able to play in period. (Goalie Marc-André) Fleury made some big saves for them. But Game 2. “Guys are going to go on the ice (today) and Jeff is one of them playing with the lead is huge, especially if you’re on the road. I think and we’ll evaluate everyone and see where they’re at and we’ll see if we that’s going to be one of the key things for tomorrow is have another make changes tomorrow.” good start and just capitalize on our opportunities.” “Any time you’re missing a key player, an important defenceman for us, it The Canadiens outshot the Golden Knights 3-0 in the first minute of hurts,” Canadiens defenceman Ben Chiarot said. “Jeff’s been great for us Game 1 and 12-8 in the first period but were trailing 1-0 at the all year. Starting a new series, a team that skates as well as Vegas and intermission. Jeff’s a great skater, certainly it would be great to have him out there. So it’s definitely a big hole for us.” “They’re a really good team,” Toffoli said about the Golden Knights. “They’re here for a reason and so are we. Fleury’s a good goalie. He’s The Canadiens defencemen failed to register a point or even a shot on been in the league for a long time, he’s been in big situations. We just got goal in Game 1. Meanwhile, the Vegas defencemen had three goals, six to capitalize. I think we had some really good looks and just didn’t put points and 18 shots. them in. He’s a good goalie, but we have a lot of offence and we have “Two goals came from faceoffs so, obviously, on those two goals the the ability to score goals so we just got to do it. puck came to the defencemen,” Ducharme said. “It’s always important to “You just got to find a way to beat him,” Toffoli added about Fleury, who get offence from the defence, but you want to be playing a solid game on has a 9-4-0 record with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .927 save both sides. We’ve seen it through our playoff round against Toronto. We percentage in the playoffs. “He competes hard, he doesn’t give up. It’s didn’t have much offence coming from our D, but we had more against just one of those things where we have to capitalize. They have big D, Winnipeg and every game is different. they box out hard, they block a lot of shots. So it’s not easy, but we “You cannot just be thinking about jumping into the play,” the coach obviously knew it wasn’t going to be easy so we got to capitalize on our added. “Sometimes you just need to be waiting for the right time to be opportunities and just be ready to play in Game 2.” coming in and creating that offence and create those opportunities. But After failing to score a goal in the first period, the Canadiens took four you cannot dig yourself a hole. You got to be waiting for those holes to penalties in the first 8:20 of the second period and fell behind 2-0. present to you and jump into those kind of situations. I thought they had those chances last night and a few times I think it was coming from us “We took took too many penalties in the second,” Toffoli said. “We didn’t that let them get some offence from their D. We’ll correct that. We’ll be get in that rhythm and things kind of get out of synch. We have to find a better tomorrow and that’s it.” way to put ourselves back in the position to be successful. So we just got to be better in Game 2. I think we all know it.” Who are you?

The second-period penalties put a heavy workload on the Canadiens’ Game 1 was a bit of a feeling out process for both teams since it marked penalty-killers while other players like spent a long time sitting the first time they had played against each other this season. on the bench. “Nowadays, the league is a lot similar,” Staal said. “There’s so much “I’m not going to lie to you … it isn’t easy,” said Staal, who finished the video, pre-scout. There’s so much preparation for every team. For me, game with only 10:51 of ice time. “But that’s my job and that’s our job as personally, I’ve been in the West for the last four years so I know what players is to make sure that we are ready and when we do get that Vegas is. I’ve played them plenty of times. When I was with Minnesota opportunity and that shift to be engaged and to be a positive influence. we had some pretty good success against them. We know what to No question when there’s penalties for guys that aren’t on special teams expect, we know the challenges that they present us. We’ll adjust and — either side, power plays, penalties — it takes you out of rhythm a little we’ll have a better game in Game 2.” bit. Especially with the type of start we had in the first (period) we were “Once we’ve played each other once we kind of figure out what each going pretty good. But it’s your job to stay engaged.” team is trying to do,” Chiarot said. “Once you’ve played each other you The Canadiens killed off all four power plays the Golden Knights had in kind of know what the other team is trying to do. Game 1. The Canadiens have now killed off 19 straight power plays over “They got three lines that can all really skate and have skill and then a the last eight games and have killed off a league-best 91.4 per cent fourth line that can wear you down with three heavy guys,” Chiarot during the playoffs. added. “Those top three lines they all kind of move the same. A lot of The Canadiens went 1-for-3 on the power play with rookie Cole Caufield speed, a lot of skill on the wings. The way they play kind of promotes scoring his first NHL playoff goal in the second period, cutting the Vegas that, the way they flip the puck out and kind of have their forwards kind of lead to 2-1 at the time. taking off. So they use their speed pretty well. That (Alex) Tuch line, along with the other top two lines, they all kind of play similar styles. We’ll be ready for that next game.” A first for Weber

This marks the first time Canadiens captain Shea Weber has advanced to the Stanley Cup semifinals during his 16-year NHL career.

“Anyone that knows Shea and has seen his game over the years has a lot of respect for him as a player and, obviously, now for me being with him on a day-to-day basis as a person,” Staal said. “This guy competes every day, cares for the group, has no ego. He goes about his business every single day. Those are guys you love to play with and I think our young guys see that daily every day. Everybody knows the importance of the opportunity that we have. Obviously, not the Game 1 we wanted, but we get a chance to respond in Game 2 and we’ll make sure we’re ready to go.”

“Shea always has the right message to the group,” Chiarot added. “We got a lot of leaders in there but Shea, especially, he says the right things always and just leads by example the way he plays and goes about his business every day. He had the right message in the room last night and we’ll move forward.”

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Canadiens happy to play in front of a full house again in Vegas

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 15, 2021

After playing in empty arenas all season because of COVID-19, the Canadiens were happy to finally play in front of a full house Monday night in Las Vegas — even though they lost.

“It was a lot of fun,” Tyler Toffoli said Tuesday, following the Canadiens’ 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series in front of 17,884 fans at T-Mobile Arena. “It was good kind of having that playoff atmosphere at full capacity. I think it’s something that we’ve all kind of missed.

“We’ve definitely had a little bit of a taste of it back at the Bell Centre (with 2,500 fans allowed for the playoffs) but hopefully we can get some more fans,” Toffoli added. “Obviously, the Bell Centre is one of those places that’s known to be one of the loudest rinks in the league. The arena that we’re playing in here is becoming one of those loud arenas as well. So the more the merrier, I think, back home for when we get back for (Games) 3 and 4 and we’ll see what happens.”

On Tuesday evening, Quebec’s health ministry announced it will allow up to 3,500 people at indoor and outdoor venues, which will allow the Bell Centre to add another 1,000 fans for Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary) against the Golden Knights. Game 2 is Wednesday in Las Vegas (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) with Games 3 and 4 slated for Friday and Sunday at the Bell Centre. Both games at the Bell Centre will be 8 p.m. starts.

“The atmosphere and the energy of the playoffs, especially, is the best,” the Canadiens’ Eric Staal said Tuesday before the Quebec health ministry made its announcement. “Last night for us, first time for a lot of us in a very long time playing in front of a full building was phenomenal. Obviously, the Bell Centre is a place where that energy is huge for the home team. I’ve experienced it as a visitor, I haven’t experienced it as much as I’ve wanted to as a home player. But going home here soon we’re hoping to have it as full as we can and that energy is huge for the home team and that energy is great for us players.

“We’re making steps in Canada with the vaccine and all that kind of stuff,” Staal added. “But the more the merrier for us, no question. It’s a huge momentum changer and it’s a big boost for the home teams.”

Teammate Ben Chiarot agreed.

“The crowd last night was great,” Chiarot said. “Creates an incredible atmosphere. There’s nothing like a Bell centre crowd, The more fans that we can have the better.”

The Golden Knights started the season with no fans at T-Mobile Arena, but on March 1 were given permission to have 2,605 in the building that has 17,367 fixed seats. In April, attendance was increased to 3,950 a game and by May 7 it had reached 7,567.

When the Golden Knights opened their first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild on May 16, attendance was up to 8,683 — 50 per cent of capacity. For Games 5 and 7 of that series, attendance was increased to 12,156, or 70 per cent of capacity, with the Golden Knights winning the seventh and deciding game 6-2.

After losing the first two games of their second-round series to the Avalanche in Colorado, the Golden Knights were permitted to have 100- per-cent capacity at T-Mobile Arena for Games 3, 4 and 6 — winning all three games, along with Game 5 in Colorado, to advance to the Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Canadiens.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the advantage of the full rink in Game 3, 4 and 6,” Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer said after beating the Avalanche 6-3 in Game 6 last Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena. “Huge to our group. Honestly, if we don’t have full capacity and the rink rocking like it was in those games I’m sure we’re playing a Game 7 here (in Colorado) on Saturday night. Huge shout out to T-Mobile and our fans and the governor (Steve Sisolak) for allowing it.” 1189610 Montreal Canadiens .896 save percentage. Fleury said Bergevin did a good job of keeping his spirits up, while teaching him the importance of forgetting about a loss quickly and moving on to get ready for the next game.

Ageless Vegas goalie Marc-André Fleury stands in Canadiens' way “He was a good role model for taking care of his body with the gym and vitamins,” Fleury added. “He was always proactive with that and it was a good lesson.”

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette Eighteen years later, the Sorel native doesn’t look like he’s 36 on the ice or when he takes off his mask with what Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon Publishing date: Jun 15, 2021 described as “a mug as smooth as the flat side of a puck.” Fleury and his wife, Véronique, started dating when they were 15 and now have three young children. When you watch Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-André Fleury play, it’s hard to believe he’s 36 years old. After Game 1, Las Vegas journalist Ron Futrell praised Fleury for the “crazy saves” he made during the first period. Fleury’s reflexes and flexibility are still amazing and his compete level has remained elite during his 17 seasons in the NHL. Those things were “Thank you,” Fleury said while flashing his big smile. “I just tried to do my all on display Monday night in Las Vegas when the Golden Knights beat job, tried to keep the score close. I might have got lucky here and there. the Canadiens 4-1 in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series. Our guys were good clearing the rebounds and blocking some shots Game 2 is Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA also. Once we got our first goal then we took over.” Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). They certainly did. The Canadiens came out flying in Game 1 and outshot the Golden

Knights 3-0 in the first minute and 12-8 in the first period, but Vegas went into the intermission with a 1-0 lead. The Golden Knights ended up Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.16.2021 outshooting Montreal 30-29 and Cole Caufield was the only player to score on Fleury, getting a power-play goal in the second period.

“Thankfully, Flower was our best player,” Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer said about Fleury after the game. “Gave us a chance to get our legs and then I really liked our game in the second and third (periods).”

For Fleury, it was his 90th career playoff win to rank fourth on the all-time list among NHL goalies, trailing Patrick Roy (151), Martin Brodeur (113) and Grant Fuhr (92). Fleury ranks third in regular-season wins with 492, trailing Brodeur (691) and Roy (551), and his .557 winning percentage is the best of any goalie with 300 wins or more.

For the first time in his career, Fleury is a finalist for the Vézina Trophy this season after posting a 26-10-0 record with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. He has been even better in the playoffs with a 9-4-0 record, a 1.84 GAA and a .927 save percentage.

At age 36.

Fleury was part of three Stanley Cup teams in Pittsburgh before being claimed by the Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft after he agreed to waive his no-trade clause and the Penguins decided to go with Matt Murray as their No. 1 goalie. Fleury quickly became the face of the Golden Knights franchise with his charming personality and a smile that could light up the Las Vegas Strip, leading them to the Stanley Cup final as an expansion team before losing to the Washington Capitals.

Standing now in Fleury’s way of a second trip to the Stanley Cup final in four years with Vegas is Canadiens goalie Carey Price, who is three years younger than he is.

“To me I don’t feel like I’m playing against Carey,” Fleury said after Game 1. “I got to worry about the shooters and the guys trying to score on me and those are the guys I feel like I got to handle and worry about. Carey’s obviously a very good goalie, fun to watch and he made some nice saves tonight.”

Fleury’s NHL journey began in 2003 when the Penguins made him the No. 1 overall pick at the draft. With the No. 2 pick, the Carolina Hurricanes took Eric Staal, now with the Canadiens.

“He’s been a great player for a long time and he’s fun to play against, he’s fun to compete against,” Staal said Tuesday about Fleury. “I’ve gotten to know him well over the years. Came into the league together. Hopefully myself and our team can get the better of him in Game 2.”

Fleury’s roommate as a 19-year-old rookie with the Penguins was Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, who was a 38-year-old defenceman in his 20th and final NHL season at the time.

“My first time with the team, him and Mario (Lemieux) took me for lunch in Pittsburgh,” Fleury recalled last season when the Golden Knights were in Montreal. “He was a fun roommate. He made me laugh a lot. He liked to play jokes on me. He was awesome and a good model for me.”

The Penguins had a bad team that season, finishing with a 23-47-12 record, and Fleury was 4-14-2 with a 3.64 goals-against average and a 1189611 Montreal Canadiens

Quebec allows up to 3,500 people at Bell Centre and other venues

Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 15, 2021

Quebec’s health ministry announced Tuesday evening that it will allow up to 3,500 people at indoor and outdoor venues, which will allow the Bell Centre to add another 1,000 fans when it hosts the Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights for Games 3, 4 and maybe 6 of their NHL Stanley Cup semifinal series.

A statement said the decision followed “a favourable recommendation of public health.”

As of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, venues hosting shows and sporting events will still be limited to 250 people per independent section with its own entrance, washrooms and restaurant spaces (if serving food), but the number of sections will increase to 14 from 10, allowing up to 3,500 people total.

On Sunday, Premier François Legault said he had been “pushing” public health director Horacio Arruda to allow larger crowds at the Bell Centre but had to be fair to other events.

The Vegas Golden Knights play home games in front of more than 18,000 fans at T-Mobile Arena. Legault had said Montreal’s crowd capacity at the Bell Centre gives Vegas a stronger home advantage.

Game 3, the next one at the Bell Centre, is Friday.

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Canadiens at Golden Knights: Five things you should know about Game 2

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 15, 2021

Here are five things you should know about Game 2 of the Canadiens- Golden Knights semifinal playoff series at T-Mobile Arena Wednesday (9 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM):

Reversal of fortunes: For the first time in these playoffs, the Canadiens failed to win Game 1, while the Golden Knights won the opening game for the first time in three tries. Montreal had a strong first period but, after scoring the first goal in seven consecutive games and never trailing over that span, Vegas grabbed the lead when defenceman Shea Theodore scored on a slap shot, which was in the net before a screened Carey Price could see the puck. It was the first of three goals produced by the Vegas defence corps.

Too little, too late: After outshooting the Golden Knights 12-9 in the first period, the Canadiens lost all their momentum following a string of four penalties beginning in the final two minutes of the first period. While the final shots on goal were 30-29 in favour of the Golden Knights, 10 of Montreal’s shots came in the final seven minutes of the game with Vegas sitting on a 4-1 lead. In a 33-minute span from the start of the second period until the 13:12 mark of the third period, the Canadiens managed only seven shots. Rookie Cole Caufield led Montreal with six shots and scored Montreal’s only goal.

Canadiens miss Petry: Defenceman Jeff Petry, who will be a game-time decision Wednesday, is sorely missed at both ends of the ice. Petry, who is dealing with a couple of dislocated fingers, logs big minutes as part of the top four on defence and, when he’s not in the lineup, the remaining members of the top four not only have to play too much but they also are paired with unfamiliar partners. Petry is also the team’s top-scoring defenceman. While the Vegas defencemen accounted for 18 of their team’s 30 shots on goal, the Canadiens’ defenceman didn’t register a shot.

Pacioretty gets special attention: While interim head coach Dominique Ducharme doesn’t get the last line change on the road, he was able to match his shutdown line, centred by Phillip Danault, and the Nick Suzuki line against Vegas’ top line for most of the game and the result was that former Canadien Max Pacioretty didn’t get many opportunities. Pacioretty had only only one shot on goal, but he came close to a mention on the scoresheet when he set up linemate Mark Stone on an odd-man rush. Stone targeted the top corner, but Carey Price made a spectacular glove save. That was Stone’s only shot on goal.

Nothing to fear: Going into the series, there were concerns over how the Canadiens would handle playing in front of a large crowd in one of the most animated arenas in the NHL and whether they could stand up to what was perceived as a more physical style in the West Division. Both fears were unfounded. The Canadiens’ quick start was proof that they weren’t intimidated by the crowd, which was just shy of 18,000. As for the physical element, the Canadiens gave as good as they got. While hits can be a subjective statistic, Montreal was credited with 52 hits, while the Golden Knights had 44.

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About Last Night: Habs dealt 4-1 loss by Vegas in Game 1

Erik Leijon • Special to Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jun 15, 2021

The Montreal Canadiens were given a rude welcome by the Vegas Golden Knights in their first game of the season on American soil. The Golden Knights handed the Habs a 4-1 loss in the opener of their third- round series. Marc-André Fleury made 28 saves in the Game 1 victory. Vegas also received offensive contributions from their blue-liners, with Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez and Nick Holden scoring goals.

In the opening 10 minutes, things appeared a little more even. With Jeff Petry out of the lineup with a hand injury, Alex Romanov made his presence felt early with an open ice hit on Alex Pietrangelo.

After chances by Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher and Cole Caufield were stopped by Fleury in the opening minutes, Vegas drew first blood when Theodore off the draw wired a shot through traffic and past Carey Price to make it 1-0. The play came off an icing that forced a tired Habs line to stay on.

Later in the period, re-introduced himself to former Habs captain Max Pacioretty, but ended up getting on the wrong side of a faceoff skirmish.

The Habs may have out-chanced Vegas in the first period, but they still ended the frame down 1-0, and things got worse for the Habs as the night progressed.

With Phillip Danault already in the box to start the second, on the opening draw Ben Chiarot flipped the puck over the glass inadvertently for another penalty. The Habs killed both penalties, but just as Chiarot returned to the ice, Shea Theodore faked a slap shot with all five Habs and Price headed in the wrong direction, leaving Alec Martinez wide open to score on Theodore’s pass.

With Vegas pressing and the Habs already down 2-0, Price had to come up large, making a windmill glove save off former Ottawa nemesis Mark Stone from a Pacioretty pass.

With William Carrier in the box for the fifth minor penalty of the second period, Caufield broke the ice for the Canadiens, scoring his first NHL playoff goal. He missed his first chance, but made up for it when a Fleury rebound landed in the same spot seconds later. Habs were down a goal.

Less than a minute later, the Golden Knights regained the two-goal advantage, again doing damage off the draw. Alex Tuch sent a set pass in Mattias Janmark’s direction in front of the net. Janmark succeeded on the redirect, making it 3-1. That’s how Period 2 ended. Vegas outshot the Habs 13-5 in the period.

The Canadiens did not come out in the third period with aplomb. The Golden Knights tightened up the neutral zone and the Habs couldn’t break through. Paul Byron fired a stinger at the skate of Martinez, the league’s leading shot blocker. Martinez left gingerly but returned. Captain Shea Weber also winced after receiving a stick to the hand. By the time the Golden Knights iced the contest with their fourth goal midway through the period, the Habs just didn’t seem to have an answer to their opponent’s speed and physicality. Holden jumped into the play, receiving a Reilly Smith cross-ice pass and catching Price by surprise.

The Habs finally had sustained offensive pressure in the dying minutes of the contest, but it was too late, and the Golden Knights skated away with a convincing 4-1 win. The loss of Petry was felt, as Weber and Chiarot played over 25 minutes in picking up the slack. Not only did Vegas snap the Canadiens’ seven-game winning streak, they also made short work of Montreal’s streak of not trailing in these playoffs, which stretched back to Game 4 of the Toronto series. The experts suggested the North Division was a rung below the rest of the league, and in Game 1 Vegas did nothing to disprove that belief. The Canadiens will have a chance to even the series Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189614 Montreal Canadiens No one ever said it has to be fair, but the fact is some players benefit from a bit more leniency from their coach than others. Some have a little less rope, and Ducharme provided another example of this reality Tuesday. Canadiens playoff notebook: The true cost of penalties, mistake management, who is bumped when Jeff Petry returns Two of the Golden Knights’ four goals in Game 1 came off a lost faceoff in the defensive zone. Nick Suzuki lost a draw to Chandler Stephenson just before Theodore’s point shot got through traffic and past a screened Carey Price. By Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin It was an icing — another one from Chiarot — that led to the defensive Jun 16, 2021 zone faceoff in the first place, with the Canadiens being unable to change. When we asked about what might have led to that icing, whether it was a miscommunication between the players or just a bad decision by The Stanley Cup playoffs are often about adjustments, especially for the the puck carrier, Ducharme preferred not to pin the blame on Chiarot. losing team after Game 1, and especially when the two teams have not faced each other all season. “I would back up a bit further,” Ducharme said. “We had the puck in the neutral zone, we were about 10 feet from the red line which would have But almost as often, it can be about resisting the temptation to make allowed us to get the puck deep and get a change. Unfortunately, we adjustments and believing in what got you to that point, not overreacting gave that puck away, we get caught and the puck is back in our zone.” to the circumstances of one game and chalking it up to being just that, circumstances. For coaches, determining which way to go often comes The “we” in this instance is Erik Gustafsson. down to instincts and how well you know your team. Here is the play Ducharme is talking about. For Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme, his initial instinct following So it was a needless giveaway that was the primary reason why the his team’s 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 on Monday Canadiens found themselves hemmed in their zone, and Chiarot’s icing was probably the right one, that a series of four penalties taken by his was just the unfortunate result of it from Ducharme’s point of view. team at the end of the first period and through the entire first half of the second period completely broke the Canadiens’ rhythm. “On that play, I think we just wanted to buy a little time to get some rest by icing the puck, getting a little rest before going back at it,” Ducharme But what does that mean exactly, and what does it look like? said. Phillip Danault was called for hooking Alex Tuch at 18:20 of the first On the goal by Mattias Janmark that re-established the Golden Knights’ period, a period the Canadiens had largely dominated to that point. Ben two-goal lead just 53 seconds after Cole Caufield made it a 2-1 game, Chiarot iced the puck and cleared the glass at the far end of the ice just Kotkaniemi lost a faceoff to Nicolas Roy, but Ducharme’s gaze was more seven seconds into the second period. Joel Edmundson was called for a so fixed on Kulak’s work in front of the net. slash at 5:04 of the second, quickly followed by a tripping penalty by Shea Theodore on Paul Byron. Finally, Brett Kulak was called for tripping “We weren’t in a bad position,” Ducharme said. “It was a puck that at 8:20 of the second period. deflected off one of our defencemen and which hit a stick on the opposite side. You have to make sure to neutralize those sticks.” By the time the Kulak penalty was killed off at 10:20 of the second, exactly 12 minutes of game time had passed since the Danault penalty Ducharme very easily could have said, on the first goal, that no matter and only 3:57 of it had been played at five-on-five. In real time, including why the team finds itself stuck in its own zone, a defenceman with the intermission between periods, the lapse was roughly 40 minutes. possession of the puck is still responsible for making the right play. He could have looked at his two young centres and said, as analyst Kevin In those 12 minutes of game time, here is how much ice time the Bieksa did on “,” that rather than trying to win a Canadiens’ six forwards who don’t kill penalties received. defensive faceoff clean — which opens the door to losing it just as Remember, 40 minutes of real time, three seconds of ice time for Eric cleanly — they should have tried to tie up the opposing centre and create Staal, 16 seconds for Corey Perry. Their line, which had some good a puck battle instead. shifts in the first period, never looked the same. Or he could have done as Claude Julien did on several occasions and When Ducharme said the penalties broke the Canadiens’ rhythm, this is say this is part of the learning curve with young centres and the what he meant. Canadiens simply have to live with it.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it isn’t easy,” Staal said Tuesday. “But that’s Instead, Ducharme pointed the finger directly at Gustafsson and Kulak. my job, and that’s our job as players is to make sure that we are ready And it’s perfectly normal. and when we do get that opportunity and that shift, to be engaged and to be a positive influence. No question when there’s penalties, for guys that Chiarot, even if he finished Game 1 a minus-3, led the Canadiens in ice aren’t on special teams on either side, it takes you out of rhythm a little time. Ducharme is counting on him. He’s not about to reprimand him for bit, especially with the type of start we had in the first period, we were finding a way to relieve pressure when he plays close to 26 minutes a going pretty good. But it’s your job to stay engaged.” game. As for his young centres, there is nothing significant that can be done overnight that will give them more experience in the faceoff circle. The Canadiens are at their best when they have four lines rolling, allowing them to maintain their energy level from shift to shift, pressuring It’s not only that the head coach doesn’t want to call out his important the puck, creating turnovers, doing the things that allowed them to win players. It’s that on top of needing them, Ducharme has more confidence seven consecutive games before Monday night, the things they were in their ability to bounce back after a bad sequence. doing right up until Danault took that penalty on Tuch. Suzuki provided a good example of that by winning nine of his next 12 Again, with Tomas Tatar sitting on the sidelines, with Jake Evans getting faceoffs after the Golden Knights opened the scoring, including three healthy, Ducharme has options to mix up his lineup if he so chooses. And wins in the defensive zone to start a penalty kill. based on how those forwards — particularly the bottom half of his lineup — performed over the second half of the game, Ducharme would not Ducharme talked about upping the compete level on faceoffs, and that’s necessarily be wrong if he chose to do that. exactly what Suzuki did from that point on.

But when you see Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Josh Anderson, Staal and Perry This is why pointing the finger at important players at this time of year is on that chart above, perhaps it adds some context to how they performed not always the right move. The players know when they’ve done and could give Ducharme reason to show a little patience here. It might something wrong, and the coach has no choice but to have confidence just be the best adjustment they could make would be to not take four that the best of them will do better next time. penalties in a row. As for the other players, their situation makes it so they are more or less Not all mistakes are created equal condemned to take the blame. How will the dominos fall when Petry returns? Jeff Petry will be a game-time decision Wednesday. He will participate in Quebec Premier François Legault, appearing Tuesday evening on the the morning skate, take the warmup and then a decision will be made on podcast La Poche Bleue hosted by Guillaume Latendresse and Maxim his ability to play. Lapierre, explained that a surge in cases of variants elsewhere led the public health department to show some caution in its decision to avoid If he does, Ducharme will have a decision on his hands as to which something similar happening in Quebec. This is especially true because defenceman comes out, and perhaps his reaction to how those two the rate of people in Quebec who have received two doses of a vaccine Vegas goals in Game 1 played out is a bit of a tell as to which direction is still too low to push it further. he will go. But it’s not an easy decision to decide between Kulak, Gustafsson and Alexander Romanov. “I know it’s not as many as we would have liked — I would have liked to have 10 or 12,000 people — but at the same time, we’ve made so many Gustafsson entered the lineup in Game 5 against the Toronto Maple sacrifices the last year and a half to avoid having the virus spread … and Leafs and the Canadiens reeled off seven straight wins. That’s not to say I don’t want to see infections start climbing again,” Legault said. “I know Gustafsson is the primary reason for that, it’s simply a fact. But more it’s not great because I know attendance is important — I was watching importantly in his case is that the Canadiens power play has gone 7-for- last night and they were making a lot of noise in Vegas — and this is not 21 in the eight games Gustafsson has played, and he has been on the ideal. But in the grand scheme of inconveniences, we have to put the ice for five of those goals. But it’s also difficult to dress a defenceman health of Quebecers first.” that leaves you so vulnerable at five-on-five. Is this really a disadvantage for the Canadiens? In the two games Petry has missed, Kulak played 18:24 in Game 4 against Winnipeg and 16:53 in Game 1, his two highest totals in the There are studies with varying viewpoints on the real impact of a crowd playoffs. Despite his mistake on the Janmark goal and his penalty in the on performance in sports. But there is no doubt it adds emotion in a second period, Kulak played a regular shift in the third period until five series, and that is what the Canadiens are looking for most of all. minutes were left and Ducharme shortened his bench. As opposed to Gustafsson, Kulak does not play on either special teams. “Our fans have been loud, they’ve definitely helped us out so far, they have been incredible,” Gallagher said a few days ago. “But everyone Then there’s Romanov, who was playing his second game of the playoffs counts. Every time you can get another person in the building, that and looked great in the first period. His big open ice hit on Alex excitement that’s going on around the city and how much our fans are Pietrangelo pumped up his teammates and was a primary example of behind us right now, we’re hoping for that a little bit so we can kind of what Romanov can bring, a physical presence with mobility and compete with those teams. So it’s definitely an advantage, for sure.” boundless energy. His aggressive defensive play on Jonathan Marchessault also drew the Canadiens’ first power play of the game.

What was curious about how Romanov was used was that he generally The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 did not partner with one of the top three defencemen, but rather formed more of a traditional third pairing with Kulak. They played 7:28 at five-on- five together while Romanov also played 4:01 with Chiarot. When Kulak and Romanov were on the ice together, it was not a pretty picture for the Canadiens, who were outshot 7-0, shot attempts were 13-1, high-danger chances were 4-1 and goals were 2-0 for Vegas, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Somehow, in nearly 12 minutes at five-on-five with Romanov on the ice, the Canadiens were credited with zero expected goals, which is extremely rare.

Despite all that, if Petry comes back in the lineup, Ducharme and Luke Richardson could go back to playing the bottom two defencemen with someone from the top four at all times, which would help shelter Romanov or Gustafsson so the Canadiens could benefit from the unique things they each bring to the game. That is what doesn’t work in Kulak’s favour, because there is not one specific element he brings at a very high level, like Romanov’s physicality and energy and Gustafsson’s ability to run a power play. Kulak is more of an all-around solid player, not particularly bad in any one area, but not particularly good in one either.

The Quebec government announced 3,500 people will be permitted to attend Games 3 and 4 of the series. (Jean-Yves Ahern / USA Today)

The decision Tuesday by the Ministry of Health to allow 3,500 people in arenas will give the Canadiens a bit of an added boost in Games 3 and 4. But several players did not hide the fact that a sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas gave the Golden Knights a competitive advantage and so those people might be underwhelmed seeing an increase of “only” 1,000 fans from the previous protocol.

“You saw, even just with the 2,500 fans we were able to get in our building, the different level of energy we were able to create, the impact that the fans have,” Brendan Gallagher said last week. “And when you watch these teams play, you see home-ice advantage really is a thing with fans in the building. They just create so much energy for the teams. You’re really able to feed off that and, as an opposing player, it’s tough to come into.”

Ducharme said having 17,884 people in the building allowed the Golden Knights to get an added push in Game 1.

“That’s a team on the other side that feeds off its crowd a lot,” Ducharme said. “It’s a loud crowd. We saw it in the second period, it gave them wings. That’s part of playing on the road. We’ve been good on the road, especially in the playoffs, and tomorrow, we’ll know better what to expect.

“And when we come back to Montreal, we really hope we’ll have a good crowd that will support us like that and give us energy.” 1189615 Nashville Predators end offensive instincts to go along with great speed and an excellent shot. He’s got a similar motor to Arvidsson and Rocco Grimald, but at 156 pounds, he’ll need to bulk up if he wants to stick in the NHL.

Five prospects the Preds could target at No. 18 overall Pronman said Rosen "looks like a dangerous scorer at wing" and is creative and able to regularly beat defenders. Speed is a key asset for him "which should translate to higher levels."

MICHAEL GALLAGHER Fabian Lysell, RW, Lulea-SHL

JUN 15, 2021 One of the more skilled forwards in the draft, Lysell has top-end speed and quick hands. Scouts rave about his puck skills and how crafty he can

be with the puck on his stick. Lysell does have high upside, which is why Perhaps no team in the National Hockey League last season received a he could be gone by the time the Predators pick. But if he’s still available, bigger boost from its rookies and prospects than the Nashville Predators. this one should be a no-brainer.

Playing a league-leading 12 rookies — including, at one point, six in one Daniil Chayka, LHD, CSKA-KHL game — the Predators got to show off the aptitude of their scouting Because this is the Predators we’re talking about, we can’t completely department as the team qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the rule out a first-round defenseman. While the cream of this year's crop — backs of players like Eeli Tolvanen, Alex Carrier, Tanner Jeannot and Owen Power, Brandt Clarke, Luke Hughes and Simon Edvinsson — will Yakov Trenin. all be gone by pick 18, Chayka could be the best of the rest. He’s a Because the Predators have been one of the better drafting teams in the strong, two-way defender with good size (6-foot-3, 187 pounds) and league, their NHL roster is starting to reap the benefits. skating ability.

The 2021 NHL draft, which takes place July 23 (Round 1) and July 24 What Pronman said about Chayka: “The offense in his game will never (Rounds 2-7), will be significant for the Predators for two reasons. First, be flashy other than his hard point shot, and while I think he’s smart and as many as six players who would have been AHL regulars in a normal quick enough to play well at faster paces, his subpar world juniors wasn’t season could be on the team's opening-night roster come October. inspiring. With his size and feet, he’ll make enough stops to justify not Second, Nashville still hasn’t found that true, elite scoring forward — having a ton of offense.” although Eeli Tolvanen and Philip Tomasino both look promising — and secondary scoring continues to be the team’s Achilles heel. Nashville Post LOADED: 06.16.2021 For the fourth time in franchise history, the Predators will be picking with the No. 18 selection in the first round of the 2021 NHL draft. The previous three times the club chose 18th overall, it didn’t work out so well: Ryan Parent (2005), Chet Pickard (2008) and Austin Watson (2010) all could be considered first-round flops.

Last week, we ranked the Predators' top organizational prospects and broke them up into performance tiers. Nashville’s depth on defense — Alex Carrier, David Farrance, Jeremy Davies, Frederic Allard and Tyler Lewington — is miles ahead of the offense.

Aside from Tomasino and Rem Pitlick, the Predators don’t have anyone in the pipeline who could realistically contribute in the next two years. That said, of the players expected to be available when Nashville is on the clock, expect the team to look for an impact forward. Listed below are five prospects the Predators could consider at pick No. 18:

Cole Sillinger, C, Sioux Falls-USHL

Aside from being the son of former Predators center Mike Sillinger, Cole Sillinger makes sense for a number of reasons. The 18-year-old scored 24 goals in 31 games in the USHL and was more than a point-per-game player. He fills the secondary scoring need and could step into a main roster spot in two years.

Here’s what NHL prospect guru Corey Pronman of The Athletic said about Sillinger: “[He’s] a smart player, who can make seam passes consistently and make creative plays due to his great hands and offensive IQ. He can play on the perimeter due to his vision and a great one-timer/wrist shot combo, which he gets off with velocity and accuracy. He can also play inside. He wins battles, gets to the net, is reliable defensively and doesn’t shy from playing physically.”

Matthew Coronato, RW, Chicago-USHL

If the Preds are looking for a pure goal scorer, Coronato fits the bill. He nearly had a goal per game in the USHL this season (48 in 51 games) and he can seemingly score from anywhere on the ice (think 2016-18 Viktor Arvidsson). He has an elite wrist shot and could be an asset on the power play in a few years.

What Pronman said about Coronato: “Coronato is an undersized forward with a lot of skill who can make plays with pace… He’s able to create controlled entries with his speed and skill, and make tough plays to his teammates on the move. Coronato is also able to play the half-wall on the power play and find seams as well as finish from distance.”

Isak Rosen, RW, Leksands-SHL

Explosive. Dynamic. Impactful. These are the most commonly used adjective that scouts use to describe Rosen’s style of play. He has top- 1189616 Nashville Predators

Rinne becomes first Predator to win King Clancy Trophy

MICHAEL GALLAGHER

JUN 15, 2021

The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Nashville Predators goaltender could seemingly win the award every year, but this year in particular, it couldn’t go to anyone else but him.

Rinne won the award on Monday night, beating out former teammate and current New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban and San Jose Sharks forward Kurtis Gabriel. It’s his first King Clancy win and the second NHL award Rinne has won in his career, along with the Vezina Trophy in 2018.

The NHL will donate $25,000 to the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund in Rinne’s name, which The Nashville Predators Foundation will match.

"After spending 15 years with the same organization and in the same city, and with the opportunities I've had through local charities in my community, this is very special to me," Rinne said. "At the same time, I want congratulate P.K. and Kurtis on their nomination and for everything they do for their communities. I want to thank the Predators and the Predators Foundation for letting us players get involved and help in our community. I also want to recognize Shea Weber, who helped start the 365 Fund with me. This award means a lot to me and my family, and it's a huge honor."

The 38-year-old Rinne has impacted the Nashville community through several initiatives including the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, the Best Buddies program, the Make-A-Wish foundation and the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson’s.

More than $3 million has been donated to the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to support cancer research through the 365 Fund. In addition, Rinne’s work with the Best Buddies program helps advocate for individuals that suffer from intellectual and developmental disabilities.

But Rinne didn’t stop there. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he participated in the “Feed the Frontline” initiative, delivering meals to every Metro Nashville Police precinct and Metro Nashville Fire station. He also helped deliver more than 600 meals from Chick-fil-A to doctors and nurses at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and helped provide free coffee to medical professionals as well.

"I view the King Clancy Memorial Trophy as a lifetime achievement award of sorts, and Pekka winning this year is totally reflective of what he has done on the ice, but equally, if not more importantly, what he's done off the ice in our community," Predators GM said.

"For years — for good reason — Pekka has been the face of our franchise and our most popular player. This is shown by the countless hours he's spent working to make our community a better place and the sacrifices he's made to make the lives of everyone around him better. Pekka is completely deserving of this honor, and our organization couldn't be happier for him."

Nashville Post LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189617 New Jersey Devils

Ex-Devils GM Ray Shero returns to the NHL and his hockey roots

Updated Jun 10, 2021; Posted Jun 10, 2021

By Mike Rosenstein

Former New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero is going back to the beginning.

The Minnesota Wild hired Shero Wednesday as senior advisor to general manager Bill Guerin.

Guerin played and worked under Shero when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Joining the Wild is a homecoming for Shero, who is a native of St. Paul, where Minnesota plays.

The Devils fired Shero in January of 2020 midway through his fifth season as general manager for the Devils. He was responsible for acquiring and eventually trading forward Taylor Hall, who was named NHL MVP in 2018. Shero also swung the deal for defenseman P.K. Subban.

In addition, Shero left the Devils with a foundation for future success: No. 1 draft picks Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.

Prior to his time with the Devils, he spent eight years as general manager of the Penguins — overseeing the 2009 Stanley Cup champions. Hockey glory runs in the Shero family. His father, , coached the Philadelphia Flyers to Stanley Cup titles in 1974 and 1975.

Tom Fitzgerald inherited Shero’s job as Devils general manager after his departure.

Star Ledger LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189618 New Jersey Devils

NHL rumors: Devils’ P.K. Subban picks up TV gig for Stanley Cup Playoffs

Updated Jun 10, 2021; Posted Jun 10, 2021

By Mike Rosenstein

P.K. Subban is about to get a taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reports the New Jersey Devils defenseman is joining ESPN as analyst for the remainder of the postseason.

It’s a smart move for Subban, a three-time All-Star who’s heading into the twilight of his career. That’s because the Worldwide Leader announced in March that it’s getting back in the hockey business.

National Hockey League games will return to ESPN starting with the 2021-22 season. ESPN and the NHL announced a seven-year deal on Wednesday, returning hockey to ESPN for the first time since 2004. Included will be 25 regular-season games on ESPN or ABC, early-round playoff series and one conference final each year, four Stanley Cup Final series on ABC and more than 1,000 games per season streaming on ESPN+. ESPN+ and Hulu will be home to 75 ESPN-produced exclusive telecasts per season.

As for Subban, the former Norris Trophy winner completed his second season with the Devils this year. The 32-year-old has underwhelmed as a Devil:

2019-20: 7 goals, 11 assists, 18 points, -21 in 68 games

2020-21: 5 goals, 14 assists, 19 points, -16 in 44 games

All those numbers are career-worsts for Subban, who ended his three- year relationship with Olympic skiing champion Lindsey Vonn in December.

Star Ledger LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189619 New York Islanders limit Kucherov’s feed from the circle to an unguarded Palat streaking in the slot.

Trotz was livid on the bench, though, because the linesmen missed six Goalie Semyon Varlamov leaves game after collision as Islanders drop Lightning skaters on the ice when Palat finished. Game 2 to Lightning to even Stanley Cup semifinals “The second goal, that one hurt quite a bit,” Trotz said. “Obviously you guys know there (were) too many men on the ice there.”

By PAT LEONARD Varlamov also couldn’t pick up Rutta’s point shot quickly enough through an inadvertent screen by the Isles’ own up high in the D- NEW YORK DAILY NEWS zone. And Hedman had plenty of room to fire on the power play in the third off a cross-ice Kucherov feed. JUN 16, 2021 AT 12:36 AM The Lightning intentionally came out more physically in Game 2 than it

had in a relatively lifeless Game 1. The Islanders didn’t back down, Splitting on the road and dodging disaster: there were worse ways for the naturally, all the way up until the Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli appeared to Islanders to open this Stanley Cup semifinal on the road in Tampa. leave the ice at game’s end injured after a helmetless tussle with the Isles’ Travis Zajac. Tuesday night’s 4-2 Game 2 loss to the host Lightning evened this series at one game apiece as the battle shifts north for Game 3 at Nassau But the Islanders did end up with seven minor penalties during the flow of Coliseum on Thursday. play compared to only three in Game 1, and that meant five Lightning power plays and one goal and nine shots on the man advantage. No one on the Islanders’ bench needed a reminder that the reigning champions’ Game 1 sloppiness was more likely an aberration than a developing trend. New York Daily News LOADED: 06.16.2021 They got one anyway on Tuesday, with former MVP winger Nikita Kucherov getting free for three dazzling assists to Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman.

“They’re not just gonna let us take it from them,” Isles winger Matt Martin said. “We got the first one at (their) home. We knew they were gonna come out a little more desperate and bring their best game.”

An early Brock Nelson power-play goal and Mathew Barzal’s fifth in six games in the waning minutes weren’t enough. The Palat goal at 13:15 for a 2-1 Lightning lead was allowed by the officials despite six Tampa skaters on the ice.

Then Tampa’s Jan Rutta scored a killer 2:16 into the third for a 3-1 deficit, from deep through a screen, after an Anthony Beauvillier blue line turnover.

But the Islanders had reason to exhale that goaltender Semyon Varlamov was no worse for wear after a brutal first-period head-to-head collision with Point due to a hard shove from Isles defenseman , some inadvertent friendly fire.

Varlamov (23 saves) was sent to the Isles’ locker room for the final 6:50 of the first period by the NHL’s concussion spotter and replaced by rookie Ilya Sorokin. And though Sorokin starred in round one against the Pittsburgh Penguins and stopped all six shots he faced on Tuesday, Varlamov is the hot hand now.

He had won four straight starts entering Game 2, and he is the veteran whose jaw-dropping glove save on a Kucherov power-play chance in the first period went toe-to-toe with Andrei Vasilevskiy’s stunning snag of a Kyle Palmieri power play rebound minutes later.

“He was fine,” coach said. “He was going back in the net, and I think NHL player safety called and said he’s gotta go into the room. So he did. I thought Sorokin came in and did a really good job.”

Varlamov continued making quality stops when he returned, too. His blocker save on Ross Colton in alone off the rush also matched Vasilevskiy’s excellent left pad stop on Beauvillier just before the end of the second.

So no, this was not the Rangers’ Chris Kreider getting tripped into Canadiens goalie Carey Price in Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final, eliminating Montreal’s leader from the series and giving way to a Cup Final berth in beating Price’s replacement, Dustin Tokarski.

And it’s hard to put any of the Lighting’s Tuesday goals on Varlamov, frankly.

Point’s goal to open scoring 8:58 into the first was on the doorstep after a brilliant Kucherov no-look pass from behind the net after a Pelech turnover.

Palat was alone off the rush because Barzal made a “bad read,” in Trotz’s words, and joined Nick Leddy for a soft double-team that didn’t 1189620 New York Islanders

Islanders can’t be taking this many penalties

By Mollie Walker

June 16, 2021 | 2:43am

TAMPA — The Islanders came into the Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Lightning well aware that they were going up against one of the best power plays in the NHL.

Prior to Game 1, the message to stay out of the box was clear, which the Isles managed to do until the end of the second period and the final second of the third.

The goal of limiting the amount of penalties taken was reiterated heading into Game 2, but the Islanders found themselves on the penalty kill five times — three coming in the third period — on the way to a 4-2 loss Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.

“We’ve talked about staying out of the box,” said Brock Nelson, whose power-play goal in the first made it a 1-1 game. “Five is probably too many. We’ve touched on it; they’ve got a lot of skill over there — and weapons. You give them five looks on the power play, they’re going to get some good looks. You give them five and you’re going to have to rely on your goaltender making some big saves and getting a lot of blocks.”

Victor Hedman celebrates his power play goal against the Islanders.

Luckily for the Isles, the Lightning were only able to capitalize on one of their five man-advantage opportunities. Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov was to thank for that. But when Travis Zajac took a seat in the box for the second time in the span of roughly 3 ¹/₂ minutes in the third period, the Lightning’s Victor Hedman ultimately capitalized for the 4-1 lead.

“Tonight we kept them at 20 percent, which is half the rate that they usually hit at,” head coach Barry Trotz said after the loss, which evened the Stanley Cup semifinal series 1-1 heading back to Long Island. “We just can’t take that many. [Tampa] were taking some liberties tonight, but it’s a long series.”

When the Islanders had to kill a four-on-three Lightning power play in the first period, with Matt Martin and Ryan Pulock in the box, Varlamov absolutely robbed Nikita Kucherov on the doorstep. Varlamov stood tall as it transitioned to a five-on-four disadvantage, coming up with five saves over that span.

The Lightning own a 39.5 power-play percentage in the playoffs heading into Game 3. During the regular season, they were the ninth most- productive man-advantage unit in the league. The Islanders may be one of the better defensive teams in the league, but their penalty kill hasn’t been as strong as it was in the regular season during this playoff run.

Trotz said Jean-Gabriel Pageau “tweaked something” during the game and that’s why he held the Islanders’ third-line center out for the final 14 minutes of regulation.

“When they got their fourth goal, I said ‘you know what, he’ll be fine for the rest of the series so I’m not going to put him in any danger’. I fully expect him to be in the next game.”

The teams combined for 54 penalty minutes, while each registered one power-play goal.

New York Post LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189621 New York Islanders netminder’s superiority, he was not tested with quantity, there were not enough second tries.

Mat Barzal did what he could, scoring his fifth goal in the last six games Islanders facing daunting task you had to see coming to narrow the margin to 4-2 with 3:16 remaining but he was afforded little time and space. There was a neat spin-a-rama from the left early in the third, but the Lightning, which sicced the Ryan McDonagh-Erik Cernak pair on him as the matchup, was not about to allow No. 13 dazzle too By Larry Brooks brightly. June 16, 2021 | 12:49am Tampa played up-tempo but clamped down as well. The Islanders had a draw just outside the offensive blue line with 2:07 remaining and an extra attacker on the ice. They generated one shot and two attempts the rest of So the essential question arising from the Lightning’s 4-2, Game 2 victory the way. in Tampa on Tuesday that squared this Cup semifinal at one-all is this: Next stop is The Old Barn on Thursday, where the Islanders will attempt If the defending champs continue to play with the same intensity and to hold serve through the next two matches. That will be no small task alacrity as they did in this one, can the Islanders elevate their game, playing against a team that not only looked like a Stanley Cup champion avoid the unusual number of forced and unforced errors they committed in this one, but, come to think of it, is the Stanley Cup champion. in this one and match the Lightning for the duration of this series?

Look, the sky did not fall in on the Islanders on this night, not at all. It was 2-1, Tampa Bay, after two, with the Ondrej Palat’s tiebreaking second New York Post LOADED: 06.16.2021 goal at 13:15 of the second scored while all four officials missed a rather blatant too-many-men infraction.

But, hey, Brock Nelson scored to tie the game 1-1 at 13:30 of the first while on a power play they never should have been awarded, the refs overeager to hit Brayden Point with a goaltender interference penalty when he was actually shoved into Semyon Varlamov by Adam Pelech. So really, not much of a kick.

“It’s hockey,” said Matt Martin, one of his team’s most impactful players who in fact was one of the six on the ice for the final 33.1 seconds when the Islanders had pulled Varlamov. “It happens.”

Beyond that, the goal was scored after the Islanders failed to clear the zone despite having control behind the net. That doesn’t usually happen. And there was pretty much a repeat on Jan Rutta’s 3-1 goal from the right point at 2:16 of the third period that followed a mishap on what could have and should have been a controlled breakout.

The Lightning defeated the Islanders in Game 2.

Forced and unforced, there were just too many errors, too many lagging details. Again, though, did you expect the Lightning to abdicate?

“We knew a very good hockey team was going to have a desperate push,” head coach Barry Trotz said. “From my standpoint, we can be a lot better and we will be. We knew they were going to have their ‘A’ game.

“We’ve got to execute a little bit better and then we’ve got to battle that out. The third goal was a prime example of that. Too loose on the play, not enough execution and a little bit of everything on the exits. We’ve got to have those details and we didn’t have it.”

The difference in the tenor of the game was palpable. Sunday was for the most part a playoff stroll in the park. This was a pitched battle from the start that never quite let up. There were ill feelings from the outset that barely subsided. The series has been joined. Again, you were expecting something else?

“We knew they were going to come with a good response,” Nelson said of the club that is 11-0 following playoff defeats the last two years, and he was correct.

The difference, too, is that the Lightning difference-makers stepped up after having been rendered impotent in Game 1. The Palat-Brayden Point-Nikita Kucherov triumvirate dominated shifts and accounted for a pair of goals. Victor Hedman, not much of a factor at all in Game 1, was appropriately massive even before scoring a power-play goal to make it 4-1 midway through the third period.

On Sunday, the Lightning drew only two power plays, the first awarded in the final minute of the second period. In this one, there were five Tampa Bay power plays, the first coming just 4:16 into the match. The Lightning only scored one with the advantage, but five tries is tempting fate.

The Islanders hung in with the champs but never were able to rattle them. Andrei Vasilevskiy was outstanding, making his save of the game by denying Anthony Beauvillier on a backhand in front with 0:07 remaining in the second to preserve the 2-1 lead. But for all the 1189622 New York Islanders

Ilya Sorokin delivers for Islanders under difficult circumstances

By David Lazar

June 15, 2021 | 11:49pm

Fans had high expectations for Ilya Sorokin entering the season. The rookie netminder somehow exceeded them.

Game 2 added to his impressive first-year résumé. The Islanders lost 4-2 in Tampa, but Sorokin gave his team something to smile about.

When Semyon Varlamov was bulldozed by Lightning forward Brayden Point — courtesy of a push by Adam Pelech — in the first period, the concussion spotter at Amalie Arena removed the Islanders’ starter from the contest. Sorokin entered.

Varlamov returned to begin the second frame, but Sorokin’s impact was not forgotten. He made six saves, including two big ones as the Islanders killed a Leo Komarov interference penalty.

“That is not an easy situation to be put in,” Islanders forward Matt Martin said after the loss. “Obviously, coming in cold against probably the highest-powered offensive team in the league, and he did a great job and made some key saves. He got us to the second period and allowed [Varlamov] to get back in there. So hats off to him.”

Ilya Sorokin makes a stop during the Islanders’ Game 2 loss.

While he only played 6:50, Sorokin was cool, calm and collected when called upon. He was prepared for his opportunity and once again proved to head coach Barry Trotz that he does not get fazed by the pressure.

“Sorokin came in and did a good job,” Trotz said. “He is fantastic. He is a low-maintenance goaltender. He is a total pro. He works at his game daily. Even if he does not get the call, he goes through his total gameday routine. And that is why he has been so consistent for us.”

Sorokin has come a long way. In his first NHL appearance in January, he had to start on short notice after forward Cal Clutterbuck injured Varlamov in warm-ups with a shot to the neck. He allowed five goals in the loss.

Five months later, in a similar situation, Sorokin shined.

Without the young netminder, the Islanders would not be where they are now. His four wins against the Penguins in the first round gave the Islanders a much-needed boost that propelled them to a series victory.

The Islanders are the third team in NHL history (’72 Bruins and ’80 Flyers) to have two goaltenders win four or more consecutive starts in the playoffs.

“Through my time here, at least, we have had good goalies,” Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield told reporters after the game. “This year, we have two outstanding goalies. It takes a little pressure off us. They are great guys and great teammates, and we love playing in front of them.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189623 New York Islanders

Lightning topple Islanders in Game 2 to even series

By Mollie Walker

June 15, 2021 | 10:50pm

TAMPA — The Islanders showed up the Lightning in Game 1, but the defending champions reminded them who they are in Game 2.

Tampa Bay charged back into the Stanley Cup semifinal series with a 4-2 win Tuesday night at Amalie Arena, reviving their home crowd of 14,771 after putting on a bleak performance in the series opener. Heading back to Long Island for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Saturday, the Islanders and Lightning are now knotted at one win apiece.

“You want to win both, but a split is how we started each series so far,” defenseman Scott Mayfield said. “We’re excited to get back to our house, the Coli, where we know our fans will be loud.”

Aside from the NHL officiating crew’s abysmal showing, the stark difference between Games 1 and 2 was the contributions from Tampa Bay’s first line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. After the trio combined for just three shots and Point’s last-second six-on-four power-play goal on Sunday, the Lightning’s top guns totaled two even- strength goals, three assists and nine shots on goal in Game 2.

Point opened up the scoring in the first period before Palat made it a 2-1 game at 12:15 of the second.

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) beat New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) to the puck during the second period in Game 2.

All four on-ice referees either completely missed the six skaters the Lightning had on for Palat’s goal, or they were looking to make up for the game-tying power-play goal they handed the Islanders after Adam Pelech cross-checked Point and sent him barreling into Isles goalie Semyon Varlamov in the first period.

Varlamov was shaken up and went to the locker room, which brought rookie Ilya Sorokin into the game for the remainder of the period. But Point was called for interference, and the Islanders were gifted a power play.

Brock Nelson took a loose puck and buried it from between the faceoff circles to knot the game, 1-1. Varlamov, who coach Barry Trotz said was pulled by NHL’s concussion spotter to be evaluated, was back in goal to start the second period.

“Yeah we did [notice],” Matt Martin said of the missed too-many-men call. “I think Trotzie talked to the refs about it. It was missed, that’s hockey. It happens. Nothing we can do about it. Move on.”

The Lightning had not received a single goal from their defensemen all postseason, until they got two Tuesday night. Jan Rutta sniped the first playoff goal of his career from the right point at 2:16 of the third period, before Norris Trophy finalist Victor Hedman capped the Tampa Bay scoring with a power-play goal six minutes later.

The Islanders got away from their detail-oriented game and allowed the Lightning to expose holes in their structure that weren’t supposed to be there. Even though Mathew Barzal managed to make it a two-goal game, putting back a rebound off a Jordan Eberle attempt at 16:44 of the third, the damage had already been done.

