SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/2/2021 Anaheim Ducks Los Angeles Kings 1216728 Ducks’ Jamie Drysdale already showing he can ‘control 1216751 Kings acquire forward Viktor Arvidsson from Nashville the game’ with an emphasis on elite skating 1216752 Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, Avs, Kings and Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? Arizona Coyotes 1216753 Kings trade for Viktor Arvidsson: What are they getting 1216729 Andre Tourigny in as Arizona Coyotes' head coach, fueled and where will he fit? by Shane Doan's passion for team 1216754 Kings acquire forward Viktor Arvidsson in exchange for 1216730 Arizona Coyotes hire Andre Tourigny as head coach two draft picks 1216731 Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny eager to give Arizona a ‘fresh start’ Montreal Canadiens 1216755 Canadiens know they’re down, but not out, against the Boston Bruins Lightning 1216732 Stanley Cup takeaways: Blake Coleman’s winning goal in 1216756 The Canadiens have had magic on their side – and now Game 2 shouldn’t surprise Bruins fans they need it more than ever 1216733 Report: Boston Bruins Coach Pandolfo Leaving For BU 1216757 Montreal to host outdoor Canadiens games viewing after Spot Bell Centre request denied 1216758 Montreal rapper Annakin Slayd revamps Habs anthems Buffalo Sabres for Cup run 1216734 Mike Harrington: It's July and it seems like the Jack Eichel 1216759 Stu Cowan: Lightning's Mikhail Sergachev isn't really such drama has to end soon a mean guy 1216735 Seven takeaways from Don Granato's first news 1216760 Nick Suzuki is becoming a quiet leader with Canadiens conference as Sabres head coach 1216761 By the numbers: Tomas Tatar could be jolt the Canadiens' 1216736 Sabres coach Don Granato: 'This is the job I want and I offence needs feel that I'm ready for this' 1216762 Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed: Confessions of a superstitious 1216737 Sabres and Jack Eichel ‘heading towards a resolution.’ Habs fan When could it happen and what does that mean? 1216763 Canadiens Notebook: Habs excited about returning to Bell Centre Calgary Flames 1216764 Canadiens looking forward to return of Dominique 1216738 Canadian men’s, women’s, para hockey teams to host Ducharme for Game 3 camps in Calgary 1216765 Canadiens fans can watch Stanley Cup final at Quartier 1216739 Hitmen select forwards from Russia, Belarus in import des Spectacles, Olympic Stadium esplanade draft 1216766 What the Puck: Habs fans need to keep the faith 1216767 Todd: The Canadiens went at the Lightning like a pack of Carolina Hurricanes wolves 1216740 Tom Dundon has full ownership of the Hurricanes. What 1216768 About Last Night: Andrei Vasilevskiy keeps Canadiens' will that mean? shooters at bay 1216769 West Island dentist dies after tragic bicycle accident in Chicago Blackhawks Beaconsfield 1216741 What are Blackhawks looking for in Pat Foley’s 1216770 Canadiens Stanley Cup notebook: Ducharme’s unique successor? Here are some hints return, the matchup game, Price’s legacy and how 1216742 Chris Boden cut as Blackhawks radio studio host momentum sw 1216743 Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, Avs, Kings and Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? Nashville Predators 1216771 Why did the Nashville Predators trade Viktor Arvidsson to Colorado Avalanche the Los Angeles Kings? 1216744 Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, 1216772 Why the Predators traded Viktor Arvidsson: Kraken Avs, Kings and Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? considerations, cap space and a long-overdue core 1216745 Ryan Graves Q&A: On the Avalanche’s early exit, the makeover looming Kraken draft and more — ‘you have to 1216773 Arvidsson trade could signal the end of ‘loyal Poile’ compartmental New Jersey Devils Columbus Blue Jackets 1216774 After ‘interesting’ 2020-21, Devils’ Alexander Holtz still on 1216746 Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, track to fill New Jersey’s scoring void Avs, Kings and Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? New York Islanders Detroit Red Wings 1216775 Ilya Sorokin Takes Major Steps in First Season in NHL 1216747 Hiring Alex Tanguay as assistant coach was right move for Detroit Red Wings. Here's why Philadelphia Flyers 1216748 Canada Dry? Habs seek to end nation's 28-year Cup 1216776 Flyers introduce hockey to kids and cultivate future fans drought with ‘Learn to Play’ program 1216749 Second round of NHL Entry Draft could provide a potential 1216777 On Bobby Bonilla Day, Bryz and the Flyers can say touché gem for Red Wings 1216778 Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, Avs, Kings and Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? Edmonton Oilers 1216779 The Flyers at a pivot point: Why July will be one of the 1216750 What I’m hearing about the Oilers offseason: The latest on most consequential months in recent franchise history Adam Larsson, Oscar Klefbom, Kraken plans and more Pittsburgh Penguins 1216780 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's J.D. Forrest to coach United States in Hlinka Gretzky Cup 1216781 Penguins A to Z: Goaltender Maxime Lagace served his purpose 1216782 Penguins offseason preview: Change is coming on defense. But how much? San Jose Sharks 1216783 Is It Really Easier to Find Star Goalies Later in Draft? Tampa Bay Lightning 1216784 How Yanni Gourde became player Lightning look to for a boost 1216785 Lightning’s Jon Cooper excited to coach in Montreal’s Bell Centre for Stanley Cup final 1216786 Lightning’s Alex Killorn will travel to Montreal, but status in question for Game 3 1216787 With one second to go, Lightning get a goal that will last forever 1216788 Lightning’s Stanley Cup journey runs right through ice hockey’s homeland 1216789 Lightning-Canadiens Game 2 report card: Timely goals, timelier saves 1216790 How will Lightning’s larger home crowds affect Canadiens, Stanley Cup final? 1216792 How Lightning’s Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman have become this era’s ‘Grind Line’ Toronto Maple Leafs 1216793 Montreal needs 'Goal' Caufield to find his scoring touch again Vegas Golden Knights 1216794 Golden Knights create 1st NFTs, put 7 up for auction 1216795 Knights WATCH: Expect another active offseason from Vegas 1216796 Foley Inc.: Vegas Golden Knights Owner Creates LLC To Oversee His Entertainment Properties 1216797 Vegas Golden Knights Trade Block Projections for This Summer Washington Capitals 1216798 How will the Capitals get younger? Websites 1216799 The Athletic / NHL offseason tracker: Jack Eichel’s agent talks to Sabres GM, plus trades, signings and news a 1216800 The Athletic / Shapiro: As the torch-passing to ESPN and Turner begins, don’t forget all that NBC brought to t 1216801 The Athletic / What prospect Brandt Clarke’s skating questions mean for the NHL team that drafts him 1216802 Sportsnet.ca / Why Canadiens believe Stanley Cup Final is ‘a long way from being over’ 1216803 Sportsnet.ca / Lightning keeping business-like approach as Cup Final hifts to Montreal 1216804 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ Suzuki emerging as quiet leader during Montreal’s playoff journey SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1216728 Anaheim Ducks August. Clients can come in at different times depending on when a player’s season ends.

The time spent together is concentrated and focused, given that she can Ducks’ Jamie Drysdale already showing he can ‘control the game’ with see up to 50 different NHL players during an offseason and over 100, an emphasis on elite skating including other pro and junior levels. A video coach shoots the sessions and Braid and her son often have the players looking at their form immediately so the client can see for themselves what sort of corrective By Eric Stephens measures are needed.

Jul 1, 2021 Those sessions can be detailed, meticulous and sometimes border on tedium. Repetition is paramount. Braid often breaks down a player’s form

and talks about the biomechanics of having their ankles, knees and hips “It looks effortless when he’s doing it. And I think some of the best in correct alignment so that the kinetic chain of movement allows that skaters in the world, they have that ability where they can be really player to skate faster and more efficiently. “It’s about building a strong moving, really skating but it doesn’t necessarily look like they’re exerting foundation and it’s not always fun for the young kids,” she said. a lot of energy. It’s fluid the way that he does it. And he’s able to control With Drysdale, Braid notes how they explore “different body alignments the game with his skating. That’s the way the NHL is heading now.” and stuff. And angles. Being more stable.” These are the observations of Cam Fowler, an 11-year NHL veteran with “Anything that was going to generate more power and more stability for over 700 games played, when watching 19-year-old Jamie Drysdale him to play at the next level,” she continued. transitioning from offense to defense and back while finding an initial measure of success against some of hockey’s finest performers. This is important stuff to Drysdale. He has an edge and it helped make him the second blue-liner selected in the 2020 draft and the sixth player By the time he turns 20 next April, Drysdale essentially will have had a overall. But it is now about maintaining that edge. This is, in his view, full year of action at the highest level. Over a six-week baptism this what is essential to continue improving as a player and maximizing his season it already became clear, in the way he easily navigated every potential. inch of the ice and played with a poise well beyond his years, that he could become a bedrock of the Anaheim Ducks, a potential leader of “I think it’s the same with everything,” said Drysdale, who was taken by their blue line who directs the flow of the game whenever he hops over the Ducks right after Ottawa selected Jake Sanderson. “If I were to stop the boards and takes possession of the puck. now, stop working on it, everyone else is working on it and eventually people are going to continue to get better. I think that’s kind of what I’m Playing defense is a hard job. It can be physical and center around looking at. Just to continue to improve so I can continue to excel.” battles. But it can also be an art. It involves being able to read and react to what an opponent does and then own the ability to force a change in This is why he sought out Braid. She knows her stuff. Taylor Hall, John possession and then manage your team’s turn with the puck, speeding Tavares and Matthew Tkachuk can attest to her expertise. Scott up the pace or slowing it down at an instant when the situation calls for Laughton remains a loyal disciple. Owen Power, the projected No. 1 pick either. Skating is the foundation of all that. The very best can make all in this year’s draft, has worked with her for years. that look easy, even when it’s decidedly not. “Sometimes that’s why I want to say I’m not going to take credit for where It makes someone with choppy strides marvel at the way Drysdale Jamie is today,” said Braid, who has also worked in the past with appears to float around the ice instead of slicing it up. One can expect Anaheim, Calgary, Buffalo and Toronto. “A lot of that is Jamie and putting someone like that to say how the teenager makes skating look effortless. in the work. We did some fine-tuning to make sure that he could reach Understandably so. Except Fowler is no plugger who is enamored with his potential as an elite skater in the NHL. Not being comfortable just what he sees. He has built a lengthy career from the base of his being an elite skater in junior.” exceptional skating ability. The Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club has origins in the early “It’s fun to watch and it looks like something that he doesn’t have to think 19th century. Three individual athletic-focused establishments joined about,” Fowler told The Athletic. “He knows that it’s there. And he trusts forces in 1957 to form the large club as it exists today, one that includes it. He knows that’s how he’s going to be an effective player in this league many other sporting and social programs. Classes are also offered in for a long time. When he gets moving out there, watching from the bench tennis, croquet, squash, lawn bowling, aquatics and fitness. is a fun thing to watch.” Figure skating has been a major draw for decades. Many Olympic and Three summers ago, Dawn Braid took on a high pick in the Ontario elite-level skaters have trained out of the expansive North York facility, Hockey League Priority Selection draft and some of his teammates with but programs have always been available to kids who are beginners. the AAA minor midget Toronto Marlboros. All were entering their rookie Drysdale recalls being around age 8 and going there once or twice a seasons in the OHL. week.

Drysdale, the fourth choice overall, sought out Braid for skating sessions “No equipment, no sticks, no nothing,” he said. “I just remember being as one part of his offseason training to prepare for his first year of major with a bunch of my buddies. At the time, I think you’re just kind of doing it junior hockey with the Erie Otters. Braid, who has a lengthy list of for fun. Doing spin-o-ramas. I think we were pretty much doing clientele of NHL and other pro players, soon saw this 16-year-old wasn’t everything. A lot of edgework. Transitioning. Forwards to backward on content with the strong foundation he had from working with other one foot. A lot of one-foot skating. And they made it fun. A lot of fun, from coaches. what I remember.”

“We spoke with him about what he wanted to achieve from working with The stories of Drysdale starting the discipline that he became determined us,” said Braid, whose son, Mackenzie, is a co-instructor. “It was already to master are familiar to Fowler. His parents, Perry and Bridget, put him an asset for him. He noted that he was already a strong skater but in figure skating classes at Farmington Hills Ice Arena in suburban believe that it was something he could get better at. He always felt Detroit. Before he moved more into power skating at age 8, it was just confident in his skating, and he wanted to continue to make sure it was “cruising around out there.” one of his strengths. But the roots of what might be his greatest asset were planted. “You have to commend him on that. He didn’t go, ‘I’m a great skater. I don’t need to work at this.’ He realized that it was an asset that helped “I think I was probably around 5 years old,” Fowler said. “A lot of it’s him get to where he was and he wanted to continue to work on that pretty fuzzy. I remember some edge work. I think the biggest thing is strength.” getting comfortable on the ice and trusting your edges and your skating. I remember just working at it with the instructor and enjoying it. The two are continuing their skating sessions this summer. Braid, who in 2016 was hired by Arizona as the first female full-time coach in NHL, said “It was fun for me to learn something new and ended up falling in love she works with an individual client or a small group for an hour each with it. Kind of built it from there on. I think the early stuff and most week and that programs can run for 10 to 12 weeks, often from May until importantly getting comfortable on the ice and understanding how to use your edges was important for me at a young age.” When he starred in the NHL for 18 seasons, Scott Niedermayer was over the other that is on the inside of the curve. Strong simultaneous renowned for his skating. Combined with his talent and a seemingly edgework is required on the pushing and gliding skate. When repeated, it inexhaustible supply of energy, Niedermayer was a massive presence for can allow the skater to gain momentum while skating in a curve or a four Stanley Cup-winning teams in New Jersey and Anaheim. He didn’t circle pattern. And the move can be done forwards or backward. just patrol the blue line for nearly 30 minutes – or much more in playoff games. He controlled it. It is a fundamental move in figure skating. It is a power move for Drysdale. It was his mother, Carol, who got him and his brother, Rob – who played concurrently for more than 1,150 games – into figure skating. As a former “I think I generate most of my speed off crossovers, just up and down the athlete, she taught power skating in their native Cranbrook, B.C., while ice,” he said. “I rely on them a lot. Whether it’s skating forwards or doing getting free ice time as her salary. It was clear that the brothers were first backward crossovers to close gaps quicker. To walk the (blue) line. I and foremost hockey players, because they wore hockey skates in those think they’re really helpful for me.” classes. And their participation ended once the figure skaters moved into Niedermayer believes it particularly helps a player in defending mode, doing jumps. because they’re often having to react to what an opposing player does. By then, Scott and Rob were driven to make skating a dominant trait in One can move immediately in a different direction when there isn’t much their games. Scott said he worked with famed coaches Audrey Bakewell time to make an adjustment. and Laura Stamm, who are considered the grand dames of power “It kind of allows a player to keep a wide range of options as to say where skating. Niedermayer was an apt pupil. they’re looking or where they can make a play,” Niedermayer said. “It “It took a while to really understand how to use it to the best sort of increases your agility. You don’t have to go through an extra step or an advantage in different situations in a hockey game,” he said. “Knowing extra move to get somewhere. You can kind of just go from here to there when and how to use it is a big thing and a big difference to know and and you’ve eliminated that extra step or two. That obviously is going to takes time to learn for sure.” make a difference.”

For Fowler, it was his work with Carrie Keil, the power skating coach for Braid knew Drysdale was a strong skater and had quick, fast-twitch the U.S. National Team Development Program, that took something he movement. What they wanted to hone in on was body positioning and was naturally good at into the next level. alignment, and on improving stability.

“I remember it being pretty difficult,” Fowler said “A lot of it is the same “It’s about balancing everything out and getting a really strong base of sort of stuff as the figure skating. Working on your edges. Trying to utilize support,” Braid said. “Centering his gravity whether the reaction to turns as much power as you can without exerting yourself. Understanding the and transitions would be better. Because he already has good edge glide and how to load into your legs and how to load on a particular side work. to go in a particular direction. “So, we took that along with the separation. The other main focus was “And that was something that was also offered at the national team. getting more speed and pop from his crossovers and using them to his (Carrie) really challenged me too. Pushed me hard. And that was advantage. … Years ago, we wouldn’t have looked at crossovers in the something that I continue to work on.” same way. You wouldn’t have been able to utilize them. But the game has changed. That means changing how you teach skating.” What makes Drysdale like other great skaters and what also sets him apart is something that has been coined “four-way skating ability.” It is The game continues to speed up. One doesn’t have to be the fastest the ability to not only move forward with sustained high pace but skater in order to have success at the highest level. But it doesn’t hurt to backward as well as heading from one side to the other with equal have an extra gear when needed. bursts. “You want to be as powerful and as explosive as you can,” Drysdale said. But the way that Drysdale moves around the ice gives the appearance of “You see a guy like Nathan MacKinnon, for example, on the ice. Every someone so smooth in his movements that it seems as if he isn’t working stride he takes, he makes the most of it. He gets as much as each stride, very hard to cover the kind of ground that he does, whether it is closing each crossover that he can. the gap on an opposing player or joining the rush with his teammates on “Guys that you look at. You see how fast they are. How agile, explosive, an offensive possession. Like he’s floating. things like that. It’s just things to look to be able to do. It’s definitely It can look effortless, as Fowler put it. “I know Scotty had that,” said the something I can work on. Need to work on.” longtime Ducks defenseman, who entered the NHL right after There are other fantastic skaters across the NHL. Connor McDavid, of Niedermayer retired. course, is the quintessential example, the nonpareil. The acceleration in “When we talk effortless, a lot of times it will relate to a figure skater, his stride reaches a speed few if any have ever skated at, coupled with right?” Braid said. “They skate with speed and they look so effortless. I the skill to make plays at full flight. Some, like Nathan MacKinnon, aren’t don’t believe it’s effortless. There’s work that goes into that. When it far behind. comes down to it, it’s a lot to do with rhythm and timing and everything Does his own prowess make him want to take on MacKinnon in a future working for you the right way. When it’s all combined and it’s working skating skills challenge? “I don’t know how that would go over,” Drysdale right for you, it appears effortless, if that makes any sense. said. “It would obviously be really cool. There’s still a lot of work to be “He’s working at it. And he might be feeling tired. But it doesn’t appear done.” that way to the person, somebody that’s watching him.” But it didn’t take long for Anaheim to unleash Drysdale against the Niedermayer said hockey now is at “a different time,” one in which most game’s best. More and more, as the Ducks competed in a division-only players are always working on different skills and parts of their game, schedule against the same seven teams, Drysdale was sent out to including the way individual skating and skills coaches have expanded on defend against MacKinnon, Anze Kopitar and Ryan O’Reilly. He’ll get to their knowledge and teaching to help players further enhance their face McDavid next season. abilities. He “sheepishly” admits that he didn’t do much of that after junior Surely there is more to playing defense than great skating. But for 20 or hockey. 25 minutes a night, Drysdale could be a matchup answer for the Ducks It seems unfathomable that one of the greatest skaters in NHL history for many years. “That’s what I get from this,” Braid said. “Seeing him didn’t spend every offseason perfecting that craft. Except in his case, his succeed. That, for me, is the biggest part.” skating was so natural, already perfect. Some would argue he was “It’s obviously really cool to jump over and play against those guys,” peerless. Drysdale said. “And it’s a big challenge. But I think at the end of the day, “If everybody else was doing it, that may not have happened,” you just got to take it for what it is. Enjoy the moment and have fun with Niedermayer said, laughing. “I was lucky then. There weren’t many other it. Do as best as I can. I think that’s all I can do and just continue to work people doing it.” toward being able to shut those guys down.

The element in skating that Drysdale uses to create separation from “Being able to play with them. Hopefully, become a player like that one other players or quickly cut the space down in between is the crossover day.” technique. It is a maneuver in which a skater crosses the outside skate Niedermayer, one of the game’s greatest defensemen, has watched Drysdale at work. Whether it’s his skating or the fact that he loves having the puck or that he’s simply “just going after it” and isn’t nervous when he’s on the ice, Niedermayer sees a youngster determined to leave his mark in the league.

“I know my journey,” said the 2013 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. “These guys are definitely coached a lot more from a younger age technically, obviously with the individual skills but also with team play, concepts and video. They’re further along than I ever was. But there is a lot to learn to have success at the NHL level and what it takes. Whether it’s personal preparation. Mental things. Or just learning little tricks and techniques. Things that really make a difference.

“That takes time. The only way you learn it is getting out there and doing it. He’s been fun to watch.”

It helps to already have the skating part down.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216729 Arizona Coyotes "I asked a lot of questions. Doaner had so much good things to say about the ownership group," Tourigny said, with Doan looking on a few feet away. "His passion for the Valley and the people here in Arizona was Andre Tourigny in as Arizona Coyotes' head coach, fueled by Shane unbelievable. Doan's passion for team "I kind of started to love the 'Yotes through his eyes."

Armstrong liked that Tourigny — who is commonly called by his José M. Romero nickname, "Bear," in hockey circles — coached for so long in junior hockey, giving him a teaching and talent-developing background, and Arizona Republic that he paid his dues coaching in the lower level ranks in faraway places. He feels he and Tourigny think alike when it comes to the type of players

they prefer and roles that they want for them. Bill Armstrong and André Tourigny go back almost 20 years, when Tourigny said he tries hard to understand his players and values them as Armstrong was out on the road scouting prospects in Rouyn-Noranda, human beings. He wanted to be clear that there's only one set of rules to Quebec, and Tourigny was coaching major junior hockey in the Canadian go by. town. The approach has worked. Colleagues have spoken highly of Tourigny, Armstrong, now the Arizona Coyotes General Manager, told a story of who was 130-52-16 as Ottawa 67s head coach. how he noticed Tourigny after a game at a small-town restaurant and bar with his team, fascinated by Tourigny's ability to interact with young "With time, they understand I care about them as a person. The player players while being able to get the most out of them on the ice. has a job to do," Tourigny said. "And there's no gray area. It will be black and white and we'll be relentless and we'll hold them accountable. But That stayed with Armstrong, who on Thursday sat beside Tourigny at that doesn't mean we don't like the person." Gila River Arena to officially welcome him as new head coach of the Coyotes. Tourigny, whose previous commitments to coaching Team Canada in future international competitions won't be fulfilled now that he has an "He was right there from the get-go. I've known about him for a long time. NHL team to guide, looks to bring an up-tempo but physical style of play I thought he was a secret, but when I got into digging, he was no secret," to the job. Armstrong said of Tourigny. "He's got a wealth of knowledge and experience, and I think the other thing you look at is that he's coached a "He brings accountability and likeability," Armstrong said. "I'm very little bit in the NHL, too." excited about bringing André on board to lead the Coyotes in the new era, as our head coach." Tourigny, the 19th head coach in Coyotes franchise history, received a three-year contract. He was most recently an assistant coach with Team Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation world championship in Riga, Latvia and both vice president of hockey operations and head Arizona Republic LOADED: 07.02.2021 coach of the Ottawa 67s of Canada's Ontario Hockey League. He follows Rick Tocchet, with whom the club mutually parted ways in May at the end of the 2021 season, after four seasons at the helm.

"I want the players to see that as a fresh start. So I don't want to hold them accountable for what happened in the past," Tourigny said. "At some point in life, when you have a chance to have a fresh start, to prove yourself, now you control your destiny. That's what I want from the player."

Tourigny looks forward to conversations with the Coyotes players as he gets started with work right away.

"Every player will have a chance to build a relationship with us the coaches, with the organization, and will have a chance to prove what they have in them and what they can do on the ice," he said.

Tourigny, 47, is a native of Quebec with a deep background as junior hockey coach. He's also been an NHL assistant with the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche.

Tourigny, with second-year general manager Armstrong, hopes to turn the Coyotes back into a playoff team after they missed the postseason in 2021's shortened regular season. Until 2020, when the Coyotes lost a first-round series to the Avalanche in Edmonton, Arizona had not made the playoffs since 2012.

"I'm a junkie for learning. I love to learn a lot and to listen to people," Tourigny said. "I want to believe I'm a sponge and I learn from everybody.

"I try to take the best of everybody and build my dream scenario."

Tourigny talked with former Coyotes captain and current chief hockey development officer Shane Doan while the two were in Latvia for the world championship. Doan was Team Canada's assistant general manager.

Tourigny had to back off from discussing much with Coyotes players Darcy Kuemper, Adin Hill and Michael Bunting, who helped Canada to a gold medal in Latvia, after he was asked to interview for head coach. He didn't want to make it seem like he was doing anything behind their backs and praised them for their play and attitude at the tournament.

Doan inspired him to consider the job. 1216730 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes hire Andre Tourigny as head coach

Staff Report

BY ARIZONA SPORTS

JULY 1, 2021 AT 9:05 AM

UPDATED: JULY 1, 2021 AT 2:56 PM

The Arizona Coyotes named Hockey Canada coach Andre Tourigny their 19th head coach in franchise history on Thursday.

An introductory press conference is expected later Thursday morning.

The hiring comes after the Coyotes and former head coach Rick Tocchet agreed to part ways on May 9.

Tocchet spent four seasons as Arizona’s head coach, going 125-131-34 with a single playoff appearance in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season.

Tourigny has experience in two minor-league levels, three years as an NHL assistant coach and also has served in the upper-levels of Hockey Canada’s junior and men’s national teams.

He is familiar with Coyotes chief hockey development officer and former captain Shane Doan, who is assistant general manager for the national team of Hockey Canada. Tourigny was an assistant coach for the men’s national team in 2021 and head coach of the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship squad.

With the men’s national team, Tourigny has coached current Coyotes goalies Darcy Kuemper and Adin Hill, plus forward Michael Bunting.

Tourigny led the Canadian Junior National Ice Hockey Team when it took home a gold medal at the 2020 IIHF World Under-20 Championship. Canada’s junior team secured a silver medal in 2021.

Tourigny originally got his start in coaching in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as the head coach and general manager of the Rouyn- Noranda Huskies from 2002-13. He was named the QMJHL Coach of the Year in 2005-06.

In 2013, Tourigny headed to the NHL, accepting an assistant coaching job with the Colorado Avalanche. He would eventually resign in 2015 before becoming an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators. He was fired a year later.

Tourigny returned to the QMJHL in 2016, taking over head coaching duties for the Halifax Mooseheads.

His stint with the Mooseheads would last just one season, with Tourigny joining the Ottawa 67’s (Ontario Hockey League) as the team’s head coach and VP of hockey operations in 2017.

With Ottawa, Tourigny captured back-to-back OHL Coach of the Year honors in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons to go along with two division titles.

In 2018, Tourigny was named the head coach of the Canadian Under-18 National Team for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where it took home gold.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216731 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny eager to give Arizona a ‘fresh start’

Staff Report

BY ARIZONA SPORTS

JULY 1, 2021 AT 3:10 PM

Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong went into Arizona’s coaching search with veteran NHL assistant and junior coach Andre Tourigny’s name already in mind to fill the vacancy left behind from the team’s parting of ways with Rick Tocchet.

Armstrong considered Tourigny a secret in the coaching ranks initially, but after digging deeper, the coach was anything but, leading the GM to pull the trigger on the hire.

“Probably the best thing about him is his ability to teach and bring young talent of the forefront,” Armstrong said during Tourigny’s introductory press conference on Thursday. “We’re excited about him leading this franchise into a new era.

“He has a proven track record developing young talent, but not only developing young talent, getting young talent to win. … He’s a man of great passion and excitement for the game of hockey. What I love about him is he brings accountability and likability.”

He’s not one to dwell on players’ past transgressions. Instead, he wants to enter the new season with a clean slate. It’s about grabbing life by the horns.

“I want the players to see it as a fresh start. I don’t want to hold them accountable with what happened in the past,” Tourigny said. “I think in some point in life when you have the chance to have a fresh start, to prove yourself, you control your destiny.

“That’s what I want from the players. I want the players to know it’s not about what they did in the past. … I want them to arriver here with the philosophy of, ‘Prove myself. It’s a new coach, new area, new culture an I want to prove myself.’ … A big thing for me is holding players accountable.”

From what transpired last season, the returning Coyotes couldn’t agree more with Tourigny’s thought process.

Tourigny, also known as “The Bear,” takes over a team that could be headed toward more major changes. The Coyotes made the postseason for the first time since 2012 in last season’s pandemic “bubble,” but fell off last season.