“I don’t think we expect it to be easy,” Nelson said. “They’re a good team. We knew they were gonna come hard, wanted to raise our game, we did some good things. We knew they were gonna come though, and they got it.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189624 New York Islanders

Islanders’ playoff run fueled by crowd energy

By David Lazar

June 15, 2021 | 8:02pm | Updated

A crowd can change the momentum of a hockey game. The Islanders recognize this.

“It’s something that you go out there, and whether it’s at home or on the road, you feed off that energy,” Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri said before Game 2.

Silencing a road crowd can mean just as much as igniting a home crowd. In Game 1, Amalie Arena was quiet as the Islanders perfected their grueling, physical style of play.

During the regular season, the Islanders were 21-4-3 at home and 11-13- 4 on the road. It felt like something was missing when the Islanders played in empty arenas, but with fans back, the road warriors are back, too.

Prior to Game 2, they were 5-2 away from home this postseason.

“It is a little easier to get up for games with the atmospheres you see,” coach Barry Trotz said. “That is the best way to say it. The games are fun. They are very important.”

The Islanders have been feeling it since the return of fans.

But the Islanders are not slacking off at Nassau Coliseum, either. They are 4-2 in Uniondale, and eliminated the Penguins and Bruins on home ice in the first two rounds.

Their 5-3 Game 6 win against the Penguins last month was the first series-clinching win since 1993 at Fort Neverlose — a nickname coined after the Islanders were all but unbeatable at home in Stanley Cup games during their dynasty years.

“It’s a special place,” forward Josh Bailey said. “It means so much to our organization and to our fan base. We’re going to stay focused here tonight. When it gets to Thursday I’m sure our fans will be ready to go.”

Home or away, the Islanders are grateful to have fans in attendance. After a trip to Tampa Bay, the series will venture to Hempstead Turnpike.

“It’s exciting,” Bailey said. “To play in front of this many people at this time of the season is a great opportunity.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189625 New York Islanders New York Post LOADED: 06.16.2021

Islanders’ makeover is nearing its completion

By Mollie Walker

June 15, 2021 | 7:00pm | Updated

TAMPA — Here the Islanders are in their second consecutive semifinal, which is a feat the organization hadn’t accomplished since 1979-84, when the team qualified for six straight seasons.

Since the arrival of general manager and coach Barry Trotz in 2018, the Islanders have won five playoff series (not including the play-in round they won over the Panthers last season). And the franchise had combined for five playoff series wins over the previous 34 years prior to Lamoriello and Trotz implementing their idea of a winning culture.

It’s a culture of professionalism, playing for one another and getting to the finish line as one collective unit, which each and every Isles player has seemingly bought into. The Islanders’ emergence as one of the NHL’s most consistent playoff contenders couldn’t be timelier.

“I think winning matters,” Cal Clutterbuck said ahead of Game 2 against the Lightning at Amalie Arena on Tuesday night. “I think winning, it’s what’s important to us. Everyone’s opinion is different. Everyone is entitled to it. But, no we don’t think about it.”

The Islanders have donned the underdog title for all three playoff appearances under Trotz, even when they were the higher seed over the Penguins in the 2018-19 first-round series. But now that the Isles have returned to the Stanley Cup semifinals, proving that their run in the bubble playoffs last season wasn’t a fluke, the team has forced its way onto everybody’s radar.

It’s gotten to the point where the Islanders can no longer be underestimated.

Lamoriello, whose first NHL management gig was in 1987 with the Devils, has been establishing winning cultures throughout his entire career. The reigning GM of the year has reached the semifinals/conference finals in every decade since 1980.

The Islanders

“Organizationally, I think it was important for us to get back to some foundational stuff,” head coach Barry Trotz said. “Being a team that is consistently close to the playoffs or in the playoffs or moving forward to try and win a Stanley Cup. We’re trying to be a constant playoff team and a constant threat. Because once you get into the playoffs, you have a chance every year. If you have success as an organization, that takes care of everything else.”

With the Islanders’ new UBS Arena set to open next season, as NHL commissioner put it, the confluence of events couldn’t be more fortuitous. Between the Isles’ consistent playoff success and their new $1 billion-plus arena, the franchise is certainly an appealing one.

Co-owner acknowledged on a recent tour of the new building’s construction site that the hope is future free agents will view the Islanders as an enticing landing spot.

The Islanders now have a winning culture, a winning management tandem, and a new building they can win in.

“When you say five-year plan, that’s what you put on a piece of paper, but every day it changes,” Lamoriello said before the start of this series. “So right now, we’ve been here for three years, but there’s still that type of plan. But I think that our coaching staff, what they’ve done, what Barry has done with our group is just incredible and right now I think we’re as good a team if not better than we were at any given time. In fact, we’ve gotten better and better through this whole playoffs embracing everything and anything that’s asked.

“I’ve always said this that individual players can help you win games, but to win a championship it has to be one complete team.”

1189626 New York Islanders

Islanders-Lightning Game 2 recap: Winning goal, key stat, more

By Andrew Gross and Colin Stephenson [email protected], [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated June 16, 2021 1:04 AM

Winning goal

Jan Rutta’s right point one-timer through a screen at 2:16 of the third period, made it 3-1.

Key statistic

The Lightning have not suffered consecutive postseason losses since the 2019 First Round, when they were swept by the Blue Jackets. Tampa Bay owns a playoff record of 12-0 in the contest following a loss dating to Game 4 of that series, which is the longest such run in NHL history.

Turning point

All four officials missed the fact that the Lightning had too many men on the ice on Ondrej Palat’s second-period goal that made it 2-1, Lightning. It gave the Lightning the lead for good.

Did you notice?

Travis Zajac replaced D Ryan Pulock on one Islanders’ power-play unit, along with D Nick Leddy, Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey and Kyle Palmieri.

Injury news

Islanders G Semyon Varlamov was removed at 10:22 of the first period for concussion protocol after a heavy collision with Lightning C Brayden Point. Varlamov returned to start the second period.

Other news

J-G Pageau did not play late in the third period after Barry Trotz said he "tweaked’’ something. Trotz said Pageau should be fine for Game 3 … Matt Martin and the Lightning’s Pat Maroon, separated earlier, fought at 13:45 of the first period … Islanders coach Barry Trotz reported Michael Dal Colle did not accompany the team to Tampa. He has yet to play in the postseason while dealing with an undisclosed injury.

Three stars

1. Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay). Three assists extended his lead among playoff scorers.

2. Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay). A goal and an assist for the Lightning D man.

3. Semyon Varlamov (Islanders). He lost, and didn’t play the entire game, but he saved his team from getting blown out with some of those saves he made.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189627 New York Islanders "It was missed; that’s hockey," Martin said. "It happens. There’s nothing we can do about it; move on to the next game at home and focus on that."

No surprise that the Lightning struck back against Islanders in Game 2 Call it a wash after the bad call on Point in the first period resulted in a goal for the visitors.

The Lightning added two goals in the third from Jan Rutta and Victor Updated June 16, 2021 Hedman, their first two from their defense corps during these playoffs, another sign of the depth the Islanders must contend with.

"They have a lot of skill over there," Nelson said. "We don’t expect it to So this was what all the pre-series gushing was about from every corner be easy." of the hockey world – including from the Islanders themselves – about the deep, dangerous defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning. That’s good, because it will not be. But it is not supposed to be at this stage. There is supposed to be high drama and stiff tests. Forgive those of us who spent the regular season watching a numbing parade of intra-division games against the likes of the Devils and Sabres In Game 1, there was none of that. On Tuesday, the series really got and forgot what the rest of the league looks like, especially its elite started. teams.

Turns out, the Lightning are not the somnambulant zombies they appeared to be on Sunday, when the Islanders rang the life out of them By Neil Best in the first game of the teams’ NHL semifinal series. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.16.2021 To misquote Dennis Green, they were who we thought they were in Game 2 in Tampa on Tuesday night, looking like the talented foe we had heard about in securing a 4-2 victory that evened the series.

In answering a question about backup goalie Ilya Sorokin after the game, Matt Martin casually called the Bolts "probably the highest-powered offensive team in the league."

Most promising for Tampa Bay, and ominous for the Islanders, was that after totaling three shots on goal in a 2-1 loss in Game 1, the Lightning’s top line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov was back to normal.

The trio combined for nine shots on goal, two goals and three assists – all by Kucherov, the first two of which were spectacular, including a no- look pass from behind the net to set up Point.

"We knew they were going to come, and they got it," Brock Nelson said.

It was not that the Islanders were bad. They had their moments, usually only to be thwarted by Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. They certainly can play with these guys.

Island Ice Ep. 99: Isles-Lightning Game 2 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 4-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 2 of the NHL semifinals.

But the outcome confirmed that the Islanders have a big challenge ahead to win three out of five and reach their first Cup Final since 1984.

"We can be a lot better, and we will be," coach Barry Trotz said.

No one expected this to be as simple as it looked in Game 1, a dud that left Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper so fed up with his team’s effort he cracked, "I think the Islanders probably didn’t have to shower after that game."

That was an exaggeration, but not by much. It was evident in Game 2 the Lightning were determined to ratchet up their intensity level from the start.

A few minutes into it, Pat Maroon scrapped with the Islanders’ Scott Mayfield, the first of several post-whistle battles that extended to and beyond the final horn.

There were 20 penalties assessed, for a total of 54 minutes.

Each team benefited from a controversial officiating moment.

Nelson scored a power play goal to tie it at 1 shortly after Point was called for a penalty, even though the Islanders’ Adam Pelech pushed him from behind as he skated toward the net, causing Point to bowl over goaltender Semyon Varlamov and dislodge the goal.

Varlamov, whose head collided with Point’s on the play, was ordered to the dressing room for tests and replaced by Sorokin for the rest of the period.

Later, Palat scored off a pass from Kucherov to make it 2-1; the Lightning had too many men on the ice at the time. 1189628 New York Islanders "The second goal, that one hurt quite a bit," Trotz said. "If they get the third one there’s a little more separation. And you guys know there’s too many men on the ice. There’s seven guys. So I’m disappointed in that."

Islanders fall to Lightning in chippy Game 2 that ties the series But it could also be argued Nelson’s power-play goal came as the result of an incorrect call.

Varlamov was knocked backward hard into his net by an onrushing Point By Andrew Gross at 10:22 of a first period that featured 22 penalty minutes between the teams after they combined for 14 penalty minutes in Game 1. [email protected] @AGrossNewsday Defenseman Adam Pelech made contact with Point, who was called for Updated June 16, 2021 12:17 AM goalie interference despite being knocked off balance and into the goalie.

By then, the Lightning led 1-0 as Kucherov, with a slick touch pass from behind the crease, set up Point to lift a shot over Varlamov from off the TAMPA, Fla. – Both the Islanders and the Lightning knew the Lightning right post at 8:58. would be better in Game 2. Ilya Sorokin stopped all six shots he faced for the remainder of the first Now, it’s the Islanders turn to improve their play. period with Varlamov back in the Islanders’ dressing room.

"We knew a very good hockey team was going to have a very desperate Mathew Barzal closed the gap to 4-2 at 16:44 of the third period, push," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "We can be a lot better and we converting the rebound of Jordan Eberle’s initial shot. will be."

The Lightning, taking control in the third period, won, 4-2, in a chippy contest on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena to even the NHL semifinal Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.16.2021 series at one game apiece. The teams combined for 54 penalty minutes as the Islanders had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Game 3 is Thursday night at Nassau Coliseum.

"You want to win both but a split on the road is how we started each series so far," defenseman Scott Mayfield said. "We’re excited to get back to our house."

The Islanders won Game 1, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon as they won the physical battles, controlled the five-on-five play and got better goaltending. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves for the Lightning in Game 2 while Semyon Varlamov stopped 23 shots after missing some of the first period for concussion protocol.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper quipped, "I think the Islanders probably didn’t have to shower after [Game 1]."

"We knew they were going to come with a good response," said Brock Nelson, whose unassisted power-play goal from the low slot at 13:30 of the first period tied the game at 1. "I thought we did a pretty good job coming out of the gates. It’s hockey. There’s bounces, breaks. They were able to get a couple and get the lead and we were unable to get it back."

Island Ice Ep. 99: Isles-Lightning Game 2 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 4-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 2 of the NHL semifinals.

The Islanders went 1-for-4 on the man advantage and Varlamov needed to stop Yanni Gourde’s shorthanded breakaway at 4:06 of the second period. The Lightning were 1-for-5 as defenseman Victor Hedman gave the Lightning a 4-1 lead at 9:17 of the third period with a man-advantage blast.

"Tonight we kept them at 20%, which is half the rate they usually hit at," Trotz said of the Lightning’s 17-for-43 (39.5%) power play. "We can’t just take that many. They were taking some liberties tonight. But it’s a long series."

Jan Rutta’s rising blast from the right point had made it 3-1 at 2:16 of the third period, marking the first postseason goal the Lightning had gotten from a defenseman.

Meanwhile, the Lightning’s top trio of Brayden Point between Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov (three assists) were dominant after combining for just three shots in Game 1.

They combined for nine shots in Game 2 – all through the first two periods – and five points.

Palat made it 2-1 at 13:15 of the second period after Hedman sprung Kucherov up ice. Kucherov was unable to find a shot but did find Palat open in the slot as he trailed the play.

But referees Dan O’Rourke and Francois St. Laurent and linesmen Ryan Gibbons and Michel Cormier all missed the Lightning having too many men on the ice, leaving Trotz livid on the bench. 1189629 New York Islanders

Greg Van Roten tightening Jets' bonds at Islanders playoff gatherings

By Al Iannazzone [email protected]

Updated June 15, 2021 6:41 PM

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Greg Van Roten is enjoying the Islanders’ playoff run and being able to share it with his Jets teammates.

It was Van Roten, a Long Beach product, who arranged for a group of Jets to attend an Islanders playoff game three weeks ago against the Penguins. Some of the same players, including quarterback Zach Wilson, have been back at the Coliseum for more fun.

"I joke with our PR team here that I’m just using the Jets to get myself tickets to go see my team," Van Roten said while sporting an Islanders hat following Tuesday’s minicamp practice. "It’s an opportunity to bond. We didn’t have this opportunity last spring [because of COVID]. It definitely hurt us last season as a team throughout the season.

"You can spend time with your position group a lot but maybe not with guys in other position groups or across the ball. This has been a no- brainer as far as, ‘Hey let’s get together on a weekend, go see a game and blow off some steam together and get to know each other on a more personal level not around football.’ "

Van Roten, the Jets' starting right guard last year, said he’s "converting" a lot of guys into Islanders fans.

"It’s been pretty easy," Van Roten said. "You go to a game, you have a great time and they win. It’s been awesome."

There are videos of offensive lineman Dan Feeney having a great time at games, enjoying an adult beverage before crushing the beer can on his head. Those clips have gone viral. And Feeney’s likeness — his mullet and a mustache — with "LGI" is now being sold with all proceeds going to charity.

"I give him a hard time," Van Roten said. "He was a Blackhawks fan and all of a sudden he’s coming and the Islanders nation has embraced him. I’m not jealous or bitter. I’m just saying I grew up an Islanders fan."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189630 New York Islanders Gov. Cuomo lifted the restrictions after New York reached the milestone of 70% of adults having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Cuomo: New York going back 'to life as we know it' after reaching Some Long Island businesses reacted with relief and even giddiness, vaccine threshold though they said they may not lift all the restrictions immediately.

Cuomo did not drop CDC mandates for face coverings or masks inside schools, in health care settings, and in public transportation, among By Bart Jones and Newsday Staff others. Restrictions remain for large-scale indoor venues, requiring proof of vaccination or masks. [email protected] Unvaccinated individuals are still expected to wear masks and observe Updated June 15, 2021 8:09 PM other precautions under CDC guidelines.

Restrictions removed for many activities This story was reported by Matthew Chayes, Joan Gralla, Andrew Gross, Some Long Island businesses were studying how to move out of the Corin Hirsch, Bart Jones, Maura McDermott, Tory N. Parrish, David pandemic restrictions after more than a year of operating in sometimes Reich-Hale, Craig Schneider and Sarina Trangle. It was written by Jones. surreal and frustrating circumstances. Cuomo's announcement provoked Bars and restaurants, gyms, offices, entertainment venues, movie joy, relief and even giddiness. theaters, barbershops and hair salons will be able to go back largely to "It's an exuberance," said Ann Conroy, CEO of Douglas Elliman on Long normal functioning with no requirements for social distancing or special Island. "I feel like the war's over and people are coming home. There's a cleaning under a sweeping relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions giddiness about it right now, and it's exciting." announced Tuesday by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. Patrons now will be able to sit shoulder to shoulder in bars or The governor lifted the restrictions after New York State on Monday restaurants, with pandemic capacity limits gone, Cuomo said. reached the milestone of 70% of adults having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. "It’s amazing news," said Gina Caggiano, owner of The North Village Tavern in Rockville Centre and the LGBTQ bar BTW in Oceanside, which "What does 70 percent mean? It means that we can now return to life as opened in late 2020 in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions. "It’s going to we know it," Cuomo said. be fantastic to be able to see my customers be able to be social again The end of the mandates is effective immediately, he added, though and things get back to normal." businesses, stores, offices and other locations can continue to implement There will be no size limits on indoor gatherings in people’s homes, and the restrictions if they want. Some said they would. performing arts venues with under 5,000 capacity can operate at full While unvaccinated people will be allowed into these venues, they are capacity. expected to wear a mask and take other precautions — and that federal People walk in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday after Gov. Andrew M. guidance will be left to be observed on the honor system, Cuomo said. Cuomo said the state was lifting COVID-19 restrictions. The state "Remember June 15th, remember today, because it is the day that New removed social distancing and mask requirements for many activities as York rose again," he said. the state reached a 70% threshold in vaccinated adults. Credit: Corey Sipkin The state reached the 70% mark ahead of schedule, despite taking one of the first and most severe hits from the virus, making it a global Workers in offices and commercial buildings will no longer be required to epicenter of the pandemic, Cuomo said. maintain 6 feet of social distance, and operators of the buildings will not be required to perform temperature checks or health screenings of Sign up for coronavirus updates people entering.

Get the latest news on Long Island's reopening from COVID-19 Malls no longer will be required to have one-way direction lanes or restrictions, updated safety guidelines and vaccination rates. special ventilation systems.

"This is a momentous day and we deserve it, because it has been a long, Barbershops and hair salons will no longer have to maintain logs of long road," he said at a livestreamed event from One World Trade Center customers with contact information to aid with contact tracing. in Manhattan, where those assembled clapped and offered standing ovations to his comments about bringing New York back from the brink. Gyms and fitness centers will not be required to do extra cleaning and disinfecting. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announces the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions at One World Trade Center in Manhattan, as the state reached a Capacity limits at family entertainment centers are also lifted. Movie benchmark of 70% of residents 18 and older getting at least one shot of theaters can go back to full capacity, with both vaccinated and vaccine. Credit: Corey Sipkin unvaccinated people attending, though the latter are supposed to wear masks. Cuomo saluted Long Island for achieving the highest vaccination rate of any region in the state so far, with 75.3% of people 18 and older Some restrictions remain in place, such as the requirement for masks receiving at least one dose. indoors in school, on public transit and in health centers.

To celebrate the landmark day, Cuomo said the Empire State Building Restrictions are lifted for sports and recreation, construction, and other state landmarks would be lit up in blue and gold Tuesday night, manufacturing, trade, child care, camps, food services, agriculture, and fireworks shot off at 9:15 p.m. at locations including Jones Beach. fishing, forestry, and personal care services.

His move also came on a somber and sobering day for the nation: The The Long Island Ducks minor league baseball team said in celebration of U.S. death toll from the virus hit 600,000. capacity limits being lifted at its ballpark in Central Islip, they will hold the first of seven fireworks shows starting after this Saturday night’s home WHAT TO KNOW game.

Effective immediately, the state lifted COVID-19 restrictions on Sports restrictions were lifted, too, but the New York Islanders would not agriculture, amusements and family entertainment, buildings, childcare, say if attendance would increase at Nassau Coliseum for Thursday camps, construction, fishing, food services, forestry, gyms, malls, night’s Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. manufacturing, movie theaters, offices, personal care services, real estate, retail, sports and recreation and trade. The Islanders halted Tuesday’s ticket presale, citing "extraordinary demand" in an email sent to season-ticket subscribers, and said the The restrictions lifted encompass capacity restrictions; cleaning and presale was being reset to Wednesday. disinfecting protocols; contact information requirements for contact tracing; health screenings; social distancing; and social gathering limits. The Yankees announced they are opening up to full capacity at the stadium, beginning with Friday night’s game against the Oakland A’s. Vaccinations credited for progress Other businesses also do not expect to lift all the remaining restrictions at once. New York State reported a seven-day positivity rate of 0.4% from test results, placing it among the best in the nation, Cuomo said. The daily Douglas Elliman has been taking precautions such as having agents positivity level from 55,438 test results on Monday was 0.58%. work remotely unless there’s a specific reason for them to come to the office, and while she expects to eventually hold in-person gatherings The state's lifting of restrictions elicited praise from the White House. again, the brokerage will consider legal and medical advice and the "In communities across New York, the deadly coronavirus is in retreat preferences of clients, said Ann Conroy, the brokerage’s Long Island thanks to the state's progress on vaccinations," said Jeffrey D. Zients, the CEO. White House COVID-19 response coordinator. "You really do have to be cautiously optimistic, because there are those Nassau County Executive Laura Curran hailed the end of most variants, there's still a lot of the unknown, and there's still some people restrictions as "a historic day." who are not vaccinated," she said.

"We've traveled a long journey as New Yorkers, and I'm proud that The Long Island Board of Realtors said in a statement that Cuomo’s Nassau has helped lead the way. With the highest vaccination rate announcement has lifted certain restrictions on real estate showings and among large counties in New York, Nassau is set to come back roaring," open houses, among other work. she said. However, the board said, real estate business must "continue to Dr. Aaron E. Glatt, chairman of medicine and chief of infectious diseases implement a mask requirement for individuals who are unvaccinated or at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, said, "If you had told anyone not fully vaccinated." in December that we would have been at 70% on June 15, I think people Real estate offices, the board said, "are free to choose to lift some or all would have doubted that. of the restrictions, except for the mask requirement for unvaccinated "I think we can get to 80%, but now we are dealing with significant individuals." hesitation," he said. "My hope is that those people will see the benefits of Andrew Lieb, an attorney in Smithtown who advises real estate being vaccinated, realize that side effects aren't a significant concern for brokerages, said the state’s COVID-19 rules had generated "so much a vast number of people, and get vaccinated." confusion about how the real estate industry was supposed to function The seven-day positivity average was 0.41% on Long Island and 0.38% during the entire pandemic." in New York City. Damianos Realty Group, a Smithtown-based medical and office landlord, The number of new confirmed cases was 25 in Nassau, 28 in Suffolk and sent the state’s announcement to its general counsel for review, 174 in New York City. according to principal Cristofer Damianos.

Across the state, nine people died on Monday of causes related to the He said the firm, which owns about 20 buildings, needs to think about virus, though none were on Long Island. what restrictions may be lifted from both a legal and a psychological standpoint. Cuomo's decision not to lift the indoor mask mandate for kids in school left parents with mixed feelings. "We’ve limited the elevator to two people per elevator," Damianos, of St. James, said. "We have signs up. Can we remove them? … Should we "It’s absolutely ridiculous," said Stacey Joy, of Deer Park, who has three remove them? Are people going to feel that it’s better to keep them up for school-age children. a while?"

Joy noted that most kids have only a few days left of school and should 'The people of New York beat COVID' be allowed to enjoy this time without masks. The day was personally meaningful to Cuomo as well as to the state, he "These kids have suffered so much," she said. "Let them enjoy the last said, since June 15 is the birthday of his late father, former Gov. Mario M. days of school with some normalcy. Cuomo.

"Enough is enough. Let kids be kids." His father would be proud of the state's victory over COVID-19, Cuomo said. Sandy Sanchez, of Lido Beach, believes the mask mandate should remain in place until school ends. "He believed that New Yorkers were special … You know who beat COVID? The people of New York beat COVID, the courage of New "Not all the kids are vaccinated yet," said Sanchez, who has two children Yorkers beat COVID, the individual strength beat COVID" and the in school. courage and determination of essential workers — nurses, doctors, EMS Sanchez expressed concern about virus variants emerging elsewhere, workers, teachers, utility employees, police officers, firefighters, such as in the United Kingdom. "We just don’t know what might be sanitation workers, bus drivers and grocery store clerks, who put coming around," she said. themselves at risk to do their work through the pandemic and "to save others." She added, "I do think that masks work. I don’t think it’s a big deal" that students keep wearing them. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said earlier Tuesday that he welcomed the state dropping pandemic-related restrictions.The city’s Kimberly Valentzas, of Glen Cove, said she doesn’t consider the mask a positivity rate, averaged over the last seven days, is 0.57%, de Blasio big deal, especially since Wednesday is her son Harrison’s last day of said. "Lowest we’ve ever had," he said. classes at Glen Cove High School. De Blasio brushed aside concerns that the region might be reopening too "At this point, let them wear a mask," she said. "We’re a mask family. My quickly despite pockets of low vaccination rates in certain neighborhoods. son is not yet vaccinated." "I think we’re ready. That’s the bottom line," he said, citing the city’s steady decline in hospitalizations, virus positivity and the increasing Wearing a mask "never bothered us. It’s never bothered him," Valentzas number of people vaccinated. "It’s time. I’m very comfortable it’s time." added. In NYC, some got expired shots In business, 'cautiously optimistic' The New York City Department of Health and ATC Vaccination Services In Long Island's business world, executives and workers were absorbing are advising 899 people to return for another shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech the long hoped-for news and figuring out how to adjust. vaccine for COVID-19 because the second shots they received had Bangz Hair & Color Lounge, a Bellmore salon, will maintain some of the expired. pandemic-related restrictions for at least a few more weeks, co-owner The vaccines were administered at the firm’s Times Square site, officials Richard Rubenstein said. said. "Safety is our first factor … but you can’t run scared forever, either," said "We apologize for the inconvenience to those receiving the vaccine batch Rubenstein, who added that the salon tries to be respectful of everyone’s in question and want people first and foremost to know that we have needs. been advised that there is no danger from the vaccine they received," the firm said in a statement.

Getting another shot is the only way to be sure the vaccines will be fully effective, the company said, explaining it was acting on the advice of Pfizer and following the city health department's instructions.

"We encourage those affected to get a new dose anywhere that provides the Pfizer vaccine," the firm said.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189631 New York Islanders

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran hoping to throw a Game 5 watch party for Islanders

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated June 15, 2021 6:41 PM

New York State is opening up, and both Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and the Nassau County Legislature are hoping that leads to a public viewing party for a potential Game 5 of the Islanders’ NHL semifinal series against the Lightning.

"We’ve been talking about this conceptually for a while," Curran told Newsday on Tuesday. "We discussed it last year when the Islanders were doing well. This year, I’m talking to the Islanders, we’re in pretty close communication. Let’s get to a Game 5. But, if we do, I’m hopeful we can have the best fans in the world be able to watch the away game together."

Game 5, if necessary in the best-of-seven series, would be back in Tampa on Monday.

While Eisenhower Park in East Meadow could be a candidate to host a viewing party, a source told Newsday that Nassau Coliseum might be the more likely venue.

Either way, Curran said they are waiting for final approval to hold the event.

Both Curran’s office and the Nassau County Legislature have independently been in touch with Islanders ownership, advocating for a public viewing party.

"I think we all share the goal of having something for the fans," Curran said. "I’m happy we’re doing this and combining our energies to get this done."

Legis. Bill Gaylor (R-Lynbrook) added: "The legislative majority looks forward to hearing back from Islanders leadership and stands ready to help to facilitate this exciting event in any way we can."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189632 New York Islanders Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.16.2021

Islanders and Lightning looking to rachet it up for Game 2

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated June 15, 2021 4:55 PM

TAMPA, Fla. — Every playoff series follows a similar pattern regardless of the game-to-game results. Teams play with increasing desperation and urgency as the eventual outcome nears.

The Lightning believe they didn’t start their NHL semifinal series against the Islanders with enough of either. The Islanders know they started at a good level but still need to ratchet that up.

Game 2 on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena would be a test of which team was more successful after the Islanders won, 2-1, in Sunday afternoon’s Game 1. The series shifts to Nassau Coliseum on Thursday night.

"We didn’t make them desperate at all," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said on Tuesday morning of his team’s Game 1 loss. "When I want a team leaving a game, I’d like for them to have ice bags all over their body and not feeling too great afterwards. I think the Islanders probably didn’t have to shower after that game."

That, of course, is hyperbole. And perhaps unfair hyperbole since, yes, the Islanders worked very hard in Game 1 in terms of playing physically and with balance throughout the lineup.

The Islanders were able to maintain that level after a physically- challenging, six-game win over the Bruins in the second round.

"You’re going to get their best game [in Game 2] and, from our standpoint, we’ve got some growth as well," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "We came off our last series, a real physical, heavy series and it took a good chunk of us. As this series goes on, the emotional level will go up for both teams and it will become a harder series.

"But we’re not really worried about the 'hard'. I think our guys embrace the battle, the hardness of the game and what it will take. You’ll see more desperation in [the Lightning’s] game. They’ll have maybe a different plan. I think we had something to do with it but I’m sure they have another level, or feel they do. That’s part of the playoff process."

The Islanders wrested home-ice advantage away from the Lightning with their Game 1 victory. But that has not been a huge factor in their playoff run so far.

Island Ice Ep. 99: Isles-Lightning Game 2 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 4-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 2 of the NHL semifinals.

Entering Game 2, the Islanders were 5-2 on the road in the postseason and 4-2 at the Coliseum. They did clinch against both the Bruins and against the Penguins in the first round in Game 6s at the Coliseum.

But the playoff road success thus far is an important improvement over the regular season, when the Islanders struggled to an 11-13-4 mark away from the Coliseum.

Arenas were either empty or with just a scattering of fans through much of the regular season. So, perhaps, the Islanders are now feeding off the negative crowd energy on the road.

"Honestly, no," Trotz said. "I just think it’s a great atmosphere and both teams are ramped up. We have not used the us-against-them mentality at all. It’s more the guys are excited. They understand the importance of the games. The guys are dialed in. It’s a little easier to get up for games with the atmospheres. These are fun, that’s the best way to say it."

"As far as playing on the road, compared to the start of the year to now, it’s always a challenge," Josh Bailey said. "Especially when you go up against a team like this in a building like this. Their fans bring a lot of energy and we saw it the last couple of rounds, too. It’s exciting, to get to play in front of this many people at this time of year, it’s a great opportunity." 1189633 New York Islanders "I just thought he would work forever, as long as he could," Kenny said. "I never thought I would hear him utter the word ‘retirement.’ But he really seems at peace and happy about his decision. He feels it’s the right time.

Kenny Albert's Cup runneth over with Islanders memories "I know he’s looking forward to finishing up the playoffs this year and really seems happy about the timing of it."

Updated June 15, 2021 6:22 PM By Neil Best

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.16.2021 No matter how far the Islanders go, one thing is certain: Kenny Albert will call the final playoff game at Nassau Coliseum, tying a tidy historical bow. "Things have sort of come full circle," he said.

That is because not only did he grow up on Long Island, in Port Washington, but his first NHL broadcast was an Islanders game, when he was a 21-year-old senior at NYU.

Albert did four games in 1989-90 as a radio fill-in, starting in Winnipeg on Dec. 2, 1989. The Islanders beat the Jets, 6-3, behind two goals from Pat LaFontaine. He also worked two home games with analyst Bobby Nystrom.

Even though he grew up a fan of the Canucks and Rangers, in that order, he also had many memorable visits to the Coliseum in his youth.

They included the 1979 playoff series against the Rangers, the 1982 Cup Final against Vancouver and the ‘84 game in which Ken Morrow eliminated the Rangers in overtime.

"Obviously, growing up on Long Island, all my friends were Islander fans," he said. "I have great memories of attending games at the Coliseum. Most were against the Rangers, so it was always such a great atmosphere."

When Albert was a senior at Paul D. Schreiber High School in 1985-86, he attended 20 or so Islanders games to practice announcing into a tape recorder.

Now, here he is, working the NHL semifinal between the Islanders and Lightning, including Game 2 on Tuesday night in Tampa, with anywhere from two to seven games ahead at the Coliseum.

That is because, upon the retirement of Mike "Doc" Emrick, NBC made Albert its lead play-by-play voice. He will call the Cup Final with analysts Ed Olczyk and Brian Boucher.

Island Ice Ep. 99: Isles-Lightning Game 2 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 4-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 2 of the NHL semifinals.

Albert, 53, is the Rangers’ longtime radio play-by-play man, a job in which he was preceded by his father, Marv.

He has called eight Cup Finals on radio but only one Finals game on TV — Game 1 of Rangers-Kings in 2014, when Emrick was at a funeral. For a guy who played hockey as a kid at the old Twin Rinks in Port Washington, this is special.

Not only will Albert call the 2021 Final for NBC, but Turner has signed him and Olczyk for the new TV deal that kicks in next season. So Albert also has the Final in 2023. (ESPN has it in 2022.)

The news of the NBC promotion and the Turner hire came around the same time. Albert called it "surreal."

"I refer to Doc as the ‘Vin Scully of hockey,’ obviously one of the great play-by-play broadcasters of all time, so big shoes to fill replacing a legend," Albert said.

"It hasn’t sunk in yet. It probably won’t until we’re in the booth for Game 1 of the Final."

Albert praised his partners, Olczyk and Boucher, and crew for their work to this point, and more broadly NBC for its partnership with the NHL over the past 15 years. Albert first called hockey for NBC at the 2002 Olympics.

Come Thursday, he will be calling a league semifinal near his hometown.

While Albert was set for Game 2 on Tampa on Tuesday, Marv was to do Game 5 of the Bucks-Nets series in Brooklyn for Turner. Marv, who turned 80 on Saturday, will retire after the Eastern Conference final. 1189634 New York Islanders

Rapid Reaction: Islanders Thunderstruck in Game 2 Loss to Bolts

Published 5 hours ago on June 16, 2021

By Christian Arnold

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Islanders in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals 4-2 on Tuesday night. The best-of-seven series is even at 1-1 as the series shifts to Long Island.

How it Happened: The Islanders have spent most of the playoffs battling from behind and on Tuesday that was no different. Ondrej Palat broke a 1-1 tie in the second period with a goal from the slot to give Tampa Bay back the lead and Jan Rutta and Victor Hedman extended it in the third period. Rutta’s goal at 2:16 of the third period was the first goal by a Tampa Bay defender in the postseason.

Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson each scored for the Islanders and Brayden Point opened the scoring with a goal 8:58 into the game.

Semyon Varlamov made 23 saves on Tuesday while missing part of the game after being pulled by the department of player safety for concussion protocol. Semyon Varlamov enetered the game and made six saves.

Lightning Strikes: The Islanders knew that Tampa Bay would be better in the second game of the series, and that they were. New York tempted fate by giving them five power-play chances on Tuesday night and surrendered a power-play goal to Hedman that sealed the win to even things up. Tampa has the league’s deadliest power play in the postseason and the New York Islanders learned that on Tuesday night.

In addition, 5-on-5 Tampa Bay’s top line outdueled the Islanders in the second game of the series. The top line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov combined for a pair of crucial goals for their team against the New York Islanders. The trio had been held without a goal at even strength and registered just three shots in the first game against New York.

Officials Rough night: No one will be using Game 2 as a highlight reel at the NHL’s ref school. Tampa Bay and New York were not thrilled at one point or another with the officiating crew on Tuesday. First, they gifted the Islanders a power play, which resulted in Brock Nelson’s tying goal in the first period.

Adam Pelech cross-checked Point into Varlamov and the refs mysteriously called Point for interference. Varlamov was shaken up during the play and forced to leave the game briefly. Then in the second, all four officials missed a blatant too many men on the ice call, which resulted in the go-ahead goal for Tampa Bay. Islanders head coach Barry Trotz was none too pleased by the non-call there that ultimately swung the game for Tampa.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189635 New York Islanders

Playoff Gameday: Islanders Game 2 Lines, Matchups and Game Notes vs. Lightning

Published 11 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By Christian Arnold

Will the New York Islanders be able to put on the same dominating performance as they did in Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight in Game 2? They certainly hope so, but that won’t be easy.

After taking the opening game of the Stanley Cup Semifinals on Sunday, the Islanders will look to take a 2-0 lead back to Long Island when the series shifts. New York severely outplayed Tampa Bay in the 2-1 victory, outplaying them in just about every category. However, that means the Islanders are expecting Tampa Bay to come back with some fire when the puck drops tonight.

“You’re going to get their best game tonight and I think from our standpoint we’ve got some growth as well,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said following the team’s morning skate. “We came off our last series, a real physical, heavy series. Took a good chunk of us. … I think as this series goes on the emotional level will go up for both teams and it will be a harder series.

“We’re not worried about the hard, I think our guys embrace the battle, the hardness of the game and what it takes. But you’ll see their best game there’s no question.”

New York limited Tampa’s opportunities 5-on-5 and held them to just 10 shots in the final period of the game. Nikita Kucherov was the only Tampa player that was able to find the back of the net, which came in the final minute of the game with Tampa Bay on the power play.

Still, even with the effort the Islanders had on Sunday, the Islanders will be underdogs in Game 2 in Tampa tonight. New York did struggle on the power play, going 0-for-3 in Game 1.

“We had a couple of looks. there was a couple of times, obviously, they have a pretty good penalty kill and a group that’s been together for a little bit,” Kyle Palmieri said. “We had a couple of opportunities to get into the zone that things didn’t go our way, but definitely took the time since last game to look at some things and get ready for tonight.”

The Islanders will likely go with the same lineup that they did in Game 1 and Semyon Varlamov is expected to get the start. Tampa Bay isn’t expected to make any changes to their lineup or goaltending ahead of Game 2 either.

Tampa Bay is 20-10 all-time in Game 2s, including a 2-0 record in Game 2s in the 2021 Playoffs. They are also 11-7 all-time at home in Game 2 situations. … Tampa Bay hasn’t lost back-to-back games in the postseason since Games 3 and 4 of a 2019 First Round series versus Columbus. They are a perfect 10-0 in games following a loss in the playoffs dating back to last year’s playoffs. … Brayden extended his point streak to four games after scoring in Game 1 in the final minute of the contest. He currently leads the in postseason goals with nine. … Game was the first time the Islanders had won the opening game of the semifinals since 1983. … The Islanders are carrying the longest active win streak in the playoffs, entering tonight with four straight wins. … The Islanders have outscored their opponents 19-8 in the second period this postseason for a league-high plus-11 goal differential.

HOW TO WATCH

Tonight’s game will air on NBCSN at 8 p.m. On the radio dial, Chris King and Greg Picker will call the game on the Islanders Radio Network. 98.7 FM ESPN New York, 88.7 FM WRHU and 103.9 FM LI News Radio will carry tonight’s radio broadcast.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189636 New York Islanders

America’s Team? Changing Perception of Islanders Highlighted by New Twitter Data

Published 19 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By Christian Arnold

These are not the same old New York Islanders anymore. As if you needed more proof than the team’s second consecutive trip back to the Stanley Cup Semifinals, all you had to do was look at new Twitter data from Betonline.ag.

Geotagged Twitter data collected by the betting outlet found that 32 states are rooting for the Islanders in the semifinals. By comparison, only four states were pulling for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who trail the Islanders 1-0 in the best-of-seven series.

It’s a far cry from the days when the Islanders were called a “perennial doormat” by Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole on TSN and the team continuously missed the playoffs. Under Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello, the New York Islanders have made the postseason in all three years of their stewardship and the team has won five playoff series in that time.

“Organizationally, I think it was important for us to get back to some foundational stuff,” Trotz told reporters on Monday after the team practiced in Tampa. “Being a team that is consistently close to the playoffs or in the playoffs or moving forward to try and win a Stanley Cup. We’re trying to be a constant playoff team and a constant threat. Because once you get into the playoffs, you have a chance every year. If you have success as an organization, that takes care of everything else.”

Part of the issue had been ownership and the team’s arena situation. Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin have shepherd in a new era for the organization and stabilized the team’s future.

In the fall the Islanders will open their new home, UBS Arena, at Belmont Park after decades-long efforts to try and renovate the Nassau Coliseum. The organization had spent the previous two years splitting their time between the Coliseum and Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where they moved to in 2015.

With UBS Arena on the horizon, a lot of the negative perception surrounding the club has been wiped away.

“I think all that gets cleaned up with the new building. Players can get a real good vision. Our building will solidify that part,” Trotz said.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189637 New York Rangers If there is one knock on Gallant, it is that he is not a wizard when it comes to installing systems and making in-game adjustments. Jagr said he thought that was exaggerated but that it was important to have strong assistants. He mentioned Mike Kelly, who was Gallant’s assistant in Gerard Gallant is ideal choice to solve star issue that haunted Rangers Florida and Vegas and was behind the Team Canada bench with him during the recent World Championships.

“Everyone is smart now with systems. In my opinion, that’s not the most By Larry Brooks important quality for a coach,” Jagr said. “The most important thing, the June 15, 2021 | 2:12pm | Updated way I see it, is getting the players to trust you and play hard for you and believe in you.”

Jagr, of course, thrived under the spotlight in New York, posting one of From ONE star’s lips to the Rangers stars’ ears: Artemi Panarin and Mika the greatest seasons in franchise history with his club-record 54-goal, Zibanejad are going to enjoy and benefit from playing for Gerard Gallant. 123-point 2005-06 campaign. He knows what it takes to make it here.

That’s the way an interested and educated observer named Jaromir Jagr “New York is a special place. There is a lot of pressure and it is not for sees it. And he should know, having thrived in Florida in his mid-40s everyone,” he said. “But I think Gallant has a great personality for New under the Rangers’ new head coach. York. I think he will do very well. I think it’s going to be very good for the Rangers.” “He is tough but friendly and he is honest with the players,” Jagr told The Post on Tuesday from his home in the Czech Republic. “In my opinion, with the players having so much power, that is the way a coach has to be. You can’t threaten to send players down or take away their ice time. New York Post LOADED: 06.16.2021 That does not work.

“You have to be honest with the top guys and create trust with them. You have to be tough but you have to create the [environment] so players want to play for you and will do extra. That’s the way I see it. And that’s the way he is, not only with the top guys but with everyone, no matter who you are.”

As last season evolved, it became clear that a disconnect had developed between David Quinn and his marquee forwards. There was an ongoing push-and-pull over style that was never quite resolved. It is not clear that the club’s big guns had faith that Quinn was the right man to take the team to the next level. None of this should be an issue with Gallant, hired on Monday by incoming president-general manager .

“It’s going to be good for the players, and the star players are going to like it because he knows how to relate to them,” said Jagr, who at age 49 will begin his 33rd pro season late this summer, playing for his hometown Kladno team of which he is the owner.

The Ranger hired Gerard Gallant on June 14, 2021

“And the reason for that is that he was a very good player, he was a star in the NHL, playing with a star like Stevie Yzerman in Detroit. So he knows what the stars need. Nobody can really tell you that. It’s something you have to feel. It’s something you have to know. You need the personal experience. That’s a big advantage.”

Gallant had an 11-year career in the NHL as a power winger, spending nine seasons with the Red Wings before finishing in Tampa Bay. He recorded 211 goals and 480 points in 615 games, scoring between 34 and 39 goals four straight seasons beginning with 1986-87.

“He knows what the stars need, but if they are not playing well, it doesn’t matter who they are, they won’t get the normal ice time,” Jagr said. “One of the other things I really like about the way he coaches is that he doesn’t change lines that often. He doesn’t mix up things just to do something.”

Jagr registered 66 points (27-39) under Gallant during 2015-16 as the future Hall-of-Famer turned 44 years of age on Feb. 15 of that season and finished fourth in the voting for the Hart Trophy in leading the Puddy Tats to the playoffs. That was the year he played on a line with 20-year- old Aleksander Barkov in the middle and 22-year-old Jonathan Huberdeau on the left.

“We had a really good year but if we were bad, we were benched,” Jagr said. “Gallant doesn’t give a [expletive] who you are. But the next game, it was back to normal. He doesn’t hold grudges or carry things over.”

Barkov was a blossoming greenhorn, so was Huberdeau and so was 19- year-old Aaron Ekblad on the blue line. Jagr was not green. Neither was Willie Mitchell or or Jussi Jokinen or Roberto Luongo.

Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad

“He doesn’t judge players by whether they’re old or young,” Jagr said of the 57-year-old Gallant. “It’s about whether he can trust you as a player. That doesn’t have to do with age.” 1189638 Philadelphia Flyers

Profile in courage: Oskar Lindblom becomes 4th Flyers player to win Masterton Trophy

by Sam Carchidi

Published Jun 15, 2021

Left winger Oskar Lindblom on Tuesday night became the fourth player in the Flyers’ history to win the Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.

Lindblom, 24, played his first full season since beating Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer.

“I feel very humbled and honored to win this award,” Lindblom said. “...It’s very special for me. Just to be able to get back on the ice again was so, so good.”

He thanked his family, his girlfriend, his teammates and the organization, “and especially the doctors and nurses who have been helping me along the way. And everyone else who has been with me the whole way.”

“Oskar,” general manager said, “is a young man who continues to impress us with his level of commitment and character.”

Three other Flyers – Ian Laperriere in 2011, Tim Kerr in 1989, and Bobby Clarke in 1972 – have won the Masterton.

Besides Lindblom, Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba and San Jose center Patrick Marleau were this year’s Masterton finalists. Bobby Ryan, the Cherry Hill native, was last year’s winner.

Lindblom was having a career season (11 goals in 30 games) when he was diagnosed with cancer in December of 2019. The Flyers dedicated the rest of the season to him, and Lindblom had some ribs removed and underwent chemotherapy sessions before returning to the team and playing two games in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This season, he played in 50 of the 56 games and collected 14 points (eight goals, six assists) while averaging 13 minutes, 11 seconds of ice time per game. He had a difficult time regaining his stamina during a season that was interrupted after he contracted the coronavirus.

He said his energy went “up and down every day,” and that “you can feel great one day, and another day you feel like you haven’t played hockey in a while.”

He is optimistic that a longer offseason will help him regain his energy for the 2021-22 season.

The Sweden native was saluted this year before a 1-0 overtime loss against the visiting Islanders on April 18 on Hockey Fights Cancer Night. The Flyers all wore No. 23 purple jerseys – Lindblom’s number—in pregame warm-ups.

“Something I envy about Oskar is how he goes about his business day to day,” teammate Joel Farabee said at the time. “He’s always got a smile on his face. Good or bad days, he’s always the same person. It’s something I admire about him. He’s going to be a great leader one day for us.”

Some might say that he already is.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189639 Philadelphia Flyers Hamilton, who will turn 28 on Thursday, is the best right-handed defenseman on the market. It would take a lot — probably multiple high draft picks and either Travis Sanheim or Phil Myers for starters — but it is a deal that would give the Flyers one of the league’s best top-pairing A Nolan Patrick trade? A deal to entice Seattle to take Jake Voracek? A duos. Ivan Provorov and Hamilton would frustrate many opponents. move to get Dougie Hamilton? Flyers fans want to know. | On the Fly The Flyers, of course, would put together a significant trade package only if Hamilton agreed to a long-term deal. by Sam Carchidi Bottom line: The Flyers would have problems fitting Hamilton under the cap (and addressing other needs) unless Jake Voracek was part of the Published Jun 15, 2021 deal.

Columbus defenseman Seth Jones, who is on the trade market, would Good morning, folks. The Stanley Cup semifinals are underway and it’s a also be a great fit. But I would deal for him — it would cost a lot — only if good time to see just how much offseason work GM Chuck Fletcher has he agreed to sign a long-term contract because he can become an to do by evaluating how the Flyers did against those four teams. unrestricted free agent after next season.

Oops. In the year of the pandemic, which created revamped divisions Question: Will the Flyers try to move Nolan Patrick? — Ed and a shortened season, the Flyers played only one of the four Answer: Thanks for the question, Ed. It’s a question I’m getting from lots semifinalists, the New York Islanders. They did not face Montreal, Vegas, of fans. If I’m reading the tea leaves correctly, the Flyers would not be or Tampa Bay. averse to including Patrick as part of a bigger deal. As for a one-for-one So how did the Flyers do, anyway, against an Islanders team that trade, they would be selling low and I don’t think now is the time for such stunned host Tampa Bay in the series opener, 2-1, and is trying to make a move. Makes more sense to see if he can bounce back — that is, if he the final season at Nassau Coliseum memorable? isn’t included in a multiplayer trade.

Actually, depending on how you look at it, they did pretty well. Question: What do you think the Flyers need to get back into the playoffs? — Devlin (@ChrisDevlinPDS) Glass-half-empty outlook: They lost five of the eight games. Answer: I hope I don’t depress you with my long-winded answer, Chris. Glass-half-full outlook: They played the Islanders tough and got points in They need Hart to bounce back, and they need to add a dependable and seven of the eight games, finishing 3-1-4 against Barry Trotz’s team. durable No. 2 goalie. They also need a sniper, a top-pairing defenseman They had a .625 points percentage, equaling their best against any to play alongside Provorov, and vast improvement from their special opponent this year. teams. Oh, and they need their young players to take a big step forward. That’s a lot of needs in a flat-cap world, so Fletcher needs to be creative. The Islanders are known for their great defense, and they limited the Flyers to 2.13 goals per game, Philly’s lowest output against any of the Question: Why is it that we have been rebuilding/retooling since 2014 seven teams it faced this season. and we are no better now than we were back then? Keeping this in mind, do you think Fletcher is the person to fix this team, given his history when The Flyers allowed 2.88 goals per game to the Isles, their best defensive he was the GM in Minnesota? — LHD (@LHD20) effort against any team. Answer: Appreciate the question. The Flyers have changed coaches and But just because the Flyers were ultracompetitive with the Islanders general managers several times during that span, and that hasn’t doesn’t mean Fletcher shouldn’t make many moves in the offseason. The masked the fact that the players just have not been good enough — Flyers need to have a new look, need to find an identity, need to shake especially on defense and in the nets. up the roster. You don’t have to be Scotty Bowman to realize that teams that are They also need to play with the same precision as the Isles. successful usually have a very dependable goalie and defense. During You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox once a week during the span you mentioned, the Flyers have had an average or below- the offseason. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to average team defense — statistically speaking — in seven of the last sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and eight seasons, starting in 2013-14. (The only exception was in 2019-20, what you want to read, so send me feedback by email when Hart was very good and so was his defense as the Flyers finished ([email protected]) or Twitter (@broadstbull). Thank you for 10th in goals-against in the 31-team league.) reading. As for Fletcher, he was an average GM in Minnesota, and the jury is still — Sam Carchidi ([email protected]) out on him with the Flyers. He needs to have a productive summer.

The readers write Question: Will the Flyers use their first-round pick to get Seattle to take a player like Jake Voracek to clear cap space? — @BeeRubbed Time to clean out a mailbag full of questions and comments from readers on Twitter. Some are edited for clarity or length. Here goes: Answer: I think that would be a major mistake, Bee. The Flyers will get a very good player at No. 13 in the first round, and Fletcher should just let Comment: Please tell me they are moving away from as the the chips fall where they may in the July 21 expansion draft. He got backup. In four years with the Flyers, he has never finished with a save burned by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft — he traded former first- percentage of at least .910. — JD (@JDiRoc1) round draft selection Alex Tuch to the Golden Knights in exchange for Answer: Thanks for the comment, JD. My sense is that Elliott’s career their selecting Erik Haula. Those players helped Vegas reach the Stanley with the Flyers is over. He’s 36, and though he has been a warrior for the Cup Final in its first season. (Minnesota received a conditional third- Flyers, he is not durable enough to play a lot of games if Carter Hart round pick.) stumbles again. I don’t see Fletcher making the same mistake. Let Seattle pick whom it Question: What do you think Fletcher will give up to get a sign-and-trade wants — unfortunately, my hunch is the Kraken will choose Shayne done with Carolina to get Dougie Hamilton on the Flyers? — Christian Gostisbehere — and the Flyers should just continue to go about their Audi (@TheEpicAudi) business and keep their valuable 13th overall pick.

Answer: Interesting question, Christian. The 6-foot-6, 229-pound Flyers center Nolan Patrick struggled this year after missing the previous Hamilton is a pending unrestricted free agent, but the Hurricanes have season because of a migraine disorder. given him permission to talk with other teams, per Elliotte Friedman. That Things to know doesn’t mean the ‘Canes have given up on the idea of signing him, but they do want to see what they can get for him if they can’t re-sign him. Flyers center Kevin Hayes should be back to his old self next season, He is expected to get a seven- or eight-year deal with an annual salary in and his team may look very different. the $9 million range. Ian Laperriere, a fearless player when he played for the Flyers, will take a great work ethic into his new job as the Phantoms coach. But he will not read his coaching reviews on Twitter.

On Tuesday, Flyers left winger Oskar Lindblom, cancer survivor, will learn if he won the Masterton Trophy, awarded for perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The story.

Flyers signed forwards Linus Sandin and German Rubtsov; the latter has been disappointing since being drafted in the first round in 2016.

The Islanders represent a rude awakening for the defending Stanley Cup-champion Lightning, Larry Brooks writes in the New York Post.

Trivia

Who had the best shooting percentage on the Flyers this season?

If you said Joel Farabee (20 goals), give yourself a case of Tastykakes. The second-year left winger scored on 16.4% of his shots. The NHL leader (minimum 30 games): Minnesota left winger Marcus Foligno (11 goals), who scored on a staggering 27.5% of his shots.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189640 Philadelphia Flyers None of this is to say the Flyers shouldn't have legitimate aspirations to land Hamilton or Jones. They should. They need a proactive and productive offseason. Either player could be an integral piece to bolstering the Flyers' back end and would go a long way in rebuilding the Hamilton not a 'top target' for Flyers? Here's what we make of it excitement among a frustrated fan base.

But this summer does not have to be a Hamilton-or-bust offseason. It does not have to be a Jones-or-bust offseason. After all, many teams will BY JORDAN HALL be interested in their services and many other players will be out there. Following the disappointment of 2020-21, the Flyers can't afford to put all of their eggs in one basket. Dougie Hamilton or Seth Jones?

Well, either one would inarguably upgrade the Flyers, who surrendered more goals than any other team in hockey this season. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021

It's also mid-June and those are not the only defensemen to be potentially available this offseason for general manager Chuck Fletcher. But they seem to be the most buzz-worthy blueliner names right now, particularly for defenseman-needy clubs vying for serious improvements on the back end this summer.

Jones, the Blue Jackets' minutes-eating defenseman, jumped on the league-wide trade radar earlier this month. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the 26-year-old had told Columbus he won't sign an extension at this time and plans to test free agency when his contract expires following the 2021-22 season. Speaking on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, Friedman linked the 2013 fourth overall pick to the Flyers, saying he "would not be shocked at all" if Jones ends up in Philadelphia.

Naturally, with the Hurricanes' second-round playoff exit last week, Hamilton has recently taken the offseason's center stage. The soon-to-be 28-year-old is a top-pair, righty-shot defenseman and widely considered the No. 1 pending unrestricted free-agent blueliner.

The humming on the Hamilton front grew louder Monday when Friedman reported that Carolina had given Hamilton's agent J.P. Barry permission to talk to other teams prior to the July 28 free agency window opening, setting up the possibility for a sign-and-trade scenario. Friedman touched on that and much more Tuesday in his latest 31 Thoughts column, always a superb read for hockey folks.

But while the Hurricanes' power play maestro likely stands as the NHL's most coveted defenseman this offseason, Friedman said the current indication is that Hamilton is not a top target for the Flyers.

"Someone had told me Philly, they thought, was going to be big on him earlier in the day, but I got some pushback on them later," Friedman said on the article's accompanying 31 Thoughts podcast with Jeff Marek. "Someone said to me that Philly's targets is not Hamilton. I think more likely it's Jones or something else, but I heard that Hamilton was not Philly's top target.

"However, I do think there are a bunch of teams that will look at this. ... I think there will be a lot of interest."

As we discussed on the Flyers Talk podcast Monday, the team doesn't have to hitch its wagon to Hamilton. Yes, Hamilton would be a hell of an acquisition if Fletcher can pull it off, but it's not the only route the Flyers can take to improve.

Don't forget some other quality D-men on the free-agent market this offseason, guys like Jamie Oleksiak, Alec Martinez and Cody Ceci, to name a few. This reporter really liked Oleksiak back around the April 12 trade deadline before the Flyers plummeted into sell mode. The 6-foot-7 Oleksiak has plenty of strengths to help the Flyers cut down on their staggering goals-against figure and he would come significantly cheaper compared to the bigger names.

The Flyers will have different opportunities to get better this offseason and there's a good chance it will be via multiple players. Acquiring one or perhaps two rock-solid defensemen could give the Flyers more wiggle room to add elsewhere.

In Fletcher's first offseason with the club, the Flyers didn't make one gigantic splash, but instead acquired four players that added up to serious progress in 2019-20. Matt Niskanen, Kevin Hayes, Justin Braun and Tyler Pitlick were added in June 2019 trades (Fletcher traded for Hayes' contractual rights, then signed him in that same month). It helped lead to the Flyers finishing with the NHL's fourth-best goal differential that season at plus-36. 1189641 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers sign 2016 1st-round pick, Swedish winger to contract extensions

BY JORDAN HALL

The Flyers on Monday took care of two restricted free-agent forwards.

The club signed German Rubtsov and Linus Sandin to one-year, two- way, $750,000 contracts.

Both will compete for jobs in training camp and be call-up options throughout the 2021-22 season.

Rubtsov, the Flyers' 2016 first-round draft pick, stayed on loan this season to play for Sochi of the KHL. He recorded 11 points (three goals, eight assists) and a minus-11 rating over 46 games.

The center turns 23 years old later this month. He made his NHL debut for the Flyers in November 2019 and went scoreless through four games with limited minutes during 2019-20. Rubtsov has long been regarded for his sound, steady game in the defensive zone, but needing to be much more aggressive in making things happen offensively. In 56 career games with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, Rubtsov has eight goals and 15 assists.

"He’s competitive, consistent," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in October 2019. "Plays the game the right way defensively."

Sandin, a 25-year-old winger who the Flyers signed out of the Swedish Elite League in April 2020, is coming off his first season in North America. In 2020-21, he had 10 points (six goals, four assists) and a minus-8 rating through 26 games with the Phantoms. In 2019-20, Sandin finished tied for third among the SHL with 19 goals and scored 36 points over 51 games before joining the Flyers' organization.

Sandin is a complementary type of winger with bottom-six NHL potential.

"He has a strong stick, great release on his shot, really good from the hash marks down in the offensive zone," Fletcher said after last training camp in January. "The big thing for him is just adjusting to the pace and playing on the smaller ice surface, making quick decisions with the puck."

The NHL free agency period opens July 28 at noon ET. July 26 is the deadline for qualifying offers to be issued to restricted free agents. The Flyers have 10 players set to become either unrestricted or restricted free agents:

Carter Hart (restricted), Brian Elliott (unrestricted), Alex Lyon (unrestricted), Samuel Morin (group 6, unrestricted), Travis Sanheim (restricted), Nolan Patrick (restricted), Andy Andreoff (unrestricted), Nate Prosser (unrestricted), Connor Bunnaman (restricted) and Carsen Twarynski (restricted).

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189642 Philadelphia Flyers The voice of the Flyers since the mid-90s is mentoring aspiring broadcasters with three group seminars this summer, the first coming up on June 26. Up until June 19, Jackson is offering an early bird signup special of $179 for any one of the seminars. Connecting Flyers to final four, Hart Trophy, more in 3 thoughts

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 BY JORDAN HALL

The 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs are down to four teams and the winners of NHL awards will start being unveiled Monday.

With this unprecedented season nearing the final leg, let's get into our latest three Flyers thoughts.

1. Familiar with the final four

Interestingly, two of the final four clubs still standing are the two teams the Flyers faced in last season's playoffs.

The Canadiens have been this postseason's story and stare down the Golden Knights in a semifinal series that starts Monday (9:30 p.m. ET/NBCSN). For a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Final, the Islanders square off against the Lightning in the other semifinal series, which begins Sunday (3 p.m. ET/NBC).

During the 2020 playoffs, the Flyers beat the Canadiens in the first round through six games before being eliminated by the Islanders in Game 7 of the second round. The Flyers had real difficulty scoring against the two clubs, putting up 2.08 goals per game in 13 contests over the first and second rounds. The Flyers held Montreal and New York to a combined 2.85 goals per game.

The Islanders have scored the second-most goals per game in the 2021 playoffs with 3.58 after two rounds, while the Canadiens have surrendered the second-fewest per game at 2.18. Yeah, Carey Price is still doing his thing.

The teams have changed a bit from one season to the next, but from the Flyers' perspective, it's not an awful sign that the two clubs they faced last postseason — one they beat, one with which they went the distance — are among this season's final four competing for the Cup. From the Carter Hart bouncing back perspective, it's also not a bad sign that the 22-year-old fared well against the two clubs last postseason: 7-5-0, 2.43 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

This season, the Flyers (25-23-8) actually had more wins than the Canadiens (24-21-11). Realigned divisions were one of many unique aspects to the 2020-21 season.

That disastrous 6-10-1 March after the Feb. 9-15 COVID-19 shutdown completely derailed the Flyers. The way it all snowballed was like a perfect storm; the Flyers couldn't recover and now they must rebound in 2021-22.

2. Feeling for the Hart

Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid were announced on Thursday as the three finalists for the 2020-21 Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL MVP). McDavid, with his historic 105 points in a shortened season, is the clear favorite to win the honor.

The last Flyer to win the Hart Trophy was Eric Lindros in 1994-95. Bob Clarke was a three-time winner of the award in the 70s. Claude Giroux was the most recent to come closest to joining the club when he finished fourth in the 2017-18 voting.

If you had to pick one current Flyer to be the next to win a Hart Trophy, who would it be? We'll say Joel Farabee given he's only 21, he's a goal- scoring winger, he broke out this season and should have a long career in Philadelphia ahead of him.

As for the other NHL awards this season, the winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy will be announced Tuesday. Flyers winger Oskar Lindblom is a finalist.

The Flyers don't have a finalist for any other awards. Here is when each award will be announced.

3. Broadcast like the best

There's no offseason for legendary Flyers play-by-play broadcaster Jim Jackson. 1189643 Pittsburgh Penguins While Ceci will never be confused with Paul Coffey, he did finish second in scoring among the Penguins’ defensemen despite only seeing an average of four seconds of power-play ice time per game.

Penguins A to Z: Cody Ceci found some much-needed consistency Ceci, who displayed a knack for finding shooting lanes from the point through traffic, enjoyed his best stretch of the season between March 27 and April 24 when he collected 11 points (two goals, nine assists) over 14 games. SETH RORABAUGH Defensively, he really made his mark on the penalty kill as he led the Tuesday, June 15, 2021 8:01 a.m. Penguins with an average of 2:35 of short-handed ice time per contest.

During the playoffs, Ceci recorded two assists in six games. Along with With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is Matheson, Ceci primarily drew assignments against the New York looking at all 49 players currently under NHL contracts to the Islanders’ potent second line of Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson and Anthony organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari Beauvillier that combined for eight even-strength goals during the first to top-six winger Jason Zucker. round.

Cody Ceci The future: Ceci is an unrestricted free agent and as a right-handed defenseman who had a strong, steady season, he’ll have no shortage of Position: Defenseman suitors, even if the NHL’s salary cap will remain flat at $81.5 million.

Shoots: Right It remains to be seen if the Penguins will be one of those suitors, at least in a serious sense. Obviously, they were more than satisfied with what Age: 27 Ceci offered them as a reclamation project. But given their limited cap Height: 6-foot-2 space as well as other pressing needs, most notably in net, they simply might be content to let him walk and sign a lucrative deal elsewhere, Weight: 210 pounds especially with right-handed defensemen Mark Friedman and Chad 2020-21 NHL statistics: 53 games, 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) Ruhwedel still under contract.

Contract: One-year contract with a salary cap hit of $1.25 million. Regardless, Cody Ceci found some desperately needed consistency as a Pending unrestricted free agent this offseason member of the Penguins. That success could find him wearing a different jersey this fall. Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, Oct. 17, 2020

2020-21 season: It’s a pretty familiar story. Tribune Review LOADED: 06.16.2021 A defenseman with a high pedigree fails to live up to expectations and falls on hard times.

He finds sanctuary in the safe harbor of Pittsburgh and seeks a course correction for his career.

The Penguins have had considerable successes with this approach in the likes of Justin Schultz, Ian Cole and Trevor Daley.

On the other end of that spectrum are failures such as Matt Hunwick and Jack Johnson.

It’s safe to say Cody Ceci fits in the first column.

A first-round pick (No. 15 overall) of the in 2012, Ceci washed out in Canada’s capital then dealt with additional struggles in the so-called capital of the hockey universe as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019-20.

Eight days after the NHL’s free agency period opened in October of 2020, the Penguins sunk much of the remaining salary cap space they had into Ceci. At the time, the transaction was ridiculed by plenty of amateur general managers on social media.

And by the time Ceci actually suited up for the Penguins, there was little to suggest it was a prudent signing.

But with due time, Ceci established himself as one of the Penguins’ most consistent and cost-effective entities on the blue line.

After struggling with defensive partner Mike Matheson — also a newcomer who didn’t enjoy the benefit of a true training camp — in the season opener Jan. 13, Ceci was a healthy scratch for three consecutive games. But once injuries began to take their toll on the other defensemen, Ceci was back in the lineup by Jan. 22 and never left.

As they got more and more acclimated to the Penguins’ way of doing things, Ceci and Matheson supplanted youngsters John Marino and Marcus Pettersson as the second defensive pairing. With that, Ceci went from being a target of public scorn to a trustworthy defensive entity who was also a rare source of physical play in a lineup that offered relatively little of it.

Not coincidentally, Ceci’s popularity surged when he planted Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson, a long-time nemesis of the Penguins, into the ice during a 5-2 road loss on Feb. 25. 1189644 Pittsburgh Penguins process. Conversely, fans cannot exert influence on an outcome and are left to emotionally commit to results and take wins and losses personally more than their favorite team’s players.

Penguins mailbag: What are the futures of Evgeni Malkin, Mike Sullivan It’s a working thesis, anyway. and their gold alternate jerseys? Anyway, Crosby hates losing. He really liked this group. He very much doesn’t want Game 6 against the Islanders to be the last one he played with Malkin and Kris Letang as his Penguins teammates. By Rob Rossi I’d be guessing as to any other of his feelings. Jun 15, 2021 Why is having a no-trade clause so important to players? — Michael S.

Essentially, it provides tangible control to players that otherwise have Evgeni Malkin had knee surgery. I need hand/wrist surgery. What even is none once signing a standard NHL contract. It’s really that simple. the point of summer? Think of it from a player’s perspective. Oh, right — summer is when all the fun happens. The Stanley Cup is won. Drafting is done. That’s when the free-agent spending and general Max lengths and average annual value (AAV) exist for contracts. manager dealings begin. A salary-cap system prevents an open market from being a true free That’s a lot to look forward to. But that doesn’t mean a couple of people market. that finished the Penguins season worse for wear wouldn’t rather be Players are talked of as being assets from the day they’re signed. playing tennis. They are also limited in so many ways when entering a negotiation for a A lot of great questions to answer with one working hand. Let’s get into it. new contract. A clause that limits or fully blocks clubs from moving or How do the first few months of this GM change compare to the last one? trading protects players’ personal interests in the only way that is Some obvious differences in the situation that resulted in a change. But, possible given the NHL’s way of conducting business. outside that, what feels different that might no be caught by those on the I’m coming with the heat today, Rob! outside? — Dylan V. Question 1: Why the heck did Jim Rutherford resign again? Has anyone Less dramatic. More deliberate. opened up about this since the season ended to give more reasons than To be fair, has been general manager of the Penguins only “Contract disagreement” or “trade the core”? since February. He inherited the club in a unique season because of Second question: When did Penguins Twitter become so entitled? Why COVID-19’s influence on everything from rosters to divisional alignment. do some notable handles and folks go out of their way to criticize key He may have indeed pre-committed to taking things slow because of figures in Penguins history, like say, Marc-Andre Fleury or Kris Letang? those circumstances. Does winning make us an insufferable bunch like Toronto? Thanks Still, after a gutting loss to the Islanders in the opening round, Hextall has buddy! neither generated headlines by something he said nor tipped his hand Uh, those are five questions! about something he might do. At the same point following previous first- round exits by the Penguins, Rutherford had sparked public discourse Regarding Rutherford: My sources have never said a word about about trading Evgeni Malkin and telegraphed moves he wanted to make “contract disagreement” or “trade the core.” Can’t speak to issues that I (the trade for and of Phil Kessel in 2015 and 2019, respectively, were a don’t know to have existed. couple of worst-kept secrets those summers). I will say that my perception is Rutherford was convinced he no longer The word on Hextall was that he was as unemotionally detached as a had full autonomy as GM, that communication had broken down between hockey executive as he was emotionally explosive as a longtime hockey Rutherford and CEO/president , and that Rutherford’s goalie. So far, he has appeared to live up to that word. intense isolation during COVID-19 had robbed him of the personal- connection aspect of being GM from which he derived considerable His pursuit of began well advance of the NHL trade deadline. energy. Also, Rutherford, who can admittedly be impulsive, succumbed As that story goes, Hextall masterfully toed the line between pitching and to his frustration over the Penguins’ slow start and not everybody being pushing a veteran trying to decide if the chance to join a postseason on board with shaking up the roster after only a couple of weeks — and contender was worth uprooting a comfortable life. Hextall eventually he quit. closed the sale. I stand fairly accused of looking for drama when perhaps it doesn’t exist. To be fair, Rutherford usually closed sales on any players he coveted for But in the case of Rutherford, the more dramatic things that may be out the Penguins, too. But having spoken to a few people in the weeks after there about his departure don’t appear to be rooted in any reality. the Penguins’ acquisition of Carter, there was a consensus that Hextall, though he wanted Carter, had not committed to landing Carter at any As for the topic of Penguins Twitter, please listen to The Waterboys’ ‘The cost or in any situation. Contrast that to Rutherford’s interest in Jason Whole Of The Moon” and it’ll all make sense. Zucker, whom the Penguins made multiple trade offers to the Wild over almost a full year before Rutherford finally acquired Zucker in February Is there any truth to the rumor that the gold alternate jersey is no longer 2020. and that the new alternate jersey will be the Black Pittsburgh diagonal? — Greg S. It’s early. It’s also fairer to evaluate Hextall and Rutherford after the former manages through a potentially challenging offseason. I shall neither confirm nor deny said rumor.

The New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins (Dennis Schneidler / But, if you’re into reading into things, perhaps this story from The USA Today) Athletic’s Sean Gentille is worth your time.

The loss to the Islanders has to hurt more than the last two years given In his book, makes multiple references to the fact that he has they seemed to have a really special team, how hard do you think Sidney waited until the end of his first year with each new team and then he has Crosby is taking this (not sure if anyone has talked to him)? — Lisa N. made a big move. Is there a sense that he will continue with the trend or will Hextall’s more patient nature win out and we will see a few smaller Readers rarely believe me when I explain that professional athletes moves, especially with the flat cap? — Will T. handle victories and defeats differently, at least better (from a mental wellness standpoint) than fans. The injury to Malkin complicates any plans the Penguins’ new management team had for this offseason. That said, I’ll share what The amateur psychologist side of me reasons that professional athletes several league sources have said about the new Hextall/Burke team: can get over a tough loss because they had a chance to influence its Hextall is calling the shots. outcome, and they know that future outcomes will depend very much on their ability to disconnect emotionally from it and instead focus on the This seems a little more settled than it did a week ago, but what is most The only way I see Cody Ceci re-signing is if he’s willing to take a lot less likely before the end of time: and the Kraken take either Mike Matheson or Marcus Pettersson in the expansion draft. Ceci figures to turn a strong one season with the 1) Crosby winning another Hart or Lindsay Penguins into a nice deal in free agency.

2) Crosby winning a Selke What’s your read on the status of Mike Sullivan? — Jim D.

3) Fleury winning a Vezina He’ll be back. And he should be back.

4) Any current Penguin winning any other major award A lot of critics point to the Penguins losing their past four playoff series. — Andrew C. Fairly, that’s cause for concern. But of those three losses, one opponent (the Capitals in 2018) went on to win the Stanley Cup, and the two most Oh, boy. I’m wading into deep waters whenever the topic turns to NHL recent vanquishers of the Penguins are also in the current semifinal awards. series. Those points are not offered as excuses, but rather to show that the other team had good players, too. Not a gambler. Were I, money would have been placed on Crosby being a finalist this season for the Selke Trophy. That he wasn’t makes me The other team had better goaltending in each of the past four series wonder if he’ll ever win that award. losses, and I’ve yet to cover a coach that can consistently strategize his club through shaky performance at the most important position. Of any current Penguins player, I’d say there is a chance Malkin wins the Masterton Trophy, given that it isn’t (but often becomes) a comeback The Penguins have been top five in man-games lost to injury each of the player award. (Crosby should actually win the Masterton Trophy at some past two regular seasons. In each of those seasons, they went a couple point because he regularly exemplifies what the award is about and for, of months without the services of Crosby or Malkin. Their .652 points but that’s another topic for another day.) percentage ranks sixth in the NHL over that span.

Marc-Andre Fleury isn’t a Penguin anymore. And if the rest of this Indeed, the playoffs matter. So does getting there. And in normal, non- postseason goes as I suspect, he’ll have a chance to add a couple of pandemic impacted postseasons, Sullivan has won nine of the 11 playoff fairly significant trophies to his collection even if he doesn’t emerge as series he’s been in. the winning Vezina Trophy finalist. He’s a great coach. He deserves at least one full season with a new Can you explain what it is about the Penguins organization that has management team. The Penguins’ problem isn’t behind the bench. turned so many unheralded prospects and college signings into really good contributors or more than was expected? I admit I really don’t follow The Penguins, when healthy, don’t have nearly as many problems as a the NHL much outside of the Pens, so is this actually just common lot of people will have you believe. across the league? — Nick B.

Need. The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 Every contending club — and when you’re a part of 14 consecutive postseasons, you’re a contending club even if you lose early in the playoffs — has younger and/or inexperienced players emerge to produce. The cap system demands as much.

The Penguins have traded draft picks to add players for many, many years. With limited prospects coming from the draft, they were forced to stock their system with players that hadn’t been drafted, which explains why their prospect pool consistently ranks so low when assessed by folks.

Also, there was a thought under previous management that collegiate players generally could reach the NHL faster than teenagers that had been drafted. The Penguins were more willing to bring aboard collegiate players because they did not want to waste time on the ticking Crosby/Malkin clock waiting on younger prospects to develop.

Why do you care so much about the Edmonton Oilers? Your infatuation with Connor McDavid is odd. — Mitch L.

Nobody outside of Edmonton cares about the Oilers, Mitch.

Apparently, not even the GM in Edmonton cares too much. He refused to go all-in at the trade deadline despite his club having two of the best players in hockey and needing only to win a couple of rounds against inferior competition from the North Division.

What is the one most important position to fix/fill/improve for next season to get our core a real shot at the cup? — Ethan F.

Watch the semifinals. Pay attention to the goalies for each participant.

Is there any possibility that the injury to Malkin provides long-term salary- cap relief and cap circumvention and allows the Penguins to resign (Cody) Ceci or make a bigger free agency splash than previously expected? — Justin K.

Malkin’s recovery time is of great unknown to anybody. Wouldn’t be fair to speculate.

But to try to circumvent the cap for relief of his $9.5 million cap hit, Malkin would have to miss the entire 2021-22 NHL season. The chances of that and the Penguins making the playoffs in what figures to be a brutal would be slim. (Remember the Hurricanes are re- entering, and the Rangers and Devils are on the rise, and the Flyers might be Carter Hart rebounding from getting really good, really fast.) 1189645 Pittsburgh Penguins

Big-Time Potentials; Should Hextall Rethink Penguins Plan? | PHN+

Published 6 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall has been methodical and somewhat conservative throughout his managerial career, but maybe an overwhelming opportunity on the NHL trade front or free-agent market this offseason will tempt Hextall.

It’s happened to everyone. You go to the store for one thing. Maybe two. And you walk out with a shopping cart full of goodies. I call it the Target principle.

The Penguins seem set on a path that includes Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and most likely Jeff Carter for another bite at the apple. The team will lose a good player in the expansion draft on July 21 and add some size.

Somewhere.

Those are Hextall’s stated plans, per his last press conference. PHN also had a team source admit that they were looking at goalies with playoff experience last week, too.

But there could be a good reason to change course. Or fill up the cart.

As the third wave of teams settles into their offseason, anger and disappointments threaten to make new players available on the NHL trade market and free agents who could be game-changers.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189646 Pittsburgh Penguins *Winnipeg held center Jack Roslovic’s feet to the fire with a two-year, $3.8 million deal after scoring 29 points (12-17-29) in 71 games. Roslovic desperately wanted a larger role in Winnipeg and forced his way out, but his RFA deal is a by-the-book contract for a young third or fourth-line Penguins Free Agency: What is Teddy Blueger Worth and Can Pens center. Afford Him? Roslovic broke out when he got to Columbus and popped 34 points (12- 22-34) in 48 games. That’s probably much higher than Blueger’s ceiling.

Published 18 hours ago on June 15, 2021 *Tyson Jost in Colorado would seem to parallel Blueger. Jost’s point totals were in the mid-20s in his first three seasons. He’s a valuable By Dan Kingerski contributor who outscores his opponents. However, Colorado held Jost to just $874,125 last fall.

Money will be tight around the NHL again this summer. The flat salary So, What is Teddy Blueger Worth? cap figures to be a fixture until 2024, give or take a year, and RFAs will According to our friends at CapFriendly.com, the Pittsburgh Penguins are bear the brunt of the cap-strapped teams, lack of suitors, and restricted about $1.1 million over the cap for next season. In other words, not free agency rules, which should be more appropriately termed restrictive. everyone can stay, not everyone will get paid, and there could be a few The Pittsburgh Penguins have five RFAs, and not all will be back. surprises. Teddy Blueger, Zach Aston-Reese, Mark Jankowski, Kasper Bjorkqvist, Blueger is likely to be exposed to Seattle, with Jason Zucker, Marcus and Radim Zohorna are remaining RFAs. Pettersson, and Aston-Reese. The Penguins have another decision A sixth restricted free agent, Finnish goalie Emil Larmi surely seemed to between Jeff Carter and Jared McCann, too. indicate he was done with the North American game, for now, in a recent It’s no given that Seattle and GM , who built a quick team in Instagram post that said goodbye. Carolina, will pass on Blueger. However, if they don’t select him, the So, who will get a contract, and whose bus ticket will the Penguins Penguins will likely clear at least $4 million, if not over $5 million in the punch? There is also a third option. The team can non-qualify a player, expansion draft, giving them the ability to re-sign Blueger. which means the Penguins lose exclusive rights the player can re-sign A subtle factor to consider, we knew former Penguins GM Jim Rutherford with the team. To qualify a player making less than $1 million, the team liked to pay fair value to RFAs. Marcus Pettersson and John Marino are must up his salary by 5%. prime examples. We don’t know how tough general manager Ron Hextall (Players making less than $660,000 must get a 10% raise. Teams can and President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke will be. qualify players making more than $1 million at 100% salary). Should the Penguins offer Blueger less than $2,181,545 million (2020-21 Jankowski would be a prime player to non-tender but to bring back as figure), the compensation for a team to sign him to an offer sheet is a depth on a $700,000 contract, but we’ll get to him and the others another third-round pick. day. Given the league-wide salary crunch, a team’s power over RFA’s, and No, the 2021 RFA class won’t be holding a ceremony, but it includes Blueger’s value to the team, we’re inclined to go on the high side of the notables Blueger and Aston-Reese are the only NHL regulars to whom scale for the Latvian speedster. the Penguins will own the rights. We like Blueger’s game and think the Penguins and head coach Mike Perhaps we’re assuming that the Seattle Kraken will not select Blueger Sullivan do, too. It appears the flat cap will last for a few seasons, so a on July 21. The Pittsburgh Penguins fourth-line center helped create an bridge deal would not benefit the player. invaluable grind line that shut down opponents’ top lines and chipped in a We’ll project the Penguins give salary and get agreeable term. In normal few goals. years, we would project Blueger at $2.5 million and Blueger’s camp Until the Penguins acquired Jeff Carter, Blueger was a third-line center would be justified in seeking that type of money. But these aren’t yet which could complicate contract discussions. normal times.

Should Blueger be paid closer to third-line center money or fourth? 2021-22 Blueger Estimate: Three years, $5.7 million with a $1.9 million AAV. Since the RFA process heavily favors the team, Blueger figures to be paid like a highly sought fourth-liner. That usually means $2 million, give or take a few hundred thousand either way. Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, right? Wrong.

In the last few seasons, including the 2020 pandemic, flat-cap offseason, a few bottom-six centers got paid pretty well. Certainly enough to throw the scale out of whack.

First, Blueger’s tale of the tape. The 26-year-old center will enter his third full NHL season in 2021-22. Last season, he set a career-high with .5 points-per-game and tied his career-high with 22 points (7-15-22) in just 43 games. He was a plus-10, averaged 14:51 of ice time, and improved on the faceoff dot but only 48.7%.

The stat to circle is the plus-10. Yes, there are far more in-depth metrics to measure a player’s on-ice value, but Blueger was frequently against the best centers in the NHL, and his line scored more goals. Sometimes simple tells the story, too, and that plus-10 speaks volumes.

Complicating and Comparable Contracts:

*Last offseason, the Dallas Stars gave Radek Faksa, 27, a five-year deal worth $3.25 million per season. Faksa was a consistent 30-point scorer for three seasons before he dipped to only 20 points in 2019-20. He has a five-season veteran before signing his contract.

*Nashville signed 21-year-old and former 15th overall pick Luke Kunin to a two-year deal worth $2.3 million annually. Kunin scored 31 points (15- 16-31) for Minnesota in 2019-20. 1189647 Pittsburgh Penguins San Jose: The Sharks signed three of their prospects, including the Swedish MVP and leading scorer. There’s hope in the shark tank yet.

Dan’s Daily: NHL Trade Talk, Rangers Hire a Coach, Fleury & VGK Roll Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.16.2021 Habs

Published 20 hours ago on June 15, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

That didn’t take long. The Montreal Canadiens are one of the biggest underdogs in an NHL semifinal of the last 30 years. They started strong and played well, but Marc-Andre Fleury made a few dandy saves in the opening minutes as the Vegas Golden Knights rolled Montreal. The Metro Division should be even tougher for the Pittsburgh Penguins next season as the New York Rangers got a new head coach, and he knows what he’s doing. And there could be an unexpected big-name free agent available and new names on the NHL trade market.

Who says the summer is boring for hockey news?

PHN+: Our “Off the Record” column has become a must-read. Weeks ago, we told you to watch Rick Tocchet’s and Rod Brind’Amour’s situations, and either could end up with the Seattle Kraken. And that’s exactly what is going down. When GMs, execs, and scouts go off the record, it’s a real inside hockey flavor.

The latest column indicates LW Gabriel Landeskog could be allowed to walk from Colorado to shake things up. And a couple of teams are ready to pounce on the NHL trade market, including Seattle.

NHL playoffs

Vegas: Fleury was on his game. He was brilliant early, and the Vegas Golden Knights took care of the rest. Here are the takeaways from the Vegas 4-1 win Game 1.

NYI: Do the Islanders have a Willis Reed moment in store for us? Observers saw captain Anders Lee skating after practice on Monday. *Cue the intrigue and Islanders’ hope.

After watching Vegas thump Montreal, the hockey world badly needs Vegas vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Cup Final…but it feels like the Islanders will screw that up. If you’d like to take the longshot bet on that series, here’s our Round Three bets and freebies.

Philly: THE big fish on the NHL trade scene or free-agent market is Carolina defenseman, Dougie Hamilton. Now that he has permission to talk to other teams to facilitate a sign-and-trade, the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to be in the mix.

NY Post: The Penguins hill to climb in the Metro is probably taller today than yesterday. The New York Rangers hired new head coach Gerard Gallant. And there was a lot to the timing of it, too.

Sportsnet: Will the Winnipeg Jets target a No. 1 defenseman on the NHL trade market or free agency?

TSN: The Calgary Flames remodel has begun. They’ve put Kirk Muller behind the bench as associate head coach.

NHL.com: Pekka Rinne wins the King Clancy Award for his community work in Hockey Fights Cancer.

Boston: Head coach Bruce Cassidy has no regrets sticking with an injured Tuukka Rask over hotshot rookie Jeremy Swayman.

Hockey coaches may be even more reluctant to make changes than NFL coaches. Of course, you can’t live in your fears, but if a goalie has a torn labrum in his hip, let the kid play, eh?

Detroit: Buy low and sell high on the NHL trade market. The Red Wings acquisition of Robbie Fabbri remains one of Steve Yzerman’s best.

Stick tap to Kevin Allen and Bob Duff in Detroit. Since their Detroit Hockey Now launch, they have consistently put out interesting and readable content every day. They’re two real pros in the business, and I find myself learning more Red Wings hockey than I thought possible. Good writers. Good content. 1189648 San Jose Sharks

Flyers’ Oskar Lindblom wins Masterton Trophy; Patrick Marleau was a finalist NHL: San Jose Sharks forward and Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild were also finalists for the award

By CURTIS PASHELKA |PUBLISHED: June 15, 2021 at 5:11 p.m. | UPDATED: June 15, 2021 at 6:23 p.m.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom, who returned to play less than 10 months after he was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in Dec. 2019, was chosen the winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in a vote by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Sharks forward Patrick Marleau and Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba were also finalists for the award, given to the NHL player “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare type of bone cancer, and Lindblom’s treatment after his diagnosis sidelined him for the remainder of the 2019-2020 regular season. He ended his treatments on July 2, 2020, and returned to the Flyers’ lineup for two games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs in September. Lindblom again became a regular in the Flyers’ lineup during the 2020- 2021 season, playing in 50 of 56 games. He was again declared cancer- free following a scan in March. “It goes up and down every day,” Lindblom said. “You can feel great one day, another day you feel like you haven’t played hockey for a while. You just have to battle through, try to be strong mentally and do your work every day and hopefully feel good.” Marleau, 41, became the NHL’s all-time leader in games played on April 19 when he dressed for his 1,768th career game, breaking a record inductee had held for 59 years. Marleau has now played in 1,779 games and has no plans to retire, saying last month that he wants to return for a 24th NHL season. Marleau played in all 56 Sharks games this past season and had nine points and 10 penalty minutes. Marleau had twice previously been named a finalist for a major individual NHL award. In both 2006 and 2014, he was a finalist for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, given to the NHL player “adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.” The PHWA nominates one player from each of its 31 chapters for the Masterton Trophy. On May 10, it was announced that Marleau had been nominated by the San Jose chapter, and he was named one of three finalists on June 8 after a member-wide vote. This season, Marleau averaged 13:17 of ice time per game and now ranks 23rd all-time in goals (566) and 50th in points (1,197). Longtime NHL forward Tony Granato won the Masterton Trophy in 1997 when he was with the Sharks. As a member of the Los Angeles Kings, Granato needed brain surgery in Feb. 1996 to remove a blood clot. He returned the following season with the Sharks to score 40 points in 76 games. Other Sharks players to be finalists for the award were Jed Ortmeyer in 2010 and in 2019. Dumba won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2019-20 as he contributed his time, money, and efforts to a number of community initiatives. Along with Sharks forward Evander Kane and other players, Dumba last year co-founded the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and spoke out against racism and intolerance in hockey. Amidst hate directed his way, Dumba has continued his work in 2020-21. He hosted the inaugural Matt Dumba Hockey Without Limits Camp in February as part of Hockey Day Minnesota 2021. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 06.16.2021 San Jose Sharks "That schedule didn’t help because I felt like the recovery part was a big 1189649 part that I was struggling with," Lindblom said last month. "I felt better in the end, but I still feel I have a lot more to give. I actually feel great to get back to work this summer, I'm excited for that because I know what I can Less than a year after beating cancer, Lindblom is a Masterton Trophy do out there. When I'm in good shape, I know I can play well in this winner league. It's been a tough year both physically and mentally, so it's going to be nice to recover here and get back in shape like I once was."

Lindblom had a special moment with his teammates in April on Hockey BY JORDAN HALL Fights Cancer night at the Wells Fargo Center. In warmups, the Flyers all wore purple and black No. 23 Lindblom jerseys and had Lindblom take a solo lap before joining him on the ice. FLYERS “Every time I look at him, I see a beautiful young man," Flyers head At this time last year, Oskar Lindblom was on the verge of completing his coach said in April. "I wish he had the same hairdo that radiation treatments. he had last year, but it’s coming back. I have flashbacks sometimes of when we had to tell him in Denver that he had cancer — we didn’t quite On July 2, 2020, Lindblom walked the 5th floor of the Abramson Cancer know what type it was, but we had to send him back to Philly. Some of Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, sounding cheers from medical the flashbacks that I have are him every time he’d be around the team professionals as he rung a bell to announce a courageous victory in his with no hair, smiling and being positive. I think it made everybody in our fight against Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in bones group — players and coaches and management that were close to Oskar or in the soft tissue around the bones. — realize how important every moment is, to make sure that you're Less than a year later, Lindblom has won the 2020-21 Bill Masterton always at your best and doing the right things when you see someone go Memorial Trophy, an award given annually to "the player who best through that, such a wonderful person." exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication Last month, Lindblom said playing hockey again has been to ." "unbelievable." Lindblom is the fourth Flyer to ever win the Masterton Trophy, joining Bob "I didn't know what to expect, if I ever could play again from the start," he Clarke (1971-72), Tim Kerr (1988-89) and Ian Laperriere (2010-11). This said. "Just to play on the highest level in the world and I could still season, the Wild's Matt Dumba and the Sharks' Patrick Marleau were manage to do that, it's making me proud just to think about it. I feel great also finalists for the honor, which is voted on by the Professional Hockey about myself and I know I've got some work to do this summer, but I'm Writers Association. proud of myself that I was able to play this year." Zack Hill/Philadelphia Flyers Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 "I feel very, very honored and proud to win this award and to compete with these types of players like Matt Dumba and Patrick Marleau, that are great players and great people on and off the ice. It's very special for me," Lindblom said in a release by the team Tuesday. "Just to be able to get back on the ice again was so, so good and I can't say more than that. It was an awesome feeling to be back on the ice again. "I would like to thank my family, my girlfriend, my whole team, the organization and especially the doctors and nurses who have been helping me along the way, and everyone else who have been with me the whole way. I just want to say a big thank you to all of you." While the Flyers experienced an unremarkable 2020-21 season, Lindblom's return to being a regular in the club's lineup epitomized remarkable. It represented everything about Lindblom, a humble Swedish native who is beloved in the Flyers' locker room and admired in the city of Philadelphia. "He always has a smile on his face, he's always positive," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in July 2020. "Tremendous team orientation. It's always about the team. He's always worried about others. And he's a hell of a hockey player." The 24-year-old winger played in 50 of the Flyers' 56 games this season, putting up eight goals and six assists. On March 17, he was scratched for the purpose of rest amid a grueling 17-game month. The next night, Lindblom delivered a two-goal game. He was working his way back into form after beating cancer last July and being shut down for two-plus weeks in February because of a bout with COVID-19. "You talk to Oskar, he knows that he wants to do more, he wants to do more to help the team," Laperriere, then-Flyers assistant coach and now head coach of the Phantoms, said in March. "Personally, I'll give him a longer break for what he's been through last year. Knowing what he's been through, he couldn't train, he lost muscle mass and even the training he did during the break, it's not enough [time] for what he went through." Lindblom's life and career were rocked in December 2019, when he received his cancer diagnosis. Lindblom missed the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season as he fought for his life. After completing his radiation treatments last summer, he astoundingly returned to the Flyers' lineup for two games during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs in September. Before his diagnosis, Lindblom was tied for the 2019-20 team lead in goals with 11 and was projected to finish with 30. Lindblom has remained cancer-free and pushed himself through last offseason and the 2020-21 campaign to regain his strength and conditioning. With the crammed schedule and little practice time, on top of testing positive for COVID-19, it was challenging for Lindblom to feel like himself on the ice again this season. 1189650 San Jose Sharks

Sharks bolster depth with Viel, Lemoche re-signings

BY BRIAN WITT

The Sharks were busy on Monday. In addition to announcing they had re-signed top prospect Jonathan Dahlen to a one-year contract, San Jose also announced it had re-signed forward Jeffrey Viel and defenseman Nicolas Lemoche. Viel's contract is for two years, while Lemoche's is a one-year deal. Viel, 24, split the season with the Sharks and , appearing in 11 games for the Sharks recording 10 shots and 23 penalty minutes. "Jeff showed his compete level last season, playing a hard-nosed, physical game," Sharks general manager said in a team statement. "He is a player who has great character and leadership qualities, being a former captain of his junior team, and we feel that he will push to make the jump to the NHL. We are happy to have him in our organization." Viel's re-signing might suggest that San Jose will move on from Kurtis Gabriel -- who offers a fairly redundant skill set -- this offseason. Meloche, 23, made his NHL debut on Jan. 14 and tallied one assist in seven games with the Sharks last season. He will provide San Jose with organizational depth and will compete for a spot in training camp. "Nicolas is a steady, reliable presence on the blueline," Wilson said of Meloche. "He continued his development last season with the Barracuda and the Sharks and improved over the course of the season. We feel that he is ready to compete for a spot in our lineup in the NHL." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 San Jose Sharks not one, not two, but three Franzen shots with his skates to preserve the 1189651 2-1 win. Flash forward to Game 7, and once again Pittsburgh had a 2-1 lead. Detroit had an offensive zone faceoff with 6.5 seconds left. After winning the faceoff, the Red Wings threw the puck on net, Fleury kicked Sharks’ comeback over Vegas among century's top playoff series the rebound right to an open Nicklas Lidstrom, who desperately shot it with two seconds left. However, Fleury launched himself, blocking the shot and securing the Stanley Cup victory. BY BRYAN MURPHY Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals: 2010 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals There is nothing better than playoff hockey. Ah yes, the infamous Jaroslav Halak series. Going against the Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals, the Montreal Fans are getting that experience right now, with the 2021 NHL playoffs in Canadiens came into their opening round series as extreme underdogs. full form. Overtimes, comebacks, upsets, it has everything. And things looked bleak, as after Halak made 45 saves in the 3-2 OT win in Game 1, the high-flying Capitals offense proceeded to reel off wins in There have been some great series since the turn of the century, but the next three games, scoring 17 goals in the three victories. Halak was which ones stand out the most? Here are the top 10 NHL playoff series chased in Game 3 and didn’t start Game 4, but he was given the nod in since 2000, in chronological order. Game 5 with the Habs’ backs against the wall. And boy, was it the right New Jersey Devils vs. Colorado Avalanche: 2001 Stanley Cup Final call. There may never be as great of a pair of goaltenders battling for the The Canadiens’ backstop became nearly unbreakable in the next three Stanley Cup than there was in the 2001 Stanley Cup Final. Patrick Roy’s games, allowing just one goal in each contest as the Canadiens Colorado Avalanche went against Martin Brodeaur’s New Jersey Devils completed the comeback and stunned the Capitals. Halak had 37 saves in the last time the Stanley Cup Final consisted of two teams that finished in Game 5, 53 saves in Game 6 and 41 in Game 7. The Canadiens became the first No. 8 seed to ever knock off the No. 1 seed after being as the No. 1 seeds in their conference. down 3-1, a feat that has yet to be repeated. After exchanging wins in the first four games, the Devils took Game 5 to Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins: 2010 Eastern Conference go up 3-2. But Roy and the Avalanche did not back down, as Roy posted Semifinals a 24-save shutout in a Game 6 win and then made 25 saves in the Game 7 win to bring the Avalanche their second Stanley Cup Final win and Look away, Boston Bruins fans. It was one of the worst collapses (or spoiling the Devils’ chance at back-to-back Stanley Cup wins. It also comebacks, depending which side you’re on) in NHL postseason history marked the first and only Stanley Cup win for the great Ray Bourque, and still is today. The Bruins were up 3-0 in the second round of the who retired after the championship victory. playoffs and were one goal away from a clean sweep of the Philadelphia Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings: 2002 Western Conference Flyers before Simon Gagne kept the Flyers alive with the OT winner in Final Game 4. Wins in the next two games for Philadelphia forced the pivotal Game 7. For six games, this was one of the most tightly contested series of all time. It had everything you want as a hockey fan, as the Colorado In eerily similar fashion to the series, Boston jumped out to a 3-0 lead in Avalanche were trying to get back to the final for the second straight the first period of Game 7 and seemed like the epic fight to force a Game year, while the Detroit Red Wings were trying to spoil the Avalanche’s 7 would be all for nothing. But then the Flyers made it 3-1 before the end run. Three overtimes, no game decided by more than two goals and of the first frame and tied it after two periods. Gagne, the same hero in sensational goaltending from Roy and Detroit’s Dominik Hasek (another Game 4, came up huge again with a goal in the third to give the Flyers the lead and the eventual series win. It was just the third time at that fantastic goalie matchup). point that a team had successfully completed a 3-0 comeback in NHL Then Game 7 happened, and it’s arguably the reason why this series is history. so infamous. After you could not have asked for a more entertaining Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: 2013 Eastern Conference playoff series, the Avalanche completely fell apart in Game 7. Tomas Quarterfinals Holstrom scored less than two minutes in for the Wings, followed by Sergei Federov making it 2-0 less than two minutes later. Before you Epic collapse Part 2! This time, the Bruins were on the right side of knew it, the Red Wings had a 4-0 lead after just one period. Detroit history. After being up in the series 3-1, the Bruins lost back-to-back hadn’t scored four goals in a game since Game 1. They went on to win games as the Toronto Maple Leafs forced Game 7 in Boston. And the game 7-0, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, where they defeated everything looked like the Maple Leafs would be able to complete the the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. It is the largest margin of victory in comeback, as they built a 4-1 lead with under 11 minutes left in the a Game 7 in NHL history. game. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Calgary Flames: 2004 Stanley Cup Final But like the Flyers did to the Bruins three years prior, the B’s refused to Which side are you on when it comes to the Martin Gelinas no goal in go down. After cutting the lead to 4-2, the Bruins scored two goals with Game 6? Did the puck cross the goal line or no? It remains one of the the goalie pulled in a span of 31 seconds to tie the game and force NHL’s biggest mysteries to this day, and it might have cost the Calgary overtime. Patrice Bergeron then sunk the dagger in the Maple Leafs with Flames the 2004 Stanley Cup. an overtime goal to end Toronto’s season in stunning fashion. Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks: 2013 Western Conference With the Flames up 3-2 in the series and the game tied 2-2 in the third, Semifinals Calgary’s Oleg Saprykin drove towards the net and threw the puck at Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender . The puck bounced The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Chicago Blackhawks all of a sudden out in front, deflected off the skate of Martin Gelinas and appeared to be were facing elimination as the No. 7 seed Detroit Red Wings built a 3-1 very close to crossing the goal line. It was called no goal on the ice and lead over the Blackhawks in the conference semifinals. Chicago had wasn’t reviewed, so the game remained tied. The Lightning won Game 6 managed just two goals in Games 2, 3 and 4, struggling to solve Detroit thanks to a double overtime winner by Martin St. Louis, and Ruslan goalie Jimmy Howard and losing three games in a row for the first time all Fedotenko’s two goals in Game 7 were enough for the Lightning to win season. their first Stanley Cup. If that game happens in today’s day and age, with all of the video reviews available, maybe the Flames would have two After a 4-1 Game 5 win, the Blackhawks were down 2-1 heading into the Stanley Cup wins. third period of Game 6. A three-goal explosion in the final frame brought the Blackhawks an eventual 4-3 win and forced a Game 7 back in Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: 2009 Stanley Cup Final Chicago. snapped a wrist shot by Howard’s glove less A rematch of the Stanley Cup championship just the year prior, it was a than four minutes into overtime in Game 7, as the Blackhawks escaped see-saw battle that went the full seven games. The 2008 series honestly the series with a win and eventually took home their second Stanley Cup could have made this list, but it only went six games and everyone knows championship in four years. seven is better than six. Los Angeles Kings vs. Chicago Blackhawks: 2014 Western Conference Final The Pittsburgh Penguins battled back from being down 2-0 and 3-2 in the series and forced a Game 7 with a 2-1 win in Game 6. The Detroit Red It was the Los Angeles Kings’ third straight Western Conference Final Wings almost tied the game 2-2 with less than 30 second left as Johan appearance and second straight series in the same setting against the Franzen found himself with a loose puck near the crease and goalie Chicago Blackhawks. The Kings built a 3-1 series lead thanks to the Marc-Andre Fleury out of position. But Pittsburgh’s Rob Scuderi blocked combination of Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson and almost sealed the deal in Game 5. But Michal Handzus was able to deliver the OT winner for Chicago and the Blackhawks stayed alive. Another 4-3 win in Game 6 meant Game 7, and the game would, of course, be decided in overtime. About seven minutes in, Kings defenseman Alec Martinez threw a shot from the point that was tipped by Blackhawks Nick Leddy and went over the shoulder of Corey Crawford for the Kings win. L.A. then won its second Stanley Cup in three years, defeating the New York Rangers in five games. And guess who got the Stanley Cup-clinching double overtime goal in Game 5? Alec Martinez. What a playoff performance for him. Vegas Golden Knights vs. San Jose Sharks: 2019 Western Conference Quarterfinals This series is on here for one reason and one reason only, and that’s the controversial call on Vegas Golden Knight Cody Eakin that sent the San Jose Sharks on a five-minute power play down 3-0 late in the third period of Game 7. It was a weird faceoff play where Eakin appeared to shove San Jose’s Joe Pavelski, who then ran into Paul Statsny and fell to the ice, smacking his head and starting to bleed everywhere. It was a controversial call that the league later said was a mistake, but it was too little, too late. The Sharks rallied and scored four goals on the power play to not just come back from the 3-0 deficit, but take the lead. Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault would tie the game and force OT, sucking the life out of the Shark Tank, but the rink erupted again in the extra period as Barclay Goodrow sent the Sharks into the semifinals. While it was a questionable call that helped end the Golden Knight’s season, they had blown a 3-1 series lead, and gave up four power play goals in the span of just over four minutes. Vegas certainly didn’t do any favors for itself, but the call on Eakin will forever cloud over the series. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189652 San Jose Sharks

When Jumbo made Sharks teammate fight vs. Stars in 2010

BY DALTON JOHNSON

When Joe Thornton tells you to fight, you do it. That's how Torrey Mitchell felt when the Sharks were facing the Dallas Stars back in 2010. After being berated by Thornton on the bench as Jumbo called him "dog s--t" and a "waste of space" to fire him up, Mitchell took matters into his own hands. "I see skates and I just two hand as hard as I can," Mitchell said on the "Spittin Chiclets" podcast. "So I look up, it's Brad Richards and I'm like, 'Oh no.' He spears me ... spears me. Next thing you know, gloves off, we're goin', I get a 2, 5 and a 10. So I'm done for the game. "I go to the locker room. Jumbo, first guy in the room. 'F--kin' right, Mitchy! Let's go! That's what I'm talking about! We're gonna win this game for ya.' " If Joe Thornton tells you to fight, you fight. Even if it's during a TV timeout. WATCH: https://t.co/ii3AOYEDiC pic.twitter.com/EP1MAZRTak— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) June 6, 2021 Mitchell recalls that the Sharks did indeed come back and beat the Stars after his fight in the second period. The only problem is, that's not exactly the truth. According to Hockey Reference, Mitchell received 10 minutes in the penalty box and the Sharks lost 5-4 on Nov. 18, 2010. But the moral to the story is, teammates always want to do whatever Thornton asks. No matter what. "He's one of those guys -- you just do stuff for him." Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189653 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli ‘should be okay’ after post-game scrum Both teams got physical in Game 2, but one particular scuffle threw the Tampa Bay forward’s status into question.

By Mari Faiello

TAMPA — Anthony Cirelli skated straight to the Lightning bench following a scuffle with Islanders forward Travis Zajac after Tuesday’s 4-2 win at Amalie Arena. Typically, players from the winning team stay on the ice to celebrate with a head-tap for their goaltender, but Cirelli was absent from the procession. Luckily, there wasn’t much to worry about for long, as coach Jon Cooper quickly squashed any concerns about Tampa Bay’s second-line center after the game. “I think he’s going to be okay,” Cooper said. “You know, stuff like that happens at times. It’s unfortunate, but he should be okay.” The tussle was one of many in the Lightning’s Game 2 win, the teams combining for seven roughing minors, two fighting penalties and 54 penalty minutes. The physical tone was set early, as Lightning forward Pat Maroon wrestled Islanders forward Scott Mayfield to the ice less than four minutes into the first period. pic.twitter.com/pCuCYFt23G

— ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Later in the period, Maroon dropped the gloves with Islander forward Matt Martin. Both were sent to the box for fighting. Midway through the third, Lightning center Yanni Gourde was called for roughing after he took down Leo Komarov in front of the home bench. The development clearly pleased the home crowd, which roared as Gourde got up off the ice. The action was far from over, however, as the altercations continued even after the final buzzer. Tampa Bay evens up the series after a win over New York Before play expired, Cirelli battled along the boards with Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier. More bodies came together next to the duo, as Martin crashed into Cirelli and Beauvillier from behind, prompting Lightning forward Alex Killorn and defenseman Ryan McDonagh to step in. As the three scuffled, Cirelli stepped in to try to break things up. Zajac, however, kept a hand on Cirelli and wrestled him out of the way with help from Beauvillier. I mean... pic.twitter.com/K3TyfsmPSv

— ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Cirelli meanuevered out from under Beauvillier’s right arm before pushing him away. Then Cirelli pushed Zajac in the chest with his left arm. The two went at it, punches included, before officials could pull them apart. “That’s what happens,” Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said of the physical play. “You know, it’s game to game, and we haven’t seen each other in nine months. That’s what’s going to happen in a series like this ... and (the Islanders are) not afraid to get physical, as well, so it’s a good battle out there, and we’re not afraid of anything.” Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.16.2021 Tampa Bay Lightning PENALTY: #Isles' Beauvillier sits for roughing on #GoBolts' Kucherov. 1189654 #TBLightning on the power-play with 6:10 remaining in regulation. Comes right after TBL penalty kill... pic.twitter.com/ukmInDz6Cf Stanley Cup semifinals: Lightning-Islanders Game 2 live updates — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Nikita Kucherov has three assists and Tampa Bay gets its first two goals Killorn backhand attempt stopped by Varlamov from defensemen this postseason in a 4-2 win. Stamkos misses the net and the puck comes out of the offensive zone

Sergachev shot from the point blocked by Cizikas By Frank Pastor Greene clears the puck and the Isles kill the penalty

ISLANDERS GOAL. Barzal scores. Lightning 4, Islanders 2. Nikita Kucherov set up three goals and the Lightning beat the Islanders GOAL: #Isles get one in late past #GoBolts' Vasilevskiy. Barzal cuts 4-2 in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series Tuesday at Amalie the score to 4-2 with 3:16 to go in regulation. pic.twitter.com/tOdJV9HFIX Arena. — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Jan Rutta and Victor Hedman scored the first two goals by Tampa Bay defensemen this postseason. Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat also Hedman shot goes off the crossbar scored for the Lightning. RINGS IRON: #GoBolts' Hedman nearly nets his second goal of the Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 24 of the 26 shots he night, but it rings off the crossbar pic.twitter.com/wZg8bwUYnK faced as the Lightning improved to 11-0 over the past two postseasons in games following a loss, including 4-0 this year. — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 After Point opened the scoring nine minutes into the game, the Islanders’ Islanders pull Varlamov for an extra attacker Brock Nelson tied the score 4-1/2 minutes later with a power-play goal after a bad goaltender interference call against Point. Vasilevskiy saves Bailey shot from the left side Nelson scored from the slot after Ryan McDonagh deflected a Josh Lightning ice the puck Bailey pass on to his stick. The goal came 20 seconds after Adam And another icing brings the faceoff back inside the Lightning zone Pelech shoved Point into New York goaltender Semyon Varlamov, resulting in a goaltender interference call against Point. Lightning clear, and we have another icing Varlamov went to the locker room and was replaced by Ilya Sorokin. Cirelli picks off the puck and clears it out of the zone Varlamov returned at the start of the second period. WELP: #GoBolts' Cirelli left the ice after this post-game scrum with After Rutta and Hedman scored in the third period to extend the Lightning #Isles' Zajac. Didn't stay on the ice for celly and skated off the ice and lead to 4-1, Mathew Barzal scored the Islanders’ second goal with just went back to the room... pic.twitter.com/zZGtBbLzRR over three minutes remaining. — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Here’s how it happened: (Lightning win 4-2) Third period Second period LIGHTNING GOAL! Jan Rutta scores through traffic from the right point, the first goal by a Lightning defenseman this postseason. Anthony Varlamov returns for the second period. He may have been instructed by Beauvillier was unable to get the puck out, and Rutta shot past Josh the spotter inside the building to be checked out under the concussion Bailey with two Islanders players blocking Varlamov’s view. Lightning 3, protocol. Islanders 1. Vasilevskiy makes a save on a Beauvillier chance on an odd-man rush. GOAL: #GoBolts' Rutta (?!?!) with the first #TBLightning goal from a Cernak with a big hit on Nelson defenseman this postseason. TBL now leads #Isles 3-1 with 17:44 remaining in regulation. pic.twitter.com/sOANCqcVJ1 BColeman penalized for slashing Pageauo lost his, then dives to block a Hedman shot with his right skateB — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 BLOCKED: #GoBolts' Hedman takes a shot from the slot, but it's Steven Stamkos draws a cross-checking penalty from Travis Zajac blocked by #Isles' Komarov pic.twitter.com/mE4OLFwTgT

PENALTY: #Isles Zajac sits for interference on #GoBolts' Stamkos. — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 #TBLightning on the power-play with 15:19 to go in regulation. pic.twitter.com/jAi8ZAf2Qi Blake Coleman penalized for slashing Pageau

— ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 PENALTY: #GoBolts' Coleman off for slashing on #Isles' Pageau pic.twitter.com/LNaPzXQ1Tj Casey Cizikas blocks a Hedman blast from the point — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Islanders kill the penalty Eberle shot from left side saved by Vasilevskiy Zajac slashes Barclay Goodrow, and the Lightning go right back on the power play McDonagh clears the puck down the ice LIGHTNING GOAL! Victor Hedman scores his first goal of the Varlamov stops Gourde shorthanded breakaway after a Dobson turnover postseason and second by a Lightning defenseman off a cross-seam pass from Kucherov. Lightning 4, Islanders 1. SAVE: #Isles' Varlamov makes the stop on a shorthanded breakaway from #GoBolts' Gourde. pic.twitter.com/fxWG3Pem4N GOAL: #GoBolts' Hedman scores on the power-play to make it 4-1 vs. #Isles. #TBLightning with a three-goal lead with 10:43 to go. His first goal — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 of the postseason and 13th point (12 assists). Gourde clears the puck out of the zone pic.twitter.com/2nxsNXY3SS Gourde again clears the puck — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Cirelli clears the puck Komarov and Gourde penalized for fighting Hedman puts the puck back into the Islanders’ end, and the Lightning kill Cernak penalized for slashing Leddy the penalty Lightning clear the puck Varlamov stops a couple of Palat chances from in close after a Pulock Gourde clears the puck turnover Beauvillier penalized for roughing Kucherov Vasilevskiy stops Dobson drive to the net Pulock shot from the right point blocked by Palat LIGHTNING GOAL! Point scores under Varlamov’s left arm from the edge of the crease after a pass from Kucherov from below the goal line. Cernak blocks Pageau shot Lightning 1, Islanders 0.