Arizona held the fourth playoff spot heading into the final month of the 2020-21 season before losing 12 of 15 games to fall out of contention. The Coyotes have numerous unrestricted free agents, including goalie Antti Raanta and defensemen Niklas Hjalmarsson, and third-leading scorer Conor Garland is a restricted free agent.

Tourigny wants a team that is relentless and is tough to play against with a lot of pace. He also wants to connect with his players, while creating a culture of accountability for all to follow.

“For me, I always say rules have no feelings. When you start to put feeling into a rule like, ‘He had a flat tire this morning that’s why he’s late.’ No, no, no, you’re late or you’re not late,” Tourigny said. ”

“When you start with feelings now you create two sets of rules. … You create a situation where, ‘Why is my excuse not as good as his excuse?’ Now you need a genius to deal with that. I’m not a genius. It’s black and white.”

Arizona Sports LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216732 Boston Bruins ▪ Montreal, after a four-goal loss to open the series, upped its play in Game 2. The Cole Caufield-Suzuki-Tyler Toffoli line, on the ice for three goals against in Game 1, bounced back. Suzuki, who was tremendous in Stanley Cup takeaways: Blake Coleman’s winning goal in Game 2 all three zones, tied the score at 1 with a long backhander that Ryan shouldn’t surprise Bruins fans McDonagh deflected. It was the slowest of his game-high nine shots on goal (10 attempts). Suzuki also stopped a Nikita Kucherov breakaway with a diving backcheck.

By Matt Porter Globe Staff ▪ Joel Armia’s return kept the Habs’ fourth line humming. In 8:09, they out-attempted their opponents, 10-2. Armia was removed from COVID Updated July 1, 2021, 8:09 a.m. protocol shortly before Game 1, but did not play.

▪ Kelly Sutherland and Eric Furlatt were the referees. In the third period, Observations from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, in which Tampa they missed Kucherov, one of six Lightning skaters on the ice at the time, Bay played a substandard game and still won, 3-1 … sticking out his hip and tripping Armia on his way to the bench.

▪ The Bruins may have been shuddering when they saw what Blake ▪ Game 3, at 8 p.m. Friday, will be the first Stanley Cup Final game in Coleman did to the Canadiens. It was all too familiar. Montreal since June 9, 1993. The Habs lifted their 24th Cup that night. Montreal will have interim head coach Dominique Ducharme back behind The Lightning third-liner scored a back-breaking goal, perhaps the most the bench. Assistant Luke Richardson has been running the show since impressive of the 2021 playoffs, at the end of the second period that June 18, when Ducharme tested positive for COVID-19 before Game 3 of stood up as the winner. the third round against Vegas.

It wasn’t just that Coleman scored with 1.1 seconds left, giving Tampa a 2-1 lead. It wasn’t just that he did it in spectacular fashion, diving and swatting the puck past Carey Price. It was also that the Canadiens had Boston Globe LOADED: 07.02.2021 one of their most dominant opening 40 minutes of the playoffs, doing everything they could to take Game 2 and even the series heading back to Montreal. They outshot the Lightning, 23-8, at five on five, and killed two Tampa penalties. Shots in the second period were 16-2 at one point.

And then Coleman scored a crushing, deflating, and critical goal. On the counterattack, Barclay Goodrow chipped the puck past Ben Chiarot, eluded Shea Weber, and slid it over to a diving Coleman, who got a sliver of space on defensive wizard Phillip Danault and chopped one past Price.

“Just did everything I could to get it on net,” said Coleman, who has scored a few similar goals in the past.

Coleman, a pending free agent, is due for a sizable raise on his $1.8 million salary. He was tremendous in Game 2; in addition to scoring his first goal in 19 games, he landed three shots and three hits.

And where do the Bruins come in? Coleman did the same thing to them in Game 2 of their 2020 second-round series. You may recall defenseman Zach Bogosian going coast-to-coast, splitting Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo, and hitting a diving Coleman, who knocked it through Jaroslav Halak’s five-hole. Boston was up, 1-0, on the scoreboard and in the series.

Following that tying goal, Tampa tied the series with an overtime win. The Bruins lost the next three and went home for the summer.

▪ “We’ll have to work hard to get that one back,” Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki said on NBCSN moments after Coleman’s strike.

They tried, putting 43 of the night’s 67 attempts on Andrei Vasilevskiy, but ultimately failed. Ondrej Palat added insurance with 3:18 left, stealing a botched Joel Edmundson reverse and slipping it past Price. Montreal fell to 0-6 in the playoffs when trailing after two periods. The Canadiens are 4-0 in the playoffs when leading after two.

▪ Coleman was tremendous, but Vasilevskiy was the first star. He made 42 saves, facing 35 scoring chances and 10 high-danger shot attempts (per Natural Stat Trick). His defensemen were turning and chasing skaters in white jerseys all night. The Vezina Trophy runner-up hadn’t seen that much rubber since May 30, when the Hurricanes put 38 shots on net and lost, 2-1, in Game 1 of that series.

▪ This was Tampa’s shakiest game in a while. It was a quiet night for Brayden Point (one shot on goal, two missed attempts), who was unable to get to a glittering rebound chance in the second, and coughed up the puck on one of Tampa’s fruitless power plays (0 for 3).

▪ The Lightning didn’t have Alex Killorn, who blocked a Jeff Petry shot off his foot in the second period of Game 1. Killorn, who played at Harvard, was tied for second among postseason goal scorers (8), fourth in points (17), and logs heavy time on the power play and penalty kill.

Mathieu Joseph drew in, logging just 6:23. Anthony Cirelli, whose seeing- eye shot opened the scoring in the second, boosted his PP minutes. 1216733 Boston Bruins

Report: Boston Bruins Coach Pandolfo Leaving For BU Spot

Published 18 hours ago on July 1, 2021

By Joe Haggerty

The changes won’t just be coming with the NHL roster for the Boston Bruins as there will reportedly be imminent coaching staff changes as well.

Longtime Boston Bruins assistant coach Jay Pandolfo, who worked well with the forward group and with B’s head coach Bruce Cassidy on the power play, will be leaving the Bruins for an associate head coach position with his alma mater Boston University, per a New England Hockey Journal report.

Pando, a Burlington native and former standout at Burlington High School, had transitioned from his playing career to coaching and player development after a final 2012-13 playing season with his hometown Boston Bruins.

“He predominantly works with the forwards, he does a lot of our [offensive] zone stuff, spacing, how to attack their D, what areas of the ice and where you can get some different looks…where the team is most vulnerable,” said Bruce Cassidy of Pandolfo, when asked about his potential as a future head coach during the Bruins playoff run last month. “Me and him work on the power play together, our entries, O-zone, how teams kill and push down pressure versus ‘D’ pushing up. That’s where he makes his mark with our team.

“As far as [his] head coaching [future], you never know till you try. If that’s the path he chooses he should pursue it and I think he’d do great.”

After jumping straight from Burlington High School to the Boston University hockey team including being a part of the 1995 NCAA championship winner, the 46-year-old Pandolfo topped 1,000 games, including regular season and playoffs, during a lengthy, distinguished NHL career as a solid two-way forward and Stanley Cup winner with the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins.

Pandolfo spent a few years with the B’s in player development following his retirement from his playing career, and then joined the coaching staff during the 2016-17 season where he’s been a staple of Cassidy’s NHL staff for the last five seasons.

The move clearly makes sense for Pandolfo, who will team with former BU teammate and current Terriers head coach Albie O’Connell as he continues to build his coaching portfolio for his own head coaching gig in the future. As for the Bruins, it’s possible that Providence Bruins head coach Jay Leach could get strong consideration for the NHL staff in Boston after being a candidate for the NHL head coaching vacancy with the Arizona Coyotes.

If the Bruins go the player development route, they could also bring in Bruins Player Development Coach Chris Kelly to Bruce Cassidy’s staff given he has the same kind of rapport that Pandolfo did with top Boston Bruins veteran forwards like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

“[Pandolfo’s youth] benefits us with his relationship with the players. We can go to him with those things, when players don’t quite look right, he’s able to get their ear,” said Cassidy. “He’s a Stanley Cup champion, so for that on the staff that’s invaluable insight in these playoff series. That’s what we lean on him mostly for. [He’s a] great guy.”

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216734 Buffalo Sabres He insisted he wasn't naming names, but we all know who he's referring to.

"We got energized at the end of the year by the young core of players Mike Harrington: It's July and it seems like the Jack Eichel drama has to and their commitment and their passion, their maturity in the stuff that end soon was discussed at the end of year about what they see moving forward and their excitement about being a Buffalo Sabre," Adams said. "That’s what I’m specifically talking about, but we won’t compromise on that.” Jul 1, 2021 Updated 8 hrs ago Sabres Mailbag: How will the stalemate with Jack Eichel end? Mike Harrington The coaching search is only one chapter in a busy offseason for Adams, Sports Columnist beginning with the dilemma involving the Sabres' captain, Jack Eichel.

We're in July now. Friday marks three weeks from draft night. There's only two teams still playing, so the market is wide open. Nothing to see here. That's what the Buffalo Sabres want you to believe is going on with Jack Eichel. "I think there’s just natural pressure points – the draft, trade deadline – different times where things automatically heat up," Adams said. "So That's not totally true, of course. Eichel still wants his funky neck surgery, what I’ll say is, I’m having conversations every day." and the Sabres aren't going to give him permission to have a procedure never done on an NHL player. They don't have to and, as I've said The pressure point, of course, is on the GM. If he's going to reshape the previously, I don't know why they would. team by shipping out three core guys who have played roughly 1,400 games here, he better get some good returns. The sides are still talking. Eichel's rest-and-rehab period is over. The calendar turned to July on Thursday. If he wants to be on the ice come "Of course it will pick up here as we get closer to the draft. Would we do October, this issue needs to come to a head soon. something to do it just at the draft? No, it has to be the right move," Adams said. "But if we feel it’s the right thing for our franchise, absolutely Don't miss these highlights of the Buffalo Sabres 20th head coach Don we’d be open to it." Granato's session with the media. Fasten your seat belts for this summer ride. "As I’ve said many times before, I’m certainly not a doctor. Our stance hasn’t changed in where we’re at," general manager Kevyn Adams said Thursday. "It’s in the hands of the medical experts. That’s really what I said previously and that’s where we’re at right now. So that’s the best I Buffalo News LOADED: 07.02.2021 can give."

One thing that was interesting about Don Granato's introductory presser was that you barely heard the words "Jack Eichel" uttered by either the GM or the new head coach.

Adams was asked point-blank if he's talked to Eichel and at first did a deft pirouette around the inquiry. Asked a second time, the GM insisted he wasn't avoiding the question.

"I think my point was communication with all our players is critical and an extension of whether it’s players or sometimes it’s the agent," he said. "That’s just part of our day to day. So of course, yeah, I’m talking to all of our players."

Adams went on to say he spent "a long time" on the phone Wednesday with Eichel's representatives. And while the GM said "that’s just part of what we do," it means a little more when a team and its $10 million a year captain are heading for an inevitable divorce.

Rumors are rampant around the NHL about Eichel's next stop and while some seem legitimate, others are goofy. The Sabres aren't rewarding Eichel with a trade home to Boston and, the insistence of the New York media aside, they're not trading Eichel to the Rangers to line the pockets of new GM Chris Drury. Especially since the Rangers don't have a high pick in this draft and seem loathe to part with any of their top young players.

It was mighty interesting that just after Adams finished talking Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings acquired two-time 30-goal scorer Viktor Arvidsson from Nashville – and only needed to give up this year's second-round pick and next year's third-round to do it.

Inside the Sabres: Evaluating 5 possible landing spots for Jack Eichel

It’s possible no general manager in the National Hockey League has more on his agenda this offseason than Kevyn Adams of the Sabres.

Why was that significant? The Kings didn't touch any of their top prospects to make the trade. Nor did they part with their No. 8 overall choice in the first round to do it, either.

Hmmmm. Still allows them to have plenty of trade capital to work with if they want to talk turkey with Adams about Eichel.

Adams used the phrase "anything and everything" to describe what kind of moves he's looking at. Undoubtedly, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen like the sound of those words as well. The GM keeps hammering home the point of wanting to be here, whether it's Granato or his players. 1216735 Buffalo Sabres Donnie and I quickly established a rhythm. You’re talking every day – multiple times a day – about so many different scenarios. So that was an important part of this. ... He’s been a head coach for so many years at so Seven takeaways from Don Granato's first news conference as Sabres many different levels. He’s been an assistant coach, understands what it head coach feels like to be in that situation. He’s scouted, so he has a little different perspective on player evaluations. That really is a unique package."

6. On the rugged Atlantic Division: Granato doesn't find five Atlantic Mike Harrington teams in this year's playoffs and two in the Stanley Cup final as daunting: "You have to thrive on challenge. If you're going to win and be successful Jul 1, 2021 Updated 8 hrs ago at the highest level, you have to love challenge. I will reiterate there's a lot of petty stuff that happens and emotional stuff that happens and you want a response. Organizations and coaches can get stuck on petty The interim tag no longer in front of his title, Don Granato is now fully things that anchor you down. There's certain things you have to move signed as the Buffalo Sabres' 20th head coach. The 53-year-old Illinois past and not be bogged down. native was reintroduced to the Western New York media during a video call Thursday and spoke on a variety of subjects during the 40-minute Junior Strauss Mann and freshman Erik Portillo, a third-round draft session. choice of the Sabres in 2019, lent their analysis on each player to The News. Here are some of the highlights of the Q&A: "Two teams in the Stanley Cup final are in our division in Tampa and 1. Granato made it clear this was the job for him: "Nothing else interested Montreal. When we are going to be successful, we are going to improve me in the interim. I wanted to make that clear. I didn’t even think of our players and our team. We're going to develop to the point we can win pursuing or potentially pursuing anything else. I didn’t feel that was right. consistently. We'll hit a tipping point if we just stay focused on getting This is something that excites me, to be here. This is an opportunity for better. It's inevitable. ... We will stay the course. The course is me, but I really feel that it’s more than an opportunity. It’s an obligation. I improvement. Getting better. I've done it. I've seen it with teams. I've feel like I have an obligation to all the people that follow the Sabres, that been part of championship teams. There's a lot that will fall into place care about the Sabres, to the players that walk into our room and have to with that mentality and objective. We have so much room for growth that battle for us, to the staff that commits so much and everything involved. I it's powerful." really do feel that this is an obligation that I have in this position and I look forward to that.” 7. The status of assistant coaches Matt Ellis, Dan Girardi and Mike Bales: "That’s something we will be discussing in the next week or How Don Granato's career path might fit what the Sabres need in a coming weeks. The guys that were here, I have a tremendous amount of coach respect for and they were incredibly effective and efficient to work for, so they are obviously in the mix moving forward as we sort this out." Granato, now 53, has coached for eight teams at various levels, building a résumé, and calculated approach to developing talented athletes, that has him as a leading candidate for the coaching vacancy in Buffalo. Buffalo News LOADED: 07.02.2021 2. Building a relationship with ownership: Granato revealed that there were deep conversations with Terry and Kim Pegula during the process and he became comfortable with them.

"It’s nice to know better when you go to work each day how much the people that run the business care about you and your success as an individual and a collective whole. I felt that, I feel that, I know that. I’ve worked in many different organizations, in the NHL and all over, and I know that is a key component and probably the biggest key component to what happens. I know we have that here. It really energizes me moving forward."

3. On the potential trades of Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen: "When you prepare for the season ahead, you have all this time where there’s different scenarios that might happen. And it helps you, actually, as an organization. It makes you better. Because we don’t know what might happen, what will transpire. But we will be prepared to move in a direction. We know the direction we want to go. So, how we may move and have to move this group in that direction may change, but we’re completely certain on the direction we want to go and need to keep moving ... Whatever the scenario is, we’ll be ready for it. We will adjust and acclimate without compromising the direction."

Mike Harrington: Don Granato the 'right call' for the Sabres right now

If the Sabres are going to move on from Eichel and Reinhart, Granato should be the guy to move ahead with a new core.

4. What's ahead? Granato only had 12 practices with the club after he took over and is looking forward to making as much impact on defensive systems as he did with offense. "You’re not going to get better playing conservative. The league forces you sometimes to be conservative. We felt there’s so much opportunity for this team and this group to improve that we turned our focus to that. The players accepted that as a challenge within only those 12 practices. And they practiced hard. ... The defensive systems are very straightforward and simple. It’s just a question of sacrifice and hard work as it comes down to pride and care for your team. The offensive systems are much more complex and they evolve over time, and practice is an integral part of that."

5. General Manager Kevyn Adams on what ultimately led him back to Granato: "What was critical to me was having a relationship with the head coach where you trust each other. You’re not always going to agree, but you are going to get in a room and have conversations. And 1216736 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres coach Don Granato: 'This is the job I want and I feel that I'm ready for this'

Staff Report

Jul 1, 2021 Updated 11 hrs ago

Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams was clear that he wants the people who want to be part of the Sabres' organization. Count Don Granato among them.

"He did say to me right away, 'Kevyn this is the job I want and I feel that I'm ready for this,'" Adams said Thursday as the Sabres formally introduced Granato as the 20th head coach in team history. The Sabres removed the interim tag Tuesday.

In 28 games under Granato, Buffalo went 9-16-3 and were outscored 101-76, but Granato connected with the team's young players who all lauded his effort.

"This is the position I had wanted to be in, that I had hoped to be in," Granato told reporters. "Nothing else interested me in the interim. I didn't think of pursing anything else. I didn't think that was right. This is something that excites me to be here."

Asked what excites him as the Sabres aim to break a 10-year playoff drought, Granato said, "The demand of the challenge is what excites me. I fully believe we have a huge opportunity right in front of us. The demand of Sabres fans and our hockey community is right where I want to be. ... This is more than an opportunity. This is an obligation."

Obviously just who might be in the lineup remains in question, as trade rumors continue to swirl around captain Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart.

"When you prepare for a season you prepare for a range of what may happen," he said. "You have all this time where there's different scenarios what might happen. ... we know the direction we want to go. How we may move this group in that direction may change."

Buffalo News LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216737 Buffalo Sabres “This is the position I wanted it to be in and I had hoped to be in,” Granato said. “Nothing else interested me in the interim. I wanted to make that clear. I didn’t even think of pursuing or potentially pursuing any Sabres and Jack Eichel ‘heading towards a resolution.’ When could it anything else. happen and what does that mean? “This is an opportunity for me, but I really feel that it’s more than an opportunity. It’s an obligation. I feel like I have an obligation to all the people that follow the Sabres, that care about the Sabres, to the players By John Vogl that walk in our room and have to battle for us, to the staff that commits so much.” Jul 1, 2021 Granato plans to discuss his coaching staff with Adams in the coming

weeks. Granato’s interim assistants were Matt Ellis and Dan Girardi, who Jack Eichel’s career remains at a standstill. That may be changing. moved from the player development staff to the bench.

“We have definitely been communicating with the team and we are “They were incredibly effective and efficient to work with, so they are heading towards a resolution,” Eichel’s agent, Peter Fish, said via email obviously in the mix moving forward,” Granato said. Thursday when asked about Eichel’s health, the Sabres repeating their While those conversations are no doubt important, Adams has bigger stance that they are against artificial disk replacement surgery and what’s ones that require his immediate attention. Nothing is bigger than what the next for the captain. Sabres will do with Eichel. Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams said he had a long talk with Fish “It’s going to be a busy stretch here and an exciting time,” Adams said of on Wednesday but was mum on the details. Adams did say the the weeks leading to the July 23 draft. “It’s a huge opportunity, an organization still won’t allow the disk replacement surgery that Eichel has exciting time for a franchise. I’m certainly happy to have Donny on board wanted. as well now, so let’s focus the attention on our roster, the draft and “Our stance hasn’t changed,” Adams said. “It’s in the hands of the everything else we have going on.” medical experts.”

The franchise-altering medical dispute is in its fifth month. Eichel suffered The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 a herniated disk in his neck in March and disagreed with the Sabres’ medical opinion — and a second opinion — that rest was the best recovery option. Multiple neurosurgeons convinced his camp that artificial disk replacement would heal him in two to three months. The Sabres balked at the surgery, saying it has never been done on an NHL player, which created a disconnect that seems certain to end in divorce.

Adams admitted trade talks are a daily occurrence as the league approaches the draft, which doubles as a swap meet.

“I’m having conversations every day,” Adams said. “I’m looking at anything and everything of how we turn this franchise in a positive direction. I’ve been consistent with that message. We have to do that. Across the board, it has not been good enough and we have to fix that.”

While other moves are likely to happen, including trades of Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen, the biggest domino is Eichel. When healthy, he’s a top-10 center. The 24-year-old is under contract for five more seasons at $10 million per year. There are suitors out there, though it’s understandable if others are concerned about Eichel’s health. Still, there’s no doubt the right trade can be made.

That’s why his agent saying they are moving toward a resolution is intriguing.

“We know the direction we want to go,” said Don Granato, who was formally introduced as Sabres coach Thursday. “How we may move and have to move this group in that direction may change, but we are completely certain on the direction we want to go.

“Whatever the scenario is, we’ll be ready for it and we will adjust and acclimate without compromising the direction we want to go.”

Adams has been steadfast in saying the Sabres will be built with people who want to be in Buffalo. Fair or not, that paints Eichel, Reinhart and Ristolainen as people who don’t want to be in Buffalo, given their end-of- season comments.

“It’s bigger than focusing and singling out people,” Adams said. “The point of saying that is we need to establish a culture here of people on the ice, staff, across the organization that are proud, that it is something really special to get up every day and have this opportunity to be a Buffalo Sabre.

“We got energized at the end of the year by the young core of players and their commitment and their passion and their maturity in the stuff that was discussed at the end of year about what they see moving forward and their excitement about being a Buffalo Sabre. That’s what I’m specifically talking about, but we won’t compromise on that.”

Passion for Buffalo is what helped Granato transition from interim coach to full-time bench boss. While the Sabres interviewed numerous candidates for the job, Granato kept his name away from all other employment opportunities. 1216738 Calgary Flames

Canadian men’s, women’s, para hockey teams to host camps in Calgary

Staff Report

Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021

After a 2020-21 season that saw limited on-ice opportunities and virtual summer camps, HockeyCanada has announced its men’s and women’s national teams will return to the ice in July for their annual summer camps.

From July 25-Aug. 10, HockeyCanada’s national team program, including the men’s under-18 and under-20 teams, and women’s under-18, NextGen (born in 2003), development and senior national teams will gather in Calgary for a series of on- and off-ice activities for the first time since 2019.

“After a unique and difficult season, HockeyCanada is thrilled to provide our national team athletes and staff the opportunity to return to the ice for our annual summer camps in Calgary,” said Scott Salmond, Hockey Canada senior vice-president of national teams. “We look forward to hosting the top athletes and staff from across the country in July, and are excited to kick off our preparations for a new season and a number of international competitions.”

The Program of Excellence camps, which include the men’s under-18 (July 26-Aug. 3) and under-20 programs (July 29-Aug. 3), will take place at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on Tsuut’ina Nation, while the BFL National Women’s Program Summer Showcase, presented by Sobeys, will take place at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park (July 25-Aug. 10). Canada’s national para hockey team will also gather for a five-day off-ice boot camp (July 21-25) in preparation for the 2021-22 season and 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

“This year’s summer camps mark the first time that all levels of the national women’s program will participate in camp at the same time, helping us provide consistency with all our athletes and staff throughout the program,” said Gina Kingsbury, Hockey Canada’s director of women’s national teams. “Despite a difficult season, our athletes have done an excellent job of staying connected and working hard with limited resources, and we are excited to get back on the ice this summer as we work towards the upcoming season.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216739 Calgary Flames

Hitmen select forwards from Russia, Belarus in import draft

Staff Report

Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021

The Calgary Hitmen are looking forward to the future after selecting a pair of Eastern Europeans in the 2021 CHL Import Draft.

The Western Hockey League club used its first-round pick — 35th overall — to select Russian winger Maxim Muranov.

They then made fellow 17-year-old forward Anton Atashevich, from Belarus, their second-round choice — 92nd overall.

Moscow’s Muranov tallied more than a point a game last season in the Russian under-18 league, collecting 13 points — including four goals — in 10 games. He also notched another three points in five playoff games.

Atashevich excelled in the 2019-20 season playing U17 hockey in his home country, where he was second in team scoring with 44 points — including 14 goals — in 46 games. Last year, the Belarusian played U18 puck, finishing third on his team in rookie scoring with 10 points in 36 games.

“We are very excited to draft both Maxim and Anton and welcome them to our program,” said Hitmen GM Jeff Chynoweth. “We entered this draft looking to build around our existing group of 17- and 18-year-olds and believe their potential skill will complement the depth we have in our 2003 and 2004 age-groups.”

The Hitmen still hold the playing rights to 18-year-old defenceman Alexei Garapuchik, who has been placed on the Special Import List. The Belarusian was the 60th player taken in the 2020 CHL Import Draft.

Muranov, Atashevich and Garapuchik are eligible to attend training camp this fall, but under CHL rules, teams are allowed a maximum of two weeks into the regular season to decide which two imports will make the roster.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216740 Carolina Hurricanes knowing next year (2022) has some increased risk of not being able to do it right. So we kind of left it in the hands of the league to decide what would be best. But we were open-minded either way. I don’t think there Tom Dundon has full ownership of the Hurricanes. What will that mean? were any bad outcomes there.”

Q: You’re on the verge of finalizing the new lease for PNC Arena. What changes would you like to see with the arena the next couple of years? BY CHIP ALEXANDER A: “We’re hoping we can work with the city and county and do a JULY 01, 2021 09:37 AM development around PNC (Arena). I think we can make it a really unique entertainment area. That’s always been the goal and I think were going

to get to work on that now.” Tom Dundon has assumed full ownership of the Carolina Hurricanes, but Q: Financially, how big a loss did the pandemic cause for you? what will that mean for the team moving forward? A: “I’m probably lucky in that even though it wasn’t great, I’m still here Dundon, in an interview Thursday, discussed his plans during a Q-and-A and we got through it.” with the News & Observer. Q: What was the purchase price Wednesday? How big a check did you Q: What are your thoughts on taking over full ownership? write? A: “It’s not much different. We had partners and it was fine. The way the A: (laughs) “I don’t really know. I think whatever the original deal was is NHL works, if you’re control owner you get to make the final decisions. pretty much what the deal ended up being. Pretty close.” During that whole process everyone was supportive of everything we did, so it was never anything but a positive.”

Q: Does this change anything in the way you want to run the team? News Observer LOADED: 07.02.2021 A: “There’s no changes. It has not been been an issue at all.”

Q: What more can be said about Peter Karmanos and his long involvement with the team?

A: “Look, he’s the reason it’s here and we’ve had a lot of success. When we took over, when I got here, it was definitely headed in the right direction. Pete’s been a good friend and really helpful in the whole transition.”

Q: You want to win a Stanley Cup. What’s missing, what’s needed?

A: “I think we have to stay competitive, stay in the top percentage of the league every year. You hope that at some point you get the right thing to happen at the right time. Once you get into a playoff format with a small sample size, more random things have a bigger impact on the outcome. During the regular season, assuming you’re healthy, the better teams tend to make the playoffs. But once you’re in the playoffs it’s such a short series that the outcome is less about how good you are (in the regular season) but more how good you are and what happens in that exact moment. So we have to be there enough times with good players and good coaches and I think eventually we’ll get on the right run we need to win.”

Q: Personnel wise, does anything need to change?

A: “We went past ‘need’ a long time ago here. We’re now on to things we want and we want to be better everywhere. As far as getting significantly better players than what we have, that’s hard. But on the margins, everywhere, even the individual players can do better and they work on that, or you find a better player here or there. But I don’t think there’s any one place where we have a problem or a disadvantage.”

Q: Do you believe you will re-sign defenseman Dougie Hamilton?

A: “I hope so but I don’t know.”

Q: How have the discussions gone with Hamilton’s representation? Are you close to an agreement or would you call it far apart?

A: “I’m not sure. I think it’s early. The way free agency works, it all tends to happen later in the process. I know we like him and he liked being here so that’s a good start. But after that, fitting really good players into the salary-cap structure is always going to be a challenge. That’s not changing.”

Q: With Andrei Svechnikov, do you think he will sign a shorter “bridge” type contract or a longer deal?