Hedman blocks Mayfield shot, even without his stick GOAL: #GoBolts' Point opens the scoring with 11:02 remaining in the LIGHTNING GOAL! Ondrej Palat scores from the slot after Kucherov first. His 10th goal of the postseason is on a feed from #TBLightning's gets sprung on a breakaway, skates in a circle to buy time, drawing two Kucherov. #Isles trail 1-0. pic.twitter.com/RBUbB5vcPY defenders to him. Tampa Bay had six men on the ice at the time, but it — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 went unnoticed by the officials. Lightning 2, Islanders 1. Stamkos penalized for slashing GOAL: #GoBolts' Palat is going to get credit for this one, but by all means it was made possible by #TBLightning's Kucherov and Hedman, Goodrow clears the puck out of the zone who sent it up the ice. Wow. #Isles trail 2-1 with 6:45 remaining in the second pic.twitter.com/GlPx17NNG2 Vasilevskiy robs Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri

— ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 WORSHIP: I just saw a #TBLightning fan raise and lower his arms in worship after #GoBolts' Vasilevskiy made this save on #Isles. Accurate, I Vasilevskiy stops Eberle and Komarov from in close guess. pic.twitter.com/O8mkL03PCi

Varlamov stops Colton shot from the slot with Maroon in the way — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Cernak shot from the right circle blocked by Nick Leddy Hedman clears the puck Vasilevskiy with a big left pad save on Beauvillier from low in the slot Lightning kill the penalty after a tight pass from Bailey in the closing seconds of the period Adam Pelech pushes Point from behind, and Point crashes hard into (Lightning lead 2-1 after two periods) Varlamov. Point penalized for goaltender interference.

First period THE WHEELS ARE OFF: #Isles attack #GoBolts' Point after he collides with Varlamov in net. Varlamov getting checked on by medical PUCK DROP: #GoBolts vs. #Isles, Round 3 Game 2 staff. Point goes to the box for goalkeeper interference. pic.twitter.com/FLU2u3PQds pic.twitter.com/uO3sPwysFb

— ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Blake Coleman hits Cal Clutterbuck Varlamov heads to the locker room and will be replaced by Ilya Sorokin Scott Mayfield steals the puck from Brayden Point ISLANDERS GOAL: Brock Nelson scores from the slot after Ryan Andrei Vasilevskiy turns away shot from Jean-Gabriel Pageau McDonagh redirects a Josh Bailey pass for Kyle Palmieri on the back door. Lightning 1, Islanders 1. Ondrej Palat wrist shot saved by Semyon Varlamov GOAL: #Isles' Nelson ties it up at 1-all with #GoBolts. This place is ~ Victor Hedman wrist shot saved by Semyon Varlamov not ~ happy. pic.twitter.com/m8w8mfsNZt Erik Cernak exit out of the zone picked off, leading to some chances for — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 the Islanders Matt Martin and Maroon penalized for fighting Mikhail Sergachev turnover FIGHT: #GoBolts' Maroon goes at it with #Isles' Martin and Colton Pat Maroon, Mayfield exchange pleasantries after a hit along the boards. goes at it with Cizikas. As you can imagine, Maroon and Martin each get Maroon penalized for holding, Mayfield for roughing, so we’ll have 4-on-4 5 for fighting. pic.twitter.com/ju5UWwOMeD play — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 SCRUM: #GoBolts' Maroon gets into it with #Isles' Mayfield along the boards. Maroon then tries to go at it with Martin and both drop the gloves, Stamkos shot turned aside by Sorokin but referees separate them pic.twitter.com/wQXr5Kg3Qn Alex Killorn draws an interference penalty against Alex Komarov

— ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 PENALTY: #Isles' Kamarov heads to the box for interference. Victor Hedman blast from the right point misses wide #GoBolts go on the power-play with 3:32 remaining. pic.twitter.com/eAOPICAmyV Lightning will have a 4-on-3 advantage for just under a minute before we go to 5-on-4 after Ryan Pulock penalized for high-sticking — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 PENALTY: #Isles' Pulock goes to the box for high-sticking on Sorokin makes blocker save on Kucherov shot #TBLightning's Cirelli. First power-play of the night goes to #GoBolts with Clutterbuck sticks the puck out of the Islanders zone the 4-on-3 for 1:01 pic.twitter.com/mnUzxLS774 Vasilevskiy stops bad-angle backhand attempt from Pageau after — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 Pageau was sprung by Zajac Varlamov with a huge save on Nikita Kucherov shortly after stopping Nelson dives to clear the puck out of the zone Point from in close Sorokin catches Cirelli shot from the right circle Kucherov turns over the puck, and Nick Leddy skates it out of the zone Sorokin stretches to his right to stop Cirelli drive Palat shot knocked down by Varlamov (The teams are tied 1-1 after one period) Maroon stuff attempt stopped by Varlamov Your pregame scouting report ‼CLOSE: #GoBolts' Maroon with the wraparound attempt on the power- play, but #Isles' Varlamov makes the save. pic.twitter.com/DuIljvj0Hv Lightning fans wave flags ahead of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup semifinals Tuesday outside Amalie Arena. [ IVY CEBALLO | Times ] — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 16, 2021 They can’t play scared, but they can’t be overconfident, either. Isles kill the penalty The Lightning have shown remarkable resiliency the past two Jordan Eberle fires wide off the rush from the left circle postseasons, going 10-0 in games after a loss, and hope to continue that Sergachev shot turned aside by Varlamov after Mayfield turnover trend tonight in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series against the Islanders. Yanni Gourde backhand shot knocked down by Varlamov So while they have no reason to fear falling behind by a game in the series, they don’t want to stumble into a two-game deficit, either. “It’s easy to panic and kind of feel like we really, really need to win the next game,” defenseman Victor Hedman said. “And we want to win the next game, obviously, but you just have to go out there and play your game.” With the Lightning, everything is about trust. Trust your game, trust your teammates, trust in the process, and trust that things will work out. They usually do. Tampa Bay hasn’t lost back-to-back playoff games since it was swept by Columbus in the opening round after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2018-19. During last season’s run to the Stanley Cup, the Lightning reeled off four straight wins after dropping the second-round opener to the Bruins and beat the Stars in six games after losing the first game of the Cup final. This postseason, they are 3-0 in games following a loss. To avoid a repeat of Sunday’s 2-1 setback in Game 1, the Lightning spent time Monday reviewing video, reminding themselves of what they need to do to be successful. Tampa Bay missed numerous opportunities and drew only two penalties, the second in the final minute. Head coach Jon Cooper said Tuesday his team didn’t make the Islanders work hard enough in the game. They also could use more offense from their blueliners. In a statistical quirk, Lightning defenders continue to seek their first goal of the postseason, 12 games after it started. Last year, defensemen scored 17 during the 25-game playoff run, including a dozen even-strength goals. Hedman led the way with 10 goals and 12 assists en route to the Conn Smythe Trophy. This postseason, he has 11 assists, only two at even-strength. Sunday wasn’t all bad for the Lightning. Third-line wing Blake Coleman’s wife, Jordan, gave birth to the couple’s second child, a daughter named Carson, about five hours after the game. Can Coleman, Hedman and the Lightning turn the page on their Game 1 loss? Follow along, starting at 8 p.m., as they aim to even the series before it heads to Uniondale, N.Y., for Games 3-4. Setting the scene Groot, a 3-year-old Saint Bernard, sports a Lightning collar ahead of Game 2 outside Amalie Arena. [ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]

#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/PGeoVdrxQv — Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 15, 2021 #TBLightning #StanleyCup semifinals Game 2 forward lines & D-pairs: Palat-Point-Kucherov Killorn-Cirelli-Stamkos Goodrow-Gourde-Coleman Colton-Johnson-Maroon Hedman-Rutta McDonagh-Cernak Sergachev-Savard Vasilevskiy in net — Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) June 15, 2021

Looking sharp, boys pic.twitter.com/mfcV0DbKKK — Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 15, 2021

#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/GsNPjhrnYU — Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 15, 2021 Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189655 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s key to drawing penalties: Make Islanders feel desperate Tampa Bay’s power-play unit couldn’t get on the ice until late in Game 1, and Jon Cooper said his team didn’t make New York sweat things out enough.

Staff

TAMPA — The Lightning couldn’t take advantage of having the league’s top-ranked power play in Sunday’s loss to the Islanders. Tampa Bay had just two man-advantage opportunities during the Stanley Cup semifinal opener, and its power-play unit didn’t see the ice until nearly two-thirds of the way into the game. Can you force a team like the Islanders, which has shown discipline in avoiding minor stick penalties, to commit more infractions? Lightning coach Jon Cooper said drawing penalties starts with forcing an opponent to play with more desperation, something his team didn’t do in Game 1. “We didn’t make them desperate at all,” Cooper said. “When I want a team leaving the game, I’d like for them to have ice bags all over their body and not feeling too great afterwards. I think, at times, the Islanders probably didn’t have to shower after that game. So a little uncharacteristic for us. “If you want to have teams take penalties, make them feel some desperation. And I just don’t think we did that enough in the game outside of maybe the first six to eight minutes. So if you want that, that’s what has to be done.” After Lightning forward Barclay Goodrow and Islanders forward Matt Martin received offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties eight seconds into the game, New York didn’t commit a penalty until Kyle Palmieri was called for interference with 37 seconds left in the second period. Tampa Bay’s other power play came with 1:38 left in the game, when Brock Nelson was called for high-sticking. The Lightning capitalized on Brayden Point’s power-play goal with 54 seconds left but was unable to tie the score in the waning seconds. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189656 Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.16.2021

Lightning’s Blake Coleman welcomes second child after Sunday’s game vs. Islanders With an afternoon start time, the new father of two was able to make it back to the hospital in time for the birth of his second daughter.

By Mari Faiello

TAMPA — As much as Lightning forward Blake Coleman wanted to focus solely on the team’s Stanley Cup semifinal against the Islanders Sunday night, he couldn’t help but worry about a personal matter away from the ice. Coleman’s wife, Jordan, went into labor Sunday morning and was admitted into the hospital shortly after 7 a.m. With puck drop set for 3 p.m., Coleman was faced with a game-time decision. He wanted to compete if he could, but Coleman knew he was taking a small risk. Updates throughout the game helped him keep tabs on Jordan. The new father of two is looking for "that dad energy that everyone's talking about" going into Game 2 tonight pic.twitter.com/qThzryqxNS — Sports by Tampa Bay Times (@TBTimes_Sports) June 15, 2021 Thankfully, Coleman made it to the hospital and about five hours after the game was over, the Colemans welcomed their second daughter, Carson Elizabeth. “Thank goodness I made it on time,” he joked. “I’m not sure I would have heard the end of that one.” Carson was born at 11:07 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, 5 ounces, Jordan announced on Instagram. She is the second child the Colemans have welcomed midseason after having their first, Charlie, late last February. Even then, Coleman had a quick turnaround, coming to practice the next morning on three hours of sleep. This go around he’s looking forward to a “big nap” before the 8 p.m. start tonight. “We’re just incredibly happy that she’s here,” Coleman said. “I was happy that I could be there and be a part of it. Obviously a special moment for our family and we look forward to getting them home today.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Blake Coleman (@bcoles25) At one point, Coleman wasn’t sure if he’d make it back to his family in time. When Steven Stamkos sent a final one-timer late in the third period, the game’s end time was thrown into question. “I definitely thought it was going to be one of those things where we were going to OT,” he said. “But it’s tough. Your mind’s in the game, obviously, but I certainly had some other things on my mind, wanting to make sure the baby’s healthy and you want to be part of making sure you’re there.” It wasn’t something he hadn’t prepared for, though. The possibility was discussed with his family and on the bench. “I would have preferred that that shot went in and we went to OT,” Coleman said. “Based on the timeline, I think I still would have sneaked out for the baby.” The birth of the Colemans second child was a nice way to turn the page on a bad game. For coach Jon Cooper, there was no question what came first. “It was family first, game second,” Cooper said. “Let’s plan around the family, then if you’ve got time, come play a hockey game with us.” With Carson and Jordan expected to come home today, the Colemans are thankful to have “a few hands in town to help out” while he plays tonight’s second game against New York. “I’m trying to put my focus and attention at the right places at the right times right now,” he said. “I’m excited to help this team hopefully go out and get a win. I’ve kind of turned the page on my focus there and tried to put it all toward this game tonight and ... hopefully I can find that dad energy that everyone’s talking about.” 1189657 Tampa Bay Lightning Believe the hype This is a lift-off energy

Got a date with destiny, and she feeling my chemistry Vo Williams’ playoff anthem energizes Amalie Arena for Lightning games Manifestation, dreams to delivery The Sarasota native with quite the Hollywood resume wrote “Ready Set,” Tampa Bay’s pregame song of choice this postseason. Mind over matter, faith over disbelief When Williams wrote these lyrics to Ready Set, he envisioned performing it in front of thousands, inciting energy within a crowd he’d yet to By Mari Faiello experience as an artist pioneering epic hip-hop, which focuses on vivid, emotional tonality, and gravity and weight. TAMPA — Floridians outside of the music industry — and Amalie Arena The artist had never performed in this way. — may not immediately recognize the name Vo Williams. “I wrote Ready Set as an expression of energy, as an expression of A decade ago, his music career took him from the beaches along Siesta wanting to manifest dreams into a reality,” Williams said. “So that Key to those just outside of Los Angeles. And for the first time in two explosion through my performance is just something that’s natural that I years, his career has brought him back home. can’t even hide. That song is meant to drive us forward. That song is meant to push us through to the next level, to elevate us.” The singer/songwriter/composer with more than 1,500 projects to his name, including contributions to television shows like Lethal Weapon and In other words, the perfect playoff song. Empire, also has more than 250,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. His collaboration with the Lightning is not his first in the sports arena. Williams’ resume is expansive, and he can name drop a few A-list Williams’ music has been used for NFL and NBA promotions, as well as celebrities, but he’s never had an experience like his latest with the in commercials during the past five Super Bowls. His song Leave ‘Em Lightning. For the 2021 playoffs, the defending Stanley Cup champs are with Nothing was the main music for the 2018 Madden NFL using his song, Ready Set — released earlier this year — as part of Championship. home game hype presentations ahead of puck drop. But Ready Set is a personal favorite. #GoBolts fans are ready for this #FlaPanthers-#TBLightning playoffs When the Lightning reached out to Williams — whose song Finisher game pic.twitter.com/Uj9OQaUiK8 already was used in some of the team’s in-game presentations — and — ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) May 20, 2021 pitched their pre-game idea, he knew this was a chance to take the project to a different level. Not only has Williams created art that resonates with fans of his beloved hockey team, but the Lightning are allowing him to share his work as a He recorded numerous takes from California before sending them off to Black artist with a mostly white NHL audience. the team. The first time Williams saw the finished product — the video interspersed with clips from Lightning games and his lyrics projected When Williams saw himself on the video board for the first time — sitting across the ice — was via a recording from Game 3 against the Panthers in the Amalie Arena stands alongside mother Damita Fields and father on May 20, the Lightning’s first home game of these playoffs. Emanuel Williams during the second round against the Hurricanes — he called the moment “once in a lifetime.” “To see it in that space and fulfill its purpose, to stand up in that kind of arena,” he said, “it was affirming to me that we’re on the right path.” “The fact that they put me on that screen is such an authentic move,” said the Sarasota native. “I love this sport. I played this sport and I love My dream has always been to create a new form of Hip Hop with scale, the music and the organization and I’m from there, that’s my home. So power, clarity, impact. I want to reach every corner, every level, of the it’s just all-around powerful and beautiful.” most colossal spaces. Epic Stadium sized Hip Hop. Thank you Stephen, John, Sean, and team @TBLightning for welcoming me home. #GoBolts And a live audience of more than 13,000 certainly adds to the appeal. pic.twitter.com/YdEI7KKg4q “It’s just a different feeling being in the presence of so many people with — Vo Williams (@thisisvo) May 22, 2021 one goal in mind, pouring that energy into the center of the ice and having my music up there and contributing to that energy feels And for a franchise that didn’t get to celebrate its last Stanley Cup run humbling,” he said. “It’s incredible.” with fans, the music is the perfect bridge between passion and play. Destined for arenas “I feel like I’ve been able to give something back to the city, give the energy back to the city at this time, which is so important. We’re able to Before Hollywood came calling, hockey did. come out and experience hockey again. Hockey fans can come out and have fun during this playoff run. ... As a child, Williams watched and was inspired to pick up street hockey with other neighborhood kids. He loved the stick “And I can help lead people to that positive energy and that explosive handling, the focus required, the strategy. energy, just that hope.” For five years, spanning middle school and high school, he was on the Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.16.2021 ice. As the only Black player on his team — and often in the rink — he was used to standing out. It’s why he took notice when the Lightning started an all-Black line — for what is believed to be the first time in the NHL’s 100-plus year history — against the Panthers on May 10 with forwards Mathieu Joseph, Daniel Walcott and Gemel Smith. “I think it’s a brave step,” Williams said. “When you’re pioneering something, there’s resistance. These things are not being done and highlighted in an environment where we’ve fully transitioned and we fully understand, so it means ruffling some Lightning fans’ feathers. It means educating and going against the grain of people that you love, that you consider family and fans.” Williams applauds the efforts the Lightning are taking to showcase diversity, including trusting him in such an “epic moment” and making him part of their history. “(This experience) has been rewarding in a sense that I’ve been represented as myself,” Williams said. “Whereas with other projects, I have the honor of collaborating as a part of the total project — which is amazing. … But with this I’m being shown on that screen and represented on that screen. That’s a big deal, especially in hockey.” Tampa Bay Lightning “We don’t want to get stuck in our own zone where you’re not allowed 1189658 within your shift to get up into play.

“Being extra hard in the first five to 10 seconds of your shift in your own Where has the offense gone for the Lightning defensemen? zone, that’s when you can go play offense and so we’ll continue to look at things there.” They’re shooting less and creating fewer offensive opportunities in front of the net this postseason. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.16.2021

By Eduardo A. Encina

TAMPA — It could be a byproduct of the kind of teams the Lightning are facing this postseason, but Tampa Bay enters Game 2 of the Stanley Cup semifinals Tuesday night without any of their defensemen having scored a single postseason goal. The Lightning are actually averaging slightly more offense than during last year’s Cup run — 3.25 goals per playoff game compared to 3.08 in 2020 — but their D-men have no goals in the first 12 games. Last season, defensemen scored 17 in the Lightning’s 25-game postseason run, including a dozen even-strength goals. “Well, that would help, I guess,” coach Jon Cooper said following the Lightning’s Game 1 loss to the Islanders when asked about getting more goals from his defenseman. “I mean, the goal is to win the games so I don’t think necessarily it’s who scores. And we won two series without them scoring, so we can’t sit here and say well because the D didn’t score (Sunday) that’s why we lost. That wasn’t it at all. “Our D do a great job for us and, and sometimes they go in for them, sometimes they don’t. It’s kind of weird, though, this playoffs that they don’t have goals yet, but we’re in the semis so I think eventually they’re going to come.” Where has the offense gone for the blue line? Cooper often talks about his team being five players on defense and five players on offense, each one key to success in his respective zone. But the three teams the Lightning played have very contrasting styles, from the run-and-gun, offensively-minded Panthers to the forechecking, full-court pressing Hurricanes. Now it’s an Islanders team that plays physical but also likes to create offense from picking off passes in their own end. “We have a chance to maybe jump a little bit more and create a little bit more,” said David Savard, who leads Tampa Bay defensemen with three shots on goal. “But I think Florida was a team that was blocking a lot of shots, it was a little harder to kind of get pucks through and stuff like that so our offense was coming more from the forwards. But I think we’ve got to find ways to bring pucks to the net and get some screens.” A majority of last year’s playoff production belonged to Conn Smythe winner Victor Hedman, who paced all defensemen with 10 goals and 12 assists. This postseason, he has 11 assists, but only two have been in even-strength situations. The Lightning’s defensemen are shooting less than last year’s postseason, by an average of more than four shots per game, and they have only 14 even-strength assists — a little more than one per game (1.1). They’re not only taking fewer shots on goal but getting fewer pucks toward the net for second-chance scoring opportunities in even-strength play. “We’ve got to be a little more active, more of a threat to shoot, and we’ve got to be a little bit more aggressive up ice, joining the rush,” Hedman said. “And as soon as we get the puck we can kind of look to shoot and create scrambles. We had some good looks, (Savard) had some good looks (Sunday) and (Islanders goaltender Semyon) Varlamov did some good saves but at the end of the day, we’re looking to win games. That’s a matter of scoring goals but we for sure got to be a little bit more aggressive up ice.” Ultimately the Lightning are at their best when the defensemen jump up in the opponent’s zone and provide a second wave of offense, but also put more pucks on net to feed the Lightning’s shot-scramble game to present second and third opportunities. That all begins with puck possession, but is also an offensive mentality. While the Lightning won last year’s Cup with defense, they also perfected the right times to charge the net. But again, getting the defense involved requires more puck possession than the Lightning had in the semifinal opener. “Certainly, we can create a little bit more shots from the blue line, hopefully find the back of the net and continue to push ourselves and get up there and be a second wave,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. Tampa Bay Lightning “He’s remarkably gifted,” Cooper said. “He does everything with grace. 1189659 He’s so smooth in the plays he makes. It almost looks effortless.”

KUCHEROV TO PALAT PIC.TWITTER.COM/RWZJREBNOC Five reasons the Lightning evened the semifinal series with the Islanders — SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) JUNE 16, 2021

Blue line produces By Joe Smith Jun 16, 2021 A key talking point surrounding Game 2 was how the Lightning defensemen had yet to score a goal in this postseason. I’m betting the Islanders actually had to use the showers on Tuesday It was striking considering the blue line racked up 17 in the Cup run last night. year, and Vegas tallied three alone in Monday’s win over Montreal. Lightning coach Jon Cooper quipped after a Game 1 loss that his team “We’ve got to be a little bit more active,” Hedman said. “More of a threat didn’t really make its opponent sweat or have to play desperate enough. to shoot.” He talked about wanting the other team to need ice bags all over their Hedman led the way in that effort on Tuesday, shooting early and often, bodies after facing the Stanley Cup champs. “At times, the Islanders scoring a power-play goal (and nearly scoring again, but he hit the probably didn’t have to shower after that game,” he said. crossbar in the third). There was a big difference in Tampa Bay’s 4-2 victory on Tuesday night But it was Jan Rutta who was the first D-man to score, his rocket shot at Amalie Arena. For a team that Blake Coleman felt lacked some “fire” in from the point giving Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead in the third (it ended up being the series opener, this was a hungrier, more determined group. Their the winner, his first career playoff goal). compete level was much higher. And that, even more than better puck management or goals from their defensemen, was a major factor in the “There’s a first time for everything,” Rutta said, smiling. Lightning evening the series. THE LIGHTNING FINALLY GET SOME SCORING FROM THEIR BLUE “It was a total team effort — more of the way we’re used to playing,” LINE. JAN RUTTA MAKES IT 3-1 PIC.TWITTER.COM/P3LJJL9DLL Victor Hedman said. “It’s exciting when you feel that energy on the bench.” — SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) JUNE 16, 2021 “Guys were selling out a lot more,” Brayden Point said. “Guys were Rutta had three shots on goal, with Hedman and Mikhail Sergachev each winning races to the puck.” having two, though Hedman had six attempts. Hedman quipped after the game that nobody in the media brought up the blue line’s lack of scoring This game was physical. This game was nasty. And you should expect a until after the Game 1 loss, and nobody was worried about it, but getting lot more of that as the series shifts to Long Island for Games 3 and 4 on contributions from defensemen is a big part of Tampa Bay’s game. Even Thursday and Saturday. And if the Lightning wants to advance to the Cup if it’s just creating rebounds and scrambles. Final, they’re going to have to match the relentlessness and compete level of an Islanders team that’s trying to take what they have: the Cup. But when guys like Hedman are a threat, and we saw that a lot both on the power play and five-on-five Tuesday, it’s an encouraging sign for the “We have to be like that to win,” Cooper said. “If we’re not competing, Lightning. we’re not battling, the Islanders are as good a team as you’re going to see in this league. If you’re not playing hard, they’re going to get you.” VICTOR HEDMAN PING #GOBOLTS The Lightning are now 10-0 after a loss in the last two postseasons, a @NHLONNBCSPORTS PIC.TWITTER.COM/CVQJFDSM81 true mark of a proud and mature team. Here are five reasons why we — BOBBYLOTSOFNUMBERS (@THEREPLAYGUY) JUNE 16, 2021 have a 1-1 semifinal series. Series takes nasty turn Top line terrific After the first scrum eight seconds into Game 1, Pat Maroon felt like the You knew the Islanders weren’t going to be able to hold them down for physicality kind of “died down” a bit. long. But tensions heated up early in Tuesday’s game, starting with Maroon After a really quiet Game 1, Tampa Bay’s top line of Ondrej Palat, Point and the fourth line. In the first period, Maroon delivered a hit on Scott and Nikita Kucherov was back to their dynamic selves in Tuesday’s Mayfield, then tried to fight with Matt Martin at mid-ice. The gloves were victory. off, the sleeves were rolled up. Even Maroon’s helmet was off. But a They combined for two goals, three assists and nine shots on goal. referee held him back and sent him to the bench. Kucherov once again showed why he’s one of the most creative THINGS ARE GETTING SPICY EARLY, BUT THE REFEREES TRY TO playmakers in the world, with his three assists giving him 22 points in just SETTLE IT WITH ROUGHING MINORS. 13 playoff games this season. The Russian winger is really an artist, PIC.TWITTER.COM/0FNYPPMST9 using his elite hockey IQ and soft hands to make plays that not many — SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) JUNE 16, 2021 others can. “I just think that’s playoff hockey,” Martin said.” They are not just going to Take into account his first two assists Tuesday, including his no-look feed let us take it from them. We got the first one at home, we knew they’d be from behind the net to Point for the game’s first goal. desperate and bring their best game. As playoffs go on, and you see the QUITE THE PASS FROM KUCHEROV TO POINT #GOBOLTS same faces over and over again, things get more chippy every night.” PIC.TWITTER.COM/ROBVDDGEI1 There were tons more dust-ups all over the ice throughout the game, as — SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) JUNE 16, 2021 it seemed like Tyler Johnson and Cal Clutterbuck were in each other’s faces all night. And the extracurricular stuff continued until after the “We just feel off each other, read off each other,” Kucherov said. “I’m game, when there was a dangerous situation between Travis Zajac and thinking what he’s going to think.” Anthony Cirelli. Then on Palat’s goal, which gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead in the second Zajac slammed Cirelli down and the Lightning center — who was without period, Kucherov took a long stretch pass from Hedman and carried it his helmet — took a few to the head. It was noticeable that while the rest into the Islanders’ zone. He was outnumbered at that point but had the of the team greeted each other for the post-win fist-bump line, Cirelli patience to buy some time with some slick skating, knowing the second headed straight to the dressing room pointing to his face. wave was coming. Then Kucherov slipped a pass in the slot to a streaking Palat for the goal. Cooper said Cirelli “should be OK,” but we’ll likely know more in the next couple of days leading up to Thursday’s Game 3. “There was no room for a breakaway there, so I tried to pull up and find the second wave,” Kucherov said. “Pointer did a good job of driving the TRAVIS ZAJAC LEAVING THE LINEUP BY TRYING TO BEAT DOWN net and take the second ‘D.’ Pally got open and he did a hell of a job.” ANTHONY CIRELLI ONCE THE BUZZER SOUNDED PIC.TWITTER.COM/TWVPBYFORD Hedman pointed out that not many players could make that play, but Kucherov works on stuff like that a lot. “It’s a treat to watch,” he said. — ROB TAUB (@RTAUB_) JUNE 16, 2021 Vasilevskiy steps up When I was talking to an NHL scout before this series, he picked the have altered his direction to reasonably avoid contact. In that case, no Lightning in five for a couple of reasons. penalty would be warranted for goalie interference. However, refs are instructed to be alert to goalie interference and to protect the goalies! The Cup champs were hitting their stride Seeing the velocity and extent of the crash, it is very understandable why The goals the Islanders scored against the Bruins wouldn’t go in against a ref would rule in favor of goalie interference. That should not negate the Andrei Vasilevskiy. shove/cross-check from behind by the Islander D! He therefore could/should also be subject to a penalty. Nothing or a minor penalty “I fucking love that guy,” the scout said. each!” With good reason, as Vasilevskiy is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, The Lightning appeared to catch a break on the Palat goal in the second the best goaltender in the world. But Vasilevskiy gave up a goal he’d like period, when the Lightning had six skaters (and Vasilevskiy) on the ice. to have back in the 2-1 Game 1 loss, a 45-foot point shot from Ryan Barry Trotz was livid, yelling at the refs, “There’s seven fucking guys!” Pulock. There was little doubt in the Lightning room that Vasilevskiy would rebound on Tuesday, and he did just that. TOO MANY MEN? PIC.TWITTER.COM/J8SNJTSATE Vasilevskiy’s spectacular sprawling save on Kyle Palmieri in the first — ROB TAUB (@RTAUB_) JUNE 16, 2021 period will be the one on highlight reels. But it was his stop of Anthony I asked Fraser again for his thoughts on this play, and it seemed like he Beauvillier in the waning seconds of the second period — protecting a 2- understood why no call was made on the ice. 1 lead — that was the most significant. “No. 5 is deemed a legal change within five feet of the bench with player “It’s the timely saves that you need,” Cooper said. “Those are tough ones stepping off the ice. The puck is in the end zone, so unless No. 5 played to give up, at the end (of a period), you need your guy to bail you out and the puck or made contact with an opponent, then that change is deemed he did.” legal.” WHAT A SAVE BY VASY ON BEAUVILLIER. #GOBOLTS The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 @NHLONNBCSPORTS PIC.TWITTER.COM/DCKIFJRXTJ — BOBBYLOTSOFNUMBERS (@THEREPLAYGUY) JUNE 16, 2021 “He had a hell of a game, made some huge saves to keep us in the game,” Kucherov said. “He’s been unreal. When you have a guy like that, everyone else tries to raise their level.” Controversial calls The Lightning were up 1-0 in the first period when Point darted hard toward the net. He got shoved from behind by defenseman Adam Pelech, forcing the Lightning center to crash hard into goalie Semyon Varlamov. Point and Varlamov were down momentarily, with Varlamov leaving the game to get checked out by the concussion spotter (he returned for the second period). But Point was stunningly called for goaltender interference, which ticked off Cooper, not to mention the 14,000-plus in Amalie Arena. It was hard to see a scenario in which Point could have avoided that contact. “There was no chance,” NBCSN’s said on the broadcast. But the Islanders, given a power play, scored to tie the game, making the controversial call a potentially important one. WHAT IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO?#GOBOLTS BRAYDEN POINT GOES HARD INTO #ISLES SEMYON VARLAMOV

@NHLONNBCSPORTS PIC.TWITTER.COM/HDS5BDWTYB — BOBBYLOTSOFNUMBERS (@THEREPLAYGUY) JUNE 16, 2021 Point, not surprisingly, took the high road when it came to the call. “I mean, first and foremost, I was really glad to see (Varlamov) back in the game,” Point said. “You don’t want to have collisions like that, I’m not trying to hurt anybody. I’m super happy to see he was already coming back. That’s a tough one on the ref. He sees a big collision. It’s hard, it happens so fast, and you can’t really blame anyone. “I’m just glad everyone was all right.” NHL rules state that a player who is “pushed, shoved or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper” did not violate goalie interference rules. Cooper indicated the refs told the Lightning that Point “put his hands up to hit the goalie,” which wasn’t true. “It’s a game of high rate of speed,” Cooper said. “And the refs are in a bind about that.” I asked Hall of Fame referee Kerry Fraser for his insight on this. Fraser went frame by frame to show what a referee would be thinking about. He said the question you must ask yourself — in real time — is “was any contact from Point on the goalkeeper avoidable?” Fraser said you have to take into account the force of the push from behind, the speed and distance to the goalie. Could Point have altered his direction or minimized the impact? “So the correct answer? All based on the ref’s look in real time based on his position and focus in the moment,” Fraser said. “His perception of the play. Seeing the push in relation to Point’s speed and close proximity to the top of the crease, it is most reasonable to deduce that Point could not 1189660 Tampa Bay Lightning The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021

Inside Blake Coleman’s whirlwind Sunday: Game 1 against the Islanders and a new baby

By Joe Smith Jun 15, 2021

For Lightning wing Blake Coleman, Sunday brought up one of the toughest decisions you’ll see. Coleman’s wife, Jordan, had been admitted to the hospital early that morning around 7 a.m., with the couple expecting the birth of their second daughter. But Coleman also had Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals against the Islanders set for 3 p.m., an important game in the team’s quest for a repeat. The Colemans had the benefit of experience, with Jordan going through a 26-hour labor last February when Charlie was born, so there was hope Blake could play the game and be there for the baby. “It was kind of a game-time decision for me to figure out what I was going to do,” Coleman said. “Obviously I wanted to play, if that was possible.” Coleman talked with coach Jon Cooper, a father of three, about the decision. “It was all family first, game second,” Cooper said. “Let’s plan around the family. Then if you’ve got time, come play a hockey game with us.” Coleman said his mind drifted during the Lightning’s 2-1 loss to the Islanders when he racked up two shots on goal in just over 16 minutes of ice time. He got updates during the game, and between periods, with Jordan’s family in town to offer a helping hand. But Coleman was able to make it to the hospital in plenty of time, as Carson Elizabeth was born at 11:07 p.m, the healthy and happy 7.5 pound daughter already bringing them joy. VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAM A POST SHARED BY BLAKE COLEMAN (@BCOLES25) Coleman was thankful for his wife for holding out on a few of the things during labor that would have pushed things along. He got to spend Monday’s off day at the hospital with his wife and daughter, noting he hopes to use “dad energy” Tuesday night in Game 2. “Thank goodness I made it on time,” Coleman said, smiling. “I’m not sure I would have heard the end of that one. We’re incredibly happy that she’s here and I was able to be there and a part of it. It’s a special moment for our family and we’re looking forward to getting them home today.” Coleman is a hockey player, so he’s superstitious, so the thought did creep in his head that with his baby coming soon, that Sunday’s game might end up in quadruple overtime. And he wondered if that might be the case when Steven Stamkos ripped a one-timer in the waning seconds of regulation. That possibility was brought up by family and teammates on the bench. “I thought that Stammer one-timer was labeled,” Coleman said. “I definitely thought it was just going to be one of those things where we’re going to OT. That would have been tough. Your mind is on the game, obviously, but I certainly had some other things on my mind, just wanting to make sure the baby is healthy and you want to be part of it, just making sure you’re there. I would have preferred that shot went in and we went to OT, and based on the timeline I still think I would have been able to sneak out for the baby. It was almost nice for me to have that, it allowed me to turn the page on Game 1 pretty much immediately.” This has been a storybook year for the Colemans, with Blake getting traded at last year’s deadline from the Devils, becoming a father a few weeks later and then a Stanley Cup champion. Coleman and Charlie kept in touch through FaceTime calls in the bubble, watching his daughter grow, crawl and put on her daddy’s No. 20 jersey. When Coleman arrived back from the Edmonton bubble, one of the first things he did was put Charlie in the Cup. The couple found out in the offseason that they were going to have a second daughter, due right in the middle of playoffs. I remember asking Coleman, “Maybe during another Cup run?” He laughed: “Wouldn’t that be something.” Toronto Maple Leafs It’s not just the offence that Vegas’ defence is good at. This is one of the 1189661 bigger and deeper backends in the NHL. It’s also one of the stingiest. The Golden Knights, who tied for second in shots-allowed (29.3) during the regular season, are leading the playoffs in that category with 26.1 Nevermind their offence, Vegas' defence is what Montreal needs to shut shots-against per game. down in Game 2 They also lead the playoffs in blocked shots and hits — both of which were on display in Game 1 against Montreal, with Vegas’ defence blocking 10 shots and delivering 10 hits and sweeping countless pucks Michael Traikos out of danger. “All night, all season, these guys have been amazing, blocking a lot of Shea Theodore had already scored on an absolute blast from the point, shots and helping me out around the net for rebounds and clearing them so when the Vegas defenceman wound up again from the slot in the away. Its a big part of the game,” said Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre second period of Game 1, everyone in the building — including Montreal Fleury. “Obviously, contributing offensively was nice too and fun to goalie Carey Price — assumed he was about to uncork another rocket. watch.” Then he pump-faked — hard. And with Price sprawled out of position, It’s something that Montreal will have to be more mindful of heading into Theodore slid a pass over to defence partner Alec Martinez for one of the Game 2. After all, this is not Toronto or Winnipeg that they are playing easiest goals he has ever scored. anymore. “I was gonna shoot it,” said Theodore. “But he was yelling at me pretty Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.16.2021 good and he was wide open too, so that definitely helped.” It was like that pretty much all night. Vegas’ defencemen were left wide open and they were unafraid to shoot it. By the end of the opening game of the Stanley Cup semifinal, three of the Golden Knights’ defencemen had scored in the 4-1 win. They had also picked up three assists and outshot Montreal’s defence by a whopping 18-0 margin. “Our defence contributing offensively is something that’s been part of our foundation all year,” said head coach Peter DeBoer. “We’ve relied on those guys to chip in offensively for us. They’re a part of our identity. And they did it tonight. What did we have, three defenceman goals? That’s a big part of what we do.” When they say defence wins championships, this is not what they typically mean. Then again, Vegas’ defence is anything but typical. With a playoff-leading nine goals in 14 games from their defence, they are practically forwards. Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo each have eight points. Nick Holden, who also scored in Game 1, has seven points. Martinez has three goals, while Brayden McNabb, Zach Whitecloud and Nicolas Hague have combined for two goals and eight points. If you are going to beat the Canadiens, this is how you do it. Not with your forwards — but rather with a second wave of offence coming from the backend. As they showed against Toronto and Winnipeg, the Habs are great at clogging the neutral zone and forcing their opponents into giving up possession by lining their players up at the defensive blue line. In order to gain the offensive zone, opponents need to have their defence join the rush, which sounds simple but is a lot more difficult to accomplish. Not only does a team need defencemen to be mobile, but they also need them to be intelligent at understanding where and when to get involved. One bad read or one ill-timed pinch can lead to an odd-man rush the other way. “We were doing the right things,” said Theodore. “Guys were jumping in the rush and finding those holes. (Alex Pietrangelo is) great at joining the rush, making moves and finding open players. I think that kind of gets them on their heels a bit.” What hurt the Leafs in the first round wasn’t the loss of centre John Tavares. Rather, it was the loss of defenceman Jake Muzzin, who scored twice in Game 5 before getting hurt in Game 6. By the end of the series, Toronto’s defence had scored five goals. Winnipeg managed three goals from its defence. Vegas’ defence has already contributed three goals. And the plan is for them to contribute even more in Game 2 on Wednesday. “When we’re having success from the blue line, you want to get pucks up there and then get in front (of the net),” said forward Mattias Janmark. “When you’re scoring from the blue line, you want to trust that and feed them as many pucks as you can to get some O-zone time.” The phrase that DeBoer likes to use to describe his offence is “the sum of our parts.” While Mark Stone finished in the top-10 in scoring, the Golden Knights are not like the Oilers or the Maple Leafs or even the Jets. They don’t rely on one or two forward lines for their offence. They roll four lines and spread out the scoring. Every night there is a new hero. “I think if you look at our playoff scoring, we’ve received contributions from everybody,” said DeBoer. “When you look at our defence scoring during the year, we’re in the top-2 or 3 in the league … that’s what wins at this time of year.” 1189662 Vegas Golden Knights

Newlyweds celebrate wedding night at Golden Knights game

By Janna Karel Las Vegas Review-Journal

It was a big night Monday for the Golden Knights — and possibly a bigger one for the two newlyweds who made a reception out of their night at The Fortress. Alesha and Amar Sanghera got married on the Las Vegas Strip on Monday. After the ceremony, they went to T-Mobile Arena to watch the Golden Knights face off against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series. And do you vow to always root for the Golden Knights? I do pic.twitter.com/kjnnPOV5tO — Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 15, 2021 Still wearing her white wedding dress and veil and his tuxedo, the fans from Ontario, Canada, were excited to see the Knights defeat the Canadiens 4-1. “The whole plan was to get married and see the Knights game,” said Amar Sanghera. “The atmosphere, the energy, I can’t imagine a better way to experience our wedding night,” said Alesha Sanghera. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189663 Vegas Golden Knights

William Karlsson returns to 1st-year form for Golden Knights

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

William Karlsson scored in a variety of ways during his breakout campaign in 2017-18, but several of his 43 goals looked similar. The Golden Knights center would hang out on the weak side waiting for an opening and then suddenly dart into position for a one-timer. That play was missing from Karlsson’s game for much of the past two seasons but returned at a key time in the West Division final against Colorado. It was another sign of the confidence Karlsson is carrying during the playoff run. He tops the Knights in points (12) and assists (eight) entering Game 2 of the Stanley Cup semifinals against Montreal on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena. The Knights lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. “I don’t think it’s surprising to anyone in our room that it’s William Karlsson,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “(Karlsson isn’t) doing anything differently he hasn’t done every day here, and that’s the beauty of him. His consistency. The puck’s going in. “I think that line’s really started to Click here. They click all the time, but they’re really getting production through the playoffs, and production with some confidence and feeling like they can score every game. That’s been real important for us.” Karlsson’s goal in the first period of a Game 6 victory over the Avalanche was preceded by a strong forecheck from Jonathan Marchessault and set up by Alec Martinez. The defenseman spotted Karlsson uncovered at the right faceoff dot after a Colorado turnover and sent a return pass back against the grain. As he did so often in the Knights’ inaugural season, Karlsson dropped to one knee as he sent a one-timer past goalie Philipp Grubauer. “It was a nice pass from (Martinez),” Karlsson said. “It’s a hard pass, and all I’m trying to do is get something on it and redirect it towards the net. I was lucky to get enough wood on it, and it snuck past the pad and in between the post. I was happy to see it go in. It reminded me a lot of that first year.” Karlsson quietly had a solid season with 14 goals and 39 points in 56 games, which works out to a 20-goal, 57-point pace over a full regular season. After struggling throughout his career on faceoffs, Karlsson won 54 percent of his draws in 2021. He has a five-game point streak after picking up an assist on Nick Holden’s third-period goal in Game 1 and has points in seven of the past eight games. The Misfit Line of Karlsson, Marchessault and Reilly Smith tore through Colorado’s middle six forwards in the second round, combining for nine goals and 18 points. Karlsson’s playmaking was essential to the effort. He assisted on all of Marchessault’s goals during his Game 4 hat trick and made a patient play on a three-on-two before finding Marchessault at the side of the net for the tying goal early in the third period of Game 5. “I think we’re kind of smart with the puck,” Karlsson said. “When there’s plays through the neutral zone, we take it. But if not, we chip it in, go to work. It’s working.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189664 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights to play preseason game in Utah

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings will play exhibition games in Utah for the next three seasons. The teams announced the agreement Tuesday, with the first matchup scheduled for Sept. 30 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, which is the home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz. They will meet again in 2022 and 2023 as part of the three-year deal. The Kings are hosting the games as part of the Frozen Fury, which is returning after a five-year absence. The event started in 1997 at the MGM Grand, and the most recent contest was the first hockey game at T-Mobile Arena in 2016. Los Angles played two preseason games against Vancouver in 2018 and 2019 at Salt Lake City, and the Knights will make their debut in Utah. “It has always been important for us to have a destination game in the preseason. We feel Salt Lake City, and the surrounding areas, are the ideal setting,” Kings president said in a statement. “It will be great to play the Vegas Golden Knights in what will be a fun and festive atmosphere. Hockey continues to prosper in Utah, and playing against our rival is a natural fit for this game and for the next few games in subsequent seasons.” Tickets for Frozen Fury go on sale June 25 at vivintarena.com and is expected to be a full-capacity event. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.16.2021 1189665 Vegas Golden Knights

NHL fans award Marc-Andre Fleury with save of year

By Mark Anderson Las Vegas Review-Journal June 15, 2021 - 2:39 PM

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) blocks a shot by Anaheim Ducks center Is ... Marc-Andre Fleury’s dazzling save Feb. 11 against the Anaheim Ducks not only energized Golden Knights fans but also got the attention of fans throughout the NHL. Fleury’s play was named the save of the year in the NHL Fan Choice Awards, receiving 40.22 percent of the vote. On the play, he reached behind his back in the second period to keep Anaheim’s Isac Lundestrom’s shot out of the net in a 1-0 Knights loss at T-Mobile Arena. “I knew I was kind of screwed on that one,” Fleury said after the game. “I just threw my arm back there trying to cover a little something, and I got a little lucky saving that one.” Fleury was second in the voting for locker room legend. Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak finished first with 27.28 percent, edging Fleury’s 26.69. Also from the Knights, Alex Tuch received the honor for best dog at 38.95 percent, Mark Stone was second for best celebration at 32.99 percent, and William Karlsson was fourth for best dressed at 5.8 percent. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.16.2021 Vegas Golden Knights The Knights will play the Los Angeles Kings at Vivint Arena, the home of 1189666 the Utah Jazz, in Salt Lake City on Sept. 30 for the first game of a three- year contract. Tickets will go on sale June 25 at vivintarena.com. Golden Knights’ third line comes together at perfect time LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.16.2021

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

Roster building and trade deadline acquisitions don’t always go as planned in the NHL. The Golden Knights learned that the hard way in their first season with forward Tomas Tatar. But this year, general manager Kelly McCrimmon’s vision of rounding out his team with another top-nine forward has played out exactly as he would have hoped. Left wing Mattias Janmark, traded from the Chicago Blackhawks, has lengthened the Knights’ lineup since his debut April 14. He has formed a third line with center Nicolas Roy and right wing Alex Tuch in the playoffs that has been a handful for opponents when they’ve been on the ice together. “The few games we’ve had a full lineup where we’ve had the ability to play them, they’ve looked good most of the time,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It really has created some mismatches for us in the depth of the lineup of the team we’re playing.” The Knights haven’t been able to keep the three together as much as they would like. Left wing Max Pacioretty’s absence for the first six playoff games forced DeBoer to move Tuch to the first line. Pacioretty returned in Game 7 of the first round, but Janmark was injured in Game 1 of the second round against Colorado. Janmark returned in Game 5, and since then, the line has been sensational. Tuch has three points in those three games, and Janmark and Roy have two apiece. The Knights have a 12-3 edge in high-danger scoring chances with the three on the ice at five-on-five in that span. Tuch’s speed is creating havoc. He’s chasing down loose pucks in all three zones and creating time and space for his teammates. Janmark, who is plenty fast himself, and Roy can read off that and look for holes in the defense. “He’s great on the forecheck,” Janmark said of Tuch. “He gets his stick on a lot of pucks and makes it hard on the opposition. We can all drive off that. We got some good o-zone time from it.” The Canadiens had a hard time matching up with that line. Their third line of left wing Paul Byron, center Jesperi Kotkaniemi and right wing Josh Anderson has been outscored 5-3 at five-on-five this postseason, including 2-0 Monday. The depth edge looks to be firmly in the Knights’ favor. And it’s thanks to them going out and adding one more piece at the trade deadline in Janmark. “You’ve got (Tuch) with his speed, some incredible speed, and it can be scary for defensemen,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “(Roy) likes to hang onto pucks to help them create stuff, and (Janmark) can skate with (Tuch). It’s a huge benefit to have them. They’ve been producing, and we need them to continue to do that.” Raiders inspired by Knights Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has been following the Knights during their playoff run. Carr rang the rally siren at T-Mobile Arena before Game 3 of the second round and said he attended Monday’s game. “I told Mark Stone you guys are inspiring us,” Carr said. “It’s been really cool just seeing the city come together. I try to take that and imagine what 70,000 people would be like.” Injury updates Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry practiced Tuesday, but coach Dominique Ducharme said it was too early to know whether Petry would play in Wednesday’s Game 2. Petry has missed Montreal’s last two games with an upper-body injury. He was tied for seventh among defensemen in scoring this season with 42 points. Salt Lake City preseason game Vegas Golden Knights “To get deeper and deeper in the playoffs, you need scoring from 1189667 everywhere,” Holden said. “If you can get guys contributing that aren’t big guns, you’re going to win games.” Golden Knights defensemen handle scoring load in Game 1 win 3. Series lead The Knights have a 1-0 lead in a series for the first time this postseason and the sixth time in their history. By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal June 15, 2021 - 7:00 am They’re 4-1 when leading after a Game 1.