A: “I’m not sure, We’ve talked about it and I expect him to be here for a long time, so we’re pretty flexible on how to structure things. But ultimately the goal is just to have him here and I think we will.”

Q: What went into the postponing of the outdoor game?

A: “We’ve had talks about that for a long time. If you think about where COVID was and where we were with fans and not having fans or limited fans, all the discussions are do you push to move it one year among the uncertainty or do you allow for flexibility? We were pretty flexible, 1216741 Chicago Blackhawks commitments. Still, they appear to be the type of broadcaster the Hawks would want – young yet experienced.

Another riser is Stephen Nelson, 32, who hosts on NHL and MLB What are Blackhawks looking for in Pat Foley’s successor? Here are Network. He did a fine job calling play-by-play for the hockey world some hints juniors last winter. He also is the lead voice for NHL Network’s in-studio game broadcasts.

By Jeff Agrest Fans craving a local connection might like to see Judd Sirott return. He called the Wolves for 12 seasons and was the Hawks’ pre- and Jul 1, 2021, 2:25pm CDT postgame radio host before becoming the Bruins’ radio play-by-play voice in 2017. But he said he’s focused on his current job.

Those are just a few names that figure to pop up in conversations as the Pat Foley, with broadcast partner Eddie Olczyk, will leave the Hawks prepare to add another new face to the local broadcasting Blackhawks’ booth after next season. Sun-Times landscape. For decades, Chicago’s TV play-by-play voices had gone largely Longtime Chicago broadcaster Chris Boden announced Wednesday on unchanged. Entering 2020, Pat Foley was in his 37th season calling Twitter that he’s no longer the Blackhawks’ pre- and postgame host on Blackhawks games, Neil Funk was in his 28th calling the Bulls and Len WGN-AM (720). “After 4 years, my time with the Blackhawks ends today, Kasper would begin his 16th with the Cubs. Ken “Hawk” Harrelson had informed at season’s end the Pre/Postgame host position is being bowed out from the White Sox in 2018 after 33 years. eliminated due to Covid-related financial losses,” Boden posted. Now look around. Adam Amin completed his first season as the Bulls’ Another former Blackhawk has joined the broadcasting ranks. ESPN lead voice in May. Jon “Boog” Sciambi is in the middle of his first with the announced that Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios will serve as an Cubs. Jason Benetti is in his third full season with the Sox after sharing analyst when the network begins airing NHL games next season. the booth with Harrelson for three years. It won’t be long before Benetti is the longest-tenured TV play-by-play voice in town. Notre Dame football has a new radio home in Chicago. Starting this fall, the Irish will be heard on WBBM-AM (780), also the home of the Bears. That’s because next season will be Foley’s last, as the Hawks Notre Dame had been on WMVP-AM (1000) since 2016. announced last week.

(Since we’re lauding longevity, let’s not forget the city’s longtime radio play-by-play voices. Pat Hughes is in his 26th season with the Cubs, Jeff Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 07.02.2021 Joniak has 20 with the Bears, John Wiedeman 14 with the Hawks and Chuck Swirsky 13 with the Bulls. Kasper, in his first year with the Sox, has some catching up to do.)

Though the Hawks haven’t made much positive news on and off the ice this year, their play-by-play voice is a plum job. They’ll have no shortage of candidates as a team in the country’s third-largest market. But how will the process work, and what type of candidate might they be looking for?

First, fans should know that neither Foley nor the Hawks harbor animosity. This isn’t a repeat of 2006, when a previous management group fired Foley after a rift had developed. He called Wolves games for two seasons before returning to the Hawks under the leadership of Rocky Wirtz and John McDonough.

This time, the Hawks are planning a yearlong celebration for Foley. His departure is more a matter of timing than anything. His contract has a year remaining, and under first-year president of business operations Jaime Faulkner, the team is undergoing a reboot.

Plus, Foley is part of the conversations about his successor. After all, he’ll be sharing the mic with the person next season as the Hawks work the new voice into the broadcast, much like the Sox did when Harrelson passed the torch to Benetti. The Hawks noticed how effective that plan was.

As far as candidates, expect the Hawks to go young, like the Bulls did with Amin, 34, and the Sox with Benetti, 37. Foley, 66, was even younger when he became the Hawks’ voice in 1980. Generations of fans grew up listening to him and watching him. The team figures to try to replicate that.

The Hawks could hire a contemporary of analyst Eddie Olczyk, who’s 54. The expansion Seattle Kraken hired John Forslund, 59, who had called the Whalers/Hurricanes since 1995 and has a national profile. But it seems unlikely the Hawks would go in a similar direction.

With the new person calling an undetermined portion of games next season, a well-established announcer might not want to leave a full-time job for a year of part-time work, unless the person has no issue waiting out the year or would overlook it because of a connection to the city.

And with Olczyk also under contract with TNT, the Hawks might not hire another person who would miss games for a national network. They already have pre- and postgame analyst Steve Konroyd to fill in for Olczyk. They probably don’t want to hire another announcer to fill in for the one they’re hiring.

Two names that fall into that category are the Kings’ Alex Faust, 32, and the Islanders’ Brendan Burke, 36. They’re rising talents but with national 1216742 Chicago Blackhawks

Chris Boden cut as Blackhawks radio studio host

Robert Feder

Updated 7/1/2021 6:32 AM

Chris Boden won't be returning as studio host for Chicago Blackhawks hockey broadcasts on Nexstar Media Group news/talk WGN 720-AM, Robert Feder writes.

"After four years, my time with the Blackhawks ends today, informed at season's end the pre/postgame host position is being eliminated due to COVID-related financial losses," Boden posted on social media Wednesday.

The veteran Chicago sportscaster and former Comcast SportsNet Chicago host grew up in south suburban Burbank and graduated from Luther South High School and Columbia College.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216743 Chicago Blackhawks Kekalainen can enhance the return if he gets clubs bidding against each other.

Another major consideration is Jones’ willingness to sign long-term with Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, Avs, Kings and the club that acquires him from Columbus. Put another way: Does he Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? want to test free agency next summer no matter what, or only if he was still with the Blue Jackets?

By Aaron Portzline and Corey Pronman If Jones, who has a 10-team no-trade list, is willing to sign an extension with his next team, it would significantly improve the Blue Jackets’ return. Jul 1, 2021 If a club trades for Jones without any assurances beyond next season, the Blue Jackets may seek a conditional draft pick in the event that he

did decide to stay. COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the third time in nine months, the Blue Jackets The other major consideration is the salary cap, which is parked at $81.5 are getting ready for a trade they really don’t want to make. million for 2021-22 and likely longer. Because of the COVID-19 Last October, the Jackets traded power forward Josh Anderson to the pandemic, NHL clubs aren’t getting the annual elbow room under the cap Montreal Canadiens when it became clear that Anderson could force his that the growth of the game has typically provided. way into a one-year contract that would lead him to unrestricted free Jones’ salary cap hit, a very reasonable $5.4 million, will require many agency this summer. acquiring teams to clear salary off their books one way or another. Last January, after an early-season drama that gripped the NHL, the Here’s a look — call it informed speculation — at the possible trade Blue Jackets traded center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets. packages each of the four clubs seen as leading candidates could offer Dubois, who asked to be traded shortly before training camp, couldn’t co- to acquire Jones: exist with coach John Tortorella, and it forced Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s hand to make a deal quickly. Chicago Blackhawks

Now it’s Seth Jones’ turn, and this one might be the most heartbreaking Overview: The Blackhawks are reportedly close to trading defenseman of the three for the organization. Duncan Keith, who was a big part of three Stanley Cup winners in Chicago. Keith’s salary cap hit ($5.538) almost matches Jones’, so The relationship between Jones and the Blue Jackets hasn’t soured, like maybe Keith’s trade is a harbinger of more activity. The Blackhawks the other two, but he made it clear to the club in May that he wasn’t haven’t won a playoff series since their last Cup win in 2015 and they willing to sign a contract extension with Columbus this summer because missed the postseason three of the past four seasons (only making it in he planned to pursue free agency in 2022. 2020 by winning their qualifying series). They’re looking to make a splash Kekalainen initially indicated he’d be willing to carry Jones into next this summer. season, much like the club did in 2019 with left winger Artemi Panarin Potential trade package: Forward Philipp Kurashev, defenseman Nicolas and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Beaudin, left-wing prospect Lukas Reichel, and a first-round pick in 2022 But the return of John Davidson as the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey Portzline’s thoughts: Reichel is a bright prospect and the first-round pick operations — Kekalainen’s new/old boss — has signaled a far different next season is highly desirable, especially if it’s not lottery protected. approach. Both Kurashev and Beaudin are 21-year-olds who are just starting to get Unless Jones somehow has a charge of heart in the next few weeks, he NHL time. will be traded, Davidson has said, explaining that the projected 2021-22 Pronman’s thoughts: Reichel is a very good prospect, a well-rounded roster isn’t nearly as deep or talented as the 2018-19 roster when forward you could project as a second-line forward, analogous to Norris Panarin and Bobrovsky headed into their final years. at the time of the Karlsson trade. Kurashev had a solid rookie season in The Blue Jackets are expected to endure a couple of rough seasons in Chicago. He’s a good player, highly skilled and intelligent, but not as the name of rebuilding the franchise, which is Davidson’s forte as an good as Tierney was in 2018. Thus, Chicago gives a little more than San executive. He’s done it in St. Louis and he was doing it in New York Jose and includes Beaudin, who had a good season. For Chicago, you before the Rangers abruptly cleaned house in May. presume the Blackhawks will be better with Jones and hope that the 2022 first-round pick is later in the round. Where will Jones be traded? Kekalainen’s heard from just about every GM in the league regarding his prized defenseman, he said, but four Colorado Avalanche teams appear to be front-runners based on multiple conversations with Overview: It has been widely assumed that Colorado wants to get more NHL club executives: Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. physical defensively after watching how the playoffs have unfolded this What will the return look like? Well, that’s a more difficult question, which season. The Avs have an incredibly skilled blue line, but Jones would is why we roped in The Athletic’s hockey prospects guru Corey Pronman. give them size, defensive smarts and physicality. Plus, Denver is where Jones learned how to skate while his father played basketball for the No two trades are exactly alike, of course, but we wanted to find a Nuggets. comparable trade in recent seasons to help set parameters. We didn’t have to look far to find a trade involving an elite-level defenseman with Potential trade package: Center Tyson Jost, forward prospect Sampo one year remaining on his contract before unrestricted free agency. Ranta, defensive prospect Justin Barron and a first-round pick in 2021

In 2018, Ottawa traded Erik Karlsson to San Jose for forwards Chris Portzline’s thoughts: Barron is a very promising prospect. Scouts drool at Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, the rights to his size and skating combination, which is rare. He got a taste of the AHL forward prospect Joshua Norris, a first-round pick in 2019 or 2020, a last season and did not disappoint. Jost is an established bottom-six NHL second-round pick in 2019, and two conditional picks. player. Ranta had a great career at Minnesota and just turned pro last year. A fourth first-round pick this year? Why not? To be clear, Karlsson’s resumé in 2018 was extremely impressive, putting him a solid notch above Jones. He’d won the Norris Trophy twice Pronman’s thoughts: Jost has been a useful but not great NHL player. (2012, 2015) as the NHL’s top defenseman, he’d averaged just under a He’s got a lot of skill, not that much speed. He’s good, arguably not quite point a game over the previous three seasons, and he was one of the top as good as Tierney at the time. Barron is a very strong prospect, a highly offensive defensemen of his generation. mobile defenseman with size with some offense. He could be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Columbus gives a little bit on Jost, so Colorado Jones is a much more accomplished two-way player than Karlsson, but needs to give a slightly better prospect than Balcers was at the time, his offensive output has been average throughout his career, his last two which Ranta is. seasons have been average at best, and he’s never finished higher than fourth (2018) in Norris voting. Los Angeles Kings

Based on this, the Blue Jackets should expect a smaller return for Jones Overview: No, you’re not getting Quinton Byfield from the Kings. At least than the Senators achieved for Karlsson, but it’s also possible that that’s what the Kings keep telling opposing GMs, although you wonder if Jones was willing to sign long-term if that might soften the stance. We digress. The Kings have one of the best prospect cupboards in the NHL, and they desperately need help on defense. Man, Jones could be a big deal in L.A.

Potential trade package: Center Adrian Kempe, center prospect Akil Thomas, defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and a first-round pick in 2022 (lottery protected).

Portzline’s thoughts: Thomas put up huge numbers in junior and had a very good rookie AHL season this year. Bjornfot stuck in the NHL this season and shows promise. Kempe, 24, is an established middle-six center, probably best suited to a third line. The lottery protection takes all the fun out of this trade, though.

Pronman’s thoughts: Kempe is a useful player close enough in age to Tierney in 2018. Bjornfot is a good young player, he’s mobile and smart. He may be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Thomas is a strong, not top prospect, with great skill but a lack of pace.

Philadelphia Flyers

Overview: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher must be fun at a poker table. From the moment Jones was known to be headed out of Columbus, the Flyers have been seen as the club most aggressively in pursuit. Would Kekalainen trade Jones within the division? Damn right he would, as long as it’s the best offer.

Potential trade package: Defenseman Philippe Myers, forward prospect Zayde Wisdom, center prospect Morgan Frost and a first-round pick in 2022

Portzline’s thoughts: Underwhelmed. Frost is a strong prospect, but he missed the final three months of the season following shoulder surgery. He should be ready for camp in the fall, but that’s a red flag. Myers is a stay-at-home type, and Wisdom looks solid but unspectacular. They’d better nail that first-round pick in this scenario.

Pronman’s thoughts: Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose been up and down in the league. Frost is a very intelligent and skilled player without a ton of pace who could be a top-six forward. Wisdom had a great season in the AHL. He’s not that quick or big, but he has offense and a high compete level. I’ll consider him slightly better than Balcers at the time.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216744 Colorado Avalanche Kekalainen can enhance the return if he gets clubs bidding against each other.

Another major consideration is Jones’ willingness to sign long-term with Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, Avs, Kings and the club that acquires him from Columbus. Put another way: Does he Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? want to test free agency next summer no matter what, or only if he was still with the Blue Jackets?

By Aaron Portzline and Corey Pronman If Jones, who has a 10-team no-trade list, is willing to sign an extension with his next team, it would significantly improve the Blue Jackets’ return. Jul 1, 2021 If a club trades for Jones without any assurances beyond next season, the Blue Jackets may seek a conditional draft pick in the event that he

did decide to stay. COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the third time in nine months, the Blue Jackets The other major consideration is the salary cap, which is parked at $81.5 are getting ready for a trade they really don’t want to make. million for 2021-22 and likely longer. Because of the COVID-19 Last October, the Jackets traded power forward Josh Anderson to the pandemic, NHL clubs aren’t getting the annual elbow room under the cap Montreal Canadiens when it became clear that Anderson could force his that the growth of the game has typically provided. way into a one-year contract that would lead him to unrestricted free Jones’ salary cap hit, a very reasonable $5.4 million, will require many agency this summer. acquiring teams to clear salary off their books one way or another. Last January, after an early-season drama that gripped the NHL, the Here’s a look — call it informed speculation — at the possible trade Blue Jackets traded center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets. packages each of the four clubs seen as leading candidates could offer Dubois, who asked to be traded shortly before training camp, couldn’t co- to acquire Jones: exist with coach John Tortorella, and it forced Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s hand to make a deal quickly. Chicago Blackhawks

Now it’s Seth Jones’ turn, and this one might be the most heartbreaking Overview: The Blackhawks are reportedly close to trading defenseman of the three for the organization. Duncan Keith, who was a big part of three Stanley Cup winners in Chicago. Keith’s salary cap hit ($5.538) almost matches Jones’, so The relationship between Jones and the Blue Jackets hasn’t soured, like maybe Keith’s trade is a harbinger of more activity. The Blackhawks the other two, but he made it clear to the club in May that he wasn’t haven’t won a playoff series since their last Cup win in 2015 and they willing to sign a contract extension with Columbus this summer because missed the postseason three of the past four seasons (only making it in he planned to pursue free agency in 2022. 2020 by winning their qualifying series). They’re looking to make a splash Kekalainen initially indicated he’d be willing to carry Jones into next this summer. season, much like the club did in 2019 with left winger Artemi Panarin Potential trade package: Forward Philipp Kurashev, defenseman Nicolas and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Beaudin, left-wing prospect Lukas Reichel, and a first-round pick in 2022 But the return of John Davidson as the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey Portzline’s thoughts: Reichel is a bright prospect and the first-round pick operations — Kekalainen’s new/old boss — has signaled a far different next season is highly desirable, especially if it’s not lottery protected. approach. Both Kurashev and Beaudin are 21-year-olds who are just starting to get Unless Jones somehow has a charge of heart in the next few weeks, he NHL time. will be traded, Davidson has said, explaining that the projected 2021-22 Pronman’s thoughts: Reichel is a very good prospect, a well-rounded roster isn’t nearly as deep or talented as the 2018-19 roster when forward you could project as a second-line forward, analogous to Norris Panarin and Bobrovsky headed into their final years. at the time of the Karlsson trade. Kurashev had a solid rookie season in The Blue Jackets are expected to endure a couple of rough seasons in Chicago. He’s a good player, highly skilled and intelligent, but not as the name of rebuilding the franchise, which is Davidson’s forte as an good as Tierney was in 2018. Thus, Chicago gives a little more than San executive. He’s done it in St. Louis and he was doing it in New York Jose and includes Beaudin, who had a good season. For Chicago, you before the Rangers abruptly cleaned house in May. presume the Blackhawks will be better with Jones and hope that the 2022 first-round pick is later in the round. Where will Jones be traded? Kekalainen’s heard from just about every GM in the league regarding his prized defenseman, he said, but four Colorado Avalanche teams appear to be front-runners based on multiple conversations with Overview: It has been widely assumed that Colorado wants to get more NHL club executives: Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. physical defensively after watching how the playoffs have unfolded this What will the return look like? Well, that’s a more difficult question, which season. The Avs have an incredibly skilled blue line, but Jones would is why we roped in The Athletic’s hockey prospects guru Corey Pronman. give them size, defensive smarts and physicality. Plus, Denver is where Jones learned how to skate while his father played basketball for the No two trades are exactly alike, of course, but we wanted to find a Nuggets. comparable trade in recent seasons to help set parameters. We didn’t have to look far to find a trade involving an elite-level defenseman with Potential trade package: Center Tyson Jost, forward prospect Sampo one year remaining on his contract before unrestricted free agency. Ranta, defensive prospect Justin Barron and a first-round pick in 2021

In 2018, Ottawa traded Erik Karlsson to San Jose for forwards Chris Portzline’s thoughts: Barron is a very promising prospect. Scouts drool at Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, the rights to his size and skating combination, which is rare. He got a taste of the AHL forward prospect Joshua Norris, a first-round pick in 2019 or 2020, a last season and did not disappoint. Jost is an established bottom-six NHL second-round pick in 2019, and two conditional picks. player. Ranta had a great career at Minnesota and just turned pro last year. A fourth first-round pick this year? Why not? To be clear, Karlsson’s resumé in 2018 was extremely impressive, putting him a solid notch above Jones. He’d won the Norris Trophy twice Pronman’s thoughts: Jost has been a useful but not great NHL player. (2012, 2015) as the NHL’s top defenseman, he’d averaged just under a He’s got a lot of skill, not that much speed. He’s good, arguably not quite point a game over the previous three seasons, and he was one of the top as good as Tierney at the time. Barron is a very strong prospect, a highly offensive defensemen of his generation. mobile defenseman with size with some offense. He could be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Columbus gives a little bit on Jost, so Colorado Jones is a much more accomplished two-way player than Karlsson, but needs to give a slightly better prospect than Balcers was at the time, his offensive output has been average throughout his career, his last two which Ranta is. seasons have been average at best, and he’s never finished higher than fourth (2018) in Norris voting. Los Angeles Kings

Based on this, the Blue Jackets should expect a smaller return for Jones Overview: No, you’re not getting Quinton Byfield from the Kings. At least than the Senators achieved for Karlsson, but it’s also possible that that’s what the Kings keep telling opposing GMs, although you wonder if Jones was willing to sign long-term if that might soften the stance. We digress. The Kings have one of the best prospect cupboards in the NHL, and they desperately need help on defense. Man, Jones could be a big deal in L.A.

Potential trade package: Center Adrian Kempe, center prospect Akil Thomas, defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and a first-round pick in 2022 (lottery protected).

Portzline’s thoughts: Thomas put up huge numbers in junior and had a very good rookie AHL season this year. Bjornfot stuck in the NHL this season and shows promise. Kempe, 24, is an established middle-six center, probably best suited to a third line. The lottery protection takes all the fun out of this trade, though.

Pronman’s thoughts: Kempe is a useful player close enough in age to Tierney in 2018. Bjornfot is a good young player, he’s mobile and smart. He may be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Thomas is a strong, not top prospect, with great skill but a lack of pace.

Philadelphia Flyers

Overview: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher must be fun at a poker table. From the moment Jones was known to be headed out of Columbus, the Flyers have been seen as the club most aggressively in pursuit. Would Kekalainen trade Jones within the division? Damn right he would, as long as it’s the best offer.

Potential trade package: Defenseman Philippe Myers, forward prospect Zayde Wisdom, center prospect Morgan Frost and a first-round pick in 2022

Portzline’s thoughts: Underwhelmed. Frost is a strong prospect, but he missed the final three months of the season following shoulder surgery. He should be ready for camp in the fall, but that’s a red flag. Myers is a stay-at-home type, and Wisdom looks solid but unspectacular. They’d better nail that first-round pick in this scenario.

Pronman’s thoughts: Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose been up and down in the league. Frost is a very intelligent and skilled player without a ton of pace who could be a top-six forward. Wisdom had a great season in the AHL. He’s not that quick or big, but he has offense and a high compete level. I’ll consider him slightly better than Balcers at the time.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216745 Colorado Avalanche Our goal was to win this year. It didn’t happen, so it’s time to re-evaluate and come back better next year and give it our best effort again.

How’d you feel personally about your performance, both in the regular Ryan Graves Q&A: On the Avalanche’s early exit, the looming Kraken season and the postseason? draft and more — ‘you have to compartmentalize’ Personally, I think there were ups and downs throughout my year. I had a slower start than I would’ve hoped, and I came around on it and thought I By Peter Baugh had a pretty strong finish the last couple months. In the playoffs, I think there’s better to be had. I had some ups and downs again. (In the Jul 1, 2021 offseason), it’s just trying to find some consistency to be a reliable player. That’s my focus going into next year.

Aside from consistency, are there any elements of your game you’re Nearly three weeks have passed since the Vegas Golden Knights trying to attack? dashed the Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup hopes, and though players have had time to gain some perspective, the disappointment is Speed is tougher as a big man. It’s something I’m constantly working on still fresh. Just ask defenseman Ryan Graves. and trying to develop, and it’s come a long way for me in the last six, seven years. That was a weak point in my game when I first came to “I can still get up in the morning, but it does sting,” he told The Athletic junior. It’s something I now believe is a strength in my game for someone this week. “It’ll be frustrating all summer. Everyone will look back at it, my size. It’s something you have to continue to work at. I’m always trying and it’ll be something that’s a motivator.” to get an extra step. The 6-foot-5 Graves is entering an interesting offseason. Through three After that, you just kind of work on your skill set, try and round out your NHL seasons, the 26-year-old has proven he’s capable of being a top- game. I pride myself on being a hard worker, and it’ll continue this four defenseman, but he has room to grow. In 2019-20, he led the NHL in summer for me. I’ll come back next year a better player than I was this plus-minus, and this season, he played in all but two Avalanche games. year and the year prior to that. But with standout defensemen Cale Makar, Devon Toews and Samuel Girard also on the Avalanche roster, Colorado might have a tough time Was the looming expansion draft something you thought about much protecting Graves ahead of the Seattle Kraken expansion draft in July. during the season? Or could you compartmentalize?

Teams can protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie or You have to compartmentalize that. There’s no sense of stressing over eight total skaters and a goalie in the July 21 draft. The most likely route things you can’t control. I love it here. I love playing for the Avs. I love to keeping Graves is if the team goes the eight skater-one goalie route. If being on a good team, and I love the guys in that room. I don’t know what left unprotected, Graves could be an enticing option for the Kraken. will happen or who we’ll lose, but every team is in the same situation where every team is going to lose somebody that’s a good player for “The draft is still a little bit away,” the defenseman said, noting the them that everyone in that room cares about. expansion draft isn’t something he frequently discusses with his agent or team officials. “There’s nothing I can say or do at this point. Just gotta So in the offseason, too, you try to avoid thinking about it? leave it and see what happens.” It’s not that I try to avoid thinking about it; it’s just nothing I can control or Graves, who is from Nova Scotia, is starting the offseason in Denver but do anything about. It is what it is, and it’s something other players on this will travel back to his Canadian home on Prince Edward Island at some team are dealing with, too. It’s all part of it. point this summer. He caught up with The Athletic to discuss this season, his offseason plans and his situation heading into the expansion draft. When you’re out of the playoffs and it’s a disappointing end to the season like this year, do you still watch the Stanley Cup? Or do you get away for This interview has been edited for clarity and length. a bit?

What are your main reflections from the 2021 season? I didn’t watch the first games of the next series. You’re disappointed and it’s frustrating and hard to watch. But I watch them now. I love the game. Obviously it’s disappointing for us how it ended. We were pretty open You’re seeing how other teams are playing and what teams are doing about it at the start of the year: It was win or we weren’t going to be that’s bringing them success and gotten them to that point. You’re both happy. The way it happened and the point in the season where we lost, it watching as a fan and as someone who’s trying to learn. was disappointing for the whole team. Frustrating. But at the same time, it’s something that you learn from, and we’re all able to reflect on it. It’s a At first, it stings. It takes maybe a week or two before you really want to pretty sour taste in our mouth going home. No one’s satisfied. watch a game, but I’ve watched them again, and it’s been good hockey. That’s somewhere we want to be as a team next year. As usual, we had a lot of adversity in our year with injuries, but we rebounded well throughout the year and found a way to finish top in the Do you skate with other NHL players in the offseason, either when you’re league, which kind of shows the character we have in our room and the back in Canada or while you’re here in Denver? Or do you do workouts roster we have. We were pretty disappointed in the end result, but it’ll on your own? create more hunger next year. We’re going to have a good team again, so I think everyone is wishing the season would start sooner rather than I see other guys and work out with other guys as well. When I’m on later. Prince Edward Island, I’ve got a group there. The other NHLers are Ross Johnston and Noah Dobson (who both played for the Charlottetown Are you able to separate the sense of regular-season accomplishment Islanders). There are other guys around you that are up and down or and winning the Presidents’ Trophy from the disappointment of the playing over in Europe. ending or is it all just a sour taste? For skates, I mix it up between Prince Edward Island, and I also go over It’s not so much having to separate them. It’s something to be proud of to Halifax really often to skate with (Nathan MacKinnon) and his group. and to show that you were good in the regular season all year to be able There’s Nate, Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand. The Barron brothers to finish off the league like that. It should be a confidence builder for us to (Justin and Morgan) are out there. It’s a really good skate, so when we know the kind of roster we had. But at the same time, we struggled to get closer to the season, the last month, month and a half, I’m going over find it and finish the job against Vegas. Everything in life is a learning there quite often. experience, and it’s our job to grow from it and be better next year. That’s quite a star-studded group. How long does it take to get over that sting of losing in the playoffs? The personalities of that group are really hard workers. I think it’s been I don’t think it’ll go away in any sense. Everyone will be pretty noted how hard Sid has worked throughout his career and how much of a disappointed all the way through the summer until we start playing again. hard worker Nate is, and it honestly might be understated still of how But at the same time, you refocus and get into your new day to day. It is hard they work. And Marchand is kind of the same breed where he’s what it is. We didn’t get the job done, but we’re not going to sit around really intense. Those big three, they lead the group and set the tone. It’s and cry about it and feel bad for ourselves. We’re going to go back and refreshing and nice to be around. They’re so motivated and push each everyone’s going to go into their offseason and work hard and come back other. It’s a fun environment. It’s a really good spot to grow your game. and be better players and keep growing as a team and individuals. Lastly, are you going to keep the long hair next season? What’s the status of that?

I definitely won’t cut it too short, but I haven’t really decided on the hair yet. It’s a little hot in the summer; it definitely needs a trim or something right now. But I don’t know what I’ll look like coming into camp next year. I never know until the day I decide to cut it.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216746 Columbus Blue Jackets Kekalainen can enhance the return if he gets clubs bidding against each other.

Another major consideration is Jones’ willingness to sign long-term with Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, Avs, Kings and the club that acquires him from Columbus. Put another way: Does he Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? want to test free agency next summer no matter what, or only if he was still with the Blue Jackets?

By Aaron Portzline and Corey Pronman If Jones, who has a 10-team no-trade list, is willing to sign an extension with his next team, it would significantly improve the Blue Jackets’ return. Jul 1, 2021 If a club trades for Jones without any assurances beyond next season, the Blue Jackets may seek a conditional draft pick in the event that he

did decide to stay. COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the third time in nine months, the Blue Jackets The other major consideration is the salary cap, which is parked at $81.5 are getting ready for a trade they really don’t want to make. million for 2021-22 and likely longer. Because of the COVID-19 Last October, the Jackets traded power forward Josh Anderson to the pandemic, NHL clubs aren’t getting the annual elbow room under the cap Montreal Canadiens when it became clear that Anderson could force his that the growth of the game has typically provided. way into a one-year contract that would lead him to unrestricted free Jones’ salary cap hit, a very reasonable $5.4 million, will require many agency this summer. acquiring teams to clear salary off their books one way or another. Last January, after an early-season drama that gripped the NHL, the Here’s a look — call it informed speculation — at the possible trade Blue Jackets traded center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets. packages each of the four clubs seen as leading candidates could offer Dubois, who asked to be traded shortly before training camp, couldn’t co- to acquire Jones: exist with coach John Tortorella, and it forced Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s hand to make a deal quickly. Chicago Blackhawks

Now it’s Seth Jones’ turn, and this one might be the most heartbreaking Overview: The Blackhawks are reportedly close to trading defenseman of the three for the organization. Duncan Keith, who was a big part of three Stanley Cup winners in Chicago. Keith’s salary cap hit ($5.538) almost matches Jones’, so The relationship between Jones and the Blue Jackets hasn’t soured, like maybe Keith’s trade is a harbinger of more activity. The Blackhawks the other two, but he made it clear to the club in May that he wasn’t haven’t won a playoff series since their last Cup win in 2015 and they willing to sign a contract extension with Columbus this summer because missed the postseason three of the past four seasons (only making it in he planned to pursue free agency in 2022. 2020 by winning their qualifying series). They’re looking to make a splash Kekalainen initially indicated he’d be willing to carry Jones into next this summer. season, much like the club did in 2019 with left winger Artemi Panarin Potential trade package: Forward Philipp Kurashev, defenseman Nicolas and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Beaudin, left-wing prospect Lukas Reichel, and a first-round pick in 2022 But the return of John Davidson as the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey Portzline’s thoughts: Reichel is a bright prospect and the first-round pick operations — Kekalainen’s new/old boss — has signaled a far different next season is highly desirable, especially if it’s not lottery protected. approach. Both Kurashev and Beaudin are 21-year-olds who are just starting to get Unless Jones somehow has a charge of heart in the next few weeks, he NHL time. will be traded, Davidson has said, explaining that the projected 2021-22 Pronman’s thoughts: Reichel is a very good prospect, a well-rounded roster isn’t nearly as deep or talented as the 2018-19 roster when forward you could project as a second-line forward, analogous to Norris Panarin and Bobrovsky headed into their final years. at the time of the Karlsson trade. Kurashev had a solid rookie season in The Blue Jackets are expected to endure a couple of rough seasons in Chicago. He’s a good player, highly skilled and intelligent, but not as the name of rebuilding the franchise, which is Davidson’s forte as an good as Tierney was in 2018. Thus, Chicago gives a little more than San executive. He’s done it in St. Louis and he was doing it in New York Jose and includes Beaudin, who had a good season. For Chicago, you before the Rangers abruptly cleaned house in May. presume the Blackhawks will be better with Jones and hope that the 2022 first-round pick is later in the round. Where will Jones be traded? Kekalainen’s heard from just about every GM in the league regarding his prized defenseman, he said, but four Colorado Avalanche teams appear to be front-runners based on multiple conversations with Overview: It has been widely assumed that Colorado wants to get more NHL club executives: Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. physical defensively after watching how the playoffs have unfolded this What will the return look like? Well, that’s a more difficult question, which season. The Avs have an incredibly skilled blue line, but Jones would is why we roped in The Athletic’s hockey prospects guru Corey Pronman. give them size, defensive smarts and physicality. Plus, Denver is where Jones learned how to skate while his father played basketball for the No two trades are exactly alike, of course, but we wanted to find a Nuggets. comparable trade in recent seasons to help set parameters. We didn’t have to look far to find a trade involving an elite-level defenseman with Potential trade package: Center Tyson Jost, forward prospect Sampo one year remaining on his contract before unrestricted free agency. Ranta, defensive prospect Justin Barron and a first-round pick in 2021

In 2018, Ottawa traded Erik Karlsson to San Jose for forwards Chris Portzline’s thoughts: Barron is a very promising prospect. Scouts drool at Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, the rights to his size and skating combination, which is rare. He got a taste of the AHL forward prospect Joshua Norris, a first-round pick in 2019 or 2020, a last season and did not disappoint. Jost is an established bottom-six NHL second-round pick in 2019, and two conditional picks. player. Ranta had a great career at Minnesota and just turned pro last year. A fourth first-round pick this year? Why not? To be clear, Karlsson’s resumé in 2018 was extremely impressive, putting him a solid notch above Jones. He’d won the Norris Trophy twice Pronman’s thoughts: Jost has been a useful but not great NHL player. (2012, 2015) as the NHL’s top defenseman, he’d averaged just under a He’s got a lot of skill, not that much speed. He’s good, arguably not quite point a game over the previous three seasons, and he was one of the top as good as Tierney at the time. Barron is a very strong prospect, a highly offensive defensemen of his generation. mobile defenseman with size with some offense. He could be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Columbus gives a little bit on Jost, so Colorado Jones is a much more accomplished two-way player than Karlsson, but needs to give a slightly better prospect than Balcers was at the time, his offensive output has been average throughout his career, his last two which Ranta is. seasons have been average at best, and he’s never finished higher than fourth (2018) in Norris voting. Los Angeles Kings

Based on this, the Blue Jackets should expect a smaller return for Jones Overview: No, you’re not getting Quinton Byfield from the Kings. At least than the Senators achieved for Karlsson, but it’s also possible that that’s what the Kings keep telling opposing GMs, although you wonder if Jones was willing to sign long-term if that might soften the stance. We digress. The Kings have one of the best prospect cupboards in the NHL, and they desperately need help on defense. Man, Jones could be a big deal in L.A.

Potential trade package: Center Adrian Kempe, center prospect Akil Thomas, defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and a first-round pick in 2022 (lottery protected).

Portzline’s thoughts: Thomas put up huge numbers in junior and had a very good rookie AHL season this year. Bjornfot stuck in the NHL this season and shows promise. Kempe, 24, is an established middle-six center, probably best suited to a third line. The lottery protection takes all the fun out of this trade, though.

Pronman’s thoughts: Kempe is a useful player close enough in age to Tierney in 2018. Bjornfot is a good young player, he’s mobile and smart. He may be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Thomas is a strong, not top prospect, with great skill but a lack of pace.

Philadelphia Flyers

Overview: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher must be fun at a poker table. From the moment Jones was known to be headed out of Columbus, the Flyers have been seen as the club most aggressively in pursuit. Would Kekalainen trade Jones within the division? Damn right he would, as long as it’s the best offer.

Potential trade package: Defenseman Philippe Myers, forward prospect Zayde Wisdom, center prospect Morgan Frost and a first-round pick in 2022

Portzline’s thoughts: Underwhelmed. Frost is a strong prospect, but he missed the final three months of the season following shoulder surgery. He should be ready for camp in the fall, but that’s a red flag. Myers is a stay-at-home type, and Wisdom looks solid but unspectacular. They’d better nail that first-round pick in this scenario.

Pronman’s thoughts: Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose been up and down in the league. Frost is a very intelligent and skilled player without a ton of pace who could be a top-six forward. Wisdom had a great season in the AHL. He’s not that quick or big, but he has offense and a high compete level. I’ll consider him slightly better than Balcers at the time.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216747 Detroit Red Wings As it happens, Tanguay joins the Wings for a season that rings the bell on two anniversaries: Next spring marks 25 years since the Wings' 1997 Stanley Cup championship and 20 years since their 2002 Cup; both Hiring Alex Tanguay as assistant coach was right move for Detroit Red times, the Wings dispatched the Avs in the Western Conference finals. Wings. Here's why “You don’t have to remind me that next year is going to be 20 years anniversary of 2002,” Tanguay said, smiling. “I still remember that, it’s still very fresh in my mind in a bad way. But all kidding aside, I’m looking HELENE ST. JAMES forward to being part of the organization.”

Alex Tanguay’s challenge is to work among former foes and make the Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.02.2021 Detroit Red Wings a more competitive team.

His past as a forward for the Colorado Avalanche during the latter part of the storied rivalry delighted one new coworker so much he called Tanguay earlier this week to congratulate him on his new job as assistant coach.

“Kris Draper said, ‘You’re the first one to cross that bridge,’” Tanguay said Wednesday. “It was such a unique rivalry. I told Kris, 'I missed most of the fighting.' But it was always such a special place to play at the Joe, and the organization was so good and the team was so good. It made it interesting at that time.

“I certainly understood how much pride those guys had in the Red Wings organization, and I’m glad to be a part of the organization now.”

Tanguay will be in charge of the forwards and the power play. The Wings have been dreadful on man advantages over the past three seasons: Their conversion rate of 15.2% ranks 30th out of 31 teams.

“I’m very confident Alex can put a structure together, can have a foundation on the power play,” head coach Jeff Blashill said. “Where I’m really confident Alex can help our guys is in individual situations on the power play. He can help our flankers find ways to evaluate and know the best options that the player has available. Find ways with our net-front guys to be a little more dangerous.

“That’s where I thought Alex was pretty unique because of the way he sees hockey. He was a really cerebral offensive player himself.”

Tanguay, 41, played 16 seasons in the NHL, also suiting up for the Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes. He recorded 283 goals and 580 assists in 1,088 games. Drafted by Colorado at No. 12 overall in 1998, Tanguay played for the franchise from 1999-2006 and again from 2013-2016. He announced his retirement in February 2017, accepting a role as a studio analyst for the NHL Network.

Tanguay replaces Dan Bylsma, whose contract was not renewed at season’s end. General manager Steve Yzerman took part in the interviewing process to add a fresh voice behind the bench.

“Steve is highly praised in hockey circles, not only for what he did as a player but also what he did with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization,” Tanguay said. “It was a good conversation. It was fun. Steve asked me questions about some of the things that I thought, and then I asked him certain questions about the team. It was fun to pick the mind of one of the brightest in the game.”

Tanguay has spent the last two years as an assistant coach with the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League. During his time there, the Wild had a combined 54-31-8-4 record. The Wild had the AHL’s fifth-best power play in Tanguay’s first season behind the bench, at 21.9%.

“I’m somewhat relatively new to coaching, but players always have feels that you can’t get as a coach,” Tanguay said. “I’ve always believed that. When you’ve experienced it, you’ve got a different view and a different perspective on certain things. My job is to get familiar with players, build relationships with them, and earn their trust in that I’m going to try to get them better and put them in situations to succeed. I can’t wait.”

Tanguay was looking for an opportunity to coach at the NHL level and hit it off right away with Blashill.

“When I started talking with Jeff, we had a real good interaction,” Tanguay said. “Through the interaction and meetings I had with Jeff, we went over some stuff and I shared my thoughts on some of the things they did last year and what I would suggest they try in the future. We talked about different players and where they are at in their development.

“I’m very happy to be a resource now and help make this team grow and get the young guys to be better and be more effective.” 1216748 Detroit Red Wings “Nearly everyone I know here in British Columbia has been so locked down due to COVID, now that the restrictions are being lifted, they’re headed to the great outdoors, as if they’ve just been released from Canada Dry? Habs seek to end nation's 28-year Cup drought prison,” retired Simon Fraser University communications professor Rick Gruneau wrote in an email. “Nobody I know seems that interested in the Stanley Cup. But, then, I’m not in Montreal. If it were the Canucks, things might be a little different.” NOLAN BIANCHI | The Detroit News With seven teams spread across the country, there are likely just as

many hockey fans rooting against the Canadiens as there are cheering Montreal — One of hockey’s most iconic shrines still stands at the corner for them. of Atwater and Rue Ste-Catherine, overlooking Cabot Square and amid Lightning coach Jon Cooper is from British Columbia but appreciates the the Shaughnessy Village’s Victorian grey-stone row houses and Parisian- history of watching the Canadiens every Saturday on “Hockey Night in styled apartment blocks in downtown Montreal. Canada.” Though he won't be behind the bench at the Forum, he still Aside from a few identifying banners on its black, painted-over walls, gets chills at Bell Centre. there are few remaining hints of the rich history of the Montreal Forum. “It's like a pinch-yourself moment that you have an opportunity to coach The building where the Stanley Cup was awarded 15 times — including in that building and be a part of that environment,” Cooper said. “I know 12 to the hometown Canadiens — is now home to a multiplex theater. the people in there won't be cheering for us, but I'm sure excited to be a Tucked inside is Robert Girard's sports memorabilia shop. The part of it.” Canadiens are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 28 years Ottawa University professor Eric MacIntosh, who has written on sports yet Girard can't help but wonder whether memories of the Forum are and organizational culture, said Canadians' rooting interests have beginning to fade. changed with NHL expansion dividing loyalties. It’s much different with “It’s going to be lost somewhere, for sure,” said Girard, whose shop Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays or the NBA's Raptors in how features signed plaques, photos and jerseys. “The old generation will still Canadians can rally around the nation’s single-sport franchises. remember. But the new generation, unfortunately, they won’t be related “I really couldn’t care less if they win,” MacIntosh said of the Canadiens. to the Forum.” “I’d be happy for my friends who are Montreal Canadiens fans, but I’m We're offering a great deal on all-access subscriptions. Check it out here. not going to lose any sleep over it if they get knocked out.”

Girard closed his store, switching to online sales once the coronavirus And yet, there remains large pockets of Canadiens fans across the pandemic began. He would have likely done so anyway given how few country. people visit the Forum. Vancouver bar owner Ashi Minhas became a lifelong fan through his “Business the way it is, they have to make more money, and that’s why parents while growing up in the remote town of New Hazelton, British they built the other place,” Girard added. “But it’s never going to be the Columbia, where there was but one TV channel available: CBC. same.” Now 51, he was part of the crowd of 3,500 to witness the Canadiens’ 3-2 The “other place” is Bell Centre that opened in the heart of downtown in overtime win over Vegas in Game 3 of the semifinals. He planned to fly 1996 and features all the modern age bells and whistles. Thousands back to Montreal to attend Game 4 of the Cup Final on Monday night. gathered in the arena’s plaza for viewing parties as the Canadiens “I’ve got season tickets for the Canucks, and we go to a couple of games advanced past Toronto, Winnipeg and Vegas to face defending a year,” said Minhas. “But in Montreal, it’s a religious experience. I’m like, champion Tampa Bay in the final. The Lightning have a 2-0 lead with 'Ah, these are my people.’” Game 3 coming up in Montreal on Friday night. Minhas attended the final game at the Forum and has seen the The Canadiens’ unlikely run — they had the worst record of the 16 Canadiens play in every NHL arena. The one thing he hasn’t witnessed playoff qualifiers — has the city on tilt over the possibility of claiming a in person: the Canadiens winning the Cup. 25th championship and first since 1993. Montreal remains the last Canada-based team to win the title, that same year, and is first from that “Oh my goodness. It would be everything. It would be almost an out-of- group to reach the final since 2011. body experience,” he said, noting he would travel to Tampa should there be a Game 7. Canada’s Stanley Cup drought has gone on for so long the Winnipeg Jets have left and returned. Of Canada’s seven franchises only the Minhas remains realistic in noting the defending champion Lightning are Calgary Flames still play home games at the same arena, the a strong opponent. Win or lose, he can lean on one consolation in how Saddledome. Montreal rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate Toronto in the first round. Before 1993, Canadian teams combined to win 50 of the 75 championships awarded since the NHL was formed in 1917. Since 1994, “I think most Canadiens fans will agree with this: Beating those good-for- 14 U.S. teams, including all four of the Original Six, have won at least nothing Toronto Maple Leafs is the Stanley Cup,” Minhas said. once. “Everything else is gravy.”

If there is a heightened urgency for any Canadian team to win, there is also a sharp focus on Les Habitants reclaiming their place in hockey's lore. Detroit News LOADED: 07.02.2021

“I don’t think it’s a pressure, but I think there’s a pride,” said Canadiens assistant coach Luke Richardson. “It becomes expectations. And I think that’s what you want to create in Montreal again.”

Brendan Gallagher has grown to appreciate the past in his nine seasons with the Canadiens. A portrait of Gallagher priced at $299 is on display at Girard's shop.

“We’re well aware of the history of what it means to be a Montreal Canadien,” Gallagher said. “You don’t need any more inspiration than just looking up and seeing the championship banners.”

While Montreal is abuzz, much of the rest of Canada is focused on working its way out of a pandemic that closed the nation's borders and even restricted cross-provincial travel. 1216749 Detroit Red Wings ► Anton Olsson, defenseman, 6-foot, 183, Malmo (SHL): He's not exciting or flashy on the ice, but Olsson plays the type of safe, confident and mobile game that coaches love.

Second round of NHL Entry Draft could provide a potential gem for Red Olsson has the ability to skate the puck out of danger and make good Wings first passes. He's also good defensively and is a defenseman who's rarely out of position.

TED KULFAN | The Detroit News He's not overly physical, but Olsson doesn’t back down either. If there’s a concern, or an area that needs to improve, it’s his foot speed.

► William Stromgren, left wing, 6-3, 176, MODO J20 Nationell (Sweden): Detroit — The star quality of the NHL Entry Draft is generally in the first He seems to be a prototypical Wings prospect. Stromgren is coming out round. of a good Swedish program and has intriguing offensive talent but needs time to mature physically. It features the hyped, much-talked-about prospects with the gaudy offensive numbers and experience of being on numerous national teams. There are some aspects that make Stromgren a potential first-round candidate, mostly his 6-3 frame and his puck-handling ability. His passing But there's talent to be snared well past the first round. is definitely first-round worthy. The Red Wings, once again, will have plenty of chances to draft and But despite the size, Stromgren doesn’t play much of a physical game cultivate talent on July 23-24. Detroit has 12 picks in the draft, with two in and needs to build his strength. The speed and quickness is average. the first round and 10 in Rounds 2-7, including three in the second round. ► Aidan Hreschuk, defenseman, 5-11, 187, NTDP: The defensive General manager Steve Yzerman built his former team, the Tampa Bay partner for Luke Hughes this past season, Hreschuk played the Lightning, into a perennial Stanley Cup contender in that Saturday complementary role well and many scouts can see him continuing that portion of the draft. type of role into the NHL. Watch the Stanley Cup Finals and look at the Lightning's lineup. You see It would be surprising to see Hreschuk (Boston College) catapult into the names like Nikita Kucherov (2011, second round), Brayden Point (2014, first round, as his size and overall skill level don't jump out at anyone. But third round) and Ondrej Palat (2011, seventh round) to name a few. None he's good with the puck on his stick, has good instincts on the ice, and of those players were top picks, but they developed into NHL stars. makes an acceptable first pass. Looking back at the Red Wings during their 25-year playoff run, players Hreschuk doesn't excel in one area but does a lot of things well. such Nicklas Lidstrom (1989, third round), Henrik Zetterberg (1999, seventh round) and Pavel Datsyuk (1998, sixth round) went on to stellar ► Jack Peart, defenseman, 5-11, 181, Fargo (USHL): Say hello to careers. Minnesota's Mr. Hockey, a title which will get a hockey player noticed given the quality of hockey in the state. This year's draft will be fascinating to watch. Many junior players had seasons cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Scouting was impacted, Peart is an intriguing prospect. He's 5-11, can skate with the puck and opinions on players could be wildly different from team to team. exceptionally, and likes to drive the play with his offensive ability.

The opportunity to pluck a player who should have gone higher in the What Peart lacks in physical play, he makes up for with a smart, active draft will be there. stick and a competitive desire to end plays in his zone. Headed to St. Cloud State (Minnesota), Peart is a high-ceiling prospect for the second “You can look it at two ways," Yzerman said. "It’s potentially tougher to round. find people or you might find a gem later that didn’t play much, that maybe one of your scouts saw a year ago and said, ‘I’d really like to pick ► Liam Dower Nilsson, center, 6-foot, 176, Hanhals IF (Sweden): The this player.’ I do think there will be some really good players that, for skill level doesn't overly excite you, but Dower Nilsson has the leadership whatever reason, are picked later in the draft." qualities (captained Sweden's Under-18 team) and defensive ability to be a useful part of an NHL lineup. Let's examine this year's second round and highlight players who appear to be good fits for the Wings: Dower Nilsson is an effective forechecker who disrupts passes and is strong on pucks. He's also a good passer and has a keen ability to find ► Zach Dean, center/wing, 6-foot, 183 pounds, Gatineau (QMJHL): open teammates. There’s a good chance Dean might be available when the Wings pick and he is considered a player who could develop into a steal. But his pure offensive skill is a bit average at this point, which will likely keep him in the second round and potentially make him a steal. Nobody has doubted Dean’s talent level. It’s just that consistency has been an occasional issue and production isn’t what was expected. Dean had 20 points in 23 games in the Quebec junior league this season, which are good but not eye-popping numbers. He just needs to put it all Detroit News LOADED: 07.02.2021 together.

► Dylan Duke, center/wing, 5-10, 181, U.S. National Team Development Program: Many evaluators believe Duke has the determination and competitiveness to someday reach the NHL, never mind the obstacles put before him. Duke is headed to Michigan, where he’ll have ample opportunity to develop his skill level.

Duke’s skating has consistently gotten better, and his defensive game is more than acceptable given he takes no breathers on the ice. What Duke lacks in pure offensive ability is evened out by his ability and willingness to get to the net.

► Logan Stankoven, center/wing, 5-8, 170, Kamloops (WHL): Depending on who is evaluating, there are some scouts projecting that Stankoven could sneak late into the first round.

But Stankoven could well last into the second round and if he does, he’s the type of big-motor guy who could interest the Wings. Stankoven is only 5-8, but that hasn’t stopped him because of his feistiness on the ice and the fact his offensive skills are in the first-round category. 1216750 Edmonton Oilers Then again, the Oilers could lose him because …

Nugent-Hopkins signing Tuesday means the Oilers will go the 7-3-1 route, Holland confirmed. That protection scheme has been in the cards What I’m hearing about the Oilers offseason: The latest on Adam for weeks. On defence, Nurse and Bear are the locks (barring some Larsson, Oscar Klefbom, Kraken plans and more unforeseen change) and Larsson will join them if he re-signs, which, as mentioned, appears likely.

By Daniel Nugent-Bowman That makes sense given Klefbom’s injury status.

Jul 1, 2021 There’s still a possibility Klefbom gets blocked off from exposure to the Kraken if Larsson doesn’t re-sign before expansion draft lists are due at 3 p.m. MT on July 17. Without Larsson in the mix, the third spot on the blue line is expected to come down to Klefbom and Caleb Jones, barring a Signing Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to a max-term contract all but assuredly trade. signifies a busy summer ahead for the Oilers. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi Locking up the franchise’s longest-serving player for eight years is a big join RNH as the five forward locks. Unless Holland adds up front before deal, but the promise of other notable extensions, contracts, updates and protection lists are due, Zack Kassian, Josh Archibald and Tyler Benson additions should soon follow. are expected to be the options for the last two forward slots. Most notably, a fellow longtime teammate appears to be closing in on a In terms of goaltending … new multi-year pact of his own. Let’s start there. This is what I’m hearing about the Oilers offseason plans: Holland said he continues to talk to Mike Smith’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, about a new contract for the pending unrestricted free agent. Adam Larsson could re-sign soon, possibly as soon as next week Without Smith back in the fold, it appears Stuart Skinner is the leading Oilers general manager Ken Holland and Larsson’s agent J.P. Barry candidate for protection. Skinner will turn 23 in November and is an RFA resumed negotiations this week after unrestricted free agent defenceman but doesn’t require waivers to be sent to the AHL next season. Adam Larsson returned from vacation. The plan is to re-engage in discussions next week. But if Smith is re-signed and protected, it could mean …

“We’re making progress on a contract. We just need to talk (more),” Kailer Yamamoto is likely to be the only free agent on the protected list Barry said. “Sometimes teams like to move quicker than players. He’s just thinking about everything. We’re getting there. There are a few things That’s not meant to alarm anyone. That’s just stating a fact since we can still discuss.” Yamamoto is set to become a restricted free agent.

Don’t expect any contract Larsson gets to be the same contract length as With everything going on in July — expansion draft, NHL draft and free Nugent-Hopkins’, of course. But Larsson, who’ll turn 29 in November, will agency — don’t be surprised if the calendar flips to August and probably get more than just a couple of years. Yamamoto hasn’t re-signed yet. It’s worth noting, though, that his next contract should be straightforward. “We’d like to get some term,” Barry said. “He’s a pretty young free-agent defenceman.” Yamamoto will turn 23 in September, but his NHL sample size is small with just 105 games spread across parts of four seasons. With Larsson’s return probable, it’s likely that … Every Oilers fan knows how well he played in the back half of the 2019- Tyson Barrie led all NHL blueliners in scoring on a one-year, show-me 20 season after a late-December recall. He recorded 26 points in 27 contract with the Oilers, but the right side is too crowded if Larsson games before the pandemic halted action. His production took a hit this comes back. season with 21 points in 52 games. He scored just eight goals and only one in the last 25 games (plus none in four postseason contests, as was Holland said he only wants to re-sign Larsson or Barrie — not both. It’s the case in August). clear he’s spoken much more frequently to Larsson’s agent, Barry, of late than Barrie’s representative, Pat Brisson. Yamamoto, too, is represented by Barry. The agent said he wants to go into negotiations with an open mind and listen to Holland’s proposals and “Larsson’s been here a long time. Ethan Bear’s on right defence. Evan parameters for a new deal. Realistically, a bridge deal is the most likely Bouchard’s on right defence. I don’t see us as having all four right-shot solution. defencemen on the team,” Holland said. “Bouchard didn’t play last year. Bouchard needs to play.” “The logical deals on these ones, for players in his situation, are two-year deals,” Barry said. Barrie said the day after the Oilers were eliminated that he wants his next contract to be of the longer-term variety. I’m told that desire remains. It probably didn’t help that Yamamoto lost half a season’s worth of games That’s probably not going to fly in Edmonton — not with the younger, because of the pandemic. He also spent 50 games in AHL Bakersfield. cheaper Bouchard waiting in the wings. And speaking of Bakersfield … It doesn’t seem to matter that … Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway will likely start in the AHL Holland said he wants to speak with Oscar Klefbom — the player Barrie was brought in to replace last offseason following his shoulder surgery in The Oilers two top prospects, Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, are March — and Barry, his agent, next week to get a health update. As far being pegged to commence their North American pro careers next as Barry’s concerned, there probably won’t be much they can offer. season in the minors, Holland said. Klefbom’s status isn’t likely to change for a while. That isn’t surprising. It jibes with Holland’s philosophy on player “It’s just going to take time,” Barry said. “It’s the kind of injury that I don’t development — Bouchard this past season with quarantine rules think we’re going to have any clarity until the fall. He has to strengthen notwithstanding. his entire body around the work that was done and give it a try. That’s not to say Broberg or Holloway won’t be given the chance to make “I don’t think we can provide any clarity until he fully rehabs it.” the Oilers. But that’s just it: They’ll have to earn notable jobs. Holland said Broberg must be a regular on defence and not just playing a few However, the one thing that is clear, Barry said, is that Klefbom is going minutes a game, whereas Holloway can’t be any worse than a top-nine to do everything he can to resume his NHL career after missing the entire forward to make the team. 2020-21 season. Holland is bound to plan accordingly and won’t pencil Broberg or “He was our best defenceman when he played,” Holland said. “With him Holloway onto the big club’s depth chart. One barely played in the getting hurt, it was a big opportunity for Darnell Nurse. If you can have playoffs for his Swedish league team (Broberg). The other broke his Darnell Nurse and a healthy Oscar Klefbom (on the left side), he’d be a thumb in the Big Ten Tournament in March and wasn’t cleared to play for massive, massive add.” Bakersfield before its season ended. The Oilers are figuring they’ll bring along their past two first-round picks slowly. Broberg went eighth in 2019 and Holloway went 14th in October. The Oilers are slated to select 19th in the first round this year and …

This season’s first-round pick could be a goalie

Holland and director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright aren’t ruling out selecting a goaltender if one falls to that pick.