“I like how we built our game tonight, and I thought we controlled it over The Golden Knights have been winning with depth throughout the the last 40 minutes,” DeBoer said. “We’ve got to show up for Game 2 and postseason, and different players have stepped up nearly every game. do the same thing when we drop the puck in the first period.” On Monday in Game 1 against the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.16.2021 semifinal series, it was the defensemen’s turn to shine. The Knights’ blue line finished with three goals and six points in a 4-1 win at T-Mobile Arena. The Knights became the third team in the last 10 years to have three defensemen score in a playoff game and the second in NHL history to have that happen in the third round or later. “We talked about making sure the D were getting up in the play and making sure we had good gaps if pucks turned over,” defenseman Nick Holden said. “It ended up we were able to jump up and get some pucks, obviously score some goals and make some plays. That’s always big when you get contributions from different places, and tonight was one of those nights.” Five of the six defensemen finished with a point. Shea Theodore had two, including his first goal of the playoffs. It was Theodore’s first goal since May 3, snapping an 18-game goal-less drought dating to the regular season. He also got the primary assist on the Knights’ second goal by faking a shot and passing to defenseman Alec Martinez. “The fact that he got one early here is a good sign,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “He needed it. Hopefully he relaxes a little bit now. I thought he was outstanding.” The one defenseman held off the scoresheet was Alex Pietrangelo. But the marquee free agent signing still led the team in shots on goal (seven) and ice time (25:26). No one else had more than three shots. “He’s great at joining the rush,” Theodore said. “That kind of gets them on their heels a little bit, so when we start to roll over shifts, the next group out is kind of doing the same thing.” Pietrangelo being the lone holdout on the offensive end shows how many players the Knights had contributing. The Knights were first in goals (36) and second in points (142) by defensemen in the regular season. The blue line’s huge performance in Game 1 means the Knights are first in both categories in the playoffs. They lead in goals by three and points by nine. “Our defense contributing offensively is something that’s been part of our foundation all year,” DeBoer said. “We’ve relied on those guys to chip in offensively for us, and they’re a big part of our identity. They did it tonight.” Here are three more takeaways from the win: 1. Third line shines DeBoer said the third line of left wing Mattias Janmark, center Nicolas Roy and right wing Alex Tuch was the team’s best. Tuch’s speed caused issues for the Canadiens, and the three finished plus-one after Janmark scored with 7:02 left in the second period. The Knights had a 5-1 edge in high-danger scoring chances with the line on the ice at five-on-five. “That was one line that consistently all night, every time we threw them out there, they were very good,” DeBoer said. 2. Depth comes through again The Knights’ blue line stepped up in a game in which some of the team’s best forwards didn’t contribute offensively. The team’s top line of left wing Max Pacioretty, center Chandler Stephenson and right wing Mark Stone had one shot on goal each. Stephenson was the only one of the three to finish with a point. Left wing Jonathan Marchessault didn’t get on the scoresheet, either. It didn’t matter, though, because the Knights had 10 other players with a point. 1189668 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights to play preseason game vs. Kings in Salt Lake City Golden Knights Beat Kings, 6-2, in Los Angeles

By Justin Emerson (contact)

The Golden Knights took another step today in their quest to be the “team of the Rockies” with news they will play several preseason games in Utah. The Los Angeles Kings announced they will host three games against the Golden Knights over the next three years at Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena, home of the NBA’s Utah Jazz. It will be the Golden Knights’ first game in Utah and the second time they’ve played outside an NHL market. In February, they played the Colorado Avalanche in Lake Tahoe. The first Utah game will be Sept. 30, with additional dates in 2022 and 2023. Tickets go on sale June 25 at vivintarena.com. The games are part of the Kings’ Frozen Fury preseason campaign that was played in Las Vegas from 1997 to 2016. The last Frozen Fury game in Las Vegas was played at T-Mobile Arena, where the Kings became the first team to score a goal at the future home of the Golden Knights, who began play in 2017. The Kings played preseason games in Salt Lake City in 2018 and 2019 against the Vancouver Canucks. Golden Knights owner Bill Foley has previously stated his desire for Vegas to be the “team of the Rockies.” LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.16.2021 Washington Capitals "I think that through the course of the regular season, most nights our 1189669 goaltenders gave us a chance to win, a chance to be successful," Laviolette said, "And so we are excited about their growth and their improvement and to grow with the team next year.” What is the plan in net for the Caps in 2021-22? Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.16.2021

BY J.J. REGAN

Heading into the 2020-21 season, the plan was certainly not to go with the young goalie tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek. Looking forward, however, it sounds like that's exactly what the Capitals plan to do in 2021-22. When a heart condition sidelined the newly acquired Henrik Lundqvist for the entire season, Washington was forced to rely on their young duo. The team got about as good as it could expect from a 24 and 25-year old goalie duo. Samsonov, who came into the season expected to be the No. 1, went 13-4-1 with a .902 save percentage and 2.69 GAA. Vanecek, meanwhile, went 21-10-4 with a .908 save percentage and 2.69 GAA. “I think there is no question that this year will help be a building year for them," said. " At points and in pockets I think they both played terrific and they are young goaltenders and there is going to be ups and downs throughout the course of the year." Vanecek's performance was a pleasant surprise. He was expected to either be on the taxi squad or in Hershey playing in the AHL. Instead, he not only spent the season in the NHL, but was at times the Caps' top netminder due to two visits to the COVID absence list for Samsonov. Though he exceeded expectations, Vanecek's season ended on an unfortunate note as he was injured in the first period of his first playoff start and did not return for the series. "You wouldn’t have seen him, I don’t think in the near future, you wouldn’t have seen him toward the end of the series or Game 1 of the next series," Laviolette said. "I think it would have been longer road than that.” The season was rockier for Samsonov. He played two games before testing positive for coronavirus. He dealt with symptoms and it took him over a month to recover. He played on Jan. 17 and did not start again until Feb. 28. Late in the season, he was benched for a game after being late to a team function and was, for the second time, placed on the COVID absence list. "I think it's hard for a young guy when he comes in and he has a couple little things that throw him off," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "You need to come in, you need to be prepared to handle the pressures - - everything that goes with being a No. 1 goalie. It's not an easy job, and I think it takes experience of learning what it takes to be that guy. I think it's a lot easier to be a backup, to come in and be a backup behind a veteran guy. But for a young guy to come in and establish himself, I think there's a big learning curve and I think he learned a lot this year." Samsonov ended the season on a high note as he was the surprise starter for Game 3 against the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. Except for a double-overtime gaffe, Samsonov played well renewing confidence that he can be a No. 1 going forward. "I think he's shown the ability that he could be a No. 1 and we've expressed what we feel he needs to do to accomplish that," MacLellan said. "I think he's buying in at this point and hopefully he'll make progress. We'll monitor his progress through the offseason and into the camp and adjust accordingly from there." For much of the season, goaltending was considered one of the team's biggest question marks. If the goal next season is to continue pushing for the Stanley Cup, the question is whether Samsonov and Vanecek did enough to prove they can be a championship-caliber goalie tandem? With an aging core, every season could legitimately be the last year for Washington's championship window. Going with a young tandem like Samsonov and Vanecek is a gamble and the team cannot afford to waste possibly its last chance this era to compete for a Cup with a subpar goalie tandem. But there seems to be plenty of confidence that the young goalies will take the experiences of the 2020-21 season and improve in 2021-22 and that Samsonov will be able to take on the role as a No. 1 going forward. "I mean there were a lot of things that aligned that threw him off his path to develop this year," MacLellan said. "But I think in the end, he played well and that he showed us some abilities that he can handle a No.1 role, that he has the skill level to do that and I think we're going to give him another opportunity to grab it and run with it." 1189670 Winnipeg Jets

Jets arena to be known as Canada Life Centre as of July 1

Ted Wyman

The arena that is home to the Winnipeg Jets and will be known as Canada Life Centre for the next 10 years. True North Sports and Entertainment, owners of the NHL and AHL franchises, announced the name change, along with the Winnipeg-based insurance company on Tuesday. The downtown arena has been known as Bell MTS Place in recent years but will be renamed as of July 1. Bell MTS is staying on as an official partner of the Jets and Moose and official telecommunications partner for Canada Life Centre. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 06.16.2021 Vancouver Canucks Bouwmeester and agreed to with extensions at age 35 1189671 might provide some context to an Edler deal.

In April 2019, Bouwmeester agreed to a one-year extension with St. Canucks: Comparables could shed some light on Alex Edler contract Louis at a US$3.25 million cap hit from an expiring US$5.4 million. He extension had played seven seasons with the Blues, who would capture the Stanley Cup in 2019. 'I’ve been fortunate to play my whole career here and I’ve always said I like it here.' — UFA defenceman Alex Edler It placed Bouwmeester in a comfortable support role behind Alex Pietrangelo, Vince Dunn and Colton Parayko. He didn’t have to be the guy, just one of the guys. Ben Kuzma In July 2018, Hamhuis received a two-year extension with a US$1.25 million annual cap hit from Nashville under similar circumstances. His expiring cap hit in Dallas was US$3.75 million. The former Canucks Contract leverage is everything. defenceman left the Stars via free agency to join the President’s Trophy- winning Predators, who lost in the second round of the 2018 playoffs to Do the Vancouver Canucks have it with unrestricted free agent the Winnipeg Jets in seven games. He saw a suitable support role defencemen Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic? They hope so. behind Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis and P.K. Subban. The veteran blueliners have expressed a desire to remain with the NHL What does all this mean for Edler and the Canucks? club and hammering out a Hamonic deal to continue to work in concert with restricted free agent Quinn Hughes should be a no-brainer. Hamonic Is there a middle ground between that US$3.25 million cap hit that got over an early upper-body injury during this compacted and Bouwmeester agreed to at age 35 and the US$1.25 million that Hamhuis coronavirus-comprised season, got better and brought a physical accepted? Does Edler take one for the team or find another team in free- dimension and mentorship role to his pairing. agency? Hamonic, 30, is coming off a team-friendly, one year, US$1.25 million We’re going to find out once extensions for Elias Pettersson and Hughes contract and his career high was a US$3.85 million salary cap hit with the are first completed to set the franchise’s financial landscape. New York Islanders that was absorbed by the Calgary Flames in a trade. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.16.2021 “When we decided on Vancouver, we looked at it as a long-term situation of where we wanted to be for my career and family,” he said. “I’ve loved every second of it and it’s been a good fit. Hopefully, something can transpire and make it work.” The conversation for the long-serving Edler to accept fewer minutes in a reduced role, and at a significantly lower salary from his expiring US$6 million cap hit, could be more difficult. His ability to log major minutes — third among club blueliners with a 20:54 average despite being removed from the power play while logging the most penalty-kill minutes — is countered by finishing third overall in penalty minutes by a defender with 58. Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) is congratulated by defenceman (23) on his win against the Winnipeg Jets at the end of the third period at Bell MTS Place on May 10. That either speaks to being overly aggressive or an inability for the 35- year-old Edler to get into proper position to win board battles or box out down low. However, there’s also something to be said for his future stature with how the Canucks are currently constructed. This isn’t a battle-tested, playoff proven juggernaut that stunned the NHL by coming within a victory of advancing to the 2020 Western Conference final series.That remarkable run was predicating on good coaching and scoring 10 goals in 17 games. Thatcher Demko got in the heads of the Vegas Golden Knights with 42, 48 and 33 saves in the final three games before the Canucks were eliminated in seven. This 23-29-4 season was either a return to reality, or one that couldn’t be properly measured because of the club’s COVID-19 outbreak, plethora of injuries and little practice time. Edler’s camp could argue that he wouldn’t really be in a support role next season. Hughes should be better defensively and there’s reason to be excited about rookie Jack Rathbone. But Nate Schmidt struggled and we’re still waiting to see if Olli Juolevi and Jalen Chatfield can really cut it at this level. So, if you’re Edler, you bring experience and eagerness to the negotiating table to finish your career here in a methodical manner. Still, it’s a slippery slope to extend players who are 35 years of age and older. They either have something left in the tank, are running on fumes or staying in the game for the wrong reasons. Edler believes he falls into the first category and let it be known at end of the season. “I’ve been fortunate to play my whole career here and I’ve always said I like it here,” he said. “I still love the game, I still feel like I can play and I definitely want to keep playing. I knew that going into this last year that I probably wouldn’t know what was going on until after the season. I’m OK with that. “In previous years, I’ve always kind of had a contract already done before the last year, but we’ll see what happens here.” Exchanging lower salary for bigger term doesn’t work in this context because of the age component. A year-by-year agreement and a no- movement clause could satisfy all parties, especially if Edler has a good or bad season. That’s where comparables of what defencemen Jay Vancouver Canucks against Arsenal, there were fears that more trouble could erupt in 1189672 Copenhagen.

Those fears were realized. 10 years later: Unique perspectives of the 2011 Stanley Cup riot “They played a final in Copenhagen and Copenhagen was a battlefield. Ten years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Then you were anticipating it and the cops are in riot gear before it still Cup Final to the Boston Bruins 4-0. In the hours following the game at happens. (The Stanley Cup riot) was, from my perspective, completely , rioters caused more than $5 million in damage to out of the blue. Nothing like I have experienced before.” buildings and vehicles in the downtown core. Hansen played 626 games in the NHL over 12 seasons, 11 of them with the Canucks. Patrick Johnston, J.J. Adams Hockey fans riot after Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins in Vancouver on June 15, 2011. Fans riot in downtown Vancouver following the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 In the thick of it loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Fional. Chris Higgins was just three months into his life as a Vancouver Canuck Article content on June 15, 2011. A trade deadline pickup at the end of February, he was still living in a hotel on Seymour Street. Ten years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Boston Bruins 4-0. After a normal game he’d have walked home from Rogers Arena. In the hours following the game at Rogers Arena, rioters caused more But on this night, he was put into a car and driven back to his hotel. than $5 million in damage to buildings and vehicles in the downtown core. After a massive investigation that pored over more than one million “We had kind of heard some things — that people were going kind of photos and hundreds of hours of video submitted by the public, Crown nuts afterwards — in the locker-room and then NHL security and security prosecutors eventually laid charges against 301 people. from the arena wouldn’t let us go outside,” he recalled. Here are thoughts of two Canucks players, the general manager at the Along with teammate Max Lapierre, he was driven to the hotel near time and a photographer who was on the scene. Seymour and Nelson by a security official. Police in Copenhagen, Denmark, subdue a man after the 2000 UEFA “I was preparing to walk that night, but then it seemed like there was Cup final that saw riots erupt following Galatasaray’s 4-1 win on penalties chaos and we didn’t really know what’s going on until we got outside. over Arsenal. Driving around, it was nuts, people were … no rules, no rules anymore.” The Battle of Copenhagen Vancouver Canucks forward Chris Higgins battles for the puck with Boston Bruins Chris Kelly during the second period of Game 7 of the The 2000 UEFA Cup final was in Copenhagen. It’s remembered as much 2011 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Arena. for the riots that took place in the centre of the Danish capital as it was for the match won 4-1 on penalties by Turkey’s Galatasaray over “It was kind of surreal, going through the tear gas and all that,” Higgins England’s Arsenal. said of the short car trip. “I had to close my (hotel) windows because the tear gas was coming in the windows. I was watching from my window … That’s the only comparison with what Jannik Hansen could make from the riot police clearing, with the flashbangs, clearing Granville St. I had a his own life experience to what he witnessed on TV in the hours after the small view of Granville and they were going down it. And cars were Canucks lost Game 7 to the Bruins. racing down Granville and people were throwing rocks and bottles at cars as they were passing by. It was pretty nuts.” “Is this really happening,” he remembered thinking to himself as he saw what was going on just a few blocks away from his Yaletown condo. “I Higgins spent 12 seasons in the NHL, his last six with the Canucks after saw the cop cars on fire and it’s something you associated with another being acquired from Florida. He retired in 2016 with 711 games under his part of the world. At least not at that time, anyway. belt. “It wasn’t even something you would have considered could happen A rioter on the remains of a charred car during the 2011 Stanley Cup before the game, regardless of outcome,” said Hansen, who retired in Final riots between the Library and Canada Post Office building. 2019 after a season in the KHL with CSKA Moscow. “Sitting and watching it on TV I felt disbelief. At the same time with all that had just The good people happened, there’s so many things going through your head, not just in Beyond the on-ice heartbreak of June 15, 2011, former Canucks real life but also the sport part of it. So it was hard to comprehend and president and general manager said he felt the worst for the then put into perspective.” many people who had been working for the team for years, building the The players and staff had been held at the arena for their own safety for presence of the franchise in the community. some time after the game. As Hansen left the building, there were still Family of the staff and players were in an upstairs suite and it was there, some fans outside, but no evidence of what was going on just a few 40 minutes after the game, that Gillis first became aware of what was blocks away. going on outside. “I felt pretty far removed,” said Hansen. “You could maybe hear it Gillis wouldn’t get into details, but said he was dealing with the team’s outside, going on. But you couldn’t see it. It could have been happening off-ice situation and it wasn’t until he finally looked at a television showing in a whole other country, that was the perception of it.” Images of the mayhem from just a few blocks away, that he began to Shawn Thornton of the Boston Bruins collides with Jannik Hansen of the understand the gravity of the situation. Vancouver Canucks during Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final at “It was a terrible, terrible moment. We just lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Rogers Arena. Cup Final, we were drained,” Gillis said. “(The families) were aware of Hansen was 25 at the time and in his life, he’d never seen anything like what was starting and going on. And then I became aware of it about 40 the Stanley Cup riot first hand. minutes after the game I guess. I was forced to deal with some other stuff in between and then that starts to happen. It was just, it was a bad “I’d seen it on TV, South American soccer hooligans, that kind of thing.” feeling all around, I mean it was embarrassing. Growing up in Denmark, neither hockey nor the dominant sport of soccer “It was bad. We had fought and fought and fought for months to be in a was connected with public violence. At least not the homegrown variety. position to get in the finals and had a lot of guys playing that were hurt, guys coming to the end of their careers, where that was their last chance. “It does happen in soccer in Denmark once in a while,” said Hansen. It was just draining, devastating. “When we would have some of the tournaments where you’d have other English teams and Turkish team meeting up, where the hooliganism is “And it became quickly apparent that it was planned, no matter what. really big.” These activities were going to occur and there was a group of people that were basically there only to do that, regardless of the outcome. And that And then he referenced the 2000 UEFA Cup violence, which came a few again was another layer, of watching opportunists do stuff that was only weeks after fans in Turkey had killed two fans of another English club, embarrassing for the city that you represented and the fan base.” Leeds United. With Galatasaray advancing over Leeds to the final The next morning, heading back downtown, Gillis became aware of just Looking back, 10 years later, Lam still shakes his head at the absurdity of how bad the situation had become. the night. “We did go down the next day to try and do some stuff and saw the level “The most striking thing about it all? It was that this was so unnecessary,” of what occurred. It makes you wonder why you invest in this kind of Lam said. stuff, because if this is the consequence of losing or winning a hockey game, that’s not the consequences that should be available to anybody. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.16.2021 “And if that’s what it’s coming down to, that you’re going to use that as an opportunity to hurt people and destroy property, and do the things that were done, it makes you question why you want to be involved,” Gillis said. Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis speaks to the media at Rogers Arena on Friday, June 17, 2011. “There were so many good people that were totally invested in the team, you know, sacrificed and done lots and lots of great work in the community. For all that, efforts like the community services people and Canuck Place and all the charitable work and hospital work, now gets overshadowed by that. “And what do you say to somebody who’s invested their time, energy, emotion, intellect into the community through a hockey team, and then all that work, like all that great stuff gets overshadowed by that. “And that’s how people are going to remember that season? It’s just appalling, absolutely appalling. It’s difficult to reconcile those things because the people that worked there with me, they were top flight people. They were excellent at what they did, they really cared. They went well beyond their job requirements to be part of something that they were really proud of, and no one, no one could be proud of that event.” Gillis spent six years at the helm of the Canucks, getting fired at the end of the 2013-14 season. A person walks in front of a burning vehicle on June 15, 2011 in Vancouver as the city broke out in riots after the Canucks lost in Game Seven of the . Through a photographer’s Eye First, stuck with the painful task — at least for a Vancouverite — of shooting anybody who touched the Stanley Cup during the post-game celebrations, whether they were wives, girlfriends or family, he then had to stew in the media room waiting for the post-game press conference. When the champagne-soaked Bruins were finally done with their comments, the news of what was happening on the streets of Vancouver was already being broadcast on TVs inside the arena. Lam rushed outside with a friend, Achilles, to watch his back as he shot, because “I knew this wasn’t going to be a cheery march around the city,” Lam said, laughing. Packing light, with just two camera bodies and no flash — he didn’t want to draw attention from the mobs marauding threw the city — he went to work. Having been tear-gassed covering the 1999 WTO Protests — a.k.a., the Battle of Seattle — and the APEC protests at UBC, Lam was aware of how quickly things can develop. He also saw this coming as early as the previous game. “I got a sense of it (during) Game Six at the Party Zone … and you could almost see that this was gonna happen. The atmosphere, the people’s reaction when that team lost … if you couldn’t see this coming, then you’re an idiot,” Lam said from Tokyo this week, where he’s preparing to work the Summer Olympics. “A friend of mine asked me ‘Oh should I go down there for Game Seven?’ He had kids. I said ‘No, don’t go down there, because that’s going to be the worst place to be.’” Lam captured shots of police cars in flames, looters scurrying out of stores with arms full of stolen merchandise, the smashed and gutty facade of The Bay, and aggressive rioters facing down lines of police. And of course, The Shot. Riot police walk in the street as Scott Jones and his girlfriend, Alex Thomas, kiss. Lam’s pictures of Scott Jones consoling his girlfriend, Alex Thomas, with a kiss on the ground amid the chaos has become the iconic image of the event. It won Lam a National Newspaper Award, and brought 15 minutes of fame for Jones and Thomas — who are married, with a daughter, and living in Australia. “I’m still really blessed and honoured to be the only photographer to get that, that night. It was a fleeting moment … it just happened so fast,” said Lam. Vancouver Canucks at Colorado and you see Nathan MacKinnon’s comments, and they have 1189673 a great team! They’ve been trying to get to the third round for years! And it’s still hard for them to do! Newell Brown on parting ways with Canucks, memories of 2011 and the You know making that next step is a really hard thing. It’s one thing to get drop pass: ‘It’s hard to defend’ some good prospects, get some good draft picks, get some good young players into your lineup, but you can see how deep a team like Vegas is. Or some of these other teams that are still playing right now. So big, so strong, so deep. By Thomas Drance Jun 15, 2021 You look at Vegas’ second power-play unit and it’s Reilly Smith, Jonathan Marchessault and Alex Pietrangelo. I mean, holy smokes! When the Vancouver Canucks reworked their coaching staff, they parted That tells you the depth of some of these teams right now. Making the ways with power-play architect and drop pass innovator Newell Brown. next step is a hard thing to do and sometimes the expectations get a little The veteran assistant coach has had a lengthy NHL career, including two high. You always want to go as far as you can, and it’s said “you just separate tours in Vancouver. He’s won a Stanley Cup and he’s lost in have to get in, you just have to get in.” And that’s true to a certain extent. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. It’s always nice to build up all those assets, though, and make sure you can really get to the promised land of winning the Stanley Cup. On Tuesday, Brown joined the VANcast to discuss (and defend) the drop pass, the development of Vancouver’s young stars on the power play, his It occurs to us that in your last season in your first tour, you had the recollections of Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, what Travis lengthy injury. This time around, you had the Elias Green is like as a head coach and what it was like to live — and try to Pettersson injury. How much did Pettersson’s absence impact the power work — through the Canucks’ COVID-19 outbreak this season. play effectiveness this year and what went wrong for the power play after it was so elite in the 2019-20 season? Brown’s appearance on the VANcast can be heard in full on this page, and we’ve also included a partial transcript — edited for length and clarity I think you can break it into three sections. — for those VIPs who’d prefer to read the interview instead: No. 1: the beginning of the year. We look at analytics after every game Newell, thanks for doing this. We know not the best circumstances, but and our analytics were strong. Doesn’t mean much — bottom line is you we appreciate you joining us today. have to get results and score some goals — but we were doing everything but scoring goals. We figured if we kept on the same path, My pleasure. You know what, I’ve always welcomed change, it’s worked eventually Petey is going to stop hitting crossbars and goal posts and out well and one thing about this business: it’s very volatile. Change we’re going to start putting the puck in the net. occurs and I’m looking forward to moving on. Then in March, it took a little longer than we wanted to, but by the first You had four years with and Nolan Baumgartner. Is that a two weeks of March leading up to the COVID outbreak, we were running difficult decision to have when changes are made and you’re the only guy a 30 percent clip. It felt like we turned a corner. that’s not coming back for next season? Now Petey is a huge asset on the power play, obviously. Over the long You know, I liked the way (head coach Travis Green) said it at the end of term, you feel the effects of that (absence), because he’s the kind of the year: we had a parting. player that can make something out of nothing. That’s what these great power plays can do. You think they’re trapped, you think they’re Travis and I had a lot of decisions, especially the last part of the season cornered, you think they have no options, then all of a sudden they pull on various subjects. Don’t forget, his extension didn’t come until the 11th something out of their backside and you’re getting a great scoring chance hour. I don’t think his path was clear either. and scoring a goal. All of the best power plays have those types of guys It’s one of those things that I’ll just keep between myself and Travis, and on both units. go forward. I can say there’s no bad feelings, Travis is a great coach, That hurt us quite a bit and our depth, putting that next player into the we’ve been close for a long time, since I coached him in Anaheim way unit, maybe our depth wasn’t great. back in the day. Then after COVID, we were in a funk. Our whole team was in a funk. For They’re going to do great. Sometimes it’s good to get new voices on a a stretch there we only won three out of 10 and that was really difficult. team, get some new, fresh ideas. Sometimes that means you have to It’s not hard to comprehend based on what our players went through change things up a little bit and sometimes also the media and the fan during the outbreak. We didn’t just have players get it, but we had base, there’s pressure. You’ve got to show good optics at the end of pregnant wives and kids and extended family. When it gets to your loved maybe a tough season and show people that you’re doing things. ones, that’s pretty tough. Sometimes it’s the coach in the last year of his contract, that’s not too hard to do. To put a bow on the power-play stuff, it was one of those years. You could maybe sum that up for our whole team. It’s really tough to The coaching staff is fantastic. Greener and Nolan Baumgartner and accurately assess and evaluate our season with the schedule at the Jason King came in this year, and was with us. We beginning, with COVID in the middle, and then all the injuries we had … I had a fantastic group, I loved every minute working with them, everyone think it’s a much better read on our team how we looked in the bubble worked hard, no egos, worked together as a group and had a lot of good when we had the full team together and were firing on all cylinders. discussions. Whenever we came to a decision we walked out the door as a united group and I think Travis knew everybody had his back at every We want to touch on the outbreak, because when the club returned it step of the way. A lot of fun. took you an additional week to get back. We understand this is a personal matter, but we want to ask if there’s anything you can share I’ve had the chance to be around for two of the most exciting times in with us about your personal experience with the outbreak and how you recent Canucks history. Stanley Cup Final, a couple of Presidents’ reacted to your colleagues and players getting sick as well. Trophy the first time. Then this time getting into the bubble, that was great. When we won games guys were so excited people were literally It was crazy. dancing in the room, I think you’ve seen videos. Six months or so later, it just goes to show you how quickly things can change in sports. We didn’t realize that it was the variant that was so contagious going through our team. You’re sitting there going OK we have one player, now How do you summarize the last 12 months for the Canucks? Coming out three, now seven, now 10, now 13 and then it spread to some of the of the bubble and it looking like you guys were on a launchpad with all outside family members too. We probably ended up with 40 people this young talent, to the season you had to endure, the COVID break you between players and extended families. endured in the middle and all of the disappointment. How tough has it been? Some got sicker than others and some people got it pretty bad. For me, I got my first COVID shot one day and then the next day I found out I’d We were in the bubble what, maybe a little bit more than six months ago? tested positive. I had really mild symptoms to begin with and then 14 The rebuilding process was great, I think we get an idea of how hard the days in, I had a little bit of a temperature. I didn’t feel bad but I had a little rebuilding process can be, and it looked like we were turning the corner bit of a fever. Because the variant was so devastating to our group, they in the bubble. We had a really good run there, we had a veteran core, a were very cautious and just said you’re out for an additional week. good group, top young players. So that’s why I missed the first few games. I could’ve bitten the bullet It tells you how tough it can be though that it’s hard to turn that next easy, I wasn’t feeling that bad. Fortunately, I didn’t get too many tough corner. You need layers of prospects coming in year after year. You look symptoms. When you hear about the pregnant wives and the guys sick sitting in their that middle man position, a lot like Patrice Bergeron does for Boston. basement watching their kids play outside on their birthday, the human Then J.T. added to the mix, he’s just got such a hockey brain. He’s really, side of this, I can’t say enough about how our guys handled it. And how really smart. He sees a lot of things out there. heroic they were in going through it as it spread through our team and infected their families. With the power play now, a lot of it is collaboration. It’s not just me telling them what to do, but the whole group working together to come up with a I know with this variant it’s more volatile, but it also stays in our system plan. That’s the way it is these days with the players, they’ve got long- longer. Guys were out there playing and they weren’t feeling good. It was term contracts, they’re making a lot of money, they’ve got to be part of pretty emotional to see, and what the guys did to overcome a the process. You find out that when you do give them that and they do tremendous amount of adversity there. take more ownership, that the results are way better than if it’s just one guy telling them what to do. You could see that first game back when you beat Toronto. It was a win, but it was more than that … How difficult was it to play out the string and You’ve crossed paths with so many people in your hockey career, but play out the couple of weeks after the playoffs had started? what about the chance to work with Henrik and Daniel, when you look back at your opportunities, how fondly do you reflect on working with It was doubly hard this year because we were playing while the playoffs them? are going on. That’s unheard of. We were kind of like an afterthought in hockey. Well, I’m going to throw the cliches out there, but hey, they’re cliches because they’re true. Our guys were so professional, and we were putting together the same type of preparation that we would at any other time. It was disappointing I feel like it’s been a privilege and an honour to work with Hank and at the time to realize where we were, but we knew we had to put the work Danny, not only for the players that they are but for the people that they boots on, show up, play the games, do our best. Even during the games are. Their leadership, their dedication to the game, their work ethic. when we were giving a lot of guys looks, playing with a pretty depleted You’ve heard the stories about them being the top conditioned athletes lineup, I think we got some good evaluations and the guys did as best as every season and they didn’t change. No matter how much success they they could in a tough situation. had they still had the drive and the determination. We have to ask the drop pass question. It drives fans in this market The one thing that I remember most about them is how humble they are. crazy, but the drop pass is everywhere in hockey and it can be an Filled with confidence, filled with competitiveness, but just totally down to effective tool. Can you tell us about the benefits of the drop pass on the earth guys. You can sit down and have a coffee with them anytime and power play? just have a good conversation, and there’s no hint of a superstar mentality at all. You learn from these people, they’re great people. First of all, we don’t do anything that we think is not going to work. It’s one of the great thrills that I’ve had in my career, being able to coach We’re always at the top of the league based on our analytics in terms of Hank and Danny. percentage entries into the zone. That’s the bottom line. It’s the 10-year anniversary of Game 7. We know you as a pretty positive We started it back in 2011, not very many teams were using it, I don’t guy. Do you look fondly back on the run in 2011 or does June 15, 2011, think any team was, but the Sedins were great at it. It’s kind of evolved still nag at you a little bit? from there. I’ve had a chance to lift the Cup in Anaheim, that was amazing. It’s hard to defend, obviously, teams are trying to come up with schemes to stop it and there’s all kinds of different variations these days. If you’re Then a couple of years later we got to Game 7, and to lose that Game 7, still watching teams in the playoffs, everybody is using it. I mean, so many great memories of working with that group of players. You can go up and down the list and I can name player after player after We did use a lot of other breakouts too this year, I’m not sure if player. You learn in those situations that you win with good people and everybody noticed that as much. It’s not the only breakout, but it’s pretty that team was filled with good people. much the primary breakout we used because it’s just so effective. If you do it right the first time, you’re in the zone every time. Yeah, it was devastating. I’ll never forget that Game 7. It’s stuck in my mind more than winning the Cup is losing that Game 7. It is devastating. When we’re executing it at a high level, it’s good. In the end, it was a great season. The guys came to camp and you could At the same time, you do have to have some variations, some different feel it in the air, it was Cup or bust. That team was on a mission and we kinds of breakouts. The drop is not a speed breakout, you’re 2-on-1-ing remained on it throughout the entire course of the season. Fought your way up the ice making short 10 or 15 foot passes. Everyone wants through adversity, went through the playoffs, some hard, hard, tough to stand up at the blue line, you’re trying to 2-on-1 your way into the games. Getting to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final isn’t a bad season. offensive zone, making short passes that are hard to defend because you always have a 2-on-1. It helps you carry the puck into the zone more. I’m going to look at that as a really, really fond memory. There’s lots of good things you can say about it, but I can see the fans Are you able to take us back 10 years to the day and describe to us what frustration when we’re not doing it well and not executing it well. When you experienced that night with the riot and everything following that you’re getting stopped at the blue line it doesn’t look as effective. Game 7 disappointment? In your second tour with the Canucks, younger players were learned on The only thing I remember … there’s two things, I was sitting in our office to do the bulk of your club’s damage with the man advantage, whether it beside Bones () and our heads were buried in our hands. It was Pettersson or Quinn Hughes or Brock Boeser. What can you tell us was just total silence, everywhere. about what you’ve seen from the evolution of those players on the power play? And then about 15-20 minutes later you could hear the “boop-boop-boop- boop” and that was the music coming from the Boston Bruins’ dressing Well, my first year back it was fantastic to be with Hank and Danny room. So we all wanted to get out of there. (Sedin) and see them have a fantastic year on the power play and our team had a really good year on the power play in their last year playing in Then we found out there was a riot downtown so we had to wait, I think it the NHL. It was a lot of fun to watch them score that overtime goal, the was until 1 a.m. to leave the building … last points they got, Hank passing to Danny, Danny shooting it and Alex I only like to look at the positive things, but you asked the question and Edler screening the goal. Just to see them go out on such a high note. that’s what I remember. Of course we went around and hugged all the The next year with Hank and Danny leaving now we had some really players and that kind of thing, thanked them all for an amazing season. young players just cutting their teeth. Bo Horvat, Petey, Boes. They were That’s what it was. becoming the guys at a very young age. It turns into more of a You’ve worked on the staffs of head coaches like , Dave developmental year, learning on the job. Cutting their teeth and being a Tippett and Alain Vigneault. What — for fans of this team — can you tell No. 1 power play, because it’s different when you have Hank and Danny us about Travis Green as a head coach and a boss. What’s he like as a out there, because they’re running the show … coach relative to some of the other coaches you’ve worked for? We had really good development and then you could see the fruits of our Travis is a great coach. He’s good at everything. He’s good at the X’s labour the following season when we added J.T. to the group, which was and O’s. He’s good at the motivation. He’s good at running practices. huge. And we got into the top-five again. That’s the evolution of this He’s good at communicating with young and old. round and it’s been fun. Great guys to work with. And he’s a workaholic. Greener leaned on me quite a bit over the four Hughesy is awesome, Petey is really good, Brock is fantastic. Bo is years and it was great to work with him. With Greener, it’s 24/7, you get becoming a great captain and has really mastered the skills of being in texts at 10 o’clock at night. You get texts at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. You’re always on call. That’s how he approaches his job as the coach. He’s on it, all the time. He’s a really good bench manager, he’s got his matchups and he’s good at watching how much time on ice everyone is getting … I can’t say enough about Baumer too, I don’t think he gets enough credit. He’s a fantastic young coach and I noticed the comment from Hughesy at the end of the season, what he said, and he’s done a fantastic job with the whole group of defencemen on our team. And his work ethic is off the charts as well. So where do you go from here, Newell? Irons in the fire? It’s a coach’s life. You move onto the next one. Change is fine, and I’ve been talking to some teams. I’m not afraid to pull my name out of the hat, it has to be a good fit. It takes some time. There’s a few things I’m looking at right now and hopefully in a few weeks here I’ll have something nailed down. The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 Vancouver Canucks Negotiations are already well underway with both Pettersson and 1189674 Hughes, who are both represented by agent Pat Brisson of CAA. The club is motivated to take care of this crucial bit of business proactively before the offseason kicks into high gear if possible. How should the Canucks approach negotiations with their 2 superstar RFAs? While things appear to be progressing positively in contract talks, the club is still working through a variety of scenarios. And yet the widespread expectation — both internally and around the industry — is that Hughes and Pettersson will ultimately sign bridge contracts. By Thomas Drance Jun 15, 2021 Let’s get into some of the risks and considerations that the club should be weighing in these negotiations, using Dom Luszczyszyn’s Game It was exactly 10 years ago today. Score Value Added (GSVA) projections. We’ve used GSVA for similar purposes in the past and always include a similar disclaimer. GSVA gives You know the anniversary. June 15, 2011. Game 7, the Stanley Cup us a firm baseline to project future performance, it’s a tool — and a useful Final. The Vancouver Canucks lost 4-0 to the Boston Bruins. one — but it doesn’t provide us with the full picture. Common sense still matters as do a variety of essential human factors. It was a grim end to a remarkable season. The 2011 Canucks weren’t just the best team in franchise history, they were one of the best teams of GSVA, however, gives us a firm baseline of expected performance based the salary cap era. And yet their season ended with Zdeno Chara lifting on data, trends and historical precedent. It provides a glimpse into what the Stanley Cup on Vancouver ice, as a riot engulfed Vancouver’s concerns and issues the club should be assessing as they commit a downtown core. significant proportion of their cap space — and cast the die on the club’s long-term cap structure — to a pair of super-talented players in their early The 1994 team came closer — they were centimetres away from Nathan 20s. Lafayette forcing overtime — but for long-suffering Canucks fans, the 2011 loss is the one that stings the most. Let’s get to it. With the passage of time, the accomplishments of the 2010-11 team Elias Pettersson (Bob Frid / USA Today) have begun to be viewed in a more appropriate and forgiving light. That team didn’t summit the elusive peak, but they were an imposing, thrilling, Elias Pettersson high-octane side. The first and only team in franchise history that was Position: Centre expected to win. Age: 22 For many Canucks fans, today will be a day to dwell on the past. To linger on decade-old disappointments, resentments and what-ifs. 2020-21 statistics: 26 GP, 10-11-21 In this space, we’ll (mostly) dispense with this particular exercise in Expiring contract: Three-year, entry-level contract ($925k face value cap masochistic fan nostalgia and turn our sights instead to the immediate hit, $2.85 million in potential bonuses) future of this current Canucks core. Pettersson is Vancouver’s most important player, and GSVA considers However, it’s worth noting that history has a tendency to repeat itself. him to be about the safest bet a team can make. This offseason the Canucks are facing a set of circumstances fundamentally similar to what the club navigated a decade ago in Consider this, since the 1994-95 lockout only 17 players have produced constructing the best team in franchise history. at least 0.9 points per game in their first three NHL seasons while playing at least 100 games. It’s a list that includes Pettersson, and players like The specifics might be different and the stakes a bit more dramatic, but Ilya Kovalchuk, , Alex Ovechkin, , Patrick the general challenge is identical: “How does an organization in a hard Kane, , and Connor McDavid, among others. It’s a who’s cap system significantly improve their supporting cast even as their core who of the most lethal NHL scorers of the past two generations. players begin to take up a greater proportion of the team’s cap space?” The lowest end player on the list is probably , who has That’s it. That’s the whole ballgame. played over 1,000 NHL games and was a top-of-the-lineup calibre forward for over a decade. When that’s the low end, you’re in a cohort In 2009 and 2010, the Canucks were staring down the barrel of Henrik that’s about as elite as it gets. and ’s contracts expiring, followed the next season by Roberto Luongo and Ryan Kesler’s deals expiring. Those four core We’ve already seen enough to know that Pettersson is a star in the NHL. players’ salaries went from taking up 27.6 percent of the Canucks’ cap In fact, more than likely, he’s a player of historic significance. space in 2009 to taking up 37.5 percent of the club’s cap space just two years later. The core got more expensive even as the Canucks rebuilt While GSVA has cooled a bit on Pettersson as a result of his injury- their blue line and grafted championship calibre depth onto the roster — plagued 2020-21 season — which also included an extended, adding , Dan Hamhuis, , Manny uncharacteristic run of poor two-way results in January — the model still Malhotra, Chris Higgins and between 2009 and 2011 — to projects him to be an elite contributor well into his late 20s: create the juggernaut that memorably fell one win short in 2011. Pettersson is likely to be worth north of $10 million for nearly a decade Fast forward 10 years and the Canucks spent this spring staring down yet, a projection that illustrates both the limitations and the benefits of the barrel of Thatcher Demko (extended in March), Elias Pettersson and pursuing a bridge contract with a player this good. Quinn Hughes expiring this season, followed the next season by Brock On the one hand, if Pettersson signs a premium version of the Mat Boeser and then J.T. Miller and Bo Horvat the season thereafter. Barzal bridge, as is widely expected at this juncture — say, three years at For the sake of illustration, if we use the Evolving-Hockey contract $7.25 million — the Canucks can feel comfortable in the knowledge that projections we’ve leaned on previously and assume that Pettersson and they’ll net $2.5-$3 million per season in surplus value over the life of that Hughes come in at roughly $12.75 million combined on their second deal. Perhaps even more if Pettersson can retrieve the bright form he contracts, then just Demko, Pettersson and Hughes will jump from taking maintained in 2019-20. up 3.5 percent of the club’s cap space in 2020-21 to taking up 21.8 On the other hand, there’s really no question that if you’re able to use percent next year. Pettersson’s four remaining restricted free agent seasons to lock It should go without saying the current club would be transformed if, over Pettersson in at, say, $10 million for somewhere between six and eight the next two seasons, they could identify four above-average middle-six years, you can feel confident that he’ll be an efficient bet throughout the forwards of the quality that Samuelsson, Malhotra, Higgins and Torres life of his contract. That’s not usually the case with a long-term third exhibited in Vancouver. Not to mention a pair of top-pair calibre contract, typically speaking. blueliners like Ehrhoff and Hamhuis. That’s really the problem with a bridge contract. It’s called a bridge Cap space is going to be a bit too tight for the Canucks to make too because it gets you to the other side. And on the other side for elite many of those sorts of moves this offseason, obviously, but the second players, you’re usually signing a 25-year-old into their mid-30s, paying contracts that Pettersson and Hughes ultimately sign this summer will be top dollar for a bunch of seasons that last beyond that player’s prime crucial. They will establish the club’s medium-term cap outlook, and (see: P.K. Subban). determine what flexibility Canucks management will have to colour in Frankly, the Canucks’ course has probably already been charted. their supporting cast, not to mention what space is available to retain Canucks hockey operations would, perhaps, in their heart of hearts Boeser and Miller and Horvat. prefer to do a long-term deal with Pettersson, but signing him for $10 million per season (or more) on a long-term deal is going to nearly impossible in a flat cap environment in which the club has nearly a really know how to value a second contract for defencemen that produce quarter of their cap space committed to Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, this much offence early in their career. When the Canucks come to terms Antoine Roussel, Braden Holtby and the Luongo recapture penalty. with Hughes on his second contract, they’ll very probably be shaping an entirely new market. If the Canucks have any intention of being competitive next season, and they do, it will have to come at the expense of seriously considering a The third complicating factor to work through in assessing Hughes’ long-term deal for Pettersson’s second contract. second contract valuation is that the quality of his performance has vacillated far more significantly than Pettersson’s has. Finally, one quick note on the injury and its impact on Pettersson’s second contract valuation. The time Pettersson missed probably does Pettersson may have been injured this past season, but the basic have some effect on his overall market value, but you can expect it to be consistency of his game was still evident, even if he had a slow start as a muted. That Pettersson out-produced the likes of Leon Draisaitl, Jack two-way piece and finisher. Hughes, on the other hand, followed up on a Eichel, Mikko Rantanen and Barzal will matter more. scintillating campaign as a rookie by struggling defensively in his second season. Not to mention that Eichel, who signed a long-term deal worth $10 million per for his second contract, is a relevant comparable here. He missed an This is where GSVA produces a particularly fascinating output for average of 12 games per season over the life of his first contract. Even Hughes since the model appears to weigh his tough go in 2020-21 more after missing 30 games with a wrist injury during the pandemic heavily than it weights his elite rookie performance in 2019-20: abbreviated 2020-21 campaign, Pettersson has missed an average of 14 games per season due to injury over the life of his entry-level deal — It makes sense that the model is sensitive to Hughes’ sophomore very similar. If it didn’t impact Eichel’s valuation, it’s hard to see how it will struggles, particularly considering his shallow overall track record at the significantly impact Pettersson’s. NHL level. Quinn Hughes (Nick Turchiaro / USA Today) It’s not rare for a very good player to put together an elite campaign at some point in their career. We even have a cliche term for it, “a career Quinn Hughes year.” It’s far less common for a bonafide elite player to struggle over the course of a full campaign, even if that campaign is a pandemic- Position: Left-handed defender abbreviated one. Age: 21 For context, let’s look at Hughes’ GSVA chart from before the season, 2020-21 statistics: 56 GP, 3-38-41 just to get a sense of how dramatically the model has shifted: Expiring contract: Three-year, entry-level contract ($916.6k face value Effectively the model has adjusted how it rates Hughes. Instead of rating cap hit, $850k in potential bonuses) him as an elite contributor providing $10 million in real value per season, it now views him as a bona fide top-pairing defenceman providing $6 Where the options for Pettersson’s second contract appear to be million in real value per season. relatively fixed — the most meaningful topic of interest is whether it’s better for the team to do a bridge or go long-term — Hughes’ second The change in Hughes’ projection year over year is so extreme that it contract is much more interesting and volatile from the perspective of his actually might make the argument for a shorter-term bridge deal. In possible market value. Pettersson’s case, you’ve seen him basically be the same player — and an elite player at that — for over 150 games. Hughes, on the other hand, First off, Hughes’ status is that of a black hole player. Pettersson will has had one elite season and one top-pair calibre season. have legitimate free agent rights if he gets to July 28 without having agreed to a deal with the Canucks. Hughes, however, won’t even be a When you factor in that puck-moving defenders who don’t get hit too free agent, technically speaking. often like Hughes tend to age better than most player types, there’s a decent argument that it may make sense to go shorter on Hughes than Secondly, we have a ton of relatively close comparables for Pettersson’s on Pettersson. Of course, because of Hughes’ 10.2(c) status and the lack second contract, including a really close one in the flat cap era in Barzal. of proper comparable second contracts, the opposite outcome is more With Hughes, you’re in relatively uncharted waters. likely. If you’re looking for Hughes comparables, you’re looking at the bridge It’s fascinating that the GSVA projection suggests that if the Canucks deals signed in recent seasons by Mikhail Sergachev, Charlie McAvoy were to sign Hughes to something like a four, five or six-year contract and Zach Werenski, but honestly, those players aren’t actually with an annual average value north of $6 million, the club would be comparable by the metrics that tend to best correlate with a player’s running a real risk that they wouldn’t mine surplus value out of a contract compensation: goals and assists. In fact, by points per game over the life that — at first blush, anyway — would seem extremely team-friendly. of his entry-level contract, Hughes is in a totally different stratosphere from the other three: Personally, I’d expect Hughes to bounce back. He’s too dynamic and intelligent overall and we’ve already seen him be effective as a matchup Quinn Hughes 2nd contract comparables defender at the age of 20 and 21. If you’re going to bet on any player to find a higher, sustainable level of performance going forward, particularly Quinn Hughes if they’ve hit that level in recent memory, Hughes is the type of player to bet on. 0.75 The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 ?? Zach Werenski 0.54 $5 million Charlie McAvoy 0.52 $4.9 million Mikhail Sergachev 0.46 $4.8 million How unique is Hughes? If you go back to the 1994-95 lockout and look for defenders that have produced at least 0.7 points per game in their first three NHL seasons, you’ll only find three names. It’s the 2019-20 Calder Trophy class, with Adam Fox (0.71), Cale Makar (0.92) and Hughes. In other words, in part, because Fox and Makar haven’t signed second contracts yet and Fox won’t even expire for another season, we don’t Websites the puck, forcing turnovers and playing in traffic, even if he’s not overly 1189675 physical. In a sentence, Guenther may not be a true game breaker in the NHL, but he projects as a top-line forward who will endear himself to fans and coaches. The Athletic / Top 151 Prospects for 2021 NHL Draft: Owen Power leads Corey Pronman’s final rankings TIER 3: Projected top of the lineup player William Eklund, LW, Djurgarden-SHL Corey Pronman Jun 15, 2021 Oct. 12, 2002 | 5-foot-10 | 176 pounds Skating: High-end Welcome to The Athletic’s guide to the 2021 NHL Draft. Puck Skills: Average The top of this year’s class looks a little softer than the last few years Hockey Sense: Above-average where we had prospects like Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Hughes and Alexis Compete: Above-average Lafreniere clearly distinguish themselves. Michigan defenseman Owen Power is the probable first pick, but most team sources agree he would Eklund was an important player on an SHL team as an 18-year-old — a be in the mix to be the second or third pick in the 2020 draft. rare feat for a first-year draft-eligible player — and played well for Sweden’s national team. He has good, not great, straightaway speed to The 2011, 2014 and 2017 drafts also lacked a consensus clear star go along with fantastic edgework. He shows tremendous elusiveness to talent at the time and they later emerged. My job is to give my opinion on evade pressure and create space with his skating. Eklund skates fast, what I currently see, which is a below-average top of the draft with the but it’s his skating plus his compete that earned the trust of big minutes rest looking rather standard, but the future is uncertain and there are as he showed he could be responsible off the puck. He combines that certainly candidates in this class with the potential to pop and become with a high skill level, a very imaginative hockey IQ offensively and the stars. If any of Owen Power, Luke Hughes, Dylan Guenther, William ability to execute difficult plays at speed. His ability to play in the high- Eklund or Kent Johnson became perennial All-Stars, I wouldn’t blink. traffic areas and win battles, but also play on the perimeter and be a A defining characteristic of this draft may end up being the two top goalie primary set-up guy, will make him a versatile NHL player. In a sentence, prospects at the top in Sebastian Cossa and Jesper Wallstedt. Both are Eklund projects as an undersized first-line NHL winger with dynamic strong top-12 candidates, giving the 2021 NHL Draft intrigue at the goalie attributes. position that we haven’t seen in over a decade. Luke Hughes, LHD, U.S. NTDP-USHL Attributes are graded on a scale using the terms poor (lowest), below Sept. 9, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 184 pounds average, average, above average, high end, and elite (highest). Average is meant as a compliment, not as a criticism. Saying an attribute is Skating: High-end average means it projects as NHL average. Shots are only graded if they are notably good or poor. Puck Skills: Average TIER 1: Projected NHL All-Star Hockey Sense: Average Owen Power, LHD, Michigan-Big Ten Compete: Average Nov. 22, 2002 | 6-foot-6 | 213 pounds Hughes had a strong season, as a leading player for the U.S. NTDP, but a late-season injury kept him from playing at the U18 worlds. Hughes is a Skating: Average 6-foot-2 elite-skating defenseman with offensive ability, which is a highly appealing toolkit for an NHL projection. Like his brothers Jack and Quinn, Puck Skills: Below-average Luke’s edgework is fantastic, showing great ability to elude checks. His Hockey Sense: Above-average skating and skill combination allow him to generate a lot of controlled exits and entries. His playmaking isn’t at the same level as his brothers, Compete: Average but he has enough skill and vision to be on an NHL power play and be a driver at the top level. The size and skating combination should allow him Power had a great freshman season as one of the best defensemen in to make stops as a pro, but currently his D-zone coverage isn’t his conference while also one of its youngest, and played a key role for completely refined, as he needs to work on his gaps. He can be a bit Canada in its gold medal run at the world championships. Power’s risky and turnover prone with the puck, and managing that is a main area offensive toolkit won’t jump out immediately to you, but a 6-foot-6 of concern with scouts. In a sentence, Hughes projects as a top-pair defenseman who can skate at the NHL level and move the puck well is a defenseman who can be on a power play and be elite in transition, but major asset. His skating isn’t explosive, but his stride and edgework are will have issues matching up versus top players. excellent, and he can evade pressure very well. Power’s offense comes from a great first pass and an ability to find seams in the offensive zone Matthew Beniers, C, Michigan-Big Ten well. I question if he will be a go-to power play type, but I can for sure see him on PP2 and can be PP1 in a pinch. Defensively he’s not that Nov. 5, 2002 | 6-foot-2 | 175 pounds physical, but he closes on checks well with his range and reach, and Skating: Average breaks up a lot of plays. In a sentence, Power projects as a star all- situations NHL defenseman who won’t land on highlight reels but will play Puck Skills: Below-average tough minutes and drive play. Hockey Sense: Average TIER 2: Projected bubble all-star/top of lineup player Compete: High-end Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton-WHL Beniers is the top center prospect in this draft. He has a quality NHL- April 10, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 175 pounds caliber skill set but not a lot jumps off the page. He is a top prospect because he is an elite competitor and makes the most of his toolkit every Skating: Average game. I’ve seen him play nearly a hundred games over the last three Puck Skills: Average years between the U.S. NTDP, college and international competitions, and I can count on one hand the times he’s never made an impact on a Hockey Sense: Average game. His work ethic shows through how hard he forechecks and backchecks, how every play is made with speed, how he wins a ton of Compete: Above-average battles, and how fearless he is getting to the high-traffic areas. Beniers Shot: Above-average wills his way to puck possession and scoring chances, while also able to set up a lot of plays. In a sentence, Beniers projects as a top-two line Guenther had a great limited WHL season, scoring two points per game center, a No. 2 on a Stanley Cup contender or a low-end No. 1, who can (24 points in 12 games) for the Oil Kings following his great underage score at a reasonable rate for those roles and provide high-end value off season, although his U18 worlds were good but not as inspiring. the puck. Guenther is a forward with a lot of NHL attributes. He has great skill, and can make skilled plays through defenders and to teammates at an NHL Kent Johnson, C, Michigan-Big Ten pace. He can make some plays through seams while also having the Oct. 18, 2002 | 6-foot-1 | 167 pounds shot to score from a distance. He has a lot of talent, but also works off Skating: Below-average very good at creating around the net. He works hard enough to win a lot of puck battles. The main flaw in McTavish’s skill set is his skating, as he Puck Skills: Elite will be OK in the NHL in that regard but will struggle to create separation. Hockey Sense: Average In a sentence, McTavish projects as a strong top-six forward in the NHL, a second-line center or a low-end first-line wing. Compete: Average Sebastian Cossa, G, Edmonton-WHL Johnson is the player you want to know about in this year’s draft in terms of dynamic skill and playmaking ability. A lot of his puck touches look Nov. 21, 2002 | 6-foot-6 | 210 pounds unique from other players on the ice, with the ability to make between- Athleticism: Average the-legs and behind-the-back plays look routine. He’s a very creative playmaker who can make difficult plays in small areas consistently but Hockey Sense: Average can overcomplicate at times. Johnson has a decent wrist shot, which he showed more in junior than college. His game can lack pace and he’s not Cossa has been as good as you could have asked him to be in the WHL, that hard to play against, but I wouldn’t call him soft either. In a sentence, dominating the league for the last two seasons. His athletic toolkit is very Johnson projects as a top-line NHL forward, likely on the wing, who has intriguing as a 6-foot-6 goalie who can move very well for that size. He the most star potential in the draft but also has the most significant covers a lot of net with his length. He has some quick twitch in his frame physical drawbacks of the top prospects. in how he moves around the net, and gets in and out of his butterfly. Cossa’s reads are typically great. He loses track of some pucks and can TIER: 4: Projected bubble top/middle of lineup or quality starting be a bit busy in the net but usually anticipates the play very well. I love goaltender his selective aggressiveness with his positioning, and how he takes away angles with his size as well as how well he uses his stick to break up a lot Chaz Lucius, C, U.S. NTDP-USHL of plays. In a sentence, Cossa projects as a quality NHL starting May 2, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds goaltender with the potential to become an upper-echelon goalie. Skating: Below-average Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea-SHL Puck Skills: Above-average Nov. 14, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 214 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Athleticism: Below-average Compete: Above-average Hockey Sense: Above-average Lucius missed most of the season with various injuries but when healthy Wallstedt started off very well, as a rare first-year draft-eligible to not only he showed what he did in his underage season, in that he could score a play but also excel in the SHL. He fell off in the second half, but his body lot of goals and drive a team’s offense. Lucius is one of the most purely of work between junior, pro and international is quite strong. Wallstedt’s skilled players in the draft, with elite one-on-one skills and the ability to athletic toolkit doesn’t jump out at you immediately. He’s about 6-foot-3 make defenders miss. He is known for his goal scoring, but he has good and moves well but not at an elite level. What makes him such a good vision and can find seams and create in tight areas. His scoring is less goaltender is his tremendous sense and puck-tracking ability. He makes due to an elite shot and where he scores. If you saw a heat map for his the right read at a remarkably high frequency, with little unnecessary shots, it’s a big blob in front of the crease. Lucius lacks physicality and movement in net. Wallstedt can make a tough save when he needs to defensive value off the puck but he generates a lot of offense by going to and has some lateral quickness, but it often seems like he doesn’t have the net. His skating is a concern and he will likely not be able to separate to adjust his technique much on a given save, especially when the puck at the NHL level. In a sentence, Lucius projects as a strong top-six NHL is in the high-percentage areas. In a sentence, Wallstedt projects as a forward who can be on a top power-play unit in a bumper/net position. quality NHL starting goaltender. Brandt Clarke, RHD, Barrie-OHL TIER 5: Projected middle of lineup player Feb. 9, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 185 pounds Simon Edvinsson, LHD, Frolunda-SHL Skating: Below-average Feb. 5, 2003 | 6-foot-4 | 198 pounds Puck Skills: Above-average Skating: Average Hockey Sense: Average Puck Skills: Average Compete: Average Hockey Sense: Average Clarke went to Slovakia because there was no OHL season and was Compete: Average quite good. He is a dynamic player with the puck because of his puck Edvinsson was impressive in the junior ranks in Sweden. He was good, skills and playmaking ability. He has the poise and vision to make tough but not amazing at varying pro levels and was an anchor for Sweden’s plays from both ends of the rink. He can beat opponents with his skill U18 team internationally. He stands out instantly as a 6-foot-4 consistently and looks unique with the puck on his stick, with true first defenseman with legit offensive skill. It’s rare to see a player his size lead power-play unit potential in the NHL. The concern on Clarke is his a rush or make a play off the blue line and dangle through opponents skating as he’s a somewhat knock-kneed skater without great quickness. consistently like he does. Edvinsson is also quite a good skater for his He defends well in junior due to his sense and having decent reach, but size. His straightaway speed is just OK, but he’s got great edgework, the pace will be a concern in that regard as he advances levels. In a showing the first step and quick turns to elude pressure and create clean sentence, Clarke projects as a second or third defenseman who can be exits and entries. Defensively his size and skating allow him to close on a top NHL power-play unit but may not be able to face top opponents gaps and make a lot of stops and he’s not afraid to be physical. He’s not defensively. a dynamic playmaker, but Edvinsson can make the heads-up first pass Mason McTavish, C, Peterborough-OHL and shows some power-play poise. In a sentence, Edvinsson projects as a quality top-four defenseman and on a power-play unit with the potential Jan. 30, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 207 pounds to play higher in an NHL lineup. Skating: Below-average Corson Ceulemans, RHD, Brooks-AJHL Puck Skills: Average May 5, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 198 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Average Compete: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Shot: Above-average Hockey Sense: Average McTavish was good in Switzerland’s second-tier pro league, with the Compete: Above-average OHL season canceled, and great at the U18 worlds for Canada. McTavish has always shown he can score — and in numbers. He can Ceulemans’ season was cut short due to the AJHL’s pause. He was up attack defenses in numerous ways in the offensive zone with his NHL- and down during that season, but his U18 worlds was promising and his caliber skill, vision and shot. He is a creative player who tries to make underage profile is encouraging. Ceulemans is a complete defenseman things happen. He has the shot to score from range versus pros and is as a 6-foot-2, right-shot blueliner who is mobile, hard to play against and has offensive ability. At the AJHL level, he showed great one-on-one skill Puck Skills: Average and the ability to move the puck. He kills a lot of rushes with his skating and physicality and picks off a lot of passes. At the higher levels of play Hockey Sense: Average I’ve watched him over the years I’ve questioned if the offense will Compete: Above-average translate at a top level, particularly the playmaking. But I see enough good things in his puck moving to think he can be a good NHL player. In Lambos had a tough season between a mediocre performance in Finland a sentence, Ceulemans projects as a quality top-four NHL defenseman and medical issues ending his WHL season early. He remains a top who could possibly be on a second power-play unit with the potential to prospect due to his tools and underage profile but with more questions play higher in a lineup. than a year ago. Lambos has good speed and excellent edges, and is able to pivot quickly and escape pressure at a high level while staying Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA-VHL with fast forwards defensively. Lambos is hard to play against and Feb. 16, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 170 pounds regularly punishes opponents physically. Offensively he’s not flashy but has some strong elements with the puck. He makes a good first pass, Skating: Average and shows good flashes of offensive-zone vision and puckhandling. In a sentence, Lambos projects as a “hard to play against” second-pair Puck Skills: Average defenseman who may not be a great power-play guy in the NHL but he Hockey Sense: Above-average could be on the second unit. Compete: Above-average Cole Sillinger, C, Sioux Falls-USHL Chibrikov impressed early at the junior level this season, earning a quick May 16, 2003 | six-feet | 197 pounds promotion to playing versus men where he held his own at the VHL and Skating: Below-average KHL levels and making an appearance with Russia’s senior team. He was also a top scorer at the U18 worlds with 13 points in seven games. Puck Skills: Average He’s undersized and not an amazing skater for his size, but he’s done well versus pros because of his tremendous playmaking ability and his Hockey Sense: Average ability to win battles despite his size. He can make slick one-on-one Compete: Above-average plays, creative plays under pressure and find seams consistently. He’s physical and responsible defensively. He could be a more explosive Shot: Above-average skater ideally, but the other elements of his game pop. In a sentence, Chibrikov projects as a top-six forward who will be on an NHL power Sillinger went to the USHL with the WHL’s delayed start where he was play. one of the league’s best forwards. Sillinger is a smart player, who can make seam passes consistently and make creative plays due to his great Matthew Coronato, RW, Chicago-USHL hands and offensive IQ. He can play on the perimeter due to his vision and a great one-timer/wrist shot combo, which he gets off with velocity Nov. 14, 2002 | 5-foot-10 | 183 pounds and accuracy. He can also play inside. He wins battles, gets to the net, is Skating: Above-average reliable defensively and doesn’t shy from playing physically. His skating is an area of concern, with a heavy stride. He likely won’t be able to drive Puck Skills: Average entries at the top level. In a sentence, Sillinger projects as a top-six NHL forward, whether at center or the wing, who will bring scoring and Hockey Sense: Average physicality elements to a lineup. Compete: Above-average Aatu Raty, C, Karpat-Liiga Shot: Above-average Nov. 14, 2002 | 6-foot-2 | 185 pounds Coronato was one of the best players in the USHL and among the Skating: Below-average leaders in most offensive categories. Coronato is an undersized forward with a lot of skill who can make plays with pace. He’s a strong skater, not Puck Skills: Average elite for a small guy, but good enough to be an NHL player. He’s able to create controlled entries with his speed and skill, and make tough plays Hockey Sense: Average to his teammates on the move. Coronato is also able to play the half-wall Compete: Average on the power play and find seams as well as finish from distance. He killed penalties for Chicago and works hard enough to advance levels Raty is one of the biggest mysteries I can recall of the last few years and win battles despite his size. In a sentence, Coronato projects as a watching prospects. He was a go-to player for Finland coming up, as the versatile second-line NHL winger. No. 1 center for a solid U18 age group last season and making Finland’s U20 team a year before his draft, while also playing well versus men. He Kirill Kirsanov, LHD, SKA-KHL looked like a high-skill playmaking center with good athletic tools. Then Sept. 19, 2002 | 6-foot-1 | 198 pounds this season came and the offense disappeared. Raty’s game looked so simple between the junior and Liiga levels and he was cut from the U20 Skating: Average team. Various scouts have varying theories. Some think he lacks speed. Some think he lacks hockey sense. Puck Skills: Average I’ve seen enough over the years to still believe in the player, but it’s fair to Hockey Sense: Average say I approach him with a large degree of caution. He has skill in his Compete: Average game. He has quick-twitch hands and is great at handling the puck in small areas. He’s a fine, albeit awkward, skater who makes skilled plays Kirsanov is an interesting player because he’s a well-rounded but boring on the move but needs to add more pace to his game. His playmaking player. You’re not going to see him make some end-to-end highlight-reel and shot are both solid quality, but neither are spectacular. He has some rush. He’s 6-foot-1 and doesn’t put up a ton of points, but every coach he physicality to his game and brings energy to shifts. That’s the Raty I think plays for leans on him. His minutes kept going up at the world juniors, is there, and may show up in future years, but he didn’t this season. In a he’s already played for Russia’s national team at the senior level, and he sentence, Raty projects as an NHL second-line center after being one of held his own on a good KHL team and got playoff games. He’s very my top-ranked prospects coming into the draft season. intelligent with the puck, he skates quite well, kills a lot of rushes, and has enough puck skill to play on a power play, although that may not be Wyatt Johnston, C, Windsor-OHL his role in the NHL. I could see him being a solid two-way defenseman at May 14, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 178 pounds the NHL level, though. His conditioning is a minor issue. He also signed a two-year extension with SKA. In a sentence, Kirsanov projects as a Skating: Below-average reliable top-four defenseman who may not put up a lot of offense, but I’m not ruling out him being on an NHL second power-play either. Puck Skills: Average Carson Lambos, LHD, Winnipeg-WHL Hockey Sense: Average Jan. 14, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 197 pounds Compete: Above-average Skating: Average Johnston didn’t get a season but was a top-three line center for Canada at the U18s. Johnston didn’t get power-play time there, but he is a skilled forward who can make plays and kept seeing his ice time go up as the Skating: Below-average event went along. This built off a strong underage season. He has great in-tight hands, showing the ability to beat defenders one-on-one and Puck Skills: Average move pucks through small areas. Johnston can create chances under Hockey Sense: Average pressure and has the ability to run a power play off the flank. He isn’t a perimeter player, though. He attacks the hard areas of the ice, shows Compete: Above-average good second efforts going for loose pucks and is a responsible defensive center. Johnston has legitimately grown in the past season, going from 5- Svehckov played versus men this season, looked like he belonged at the foot-11 to 6-foot-1. He lacks NHL quickness, though, in his skating. In a pro level and had a solid U18 worlds to finish his season. He’s very sentence, Johnston projects as a second-line center. skilled, showing a lot of confidence and creativity as a puckhandler. Svechkov can create for his teammates and shows half-wall playmaking Brennan Othmann, LW, Flint-OHL ability to go with the plays he can make at pace. Off the puck, he’s physical, responsible defensively and killed penalties at the VHL level. Jan. 5, 2003 | six-feet | 175 pounds The skating is fine but lacks the true quick twitch in his feet to push Skating: Below-average defenders back and pressure with speed. In a sentence, Svechkov projects as a middle-six NHL center who provides good value at both Puck Skills: Average ends but may not be a big-time offensive player. Hockey Sense: Average Daniil Chayka, LHD, CSKA-KHL Compete: Above-average Oct. 22, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 187 pounds Shot: Above-average Skating: Average Othmann went to Switzerland’s second-tier pro league without an OHL Puck Skills: Below-average season, where he was up and down during that stint. At the U18 worlds, he was excellent, though, as one of the better wingers in the tournament, Hockey Sense: Average which looked more like his strong underage season. Othmann is a skilled Compete: Average goal-scorer. He has very quick hands to make plays in small areas and beat defenders. He sees the ice well, showing the ability to create Shot: Above-average offense with his vision. His shot can beat goalies from range and is his main weapon. He competes well enough to win pucks versus men and is Chayka has played limited minutes versus men this season and was up quite physical, although he can be a little perimeter. He lacks the ability and down for Russia’s U20 team over the course of the season. His very to separate with his skating, which is his main drawback. In a sentence, good stretches showed the promise of what you saw in the OHL. He’s a Othmann projects as a second-line NHL winger who will be able to score big defenseman who can skate like an NHLer and make a good first on and irritate opponents. pass, which has a lot of value. The offense in his game will never be flashy other than his hard point shot, and while I think he’s smart and Fabian Lysell, RW, Lulea-SHL quick enough to play well at faster paces, his subpar world juniors wasn’t inspiring. With his size and feet, he’ll make enough stops to justify not Jan. 19, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 172 pounds having a ton of offense. In a sentence, Chayka has top-pair athletic tools Skating: Above-average but projects as a second-pair NHL defenseman due to a lack of offense. Puck Skills: Average Oskar Olausson, RW, HV71-SHL Hockey Sense: Average Nov. 10, 2002 | 6-foot-1 | 180 pounds Compete: Average Skating: Average Lysell was up and down this season after a great underage season, Puck Skills: Average moving from Frolunda to Lulea midseason where he didn’t play much but Hockey Sense: Average ended strong at the U18 worlds. Lysell is one of the more talented players in the draft, who beats defenders consistently with his Compete: Below-average puckhandling displays. That he’s a great skater, with both good speed and edgework and can make very skilled plays at full flight, makes him a Shot: Above-average handful to defend. On his best shift, Lysell is using his skill and speed to Olausson bounced around between multiple pro levels and Sweden’s get around guys and take pucks to the net, or making tremendous plays junior level and mostly had success everywhere he went offensively. He with pace to his teammates. His physical effort comes and goes off the has NHL-caliber speed and skill to go with good size, which can easily let puck, but with the puck he plays with courage. In a sentence, Lysell you envision him generating clean zone entries with control. Inside the projects as a second-line winger who has the talent to dominate an NHL offensive zone, he’s more of a shooter than a passer. He can make good shift but may frustrate observers too. plays and does so with pace, but the main offensive threat he has is his Samu Tuomaala, RW, Karpat-Jr. A. Liiga shot and ability to finish from range. Olausson works fine off the puck, he’ll get back defensively but he’s not overly physical and can play on the Jan. 8, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 174 pounds perimeter too much. In a sentence, Olausson projects as a middle-six NHL winger due to his speed, skill and shot but may frustrate coaches Skating: Above-average too. Puck Skills: Average Sasha Pastujov, RW, U.S. NTDP-USHL Hockey Sense: Average July 15, 2003 | six-feet | 184 pounds Compete: Below-average Skating: Below-average Shot: Above-average Puck Skills: Above-average Tuomaala didn’t have a great club season with Karpat’s junior team, but Hockey Sense: Average his excellent U18 worlds was a reminder of how good he looked as an underager. Tuomaala is an excellent skater and his shifts have a lot of Compete: Below-average energy to them because of how quickly he can transition pucks and dart around the offensive zone. He has very good skill and can make plays, Shot: Above-average but his offense comes through his shot and how he can score from Pastujov has been a very productive player with the U.S. NTDP for the range. For an undersized forward he stays on the perimeter too much, last two seasons. He stands out with the puck on his stick because of his though, and isn’t hard to play against. In a sentence, Tuomaala projects very quick hands, great vision and ability to finish plays. He scores as a second-line winger who can be on an NHL power-play unit but may wherever he goes and shows the ability to run a power play at a high also frustrate a coach. level. The concern with Pastujov is whether his game translates to the Fedor Svechkov, C, Togliatti-VHL NHL at a high level given he’s not a great skater. There are times he looks sleepy on the ice due to the skating and subpar compete level. In a April 5, 2003 | six-feet | 187 pounds sentence, Pastujov projects as a middle-six winger who will be a big part of a power play but may have issues driving at even strength in the NHL. Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax-QMJHL debated his sense being listed as “average” or “below-average.” I’ve seen enough plays from him, particularly as an underage, to say he can May 15, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 196 pounds see the ice, but this past season made me question his sense at times Skating: Below-average and his puck decisions. His game lacks finish as well, although he went on a big goal scoring tear to end the season. Knies works hard on the Puck Skills: Above-average ice, winning a lot of battles, killing penalties and taking pucks to the net. His skating isn’t the best and will lack the ability to separate at the NHL Hockey Sense: Average level. In a sentence, Knies projects as an NHL two-way middle-six winger. Compete: Above-average Zach Dean, C, Gatineau-QMJHL L’Heureux is hard to miss when he’s on the ice. He’s a little fireball who is full of skill. He is a very imaginative puckhandler, with some of the best Jan. 4, 2003 | six-feet | 176 pounds hands in the draft who can beat most defenders with his dekes. If he can’t get through someone with his skill, he shows no fear to lower his Skating: Average shoulder and barrel towards the net. He’s also quite physical off the puck and competes at a high level. For a 5-foot-11 player, he lacks the skating Puck Skills: Average ability you’d like to see to separate from checks. The talent and Hockey Sense: Below-average production is great, but he was suspended several times this season, including for spitting on a player. In a sentence, L’Heureux projects as a Compete: Above-average middle-six NHL winger who will need to control his aggression. Dean didn’t put up as big numbers (20 points in 23 games) as you would Xavier Bourgault, C, Shawinigan-QMJHL have thought he could after his big 16-year-old season, but he did a lot of the things that make you like him as a prospect. Dean is a well-rounded Oct. 22, 2002 | six-feet | 172 pounds hockey player. He brings NHL-caliber skill to the table to go along with Skating: Average quality skating ability and a high work level. He can beat opponents not only with his hands, but also by taking the puck wide and making a hard Puck Skills: Average play to the net. He wins a fair number of battles and creates turnovers with his hustle. I wouldn’t call him a dynamic playmaker. He can make Hockey Sense: Average plays with pace and has the vision to create at even strength at the NHL level but doesn’t do so consistently. In a sentence, Dean projects to be a Compete: Average middle-six NHL forward at center or the wing who can bring speed, grit Bourgault is a very skilled forward who has put up huge numbers in the and some scoring. QMJHL the last two seasons with 111 points in 92 games. He scored 20 Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski-QMJHL goals in 29 games in 2020-21. Bourgault stands out with the puck on his stick. He’s confident, attempting to make difficult dekes and passes and Feb. 24, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 175 pounds executing at a solid frequency. At higher levels he projects to play on a power play. He’s not an exceptional skater, but he will be able to skate at Skating: Average an NHL level, and has shown he can make skilled plays on the move and play with pace. I wouldn’t describe Bourgault as a physical player or the Puck Skills: Average first guy over the boards on the penalty kill, but he backchecks well Hockey Sense: Below-average enough and creates turnovers with his hustle. In a sentence, Bourgault projects as a middle-six NHL forward, likely on the wing. Compete: Average Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops-WHL Bolduc’s numbers were good (29 points in 27 games), not as great as expected but he got better as the season went on to build off his strong Feb. 26, 2003 | 5-foot-8 | 170 pounds underage season. Bolduc is a talented forward who has a lot of elements Skating: Above-average that will translate to the pro game. He can skate well and make highly skilled plays on the move. Bolduc has very good hand-eye coordination, Puck Skills: Above-average showing the ability to make unique plays in small areas and around the net. He doesn’t have the hard, long-range shot, but Bolduc has shown he Hockey Sense: Below-average can score goals and do so by capitalizing on his chances in the slot and net areas. He can see the ice well enough, making creative plays and Compete: Above-average moving the puck where he needs to even if that’s not his top asset. His Shot: Above-average compete is good enough. Bolduc won’t run guys over or be your top competitor but he wins enough battles. In a sentence, Bolduc projects as Stankoven has been successful between the WHL and international a middle-six forward, at either center or the wing in the NHL. levels the last two seasons. Stankoven’s game has a high level of pace due to his compete. He creates chances by pressuring turnovers and Prokhor Poltapov, LW, CSKA-MHL winning puck battles, despite being 5-foot-8. His skating is more elusive Feb. 1, 2003 | six-feet | 176 pounds than fast and while he’s a good skater he doesn’t have a great top gear for a small player. He has very quick hands, showing the ability to beat Skating: Average defenders one-on-one, and control pucks in tight at a high level. Stankoven has a great wrist shot and projects to be able to beat NHL Puck Skills: Average goalies from range. He can make some plays, but his game is more direct as opposed to being a cerebral playmaker. In a sentence, Hockey Sense: Below-average Stankoven projects as a middle-six forward, likely on the wing in the Compete: Above-average NHL. Poltapov had a good, albeit not great, season in the MHL. But his strong Matthew Knies, LW, Tri-City-USHL U18 worlds reminded you of his underage season. Poltapov’s game has Oct. 17, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 210 pounds a lot of pace and energy in it. He can wind pucks up through the neutral zone with speed, and often takes it wide and drives right to the net. The Skating: Below-average amount of effort he puts forth to go with great hands, vision and speed will allow him to create offense versus men despite his size. He has a Puck Skills: Average good amount of physicality in him and can get under an opponent’s skin. In a sentence, Poltapov projects as a middle-six winger who will be able Hockey Sense: Below-average to score and agitate with his physicality in the NHL. Compete: Above-average Isak Rosen, RW, Leksands-SHL Shot: Below-average March 15, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 156 pounds Knies had a great underage season but his draft season was a struggle Skating: Average to produce as much offense as expected. Despite his mediocre point totals (42 points in 44 games) I still see a very talented player and he Puck Skills: Average was an important player for a top USHL team in all situations. I see a 6- foot-3 forward with great hands who can beat defenders clean with skill. I Hockey Sense: Average Compete: Average Skating: Below-average Rosen hasn’t popped yet at the pro level, but as a junior, between the Puck Skills: Average J20 and international level, he looks like a dangerous scorer at wing. Rosen is very creative with his one-on-one play, showing the ability to Hockey Sense: Average beat defenders clean with consistency. Rosen has impressive speed and Compete: Above-average is able to make a lot of his skilled plays through defenders and to teammates while on the move. His game has a lot of pace to it, which Salminen saw his club season end early due to restrictions in the Helsinki should translate to higher levels. Rosen didn’t get a shot grade but he area but finished well with a big U18 worlds where he was one of shows flashes of an above-average shot. He’s OK off the puck, but he Finland’s best players. Salminen is a big center who can make plays and doesn’t shy from making plays to the net. In a sentence, Rosen projects do so in the hard areas of the ice or off the flank. He gets to the net and as a middle-six NHL winger. competes well but isn’t overly physical. He lacks NHL quickness, which is the main concern on projecting him to the top level. He has offense, not a Francesco Pinelli, C, Kitchener-OHL flashy type, but makes a lot happen consistently when he’s on the ice April 11, 2003 | six-feet | 185 pounds due to his smarts and shows instances of individual skill while also being a faceoff ace. Scouts see him as a coach’s favorite type. In a sentence, Skating: Below-average Salminen projects as an NHL bottom-six center with third-line center as a realistic outcome. Puck Skills: Average Shai Buium, LHD, Sioux City-USHL Hockey Sense: Average March 26, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 209 pounds Compete: Average Skating: Below-average Without an OHL season, Pinelli went to Slovenia and was also one of the top scorers at the U18 worlds, despite limited minutes at times. Pinelli is Puck Skills: Average a highly intelligent player who can make tough plays consistently. He has the small-area skills to make checkers miss and the vision to make plays Hockey Sense: Average off the flank and under pressure. He competes well enough to win puck Compete: Average battles even if he’s not overly physical. His skating is elusive, with a decent first step and ability to 10-2 around defenders, but he lacks Buium kept progressing as the season went along, becoming an separation speed. His toolkit doesn’t scream “first-round pick” and he’s important part of a good USHL team by the end. Buium is a big listed higher than where my eyes think he should be due to just how defenseman with a high skill level. He has the stickhandling ability and much he’s shown he can score at various levels. In a sentence, Pinelli creativity to inside-out checkers often off the rush or by making attacks projects as a middle-six NHL forward who may frustrate a coach if he off the offensive blue line. He has decent offensive instincts as a doesn’t score. playmaker to find seams and make a first pass, although that aspect can be inconsistent in his game. Buium’s skating is a concern, though, as he Olen Zellweger, LHD, Everett-WHL will struggle with the pro pace due to his inability to escape pressure and Sept. 10, 2003 | 5-foot-9 | 175 pounds play fast. He has a good defensive stick and hockey sense but due to the skating, I don’t see him as a top defender versus pros. In a sentence, Skating: Above-average Buium projects as a third-pair NHL defenseman with the potential to play higher in the lineup. Puck Skills: Below-average Dmitri Kostenko, RHD, Togliatti-VHL Hockey Sense: Above-average Sept. 25, 2002 | 6-foot-1 | 187 pounds Compete: Average Skating: Below-average Zellweger was a very good all-situations player for Everett in his short WHL season and a top defenseman at the U18 worlds. His skating Puck Skills: Average stands out when you watch him. He has good quickness to lead plays up ice, while also having fantastic edgework to evade pressure. He’s an Hockey Sense: Average undersized player, but Zellweger defends well enough due to his skating Compete: Average and compete, closing well on checks and working hard to win pucks. Offensively he’s not a dynamo, but he has the skill and offensive hockey Kostenko showed well versus men and juniors this season in Russia. He sense to be a points and power-play type at higher levels, showing the stands out with the puck on his stick, has slick hands and the ability to instincts to find seams and make tough plays on the move. He’s also one fool checkers with his one-on-one plays. He’s a creative passer who of the youngest players in the draft. In a sentence, Zellweger projects as makes a strong outlet and has blue line poise. Kostenko’s main a second- or third-pair NHL defenseman who could be on a second drawback is he has a heavy skating stride. Even though he has a decent power-play unit. defensive stick and size, his lack of quickness will make his defending questionable as he advances levels, but the offense in his game keeps Justin Robidas, C, Val-d’Or-QMJHL him as a strong prospect. In a sentence, Kostenko projects to play NHL March 13, 2003 | 5-foot-8 | 173 pounds games on a third pair with enough offense to advance up a lineup. Skating: High-end Stanislav Svozil, LHD, Brno-Czech Extraliga Puck Skills: Below-average Jan. 17, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 182 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Average Compete: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Robidas was an important player on a great junior team this season. Hockey Sense: Average Robidas plays the game with a lot of speed and energy which is why Compete: Average despite being 5-foot-8, I think his game could translate to higher levels. He’s a great skater, who often takes pucks up the ice with speed and Svozil had an up-and-down season, and his ranking is more based on his charges right for the net. Off the puck, he hustles to win battles and can toolkit than his performance. He is a 6-foot-1 defenseman who can skate kill penalties. Robidas shows good instincts as a playmaker, and flashes and make plays at both ends of the rink. He has enough speed and skill of good puck skills but I wouldn’t call his puck game what gets him to the to lead a rush and create offense. He can make creative offensive plays NHL. In a sentence, Robidas projects as a middle-six NHL forward, likely on his outlets and inside the offensive blue line. His gaps are solid, he on the wing, who will be a fan and coach favorite due to his speed and takes the body and is reliable to play against better players. Some NHL work ethic. scouts think he lacks enough quickness to play in the league but I think it’s just good enough. Svozil has shown the ability to play well versus TIER 6: Projected to play NHL games men and playing ahead of his age group, which are typical indicators of Samu Salminen, C, Jokerit-Jr. A. Liiga future success. In a sentence, Svozil projects as a third-pair NHL defenseman with enough offense to play higher in a lineup crunch. April 9, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 186 pounds Evan Nause, LHD, Quebec-QMJHL Jan. 20, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 186 pounds Jan. 15, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 204 pounds Skating: Average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Above-average Compete: Above-average Nause went to the QMJHL where he quickly became an important player Nadeau isn’t a flashy player, but he is effective, producing at an in all situations for the Remparts. Nause’s athletic toolkit stands out as a impressive rate in the QMJHL (45 points in 34 games in 2020-21) and 6-foot-2 defenseman with good skating ability. He can evade pressure relied on in all situations for a good team in Shawinigan. He gets leaned well, showing good in-tight quickness and ability to turn up ice. He breaks on because he’s a big winger who wins a lot of battles and plays well in up a lot of rushes and picks off passes due to his skating and IQ and isn’t the high-traffic areas. You combine that with a player who can provide afraid to engage physically and use his big frame either. With the puck he some offense, with good enough hands and playmaking ability and it’s an isn’t flashy, but he makes a strong outlet with occasions of blue line appealing player at that size. His skating is the major knock, with a heavy creativity. In a sentence, Nause projects as a third-pair defenseman with stride that concerns scouts. In a sentence, Nadeau projects as a the potential to play higher in the lineup in the league. hardworking bottom-six NHL winger whose skating will be tested at higher levels. Artem Grushnikov, LHD, Hamilton-OHL Sean Behrens, LHD, U.S. NTDP-USHL March 20, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 198 pounds March 31, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 177 pounds Skating: Average Skating: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Above-average Compete: Above-average Compete: Average Grushnikov didn’t play all season but he has played ahead of his age group for years. He’s not a flashy player by any means from a skill Behrens is one of the most skilled puck-moving defensemen in the draft perspective. He’s intriguing, though, as a 6-foot-2 defenseman who can who was a big part of the U.S. NTDP and its offense. With the puck on skate. He’s excellent defensively due to how well he closes his gaps with his stick, he’s always making a play. He makes great outlets, and his his skating and doesn’t mind playing the body as well, landing some seam-pass percentage rate is very high in the offensive zone. He crushing hits. Offensively I can see him being a good “first-pass displays quick hands and can make tough, skilled plays under pressure. defenseman” at the higher levels and I’ve seen him on power plays at The knocks on Behrens are his 5-foot-10 frame and his lack of great various levels, but that is the aspect of his game that is in question. In a quickness for a player that size. He defends well at the junior level due to sentence, Grushnikov projects as a physical third-pair NHL defenseman his great IQ and also his not being shy to play physically, but there are who has the potential to play higher in a lineup. questions on how his game translates to higher levels with his skating. In a sentence, Behrens projects as a third-pair NHL defenseman with Mackie Samoskevich, RW, Chicago-USHL enough skill to be on a power play. Nov. 15, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 191 pounds Vladislav Lukashevich, LHD, Yaroslavl-MHL Skating: Average May 23, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 167 pounds Puck Skills: Average Skating: Average Hockey Sense: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Compete: Average Hockey Sense: Average Shot: Above-average Compete: Average Samoskevich had a good season in the USHL. Slightly more was Lukashevich’s athletic tools stand out immediately and draw NHL teams expected of him coming into the year, but he still was one of the more to him as a prospect. He’s 6-foot-2 and a strong skater, with good speed dangerous forwards in the league offensively. Samoskevich is a talented and flashes of high-end skating with his edgework. He shows instances offensive player who stands out when he has the puck on his stick. He’s of NHL-quality skill and playmaking. He wasn’t a top scorer as a junior, very skilled, showing the ability to beat opponents often with his stick but was on a stacked team and did get a lot of responsibility on that club. skills and can do so on the move. He skates well enough to play at Lukashevich’s offense will likely come from a good first pass and rushing higher levels. Samoskevich can create offense with his skill, but also pucks up as opposed to being an NHL power-play type. Defensively he’s makes plays to his teammates very well and has a shot that can finish fine but not amazing. You figure with his size, feet and not being soft he’ll from mid-range. He’s an undersized player who is just OK off the puck progress more in that area over time. A late injury ended his season and and physically. In a sentence, Samoskevich projects as an NHL bottom- prevented him from going to the U18 worlds. In a sentence, Lukashevich six forward. projects as a steady third-pair defenseman who can chip in some Aleksandr Kisakov, LW, Dynamo Moscow-MHL offense. Nov. 1, 2002 | 5-foot-10 | 150 pounds Cameron Whynot, LHD, Halifax-QMJHL Skating: Average May 5, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 180 pounds Puck Skills: Average Skating: Average Hockey Sense: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Compete: High-end Hockey Sense: Average Kisakov was a top scorer at the Russian junior level and a main reason Compete: Above-average his MHL team won the league title. It’s no surprise given his point totals Whynot’s physical tools jump out to you when you watch him. He’s a 6- (73 points in 61 MHL games in 2020-21) that he’s a player with a lot of foot-1 defenseman who skates well and can win a lot of battles. His skill. He is great on the power play and can create chances at even speed is good, not great, but he has great edges. He closes his gaps well strength with his stickhandling and vision. He’s not that big or quick, but and escapes pressure at a high level with his edges. Whynot is a he projects to play at higher levels because of how hard he works. physical player who is solid defensively due to his compete, size and Kisakov attacks the net frequently, getting a lot of goals around the skating. The big question on him is his offense. I see Whynot make good crease area. He pressures puck carriers well and kills penalties. He will outlet passes and show flashes of creativity, but inside the offensive zone endear himself to coaches with his effort to go with his skill. In a he doesn’t do a ton and his scoring production has never been a selling sentence, Kisakov projects as a bottom-six NHL winger. point. In a sentence, Whynot projects as a third-pair NHL defenseman. Olivier Nadeau, RW, Shawinigan-QMJHL Simon Robertsson, RW, Skelleftea-SHL Feb. 5, 2003 | six-feet | 190 pounds projects as a bottom-six NHL winger who can chip in scoring, but is also one of the bigger mysteries of the draft. Skating: Below-average Nolan Allan, LHD, Prince Albert-WHL Puck Skills: Average April 28, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 195 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Below-average Compete: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Shot: Above-average Hockey Sense: Average Robertsson impressed at the Swedish junior level before their season was canceled. His pro and U18 worlds had good flashes but not Compete: Above-average consistency. Robertsson has very good stick skills, is able to deke through checks frequently and create a lot of chances with his skill. He Allan’s statistics won’t inspire you (11 points in 81 career WHL games), can create off the perimeter with his playmaking, finding seams and but he is a 6-foot-2 defenseman who can kill a lot of rushes with his gap making creative passes, but his shot is more dangerous as a legit mid- control, physicality and reach and can kill penalties well. He can make a range weapon to pick corners. Robertsson works off the puck and pro-caliber first pass but his game lacks offense due to a lack of puck creates turnovers with his effort. His main flaw for the NHL is the lack of skill and creativity. He’s not going to be leading rushes or running a NHL speed and ability to pull away from opponents. In a sentence, power play at the higher levels but he does show flashes with the puck of Robertsson projects as a bottom-six NHL winger. playmaking instincts. His skating is good enough for his frame and to be an NHL player, but his quickness won’t jump out to you. In a sentence, Eetu Liukas, LW, TPS-Liiga Allan projects as a “hard to play against” third-pair NHL defenseman who has limited offense. Sept. 25, 2002 | 6-foot-2 | 198 pounds Riley Kidney, C, Acadie-Bathurst-QMJHL Skating: Below-average March 25, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 168 pounds Puck Skills: Average Skating: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Compete: Average Hockey Sense: Average Shot: Above-average Compete: Above-average Liukas played limited minutes on a top Liiga team this season. His high ranking is more a reflection of his tools and what I’ve seen of him versus Shot: Below-average juniors and his age group where I thought he was good. Liukas is a big- body winger who can score goals. He has good hands to beat defenders Kidney has a lot of aspects of his game that look intriguing from an NHL one-on-one and make plays in tight. He competes hard off the puck and perspective. He also had a great postseason run for Bathurst (17 points has some physicality, but like a lot of goal scorers, can drift to the in nine games). He has good speed and skill, with the ability to make perimeter looking to get his shot off. His game lacks pace and he doesn’t plays on the move but neither attribute is truly dynamic. He works hard, make a ton of plays. In a sentence, Liukas projects as a bottom-six NHL winning battles, being hard on pucks despite his size and being not afraid winger. to make skilled plays into the hard areas of the ice. He has pro-level playmaking ability and I can see him creating offense