The Oilers could really use a goalie of the future, and there are two excellent ones expected to go in the first round in Jesper Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa, the latter of whom stars for the local WHL Oil Kings and has been analyzed as a potential perfect fit for the Oilers by colleague Allan Mitchell. It’s worth noting, though, that Wallstedt has more high-end experience so far, thanks to SHL and world junior action.

“I’m not opposed, but I’m not just going to take a goalie to take a goalie,” Wright said. “We need the best player, whether that’s a defenceman. You look at the game right now; you can’t have enough top-four defencemen. We’re not drafting by position. We’re drafting by best player.”

The organizational pipeline is strongest on defence with Bouchard and Broberg leading the way and Dmitri Samorukov and Markus Niemelainen behind them. Perhaps the Oilers can find another blueliner in the first round in a wide-open draft during a particularly bizarre scouting season.

“You can get real good value in this draft,” Wright said. “When I say value, there are going to be players where every organization’s going to say, ‘I can’t believe that guy was there.’”

All that said, the smart money is on the Oilers selecting a forward — especially if Wallstadt and Cossa are gone — because they’re perhaps thinnest up front from a prospect perspective. They got a little thinner last month when they lost the rights to prospect Matej Blumel, a fourth-round pick in 2019, which leads us to …

Why Matej Blumel wasn’t signed to an entry-level deal

There was lots of consternation among fans when CapFriendly revealed that the cut-off for the Oilers to sign Blumel had passed on June 1 because it had been two years since he was drafted out of the USHL. That frustration is understandable.

Though Blumel was drafted in his second year of eligibility and recently turned 21, he had a strong offensive season in the Czech league with HC Dynamo Pardubice. He recorded 17 goals and 32 points in 49 games.

On the surface, there should have been a deal to be had. The two sides aren’t revealing much.

Holland said Blumel didn’t want to sign a contract, which was fine with him. Barry, who represents Blumel, said there wasn’t much interest from the Oilers in signing his client and the decision to part ways was “mutual in a sense.”

Blumel signed a three-year extension with Pardubice in January. Barry said that extension had no impact on what transpired with the Oilers. The expectation is Blumel will try his luck with North American offers when his latest contract expires.

Normally, the Oilers would have had their director of player development checking up on players such as Blumel a few times. This past season was different because of the pandemic – and because that position is vacant.

However, Holland said he plans to replace Scott Howson, the previous director of player development, in August. Howson left his post to become the AHL’s president and CEO in July 2020.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216751 Los Angeles Kings In this deal, the Predators gain salary flexibility, Expansion Draft latitude – the Seattle Kraken will make their picks July 21 – and a high second- round pick this season as well as another selection next year. The Kings Kings acquire forward Viktor Arvidsson from Nashville hope that they’ve expedited their rebuild with a seasoned veteran who could benefit from a change of environment.

By ANDREW KNOLL Orange County Register: LOADED: 07.02.2021 PUBLISHED: July 1, 2021 at 10:59 a.m. | UPDATED: July 1, 2021 at 2:49 p.m.

In what promised to be an active offseason for the Kings, they made their first significant move for 2022 before 2021’s champion had been crowned.

The Kings acquired right winger Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators on Thursday in exchange for a 2021 second-round draft pick and a third-round selection in 2022, General Manager Rob Blake said.

Arvidsson, 28, had spent his entire career with Nashville, including the 2016-17 season when he helped spark their improbable run to a Stanley Cup Final loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Arvidsson had a break- through campaign that season with 31 goals in 80 games, a mark he bettered two seasons later when he scored a franchise-record 34 goals in 58 games. Overall, he has accumulated 127 goals and 239 points in 385 career NHL games.

While Arvidsson thrived as a top winger for the Predators for three seasons, his last two campaigns have been less productive. In the pandemic-shortened seasons of 2019-20 and 2021, Arvidsson notched 25 goals and 53 points in 107 games as the Preds leaned more heavily on their defense corps for scoring.

Last season, his shooting percentage was a meager 6.6%, the worst of his career by far since becoming an NHL regular. While that could indicate decline at a relatively young age, Nashville lacked a top-flight center like Kings captain Anze Kopitar. Further, precipitous drops in shooting percentage are often followed by an above-average season, a progression toward a player’s mean.

Arvidsson was yet another superb find by Nashville’s European scouting, which also unearthed Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Roman Josi in the second round and well-rounded rearguard Mattias Ekholm in the fourth. Arvidsson, a Swede, had been passed over in multiple drafts before the Predators snagged him in 2014’s fourth round.

He remains a solid value at the pro level, carrying a $4.25 million cap hit for the next three seasons. Internationally, he won two championships in Sweden’s top pro league as well as a gold medal at the World Championships.

The Kings have been committed to improving their even-strength offense and production from wingers in particular. Already this offseason, they saw a potential target, the versatile forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, vanish from the list of available free agents when he re-signed with the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday for eight more years.

In 2021, the Kings ranked 27th in scoring and 29th in even-strength goals out of 31 franchises. They were one of just two teams to not record a six- on-five goal, joining the New York Islanders as the only teams that did not score with the goalie pulled. After a splendid start, the Kings’ power play tailed off in March and never recovered in what Coach Todd McLellan described as a “tale of two seasons.”

For Arvidsson’s part, he has always done most of his damage five-on- five, with 193 of his 239 points coming at even strength. He has also been a reliable penalty killer and racked up 13 shorthanded points.

Though undersized at 5 feet 9 inches and 180 pounds, Arvidsson has never shied away from traffic or contact. He has a knack for creating traffic and finding rebounds, similar to former Kings winger Justin Williams. Arvidsson has also been an asset off the rush with his combination of opportunism and explosiveness.

While Arvidsson may not have Williams’ reputation for Game 7s, he does have considerable playoff experience. He has played in 61 postseason games across 11 playoff series, contributing 27 playoff points and elevating his possession numbers in the postseason. An upper-body injury limited him to just two games of Nashville’s first-round loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in May. 1216752 Los Angeles Kings Kekalainen can enhance the return if he gets clubs bidding against each other.

Another major consideration is Jones’ willingness to sign long-term with Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, Avs, Kings and the club that acquires him from Columbus. Put another way: Does he Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? want to test free agency next summer no matter what, or only if he was still with the Blue Jackets?

By Aaron Portzline and Corey Pronman If Jones, who has a 10-team no-trade list, is willing to sign an extension with his next team, it would significantly improve the Blue Jackets’ return. Jul 1, 2021 If a club trades for Jones without any assurances beyond next season, the Blue Jackets may seek a conditional draft pick in the event that he

did decide to stay. COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the third time in nine months, the Blue Jackets The other major consideration is the salary cap, which is parked at $81.5 are getting ready for a trade they really don’t want to make. million for 2021-22 and likely longer. Because of the COVID-19 Last October, the Jackets traded power forward Josh Anderson to the pandemic, NHL clubs aren’t getting the annual elbow room under the cap Montreal Canadiens when it became clear that Anderson could force his that the growth of the game has typically provided. way into a one-year contract that would lead him to unrestricted free Jones’ salary cap hit, a very reasonable $5.4 million, will require many agency this summer. acquiring teams to clear salary off their books one way or another. Last January, after an early-season drama that gripped the NHL, the Here’s a look — call it informed speculation — at the possible trade Blue Jackets traded center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets. packages each of the four clubs seen as leading candidates could offer Dubois, who asked to be traded shortly before training camp, couldn’t co- to acquire Jones: exist with coach John Tortorella, and it forced Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s hand to make a deal quickly. Chicago Blackhawks

Now it’s Seth Jones’ turn, and this one might be the most heartbreaking Overview: The Blackhawks are reportedly close to trading defenseman of the three for the organization. Duncan Keith, who was a big part of three Stanley Cup winners in Chicago. Keith’s salary cap hit ($5.538) almost matches Jones’, so The relationship between Jones and the Blue Jackets hasn’t soured, like maybe Keith’s trade is a harbinger of more activity. The Blackhawks the other two, but he made it clear to the club in May that he wasn’t haven’t won a playoff series since their last Cup win in 2015 and they willing to sign a contract extension with Columbus this summer because missed the postseason three of the past four seasons (only making it in he planned to pursue free agency in 2022. 2020 by winning their qualifying series). They’re looking to make a splash Kekalainen initially indicated he’d be willing to carry Jones into next this summer. season, much like the club did in 2019 with left winger Artemi Panarin Potential trade package: Forward Philipp Kurashev, defenseman Nicolas and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Beaudin, left-wing prospect Lukas Reichel, and a first-round pick in 2022 But the return of John Davidson as the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey Portzline’s thoughts: Reichel is a bright prospect and the first-round pick operations — Kekalainen’s new/old boss — has signaled a far different next season is highly desirable, especially if it’s not lottery protected. approach. Both Kurashev and Beaudin are 21-year-olds who are just starting to get Unless Jones somehow has a charge of heart in the next few weeks, he NHL time. will be traded, Davidson has said, explaining that the projected 2021-22 Pronman’s thoughts: Reichel is a very good prospect, a well-rounded roster isn’t nearly as deep or talented as the 2018-19 roster when forward you could project as a second-line forward, analogous to Norris Panarin and Bobrovsky headed into their final years. at the time of the Karlsson trade. Kurashev had a solid rookie season in The Blue Jackets are expected to endure a couple of rough seasons in Chicago. He’s a good player, highly skilled and intelligent, but not as the name of rebuilding the franchise, which is Davidson’s forte as an good as Tierney was in 2018. Thus, Chicago gives a little more than San executive. He’s done it in St. Louis and he was doing it in New York Jose and includes Beaudin, who had a good season. For Chicago, you before the Rangers abruptly cleaned house in May. presume the Blackhawks will be better with Jones and hope that the 2022 first-round pick is later in the round. Where will Jones be traded? Kekalainen’s heard from just about every GM in the league regarding his prized defenseman, he said, but four Colorado Avalanche teams appear to be front-runners based on multiple conversations with Overview: It has been widely assumed that Colorado wants to get more NHL club executives: Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. physical defensively after watching how the playoffs have unfolded this What will the return look like? Well, that’s a more difficult question, which season. The Avs have an incredibly skilled blue line, but Jones would is why we roped in The Athletic’s hockey prospects guru Corey Pronman. give them size, defensive smarts and physicality. Plus, Denver is where Jones learned how to skate while his father played basketball for the No two trades are exactly alike, of course, but we wanted to find a Nuggets. comparable trade in recent seasons to help set parameters. We didn’t have to look far to find a trade involving an elite-level defenseman with Potential trade package: Center Tyson Jost, forward prospect Sampo one year remaining on his contract before unrestricted free agency. Ranta, defensive prospect Justin Barron and a first-round pick in 2021

In 2018, Ottawa traded Erik Karlsson to San Jose for forwards Chris Portzline’s thoughts: Barron is a very promising prospect. Scouts drool at Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, the rights to his size and skating combination, which is rare. He got a taste of the AHL forward prospect Joshua Norris, a first-round pick in 2019 or 2020, a last season and did not disappoint. Jost is an established bottom-six NHL second-round pick in 2019, and two conditional picks. player. Ranta had a great career at Minnesota and just turned pro last year. A fourth first-round pick this year? Why not? To be clear, Karlsson’s resumé in 2018 was extremely impressive, putting him a solid notch above Jones. He’d won the Norris Trophy twice Pronman’s thoughts: Jost has been a useful but not great NHL player. (2012, 2015) as the NHL’s top defenseman, he’d averaged just under a He’s got a lot of skill, not that much speed. He’s good, arguably not quite point a game over the previous three seasons, and he was one of the top as good as Tierney at the time. Barron is a very strong prospect, a highly offensive defensemen of his generation. mobile defenseman with size with some offense. He could be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Columbus gives a little bit on Jost, so Colorado Jones is a much more accomplished two-way player than Karlsson, but needs to give a slightly better prospect than Balcers was at the time, his offensive output has been average throughout his career, his last two which Ranta is. seasons have been average at best, and he’s never finished higher than fourth (2018) in Norris voting. Los Angeles Kings

Based on this, the Blue Jackets should expect a smaller return for Jones Overview: No, you’re not getting Quinton Byfield from the Kings. At least than the Senators achieved for Karlsson, but it’s also possible that that’s what the Kings keep telling opposing GMs, although you wonder if Jones was willing to sign long-term if that might soften the stance. We digress. The Kings have one of the best prospect cupboards in the NHL, and they desperately need help on defense. Man, Jones could be a big deal in L.A.

Potential trade package: Center Adrian Kempe, center prospect Akil Thomas, defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and a first-round pick in 2022 (lottery protected).

Portzline’s thoughts: Thomas put up huge numbers in junior and had a very good rookie AHL season this year. Bjornfot stuck in the NHL this season and shows promise. Kempe, 24, is an established middle-six center, probably best suited to a third line. The lottery protection takes all the fun out of this trade, though.

Pronman’s thoughts: Kempe is a useful player close enough in age to Tierney in 2018. Bjornfot is a good young player, he’s mobile and smart. He may be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Thomas is a strong, not top prospect, with great skill but a lack of pace.

Philadelphia Flyers

Overview: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher must be fun at a poker table. From the moment Jones was known to be headed out of Columbus, the Flyers have been seen as the club most aggressively in pursuit. Would Kekalainen trade Jones within the division? Damn right he would, as long as it’s the best offer.

Potential trade package: Defenseman Philippe Myers, forward prospect Zayde Wisdom, center prospect Morgan Frost and a first-round pick in 2022

Portzline’s thoughts: Underwhelmed. Frost is a strong prospect, but he missed the final three months of the season following shoulder surgery. He should be ready for camp in the fall, but that’s a red flag. Myers is a stay-at-home type, and Wisdom looks solid but unspectacular. They’d better nail that first-round pick in this scenario.

Pronman’s thoughts: Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose been up and down in the league. Frost is a very intelligent and skilled player without a ton of pace who could be a top-six forward. Wisdom had a great season in the AHL. He’s not that quick or big, but he has offense and a high compete level. I’ll consider him slightly better than Balcers at the time.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216753 Los Angeles Kings Raw numbers are one thing but video evidence is even better, and, well, more fun to watch. Here’s one example of Arvidsson’s considerable skill set, from 2017.

Kings trade for Viktor Arvidsson: What are they getting and where will he Because of Arvidsson’s versatility, Kings coach Todd McLellan can fit? deploy him in a variety of different scenarios. The likeliest starting point would be to put him on the top line with Anze Kopitar, which would then allow them to shift Brown or Alex Iafallo lower on the depth chart. By Lisa Dillman Alternately, they could use Arvidsson as the centerpiece of a second Jul 1, 2021 scoring line, playing with countryman Kempe. Although Kempe has had more success on the wing, it might be worth another look at him in the

middle. Arvidsson played with Kempe at the World Championships in The Kings checked the first box of their offseason to-do list on Thursday Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2018. They weren’t on the same line for the by acquiring forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators. whole tournament — which Sweden won — but did play together in some games. In Arvidsson, they get a proven, if streaky, NHL goal-scorer with a relatively reasonable contract by present-day standards – three years Kempe told the Swedish daily Expressen of Arvidsson: “So, I’m really remaining at an AAV of $4.25 million. With Arvidsson, the biggest happy he is coming to us and hopefully we can both benefit from it.” concern has been his ability to stay on the ice, because his past three Whether Arvidsson lands on the first line or second line with the Kings, seasons have been interrupted by injuries. both options are preferable to the status quo. On the plus side, the Kings are getting an established NHL forward to For Nashville, the move frees up cap space and will help the Predators in flesh out the top six, which undoubtedly will please the coaching staff and their efforts to sign defenseman Mattias Ekholm to an extension. Still, the also send an important message to the team’s leadership group: that the move was unpopular, as one can imagine, with Arvidsson’s linemate and long exodus of NHLers going out the door is over and the Kings are countryman Forsberg, who telegraphed his displeasure on social media. shifting directions, supplementing their young emerging core with players who can help them win in the present.

To acquire the 28-year-old Arvidsson, the Kings gave up a second-round The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 pick this month’s draft and a third-rounder in 2022. The picks they surrendered were their own but they still have a second-round pick (via the Alec Martinez trade with Vegas) this year and a conditional third- rounder coming from Pittsburgh in 2022 from the Jeff Carter deal.

“Viktor will add through his speed, work and scoring ability,” Kings general manager Rob Blake said in a text message to The Athletic. “An experienced player that can be trusted and will add offense.”

Arvidsson had 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) and was a plus-nine in 50 games this past season with Nashville. He has twice scored 30-plus goals in a season, including a franchise-record 34 in 2018-19, and had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in the Predators’ run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.

In 2017-18, he led the Predators in goals (29) and was second in points with 61, three behind Filip Forsberg’s 64. That season, he also had 247 shots in 78 games, and getting pucks to the net is a crucial component of the modern NHL. The Kings needed someone with a shooter’s mentality, which is something of a missing ingredient on the current roster.

Arvidsson had 151 shots on goal this season, which led Nashville and would have also led the Kings. Dustin Brown had the most with 129, followed by Adrian Kempe’s 127. Arvidsson’s career shooting percentage is 11.4. It was 6.6 percent in 2020-21 and 11.8 percent in 2019-20.

“He fits into the ultimate ‘change of scenery’ scenario and will be trying to prove Nashville wrong for giving up on him,” one NHL source said.

“It is also a good sign for L.A. They are probably looking at the Pacific Division and seeing opportunity – that this is a good time to step forward from the rebuild phase and start making waves.”

One of the strengths of Arvidsson’s game is his ability to produce points at even strength. Since 2017-18, he has contributed 162 points in 243 games. Of those, 133 came at even strength, 23 on the power play and six shorthanded.

This was the Kings’ first meaningful move of the offseason, an opening salvo in what will be an important summer for Blake and his management team.

A little more than six weeks ago, defenseman Drew Doughty said in his exit interview with the media: “With all this cap room, we’ve got to bring guys in. There’s no point waiting for these prospects to develop when you’ve got guys in their prime. Guys that are hungry to win and guys that are sick of losing. So, we’ve got to bring guys in.”

With this deal, the Kings were also finally able to weaponize their stockpile of draft picks. They’ve collected picks in a methodical fashion but there comes a time when a team eventually has to move forward, and Thursday was the day. 1216754 Los Angeles Kings The first domino has fallen, in what is shaping up to be an exciting offseason for the Kings.

Kings acquire forward Viktor Arvidsson in exchange for two draft picks LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 07.02.2021

By Zach Dooley

Insiders, we have a trade to announce!

The LA Kings have acquired forward Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for their second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and third-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft.

So…..you wanted to add a Top-6 winger, did ya?

Arvidsson, 28, joins the Kings after spending the last seven seasons with the Predators organization. A two-time 30-goal scorer, Arvidsson tallied a career-best 34 goals in 2018-19 to set the franchise record for goals in a season. That same season, he established a franchise record for goals per-game in a single campaign and was third overall in the NHL at 0.59. He has twice reached a career-high 61 points in a single season, including 2016-17 with 31 goals and 30 assists before adding another 13 points (3-10=13) in 22 postseason games to help the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final. The following season, he tallied 29 goals and a career-high 32 assists as the Predators went on to claim the President’s Trophy as the team with the league’s best regular-season record.

From a possession metrics standpoint, the numbers paint the picture of a quality player in Arvidsson. Though his raw offensive numbers were down this past season, his shot attempt, scoring chance and high-danger chance metrics were among the best of his NHL career, with his scoring- chance for percentage the highest of his NHL career. Arvidsson had a 5- on-5 shooting percentage of 5.5% during the 2020-21 season, after hitting double-digits in each of the four seasons prior. The same trend can be said for the power play, with Arvidsson’s 8.7% mark following four consecutive seasons in double digits. For a goal scorer who has consistently been higher, that points to a player primed to bounceback.

In 385 NHL games, the 5-9, 180-pound winger has collected 127 goals and 112 assists for 239 points with a plus-45 rating while adding 27 points (12-15=27) in 61 playoff appearances. He also registered 73 points (30-43=73) in 87 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals after originally being selected by the Predators in the fourth round, 112th overall, of the 2014 NHL Draft.

The Skelleftea, Sweden, native has represented Sweden in three IIHF events, earning a gold medal at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, a silver medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, and a bronze medal at the 2010 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. Through those three tournaments, he registered seven goals and two assists for nine points in 15 games.

Arvidsson has faced some injury issues, missing 42 games over the past 3 seasons. In part, this could help to explain his drop in raw production over the last two seasons, while his general health over the preceding seasons don’t necessarily indicate an injury-prone player.

In terms of trade value, the Kings had extra selections in both the second and third rounds this season, meaning that the team will not be without a pick in either round at this time. That’s the benefit of what the rebuild has brought – options. The Kings had extra picks in the second and third rounds this season from past trades and could still wind up with an extra third-round selection in each of the next two seasons depending on conditions from the Jeff Carter trade. When you add that on top of the extra selections the Kings have made in recent entry drafts, which have left a stocked prospect pool, even after this trade the Kings are not short of assets to move for NHL-ready talent.

Looking ahead, the trade for Arvidsson makes him a lock for the Kings during the upcoming Seattle expansion draft. Arvidsson will be protected as one of either seven forwards, or eight skaters, depending on what route the organization decides to go. The Milwaukee Admirals alum is under contract for three more seasons, including this one upcoming, at a cap hit of $4.25 million per season through the 2023-24 season. At 19 skaters under contract, the Kings still have more than 14 million in available cap space for this season, meaning the team still has the opportunity to make additional moves to improve the NHL roster. 1216755 Montreal Canadiens Montreal is 11-2 in the playoffs when it scores first but has given up the first goal in each of the two games against Tampa Bay. The Canadiens fairly well dominated Wednesday’s game but had nothing to show for it.

Canadiens know they’re down, but not out, against the Lightning “If we let them play their game, they are going to take advantage of us,” said Mikhail Sergachev, the Tampa Bay defenceman. “That is what we did. We didn’t play nearly good enough. We still found a way to win but we have to be better.” Marty Klinkenberg The Canadiens will have interim head coach Dominique Ducharme back 5-7 minutes 7/2/2021 behind the bench for the first time since Game 1 of the Vegas series. He has been in quarantine since then because he tested positive for COVID- 19. Eric Staal, left, and Phillip Danault of the Montreal Canadiens react to a goal by the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period on June 30 in Assistant coach Luke Richardson has run the team in Ducharme’s Tampa, Florida. Staal won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Carolina absence, and said he welcomes his return. Hurricanes in 2006, going up 2-0 against the Edmonton Oilers before “We have kept in contact and had some Zoom meetings but it is not the eventually winning in seven games. same,” Richardson said. “One more guy on the bench is going to be Eric Staal has played 17 seasons in the NHL and has won one Stanley helpful, especially Dom. A fresh view and voice back there is going to be Cup. It happened 15 long years ago in the best season of his a plus for us.” distinguished career. He had 45 goals as a 21-year-old with the Carolina Montreal is also counting on veterans such as Corey Perry, Joel Hurricanes and 28 points in 25 games during the playoffs. He reminisced Edmundson, Tyler Toffoli and Staal to get the team back on track. All about it on Thursday, a day after the Canadiens fell behind the Lightning won Stanley Cups with previous organizations. “There are always 2-0 in their best-of-seven series. moments in the playoffs where as a group you need to lean on In 2006, Carolina won the first two games at home but it still took seven experience and lean on guys that have been around a while and been to put away the Edmonton Oilers. through certain situations,” Staal said. “Our focus is to go back to Montreal and shift the momentum to our side and go from there. “I clearly remember that,” the veteran centre said. “You feel good with a 2-0 lead but it is a race to four wins. This series is a long way from being “We’ve got to get to four wins, so we’ll start with the next one. Back in over.” 2006, it got all the way to Game 7 and everyone knows in Game 7 anything can happen. We probably deserved a better fate [Wednesday] The Canadiens flew home to Montreal from Florida on Canada Day in an night, but right now that’s not what matters. It’s about getting the wins unenviable position against the Stanley Cup defending champs. Teams and we’ll start with Game 3.” that fall behind 2-0 in the finals have gone on to win only a half dozen times and have lost on 45 occasions.

At best, there is a sliver of a chance. Globe And Mail LOADED: 07.02.2021

The Habs are grasping that because to do otherwise would invite panic. On Wednesday they outshot Tampa Bay 43 to 23 and did everything but win. The backbreaker was a spectacular goal by Blake Coleman that gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead with two seconds left in the second period.

Coleman was diving as he shovelled the one-handed shot beneath Carey Price’s right arm. It was a phenomenal effort on the part of the Tampa Bay centre but a shot Montreal’s goaltender should have turned back.

Price has been badly outplayed thus far by his counterpart, Andrei Vasilevskiy. Price has allowed eight goals on 50 shots; Vasilevskiy just two on 62. He had 42 saves in Wednesday’s 3-1 triumph.

Games 3 and 4 will be played on Friday and Sunday nights at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens should get a boost from playing at home. Unlike in Tampa, where Amalie Arena was full, the crowd in Montreal will be limited to 3,500 spectators. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Quebec officials denied a request to allow 10,500 fans.

“We love playing in Montreal,” Staal said. The club picked him up at the trade deadline and he has contributed two goals and six assists in 18 postseason games. “We love the Bell Centre and the atmosphere that it brings.

“Unfortunately there will be a lot more people outside [than inside] but we know the support is there. We know everybody is as excited as we are to be in this position in the finals.”

The Canadians are contesting the Cup for the first time since 1993, when they were the last team from Canada to win. They rallied to beat the Maple Leafs in the first round, swept the Winnipeg Jets in the second and eliminated Vegas in six games in the semi-finals.

They were hammered 5-1 by Tampa Bay in Game 1 but played better on Wednesday even if it was a losing effort.

“I think we did a lot of good things,” Cole Caufield said Thursday before the team boarded its flight. After scoring four goals against the Golden Knights, the 20-year-old rookie has been held off the score sheet by the Lightning. “Some bounces didn’t go our way [but] that’s hockey. You have got to move on.

“Our energy is focused on Game 3 and getting that win. We have to just stick with what works and what got us here.” 1216756 Montreal Canadiens In order for the story to work, it requires an escape from certain death right at the end. Three-nothing is a bit too certain. But 2-0 works perfectly.

The Canadiens have had magic on their side – and now they need it In the first round, I had a funsies bet with a co-worker. He’s a Canadiens more than ever guy, so I thought I’d be clever and corner him into wagering that way. I even rooked him on the odds – 2 to 1.

After Game 4, he texted to ask for my bank details. I replied, “It’s the Cathal Kelly Leafs. We’ll wait.”

6-7 minutes 7/2/2021 I said it mostly because it’s the sort of thing you say in Toronto, but also because I had just a hint – the merest suggestion – of doubt.

(In fairness, I get this feeling a lot. Usually when the outcome would Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos celebrates a goal by Anthony Cirelli (not somehow benefit me via scheduling and/or deadlines. And it’s almost pictured) past Montreal goaltender Carey Price in game wwo of the 2021 never right. But nonetheless …) NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Montreal hasn’t really needed that whiff of outrageous good fortune How little we remember of them, those Canadian ghosts of Stanley Cup since, but you can still feel the traces of it lingering. finals past. Right now, would you bet on the Canadiens to come back? Not if you Since the last time the Montreal Canadiens established a baseline for have any sense. pride in the national sport, just about everyone has had a kick at it. Vancouver came close. So did Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver again. As of Friday morning, Montreal’s line in Vegas isn’t tempting – 8 to 1. Montreal’s down two games to nothing against the defending champions. If it’s a bad run of luck, people keep track of every small failure. That’s It has been overpowered and outfoxed. It can’t score and its goalie looks how you break the rut – by switching up your routines. like someone took his wet pads and put them in the dryer for an hour. But if it’s a curse, there’s no point in remembering. You stop believing Outside the fact the Habs play at home on Friday night, there is nothing things can change. to suggest they will turn this thing around. The odds should be 80 to 1. You just have to accept that it always has been and always will be this But in Vegas, where real money rides on the predictions, they can’t afford way. to depend on analytics alone. They know they have to include the The same applies this year. No one who’s being honest with themselves supernatural in their calculations. That, and people who can afford to believed in the Canadiens going into this year’s final. must be laying their money that way.