versus better Tyler Boucher, RW, U.S. NTDP-USHL players, even if his game lacks finish. Kidney isn’t a player you will want to filter out. In a sentence, Kidney projects to play NHL games due to a Jan. 16, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 205 pounds well-rounded toolkit, but may lack enough for an undersized player to Skating: Below-average stick in a lineup. Puck Skills: Average Lorenzo Canonica, C, Shawinigan-QMJHL Hockey Sense: Below-average Sept. 3, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 179 pounds Compete: High-end Skating: Average Boucher is the guy in this year’s draft who the selecting team’s fans could Puck Skills: Average love due to his tremendous physicality. But opposing fans will have many Hockey Sense: Average mad tweets about him. He crushes opponents with frequency and is very tough to deal with down low/around the net. He has offense but it won’t Compete: Average pop. He can make skilled plays with the puck through defenders but isn’t a real cerebral player and lacks NHL quickness. He is what he is, and he Canonica is a gifted offensive player who looked solid between the has a good chance to play in an NHL bottom six if he stays healthy, as QMJHL and Switzerland’s U20 team this season. He has a quick-twitch he’s been injured several times this past season. In a sentence, Boucher skating stride, and is able to create controlled entries with his speed and projects as a bottom-six NHL winger who will be one of the most physical skill. He can put pucks through feet and make tough plays on the move. players in a game. Canonica displays quality offensive instincts as a playmaker, moving the puck in creative ways and finding seams. He’s not that big or physical, Danila Klimovich, RW, Minsk Zubry-Belarus but works hard enough and competes for pucks. He is also one of the youngest players in the draft. In a sentence, Canonica projects to play Jan. 9, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 202 pounds NHL games in a bottom-lineup role and can provide some scoring but Skating: Below–average may have issues sticking. Puck Skills: Average Dylan Duke, LW, U.S. NTDP-USHL Hockey Sense: Below-average March 4, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 175 pounds Compete: Average Skating: Average Shot: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Klimovich is an extremely tough evaluation case. He played in the Hockey Sense: Average Belarus junior league all season then lit it up versus good nations at the Compete: Above-average U18 world championship with six goals in five games. He’s a 6-foot-2 winger with great hands who can make plays through defenders often, Duke has been a tough evaluation case for me for a long time. You using his reach and skill. He is a mid-range threat with his wrist shot and watch him and his toolkit looks rather vanilla. He’s 5-foot-10 and is a fine, one-timer. Klimovich is an average skater and passer, which can limit but not explosive, skater for that size. He has skill and playmaking ability, him in how dangerous he is off the rush if he can’t beat his checks with but it doesn’t pop. He just works very hard and finds a way to score a lot, his hands. He’s also not that good off the puck. In a sentence, Klimovich particularly around the net-front area. There are NHL scouts who don’t believe in him, and that’s reasonable, but every time I’ve watched him, he drives the play and scores and coaches tend to play him a ton. His game puckhandling displays despite not being a big point producer. Olsson may not translate to higher levels but for now, I’m a believer. In a defends well due to his size, physicality and mobility, and showed he sentence, Duke projects to play NHL games due to his skill, scoring and could play and defend versus men. Despite his skill, I don’t see him as a work ethic but may have issues sticking due to his size/skating combo. natural puck-mover who will run a NHL power play and put up a lot of points – even if he has that potential – due to his below-average vision. Jackson Blake, RW, Eden Prairie-U.S. High School In a sentence, Olsson projects to play NHL games but may lack enough Aug. 3, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 158 pounds puck-moving instincts to stick as a full-time player. Skating: Average Aidan Hreschuk, LHD, U.S. NTDP-USHL Puck Skills: Average Feb. 19, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 188 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Average Compete: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Blake was a great high school player, leading his team to a title in Hockey Sense: Average Minnesota. In the USHL he was up and down but had good stretches. Compete: Average Blake is a highly creative offensive player. He shows great puck skills consistently in how he attacks defenses and beats his checks. He is a Hreschuk was an important player for the U.S. NTDP, who played all very good passer, who can find seams, and makes plays from a standstill situations effectively. He does a lot of good things with the puck. He and on the move. Blake is undersized, but works hard to win pucks, plays makes skilled plays often, be it quality outlet passes, creative seam in the tough areas of the ice and can take a hit. He’s not a great skater plays, or putting pucks around opponents. He’s not a blazing-fast skater, for a player his size, which may challenge him at higher levels. In a but he’s quick enough to skate past guys and generate clean sentence, Blake projects to play NHL games due to his skill and work exits/entries with his skating and skill. Defensively he’s OK. Due to the ethic but may have issues sticking due to his size/skating combo. lack of size and high-end skating, he can get beaten wide now and then but he’s good enough in that area to make stops. In a sentence, Aleksi Heimosalmi, RHD, Assat-Finland Jr. Hreschuk projects to play NHL games, but may have issues sticking due May 8, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 170 pounds to his size/skating combo. Skating: Average Ryder Korczak, C, Moose Jaw-WHL Puck Skills: Average Sept. 23, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 174 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Below-average Compete: Average Puck Skills: Average Heimosalmi was fine but didn’t do a ton for me through the season. At Hockey Sense: Above-average the U18 worlds, he really popped and was named defenseman of the Compete: Average tournament. Heimosalmi has very intriguing offensive elements with the puck. He’s a strong skater, who can make a good first pass, and I’ve Shot: Below-average grown to appreciate his individual skill more with time as someone who can create in transition and moving off the blue line. At the junior level Korczak has been up and down through his three WHL years. There’s no he’s a solid defender due to his skating, but versus men that will be the denying Korczak can be a dynamic offensive player with the puck and question at his size without a ton of physicality in his game. In a one of the most skilled players in the class. His skill and playmaking sentence, Heimosalmi projects to play games but may have an issue stand out consistently, showing the ability to make tough offensive plays defining a clear NHL role. and improvise well. He can run a pro power play with his vision, and has the skill to make defenders miss often. His pace is fine, but for an Jack Peart, LHD, Fargo-USHL undersized player who lacks NHL quickness. He can also be a bit perimeter, taking too many shots from outside when he hasn’t shown the May 15, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 186 pounds ability to finish from there. He is also going to need to be better off the Skating: Average puck. In a sentence, Korzak projects to play NHL games due to his tremendous skill, but may lack enough dimensions outside his skill to Puck Skills: Below-average stick. Hockey Sense: Above-average Chase Stillman, RW, Sudbury-OHL Compete: Average March 19, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 180 pounds Peart had an impressive season, as the best player in Minnesota high Skating: Below-average school and a top defenseman for a good team. Peart’s hockey IQ is very high. He is the type of defenseman who can play big minutes due to how Puck Skills: Average smart he is at both ends of the rink. His exits are very smooth and he Hockey Sense: Below-average creates a lot of chances off his first pass. On the power play and offensive blue line, he shows poise to find seams and create offense. His Compete: Above-average skating is good enough to escape pressure and create space to make plays with his edges but lacks straight-ahead quickness. He defends well Stillman is a fun player to watch due to the energy he brings to a given enough due to his hockey IQ, but the physical tools don’t jump off the shift, even if we didn’t get to see much of him this season. He’s a very page as a 5-foot-11 good, but not great, skater. So it remains to be seen competitive player who can kill penalties and wins a lot of battles. He’s how his game translates to higher levels. In a sentence, Peart projects to grown a few inches over the last year and you can see him projecting play NHL games due to his great hockey IQ, but may have issues into a bottom-six NHL forward. He’s not going to be a primary offensive sticking in the league due to his size/skating combo. type for an NHL team, but he can make plays and his skill level can pop. The main drawback is his footspeed. In a sentence, Stillman projects to Anton Olsson, LHD, Malmo-SHL play fourth-line minutes, but may not have enough skill or speed to stick in a lineup. Jan. 26, 2003 | six-feet | 198 pounds Brett Harrison, C, Oshawa-OHL Skating: Average June 7, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 185 pounds Puck Skills: Average Skating: Below-average Hockey Sense: Below-average Puck Skills: Below-average Compete: Above-average Hockey Sense: Average Olsson played all season up with men where he held his own. I liked him versus juniors at the Swedish J20 level and he had a solid U18 worlds Compete: Above-average too. Olsson is a strong skater, and his skating combined with his puck skills make him very dangerous off the rush. He can execute Harrison went to Finland to play some games where he was solid and got Compete: Above-average limited minutes at the U18 worlds. His underage season in Oshawa has still been his best hockey. He isn’t a player whose skill set jumps off the Koivunen had an impressive season between the Finnish junior level and page, but he’s been productive. He’s an intelligent player who sees the the U18 worlds. Koivunen is a forward with a high skill level who can ice at a high level and makes difficult plays. Harrison can create offense make a lot of plays. He shows great individual creativity to beat around the net and competes well away from the puck. He has quick defenders with his stickhandling. He can make tough passing plays in hands, but I don’t see him create a ton of offense with his skill and speed. small areas, but also can run the power play and create from the His game is more of a secondary offensive type who works hard. In a perimeter. He’s not an exterior player as Koivunen works well in traffic sentence, Harrison projects to play fourth-line NHL minutes, but may not and doesn’t shy from going to the net. He’s an undersized player, though, have enough skill or speed to stick in a lineup. who lacks NHL footspeed. In a sentence, Koivunen projects to play NHL games but may not stick in a lineup due to his size/skating combo. Ryan Winterton, C, Hamilton-OHL Conner Roulette, LW, Seattle-WHL Sept. 4, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 175 pounds May 13, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 180 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Above-average Hockey Sense: Below-average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Average Compete: Above-average Winterton has an intriguing combination of size and skill. He’s creative with the puck, showing his hands can beat defenders in unique ways. He Roulette had a limited season between 11 WHL games and a limited- has instances of good playmaking but I haven’t seen that consistently. minute role at the U18s. He can create with his skill and effort. He’s very He’s not an overly physical type, but he works hard enough off the puck effective playing around the net and shows no fear from physical play. He to win battles. He has a lot of NHL-caliber elements to his game, except wins more battles than you would expect for a 5-foot-11 player as well. for his skating as Winterton lacks the quickness to separate at higher Roulette can make plays through opponents and to his teammates, but levels. With no OHL season and a limited role at the U18s, a lot of his his game is more direct with high-end one-on-one ability than being a evaluation is based on his underage year. In a sentence, Winterton cerebral player. The lack of quickness in his skating could hold him back projects to play NHL games but he may not have enough dimensions to from being more than a tail-end of the lineup type. In a sentence, be a full-time player. Roulette projects to play NHL games but does not have enough dimensions in his game to stick as a full-time player. Daniil Lazutin, C, SKA-MHL Alexei Kolosov, G, Dinamo Minsk-KHL July 25, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 180 pounds Jan. 4, 2002 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds Skating: Below-average Athleticism: Average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Kolosov is a second-year eligible prospect. He’s been on the radar for a Compete: Average few years, but his play this season versus KHL opponents and for Belarus’ national team really got the attention of evaluators. He’s a very Lazutin was one of my top-ranked prospects coming into the season and quick goalie, showing the quick twitch in his lower body to maneuver one many scouts thought would be a first-round pick. He didn’t score around the crease easily. He can make the tough save, but doesn’t lose much, and missed time due to various injuries, but ended his season well control while moving quickly, making good reads. He also moves at the U18 worlds, reminding scouts of his great underage season. efficiently and squares up pucks. The long-range shot beats him a tad Lazutin is a big center with a high skill level who can break a shift open too much which is something that’s alarming as an undersized goalie. In with his puckhandling displays. He’s not much of a playmaker, which is a sentence, Kolosov projects to play games as a backup goaltender but not a controversial statement on a player with one assist this season. His does not have enough elements in his game to be a full-time NHL player. compete is good enough. He won’t bowl guys over, but he can win battles. His skating, I thought, was a strength as an underage, but Ryan Ufko, RHD, Chicago-USHL watching him this season I thought his game lacked pace. In a sentence, I think Lazutin can play NHL games due to size and skill down the May 7, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 181 pounds middle, but he might lack enough dimensions to stick full time. Skating: Average Samuel Helenius, C, JYP-Liiga Puck Skills: Below-average Nov. 26, 2002 | 6-foot-6 | 201 pounds Hockey Sense: Above-average Skating: Poor Compete: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Ufko played a large role on a top USHL team in Chicago, playing heavy Hockey Sense: Below-average minutes in all situations. Ufko’s game is defined by his hockey sense. He is an extremely intelligent puck-mover. He has the vision and patience to Compete: Above-average make plays with the puck at a high rate with his passes at both ends of the rink. He can make the simple play well but shows the creativity to Helenius played all season versus men on a bottom Liiga team and held make tougher plays to create chances. Ufko has an NHL-caliber puck his own. He also had a good world juniors. He is imposing as a 6-foot-6 game, but the question will be whether a defenseman his size without center who competes hard. He’s a nuisance around the net with his top-end skating can get it done in the NHL, especially defensively. In a screens, tips and creating space. He can kill penalties and win battles sentence, Ufko’s hockey sense gives him a real chance to play in the versus men very well. There is a lack of a “wow” factor in his game with NHL, but his skating and size will challenge him at higher levels. the puck, though. He’s not that fast and doesn’t make many plays. His game comes down to how much you value a player with his size and Guillaume Richard, LHD, Tri-City-USHL physicality who has some — but not a ton of — offense. I think there’s enough there to be a useful bottom-six forward in the NHL. In a Feb. 10, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 170 pounds sentence, Helenius projects to play NHL games but does not have Skating: Average enough skill or speed to stick as a full-time player. Puck Skills: Below-average Ville Koivunen, RW, Karpat-Finland Jr. Hockey Sense: Below-average June 13, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 161 pounds Compete: Average Skating: Below-average Richard was a top defenseman for a good USHL team in Tri-City. He’s a Puck Skills: Average 6-foot-2 blueliner who can skate like an NHLer. The skating allows him to Hockey Sense: Average close on checks quickly to kill rushes, and easily transition pucks up the ice as a puck carrier. Defensively he could be an NHL player, but the question is how much offense he’ll bring. As an underage I saw offensive quickness in his skating and ability to generate controlled entries despite touch. In the USHL it was more flashes of skill and vision than his size and skill. Once he’s in the zone he is dangerous, though. In a consistency. In a sentence, Richard projects to play NHL games but sentence, Dach’s size and skill give him a chance but it’s questionable lacks enough skill to stick in a lineup. whether his skating will hold up in the NHL. Artyon Martino, LW, Omaha-USHL William Stromgren, LW, Modo-Allsvenskan Sept. 28, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 160 pounds June 7, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 175 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Average Compete: Average Martino ended up in the USHL after the BCHL’s delayed start and was a Stromgren took positive steps this season, becoming a good scorer and big part of a competitive Omaha team. Martino is a high-skill type who looking competent versus men. Stromgren’s physical tools are easy to makes a lot happen with the puck. He doesn’t make a lot of plays through spot when he’s on the ice. He’s 6-foot-3, can skate and has great hands. defenders, but he shows very quick hands and the ability to make plays He has the ability to create clean zone exits and entries with a high in small areas. He showed he could run a power-play flank and make frequency due to his reach, speed and skill. His offense is very plays in motion. He’s elusive enough with his skating, but for a smaller north/south and direct, as while he can make some plays I wouldn’t call player, you’d like more straightaway speed. Martino works hard enough him a great passer. He’s not a physical player or a top PK option, but to win pucks and force turnovers and kill penalties for Omaha but he isn’t Stromgren gets to the net and creates around the tough areas of the ice. an overly physical player and can be a bit perimeter. In a sentence, In a sentence, Stromgren has some clear NHL attributes but with his Martino projects to play NHL games but his size/skating combo may sense and compete, his NHL role is unclear. keep him from sticking as a full-time player. Ilya Fedotov, LW, Nizhny Novgorod-MHL Ty Gallagher, RHD, U.S. NTDP-USHL March 19, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 176 pounds March 6, 2003 | six-feet | 188 pounds Skating: Average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Compete: Average Compete: Average Fedotov’s toolkit jumps out at you when you watch him. He’s a strong Shot: Above-average skater with a very high skill level who can be dangerous off the rush with his speed and reach, getting around defenders often. He has good Gallagher is a player it took me a while to come around on. He didn’t vision, but I wouldn’t call him a natural playmaker. Instead he prefers to start the season well, often in a limited role for the U.S. NTDP team. He attack with his skill. Off the puck he’s fine but it’s not the strength of his ended the season strong, being one of Team USA’s top defensemen at game. The pure tools look top-two rounds all day long, but he did it in a the U18 worlds tournament. He has good hands and offensive instincts, lower level of competition ( of the MHL) without ever allowing him to make effective outlets and be creative inside the playing internationally, so I have questions on how he will do versus offensive zone. He also has a hard shot that can score from range and better players. His numbers don’t pop from this season (38 points in 54 be a true power-play threat. He’s a below-average skater which can lead MHL games) but he played on a deep junior team. In a sentence, to issues in the defensive zone and will challenge him as he advances Fedotov has several NHL attributes but his projection is unclear due to levels. In a sentence, Gallagher’s shot and vision could get him NHL not seeing him versus higher levels of competition. games but his skating will likely limit him from being a full-time player. Vincent Iorio, RHD, Brandon-WHL Benjamin Gaudreau, G, Sarnia-OHL Nov. 14, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 191 pounds Jan. 11, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 175 pounds Skating: Average Athleticism: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Gaudreau had a tough 16-year-old season in Sarnia where he was often asked to face a lot of chances on a nightly basis. In his brief draft season Compete: Average he was named top goaltender at the U18 worlds. Gaudreau is a smart goaltender, showing good play-reading ability. As an underage, he could Iorio played an important role on a strong WHL team this season. He overslide and be too erratic at times in net, but late in the season and into ticks a lot of boxes between his skating, defending, puck-moving and the U18s, he looked poised. He’s not an explosive lateral goalie, but he having good size. He’s not a flashy offensive player, although he shows can make tough saves and get to “hard-to-reach” pucks. He’s a tough you moments where he pops with a creative outlet pass, good seam evaluation and given the data we have, there could be a wide range of pass or hard shot from the point. I see Iorio more as a steady two-way draft outcomes for him. In a sentence, Gaudreau projects to play games guy who breaks up plays with good gaps and stickwork. He skates pucks as a backup goaltender but does not have enough elements in his game out of trouble and makes the right plays at both ends of the ice. In a to be a full-time NHL player. sentence, Iorio has qualities that could lead to NHL games, but whether he can move pucks well enough at an NHL level will be a question. TIER 7: Has a chance to play NHL games Jack Bar, RHD, Chicago-USHL Colton Dach, C, Saskatoon-WHL Oct. 7, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 193 pounds Jan. 4, 2003 | 6-foot-4 | 196 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Poor Puck Skills: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Compete: Above-average Compete: Average Bar went to Chicago following the BCHL’s delayed start and was solid in Dach took a good step this season, becoming a top player for Saskatoon the USHL. He is a 6-foot-3 right-shot defenseman with value as a first- and scoring a point per game in the WHL. He’s a big center with very pass defenseman who can make stops due to his physicality and reach. good puck skills who can show good flashes of playmaking to go with a He makes heads-up plays with the puck out of his zone with flashes of good goal-scoring touch around the net. He’s fine off the puck, but offensive creativity inside the offensive blue line. He’s not a power-play Dach’s major limitation as he advances levels will be the lack of type, though, at the higher levels. He also shows a hard point shot and can score goals. Bar’s skating is decent for his size but his mobility will game a lot, but I worry that he lacks speed, and generally isn’t much of challenge him as he advances levels since he can struggle escaping an offensive driver. I could see him playing at the tail-end of a lineup. In a pressure and transitioning pucks. In a sentence, Bar’s size and sentence, Dower Nilsson has a chance to be a bottom-six forward but a physicality give him a chance to play in the NHL, but a lack of speed/skill lack of speed will be a challenge for him in the NHL. will be his challenge as he advances levels. Tristan Broz, LW, Fargo-USHL Ilya Safonov, C, Kazan-KHL Oct. 10, 2002 | six-feet | 178 pounds May 30, 2001 | 6-foot-4 | 205 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Poor Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Average Compete: Above-average Shot: Above-average Safonov played a limited role on a top KHL team this season while also being a useful player for Russia’s U20 team. Safonov is appealing as a Broz has been a productive USHL player the last two seasons and was big center with a high skill level. He’s able to put pucks through an important player for a top USHL team this season in Fargo. His puck opponents with ease. He competes well, and combining that drive with game is excellent, showing the ability to create often with his puck skills his hands, he creates a lot of havoc and chances around the net-front and playmaking inside the offensive zone. Broz can make a lot of plays region. Safonov’s drawback, and why he’s been undrafted, is his skating. to teammates through seams and under pressure. If given time, he also It’s well below NHL quality and while he’s skilled with the puck he doesn’t has a great shot and can pick corners from mid-range. He works hard make many plays. In a sentence, Safonov is a big and very skilled enough, but I wouldn’t call him a “hard to play against” type, and his forward who has a chance to play but his skating will be a major issue in game could use more pace/quickness. In a sentence, Broz has a chance the NHL. to make it to the NHL due to his skill and scoring but will need to add speed/physicality to his game to stick. Ethan Del Mastro, LHD, Mississauga-OHL Jakub Brabenec, LW, Brno-Czech Extraliga Jan. 15, 2003 | 6-foot-4 | 210 pounds Sept. 11, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 174 pounds Skating: Poor Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Compete: Above-average Compete: Average Del Mastro was a decent underage player in the OHL. His U18 worlds were a solid performance and his only hockey of the season. Del Mastro Brabenec is one of the youngest players in the draft who has already is a big defenseman who is a strong defender. He breaks up a lot of played versus men and he has an intriguing amount of skill. The hands rushes due to his reach, physicality and ability to close gaps efficiently. and sense are good enough to be a pick, and he can create off the flank His skating is a work in progress and will be the main obstacle for him as but he’s not that quick. I’ve seen flashes of good skating from him and he advances levels since he can struggle escaping pressure as well as I’ve wavered between giving him an average skating grade or below- play in transition. His game lacks skill and offense, but he can make a average. His effort off the puck is good enough but not what stands out solid outlet pass and make the basic play out of his own end. In a about him. He was one of the Czech Republic’s top players at the U18 sentence, Del Mastro has a chance to play due to his defensive value but worlds. In a sentence, Brabenec has a chance to play in the NHL due to his game will need to add pace to be an NHL player. his skill, but a lack of speed/physicality will hinder his possibilities. Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa-Finland Jr. Janis Jerome Moser, LHD, Biel-Bienne-NLA July 29, 2003 | six-feet | 166 pounds June 6, 2000 | six-feet | 172 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Compete: Above-average Compete: Above-average Kapanen had a strong season in Finland’s junior league, scoring 25 Moser was a productive all-situations defenseman in the top Swiss goals in 37 games. His U18 worlds were less inspiring (no points in four league as a 20-year-old. He’s an intelligent and efficient defenseman games) but he was injured at the tournament. Kapanen is an interesting who lacks flash. Moser makes a strong outlet pass and has some blue prospect due to his skill and competitiveness. He’s able to make the line poise. He is smart defensively and hard on his checks, showing a flashy plays through defenders’ sticks and legs, but also is able to play in high compete level even if he doesn’t bowl guys over. With the puck he the hard areas of the offensive zone and win physical battles. He shows doesn’t make a ton happen with skill or speed. The stride is technically good instances of playmaking as well. I wouldn’t call it the main area of smooth, but he lacks explosiveness and the ability to pull away from strength of his game but it’s in there. With Kapanen, he will need to guys. In a sentence, Moser has a chance because he is a smart, improve his skating to give himself a real chance at the NHL level. In a competitive defender who has played well versus men but his skating sentence, Kapanen has a chance to play due to his skill, scoring and may keep him from the NHL. work ethic, but his skating may keep him from the league. Daniil Pylenkov, LHD, Podolsk-KHL Liam Dower Nilsson, C, Frolunda-Sweden Jr. Sept. 26, 2000 | 6-foot-1 | 194 pounds April 14, 2003 | six-feet | 172 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Below-average Puck Skills: Below-average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Above-average Compete: Average Compete: Above-average Pylenkov took significant steps as a third-year draft-eligible defenseman, Dower Nilsson is a highly intelligent and competitive player. He wins a lot playing a significant role for his KHL team and at times with the Russian of puck battles and generates a lot of offense around the net area. He national team. He’s a solid two-way defenseman who can transition can play the hard way and drive the slot to create chances, but he is also pucks with his feet and hockey sense, and make a lot of stops. I debated a creative passer who makes a lot of tough plays around the high- giving his skating a higher grade as he shows good flashes of quickness, percentage areas. With Dower Nilsson I appreciate some elements of his but not consistently. I like his offensive instincts with the puck to make plays with occasions of higher-quality skill. In a sentence Pylenkov may with some instances of good speed but he typically doesn’t have the never be the flashiest player, but there’s enough to his game to give him ability to separate. In a sentence, Landry’s skill and work ethic give him a a chance to play at the bottom of an NHL lineup. chance, but his size/skating combo may keep him from the league. Albert Sjoberg, RW, Sodertalje-Allsvenskan Dmitry Zugan, C, CSKA-MHL March 19, 2003 | six-feet | 183 pounds Nov. 23, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 176 pounds Skating: Average Skating: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Above-average Compete: Average Sjoberg is a solid north/south winger who was a decent junior this season Zugan is an excellent skater who will be able to transition pucks through and looked competent versus men. He skates well and works hard to win the neutral zone at the highest levels due to his speed. He has good battles, which is why scouts think his game will translate to higher levels. hands and is able to put pucks through defenders while on the move. He Offensively he has great hands and can shoot the puck. While he has works hard, showing the ability to force some turnovers with his effort. He some individual skill, I find he doesn’t make many plays and can be can also kill penalties and be a relied-on player for coaches. Zugan isn’t simple offensively. How much he’ll score at higher levels is a question. In the biggest forward and it’s a reasonable question on how much offense a sentence, Sjoberg has a chance to play in the NHL due to his skating he can generate versus better players. In a sentence, Zugan projects to and compete, but his offensive touch may keep him from the league. play NHL games due to his skating but he may not have enough dimensions other than that to stick. Brent Johnson, RHD, Sioux Falls-USHL Tristan Lennox, G, Saginaw-OHL March 20, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 161 pounds Oct. 21, 2002 | 6-foot-4 | 190 pounds Skating: Average Athleticism: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Lennox had no season other than Canada’s U20 camp. While his pure Compete: Below-average numbers may not excite on a quick search (3.63 goals-against average Shot: Above-average and .876 save percentage in 33 games in 2019-20), he has an NHL toolkit and has shown he can raise his game over the years. Lennox is a Johnson was a top player for Sioux Falls and one of the more dangerous goalie with NHL size and sense. He tracks plays well, anticipating passes defensemen in the USHL with the puck on his stick. He has attributes and generally being in the right position at a high level. He does lack true that jump out at you. Johnson is a good skater, he has individual skill, he top-level quickness, and though he shows good flashes of being able to can make plays to his teammates, and he has a shot that can beat make the tough save, it’s questionable if he will be able to do that in the goalies clean. Inside the offensive zone he can make a lot of skilled plays NHL. The skill set is still good enough to be a backup goalie but he will to create offense and projects as a power-play asset at higher levels. need to cut down on the long-distance goals that go in on him. In a Johnson is an undersized defenseman who has issues in his own end, sentence, Lennox has a chance to make it due to his size and sense but though, both in terms of his checking and puck management. In a he needs to prove he can stop enough pucks to be an NHL goalie. sentence, Johnson has a chance due to his offensive skill, but he’ll need to become more well-rounded to be an NHL player. Joshua Roy, RW, Sherbrooke-QMJHL Scott Morrow, RHD, Shattuck St. Mary’s-U.S. High School Aug. 6, 2003 | six-feet | 190 pounds Nov. 1, 2002 | 6-foot-2 | 195 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Below-average Compete: Below-average Roy was the No. 1 pick in his QMJHL draft year. He was traded midseason from Saint John to Sherbrooke and overall had a productive Morrow played most of the year at Shattuck’s U18 team — for a third season in 2020-21. He’s a very skilled player who can make tough plays season — but did get some time with Fargo in the USHL to end 2020-21. through defenders. He can shoot the puck, but I find he’s at his best It’s been tough to get a read on him due to the caliber of opponent he’s when he’s using his skill and creating for his teammates. Roy isn’t a played, but he has a clear NHL toolkit. He’s 6-foot-2, highly skilled, and physical player and needs work off the puck. He has subpar footspeed can skate with NHL players. His skating has progressed over time into a and scouts question whether his game translates to the NHL. He’s a strength, showing the ability to lead an attack and walk the line. He is tough player to figure out and one of the more divisive players in the draft very confident with the puck and attacks with his skill. He can make due to his great skill and production, but also his warts. In a sentence, plays, but he overcomplicates the game and makes some questionable Roy’s skill and scoring give him a chance to play in the NHL, but his lack decisions. Defensively he’s just OK. He can be a bit soft on his checks of speed and physicality will be a challenge versus men. and lack physicality. In a sentence, Morrow has some NHL qualities that give him a chance, but has to add elements to his game to allow him to William Trudeau, LHD, Charlottetown-QMJHL play. Oct. 11, 2002 | six-feet | 189 pounds Manix Landry, C, Gatineau-QMJHL Skating: Below-average Nov. 23, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 178 pounds Puck Skills: Below-average Skating: Below-average Hockey Sense: Average Puck Skills: Average Compete: Average Hockey Sense: Average Shot: Above-average Compete: Above-average Trudeau was an important player for one of the top QMJHL teams. His Landry didn’t put up big numbers this season, but I saw a player with a puck game stands out, in terms of his first passes out of the zone and good work level and a puck game that impressed. He wins a lot of battles ability to make plays inside the offensive zone. He shows flashes of great despite not being the biggest player, willing his way to scoring chances hands, and I debated giving him a higher puck-skills grade. Trudeau also and creating turnovers. He has a quick stick and can make plays off the has a great shot, showing the ability to beat goalies clean from the point. perimeter to his teammates. He shows some half-wall power-play ability Due to his hockey IQ, he defends well in junior, but Trudeau isn’t the too, although he likely won’t be that as a pro. Landry lacks quickness, quickest skater. His skating ability will be his main issue on whether he makes it at the highest level. In a sentence, Trudeau has enough offense Hockey Sense: Average to have a chance, but his skating could hold him back. Compete: Below-average Thomas Milic, G, Seattle-WHL Jimi Suomi, aka Jimi Finland, was a solid junior player this season. April 14, 2003 | six-feet | 170 pounds Suomi is a tremendous skater, with the ability to transition pucks up ice at higher levels. He’s also a threat to attack with his speed. He’s got some Athleticism: Average offensive touch and instincts, but they don’t pop like his skating and he Hockey Sense: Above-average didn’t produce that much offense this season. Suomi is also an undersized defenseman who has issues defending due to his size and a Milic didn’t get much of a season in — nine games in the WHL and a few lack of physicality. In a sentence, Suomi has a chance to make the NHL starts at the U18s — but he looked promising in that abbreviated year. due to his skating, but needs to round out his game. Milic is a highly intelligent goalie. His movements are very efficient in goal and he seems to always make good decisions between how he reads the Viljami Marjala, LW, Quebec-QMJHL play, moves around the crease and challenges/uses his stick. The Jan. 29, 2003 | six-feet | 178 pounds athletic profile doesn’t jump out at you. He’s six-feet and quick, but not overly quick and there aren’t a lot of NHL goalies who look like that. But Skating: Below-average his hockey sense/technical skill gives him a chance. In a sentence, Milic has a chance to play games as an NHL backup goaltender but may not Puck Skills: Average have enough elements in his game. Hockey Sense: Average Aku Koskenvuo, G, HIFK-Finland Jr. Compete: Below-average Feb. 26, 2003 | 6-foot-4 | 173 pounds Shot: Below-average Athleticism: Below-average Marjala was a productive and important player for Quebec. He is a skilled Hockey Sense: Average playmaker who can see the ice at a high level off the flank and hit seams consistently. Marjala can make plays through defenders but lacks the Koskenvuo didn’t put up great numbers this past season (2.92 goals- quickness to execute those kinds of plays on the move. He controls against average and .893 save percentage in 13 games with HIFK) but pucks quite well, though, and makes tough plays in small areas. While he he’s still a goalie who drew the attention of NHL scouts. Koskenvuo looks works hard enough he’s not an overly physical player and can drift to the like a pro goaltender due to his size, good quickness and great perimeter. You would have liked to have seen him score a few more smarts/reads in goal. The lateral agility is solid for his size but not goals (five in 30 games in 2020-21), as his game can lack finish. In a amazing relative to NHL standards. He also has a tendency to let in soft sentence, Marjala’s skill and vision give him a chance but his game may goals, in part due to his busy glove hand. In a sentence, Koskenvuo have too many holes to play in the NHL. didn’t have a good season but he has a chance to play in the NHL due to his toolkit. Dmitry Kuzmin, LHD, Minskie Zubry-Belarus Maxim Motorygin, G, Dynamo Moscow-MHL April 23, 2003 | 5-foot-9 | 178 pounds Dec. 24, 2002 | six-feet | 178 pounds Skating: Above-average Athleticism: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Motorygin is an entertaining goalie to watch due to his high-level Compete: Average quickness. He’s able to get to pucks other goalies can’t due to how Kuzmin is a talented defenseman who had a strong U18 worlds as a top quickly he explodes across the crease and recovers. He reads plays very player for a Belarus team that surprised. He also played all of his club well, not overreacting and staying square despite how quick he moves. season in the Belarus pro league. Kuzmin has the skating and skill that He’s aggressive with his challenges and poke checks, arguably too will translate to higher levels and allow him to transport pucks up ice. He aggressive at times. His main drawback is his size at six-feet, which is has moments where he can create offense out of nothing. I’m not sold well below NHL standards. He’s a competitive goalie who fights through that he’s a true playmaker/high-level puck-mover in the NHL who can use traffic for a small guy. Some may even say he’s got a good motor. His these attributes as an undersized defenseman at the same time. In a puck playing can be an issue at times. In a sentence, Motorygin has a sentence, Kuzmin has an intriguing talent base even for an undersized chance to play due to his elite quickness and great poise, but his size player, but I need to see more from him over a longer sample size to say may limit him at higher levels. he will be an NHL player. Noah Meier, LHD, ZSC-NLA Xavier Simoneau, C, Drummondville-QMJHL Sept. 24, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 172 pounds May 19, 2001 | 5-foot-7 | 174 pounds Skating: Average Skating: Above-average Puck Skills: Below-average Puck Skills: Below-average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Compete: Average Compete: Above-average Meier is a steady two-way defenseman who does a lot of good things on Simoneau has gone through the draft a few times and although he’s the ice and looked competent versus men this season. He also looked been a good junior in that timeframe it’s easy to understand why he’s yet good at the U20 level for Switzerland. He’s a strong skater who can close to be picked. He’s very small at 5-foot-7 and he’s a strong skater, but for on checks and escape pressure. He can transition pucks due to a good that size, he’s not as explosive as you’d like. He has offensive skill and first pass and his ability to skate pucks up ice. He’s not a big point playmaking ability, which can be very good at times but it’s not elite. I see producer but there is offense in his game, and his skill will flash high enough skill with him, plus he has a high effort level and a well-rounded quality on occasion in terms of making checkers miss with his game. All this, along with enough quickness, makes me think he has a stickhandling or making a tough seam pass. He’s not that big or physical shot. In a sentence, Simoneau’s speed, scoring and work ethic give him so he may not be a top defender, but due to the skating he should be a chance at the NHL but he’s so small and not dynamic offensively. competent as he advances levels. In a sentence, Meier has a chance due to his skating and IQ but his game may be too vanilla to carve out an James Malatesta, LW, Quebec-QMJHL NHL role. May 31, 2003 | 5-foot-9 | 179 pounds Jimi Suomi, LHD, Jokerit-Finland Jr. Skating: Average March 1, 2003 | 5-foot-9 | 147 pounds Puck Skills: Below-average Skating: Above-average Hockey Sense: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Compete: Above-average Malatesta doesn’t jump out at you initially when you watch him as an Bardakov isn’t going to be a big pro scorer or the flashiest player, but he undersized player. He doesn’t have speed or skill that truly pops and his endears himself to scouts and coaches due to his great work ethic and numbers went down this season from his great underage year — from physicality, especially given his large frame. As the season went along 0.76 points per game in 2019-20 to 0.72 in 2020-21. He buzzes around between his KHL, WJC and senior national team play, he kept winning the ice, though due to his work ethic. He’s constantly in the mix of things over more scouts. He gives opponents fits with his forechecking and play physically, winning more battles than he should for his size and creates a in the hard areas. Bardakov can make the odd good play with the puck, lot of turnovers. Malatesta has the hockey sense to create plays off the but he doesn’t have much individual skill. His skating and lack of perimeter and shows flashes of offensive creativity, but I don’t see him as quickness is my main source of concern in projecting him to the NHL. In a true scorer at the higher levels. Ideally his skating gains another step, a sentence, Bardakov has a chance due to his physicality, but without but he’s quick enough to play versus men. In a sentence, Malatesta has much speed or skill it would be tough to find an NHL spot for him. a chance due to his work ethic and scoring, but as a small player without dynamic qualities, it will be tough versus men to carve out a spot in the Vasily Atanasov, C, Khanty-Mansiysk-MHL NHL. Sept. 25, 2002 | 5-foot-10 | 147 pounds Viljami Juusola, LHD, Karpat-Finland Jr. Skating: Above-average April 19, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 156 pounds Puck Skills: Average Skating: Average Hockey Sense: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Compete: Above-average Hockey Sense: Average Atanasov’s game has a lot of speed and energy. He has a quick-twitch Compete: Average skating stride that allows him to transition pucks up ice well. He’s hard on pucks, forcing a lot of turnovers with his effort and skating, and is a good Juusola has played well for Finland internationally over the years, two-way forward. He makes plays through defenders with his puck skills including playing up age groups. He’s never been a big offensive type, consistently and does so on the move. He has some playmaking ability, though, which isn’t ideal as an undersized defenseman. His sense allows but the question on Atanasov is how much offense is in his game, him to be a good player at various levels. He can defend and move particularly for an undersized forward, as he didn’t score that much for pucks versus good players due to his hockey IQ and decent feet. He his age in the MHL. In a sentence, Atanasov has a chance at the NHL lacks much offensive flash in terms of his skill and lacks top-end speed due to his speed and work ethic with some skill, but given his size and but wherever he goes, coaches tend to lean on him. In a sentence, lack of great production he may not make it. Juusola has enough skating, sense and offense to have a chance but his game may be too bland to make it to the NHL. Matvey Petrov, LW, Krylya Sovetov Moscow-MHL Dmitrii Katelevskii, C, Kazan-VHL March 12, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 178 pounds Jan. 17, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 190 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Below-average Compete: Above-average Shot: Above-average Katelevskii played versus men this season and looked good in Russia in Petrov was the No. 1 pick in the CHL Import Draft to North Bay but their second division. At the U18 worlds, he didn’t score much but saw played in Russia all season where he was solid in the junior league there. his responsibility increase as the tournament progressed. Katelevskii is a He’s a player who stands out with the puck on his stick. He makes skill center who has some skill, can kill penalties and can create in the plays frequently through defenders and shows a lot of creativity as a tougher parts of the offensive zone. He’ll make a creative play with the playmaker from the perimeter and in small areas. Petrov also has a big puck here or there, but his playmaking and puck game don’t stand out. shot that can score from range. He has a technically smooth skating His skating also isn’t at NHL quality yet. In a sentence, Katelevskii has a stride, but it lacks quickness to separate from opponents. Petrov can play chance to play due to his size, work ethic and some offense, but his too much on the perimeter, though, and while he can score from there skating will need to progress. you’d like to see him generate more in the high-percentage areas. In a sentence, Petrov has a chance due to his skill and scoring, but he will Caedan Bankier, C, Kamloops-WHL have to add elements to play in the NHL. Jan. 26, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 190 pounds Niko Huuhtanen, RW, Taapara-Jr. A. Liiga Skating: Below-average June 26, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 204 pounds Puck Skills: Average Skating: Below-average Hockey Sense: Average Puck Skills: Average Compete: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Bankier was a good player for a top WHL team, seeing his responsibility Compete: Above-average go up as the short season progressed for Kamloops. Bankier is a big center with a legit skill level and he’s able to make creative plays in small Shot: Above-average areas. He shows good offensive instincts in how he improvises and Huuhtanen is a tough evaluation because he has a lot of appealing pro creates for his teammates. Bankier isn’t overly physical, but he competes elements and several significant flaws. He’s a big winger who is very well enough and can PK. He’s not the best skater and will struggle to physical. He has slick one-on-one skill to beat defenders consistently. He separate off his checks at higher levels. In a sentence, due to his skill can make creative plays, but his shot is his calling card, with a very hard and size he has a chance to play in the NHL but his skating may hold him release that can beat goalies clean from distance. Huuhtanen’s skating back from doing so. and consistency are not the best. It’s not clear if he can be a driver Zakhar Bardakov, C, Podolsk-KHL versus men due to his lack of quickness and playmaking on top of some conditioning issues. In a sentence, Huuhtanen has a chance to make the Feb. 24, 2001 | 6-foot-3 | 198 pounds NHL due to his skill and shot, but his game has a lot of limitations. Skating: Below-average Carson Latimer, RW, Edmonton-WHL Puck Skills: Below-average Jan. 10 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 181 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Above-average Compete: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Average Grubbe started off his abbreviated season well before a knee injury ended his WHL campaign. When healthy, Grubbe is a big center with Latimer’s athletic tools jump out to you right away when you watch him at skill. He has the one-on-one ability to beat opponents clean with his 6-foot-1 with the kind of skating that will excel in the NHL. He darts stickhandling. He’s not an overly creative playmaker, but due to his frame around the offensive zone and can push the pace off the rush. He wins a and work ethic, he’s able to create a lot around the hard areas of the lot of battles due to his skating and a decent compete level, although I offensive zone and make skilled plays in small areas. His quickness is wouldn’t call him a “hard to play against” type. With the puck, he has decent for his frame but he lacks the ability to separate from his checks. good moments with his skill and vision, but also stretches where he In a sentence, Grubbe’s size and hands give him a chance at the NHL, doesn’t do much and looks limited with his puck game. In a sentence, but he’s a hard player to get a read on because he hasn’t played much Latimer has a chance due to his great skating, but he will need to prove high-level hockey the last two years. he can bring other elements to an NHL lineup. Josh Doan, RW, Chicago-USHL Robert Baco, RW, Karlovy Vary-Czech Jr. Feb. 1, 2002 | 6-foot-1 | 183 pounds Feb. 5, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 210 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Average Compete: Above-average Doan, the son of longtime NHLer Shane Doan, was one of the top Baco hasn’t been an overly productive junior player but he has tools that forwards in the USHL this season as a second-year draft eligible. Josh could help him score at higher levels. In particular, the fact he’s 6-foot-3 Doan’s offensive touch popped this season (70 points in 53 games) after with very good puck skills should help him. He’s shown he can play not showing as well in his first USHL season. He exhibited slick one-on- versus good players and create some offense due to his skill and work one ability and displayed the offensive creativity to generate chances for ethic. He has off-puck value, winning battles and backchecking well. his teammates as well. He works hard, he’ll go to the net, he can win Baco’s skating may limit him, though, and I don’t see his offensive battles along the boards and is solid defensively. With Doan, his major instincts as all that impressive either with the puck. In a sentence, Baco drawback is a lack of NHL-caliber footspeed. In a sentence, Doan has has a chance due to his size, compete and skill but he will need to play enough skill and work ethic to have a chance, but his skating may keep faster to get to the NHL. him from the league. Miguel Tourigny, RHD, Blainville-Boisbriand-QMJHL Kyle Masters, RHD, Red Deer-WHL Feb. 9, 2002 | 5-foot-8 | 165 pounds April 9, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 175 pounds Skating: High-end Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Compete: Average Compete: Average Shot: Above-average Masters played a big-minutes role for Red Deer showing he could be Tourigny emerged as one of the top defensemen in the QMJHL. He effective at both ends of the rink. Masters makes a lot of plays with the stands out with the puck on his stick due to his tremendous skating, puck. He executes strong outlets, shows good blue line poise in how he showing the quick-twitch stride to escape pressure and lead rushes well distributes and has strong one-on-one skill to beat checkers off the rush. versus men. He has good creativity and instincts with the puck – being The skating stride isn’t explosive, but the stride technique is smooth able to find seams – and is a power-play weapon due to having a great enough that I debated giving it a higher grade. Some NHL scouts shot to go with his skill. The downside for Tourigny is he’s a 5-foot-8 disagree with me and think he’s a strong skater. His statistical profile defenseman who is decent defensively, but not amazing in that regard doesn’t excite (10 points, all assists, in 20 games in 2020-21), but I see with questions on how he’ll defend versus men. In a sentence, Tourigny’s enough NHL attributes in his game where he could provide value. In a skating and offense give him a chance to make it to the NHL, even as a sentence, Masters’ puck game gives him a chance but his skating could tiny defenseman. hinder him versus pros in the NHL. Cole Huckins, C, Acadie-Bathurst-QMJHL Jacob Holmes, LHD, Sault Ste. Marie-OHL May 14, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 200 pounds July 4, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 205 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Hockey Sense: Below-average Hockey Sense: Above-average Compete: Average Compete: Average Huckins took positive steps this season and was an important player for Holmes didn’t play this season and played limited minutes as an Bathurst. He’s a big forward with a high skill level. He shows confidence underage with his OHL club the previous season so he’s a tough player and creativity with the puck, often beating opponents with his one-on-one to get a read on. My thoughts are based on the little I saw in the OHL and dekes. He won’t be a top playmaker on an NHL team, but he can find his a lot from his play with Canada’s U17 team — both stints came in 2019- teammates well enough to create chances. Off the puck, he’s decent and 20. I liked Holmes’ hockey sense a lot. I see a player who has the poise shows a physical edge to go with his big frame, but he can also be a bit to make blue line plays to create a lot of offense. He also makes strong perimeter. The main drawback with Huckins is his skating as he will outlets. His skating is fine, but overall the quickness and defending ability struggle to pull away and create space for himself at the NHL level. In a could use work. In a sentence, Holmes needs to round out his game but sentence, Huckins has a chance due to his size, skill and scoring but his he has a chance to play in the NHL due to his hockey sense. game may have too many flaws to play in the NHL. Nikita Novikov, LHD, Dynamo Moscow-MHL Jayden Grubbe, C, Red Deer-WHL July 25, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 196 pounds Jan. 12, 2003 | 6-foot-2 | 200 pounds Skating: Below-average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Below-average Compete: Average Compete: Above-average Novikov didn’t get a lot of responsibility as one of the youngest players vision to make plays. His skating is a significant issue, though, for on the MHL’s best team, but he had good flashes. I also liked his U18 projecting him to the NHL level as his game lacks a lot of pace. In a worlds where his responsibility kept going up as it went on. Novikov is a sentence, Matier has a chance to play due to his size and sense but his big defenseman who is a decent skater for a guy his size, even if he’s not skating may keep him from the NHL. overly quick. He can pass pucks up the ice well and has some blue line poise. Defensively he’s solid enough due to his reach and physicality. Daniil Sobolev, RHD, Windsor-OHL The lack of pace in his game hurts him in transition both ways. In a March 3, 2003 | six-feet | 210 pounds sentence, Novikov has a chance to play in the NHL due to his size and sense but needs more pace in his game. Skating: Average Topias Vilen, LHD, Pelicans-Liiga Puck Skills: Below-average Apr. 1, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 194 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Below-average Compete: Above-average Puck Skills: Below-average Sobolev didn’t play all season with the OHL not going, but he showed promise as an underage in Russia. He’s not a flashy offensive player, Hockey Sense: Average only recording six points in 48 MHL games in 2019-20, but he can make Compete: Average a good first pass. Sobolev’s value comes on the defensive end. He’s a mobile, physical defender who has grown a few inches over the last year. Vilen played versus men this season on a good Liiga team and didn’t He makes a lot of stops and has enough of a puck game and straight- look out of place. He was also one of Finland’s top minute eaters at the ahead speed to transport pucks. In a sentence, Sobolev has a chance at U18 worlds. He’s an intelligent puck-mover who can make a first pass the NHL due to his skating and physicality but a lack of offense will be his versus men and can make stops. His skating is OK. His edges are good, struggle at higher levels. but he lacks straight-away quickness. The skating is good enough to defend in Liiga but as he advances levels the question will be whether he Verner Miettinen, C, Espoo-Finland Jr. has enough mobility or skill to fill a role in the NHL. In a sentence, Vilen April 7, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 165 pounds has a chance to play due to his hockey sense but his mobility may prevent him from making the NHL. Skating: Below-average Nikita Buruyanov, C, Dynamo St. Petersburg-MHL Puck Skills: Average Oct. 2, 2002 | 5-foot-10 | 172 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Average Compete: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Miettinen’s physical toolkit doesn’t pop initially given he’s 5-foot-11, not a great skater and while skilled, he won’t dazzle with the puck. He gets the Hockey Sense: Average most out of that package due to his smarts and work ethic. Miettinen Compete: Above-average does show flashes of skill and can create offense through his playmaking. He creates turnovers, gets to the net and is a reliable Buruyanov is a smaller forward with good, but not great, speed. Still, I defensive forward. His game may not translate to higher levels due to the think he has a chance to play because of his great offensive abilities. lack of quickness. In a sentence, Miettinen has a chance due to his With the puck, he makes a lot happen with his one-on-one moves, and compete and having some offense, but his skating may prevent his game he’s a very creative passer. He makes a lot of plays under pressure and from reaching the NHL. can play in the hard areas of the ice. He can also kill penalties. At his size, it will be hard for him to play in the NHL without an extra step of Connor Kurth, RW, Dubuque-USHL speed in his skating. In a sentence, Buruyanov has a chance to make the July 30, 2003 | six-feet | 207 pounds NHL due to his skill and compete but will need to add quickness. Skating: Below-average Nikolai Makarov, LHD, CSKA-MHL Puck Skills: Average Jan. 12, 2003 | 6-foot-3 | 190 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Average Compete: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Kurth didn’t put up a ton of points this season (41 points in 52 games) in Hockey Sense: Below-average the USHL, but when watching him you saw signs of a player with Compete: Average intriguing skill and hockey sense for the higher levels. Kurth can create in small areas and make tough plays to his teammates. He’s not overly Makarov’s profile is a lot of projection as a 6-foot-3 defender who skates physical or a PK type, but Kurth does create some turnovers and wins well. He has an athletic toolkit that has potential and he’s done well with battles. His skating is the main limitation. He has a short stride without Russia’s national team, but he had five points in 40 games in the MHL much power and his conditioning could be better as well. In a sentence, this season and the lack of offense is a concern. I’ve seen him make Kurth’s skill and hockey sense give him a chance but with his skating it’ll good outlet passes, and show moments of creativity from the offensive be tough to play in the NHL. blue line, but those moments are rare. He defends well and he did look good with Russia’s U18 team to end the season in a defensive role, but Simon Knak, LW, Portland-WHL he’s not overly physical. In a sentence, Makarov’s size and skating give Jan. 27, 2002 | 6-foot-1 | 194 pounds him a chance at the NHL but his game is devoid of offense. Skating: Below-average Jack Matier, RHD, Ottawa-OHL Puck Skills: Average April 8, 2003 | 6-foot-4 | 200 pounds Hockey Sense: Below-average Skating: Poor Compete: Above-average Puck Skills: Below-average Knak was passed over in the 2020 draft, but he could be picked this Hockey Sense: Average summer after a much stronger second WHL season where he was one of Compete: Average the top forwards in the U.S. division. He showed well in Switzerland’s pro level too, where he played 25 games to go along with his 24 in Portland. Matier played a limited role for Ottawa as an underage. His only hockey Knak is a competitive forward who can play on the PK and play hard of the season was at the U18s for Canada where he was their seventh minutes, but with some skill. His game isn’t that flashy and he attacks in defenseman, so there is a lot of projection in his game due to the lack of straight lines, but does so effectively. His skating is just OK and that will sample size. Matier is a big defenseman with good hockey sense. He’s a be his main challenge for the NHL with the way he plays. In a sentence, strong defender due to his size and reach and can kill penalties. Knak has a chance at the NHL due to his work ethic and skill, but his Offensively he makes a good outlet pass and shows some blue line skating may hold him back. Matvei Nadvorny, RW, Dynamo Moscow-MHL Puck Skills: Average Feb. 17, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 174 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Above-average Compete: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Teleguine stood out to me when I watched him in New England prep two seasons ago. He didn’t post big numbers in the BCHL in their shortened Hockey Sense: Below-average season (18 points in 20 games), but his talent level is interesting. He’s Compete: Above-average undersized, but Teleguine has the quickness to play at faster paces. He can make skilled plays through defenders on the move as well. He’s a Nadvorny was a good – albeit not overly-productive – player in the MHL creative playmaker, who can find seams and improvise. Teleguine lacks playing on the best team in the league. His season ended in January due size and physicality and doesn’t always give his best effort. His four goals to a lower-body injury. When healthy, he’s a very quick and competitive on the season is also a concern. In a sentence, Teleguine’s speed and player who brings a lot of energy. He has enough skill to be shifty in open skill give him a chance at the NHL but he will need to be more consistent. ice and make dangerous north/south rushes. There isn’t a lot of cerebral/playmaking ability in his game, but he attacks the net and Kyle Kukkonen, C, Maple Grove-U.S. High School creates around the high-percentage areas. In a sentence, Nadvorny’s Nov. 13, 2002 | 5-foot-10 | 172 pounds skating and work ethic give him a chance, but as a small forward without big numbers it’ll be hard to see his path to the NHL. Skating: Average Josh Williams, RW, Edmonton-WHL Puck Skills: Average March 8, 2001 | 6-foot-1 | 190 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Below-average Compete: Average Puck Skills: Average Kukkonen has been a highly productive player in Minnesota high school hockey. He’s very skilled and creative with the puck with his one-on-one Hockey Sense: Below-average plays and ability to create for his teammates. He’s not the biggest Compete: Average forward and while he skates fine, he doesn’t have the true top-end quickness you’d like to see at his size where he could turn the corner on Williams is a third-year eligible prospect who has been on the draft radar defenders at higher levels. Kukkonen works off the puck, winning some for a while. He stepped up this season to become a top player on one of battles and going to the net, but his compete is not a standout trait. In a the best teams in the CHL. Williams has always had offensive skill and sentence, Kukkonen’s skill gives him a chance, but as a small forward goal-scoring ability, but has been passed over due to his skating. He also without a ton of speed, it’ll be a tough road for him to the NHL. lacks great off-the-puck elements. The skating is still a concern, but I’ve seen an attempt to round out his game, enough to at least give him a Nick DeGrazia, LW, Sudbury-OHL puncher’s chance as a pro given his size and skill. In a sentence, Dec. 3, 2002 | six-feet | 180 pounds Williams has a chance to play in the NHL due to his skill and scoring touch but will need to improve his skating. Skating: Average Ben Roger, RHD, London-OHL Puck Skills: Average Nov. 3, 2002 | 6-foot-4 | 200 pounds Hockey Sense: Below-average Skating: Below-average Compete: Average Puck Skills: Below-average DeGrazia’s toolkit jumps out to you as a player with decent size who can skate like an NHLer and has puck skills. He’s able to rush pucks like a Hockey Sense: Below-average pro and generate clean entries. DeGrazia makes some plays, but I Compete: Average question his decision-making at times and wonder if he will be able to create offense for his teammates at higher levels. I think his game Roger barely played in the 2020 season on a deep London team. When translates to the pros less in a scoring role, but he will need to be a he did play you saw a toolkit that has a chance to make it as a pro. At 6- “speed and compete” type. He has yet to play versus true high-level foot-4 he’s not a burner, but he’s a strong skater for that size with a opponents but did look good at the World Jr. A challenge a year and a technically smooth stride that you could see translating to higher levels. half ago. In a sentence, DeGrazia’s skill/speed combo gives him a With the puck, he had occasional flashes but I can’t say that aspect stood chance at the NHL, but he’ll need to prove he can create offense versus out. In a sentence, Roger is an NHL longshot due to limited high-level better players. experience, but has a chance to play due to a good skating/size combination. Avery Hayes, RW, Hamilton-OHL Victor Stjernborg, C, Vaxjo-SHL Oct. 10, 2002 | 5-foot-10 | 175 pounds May 22, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 202 pounds Skating: Average Skating: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Puck Skills: Below-average Hockey Sense: Average Hockey Sense: Average Compete: Average Compete: Above-average For 2020-21, Hayes played in Slovakia because there was no OHL season. Previously in the OHL in 2019-20, he looked like a decent Stjernborg is not a player that will pop out to you in a typical way, but he’s prospect. Hayes’ puck game stands out. He has slippery skill and the a player coaches love, which is how at 17 years old, he found his way ability to make checkers miss in tight spaces. He’s more of a puck into a regular shift on the SHL champions. He’s undersized and he’s not handler, but Hayes has good offensive instincts as a distributor. The that fast or skilled with the puck, but he makes the most of what he has athletic traits don’t excite you at 5-foot-10 and his skating is just fine. due to his hockey sense and competitiveness. He has enough offensive Hayes’ edgework is good and he competes well enough, but you’d like instincts to make tough offensive plays and create in hard areas. He more speed at his size. In a sentence, Hayes has a chance at the NHL generates a lot of offense through his work ethic, forcing turnovers and due to his skill, but a lack of quickness could hold him back. creating around the net-front area. That may not be enough, but at several levels he has found ways to produce and get coaches to lean on Oscar Plandowski, RHD, Charlottetown-QMJHL him. In a sentence, Stjernborg’s work ethic and play versus men give him May 18, 2003 | six-feet | 190 pounds a chance, but his toolkit may be too bland to play in the NHL. Skating: Average Alexander Teleguine, C, Chilliwack-BCHL Puck Skills: Average Sept. 17, 2002 | 5-foot-10 | 183 pounds Hockey Sense: Below-average Skating: Average Compete: Average and vision and a nice scoring touch around the net. The offense in his game isn’t flashy but there’s enough there to be intriguing. He competes Plandowski is a solid two-way defenseman. His skating drives a lot of his well enough but isn’t that physical or good defensively. He is a below- game in terms of how he can transition pucks up ice and close gaps. average skater, which makes scouts skeptical about his pro projection He’s not an overly productive scorer, but does have some skill and and what kind of role he’ll fill. In a sentence, Alarie has enough size and playmaking in his game. This pops on occasion, but not consistently. I offense to have a chance at the NHL but will need to add more pace to could see him play in the NHL due to the skating and know some scouts his game. who think that will be the case. But I have my reservations due to the lack of offense and given he doesn’t have great size or physicality to project Marcus Almquist, RW, Rodovre-Denmark as a top defender. In a sentence, Plandowski’s skating gives him a chance, but a lack of any real puck game likely keeps him out of the Sept. 13, 2003 | 5-foot-7 | 162 pounds NHL. Skating: Above-average Dovar Tinling, LW, Vermont-Hockey East Puck Skills: Average March 3, 2003 | 5-foot-11 | 185 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Below-average Compete: Above-average Puck Skills: Average Almquist is a talented forward who was good in Sweden’s junior league Hockey Sense: Average this season. He’s able to create offense due to his great skill and ability to beat checks with his stickhandling. He’s also able to generate through Compete: Average his hustle, creating turnovers and winning some battles despite his size. He plays well around the net, too. Almquist skates well, but he doesn’t Tinling struggled this season, playing a limited role on a weak NCAA have elite speed or skill, and for a 5-foot-7 player that could be a problem team. Tinling is an undersized, yet highly skilled forward. He has as he advances levels. In a sentence, Almquist is a well-rounded forward confidence and creativity with the puck and attacks with his skill. He can with enough attributes to have a chance, but he’s a small forward who make plays and competes well enough, allowing him to be effective in all isn’t dynamic enough for the NHL. areas of the offensive zone. The main drawback for him – other than his size – is he lacks true NHL-quality speed for a 5-foot-11, 185-pound Brett Brochu, G, London-OHL player. In a sentence, Tinling’s skill gives him a shot, but his game lacks enough dimensions other than the skill to make it at the NHL level. Sept. 9, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 177 pounds Nicolas Daigle, C, Victoriaville-QMJHL Athleticism: Above-average Sept. 27, 2002 | 5-foot-9 | 158 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Above-average Brochu was surprisingly great in the OHL in 2019-20. He was second in the league in save percentage, posting a .919 on the season, and was Puck Skills: Below-average invited to Canada’s U20 camp in the winter where he was cut from the final squad. He’s a very small goalie by NHL standards, which is an Hockey Sense: Average issue. He looked great in the OHL and looks to have the components to Compete: Above-average possibly overcome his size. Brochu is tremendously quick in his side-to- side movements. He can get to tough pucks consistently. He does so Daigle brings a lot of speed and energy to his shifts. He can beat while not ever looking rattled in the net, making a lot of great reads and defenders wide with speed and he attacks the net often to create offense. anticipating the play at a high level. In a sentence, Brochu is a very small He kills penalties well, and despite being a smaller player, wins his fair goalie but he has a chance to make the NHL due to his great sense and share of battles. Offensively he has some skill, at around a point-per- quickness. game guy this year for the QMJHL champions. He showed good hands and vision but he isn’t a true standout with the puck. Daigle also lacks Peter Reynolds, C, Saint John-QMJHL some finish around the net despite getting his chances. In a sentence, Jan. 20, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 167 pounds Daigle’s skating and compete give him a shot, but he may not have enough offense for a small forward at the NHL level. Skating: Average Deni Goure, C, Owen Sound-OHL Puck Skills: Average July 15, 2003 | 5-foot-10 | 182 pounds Hockey Sense: Average Skating: Above-average Compete: Below-average Puck Skills: Average Reynolds has been a productive junior player between the BCHL and QMJHL. He has impressive skill and offensive instincts, showing the Hockey Sense: Below-average ability to improvise with the puck, making plays through defenders and to Compete: Average his teammates. Reynolds is a guy who can pull up and take extra seconds to see the ice. His game lacks a “wow” element. He’s not that Goure didn’t play this season, but going off his underage year he looked big, quick or physical while being a perimeter forward and though he’s like a player with a lot of speed and individual skill in his game. He has skilled, it’s not exceptional skill so some scouts wonder about his NHL an efficient stride and ability to carry pucks up ice to create controlled role. In a sentence, Reynolds’ skill gives him a chance to play in the NHL, zone entries. His offense comes off his speed and good one-on-one play, but he’s a small, low-pace player which likely won’t translate. but I don’t see him as a type to take an extra second to survey the ice and make tough passes. He’s not overly physical and he’s undersized, Connor Lockhart, RW, Erie-OHL but he works hard enough off the puck and can create around the net- Jan. 21, 2003 | 5-foot-9 | 165 pounds front area. In a sentence, Goure’s skating gives him a chance at the NHL, but he’ll need to prove he can be a true driver of offense for a small Skating: Average forward. Puck Skills: Average Eric Alarie, LW, Moose Jaw-WHL Hockey Sense: Average Jan. 27, 2003 | 6-foot-1 | 197 pounds Compete: Average Skating: Below-average Lockhart didn’t play this season, but as an underage he established Puck Skills: Below-average himself to take a regular shift in Erie, helping at even strength and on the power play. He helps his team most with his puck play, showing the skill, Hockey Sense: Average vision and overall offensive creativity to make a lot of plays with the puck. Compete: Average Lockhart lacks size, but he isn’t a pushover and wins a surprising amount of battles for a guy of his height and weight. His skating is fine, with good Alarie took a positive step this season to become a point-per-game elusiveness but lacks the straight-ahead speed you’d like for a guy with player for Moose Jaw with 20 in 19 games. Alarie has good puck skills his frame. In a sentence, Lockhart has a chance due to his skill but his 3 size/skating may keep him from the NHL. William Eklund Michael Milne, LW, Winnipeg-WHL LW Sept. 21, 2002 | 5-foot-11 | 185 pounds Djurgarden Skating: Below-average SHL Puck Skills: Average 4 Hockey Sense: Below-average 3 Compete: Above-average Luke Hughes Milne didn’t get a long season due to injury, but when he did play I saw good flashes. He’s not the biggest, but he’s skilled and he works. Milne is LHD hard on pucks, pressuring a lot of turnovers and not afraid to make plays U.S. NTDP to the net. He has offensive skill and creativity but the question for him, on top of his lack of quickness for his size, is whether he has enough USHL offensive sense to score at higher levels given his physical limitations. In a sentence, Milne has a chance due to his skill and work ethic, but his 5 skating may hold him back in his path to the NHL. 3 Taylor Gauthier, G, Prince George-WHL Matthew Beniers Feb. 15, 2001 | 6-foot-1 | 193 pounds C Athleticism: Above-average Michigan Hockey Sense: Below-average Big 10 This is the third year I’m listing Gauthier so readers will see a familiar 6 report. Gauthier is an extremely quick goalie. He’s a righty glove and that glove hand is excellent. This, combined with his quickness, allows him to 3 take away goals on shots away from his body frequently while also eliminating low, lateral shots often. I don’t think Gauthier lacks sense. He Kent Johnson makes some good reads and challenges well, but for an undersized goalie, I wouldn’t call him as efficient or perfectly square on shots as C you’d like, with more scramble in his game than what’s considered ideal. Michigan In a sentence, Gauthier has a chance at the NHL due to his tremendous athleticism but he’s a small, at times, chaotic goalie. Big 10 Ilya Ivantsov, C, SKA-MHL 7 Jan. 27, 2003 | 5-foot-8 | 160 pounds 4 Skating: Average Chaz Lucius Puck Skills: Below-average C Hockey Sense: Average U.S. NTDP Compete: Above-average USHL Shot: Below-average 8 Ivantsov’s game isn’t flashy, but he’s a smart, competitive center who 4 generates enough offense to be interesting. He can make plays with the puck, wins battles despite not being the biggest and can be a reliable Brandt Clarke defensive center. As an undersized center with good – but not great – RHD quickness and a lack of a great puck game, it is questionable what his projection is versus better players. But coaches love this type of player. Barrie In a sentence, Ivantsov’s work ethic and sense could give him a chance, but his path to the NHL seems long given how his offensive game can be OHL empty. 9 RANK TIER PLAYER POSITION TEAM 4 LEAGUE Mason McTavish 1 C 1 Peterborough Owen Power OHL LHD 10 Michigan 4 Big 10 Sebastian Cossa 2 G 2 Edmonton Dylan Guenther WHL RW 11 Edmonton 4 WHL Jesper Wallstedt 3 G Liiga Lulea 20 SHL 5 12 Wyatt Johnston 5 C Simon Edvinsson Windsor LHD OHL Frolunda 21 SHL 5 13 Brennan Othmann 5 LW Corson Ceulemans Flint RHD OHL Brooks 22 AJHL 5 14 Fabian Lysell 5 RW Nikita Chibrikov Lulea RW SHL SKA 23 KHL 5 15 Samu Tuomaala 5 RW Matthew Coronato Karpat RW Jr. A Liiga Chicago 24 USHL 5 16 Fedor Svechkov 5 C Kirill Kirsanov Togliatti LHD VHL SKA 25 KHL 5 17 Daniil Chayka 5 LHD Carson Lambos CSKA LHD KHL Winnipeg 26 WHL 5 18 Oskar Olausson 5 RW Cole Sillinger HV71 C SHL Sioux Falls 27 USHL 5 19 Sasha Pastujov 5 RW Aatu Raty U.S. NTDP C USHL Karpat 28 5 C Zachary L’Heureux Kitchener LW OHL Halifax 37 QMJHL 5 29 Olen Zellweger 5 LHD Xavier Bourgault Everett C WHL Shawinigan 38 QMJHL 5 30 Justin Robidas 5 C Logan Stankoven Val d’Or C QMJHL Kamloops 39 WHL 6 31 Samu Salminen 5 C Matthew Knies Jokerit LW Jr. A Liiga Tri City 40 USHL 6 32 Shai Buium 5 LHD Zach Dean Sioux City C USHL Gatineau 41 QMJHL 6 33 Dmitri Kostenko 5 RHD Zachary Bolduc Togliatti C VHL Rimouski 42 QMJHL 6 34 Stanislav Svozil 5 LHD Prokhor Poltapov Brno LW Czech Extraliga CSKA 43 MHL 6 35 Evan Nause 5 LHD Isak Rosen Quebec RW QMJHL Leksands 44 SHL 6 36 Artyom Grushnikov 5 LHD Francesco Pinelli Hamilton OHL 6 45 Tyler Boucher 6 RW Mackie Samoskevich U.S. NTDP RW USHL Chicago 54 USHL 6 46 Danila Klimovich 6 RW Alexander Kisakov Minsk Zubry RW Belarus Jr. Dynamo Moscow 55 MHL 6 47 Nolan Allan 6 LHD Oliver Nadeau Prince Albert RW WHL Shawinigan 56 QMJHL 6 48 Riley Kidney 6 C Sean Behrens Acadie Bathurst LHD QMJHL U.S. NTDP 57 USHL 6 49 Lorenzo Canonica 6 C Vladislav Lukashevich Shawinigan LHD QMJHL Yaroslavl 58 MHL 6 50 Dylan Duke 6 LW Cameron Whynot U.S. NTDP LHD USHL Halifax 59 QMJHL 6 51 Jackson Blake 6 RW Simon Robertsson Eden Prairie RW U.S. High School Skelleftea 60 SHL 6 52 Aleksi Heimosalmi 6 RHD Eetu Liukas Assat LW Jr. A Liiga TPS 61 Liiga 6 53 Jack Peart LHD Liiga Fargo 70 USHL 6 62 Ville Koivunen 6 RW Anton Olsson Karpat LHD Jr. A Liiga Malmo 71 SHL 6 63 Conner Roulette 6 LW Aidan Hreschuk Seattle LHD WHL U.S. NTDP 72 USHL 6 64 Alexei Kolosov 6 G Ryder Korczak Dinamo Minsk C KHL Moose Jaw 73 WHL 6 65 Ryan Ufko 6 RHD Chase Stillman Chicago RW USHL Sudbury 74 OHL 6 66 Guillaume Richard 6 LHD Brett Harrison Tri City C USHL Oshawa 75 OHL 6 67 Artyon Martino 6 LW Ryan Winteron Omaha C USHL Hamilton 76 OHL 6 68 Ty Gallagher 6 RHD Daniil Lazutin U.S. NTDP C USHL SKA 77 MHL 6 69 Benjamin Gaudreau 6 G Samuel Helenius Sarnia C OHL JYP 78 7 C Colton Dach Frolunda C Sweden J20 Saskatoon 87 WHL 7 79 Tristan Broz 7 LW William Stromgren Fargo LW USHL Modo 88 Allsvenskan 7 80 Jakub Brabenec 7 LW Ilya Fedotov Brno RW Czech Extraliga Nizhny Novgorod 89 MHL 7 81 Janis Jerome Moser 7 LHD Vincent Iorio Biel Bienne RHD NLA Brandon 90 WHL 7 82 Daniil Pylenkov 7 LHD Jack Bar Podolsk RHD KHL Chicago 91 USHL 7 83 Albert Sjoberg 7 RW Ilya Safonov Sodertalje C Allsvenskan Kazan 92 KHL 7 84 Brent Johnson 7 RHD Ethan Del Mastro Sioux Falls LHD USHL Mississauga 93 OHL 7 85 Scott Morrow 7 RHD Oliver Kapanen Shattuck St Mary’s C U.S. High School KalPa 94 Jr. A Liiga 7 86 Manix Landry 7 C Liam Dower Nilsson Gatineau QMJHL 7 95 Jimi Suomi 7 LHD Dmitry Zugan Jokerit C Jr. A Liiga CSKA 104 MHL 7 96 Viljami Marjala 7 LW Tristan Lennox Quebec G QMJHL Saginaw 105 OHL 7 97 Dmitry Kuzmin 7 LHD Joshua Roy Minskie Zubry RW Belarus Saint John 106 QMJHL 7 98 Xavier Simoneau 7 C William Trudeau Drummondville LHD QMJHL Charlottetown 107 QMJHL 7 99 James Malatesta 7 LW Thomas Milic Quebec G QMJHL Seattle 108 WHL 7 100 Viljami Juusola 7 LHD Aku Koskenvuo Karpat G Jr. A Liiga HIFK 109 Jr. A Liiga 7 101 Dmitri Katevelski 7 C Maxim Motorygin Kazan G VHL Dynamo Moscow 110 MHL 7 102 Caedan Baniker 7 C Noah Meier Kamloops LHD WHL ZSC 111 NLA 7 103 Zakhar Bardakov C WHL Podolsk 120 KHL 7 112 Josh Doan 7 RW Vasili Atanasov Chicago C USHL Khanty-Mansiysk 121 MHL 7 113 Kyle Masters 7 RHD Matvei Petrov Red Deer LW WHL Krylya Sovetov Moscow 122 MHL 7 114 Jacob Holmes 7 LHD Niko Huuhtanen Sault Ste. Marie RW OHL Taapara 123 Jr. A Liiga 7 115 Nikita Novikov 7 LHD Carson Latimer Dynamo Moscow RW MHL Edmonton 124 WHL 7 116 Topias Vilen 7 LHD Robert Baco Pelicans RW Liiga Karlovy Vary 125 Czech U20 7 117 Nikita Buruyanov 7 C Miguel Tourigny Dynamo St. Petersburg LHD MHL Blainville Boisbriand 126 QMJHL 7 118 Nikolai Makarov 7 LHD Cole Huckins CSKA C MHL Acadie Bathurst 127 QMJHL 7 119 Jack Matier 7 RHD Jayden Grubbe Ottawa C OHL Red Deer 128 7 C Daniil Sobolev Chilliwack LHD BCHL Windsor 137 OHL 7 129 Kyle Kukkonen 7 C Verner Miettinen Maple Grove C U.S. High School Espoo 138 Jr. A Liiga 7 130 Nick DeGrazia 7 C Connor Kurth Sudbury RW OHL Dubuque 139 USHL 7 131 Avery Hayes 7 RW Simon Knak Hamilton LW OHL Portland 140 WHL 7 132 Oscar Plandowski 7 RHD Matvei Nadvorny Charlottetown RW QMJHL Dynamo Moscow 141 MHL 7 133 Dovar Tinling 7 LW Josh Williams Vermont RW Hockey East Edmonton 142 WHL 7 134 Nicolas Daigle 7 C Ben Roger Victoriaville RHD QMJHL London 143 OHL 7 135 Deni Goure 7 C Victor Stjernborg Owen Sound C OHL Vaxjo 144 SHL 7 136 Eric Alarie 7 LW Alexander Teleguine Moose Jaw WHL 145 7 Marcus Almquist RW Rodovre Denmark 146 7 Brett Brochu G London OHL 147 7 Peter Reynolds C Saint John QMJHL 148 7 Connor Lockhart RW Erie OHL 149 7 Michael Milne LW Winnipeg WHL 150 7 Taylor Gauthier G Prince George WHL 151 7 Ilya Ivantsov C SKA MHL The Athletic LOADED: 06.16.2021 Websites Again it was Kucherov who tilted the scales, exhibiting extreme patience 1189676 after entering the offensive zone and finding Ondrej Palat to restore some confidence. Sportsnet.ca / Despite missed season, tough opponent, Kucherov “He’s just so good at finding open ice and so calm with the puck making remains a playoff virtuoso plays,” said Hedman. “There’s not a whole lot of players that can turn up, turn back down and then thread the needle. Gives Pally almost a Kucherov has three assist night as Lightning top Islanders in Game 2 breakaway from the hash marks.” Kucherov topped his night off by finding Hedman for a power-play goal in the third period. At 5-on-5, his line with Point and Palat owned an 11-5 Chris Johnston June 16, 2021, 1:40 AM edge in shot attempts and an 8-1 advantage in those that hit the net. They were a handful. This was Nikita Kucherov’s 13th game of the entire season. The Lightning couldn’t even have dreamed things would go this well Roughly a month’s worth of action coming off no training camp, no when they made the decision to place Kucherov on long-term injured exhibition play and not much of anything besides tedious rehabilitation reserve before the season. That allowed them to retain better depth for from the time he had a labral tear in his right hip surgically repaired on the compressed 56-game schedule because of the cap exemptions, but Dec. 29 until the start of these Stanley Cup Playoffs. there were still no guarantees they’d get this version of Kucherov back immediately after his rehab was finished. And yet here in a hotly-contested, high-stakes game the Tampa Bay Lightning absolutely needed to win, there wasn’t much debate about why “At the time when I was looking at all the possible scenarios and all the they did. possible outcomes none of them were as good as this one,” Lightning GM Julien BriseBois told reporters before this series. “And there were a “Some unreal plays by No. 86,” remarked Victor Hedman of Kucherov’s lot of ones that weren’t very good.” three-assist performance in Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders. To watch him now is to understand why Tampa has such a strong chance at chasing back-to-back Stanley Cups. Put aside for a moment the discussion about the salary cap maneuvering that accompanied Kucherov’s injury — we’ll get to that below — and Kucherov looks like his old self. That brings a real measure of comfort consider the human achievement we’re witnessing here. because it’s clear the Islanders are a better version of what they were a year ago. Kucherov is lapping the field with 22 points in these playoffs and it’s still the early stages of the third round. That’s traditionally been a respectable Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.16.2021 total for an entire spring — Ryan O’Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy two years ago after scoring 23 points for the St. Louis Blues — and never before has the leading scorer in the post-season missed the entire regular season directly preceding it. Remaining Time -4:10 Lightning big guns responded big after Game 1 loss The timing couldn’t be better for a Lightning team that’s in a serious fight to earn another crack at the Stanley Cup. The Islanders have levelled up in the nine months since these teams squared off inside the Edmonton bubble and the 5-on-5 play during Game 2 of this semifinal series reflected that. There really wasn’t all that much to choose between, except maybe the game-breaker. Kucherov looked like a concert violinist among percussionists. That’s not intended as a shot at the other players who had a hand in making this a game befitting the big stage, but more a demarcation point of why his impact was so pronounced. When nobody could find open space on the ice at Amalie Arena, Kucherov created it. And while everyone else battled and scrummed and tried to set tones, he simply played his own tune. “He’s remarkably gifted,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “I don’t know how to describe it — he does everything with, it’s like, with grace. He’s just so smooth in the plays he makes and what his vision is and how he can see and make plays. “It almost looks effortless.” That speaks to his 27 years of effort to reach this level and the untold amount of hours that went into a five-month recovery from hip surgery. You’d never know he missed a beat when he found Brayden Point from behind the goal with a pass no one saw coming. The puck had just been rimmed past Adam Pelech and still the Islanders defenceman had his head turned the other way when Kucherov delivered it perfectly to the slot. “I think it was just the feel of each other,” Kucherov explained of setting up Point without so much as a glance. “I’m thinking what he’s going to think.” Remaining Time -0:59 Gotta See It: Point roofs it point-blank after lightning-fast pass from Kucherov Getting that 1-0 lead was vital after dropping the opening game of the series. Re-establishing a 2-1 advantage was arguably even more important after the referees botched a goaltender interference call on Point and allowed the Islanders to tie it. Websites Pageau was struggling even before his penalty-killing shift late in the first 1189677 period. He was uncharacteristically demolished in his five-on-five matchup against Yanni Gourde’s line. Shot attempts were 10-1 for the Lightning when Pageau, Zajac and Palmieri were on the ice. Sportsnet.ca / Islanders let frustrations with officials derail them in Game 2 loss Remaining Time -4:10 Kucherov has three assist night as Lightning top Islanders in Game 2 Lightning big guns responded big after Game 1 loss MAKING IT A STREET FIGHT Iain MacIntyre June 16, 2021, 1:10 AM There were 54 minutes in penalties and a noticeable uptick of hostility between players after the Islanders took the series opener 2-1 on Sunday, where the teams combined for just 14 penalty minutes. The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t let a blown call beat them. The New A game filled with power plays is always going to favour the Lightning York Islanders did. and their offensive wizards. But the Islanders’ ability to engage Lightning players after the whistle, roughing and wrestling them, isn’t a bad With house money already pocketed after winning Game 1 of their strategy as long as New York isn’t putting itself shorthanded. Tampa is Stanley Cup semifinal, the Islanders had a chance to break the bank on willing to battle, but does it really help the Lightning if Kucherov, Palat, Tuesday by taking a 2-0 series lead on the road against the defending Point, Gourde and Steven Stamkos are getting into scrums after the champions. But Game 2 got away from them late in the second period whistle? when the Lightning’s Ondrej Palat broke a 1-1 tie while half the Tampa lineup seemed to be on the ice behind Palat and Nikita Kucherov, who “Stuff after the whistle doesn’t really matter that much,” Islanders set up the goal. defenceman Scott Mayfield said. “We both have veteran teams. We’re not going to let that change how we play (and) I don’t think that’s going to A fairly obvious too-many-men penalty was missed by referees Dan change how they play that much. The physical play… during the actual O’Rourke and Francois St. Laurent, as well as linesmen Ryan Gibbons play is good for us. I think that’s part of our identity. But they do it, too. I and Michel Cormier. Naturally, New York coach Barry Trotz was furious mean, they have a really good team over there.” at the non-call after reviewing the play on his iPad. New York battering ram Matt Martin said: “I think that’s just playoff The Islanders weren’t the same team after the goal at 13:15 of the middle hockey in general. They’re not just going to let us take it from them. As frame. Lightning defenceman Jan Rutta, who had been pointless in the playoff series go on, and you keep seeing the same faces over and over National Hockey League playoffs and hadn’t scored a goal of any kind in again, things get a little more chippy every night.” 19 months, took advantage of a failed clear by Anthony Beauvillier to make it 3-1 2:16 into the third period and the Islanders unsuccessfully Remaining Time -3:04 chased the game from there before losing 4-2. Islanders score after Point called for a questionable goaltender “We knew a very good hockey team (in Tampa) was going to have a very interference penalty desperate push, and I really felt we were in good shape,” Trotz said of the first two periods. “The second goal, that one hurt quite a bit because ISLES NEED TO BE BETTER now if they get the third one, there’s a little bit more separation. The Islanders didn’t have the top stars in their earlier playoff matchups Obviously, you guys know there were too many men on the ice; they had against the David Pastrnak-Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand Boston seven guys. I’m disappointed at that.” Bruins and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins, but won both series Remaining Time -1:59 because New York had the best team. Trotz furious after Lightning score goal with seven skaters on the ice Their puck-management was unusually wonky in Game 2 and so was their defending. On Palat’s critical goal, for instance, Islanders centre He should be. Nobody wants a blown call to affect a playoff game. But Mathew Barzal was as culpable as the referees for taking his eye off the Lightning overcame an equally poor rules interpretation in the first Palat to help defenceman Nick Leddy defend Kucherov. period when O’Rourke penalized Brayden Point for goalie interference when the Tampa star was shoved into Semyon Varlamov by New York “A little bit of a read there,” Trotz said when asked about the play. defenceman Adam Pelech. Islander Brock Nelson tied the game on the “Obviously, Kucherov… bought himself some time. Usually, you have to ensuing power play. be aware though. A little bit of a bad read. Mat thought he could disrupt the play a little bit. That’s what happens when you have to make quick It’s the NHL; stuff happens. A lot of the stuff comes from officiating a decisions, and once you commit to it, it’s hard to back out of it. game that is adjudicated almost entirely in shades of grey even if the rulebook is printed in black and white. “From my standpoint, we can be a lot better, and we will be.” The Lightning got back to their A-game after the Nelson goal. The Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.16.2021 Islanders couldn’t recover after Palat scored. “Bounces, breaks, whatever it may be,” Nelson said, “they were able to get a couple and get the lead and we weren’t able to get it back.” DID NEW YORK LOSE PAGEAU, TOO? It got about as much attention in the Islanders’ post-game press conferences as backup goalie Ilya Sorokin’s seven-minute relief appearance in the first period, but outstanding two-way centre Jean- Gabriel Pageau played only four shifts in the second period and three in the third — and not at all in the final 13:32. The Islanders’ leading post-season scorer and arguably their best player in the playoffs, Pageau laboured off the ice late in the first period after accelerating to reach a lead pass from Travis Zajac on a shorthanded rush. The matchup centre appeared to be favouring his left side, possibly due to a groin injury. Any Pageau injury could be a series-changer, especially as the teams head to Long Island where Trotz would likely exercise his last change by matching Pageau and wingers Zajac and Kyle Palmieri against Kucherov’s line. “He just tweaked something,” Trotz insisted. “So when they got their fourth goal, I basically just said, you know what, he’s going to be fine for the rest of the series, I’m not going to put him in any more danger. I expect him fully to be in the next game.” Websites 1. Gerard Gallant gets four years to coach the New York Rangers. He 1189678 was the favourite from the beginning, but the Rangers wanted to do some other interviews and make sure neither Rod Brind’Amour nor Mike Sullivan would be available. They decided late last week to move on from Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: How Stanley Cup Playoffs could affect the the Brind’Amour idea, and offered Gallant the job on Monday. If the blueliner market Rangers thought passion was a missing ingredient, he’ll bring wagonloads of it to Manhattan.