Position-by-position, they are outmanned by Tampa Bay. Despite a lot of In any case, we can agree that Game 3 is effectively a Game 7. If strong words to the contrary, that includes in net. Montreal wins, the momentum swings back in its favour. If Montreal loses, it’s cooked. The Lightning have somehow managed the trick of being veteran and fresh-faced at the same time. The players are flashy and they are From a historic perspective, what would be the perfect outcome here? grinders. Montreal wins on Friday, loses on Sunday, and then Torontos Tampa Bay. That would be an all-timer, even for the team with more all-timers Tampa Bay is the sort of team that could only be assembled in a place than any other. where no one cares about hockey, for the same reason the military bases secret projects out in the desert. The only way you’re ever going to Do you want that to happen? If you’re a Canucks, Flames, Oilers, Jets, build something really cool is if there’s no one looking and second- Leafs or Senators fan, of course not. No matter how sad and Cinderella guessing you while you do it. they seem in this moment, the Canadiens are your Wicked Stepsisters. Their success is your failure. But while no one believed in the Canadiens as a purely hockey outfit versus Tampa Bay, a lot of people did have a weird, occult faith in them But right now, you may find yourself invoking the old sportswriters’ dodge as curse breakers. – you aren’t rooting for an outcome, you’re rooting for the story. If Montreal can climb back into this, that’s some story. Montreal probably should not have made the playoffs, never mind the finals. What does that tell you? That the Canadiens must be enveloped by a powerful, inexplicable sports magic. Globe And Mail LOADED: 07.02.2021 That magic was in evidence in Games 5, 6 and 7 against the Maple Leafs, who were hypnotized into giving up. It was there in Game 1 against the Jets when Mark Scheifele temporarily lost hold of his senses. It was fully engaged against the Golden Knights, when the Canadiens repeatedly leaned their weight against goaltender Carey Price and he held up all five guys.

This is what players mean when they say “momentum” and why the analytics crowd hates the word so much – it has no objective basis. Momentum is metaphysics for sport, a bit like chemistry, but more so. It’s what happens when guys who should not succeed are succeeding.

Well, so far, so much for that theory.

Tampa has beaten Montreal both ways to start this series. In Game 1, it outplayed the Habs. In Game 2, it outlucked them.

When the Canadiens turned a puck over in the neutral zone on Wednesday night with two seconds left in the second and it ended up in their net, you thought to yourself, ‘That’s the sort of goal Montreal used to score’. As though its run to this point happened a hundred years ago. The curse was reasserting itself.

But this is the moment of greatest possibility. It wouldn’t be a magical run to the Stanley Cup if the Canadiens found themselves up 2-0. That would be either a romp or a prime opportunity for a choke. 1216757 Montreal Canadiens

Montreal to host outdoor Canadiens games viewing after Bell Centre request denied

2-2 minutes 7/1/2021

Peter Mccabe/The Canadian Press

Montreal has announced it will set up outdoor viewing parties to allow fans to watch the Canadiens play in the Stanley Cup final, a day after Quebec public health denied a request to allow more fans into the Bell Centre.

The city said the free viewings will take place in the city’s entertainment district beginning with Friday’s game.

The announcement comes as the Quebec government confirms it refused a request by the Canadiens organization to allow about 10,500 fans into the team’s home arena, which would have represented half capacity.

The government said in a statement this morning that it decided to maintain the current limit of 3,500 people in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

But the health department says it will increase the number of people allowed to gather at outdoor festivals and events up to 5,000 beginning Friday.

The government says people who are seated must be kept 1.5 metres from those who don’t live with them, and masks are recommended when people are moving.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216758 Montreal Canadiens

Montreal rapper Annakin Slayd revamps Habs anthems for Cup run

T'Cha Dunlevy • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021

Annakin Slayd has grown accustomed to providing the soundtrack for the Canadiens’ playoff runs. So as the team got deeper and deeper into this year’s charmed run for the Stanley Cup, the Montreal rapper knew it was time to dust off some of his old hits.

A few weeks ago, he released an update of his 2014 song and star cameo-filled video Rock the Sweater; and this week, with the Habs entering the Stanley Cup finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he dropped an entirely new version of his 2010 hit Feels Like ’93.

“I get a lot of Habs fans and my own fans who clamour for this sort of thing pretty much every year, even years we don’t make the playoffs,” said Slayd, whose real name is Andrew Farrar.

“Sometimes it’s at the beginning of the year. They’ll be like, ‘Do you have new songs?’ I think it’s great. I love it. But the timing is really important. If I do it every year, it makes it less special. This is a special year, so it made sense to come out with them.”

Slayd calls Rock the Sweater 2021 “a slight update.” The video features an array of fans from all over, wearing and kissing their Canadiens jerseys, including an impressive list of cameos by Habs-loving celebrities the rapper has caught on camera over the years, including his buddy Jay Baruchel, Sugar Sammy, prime minister Justin Trudeau, actors Viggo Mortensen and Rachelle Lefevre, Montreal rocker Sam Roberts, late Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, George Stroumboulopoulos, former Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo, former Expos Andre Dawson and Tim Raines, and former Habs Dave Morrissette, Guillaume Latendresse, Maxim Lapierre, Sergio Momesso and Chris Nilan.

“When I’m feeling like I wanna show the world what greatness is / Red and blue and white sweater, the CH it is,” he rhymes, over a head- bobbing beat, foot-stomping violin loop and soulful Go Habs Go in the chorus, before going on to name-drop Habs players old and new, from Jean Béliveau to Guy Lafleur, Patrick Roy, Carey Price and even phenom newbies Cole Caufield and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

The video has garnered almost 110,000 views since June 14. (An “all- fans version” of the song features only Images of Habs fans kissing their sweaters.)

Feels Like ’93 (2021) is “more of a revamp,” explained Slayd, who re- recorded the song with live guitars and drums, with tweaks including a reference to rising star Nick Suzuki, and a video including clips from past glories and this year’s Cup run (including a pizza-eating Phillip Danault).

“I always say I’m sort of like a one-man genre,” Slayd said, describing the unique niche he is filling for the hockey-crazed Habs nation with these songs. “I can’t imagine anybody like me in any other city.

“I think it says a lot about Montreal. I even saw a quote from (Tampa GM) Julien BriseBois the other day, saying he understands they’re playing a team where the fanbase makes anthems for the team, which are hits. There’s an insatiable aspect to the whole thing.”

Slayd doesn’t only make sports anthems. He has a fourth album ready to drop when the hockey season ends, featuring guest appearances by American rappers Inspectah Deck and Sticky Fingaz, of ’90s rap acts Wu-Tang Clan and Onyx, respectively. But he swears his Habs love is real.

“I always wanted to speak from the heart, in terms of being a hip-hop artist,” he said. “When you do something from the heart, people connect. Ten years later, people still want to have these anthems as accompaniment to their fandom and this drive (the team is) doing. That’s pretty cool. It’s good to know something I’ve done is lasting. It’s what every artist wants.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216759 Montreal Canadiens Sergachev has been averaging 22:03 of ice time during the playoffs and has 0-3-3 totals in 20 games. He also has 14 penalty minutes while displaying a mean streak.

Stu Cowan: Lightning's Mikhail Sergachev isn't really such a mean guy “I would never mess with him,” Brian said with a chuckle. “Forwards in junior hated playing against him. Off the ice you’d never know he was a mean guy, but when he’s out on the ice he’s there for one thing. He wants to win.” Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette When asked what he’s most proud of about the player and man Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021 Sergachev has become, Brian said: “He’s just great with the fans. We go to Tampa and he’s always the last guy off the ice, looking around for the little kids to toss them pucks and wave to them. He’s the perfect kind of The junior Windsor Spitfires had selected the Russian defenceman sixth hockey player you want to have that loves what he does and he loves his overall at the 2015 CHL Import Draft and the Reids would be his billet fans, too, and people who help him out. He’s just a good soul. He’s an family. all-around well-liked person, unless you’re a forward in front of his net.

Michelle worked hard to teach Sergachev how to speak English and he “He’s like our kid and we’re like his parents as well.” was a quick learner. She also made his meals and helped him adjust to life in North America.

“He just was very focused on it and wanted to learn,” Michelle recalled Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 over the phone Thursday from Windsor. “I used to tell him: ‘Make your mistakes here with me because that way we’ll fix them and work through them.’ He would always ask me: ‘How do you say that? What does this mean?’ I would break it down and explain it to him.”

Sergachev posted 17-40-57 totals in 67 games during his first year with the Spitfires in 2015-16. When he was named the OHL’s outstanding defenceman as a rookie, he made his acceptance speech in English.

The Canadiens selected Sergachev in the first round (ninth overall) at the 2016 NHL Draft, but he would only play four games with Montreal before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 15, 2017, in exchange for Jonathan Drouin.

Now Sergachev is playing against the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup final and has become public enemy No. 1 in Montreal after slamming Brendan Gallagher’s helmetless head into the ice during a skirmish in Game 1 and then checking Artturi Lehkonen hard from behind into the boards in Game 2.

The Reids have kept close contact with Sergachev since he made the jump from their home to the NHL, visiting him three or four times each season in Tampa before COVID-19. They will be at the Bell Centre to watch him play Game 3 Friday (8 p.m., CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Brian said Sergachev called them shortly after the Lightning eliminated the New York Islanders in the semifinals.

“He called us up about five or 10 minutes after the game,” Brian said Thursday afternoon as he and Michelle were getting ready to go to the airport. “He had just got in the dressing room and he said: ‘Get ready … you’re coming to Montreal. I’m getting you tickets for Games 3 and 4.’ And we were like: ‘Whoa! What?’ Then we just started planning to get a hotel and flight.

“Super-pumped,” Brian added. “My God, this is the chance of a lifetime.”

Sergachev has become like an adopted son to the Reids, who have two grown children. So have all the other Spitfire players who have stayed at their home in the 11 years they have been a billet family. They will have another Russian player, Daniil Sobolev, living with them next season.

“He works so hard,” Michelle said about Sergachev. “He’s so dedicated. I could set my watch by him. Every morning breakfast was at the same time … everything is routine with him. When he wants something he works until he gets it. It’s just amazing to see this little boy who came to us and couldn’t speak English and now you see him doing interviews on TV and his English is so amazing, he’s so fluent. He has an infectious laugh and he’s just a lot of fun.”

Brian recalls Sergachev being “bummed out” when the Canadiens traded him.

“He was like: ‘What the hell?'” Brian said. “He was only 18 and he felt like somehow he had done something wrong. He was upset. I told him: ‘Listen, you’re going to a team that Stevie Yzerman’s at (as general manager at the time). Beaches, bikinis, sun, 90-plus degrees (Fahrenheit). He said: ‘Oh, OK. I see.’ Now he’s living the dream. He’s got beautiful weather, he’s got all the beaches. He loves it and he just moved into a new house a little while ago.” 1216760 Montreal Canadiens trio with this unexpected run to the Stanley Cup final. They will be counted on heavily by the Canadiens for the rest of this series and for years to come. They are developing a bond both on and off the ice and Suzuki and Caufield are playing on the same line with the veteran Toffoli. Nick Suzuki is becoming a quiet leader with Canadiens “Watching him earlier this year you could see the skill, the work ethic and the really good player that he is,” Caufield, who started this season at the University of Wisconsin and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette player in U.S. college, said about Suzuki. “But being able to play with him Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021 and be with him every day you kind of see how calm he is and how mature he is as a player and a person. How he carries himself every day is pretty special and he’s a big part of our team and why we’ve had success to this point.” Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin looked like he hadn’t slept when he showed up for the team’s annual golf tournament before the start of the season three years ago — and he probably hadn’t. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 At 1:08 a.m. that day the Canadiens announced they had traded captain Max Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar and a second-round draft pick.

Bergevin had painted himself into a corner with Pacioretty, with the Canadiens insisting he had asked to be traded and the captain saying he hadn’t. Pacioretty fired his agent Pat Brisson, a close friend of Bergevin’s, and hired Allan Walsh to represent him. It got ugly and there was no way Pacioretty was going to return with the Canadiens to start the 2018-19 season.

When asked at the golf tournament how the trade developed, Bergevin said: “Oh, boy. This has been going on for a while. Obviously, for us Nick Suzuki was the key piece because we like a young ‘A’ prospect that was picked 13th overall (at the 2017 NHL Draft), which I believe at the time we had him No. 11 on our list. (Golden Knights GM George McPhee) went through a thing he mentioned to me in the past (that) trading a young player, he was not very keen on that. But at the end of the day, to get you have to give, and we were able to get a deal done and I hope it works for both parties. I really do.”

The trade has worked out well for both teams, but the Canadiens got the upper hand when they beat the Golden Knights in their semifinal series this year to advance to the Stanley Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Suzuki, 21, is quickly developing into the No. 1 centre Bergevin was hoping he would become when he made the trade and the 21-year-old is also becoming a leader on the Canadiens.

After struggling in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final — going minus-3 and failing to get a shot on goal in a 5-1 loss to the Lightning — Suzuki bounced back with a strong Game 2 on Wednesday, scoring the Canadiens’ only goal in a 3-1 loss with a team-leading nine shots.

“I think he’s a quiet guy, but he’s going to be a quiet leader,” assistant coach Luke Richardson said about Suzuki. “I’m sure he was in junior (with the OHL’s Guelph Storm). You saw him tear it up there during the playoffs and you’ve seen it over the last two years just grow every game. I think it’s the confidence level that’s showing even in his smile. He’s kind of got that sly smile on the ice — I’m sure it bothers the other team — but it brings confidence to himself and I think his teammates just showing that he’s just gaining more confidence in his play and in his demeanour.

“I don’t think he’s going to be a real loud, vocal, rah-rah guy, but not everybody has to be,” Richardson added. “I think some leaders are just pure by their play and I think that’s what Nick’s going to be. Definitely he’s more comfortable talking and speaking on the bench, asking questions of the coaches and discussing plays with his teammates, whether it be before a draw or not. I’m sure Tyler Toffoli’s really helped out in that area this year with him.”

Suzuki is in his second NHL season and veteran teammate Eric Staal is in his 17th. Staal was asked if Suzuki reminds him of anyone he has played with before.

“One guy I guess that jumps right out at me is a Ray Whitney, a smaller right shot but uber-competitive and intelligent with the puck and that’s kind of what Nick is,” Staal said. “He’s really, really competitive, very intelligent with the puck, puts himself in good positions to be able to do the right things defensively but also create offence. So he’s a huge part of our team and developing into a leader for this group and an important part of what we got going here.”

Suzuki and 20-year-old teammates Cole Caufield and Jesperi Kotkaniemi are the Canadiens’ young guns and the future has arrived quickly for the 1216761 Montreal Canadiens Canadiens in scoring by 21 points, trails only Gallagher in goals, and trails only Petry in power-play points.

Even if Tatar enters the series and produces nothing, he gives the By the numbers: Tomas Tatar could be jolt the Canadiens' offence needs Lightning another threat to worry about every shift, and this may be surprising to some — the Tatar-Danault-Gallagher line has been among the NHL’s best lines the last three years.

Andrew Berkshire • Special to the Montreal Gazette You read that correctly. They face top competition, and rank first in control of shot attempts, third in control of expected goals, and sixth in Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021 control of goals. And that wasn’t just because of defence, that line has scored at a clip of 3.76 goals per 60 minutes at 5-vs-5 over the last three seasons, 11th highest mark of any line in the league, outscoring The first two games of the Stanley Cup final couldn’t have been more opponents 94-49. different in terms of how the Canadiens played, but Montreal couldn’t win either one and now the Habs are coming back to the Bell Centre trailing It’s easy to pick apart defensive mistakes, but most of them are about in a series by two games for the first time since the Maple Leafs pushed execution. The offence meanwhile, could seriously benefit from another them to the brink in the first round. weapon. What they’re doing so far simply isn’t working.

In Game 1, the Nick Suzuki line with Cole Caufield and Tyler Toffoli was Andrew Berkshire is a Montreal-based hockey writer specializing in data- mostly stuck playing against Tampa’s top line, with Lightning head coach driven analysis of the game. Jon Cooper aggressively avoiding getting his premier scorers out against the tight-checking line of Phillip Danault’s line. Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat feasted on the matchup by scoring three Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 even-strength goals.

Suzuki responded with an incredible performance in Game 2, while acting head coach Luke Richardson aggressively ran his bench to even the matchups a bit. The result was the Canadiens controlled the flow of play for nearly the entire game, accounting for more than 65 per cent of the shots on goal at 5-on-5, after controlling only 42.5 per cent in Game 1.

Mental mistakes have cost the Canadiens dearly so far in this series, with Ben Chiarot, in particular, making a series of them through the first two games, including a fly-by stick check attempt at the blue line with a few seconds left in the second period Wednesday night. The gaffe gifted the Lightning a 2-on-1 that resulted in the back-breaking winning goal with a fraction of a second left.

Joel Edmundson compounded the situation with a bit of a lazy play that bounced awkwardly off the boards right to Palat for the dagger late int he third period of a 3-1 loss.

How you feel now about how the Canadiens have played highly depends on your outlook in general. Those who see the glass as half full will focus on the positive adjustments Montreal made in Game 2. The team showed a lot of promise and all three Lightning goals required some fortunate events that might not repeat.

Naysayers will point to Suzuki’s goal being just as lucky as any of Tampa’s goals, if not more so, and despite trailing for most of the series, the Canadiens haven’t been able to leverage offensive-zone pressure into high quality scoring chances. Sportlogiq’s Mike Kelly tweeted after the game that despite the shot count favouring Montreal 43-23 in Game 2, so-called ‘Grade A’ chances were 5-1 for the Lightning. Sportlogiq defines ‘Grade A’ chances as shots with a greater than 20 per cent chance of going in.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is getting all the glory for holding the Canadiens to two goals through two games in this series, but watch how diligent the Lightning are at staying in passing lanes, keeping their sticks on the ice to disrupt passes, and denying Canadiens skaters the ability to cross through the middle. In many ways, what the Lightning are doing to the Habs is similar to what Montreal did to the Vegas Golden Knights in the semifinals. Combined with some lucky bounces and the Montreal’s mistakes and the Habs appear to be in trouble.

Where do they go from here? With Dominique Ducharme rejoining the team for Game 3, that will depend on what he sees as the biggest issue. With home ice and the last change, the Canadiens will probably be able to get the matchup they want with the Danault line against the Point line, but that line was already quiet in Game 2 and the Lightning still came out on top. Tampa Bay’s depth scoring has come up huge so far in this series, which means the time may have come for the Danault line to shift gears from being solely a shutdown line, which would require a small shakeup, but one that might seem a bit shocking to some.

I know many people have their minds made up on Tomas Tatar. It has been more than a month since he’s seen game action, but despite his pedestrian results in the playoffs so far in his career, Tatar is an undeniable offensive threat. Over the last three seasons he leads the 1216762 Montreal Canadiens

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed: Confessions of a superstitious Habs fan

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed • Special to the Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021

Our men in blue, white and red are making us proud this playoff season. Now they’re in the Stanley Cup finals, where they are matching up against the defending champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning. When we see them play, we see their hard work and sacrifice, their prowess on the ice.

Less visible are all the superstitious rituals that many of us firmly believe — logic and a lack of scientific data notwithstanding — contribute to the Habs’ success.

Chances are you know a few people who have certain rituals they are certain make a difference for their team. Some are sure to wear their favourite jersey while watching the game. Some even refuse to wash that jersey during the playoffs (not recommended for hygiene reasons). Some grow solidarity playoff beards. Others watch or don’t watch the game. The shared objective: to send Les Boys all the luck and success they can.

Whoever you are and whatever you do, so long as it’s for the Habs, thank you. I say this as someone who has no shame in her game when rooting for the Habs. I have been known to attend games wearing war paint on my cheeks to go along with my navy blue sparkly hijab.

Now, I am not a superstitious person by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to anything other than hockey. But when the Habs are playing, I have my rituals. I would love to tell you what they are, but I can’t. I’m afraid that if I do, and then the team loses in the Stanley Cup finals, all of a sudden, it will be my fault. I just can’t take that risk.

Few things bring people together, like hockey in Montreal. I was seven years old when we moved from Dollard-des-Ormeaux to Kirkland, where I was surrounded by boys my age who all loved to play hockey and baseball. So that’s what I would do. Seven a.m. on a Saturday morning, the doorbell would ring, and the neighbourhood boys would ask if I could play. Some of my fondest childhood memories were made while playing street hockey in front of our house, basketball with my brother, baseball with the neighbourhood kids, or just riding my bike around the neighbourhood. It was how I connected with others my age, made friends and kept active.

Now my son plays hockey and loves it just as much. The camaraderie, the passion, the love of the sport bring people together like nothing else.

As I drive around my neighbourhood now, I see cars with small flags hanging from their windows, larger flags waving from flag posts, big signs in windows and tons of neighbours wearing jerseys. It’s a welcome reprieve from the monotony COVID has brought over the past 15 months. There is hope in the air, a sense of optimism. There is a whiff of the spirit of ’93 for those old enough to remember it. There is an excitement. I see smiling eyes on masked faces as I wear my jersey when I go out.

Technically, the Habs are playing well. They are holding up under pressure. Yes, they are down two games, but there is still time, and we will have home team advantage for the next two games. The series is far from over. There is still hope.

To all of you who are doing your thing to send positive energy to our team: Let’s keep it up. However you are cheering our boys on right now, do it from the heart, do it for the team, do it for our city.

I know I will keep doing my part, and if the Habs do end up winning the Stanley Cup, you’re welcome.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216763 Montreal Canadiens “I think what they bring is that calmness, that confidence that we know that we played better,” Richardson said about that experienced group of players. “It’s maturity in the dressing room in the winning department and knowing that people have come (back) from behind. Even (assistant Canadiens Notebook: Habs excited about returning to Bell Centre coach) Alex Burrows brought some light to the coaching room last night, just saying when he was with Vancouver in the final (in 2011) they won

the first two games and you got to be careful you don’t get overconfident Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette because they ended up losing that series (in seven games to the Boston Bruins). Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021 “So we got to keep that in mind and realize that and take some really good things out of last game and still build off that first-game experience where we can get better and better in different areas,” Richardson added. The Canadiens are excited about returning home for Game 3 of the “More determination … I thought we played a lot harder physically and Stanley Cup final and are hoping to get a boost from their fans after the battle level was higher (in Game 2). Now we’ve just got to compete at losing the first two games of the best-of-seven series to the Lightning in the same level and push to finish a little bit better and maybe score that Tampa. first goal and play with the lead in this series and see where it takes us.” However, there will only be 3,500 fans at the Bell Centre Friday (8 p.m., Richardson noted that the Canadiens had much better puck CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) after the Quebec management in Game 2. government and provincial health officials refused the Canadiens’ request to have 10,500 fans in the building (50 per cent capacity). “Unfortunately, they’re two very odd miscues that kind of went in and those don’t happen very often,” Richardson said about the last two “It will be really exciting, for sure,” Canadiens rookie Cole Caufield said. Lightning goals. “So I think those are very correctable. I think overall the “Obviously wish we could have more people, but certain situations going way we played is how we’re going to have to play with just a little bit on … it will still be loud and proud to be in there. So we’re really excited more finish. A little determination on that finish in the O-zone and trying to get back home and play in front of our fans. I know outside it will be to be creative. You got to find and manage that time when it’s time to be pretty exciting, too. So we’re just looking forward to Game 3 and having creative in the areas to be creative that isn’t dangerous as it’s going to fans in the building.” put us in outnumbered situations against because that’s where they “It’s huge,” veteran centre Eric Staal said about playing the next two capitalize and they’re good at.” games at the Bell Centre with Game 4 on Monday night. “Obviously, we Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has only allowed two goals in the first love playing in Montreal, we love the Bell Centre and the atmosphere that two games of the Stanley Cup final and has a 14-6 record with a 1.89 it brings. Unfortunately I think there will be a lot more people outside the goals-against-average and a .939 save percentage in the playoffs. building than inside, which will be a little bit different. But we know that they’re there, we know that the support’s there and we know that Vasilevskiy is also 10-0 in his last 10 games against the Canadiens, everybody is as excited as we are to be in this position in the final. The allowing only 15 goals on 335 shots over that span for a .955 save focus in the moment of Game 3 is huge and we’ll use all that we can to percentage. The last time Vasilevskiy lost to the Canadiens was on Jan. have the energy to get the W.” 4, 2018, when he stopped 37 of 38 shots in a 2-1 shootout loss at the Bell Centre. Staal is in his 17th NHL season, but his first with the Canadiens after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres before the NHL trade deadline in “I don’t think you need the perfect shot right now in the situation,” late March. When Staal won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 the Caufield said when asked about trying to beat 6-foot-3, 225-pound Hurricanes beat the Canadiens in six games in the first round of the Russian goalie. “I think we got to stick to what works and that’s doing the playoffs after losing the first two games at home. right things that we can and what we can control. Getting people in front of him so he can’t see it, getting rebounds, getting guys to the net, stuff “I’ve been around long enough to have played in a playoff series against like that. Just winning our battles. Obviously, he’s a really special the Canadiens as a young player, as a visiting player, and then also just goaltender and someone who’s really hot right now. So we just got to over the years coming into the city as an opposing player,” Staal said. keep finding ways to get it past him and I’m sure at some point we will.” “You know the passion, you know the excitement. I think for me now I’m being a Canadien it’s now hearing from so many people that maybe you Richardson compared Vasilevskiy’s style to Winnipeg goalie Connor didn’t realize that were massive Montreal Canadiens fans. There’s so Hellebuyck, who the Canadiens were able to beat while sweeping the many people around Canada that follow this team and follow this Jets in the second round of the playoffs. organization and it’s pretty special. I know my dad and my mom and the rest of my family have been getting a lot of messages from a lot of people “Big guy, stands up a lot, very active,” Richardson said. “I think we got that are following closely and supporting us and me. So it’s been fun and, got Hellebuyck, I think we have a chance to get to Vasilevskiy at home. I obviously, we want to make sure that we’re on the right side of it and it mean it’s going to be our rink, we’re going to dictate the play in Game 3. starts with a big effort in Game 3.” We got to the net a lot more in Game 2 and I suspect we’ll even add to that in Game 3. I think a lot of our chances were rushed. They’re playing When the Hurricanes won the Cup in 2006 they won the first two games very strong, similar to us at tracking and back-pressuring numbers in the of the final against the Edmonton Oilers at home, but the series went the slot in front of the net. So we didn’t have a lot of second chances where full seven games with Carolina winning the final game 3-1. maybe that’s where we got to get a little harder and bear down on our chances and second chances to try and get those rebound goals.” “I think for one, this series is still a long way from being over,” Staal said. “Clearly, I remember that being on the other side. Obviously, you feel Richardson added that the Canadiens know what it’s like to be down in a good with a 2-0 lead, but it’s the race to four wins and for us Game 3 is a playoff series after trailing the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in the first round massive game and everybody knows that — we know that. But we feel and losing Game 1 of their semifinal series against the Vegas Golden like if we come with the same type of game and attitude we brought last Knights. night we’ll be able to be on the right side of it and get some bounces, some looks. We got to get to four (wins), so we’ll start with the next one. “I think we can pull some strength back from those difficult times, whether Back in ’06 I got all the way to Game 7 and anybody knows anything can it be there (against Toronto) or our first game in Vegas that we can kind happen in Game 7. But for us right now the focus is on Game 3 and of compare and we’re going home,” Richardson said. “I know we’ve been playing the type of game … I thought last night we probably deserved a a really good road team, but we’ve played some really good hockey at better fate, but right now that’s not what matters. It’s about getting the home as well, especially to close out a couple of series. It’s nothing new wins and we’ll start with Game 3.” for us. I think we’ve played better from Game 1 to Game 2 (against the Lightning) and we’ve been striving to do that right from Day 1 in the Staal is one of six players Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin added to the playoffs is to get better each game and each period. I think that you’re roster this season who have Stanley Cup rings, along with Jake Allen (St. seeing that again this series and we’re going to continue to see that in Louis, 2019), Joel Edmundson (St. Louis, 2019), Tyler Toffoli (Los Game 3. I think there’s a determination. I think we can pull some Angeles, 2014), Corey Perry (Anaheim, 2007) and Michael Frolik confidence from being down in series before and being confident in our (Chicago, 2013). style of play and just be a little bit more determined to finish.”