If there was any disappointment around the NHL, it was that long-time Elliotte Friedman June 15, 2021, 1:45 PM coach Jerry Dineen was let go. Last year was Dineen’s 27th season with the organization; his last role was as video coach. He’s very popular and highly respected among his peers. They were upset to hear the news. • Stanley Cup Playoffs highlighting blue line value 2. The danger in writing anything at this time of year is it blows up in your • What’s Makar’s next contract? face, and you end up being featured on @oldtakesexposed. But here goes: It sounds like Brind’Amour remains in Carolina with most of his • Can Canadiens withstand Vegas’ depth? staff. This has been a challenging process; he reached a verbal Lots of connecting ideas to begin this edition: the Norris Trophy, agreement some time ago, demanding his entire staff (including trainers defensive depth, Dougie Hamilton and the Seattle Kraken. and equipment people) get taken care of, too. NHL Awards reveals began Monday with Pekka Rinne winning the Brind’Amour met with peer pressure from other coaches who wanted him prestigious King Clancy Memorial Trophy over the equally deserving to push for a higher number. I’m incredibly torn about this. I’ve never Kurtis Gabriel and P.K. Subban. The Norris announcement comes during wanted to be someone who others could use to hold down salaries, but I the Stanley Cup Final, and it was, for me, the hardest decision of all. I’d also recognize it’s your life and you’ve got to do what makes you (and gladly take a blue line of those who didn’t make my ballot: T.J. Brodie, your family) happy. If you’re another coach in the NHL, you have to argue that Brind’Amour’s situation is unique and shouldn’t affect your Jakob Chychrun (who was on my third All-Star team), Roman Josi, negotiation. It looks as if others (Travis Green in Vancouver) were Charlie McAvoy, Darnell Nurse, Adam Pelech, Jeff Petry, Alex successful in doing that. Pietrangelo, Jaccob Slavin and Shea Theodore. 3. As I write this, only one Hurricane staffer has permission to talk to Montreal, the Islanders, Tampa Bay and Vegas have deep, versatile, other teams: assistant coach Dean Chynoweth. The more you think nasty and skilled defensive corps that can beat in you multiple ways. The about it, the more the Chynoweth/Hamilton news fits with Carolina owner Golden Knights’ defence combined for three goals and six points in Monday’s Game 1 win over Montreal. Meanwhile, the Canadiens Tom Dundon’s philosophy. He puts a value on everything, and won’t go eliminated Toronto with two points from their blue line — none in the first past it — basically saying, “If you can get that number somewhere else, five games. The unit tied that output on the first goal against Winnipeg, you have my blessing. But it won’t be here.” finishing with 11 points in four games. 4. There’s definitely some momentum with Rick Tocchet and Seattle, but All four have studs and committed role players. (I’m putting Pelech in that no indication a final decision’s been made. Had to wonder if Francis elite class. He deserves to be there; every game, I regret his omission would want to talk to old friend , but the Jets indicated their from my Norris ballot more and more.) The Lightning don’t have a playoff coach is returning. I was one of those people who thought, before this goal from their defence, but their third pair is David Savard/Mikhail season, that maybe Joel Quenneville would end up in the Emerald City, Sergachev, which is ridiculous. but no idea how that could be possible after the terrific season Florida had. And, if something was going on there, we’d probably be hearing It’s a good time to be a defender, because that part of the recipe for the about people interviewing with the Panthers. semifinalists’ success is not going unnoticed. 5. Arizona interviewed St. Louis’s on Monday, he’s a legit As the Stanley Cup semifinals began, we learned that Carolina gave contender there. Heard the Coyotes were impressed with Dallas Dougie Hamilton permission to speak to other teams. It’s an interesting assistant . Still unavailable: Islanders’ associate coach Lane move. Talks between organization and player broke off during the Lambert. No one is going to risk Lou Lamoriello’s wrath by asking to season, and the benefit to the Hurricanes is it allows Hamilton to find out speak to Lambert while New York is still playing. (Possible outcome: if his best deal actually would be in ’Canes Country. Toht’s face-melting from Raiders of the Lost Ark.) There’s going to be a lot of interest. As news broke Monday, teams 6. There were some rumours/theories over the weekend, but I don’t think started their Hamilton research. I thought Philadelphia might be among Jared Bednar is going anywhere. When the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks lost the more aggressive pursuers, but the Flyers’ defensive targets seem to in the first round of the playoffs, owner Mark Cuban was asked if he’d be elsewhere. Another that makes sense is Seattle. And, if you can’t do change coaches. I liked his answer: “You don’t make a change to make a the Dougie, there will be other options. Over the next two summers there change,” he told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “Unless you have someone are plenty of good defencemen who could hit the market. There are top- that you know is much, much, much better, the grass is rarely greener on of-the-chart types (Seth Jones, Colton Parayko), strong mid-levellers, the other side.” good depth pieces, older, younger, you name it. Despite their disappointment, my sense is the Avalanche feel the same The key to all of this could be the Kraken. The surest predictor of future way. They believe in Bednar. behaviour is past behaviour, and when Ron Francis was GM of the 7. No vacation for the Avalanche, with plenty of decisions to make. Hurricanes he was a compulsive hoarder of defencemen. Seattle will There’s a lengthy list of unrestricteds (including captain Gabriel have an exclusive negotiating window with free agents prior to the Landeskog and Vezina Trophy finalist Philipp Grubauer), Nazem Kadri’s expansion draft. That window (or the draft itself) is an excellent future to figure out, and planning for Nathan MacKinnon’s massive opportunity for Francis to build his own unit, or do what Vegas did — payday — two years from now. The linchpin to everything is Cale acquire assets to be flipped elsewhere. Makar’s next contract. There’s some evidence the two sides are going to The Golden Knights traded four defencemen (Alexei Emelin, Marc try for term. That could be a massive number for the Norris finalist — and Methot, David Schlemko and Trevor van Riemsdyk) for two second- the only defenceman to average a point per game. round picks, a third-round pick, a fifth-round pick and a prospect. Seattle could do the same, and, depending on what teams like Calgary, Colorado wasn’t crazy about trading Ian Cole, but did it to make room for Minnesota and Nashville decide to do, there could be some really Bowen Byram. Minus Cole and the injured Erik Johnson, they missed intriguing unprotected blueliners. some edge on the blue line. But, before they can address several things, they’ve got to know what space (and expansion maneuvering) is Would they be more valuable to the Kraken, or to another team? One available. thing’s for sure: These playoffs prove a deep, versatile blue line is coveted by everyone. Stream the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Sportsnet NOW Livestream every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free. Plus 31 Thoughts: The Podcast get the NHL Draft, Free Agency, Blue Jays & MLB, NBA Playoffs Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey matchups and more. world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what CHOOSE PLAN they think about it. 8. I think the Sabres give Don Granato an indication soon as to what 31 THOUGHTS they’re thinking. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Joe McDonald reported the Sabres asked permission to speak to Jack Capuano after a successful World Championships run, but Ottawa denied the request. chair. So, 45 minutes I’m waiting, and I can’t sit still, so I’m getting up and This is true — there are hard feelings about it, and it could get messy pacing around — come back and sit down for two minutes, get up, pace between Capuano and the Senators. He does not back down from a around…. I walk into his office and he’s like, ‘Who’re you? … Who sent challenge. It is consistent with Ottawa’s history, however. My feelings on you here? Stern? David Stern?’ I’m like, ‘Yup, the commissioner sent me the issue: I disagree with standing in the way of an external promotion here.’ ‘Next time come back and wear a tie.’ And I said, ‘Are you unless an internal one is guaranteed. serious?’ He’s like, ‘Get out.’ So I get back to my office, my phone rings. It was the dreaded 8300 extension, which was David Stern. I pick up the 9. I did ask around to see if the Sabres gave anyone permission to talk to phone, already with a cold sweat, knowing I was going to get the Jack Eichel, but don’t believe that’s the case. Everyone’s gone into the thrashing. ‘How did it go?’ ‘I don’t know — he wouldn’t let me in.’ ‘Why cone of silence. From what I can tell, the team and its captain are not?’ ‘I didn’t have a tie on.’ He’s like, ‘Put a tie on and get back there.’” negotiating the next steps of his recovery. Multiple sources indicate that if there’s any deal involving either Eichel or Sam Reinhart, do not be Imagine being 30 and in the middle of Lamoriello and Stern. surprised if the Sabres end up with a second high first-round selection in July’s draft. “Two weeks later, (Lamoriello) invites me back … or I beg my way back — same deal. Sitting in that uncomfortable chair, pacing around his 10. Will catch up with new Columbus coach Brad Larsen for the next office, I finally get let in. He’s sitting behind his desk, he throws a book at blog. Before promoting him, the Blue Jackets took a long look at Gallant, me, ‘Don’t come back until you read this.’ I catch the book, I look down, who they know well. They also twice interviewed Pittsburgh assistant and it’s about Vince Lombardi. I have to go and read this now, and he’s Mike Vellucci. like, ‘Out.’” 11. I’ve thought a lot about the Blue Jackets since the Seth Jones news O’Neil gets the phone call from Stern. He tells him what happened, and broke and what I’d do if I were in charge. Answer: Don’t allow a slow hears, “Well, read the book!” water torture. Rip off the band-aid and eliminate the pain as quickly as possible. See where you stand with your players and make your A third meeting was set up, with O’Neil telling Stern not to send him decisions now. alone because “I don’t think (Lamoriello) cares about me. I don’t think he has any respect for what I’m going to say.” I’m curious to see if Florida asks about Patrik Laine. He and Aleksander Barkov have a good relationship. The Panthers are expected to be When the meeting began, Lamoriello put O’Neil on the hotseat. When he aggressive in pursuit of improvement. was done speaking, he thought he was going to be thrown out for the third time. 12. Boston GM Don Sweeney showed some strategy at his season- ending media briefing on Tuesday. The Bruins will try to avoid signing “He goes and opens a covered whiteboard. Everything I had walked him any of their UFAs before the expansion draft in order to maximize their through, he had written on the board. It’s a good lesson on so many protection list. I believe he will be respectful of David Krejci/Tuukka fronts. One, never underestimate Lou Lamoriello. Two, whenever you go Rask’s timelines for making decisions on next season. The only request into his office, (you better have) a tie on, read something about Vince will be to allow the Bruins time to adjust their plans if the answer is no. Lombardi and be prepared.” They’ve been talking to Taylor Hall about an extension for some time. 21. The other story O’Neil confirmed is he was one of three Madison Captain Patrice Bergeron will return, and, as he said, he’s on a year-to- Square Garden executives pinned to the boards at the same time by year basis now. He’s got one season remaining on his contract, and I do Adam Graves during a pickup hockey game. think Boston will ask him if he wishes to be extended. “He asked, ‘You ever hit anybody?’ No. ‘Take a run at me.’ I skated as 13. Another unrestricted free agent who has permission to talk to other fast as I can — which was slow — tried to put him into the boards, and I teams: San Jose’s Kurtis Gabriel. bounced off like a superball. And I was running my mouth off the whole time, which wasn’t a great idea.” 14. Arizona’s given permission for teams to talk to Liam Kirk, who just had a terrific World Championships for Great Britain. The Coyotes have When Graves did pin him against the boards, “I felt pressure on my body his rights for another year, so a trade needs to be worked out. But Kirk like I’ve never felt before. It felt like an hour, but was probably a minute, can talk to other clubs. me and two other guys immobilized.” 15. Philadelphia’s got a lot of balls in the air. I figured they’d be in on O’Neil’s new book, Be Where Your Feet Are, is a good read. Hamilton, but, as mentioned above, he doesn’t appears to be their top 22. When Ryan Pulock played at WHL Brandon, he would occasionally target. I’m speculating here, but my guesses would include Seth Jones go on the ice to help out during rookie camp. During those skates, he and Matt Dumba (who GM Chuck Fletcher knows very well). It also was was not allowed to take a slap shot. Wrist shots only. wouldn’t be a shocker if they have asked the Coyotes about 2019 first- rounder Victor Soderstrom. The Flyers liked him at that draft, and Arizona 23. Pulock blew one by Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Game 1 winner over actually flipped picks with them to move up and take the Swedish Tampa Bay: defenceman. Remaining Time -1:04 16. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reported that New Jersey had interest in Rasmus Ristolainen. I’d heard similar. I’ve also wondered if the Pulock pots 3rd game-winning-goal to set Isles franchise record Devils would consider , with a sweetener included, Goalie whisperer Kevin Woodley reached out to say that these kinds of but Hamilton makes sense there, too. goals are a strange weakness for the phenomenal Lightning netminder. 17. Edmonton and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are grinding to find common According to ’s Clear Sight Analytics data, Vasilevskiy ground. gave up 18 low-percentage goals in the regular season, sixth-most in the league. Maybe he likes a good challenge, because his “tough-save” 18. Had an interesting conversation with a scout who was at Worlds. He percentage is at the top. was very impressed with Canada captain Adam Henrique, who had a very hard season in Anaheim and ended up on at one point. He By comparison, fellow Vezina finalists Marc-Andre Fleury and Philipp said it was clear Henrique was re-energized by the captaincy, the team’s Grubauer allowed six and seven low-percentage goals, respectively. success and his defined role in it. He added that he wouldn’t be surprised Pulock’s goal would also be considered a clear-sighted shot. Vasilevskiy if interest in Henrique picks up because of this performance. allowed nine of those, second-worst. Semyon Varlamov gave up three. I find this very odd considering how good he is. Maybe he gets bored. 19. 2021–22 All-Star Game prediction: Vegas. It will be somewhere in the West, because players going to the Beijing Olympics will leave from that 24. When the Islanders reached the second round in 2019, we were all event. First year of the new American TV deal plus the market’s success surprised. When they got to the Eastern Conference Final last year, it — I like the odds of this choice. was more like, “We better get used to this, but is there another level?” This season, we’ve found out the answer is yes. What hasn’t changed is 20. Last week’s 31 Thoughts podcast interviewee, Harris Blitzer Sports & their commitment to a system, an acceptance of roles and hard-charging Entertainment CEO Scott O’Neil, told a great story about being kicked identity. out of Lou Lamoriello’s office — twice. It would have been around 2001, when Lamoriello added CEO of the New Jersey Nets to his Devils duties. What has changed, I think, is their threat to score. In 2019, they shot 6.7 O’Neil was a young executive working at the NBA’s league offices. per cent at five-on-five, 11th of 16 playoff teams. That jumped to 8.9 in 2020 (fifth) and 9.7 this year (first). Goals per game jumped from 2.38 “My boss, (Commissioner) David Stern said, ‘Get over to New Jersey and (12th) to three (fifth) to 3.46 (second). In the playoffs, you have to grind tell me what the heck’s gong on,’” O’Neil recounted with a laugh. “I and you have to check. But you also need to score. They can do it, and reached out to Lou’s office and was fortunate enough to get a meeting it’s taken them to another level. two days later. I waited outside his office in this awful, uncomfortable 25. I’ve started to call Montreal “Islanders lite.” Vegas will be a huge challenge for them because the Golden Knights are deeper than Toronto or Winnipeg. But the Canadiens have committed to playing a certain way — disciplined, hard to work through, with human eraser Carey Price as the backbone. They’ve got some terrific finishers to capitalize on mistakes, too. Seeing Price wink at a teammate after a huge save on Mark Stone would thrill me if I were Montreal. You’re under siege, he’s making ridiculous saves, but, in that moment, he’s the calm, cool Carey Price you need. I liked their Game 1 start, but they ran out of steam during second-period penalty trouble and got overwhelmed. Biggest question now might be Jeff Petry and Shea Weber’s injuries. Petry is wearing a modified glove in practice that has the ring finger and pinkie sewn together. The captain, who has a bad thumb, was noticeably uncomfortable on Monday. Of course, no one would be surprised if he were to cut it off, put it in a bag of ice, and re-attach it in July. 26. Watching the Canadiens every night is Karl Alzner, bought out by Montreal last October. He did not play in 2020–21, but skated in Kelowna last off-season with a group who lives there — Weber, Ethan Bear, Joel Edmundson, Curtis Lazar, Tyler Myers, Brent Seabrook and the Schenns among them — and will do so again this summer. He has not given up on a return. “I’m open to anything, willing to go anywhere,” he said Monday. “I have something to prove, and if anyone’s looking to bring in someone with a chip on their shoulder, I’d be the guy.” Alzner’s focused on his skill development, specifically mentioning Connor McDavid and Power Edge Pro. If our conversation revealed one thing, it’s that he’s very determined. 27. Onetime podcast guest Ben Cooper — now an assistant at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria — reached out during Game 1 to mention how Peter DeBoer was one of the first coaches he knew of to have specific face-off pre-scout meetings for his teams. Many coaches do five-on-five, power play and penalty kill with some face-off notes included. DeBoer made face-offs a mandatory session on its own. Cooper worked in Florida for , who bought into that practice. The Golden Knights made life difficult for Colorado and Montreal (in Game 1) off the draw. Win or lose, have a plan. 28. I think Alec Martinez is going to do very well in unrestricted free agency. 29. Mentioned it on Saturday Headlines a couple of weeks ago, but wanted to include it here, too: St. Louis made Vince Dunn available, and several teams are taking a long look. 30. It went a little under the radar, but there was a draft showcase last week in Erie, Pa. Teams enjoyed the opportunity to see some mid- to late-round players they didn’t get a chance to watch this season. Scouts were even more paranoid than normal about revealing anything, since any edge this season will be enormous. Another previous podcast guest, Andrew Perrott, whose father, Nathan, played 89 NHL games with Nashville, Toronto and Dallas, organized it. Andrew himself is undrafted, and will return to OHL Owen Sound for his overage season. He did a lot of work to put together the camp, and it did not go unnoticed. 31. It’s been a couple weeks, but I was thinking a bit about Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open. Osaka announced prior to the event that she was not going to do media conferences, citing her mental health. When she held to that promise after her first win, she was fined $15,000 and threatened with removal from the tournament and/or future suspensions. In return, she stepped away. The more I think about it, the more I wonder: Was there not a better way? It doesn’t benefit anyone that Osaka isn’t playing. Isn’t it incumbent on all the stakeholders — Osaka, her people, reporters, French Open/Grand Slam officials, the women’s Tour — to get together as a group and figure out some kind of solution? I think we understand that some people are comfortable in front of media and some aren’t; some like talking and some don’t; and that can change on a daily basis. Some days people want to talk to you; some days they don’t. You find a way to make it work. Maybe some days you don’t talk; maybe some subjects can be avoided unless impossible to do so. But that situation is far better than Osaka not playing and the negative reaction to concerns for her comfort level. I always believe there’s a solution. You just have to broker it. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.16.2021 Websites “It was just so upsetting to layer this on to what was happening within 1189679 your own building,” Carling says. “We’ve got the most devastating loss in all of these athletes’ careers. What was happening was so disappointing for most of us. And then to see what was happening outside was even Sportsnet.ca / "WHERE SOCIETY FAILS" more disappointing.” He tried to grasp the gravity of the situation and immediately began work with security officials to plan an escape route for personnel. By David Singh | Illustrations by Kagan McLeod Once Canucks players finished showering and gathering themselves in the immediate aftermath of the loss, they headed upstairs to meet their families, who were gathered in a suite on an upper level at Rogers Ten years ago, a crushing Game 7 loss for the Canucks turned into a Arena. When forward Tanner Glass exited an elevator on that floor, he terrifying night of chaos and destruction. Looking back at the Vancouver noticed, through a window that overlooked the downtown core, black Stanley Cup Riot, through the eyes of those who survived it. smoke billowing in the distance. Wow, what’s going on outside? he wondered. When Glass reached the suite, he learned what Carling and The monitors in the security room provide their only views of the Co. had informed players and their families — a full-fledged riot had maelstrom on the street. There’s a fire blazing outside the store, commenced. engulfing a tree on the sidewalk. “Burn the f—er down — that’s what I like to see,” says a young man standing in front of the flames. A mob is “Rightly or not, we were focused on the chance that just passed us by gathered near the entrance and several people take turns trying to and probably a little bit self-centred at the time,” Glass says. “But that shatter what’s supposed to be break-proof glass. Anything and was washed away pretty quickly when you realized the severity of what everything is used in the effort — skateboards, a shopping cart acting as was happening outside. Thinking about the safety of the people and the a battery ram, even a few drop kicks. After two hours of repeated blows, businesses and the city that we love.” the glass finally gives, evoking roaring cheers. Adds Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis: “Obviously, there was a lot of Inside the security room of the London Drugs at the intersection of emotion involved for us with the loss and being so close [to winning the Granville and Georgia in downtown Vancouver, about 20 employees are Stanley Cup]. And then, to see [the riot], it was just a strange, strange huddled by the monitors. Dubbed internally as the “safe room,” this space night. All those feelings of trying to comprehend if that was really going is also supposed to be impenetrable, but that means little at the moment. on outside.” The staff is terrified. Some will later say they feared for their lives. With the front windows broken, over 300 people have flooded the two-level General manager Mike Gillis was in a boardroom with other team store. Who knows what they’re capable of doing? executives and their families. He recalls noticing his three kids — aged 15, 20 and 25 — seemed particularly upset and unnerved. “We were The mob rushes through the aisles like a wave, stuffing cellphones, exhausted after all of the travel during the playoffs and all of the issues DVDs, laptops, cosmetics and food into pockets and bags, and we went through in the playoffs. And then to see that, it was shameful,” destroying the fixtures that house expensive products. Nikon DSLR Gillis says. “It was difficult enough to deal with having lost in that final cameras are snatched up as easily as apples are plucked from a tree. game and all the things that we had gone through to get there and how One looter seizes a 50-inch Panasonic plasma TV that was on display, difficult it was. And then, to just turn around and be confronted with that but running with such a large item is awkward. As he drops it to the type of activity and that type of attitude, was very difficult to watch. ground, the screen is reduced to small shards on the floor. “Then suddenly you become angry about it because you’re just not even “Can you imagine being in that kind of environment?” asks Wynne given an opportunity to evaluate what happened and deal with it with Powell, former CEO of London Drugs, recounting the horror that his your family,” he adds. “You’re thrown in to try to deal with this stuff.” employees — several of whom suffered long-term psychological issues that required therapy — endured in the safe room. “Where society fails “Vancouver had become our home, and we didn’t think that reasonable and you see these things going on?” people would do those things.” This summer marks 10 years since that calamitous evening. On Players and staff were asked to stay in the arena until it was safe to Wednesday, June 15, 2011, the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the leave. Their recollections of exactly how long varies — some say they left Stanley Cup Final to the visiting Boston Bruins. Shortly after the buzzer by 10:00 p.m., while others remember it being much later. They were all sounded at the end of the third period, chaos filled the streets outside made aware of routes that would avoid the worst of the rioting. Carling Rogers Arena. The ensuing riot created worldwide headlines and etched and security officials determined the best way for everyone to exit was a dark moment in the city’s history. There was a level of destruction through a loading bay, which would allow them to turn left onto Pacific typically reserved for the movies. However, there was also some valour Boulevard and scatter from there. befitting a Hollywood script. When Gillis arrived at his Vancouver home that night, there was a small Before anarchy took over the streets, there was hostility on the ice. The group of people drinking outside, seemingly waiting for him. The crowd back-and-forth 2011 Stanley Cup Final was physical, intense and booed the Gillis family as they got out of their vehicle in the driveway and emotionally charged, with each team developing a real distaste for the walked into their house. Gillis’s youngest son recalls closing the blinds in other despite having no pre-existing rivalry. The Canucks, who were the his bedroom, which faced the street, and hearing furor from the NHL’s best club during the regular season, entered Game 6 with a gathering. chance to clinch the series, but dropped that contest and then the “Vancouver had become our home, and we didn’t think that reasonable deciding seventh game by a combined score of 9–2. That led to a teary people would do those things,” says Gillis. “But we were wrong.” locker room when it was all over. Head coach Alain Vigneault and owner addressed the team with encouraging words, but the Andrew Ference had once been on the losing end of a Cup Final Game players couldn’t help but feel the pain that comes with letting a grand 7. The defenceman went the distance with a Calgary Flames squad that opportunity slip away. lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and never forgot what it felt like to have your childhood dream within reach, then taken away. Here he TC Carling was the Canucks VP of communications and community was, though, in Vancouver, erasing some of that pain as a member of the partnerships at the time, and his role included overseeing the media Boston Bruins. As he hoisted the Stanley Cup during on-ice celebrations, relations department. Following the game, Carling was bouncing the thought circling his mind was that no matter what, he could now retire between the locker and press rooms as he facilitated his team’s knowing his name was engraved on the trophy. “All of a sudden, availability to reporters. The Bruins’ Stanley Cup ceremony was taking everything you’ve been bottling up just comes to the surface,” Ference place on the ice, and Carling made sure that all televisions in the says. dressing room were turned off. He didn’t want any salt added to the players’ wounds. The party moved from the ice to the locker room, where Bruins players revelled in joy and sips of champagne from the silver mug. This was a “We’ve got the most devastating loss in all of these athletes’ careers. And breakthrough for the team’s core — including Mark Recchi, Patrice then to see what was happening outside was even more disappointing.” Bergeron and captain Zdeno Chara — which had made the playoffs but During the team’s playoff run, Carling often found himself in the laundry failed to get past the second round in each of the previous three room. It was quiet and offered respite from his hectic post-game seasons. It was the franchise’s first championship since 1972, and finally responsibilities, as well as the chance to collect his thoughts and even allowed the Bruins to be mentioned alongside the Patriots, Celtics and hold private conversations with players or staff, if need be. There was a Red Sox, all of whom had won rings in recent years. small TV in that room, and during one of his visits after Game 7 it Stream the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Sportsnet NOW happened to be on. That’s where Carling first caught wind of what was going on outside — news cameras showing scenes of a serious ruckus unfolding. Livestream every game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free. Plus “It was beyond that feeling of, ‘Hey, I don’t think we’re going to win the get the NHL Draft, Free Agency, Blue Jays & MLB, NBA Playoffs Stanley Cup,’” says de Silva. “It just didn’t feel good, and earlier in the matchups and more. day, even before the game started, we had reporters from our newsroom out on the streets, and they were overhearing kids and groups of people CHOOSE PLAN saying, ‘Can’t wait to riot tonight,’ like it was a bit of a joke. So, there was The rumoured plan was to have families and friends in the locker room some commentary. People even saying on air that they were hearing until around 10:00 p.m., and then the players would have it to themselves that, too.” for some time before catching a redeye back to Boston. That changed, Of course, there was historical precedent for hockey being at the root of though. “Somebody just mentioned, in passing, that there’s some a riot in the city. When the Canucks lost Game 7 of the 1994 Final to the craziness outside and that we’ve got to get going to the airport if we want New York Rangers, tumult broke out on the streets of Vancouver. And the police escort,” says Ference. “It’s not like there was a whole lot of while that was nearly two decades prior, it was part of the city’s history detail or we knew a whole lot of what was going on. It was just kind of and hadn’t faded from its collective consciousness. like, ‘If we want the escort, we got to leave now, so wrap it up.’” Players hopped in the shower and, in short order, were on the bus headed to As the Bruins took control with a 3–0 lead near the end of the second Vancouver International Airport. period, reporters sent word back to the newsroom that people gathered in viewing areas were growing restless and despondent. There were Shawn Thornton had won a Cup with Anaheim, and remembers drinking reports of garbage cans being kicked and some people jumping onto a with teammates in a parking lot tent until the California sun came up. This car and screaming, but nothing that yet resembled the complete time was obviously different, but he stresses the riot didn’t much impact lawlessness to come. the Bruins’ celebration. “We heard that there was some rioting going on, but we were sheltered from it,” Thornton says. “We were in the locker At that point, de Silva was part of an additional group sent out in the field room and then we take our bus to our plane and then we flew out, so we to investigate. Her partner had brought their eight-year-old son downtown didn’t know the severity of it. to take in the festivities. When de Silva met with them on Georgia Street, she figured they should probably head home while she carried on with “Our focus at that point would have been more on accomplishing our her work, just to be safe. As she continued into the fray — and life’s goal than what was going on in the city of Vancouver. That’s what contributed to CKNW’s award-winning coverage — de Silva noticed the mattered to us as a team,” he adds. “It’s awful that they rioted. Obviously rowdiness was ratcheting up. Then, she came across a car fire. “I think not what anybody would want happening after a Stanley Cup win, no everybody knew, ‘Okay, this has taken a turn for the worse,’” she says. matter where you are.” While calling in a live radio hit on Georgia Street, between Seymour and Christy Clark avoided watching hockey from arena suites, if she could. Richards, she spotted people smashing the windows of random stores There’s just too much chatter, making it difficult to focus on the game. and looting. The type of establishment didn’t seem to matter — a group And with the Canucks on the brink of history, the then-premier of B.C. even broke into a Black & Lee and pillaged tuxedos. She found herself wanted to devote her attention entirely to the ice. She viewed the game amidst a large crowd so dense its movement swept people in like a from seats behind the Bruins’ goal with her then-10-year-old son, current. It carried her in front of The Bay on Granville and Georgia — Hamish. Clark was wearing a Jeff Tambellini jersey — the former across from London Drugs. She needed to deliver another hit to the Canucks winger is from Port Moody, B.C., the first riding she ever station. It was loud and for a brief moment, de Silva bent over as she represented — while her son, a goalie, donned a Roberto Luongo held her Blackberry to her ear, trying to block out noise while she went on sweater. air. Suddenly, she was yanked from behind. She thought someone was Once the game finished and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman awarded trying to attack her. the Cup to the victors, Clark stuck around to watch Bruins bruiser Milan “I didn’t know if I’m being pulled by some part of the mob, stranger, Lucic, a Vancouver native, receive applause from the crowd. As premier what’s happening,” says de Silva. “I look up and I see a videographer — she had been sworn in just a few months earlier — Clark had an who works for a competing station. He’s got his one hand on his camera RCMP detail accompanying her. When she and Hamish walked to the and the other hand he had used to yank me…. There was a large car that was awaiting them in the parking lot, she was asked to get in wooden display right by the window and they were toppling it over. So, quickly. this other journalist basically saw that I had my back to a dangerous “I was unprepared to see that car lit on fire.” situation and he yanked me away. And just after he yanked me away is when the display case fell. It would have fallen on me.” As they drove toward her home in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood south of the arena, Clark noticed the officers were receiving updates in “I think everybody knew, ‘Okay, this has taken a turn for the worse.’” their earpieces. They couldn’t quite discern whether what was unfolding Robert MacKay noticed the fracas in front of The Bay and ran over to was a riot or protest, but were careful of repeating anything out loud, so investigate. He had watched Game 7 with his girlfriend, Tammy, at the as to not alarm Hamish. “I was watchful and worried,” Clark says. “It’s Astoria Hotel on East Hastings Street, and, because the weather was one of those moments where you don’t know what direction something pleasant, they had decided to walk home. MacKay saw a man standing could go in.” in front of the department store facing down what seemed like hundreds When she arrived home and put Hamish to bed — he had school the of people. He was yelling, “This is my city,” and imploring the crowd to next day — Clark was glued to her TV and phone as she received calm down and not inflict further damage. MacKay heard the man’s plea, reports from her office and the Office of the Attorney General. “I am and something about it resonated. His adrenalin was pumping, adding to thinking about how we, how the province, could help,” she says. “When the alcohol already in his system. So he joined the stranger in front of the you’re in the heat of it, you’ve got to unleash the professionals to get it mob, their backs up against the store. “You see what people are doing under control, really, before there’s a meaningful role the government and then you just get more and more angry with the destruction,” can take. It’s like when there’s a big fire going, politicians really shouldn’t MacKay says. “I just wanted to do my part rather than try to contribute to be involved in it at that point. But we should certainly be making sure the madness. Trying to do something to help prevent it.” firefighters are available to get in there and do their job.” Somebody lunged at MacKay with a metal pole. He wrestled control of it The storm quickly took shape while Clark watched. And she recalls the away from the attacker and then pointed it toward the crowd. His goal exact moment lightning struck: It was when the first car went up in was to use it to push people away from the windows; his mistake was flames. This happened in front of the post office on Georgia Street, next exposing his back. MacKay was quickly surrounded and pushed to the to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and across from the CBC building. The ground, where he was kicked, punched and hit with pepper spray. The area featured a plaza that was a major, open public space, Clark aerosol served to disperse the crowd, leaving MacKay to gather himself describes. “I was unprepared to see that car lit on fire,” she says. “In as he dealt with the intense burning sensation in his eyes and on his Vancouver, that’s an unbelievable, unheard-of event. Outside of my role face. as a premier, just as a citizen, I sat back and thought, What? In He couldn’t see, but soon felt two young men carrying him down the Vancouver? How could this be happening in Vancouver?” block, away from everything. Bystanders realized he was writhing in pain The roller-coaster Cup Final took an emotional toll on more than just the and offered him water bottles to pour over his head. He reached a players. For Canucks fans, there was optimism at the outset that was policeman and because MacKay couldn’t see, he asked the officer to further emboldened when their team built a 2–0 series lead. However, by reach into his pocket, unlock his phone, and call Tammy. About 30 the time the club dropped Game 6 in Boston, the energy of the fanbase minutes later, he was reunited with his girlfriend. As the effects of the had shifted. Charmaine de Silva, a CKNW news reporter at the time, pepper spray began to wear off, they decided to head home on foot. remembers sensing that change in the lead-up to the do-or-die finale. MacKay’s body was extremely sore, especially his ribs, and he sported a The overall tone of callers to her radio station veered toward negative. large bump on the back of his head. However, he wasn’t seriously injured and opted against going to the hospital. “I felt like I took some good shots,” he says. 31 Thoughts: The Podcast says in an email. “We posted pictures on websites and printed wanted posters. While there was a mix of backgrounds, including some with Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey criminal records, our investigators noticed that many rioters were world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what identified by former schoolteachers. they think about it. “There were also otherwise good people, not criminals, who just got “I call it, ‘Don’t be a tourist,’” Lam says. “Head on a swivel, always caught up in the insanity and were a perfect example of the contagion looking, observing potential pictures and potential hazards, and always effect that can occur — it is a psychological phenomenon that police thinking, Once you’re done taking those pictures, where are you going study and try to develop proactive strategies to address.” next? And at a certain point, figuring out what your escape route is.” “I don’t think the riot left any long-term stain. It just can’t happen again.” The streets of Vancouver provided ample opportunity for compelling photos that night. At one point, Lam observed mounted police assemble Aquilini, the Canucks owner, and captain visited Chu and in a line while, in front of them, officers on foot, equipped with batons and frontline officers at VPD headquarters soon after the Cup Final to show shields, pushed the crowd back a few hundred metres. It’s a visual Lam support. The club won the Presidents’ Trophy again the following season equates to the Running of the Bulls in Spain. “If you don’t move, they’re (before suffering a first-round loss to the Los Angeles Kings) and in the coming right over top of you,” he says. lead up to the 2012 playoffs, launched a PSA campaign on how to celebrate responsibly with the tagline, This Is Our Home. After one of those pushes down Seymour Street, when there was a momentary pause as police regrouped, Lam spotted two people lying in “If I’m being honest, I think I live in the nicest city I’ve ever been to in the the middle of the road. One of them appeared to be in distress. Lam most beautiful province,” says Carling, the former Canucks thought they might be victims of police brutality. From a photographic communications staffer. “I don’t think [the riot] left any long-term [stain]. perspective, he figured the shot looked interesting with an injured person The key will be next time. It just can’t happen again. The fact that it juxtaposed against cops holding batons in the background. After he happened twice is really upsetting. But it cannot happen again.” snapped it, Lam quickly glanced at the screen on the back of his camera to see if it was in focus and then, staying true to his rule, kept moving. The riot led to deep introspection across the board — police, media, politicians and fans were all left with lessons to take away. Tied into that When he eventually returned to Rogers Arena and handed his memory was the overarching question of where Vancouver stood as a global city. card to an editor, Lam learned the truth behind the photo, which ended “It was a jolting reminder that we as a city have got big-city problems,” up being his most memorable work from the evening. It turned out the says Christy Clark, the former B.C. premier. “With big-city status and big- moment he’d captured wasn’t one person helping an injured rioter on the city attractiveness and big-city growth, you get big-city problems.” ground — it was a couple kissing. The photograph went viral and garnered attention from across the globe — a morning show from Charmaine de Silva, who reported on the riot and now works as news Australia even reached out to Lam for an interview. It later won a director at NEWS 1130 & CityNews Vancouver, says the city has National Newspaper Award. undergone a maturation process over the past decade. Shame eventually gave way to a concerted focus on how to successfully hold “I was packing up my camera when someone said, ‘Hey, nice pictures of large public events. In her role as co-chair of the Vancouver Pride the kissing couple.’ And in my mind, I don’t remember that anyone was Society, de Silva was involved in planning the Pride Festival parade for a kissing in that whole thing,” recalls Lam. “And so, I went back to the number of years. Following the riot, she recalls it was difficult to get city editing room just to make sure and clear anything up. Sure enough, they approval to serve alcohol in public plazas or beer gardens. However, that had it big on the screen and it was just like, ‘Okay, there are two people shifted around four years ago. kissing there.’ It didn’t really cross my mind much, though. It’d been a long day. The talk of the room was, ‘Hey, nice picture.’ I’m thinking, “[It was] almost like we were grounded,” de Silva says. “And I feel like Where are we going to go eat?” we’re getting to the point now where it’s like we’ve grown up a little bit more and we can talk about having these events. And it doesn’t feel like St Paul’s Hospital, located about 1.5 kilometres from ground zero, saw your parents are still mad at you. the brunt of traffic that night. A code orange was called, which is reserved for disasters, such as massive fires, earthquakes or airplane crashes. A “It’s not that I don’t think we could ever have a riot again,” de Silva station was set up outside the hospital with six large, green garbage pails continues. “But I think it was such a thoroughly embarrassing experience filled with water for people exposed to tear gas to wash their eyes and for people from Vancouver. A lot of these people were charged. There faces. There was concern that bringing them inside the building would was public shaming. People’s lives were destroyed. So there’s a sense of essentially gas the emergency ward. The smell of the spray was thick in embarrassment, but there was accountability…. I think there’s just a the air, despite the distance between the hospital and where it was feeling that we don’t want to get there again.” deployed. Dr. Eric Grafstein, head of the St. Paul’s emergency Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.16.2021 department at the time, recalls an acrid taste in his mouth after spending just a few minutes outside. The hospital treated 114 people from the riot that night, he says, noting that a significant portion had consumed alcohol. Around 50 people had injuries — mostly soft tissue or head injuries — and of that lot, only three required admission, a figure less than the hospital’s normal daily rate. One man had broken ribs and a collapsed lung, but he was well enough to go home in the morning. “We thought we were going to be overwhelmed,” Grafstein says. “But in truth, there was a busy spike for about four or five hours, and then it kind of died down.” Grafstein went home around 2:00 a.m., once the department stabilized. He could still hear some sirens off in the distance when he left the hospital, and, looking back now, says the night had surreal qualities. “It was certainly one of the most unique experiences,” says Grafstein. “Unique, because it basically was, from a medical perspective, very positive…. Lots of people came in to help. We had to turn physicians away. Cardiologists called and said, ‘Can I come and help?’ And we would say, ‘No.’” The final numbers are staggering. The chaos lasted five hours. In that time, rioters damaged or destroyed 112 businesses and 122 vehicles, according to a 2016 report by the B.C. government. Businesses suffered losses estimated at $2.7 million, and civilians lost an additional $540,000. The report also pinpointed 52 assaults against police, emergency personnel and civilians. There were considerable efforts to prosecute those who participated in the riot, in part, to set an example. B.C.’s Criminal Justice Branch laid 912 charges against 300 suspects, including 54 youths. “The rioters turned out to be hooligans who would later say, ‘I got caught up in the moment,’” Jim Chu, former Vancouver Police Department chief, Websites The one scored by Mattias Janmark — after Cole Caufield potted his 1189680 first-ever playoff goal on the power play — was the killer, with Kulak attempting to box him out but failing to tie up his stick. Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ Game 1 loss exposes problem Montreal faces The game was sealed on Nick Holden’s shot at 10:06 in the third, making without Petry it the seventh point the Golden Knights defence had contributed. It came with Chiarot and Shea Weber sucking wind after a long shift, after they had each already skated more than 22 minutes in the game. Eric Engels June 15, 2021, 1:32 AM The Golden Knights generated 18 shots from the blue line, they made it near impossible to get to Marc-Andre Fleury once they secured a lead (thanks in large part to the quality saves Fleury made before Theodore Think back to the trade deadline, when Marc Bergevin seemed beat Price), and they attacked the weak links on Montreal’s blue line with somewhat frustrated with the outcome of the day — the acquisition of all four of their forward lines. Erik Gustafsson a pittance for what he had really hoped to accomplish. Remaining Time -5:28 As an NHL player, Bergevin spent 19 years on the blue line, playing for Canadiens happy with start but know they must be better nine different teams and learning first-hand just how crucial defensive depth is when the games tighten up and the runs go deep into spring and They reaped the benefits. bleed into summer. In his first eight seasons as Montreal Canadiens general manager, there was seemingly no asset he placed a bigger “There’s a few situations where we can react better,” said Canadiens premium on, often saying, “You can never have enough defenceman.” coach Dominique Ducharme after his team’s seven-game winning streak And in this one — his ninth — he had his sights set on doing more than was busted. just adding warm bodies at the position. There was enough of them to show just how hard the game can be Bergevin wanted an upgrade on the right side, a player who could slot in without the defenceman who scored at a higher pace this season than he on the Canadiens’ third pair but easily move their way up without did in each of the last three seasons prior, over which he collected at seeming out of place. The kind of player who could’ve helped fill the least 40 points. The Canadiens missed Petry on the breakout, they Montreal-sized pothole Jeff Petry’s absence left in their core in Monday’s missed him on zone entries, and they especially missed him in front of 4-1, series-opening loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of this their own net, completing a duo with Joel Edmundson and a nasty top- Stanley Cup semifinal. four with Chiarot and Weber. Had Bergevin found one, the issue wouldn’t have been as glaring on this “He’s a key piece to our team,” said Edmundson. “He was our best night. Instead, it was right under the spotlight — an inescapable reality defenceman all year and he’s obviously huge on the power play, too. that could prove costly as this series continues against a Golden Knights We’re definitely missing him out there, but I think he’s right around the team in possession of the NHL’s most versatile arsenal. corner. So, hopefully he’ll get back soon.” “I think we’re all aware I won’t publicly comment on players belonging to Just how effective Petry will be — after a freak accident saw him jam two other teams, but I can confirm I spoke with pretty much every team on of his fingers on his right hand through the camera slot along the glass in the players who were available,” Bergevin said after Gustafsson was the Game 3 against Winnipeg — is up in the air. But his presence alone last player to join the Canadiens, on April 12. “There were some that the would shift certain players back into their proper place and potentially media suggested were available who weren’t in the end, and there were help the Canadiens avoid making the few mistakes that can cost you a others who were.” game. Jon Merrill had come in a day earlier to serve as an insurance policy. If the 33-year-old isn’t available for Wednesday’s Game 2, Ducharme will Bergevin moved a 2021 fifth-round pick and a C-level prospect in Hayden have a complex decision to make to help the Canadiens better navigate Verbeek to acquire him from the Detroit Red Wings, and there was hope his absence. he could be a steady sixth or seventh defenceman next to a player who Does he trust Alex Romanov on the right after saying for most of the could be much more than that. season he prefers him on the left? Can he go back to Kulak there? That player was never intended to be Gustafsson, who came over at half Would Merrill, who was injured in Game 5 of Round 1 against Toronto, pay and for a 2022 seventh-round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers. be ready to step back in? Or would Ducharme be willing to turn to natural righty Cale Fleury, who spent the season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket Remaining Time -2:28 after making a relatively successful debut with the Canadiens in 2019- 20? Ducharme says Canadiens must be more consistent at all positions The coach is hoping Petry can withstand the pain and reach a level that Had Bergevin landed Jamie Oleksiak — the six-foot-seven, left-shooting- presents a better option. but-capable-on-the-right-side defenceman who was retained by the Dallas Stars for a race to the playoffs they fell short of winning — we “We said that he could be back early in the series,” Ducharme said after might not have seen the Golden Knights find their way to Carey Price’s Petry participated in Monday’s morning skate wearing a non-contact crease more often than either the Winnipeg Jets or Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. “With the info we have, we’re confident he’ll be back soon.” were able to at any point with Petry filling out the top-four through all but one game of the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Canadiens need him, because they don’t have anyone who can adequately replace him. A successful push for New York Rangers outcast Tony DeAngelo would have been widely admonished given DeAngelo’s checkered reputation as Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.16.2021 a person known for a couple of racist outbursts and several conflicts with teammates, but Bergevin had to feel the issue was pressing enough to risk that. It was reported by Elliotte Friedman he was willing to make DeAngelo whole if the Rangers opted to buy him out, and he clearly felt this was an opportunity to mitigate the potential problem his team might eventually run up against. But there it was, popping out to the eye while the Canadiens were in full control of Monday’s first period. Gustafsson, a power-play specialist, coughed up the puck at five-on-five and led Ben Chiarot, who was playing out of position on the right, to ice the puck. Shea Theodore’s 100.8-m.p.h. blast through Gustafsson’s screen to break Montreal’s run of 447:08 without surrendering a lead in these playoffs was the second play to expose Petry’s absence. The next two came with Canadiens lefty Brett Kulak on the right, where he proved to be at a deficit all season, which was a big part of the reason he was scratched for 10 games. One came from Alex Martinez, on a brilliant fake from Theodore, who left his partner a wide-open net to make the game 2-0 Golden Knights at the 2:18 mark of the second period.