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Canadiens looking forward to return of Dominique Ducharme for Game 3

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021

The Canadiens expect to have interim head coach Dominique Ducharme back behind the bench for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final Friday at the Bell Centre (8 p.m., CBC, SN, NBC, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

“I think as far as I know he’ll be back in the building first thing tomorrow with the team (at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard) and ready to go just like he was right before he left,” assistant coach Luke Richardson said during a Zoom conference Thursday morning from Tampa before the Canadiens flew back to Montreal.

The Canadiens are down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series after losing Game 2 by a 3-1 score Wednesday night in Tampa. Ducharme has been in quarantine at his home in Montreal for the last two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19 before Game 3 of the semifinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Richardson has been filling the head-coaching duties behind the bench since then and the Canadiens have a 3-3 record without Ducharme.

“I think it will be huge,” veteran centre Eric Staal said about getting Ducharme back behind the bench. “I know it’s got to be killing Dom for the last two weeks just missing our group and missing the daily activities of what we do and preparing. He’s no different than us as players and I’m sure the rest of the staff … you dream and you work your whole life to be in a Stanley Cup final. For him to miss the first two (games) it’s been tough, but I know he’s been with us through the Zoom and all the pre- scout stuff and doing meetings that way. But to be with us in person will be huge for us. Now we’re looking forward to it.”

When asked what makes Ducharme a good coach, Staal said: “I think the way that our team sets up and the way Dom controls the lines and puts people in different positions and it helps. Obviously, Luke did a tremendous job with that as well. But Dom talks a lot between periods about in-game adjustments and things that will help us be successful the next period going out. Sometimes from afar it’s a little bit more difficult, so he’ll be hands-on with us and that’s good for us. So looking forward to having him back and give us a boost. Play hard and be ready to go in Game 3.”

Richardson has kept in close contact with Ducharme since the head coach tested positive for COVID-19.

“Dom’s a straight-to-the-point guy and I’m not a real talkative guy on the phone so we get to the point, we get what we need done and a few texts here and there and just kind of more planning the day, planning the routine,” Richardson said. “We’re kind of on a roll at this time of the year. So I think Dom trusts that I’m running things the way that he likes and we keep in contact to make sure the plan is in order with what he would like as well. There’s no real specific time period of the day we speak or how many times. I think it’s been on a need-to-be basis and in between periods real quick and short and that’s kind of normal the way we talk and discuss things between periods because things go fast.

“One more guy on the bench is going to be definitely helpful,” Richardson added. “Especially Dom, he’s an intelligent coach and done really well with this team. A fresh view and voice back there to add to what he’s seen us do in the first two games is going to be a plus for us and just even more excitement going back home. So we’re looking forward to it.”

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Canadiens fans can watch Stanley Cup final at Quartier des Spectacles, Olympic Stadium esplanade

Staff Report

Montreal Gazette

Publishing date:Jul 01, 2021

Canadiens fans will be able to watch the Stanley Cup final outdoors, and for free, beginning Friday, at the Quartier des Spectacles and Olympic Park, authorities announced Thursday.

The city of Montreal said the decision to let up to 3,500 people watch the Canadiens’ games against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Quartier des Spectacles is based on changes to health measures made by the provincial government.

Olympic Park authorities announced a viewing party would be held on the esplanade outside the stadium, for up to 3,500 people. Reservations are required, and opened as of 5 p.m. Thursday at parcolympique.qc.ca.

During recent playoff games, especially the one that eliminated the Vegas Golden Knights last week, thousands of people have gathered outside the Bell Centre without practising any form of social distancing.

“For several days now, we have been working hard to find solutions to offer Montrealers places to meet, while respecting the health measures in force, to let people watch the Montreal Canadiens games for free. It is therefore a great pleasure for us that the government of Quebec and public health announced new modalities surrounding the gatherings,” Mayor Valérie Plante stated in the release. “We would like to thank them for (the changes).

“From this Friday, Montrealers will have the possibility to encourage their favourite hockey team, the pride of our metropolis, in its quest for (a) 25th Stanley Cup.”

Meanwhile in Quebec City, the Videotron Centre announced Wednesday it would host its own viewing party for the Canadiens for Games 3 and 4, after having received permission to do so from the National Hockey League. Tickets are $11 through gestev.com, taxes and fees included, and all profits will be given to the Fonds d’étude des Remparts de Québec, the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation, and the Pignon Bleu charity. Alcohol and snacks will be sold at the venue.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216766 Montreal Canadiens It was a tough soirée but Les Boys will be back. They’ll get back to the magic that brought them here, the strange mix of young kids with adolescent energy and old men with the wisdom of many a Cup run. As usual, Corey Perry, the heart and soul of this team, had the right words What the Puck: Habs fans need to keep the faith after Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss.

“The message is, don’t stop doing what we’ve been doing all playoffs,” Perry said. “You look at what happened in the first round, we were down Brendan Kelly • Montreal Gazette 3-1. We stayed focused, stayed with our game plan, never changed, Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021 never did anything and continued to push. It’s no different now.”

Amen. He’s going to have a huge game Friday. So are Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. And Price will jump into the phone booth and, like Clark Believe. Kent, make the transformation from mortal to superhero, from Bad Carey to Saint Superman Carey. And their leader, Dominique Ducharme, the This is not the time for a lack of faith. Slap on an old Bruce Springsteen chap as responsible as anyone for getting them here, will be back behind record. the bench. “Show a little faith/there’s magic in the night.” Believe. There’s going to be magic in the night Friday. You read it here first. There will still only be 3,500 fans in the stands at the Bell Centre and that’s all right. It was the right decision for Quebec public health to make. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 The government shouldn’t make an exception so a billion-dollar corporation can make more money. The same rules should apply for everybody coming out of one of the worst periods for our society. It’s not the time for favours to wealthy companies. End of editorial.

There will be thousands of people outside the Bell Centre. There will be hundreds of thousands – heck, millions — right across the province cheering on le bleu blanc rouge. And you know what? It may be two-zip for Tampa Bay but we have this thing.

“We’re very conscious — we have a number of Quebecers in our organization. We know we have 8 million opponents that we will need to beat if we want to win the Stanley Cup,” said Tampa general manager Julien BriseBois on Sunday.

Get ready buddy, because 8 million Quebecers are ready for battle come Friday, not to mention the millions of Habs fans across this country.

My son Keane texted me right after the game and nailed it, as usual: “Completely outplayed them. Game 3 is ours.”

Yes it is. Believe. Look, no one said it would be easy. But I’m a lot less down after Game 2 than I was after Game 1. The first game was anything but the Canadiens’ finest hour. They didn’t believe. They looked like they knew from the opening whistle they were going to lose to the defending Stanley Cup champs.

Wednesday was something else all together. Montreal was the better team, period. They threw 43 pucks at Tampa netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy and pretty well dominated the entire 60 minutes. And they lost.

That’s why we love sports. You don’t know how it’ll turn out and it ain’t always fair, just like life ain’t always fair.

Carey Price will have to get his head back in the game Friday. The only reason Montreal is in this final is the play of Saint Carey, but he had a really bad night Wednesday. That first goal from Anthony Cirelli was a complete joke. There were a bunch of people between Cirelli and Price, but that does happen in hockey.

Same with the Ondrej Palat goal that broke the Habs’ back and made it 3-1. Joel Edmundson made a completely boneheaded blind pass behind Price’s net, Palat picked it up and when he moved it in front of the net, Price was staring in the other direction. It was a flash of the Bad Carey we had seen in the past couple of seasons but almost never in this improbable Cup run.

Vasilevskiy is beatable. Just stop shooting the puck at his crest.

You want to blame someone else for the loss? How about Josh Anderson? He barrels to the net but he doesn’t score. This dude was picked up to put the puck in the net and he hasn’t done that even once since Game 3 against Vegas, when he tied it up late in the game thanks to Marc-André Fleury, then iced the victory in OT. Since then, not a goal.

Anderson has three goals and one assist in 19 playoff games this year. That’s unacceptable. Friday might be a good night for Anderson to get his scoring mojo back. 1216767 Montreal Canadiens Somehow, Coleman gets enough on the puck to slide it beyond Price with 0.3 seconds left on the clock.

Not even enough time to curse. Todd: The Canadiens went at the Lightning like a pack of wolves The NHL’s website immediately anoints Coleman’s scrambly jab at the puck a goal for the ages, which it was not. The Canadiens deflate like a trial balloon sent up by a bumbling politician. What was there one instant Jack Todd • Special to Montreal Gazette is gone the next, for no obvious reason except that the sport is unfair. Spectacularly so. Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021 The Twitter mob wanted Danault’s head on a platter. Never mind that the

Canadiens would not have gotten past Toronto without him. Sometimes you catch the breaks — and other times, the breaks catch It was only one goal. Perhaps it shouldn’t have mattered that much, you. except for the enormous obstacle of Vasilevskiy, who has flat outplayed There’s nothing else useful that can be said. Carey Price through the first two games.

The Canadiens were the better team in Tampa Wednesday night. Better Still, it was conceivable the Canadiens might have tied it late and won it by the length of Zdeno Chara’s stick. They took this game over in the in overtime. second period and owned it. After Nick Suzuki beat the allegedly But then Joel Edmundson, another rock for Montreal, tried a backhand unbeatable Andrei Vasilevskiy 10 minutes into the period, the Lightning reverse pass to Jeff Petry from behind his own net. Tampa’s Ondrej Palat were badly shaken and the Canadiens were all over them. got there ahead of Petry and his wraparound goal beat Price and there With Hockey Night in Canada pushing the narrative that Tampa is a team was no explanation for it at all except that Zeus the Hockey God was for the ages and the Canadiens a bunch of lucky scrubs dumped here by hurling thunderbolts at the Habs and it was all so very, very unfair. a series of fortuitous accidents, the Canadiens, led by Joel Armia and The mob wants Edmundson and Price sent into exile with Danault on a Jesperi Kotkaniemi and a dozen others, went at the Lightning like a pack rocky island off the coast of Newfoundland, but it isn’t over. The next two of wolves. games are in Montreal on Friday and Monday. It’s not inconceivable that And it would have worked. It should have worked. the Canadiens could win both, square the series, take a game in Tampa and survive to hold the parade along the usual route. But there is no Law of the Sports Realm that declares the better team must always prevail. Over a period of time, yes. Play like the Canadiens But it’s also conceivable that this series ended with three-10ths of a played in the second period over a seven-game series and you’re going second to play in the second period of the second game on the last day to win 80 per cent of the time. of June — for no reason at all.

Hockey, more than most sports, is a game of bounces. In the NBA, the relentless parade of highlight-reel shots means that the better team is Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 going to grind you down because they have more guys named LeBron who will score and score and score until you have nothing left in the tank.

But in hockey, where four or five goals in a game is pretty much the norm, a single bounce, a single play, and everything that has happened before is rendered meaningless.

You know what play I’m talking about.

It’s late in the second period. The Canadiens have successfully killed another penalty despite a couple of wild scrambles in front.

The clock is winding down. They’re about to go to the room with the game tied, 1-1, having proved to the hockey world that they belong on this stage, that they can face mighty Tampa and throw their bolts right back in their face. It’s going to be one pumped-up group in the room, ready to tear back out there and dismantle these Florida upstarts once and for all.

Then it happens.

The puck is on the stick of Phillip Danault. That Phillip Danault. The one who in the first round reduced Toronto’s smirking Auston Matthews to a moustache and a blue puddle of goo. Who shut down the best Winnipeg and Las Vegas threw at him.

Steady Phil. Phil who doesn’t make mistakes.

Except this time, this time, instead of chipping the puck in deep and letting the final seconds tick off the clock, Danault tries a soft pass up the middle.

And Ryan McDonagh has it. McDonagh, who was a gift to the New York Rangers from Bob Gainey. McDonagh, who was swapped for Scott Gomez, who may have been the laziest player in the history of lazy players.

That McDonagh.

Still, there isn’t time for anything bad to happen, right? But McDonagh gets the puck to Barclay Goodrow and from Goodrow it’s sliding harmlessly past Carey Price and then there’s Blake Coleman — the Blake Coleman, the most fabulous hockey player ever born in Plano, Tex. — and Coleman hurls himself after the puck with Danault draped all over him and …

You know the rest. 1216768 Montreal Canadiens at home. On Wednesday evening, it was also announced that only 3,500 fans will be allowed at the Bell Centre for those games.

The trolls emerged from their hiding places to feast on a second Habs About Last Night: Andrei Vasilevskiy keeps Canadiens' shooters at bay loss in the Liveblog comment section, their “contributions” omitted here, but Montreal did outshoot the Bolts 43-23 in the losing performance. Yogi would tell you it ain’t over till it’s over.

Erik Leijon • Special to Montreal Gazette 3. “They played a pretty good game, but not good enough unfortunately. Tampa is a little too polished for them. They know how to win all kinds of Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021 games and situations. It’s going to take a lot more than “playing well” to beat this team. In the end, it is still 2 goals for in 2 games. This is when you see the Habs are missing some talent to pull through. I can see them As Carey Price has done so often in these playoffs, Tampa Bay Lightning winning the next game, but never 4 out the next 5. It’s sad, who knows netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy responded in kind, backstopping his team next time they will get the chance.” -James Toth to a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 on Wednesday night with a 42-save performance. The Lightning now have a 2-0 series 2. “Tampa also has a players advantage with the whole Kucherov vs the lead in the Stanley Cup final over the Habs. cap scenario. I don’t know why so many stations are pointing out that its ok because Tampa didn’t break the rules. No on is saying they broke the Both teams made minor lineup adjustments from Game 1. Joel Armia rules, but doesn’t mean it’s not a MASSIVE advantage to basically have rejoined the Habs in place of Jake Evans, while West Islander Alex a team that adds a Kucherov to their lineup for the playoffs and doesn’t Killorn was replaced by Laval’s Mathieu Joseph for Tampa. need to move anyone else cap wise. Yes, it’s in the rules. But yes, the rules should also change. Next year with flat cap, Tampa will have to The first period opened with a timely poke check by Vasilevskiy, which shed salary before icing a team. That means almost $10 million has to be thwarted a backhander from an oncoming Nick Suzuki. moved. They will lose some valuable depth and be hard pressed to At the other end, Brendan Gallagher continued to sacrifice himself for the compete again as a result. They are playing with a stacked deck, even cause, down on all fours after blocking a shot and swatting the puck out though it’s within the rules. It’s ok to be both. Clearly it’s a flaw in the of the zone. system and I expect the NHL to correct it.” -Justin Miller

There were a fair number of penalties in the first period. The Canadiens 1. “Vasilevskiy did steal that game for them. He is the best goalie in the had two in the opening 10 minutes, successfully killing them both. But league right now. But there are still at least four more games to go…. (He after Erik Cernak and Paul Byron took matching minors and Ryan said hopefully).” -Joseph Barrie McDonagh took a high-sticking double minor on Phillip Danault five {"_id":"","type":"raw_html","shortcode_tag":"related_links","shortcode":"[re seconds later, the Canadiens found themselves with almost two minutes lated_links \/]","content":" of 4-on-3 time, followed by two minutes at 5-on-4. They failed to score on the extended man-advantage, and putting two defencemen out for a spell on the 4-on-3 didn’t help matters. The period ended goalless. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 The Lightning opened scoring at 6:40 of the second period. Tyler Johnson emerged from down low and found Anthony Cirelli at the point. Cirelli’s shot through traffic squirted past a surprised Price to make it 1-0.

The Habs returned to the power play when Mikhail Sergachev pushed Artturi Lehkonen into the boards instead of playing the puck. This time, the power play wasn’t stymied. After getting thrown out of the faceoff dot, Nick Suzuki from the point shovelled a backhand on net that tarnished Vasilevskiy’s otherwise flawless evening and tied the game 1-1. Lehkonen left for the dressing room, but would return.

The Canadiens peppered Tampa Bay’s net with 16 shots in the second period, and led 29-13 in the game after 40 minutes. But with less than a second remaining in the period, the Lightning took the lead once again. After the Habs failed to get the puck deep, Barclay Goodrow re-entered the zone, zipping by Ben Chiarot as he went for the puck. Goodrow fed a diving Blake Coleman in front, who got just enough of the puck before time expired to beat Price and give the Lightning a 2-1 advantage heading into the dressing room.

Pending unrestricted free agents Goodrow and Coleman nearly teamed up for another goal to start the third, but Shea Weber’s backchecking stopped Goodrow, and Price was there to make the glove save on the second attempt by Coleman.

The Canadiens continued to outshoot Tampa Bay, firing another 14 shots on Vasilevskiy in the third, but they couldn’t solve the 2021 Vézina Trophy nominee. Nikita Kucherov was kept off the scoreboard after a three-point performance in Game 1, but he contributed in other ways:

With time winding down and the Habs down a goal, the otherwise steady Joel Edmundson committed a rare mistake behind his net, placing a back pass intended for Jeff Petry off the boards and directly on the stick of Ondrej Palat. The Lightning forward took advantage, shooting the puck in the open net to give his team a two-goal lead with less than five minutes on the clock.

The game ended 3-1, but not without some more fireworks to fuel Game 3. Danault landed a big hit on Sergachev along with boards in the closing seconds, causing a stir. They jostled, as did Corey Perry and Victor Hedman.

The series now swings to the Bell Centre for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Monday, respectively. Vasilevskiy has won 10 straight games against Montreal, and it’s a streak the Habs will need to find a way to end 1216769 Montreal Canadiens

West Island dentist dies after tragic bicycle accident in Beaconsfield

John Meagher • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 01, 2021

Dr. Jay McMullan, a well-known West Island dentist and former McGill University hockey player, died in a Montreal hospital Sunday, four days after suffering a traumatic brain injury from an accidental fall from his bicycle. He was 61.

The tragic accident occurred on Lakeshore Rd., a few kilometres from his home in Beaconsfield, according to a statement from the McGill Athletics Dept. McMullan was wearing a bike helmet.

McMullan, born on July 4, 1959, spent most of his life in the West Island. He was raised in Pointe-Claire and attended Loyola High School before heading off to play hockey in the Maritimes.

After playing for St. Francis Xavier University, where he earned an undergraduate degree, McMullan transferred to McGill. He played defence for McGill in 1981-82 and 1983-84, while completing his degree in dentistry. His defence partner his final season at McGill was Mike Babcock, the former head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

His father, the late Dr. John Francis (“Jack”) McMullan (DDS ’57), also played for McGill and practised dentistry for 50 years. He passed away in 2016 at age 84.

His son, or “Dr. Jay” as he was often referred to by friends and patients, followed in his father’s footsteps. Jay also served as McGill’s team dentist.

“Both were pillars of the community and took great pride in carrying out their responsibilities with compassion and integrity,” said Earl Zukerman of the McGill Athletics Department.

“Jay was one of the nicest people I ever met,” he said. “Over his 37 years as a dentist, he was described by patients as a consummate professional, deeply compassionate, genuinely kind and caring.”

McMullan was also a leader in his field. A past-president of the Canadian Academy of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics, he was currently serving as a committee chair in that national organization.

McMullan is predeceased by his parents, Jack and Maureen. He is survived by his wife Heather, son Patrick, daughters Andrea and Laura, his sister Kelly, as well as a large extended family.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216770 Montreal Canadiens Had the series remained in Tampa, it might be time to switch up things. But with the venue shifting to Montreal, maintaining the status quo makes some sense. Back behind the bench, Ducharme will have the last change and can have Danault’s line face Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Canadiens Stanley Cup notebook: Ducharme’s unique return, the Ondrej Palat in the hopes of containing them. matchup game, Price’s legacy and how momentum swings It would put the Canadiens in a better position to spread out their strengths, but even if they can limit the damage from the Point line – which Nick Suzuki’s line did quite well Wednesday, it should be noted — By Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin they would not be out of the woods yet. Jul 2, 2021 Because it is the Lightning’s third line, the Identity Line of Gourde, Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman, that set the tone in the first two games, taking a cue from the New York Islanders, whom the Lightning In theory, if Dominique Ducharme had accomplished what he has always eliminated for a second consecutive year. That line has been great since set out to do, his return behind the bench after a mandatory two-week the start of the playoffs and is playing like a third line you often see on quarantine should have no impact on how the Canadiens play. championship teams.

That’s because Ducharme has always said that his primary goal in So who faces it? establishing the way the Canadiens play is that everything they do becomes second nature. This is why he liked to tell his players it was Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the first game that having Gourde time to shine their shoes for the big dance. To him, that saying means face Danault was a way of fighting fire with fire. But to the Canadiens, that by the time you get to the big dance, you should be able to do all the fighting fire with fire would be to have Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s line out there steps with your eyes closed. Therefore, you should shine your shoes against Gourde. It’s the type of matchup Josh Anderson would seem to because there will be no chance they’ll be scuffed. relish, one in which he could make an impact with his physical game. It would be two heavy lines fighting to establish their team’s forecheck. Just before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, this was how Ducharme described the way the Canadiens were playing. That would leave Suzuki’s line against that of Anthony Cirelli, the Lightning’s best defensive forward. Cooper probably wouldn’t mind that “I think right now I feel that our guys are not thinking; they’re just matchup, either, especially since Tyler Johnson, who is filling in on that executing, they’re just playing,” he said. “That’s what we wanted to line, is a better defensive player than the injured Alex Killorn. create, just things to become automatic and just become second nature, and I really enjoy watching it and seeing the group playing that way Having Cirelli face Kotkaniemi, as was the case in both games in Tampa, together.” might not be the worst idea, either, since neither Johnson nor Steven Stamkos is adept at winning one-on-one board battles. Kotkaniemi’s line Of course, theory is one thing. Practice can be quite another. Having had the offensive upper hand on Cirelli’s line Wednesday; Cirelli’s goal Ducharme back on the ice Friday for the morning skate, and just back in came against the Eric Staal line. the practice facility before that, is sure to give the Canadiens a certain lift. What a terrible time for this to happen to Ducharme, on the cusp of If Ducharme opted for Door No. 2, or having Suzuki, Tyler Toffoli and realizing a lifelong dream to compete for the Cup, and the players surely Cole Caufield face the physical Gourde line, it will only work if the have felt an added desire to ensure they were still playing by the time he forwards and defencemen work in concert to break the forecheck and get exited quarantine. out cleanly and quickly.

They have now done that, but perhaps Ducharme’s arrival could provide There are no easy answers here. So no matter what Ducharme decides a unique boost. How many times has something like this ever happened? to go with, he should have a Plan B ready in his jacket pocket. Who really knows what kind of impact it will have? Carey Price was not in a great mood after the game Wednesday. He “I think it will be huge,” Eric Staal said Thursday. “I know it’s got to be surely regretted giving up the winning goal to Blake Coleman in the final killing Dom for the last two weeks, just missing our group and missing the second of the second period, being unable to erase the mistakes made daily activities of what we do and preparing. He’s no different than us as by teammates Danault and Ben Chiarot. Price did not play badly in Game players and I’m sure the rest of the staff; you dream and you work your 2; he didn’t show much weakness at all. whole life to be in a Stanley Cup Final. For him to miss the first two But the only measure by which Price can make a difference right now is (games), it’s been tough, but I know he’s been with us through the Zoom to be better than Andrei Vasilevskiy at the other end of the ice, and that and all the pre-scout stuff and doing meetings that way. was not the case. “But to be with us in person will be huge for us. Now we’re looking We often make a big deal about goalie matchups before a series forward to it.” because it makes for a nice narrative, though most often a simplistic one. Delivering a message to players live and in person just before a game is Mano-a-mano showdowns in hockey are rare because no one person one of the more impactful things a coach can do within the game ever plays against one other person. There was no head-to-head environment. By the time a coach reaches game time, a lot of the work is showdown between Suzuki and Max Pacioretty in the last round, for done. The line combinations are made, the game plan has been devised example. We can understand where these narratives originate, and why, and delivered to the team, the video work has been done, adjustments but on the ice, they are almost never rooted in reality. have been discussed with individual players and the group. Yes, a coach When presented with the notion that facing the Canadiens meant a duel controls the bench, but more often than not – especially given the way between him and Price, Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-André Fleury the Canadiens play – it is a matter of rolling out lines one after another. quite rightly responded that his duel is with the Canadiens shooters and Before Game 3, the message Ducharme will deliver to his team has the not the goalie standing 200 feet away. potential to be special. Few, if any, coaches in the history of the NHL All of that is true, but there is still a certain something that’s different have been in the position Ducharme is in, returning in the middle of a about the “showdown” in goal in this series. Maybe it’s the fact that for Stanley Cup Final. If there is one pre-game speech Ducharme needs to the first time since it began in 2017-18, the NHLPA’s annual player poll pour everything he has into, it would be this one, on the cusp of a must- did not name Price as the top goalie in the league. Rather, it was win game. Vasilevskiy by an overwhelming majority. It probably doesn’t mean all And it might not be a bad idea to shine his shoes before he leaves for the that much, but if we are witnessing a sort of battle at the summit here, rink. there is an understanding that Price will need to be at least as good as Vasilevskiy for the Canadiens to win the Cup. Brendan Gallagher was right when he said Wednesday morning that it would be fair to expect more offence from his line if it was facing Yanni The two goalies arrived in the Final with nearly identical numbers and on Gourde’s line. Generally speaking, that remained the primary matchup in a similar path, having shut the door every time their team needed them Game 2. For Phillip Danault, Artturi Lehkonen and Gallagher, it was their but not needing to perform miracles for their team to win. Price made the chance to contribute offensively without a necessarily big defensive difference against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he’s carried much less of responsibility. Let’s not sugarcoat it: They wasted it. a burden since then. Where the two goalies differ, however, is their margin for error. Kotkaniemi didn’t do a whole lot with the advantageous situation, though Vasilevskiy can give up a bad goal knowing the Lightning attack can it was a nice shot block by Johnson, but now the Canadiens are in the compensate for it. Price doesn’t have the same knowledge. He lives Lightning zone, and the Lightning are scrambling a bit. under the same reality as his teammates, that the slightest mental slip-up can cost the Canadiens the game. Against a team like the Lightning, The next important aspect of this sequence came as a result of a smooth Price falls back into the same dynamic he has experienced most of his change while maintaining possession in the offensive zone, something career, that if he is not perfect or close to it, the Canadiens won’t win. helped by the fact the Canadiens bench is near the offensive blue line in How many times have we seen that being very good simply wasn’t good the second period. enough? And how many other times have we seen, as we did in Game 1, Armia and Staal managed to seamlessly join the attack, but what’s situations in which everyone says that game would have been a worse important to note on the sequence is another aspect of the Canadiens’ blowout if not for Price? game they absolutely must repeat consistently in Game 3. Look at the It’s a difficult role to play, one that must be consuming Price’s competitive net-front presence Armia and Anderson are providing on that shift, but spirit right now. more importantly, look at the space that creates for the Canadiens on the perimeter. But allow us, for a moment, to discuss another element that has nothing to do with Vasilevskiy but that suggests Price has more on the line in this On the following shift, Mikhail Sergachev took an interference penalty on Final. It’s most definitely not something he is thinking about, but it’s still Lehkonen. On the shift after that, Suzuki opened the scoring for the something worth considering. Canadiens.

Price has reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time at age 33. Who It is worth noting all that happened with Hedman on the ice. It was a long, knows if he’ll ever get another shot? If he were to win it — whether he difficult shift for him, and it’s something the Canadiens will need to force stole it or not, history will not remember — his legacy in Canadiens him to do with more regularity, as they did not much later in the second history would go to another level. period. In fact, this was two shifts later.

Price has played and won the most games in franchise history. He’s won It is not difficult to see how that power play and ultimately the goal came major individual NHL awards, was invited to six All-Star Games, won a as a result of the momentum created by those two shifts, momentum gold medal at the Olympics and a World Cup of Hockey. His place in the created by sticking to a few basic principles that have gotten the Hockey Hall of Fame should leave little doubt at this point since he, along Canadiens to the Stanley Cup Final. Principles they will need to stick to with Henrik Lundqvist, was the NHL’s most dominant goalie from 2010 to more consistently in Game 3. 2017.

But to penetrate the elite in Canadiens history, for his No. 31 to one day The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 hang from the ceiling as other goalies raise their heads during the national anthems, he will probably need to win the Stanley Cup.

Again, this is surely in no way motivating him right now. But in a few years, we could look back at the 2021 Stanley Cup Final as the moment his status as a legend was sealed.

But Price is not the only one in control of that. His whole team is operating with the same tiny margin for error in this series.

The Canadiens had just allowed the opening goal of the game, a backbreaker after they failed to capitalize on a four-on-three power play and almost another full power play at the start of the second period. They were outshooting the Lightning and looked to be in control of the game, but a seeing-eye shot from Cirelli through a sea of legs made its way past Price.

Not long after that, Kotkaniemi’s line with Paul Byron and Josh Anderson came on the ice and had a shift. Then Staal’s line with Corey Perry and Joel Armia had another. Both of them were effective in ways the Canadiens can repeat in Game 3 by following some simple steps, steps Ducharme likes to emphasize to his players regularly.

The Canadiens largely dominated the rest of the second period from the time that Kotkaniemi shift began, and it was in large part because of the momentum these two shifts created. So let’s see how they were created.

It all begins with Cirelli dumping a puck behind the Canadiens defence, but Joel Edmundson beats him to the puck and essentially neutralizes Cirelli on the play. What’s important to watch for afterward is Byron swooping in behind the two of them to get to the loose puck and tap it over to Jeff Petry. We’ll pick up the rest after the clip.

What Byron did there is provide support, a basic tenet of everything Ducharme wants the Canadiens to do. Next, after Petry’s initial exit attempt failed, he recognized that the reason it failed was that Victor Hedman had pinched down, so Petry made sure to get his next attempt past Hedman. This is important because the impact of getting that puck past Hedman is that the Canadiens’ blue line is now clear of any obstacle, as is the neutral zone, because now it is Tyler Johnson in Hedman’s place on defence, and he’s not about to challenge the puck carrier at the Lightning blue line.

So the effect of getting that puck past Hedman is essentially an easy, controlled zone exit and an easy, controlled zone entry. The Lightning defence does this a lot, so if the Canadiens can find a way to exploit it in this way, they will be in good shape. 1216771 Nashville Predators

Why did the Nashville Predators trade Viktor Arvidsson to the Los Angeles Kings?

PAUL SKRBINA , NICK GRAY | Nashville Tennessean

Perhaps Viktor Arvidsson's first nudge out of Nashville occurred Nov. 23, 2019, in St. Louis.

Robert Bortuzzo's double-crosscheck of the then-Predators forward was more like a "dirty" shove, one that cost Arvidsson four weeks of his season.

On Thursday, the oft-injured Arvidsson was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a second-round pick in this year's NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2022 draft, marking the beginning of the Predators' 2021 offseason with a big move.

“There’s no question that he’s had a couple of injuries in the past couple of years that have really hurt him,” Predators general manager David Poile said after last season. “I think of the one Bortuzzo in St. Louis which was just a terrible cross-check. I think that really took him out of a lot of effectiveness.”

Arvidsson, a 28-year-old Swedish forward, was selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He had 127 goals in seven seasons for the Predators, which ranks sixth in franchise history. His 34 goals in the 2018-19 season set a franchise single-season record.

Since that season, his goal totals have slumped to 15 (in 57 games in 2019-20) and 10 (in 50 games in 2020-21). He has missed 42 games during the last three regular seasons. He did not play in the team's final four postseason games this year, after missing the final five during the regular season.

“We want to thank Viktor for all he did to propel our organization forward during his time with the Predators,” Poile said in a statement. “His work ethic, tenacity and goal-scoring ability – as shown by his franchise single- season record of 34 goals during the 2018-19 season – made him a key part of our teams that reached the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, won the 2018 Presidents’ Trophy and earned back-to-back Central Division titles. We wish him and his family all the best moving forward in Los Angeles.”

The move also has some financial advantages for the Predators, who freed up $4.25 million in cap space for the next three years. After the trade, the Predators had nearly $23 million in cap space for next season.

That could be crucial considering the team could use some off that money to sign players such as Mattias Ekholm and/or Filip Forsberg, who will be unrestricted free agents after next season.

With the expansion draft coming up July 21, Arvidsson's departure also frees up another player the team can protect. It also gives them some leeway to potentially sign Pekka Rinne, who said he is taking his time deciding whether to retire.

The trade also gives the Predators eight selections in this summer's draft, scheduled for July 23-24, and seven selections in the 2022 draft.

Finally, the trade signifies Poile's willingness to break up part of the team's core, though it was not met with approval from everyone. One of Arvidsson's linemates, Ryan Johansen, took to Instagram on Thursday to express his thoughts.

"Well this turned into an awful day pretty quick," Johansen posted. "Not really sure what else to say ... but Arv I love you like a brother and I know one things ... the staples center will be chanting arvy a whole lot."

Matt Duchene posted a photo on Instagram showing his family and the Arvidsssons on a recent vacation to Florida and called Thursday a "tough day" and said he's "gonna miss you like hell."

Tennessean LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216772 Nashville Predators Viktor Arvidsson was not protected, he would have been taken by Seattle, so that’s who we would have lost. We now have (extra second- and third-round picks). That’s pretty good compensation for Viktor that hopefully we can turn into some good players pretty soon in the draft.” Why the Predators traded Viktor Arvidsson: Kraken considerations, cap space and a long-overdue core makeover The Predators, who began incorporating younger players into their lineup this season, have eight picks in the entry draft later this month, including No. 18 in the first round. The second-round pick acquired from the Kings will be near the top of that round. By Adam Vingan

Jul 1, 2021 The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021

You would have been hard-pressed to find observers of the Predators who did not believe that the team was in need of a shake-up, starting with the stale core group.

General manager David Poile began the process of deconstructing that core Thursday when he traded forward Viktor Arvidsson to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2021 second-round draft pick and 2022 third-round pick.

“This is a tough one today,” Poile said on 102.5 FM after the team announced the deal. “(Arvidsson) was such a good player for us for so many years. … From my standpoint, where we were a few years ago and where we are today is not exactly the same place. I was really happy with our second half of the season, but yet we weren’t good enough to beat a team like Carolina, so I think that we have to have some growth in our team and I think we need to go in a little bit different direction. I’m not saying that we’re going to make a whole bunch of changes, but I think it’s time to make some changes.”

Poile was not made available to The Athletic.

Arvidsson, 28, has been in decline, and there was uncertainty within the organization whether he would rediscover his high-scoring ways. After scoring a franchise-record 34 goals in 58 games during the 2018-19 season, Arvidsson had 25 goals in 107 games over the past two shortened seasons.

Injuries were the primary culprit. Arvidsson was hardly the same after suffering a knee injury at the hands of St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo in November 2019.

The speed that propelled Arvidsson onto the Predators’ top line with Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen diminished. That was reflected in his goal and scoring-chance totals off the rush.

“Viktor’s year this year was OK,” Poile said. “He had a pretty strong first half, maybe not as good of a second half. The playoffs didn’t go our way or his way. He didn’t play in all the games, and he wasn’t 100 percent healthy. At our end-of-the-year meeting, he was not happy with where he was at. I think it’s fair to say we weren’t happy. In my conversation with him today, I think we both acknowledged that. I believe Viktor is very appreciative and thankful for everything that happened here in Nashville, and I think he needs a fresh start. … I think he’s OK with this. He needed something different.

“It just felt in talking to him, and I think he would acknowledge this, that he just didn’t think it was going to work here anymore for a variety of reasons.”

The trade of Arvidsson accomplishes multiple things. It frees $4.25 million in salary-cap space, which Arvidsson would have taken up until 2024, and a spot in the top six next season that could go to top prospect Philip Tomasino or a potential addition via trade or free agency.

The Predators now have close to $23 million in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly. They have several key restricted and unrestricted free agents, including Dante Fabbro, Mikael Granlund, Juuse Saros and Eeli Tolvanen. Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm, whose contracts expire next summer, are also eligible to re-sign starting July 28, when the new league year begins.

Arvidsson’s departure also simplifies the Predators’ approach to the upcoming Seattle Kraken expansion draft. Protection lists are due July 17.

Poile said expansion was a “huge factor” in the trade.

“I’ve had a couple of conversations with (the Kraken),” Poile said. “Ideally, if we could strike a deal so (I have more) certainty as to who we would lose, I would probably do that. In my conversations with Seattle, if 1216773 Nashville Predators

Arvidsson trade could signal the end of ‘loyal Poile’

MICHAEL GALLAGHER

JUL 1, 2021

Nashville Predators General Manager David Poile has taken a lot of heat over the years for the unfailing loyalty he’s shown his players in keeping their core together and trying to replicate the team’s Stanley Cup Final run of 2017.

However, Thursday morning’s trade of Viktor Arvidsson to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2021 second-round pick and a 2022 third-round pick could signal the beginning of a new era. Each offseason, Predators fans had to sit and bear it when Poile gave his players the benefit of the doubt as they said they wanted to keep the team intact and run it back. But in the four years since 2017, the light bulb may have finally gone off in Poile’s mind that the current core isn’t working.

During his end-of-season media interview, Poile struggled to find any semblance of an explanation for why Nashville’s top players weren’t producing as expected over the last two years. He did make it clear, however, that underachieving would no longer be tolerated.

“From my standpoint, where we were a few years ago and where we are today is not exactly the same place,” Poile said Thursday during a radio interview on 102.5-FM. “I think we need to go in a little bit different direction. I’m not saying I’m going to make a whole bunch of changes but it’s time to make some changes.”

Arvidsson’s $4.25 million salary by no means handcuffed the team financially like Ryan Johansen or Matt Duchene’s $8 million contracts do. But freeing up a sizable chunk of cap space gives the Predators some flexibility following the expansion draft to improve an offense thirsting for a difference maker.

Although he’s just 28, Arvidsson had appeared to wear out his welcome with the Predators’ front office. He missed 42 games over the last three seasons, and he never quite seemed to be the players he once was before suffering a cross-check from Robert Bortuzzo in November of 2019.

In the 294 games prior to that injury, Arvidsson totaled 108 goals and 201 points and produced at a 0.68-points per game clip. In the 85 games after the injury, Arvidsson scored just 19 goals and 38 points, and his offensive production dropped to 0.44 points per game. While not terrible, those numbers coupled with durability issues didn’t justify Poile keeping the 5-foot-9 forward around.

“In our end-of-the-year meeting, he was not happy with where he was at,” Poile continued. “I think it’s fair to say we weren’t happy. In our conversation today, I think we both acknowledged that. I believe Viktor is very appreciative and thankful for everything that’s happened here in Nashville, and I think he needs a fresh start.

“I can’t speak for him, but if you do speak with him, I think he’s okay with this. He needed something different… I think he would acknowledge this, that he just didn’t think it was going to work here anymore.”

Arvidsson was by no means the whole problem, if he was even part of the problem at all. Johansen, Duchene and Ryan Ellis — and maybe to a small degree Filip Forsberg — fit in that group of top players not producing like top players should.

While jettisoning Arvidsson to Los Angeles by no means guarantees that any of those players are also moved, it does demonstrate that Poile, who is clearly growing tired of not getting much return on his investment in the team, is not afraid to part with any player who might stand in his way of winning a Cup.

Nashville Post LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216774 New Jersey Devils I can do.’ I just want to take that confidence I had there and have it in every game.”

If that game, which ended up being his second-to-last with Djurgårdens After ‘interesting’ 2020-21, Devils’ Alexander Holtz still on track to fill New because they lost Game 3, was a glimpse of what Holtz’s impact can be, Jersey’s scoring void his time with Binghamton was all about learning how to translate his array of skills to North American ice rinks and a different style of play.

Holtz is a goal scorer — one of the top prospects in the world for that By Corey Masisak particular talent. It’s something the Devils are in desperate need of in the coming seasons, and he’s the safest bet to become either Jack Hughes’ Jul 1, 2021 or Nico Hischier’s favored target.

The rest of his game is probably a little underrated, and he’s not just One of the defining themes of the 2020-21 hockey season was a jumbled going to be a one-trick player. But the goals are important and what he’s global schedule for the sport — leagues in different countries were far most known for. They also didn’t happen as frequently in 2021 as they less uniform when their seasons began and ended. have during his impressive youth career.

This afforded the Devils an opportunity that otherwise wouldn’t be He only scored once in 10 games for Binghamton. If that is a cause for available in a pandemic-free universe: Alexander Holtz was able to play alarm, the Devils don’t see it that way. his entire post-draft season at home in Sweden, and still arrive in North “He had 28 shots in 10 games. I’m not a mathematician, but that’s pretty America to play 10 regular-season games for Binghamton in the AHL. good for a kid in his first pro experience in North America with the smaller While other NHL prospects have scrambled to find games in faraway rinks and new systems,” B-Devils coach Mark Dennehy said. “I was really lands or just missed out on opportunities to play, Holtz had a different impressed. He had a real good first game, then a little bit of a lull but he path. just kept getting better. He gets himself to good areas. He has a good delivery and a pretty heavy shot to boot. Coming from a bigger rink, you “It was an interesting year for Alex. He just never stopped playing have less time and there are more stops and starts. But he just kept hockey,” Devils assistant general manager Dan MacKinnon said. “It was getting better. exciting to be able to get him over here, but we knew what we were putting on the kid. It was, ‘Hey, we know you’re playing hockey for 11 “He’s a smart offensive player. I can see why he has scored a lot of goals months straight, but we’re going to ask you to jump right into the AHL. In because he goes to the right spots, he’s ready when he gets there and our division, the other teams all had very veteran AHL teams, so it was when he gets it, he’s able to collect it and get rid of it pretty quick.” very challenging.” The AHL’s late start to the season helped a few Devils prospects collect Two of the Devils’ top forward prospects, Nolan Foote and Graeme potentially valuable experience. Tyce Thompson and Aarne Talvitie Clarke, have missed even more games than a typical prospect because completed their NCAA seasons and signed with enough time left to play of injuries that occurred before the pandemic during the 2019-20 season. 18 pro games (seven of Thompson’s were with New Jersey). Holtz has not had that problem. Holtz spent a few days in New Jersey after Binghamton’s season was New Jersey’s top prospect since the day Tom Fitzgerald said his name over, and he’s expected to come back later in the offseason as well. on Zoom during the virtual 2020 NHL draft, Holtz was already playing for When he’s in Stockholm, he’s got a few coaches to help him get ready Djurgårdens in the SHL when the Devils made him the No. 7 pick in early for his first real shot at the NHL. He has been working with Andreas October. His entire season, not including exhibitions, included 43 regular- Ohgren, who also trains Jesper Bratt, for a while. season and playoff games with Djurgårdens, five games at the 2021 A few days ago, he was on the ice with skills coach Daniel Broberg, world juniors and the 10 games with the B-Devils. It would have been along with Capitals forward Daniel Sprong and Oilers prospect Philip more games were it not for Sweden’s early exit at the world juniors and Broberg. We’re still about a month away from having a clear picture of an upper-body injury that cost him a couple of weeks once he returned to how many forward spots might be up for grabs during training camp, but Stockholm. Holtz has the type of talent to force the Devils to make room for him. Holtz’s season was going pretty well in mid-December. He was enjoying “He does already have an NHL shot release,” MacKinnon said. “So now top-line and first power-play opportunities with Djurgårdens. The it’s about ‘how quickly I have to get to my spots to have time to get my production was solid, but a review of how he was playing revealed a shot off.’ I know that’s going to be a big focus for him this offseason.” tantalizing teenaged prospect who was dealt a bit of bad luck in his finishing. One of the benefits of the added depth New Jersey already has available up front is the Devils can be patient with Holtz next season if they want to Sweden’s world juniors experience was impacted by COVID-19 — two of be. But he’ll certainly be one of the most-watched players in the early their top potential centers, including Holtz’s best friend (2021 draft days of training camp. His time spent with the B-Devils gave him a quick prospect and Djurgårdens teammate William Eklund) and the guy he’s look at what he needed to work on before his first NHL camp. played beside in international competitions for years, Rangers prospect Karl Henriksson — were not allowed to play. There were lots of chances He also had the benefit of playing for Djurgårdens with Josefson and for Holtz, but the puck didn’t go in like it normally does for him. Niclas Bergfors, who were both first-round picks by the Devils.

The second half of his season in Sweden was marked by dwindling “I talked about it a lot with Josefson. He loved the place,” said Holtz, who playing time and Djurgårdens’ team-wide struggles. added a fun fact — the hotel he was staying in while playing for the B- Devils was the same one Josefson was in during his first season with the “It was a hard part. I didn’t play as much as I did in the first part of the Devils. “He loved everything in New Jersey and said a lot of good things season,” Holtz said. “I played with (Jacob) Josefson a lot and William about it. I actually got a golf ball with the New Jersey logo on it from (Eklund). Sadly, Josefson got injured and our line got split up. I tried to Bergfors when I got drafted. I got a lot of tips from those two. (Josefson) come to the rink every day motivated to be a better player. I think I had told me about some places I need to go see.” good motivation all the time, and I think I was getting better all the time even without playing as much.” Holtz’s first North American trip after signing with the organization was partly a fact-finding mission, to go along with playing more games. The The final numbers were seven goals and 18 points in 40 regular-season Devils certainly hope that he will settle in on the club’s top line someday, games, essentially the same production level as the year before he was and become the kind of consistent, high-end goal scorer a team that drafted. When Djurgårdens was facing elimination in Game 2 of a three- wants to eventually be an annual Stanley Cup contender needs. game play-in series, Holtz and Eklund were reunited and they dominated. The tools are evident. Figuring out how to unleash them on this side of Holtz had two goals and four points, and both players looked like future the Atlantic Ocean is going to be the next step. NHL game-breakers again. “You don’t have that much time that you have on the bigger ice,” Holtz “I think that was my best game of the season,” Holtz said. “To have that added. “That’s the biggest adjustment you need to make. Everything in such an important game, it really made me feel like, ‘Yeah, this is what goes faster. You need to think faster. Pretty much every puck comes towards the net all the time, so you have to try and find the right spots.

“I love to score goals. I just need to find the right spots. I might be thinking too much on the ice. Everything is different of course. To change the system and how you play after like 10 years in Sweden is going to take a little time, but I think I got better with it already. I had a lot of help from the coaches and the other players. The biggest thing I wanted to see how my game translates to this style, to the small ice. I wanted to come here and get used to everything. It’s a lot of new experiences to be here and learn new things basically every day.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216775 New York Islanders regulations. The Russian star found a way to overcome those challenges and focus on the task at hand: winning hockey games.

The Islanders will have to re-sign Sorokin during the offseason. He is one Ilya Sorokin Takes Major Steps in First Season in NHL of four restricted free agents the Islanders have to deal with. Sorokin will see a bump in his pay when all is said and done, and he will have earned it.

Published 21 hours ago on July 1, 2021 From appearance one to appearance 29, the growth in Sorokin’s mental and physical game has been evident and should give the franchise plenty By Stefen Rosner of optimism going forward. The rookie will see an increased role as time goes on and the role of 1A and 1B shifts from Varlamov to Sorokin.

The New York Islanders have been longing for a franchise-caliber It may not happen overnight, but it may come faster than originally netminder to make his way to Long Island since the Rick DiPietro days. anticipated. This past regular season, it became abundantly clear that 25-year old rookie netminder Ilya Sorokin has what it takes to fill that role. NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 07.02.2021 After 22 regular-season appearances and another seven starts in the playoffs, it’s clear to see how far Sorokin had come in his first NHL season.

The Russian netminder began his NHL career in the worst of ways, which goes to show just how far he came throughout the 2021 season.

After Semyon Varlamov left warmups the second game of the regular season, Sorokin was thrown into the fire with little time to prepare against the Islanders’ biggest rival, the New York Rangers. The 5-0 rout was one to forget and five months later, Sorokin found himself helping the Islanders in their run to the Stanley Cup Semifinals.

“It was my first season in the National Hockey League and it was wonderful,” Ilya Sorokin said during his final media availability of the year. “I’m really happy that I came here and playing under the Islanders flag. It was a good year for me.”

It had been an up and down regular season for the Islanders, but through the mediocrity, Sorokin seemed to shine more often than not. He posted a 13-6-3 record in 22 games, with a 2.17 GAA and a .918 SV%. He allowed only four or more goals in four games, two of those coming in his first two starts. He was second amongst rookies who had started 20 or more games (a list of seven) in both SV% and GAA.

He was tied for the most shutouts with three.

He eventually got to a point during the regular season where he seemed to be playing like a seasoned vet rather than the rookie that he was. His teammates raved about his skillset, especially the quickness he displayed not just in practice but in critical moments of games as well.

“Ilya is such a talented kid. I saw him playing in Russia before he came here and I think played very well for us,” said Semyon Varlamov, who shared the net with Sorokin and served as his mentor. “He played outstanding in the First Round against Pittsburgh. That was one of the reasons we beat them because he played out of his mind a couple of games.

“We beat Pittsburgh in OT and he made 40-something saves those games. I mean, he was just outstanding. It was a lot of fun to work with him this year.”

He had gone from a major question mark back in January to a player trusted by Barry Trotz in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And Varlamov was not wrong when he pointed to the effort of Sorokin in the First Round against Pittsburgh.

Ilya Sorokin won all four of his starts in the opening round against the Penguins (Game 1, Game 4, 5, 6) and posted a .943 save percentage. He was the biggest reason the Islanders advanced.

His stats took a dip because of two rough appearances against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the semifinals, but he still finished with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.

The experience during the postseason was yet another learning experience for the 25-year-old. “You should work every day and work hard if you want to play in the NHL,” Sorokin said.

In hindsight, the rough start to his career taught him valuable lessons early, valuable lessons needed to understand how to win at the NHL level.

For Sorokin, he had to overcome a different style of hockey, a different rink size, but on top of that, a language barrier and COVID-19 1216776 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.02.2021

Flyers introduce hockey to kids and cultivate future fans with ‘Learn to Play’ program

Sam Carchidi

The street-hockey players, ages 3 to 9, were oblivious that they were getting instruction Wednesday night from a player, former Flyer Bob Kelly, who was a hero in a long-ago Stanley Cup Final, or that, during one of their fun drills, they were trying to take the ball away from Brad Marsh, a man who spent seven of his 15 NHL seasons in Philadelphia.

They were more thrilled — based on their shrieks of laughter — to be chasing Gritty around the rink.

On a sweltering night, the Great Gritty Chase took place just before the 100 players had a graduating ceremony at the Gloucester Township Hockey Alliance Complex in Blackwood.

The Flyers are trying to grow their fan base to include more youngsters — some as tall as a step ladder — in South Jersey. Over the last six weeks, a total of 400 children (100 at each location) participated in the Flyers’ new “Learn to Play” ball-hockey program at rinks in Blackwood, Bellmawr, Marlton, and Maple Shade.

The program includes drills and games for boys and girls, and it concluded Wednesday night in the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, where the Flyers’ brand was displayed at the state-of-the-art complex.

“Nothing like when I was a kid,” said Marsh, a Flyers community development director who played a big role in assisting the kids in the program. “We’d play in the street, and if you had a buddy who lived in a cul-de-sac, it was a bonus.”

This was the first year for the Flyers-sponsored ball-hockey program, which started May 15.

Two years ago, Joe Tully from the Gloucester Township Hockey Alliance approached Marsh and Rob Baer, manager of the Flyers’ youth and amateur hockey department. Tully was trying to get the Flyers involved with their starting-to-sag program.

“They said their registration numbers were sliding and they wanted help in trying to stop that,” Baer said.

A seed was planted, and a grant from the NHL and the Players Association helped get things rolling. The Flyers provide sticks, balls, and pinnies at a nominal fee, and they had at least one of their former players — Kelly, Marsh, Riley Cote, and Todd Fedoruk — assisting players during the program.

The idea is to get the kids into hockey and into the Flyers.

“Partnering with our hometown NHL team is beyond exciting for everyone here,” said Bob Keefe, president of the Gloucester Township Hockey Alliance.

“We’re trying to grow the game,” Marsh said as he stood near the redesigned rink that was filled with signs showing the Flyers’ connection with the township’s program. “Put hockey sticks in kids’ hands and get them excited about hockey and the Flyers.”

And a googly-eyed mascot.

“The main thing is the kids are out there interacting and just having a good time,” said Joe Badolato, a Mullica Hill resident whose two young sons, Joseph and Alessio, took part in the program.

Baer said he hopes to expand the program next year from four locations to eight or nine and have nearly 1,000 children involved.

“And if the kids want to get into ice hockey later, great, but that’s not necessarily the goal here,” Baer said. “It’s to introduce the kids to the sport.”

Marsh said the Flyers are the first NHL team to hold a “Learn to Play” ball-hockey program; all NHL teams sponsor ice-hockey programs for youths, he added. 1216777 Philadelphia Flyers

On Bobby Bonilla Day, Bryz and the Flyers can say touché

BY JORDAN HALL

On the ever-popular Bobby Bonilla Day, one can't help but think of Ilya Bryzgalov.

Sorry, Flyers fans. Seriously, we couldn't help it.

July 1 is the day Bonilla, the now 58-year-old former big leaguer, gets paid around $1.19 million every year by the Mets, stemming from a contract buyout back in 2000. Astoundingly, the Mets' annual payments to Bonilla started in 2011 and go through 2035.

Bryzgalov can raise his glass to Bonilla.

In Philadelphia, the ex-Flyers goalie is remembered more for his interesting personality and peculiar sound bites rather than his play in net. Back on June 23, 2011, the Flyers inked Bryzgalov to a nine-year, $51 million contract. Two years later, the Flyers bought out his contract. As a result, per CapFriendly.com, the Flyers owe the 41-year-old Bryzgalov $1,642,857 every year through the 2026-27 season, buyout payments that are spanning 14 years.

Bryzgalov went 33-16-7 with a 2.48 goals-against average and .909 save percentage for the Flyers in his first season. However, he was not very good in the playoffs, saw his numbers drop the next season and the Flyers realized how difficult the contract would be on their cap for years to come.

If Carter Hart remains the organization's future between the pipes, he could be in his ninth season with the Flyers when the club is paying Bryzgalov the final year of the buyout.

Bobby and Bryz, still counting the big bucks.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216778 Philadelphia Flyers Kekalainen can enhance the return if he gets clubs bidding against each other.

Another major consideration is Jones’ willingness to sign long-term with Trade packages for Seth Jones: What the Blackhawks, Avs, Kings and the club that acquires him from Columbus. Put another way: Does he Flyers could offer the Blue Jackets? want to test free agency next summer no matter what, or only if he was still with the Blue Jackets?

If Jones, who has a 10-team no-trade list, is willing to sign an extension By Aaron Portzline and Corey Pronman Jul 1, 2021 with his next team, it would significantly improve the Blue Jackets’ return. If a club trades for Jones without any assurances beyond next season,

the Blue Jackets may seek a conditional draft pick in the event that he COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the third time in nine months, the Blue Jackets did decide to stay. are getting ready for a trade they really don’t want to make. The other major consideration is the salary cap, which is parked at $81.5 Last October, the Jackets traded power forward Josh Anderson to the million for 2021-22 and likely longer. Because of the COVID-19 Montreal Canadiens when it became clear that Anderson could force his pandemic, NHL clubs aren’t getting the annual elbow room under the cap way into a one-year contract that would lead him to unrestricted free that the growth of the game has typically provided. agency this summer. Jones’ salary cap hit, a very reasonable $5.4 million, will require many Last January, after an early-season drama that gripped the NHL, the acquiring teams to clear salary off their books one way or another. Blue Jackets traded center Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets. Here’s a look — call it informed speculation — at the possible trade Dubois, who asked to be traded shortly before training camp, couldn’t co- packages each of the four clubs seen as leading candidates could offer exist with coach John Tortorella, and it forced Blue Jackets general to acquire Jones: manager Jarmo Kekalainen’s hand to make a deal quickly. Chicago Blackhawks Now it’s Seth Jones’ turn, and this one might be the most heartbreaking of the three for the organization. Overview: The Blackhawks are reportedly close to trading defenseman Duncan Keith, who was a big part of three Stanley Cup winners in The relationship between Jones and the Blue Jackets hasn’t soured, like Chicago. Keith’s salary cap hit ($5.538) almost matches Jones’, so the other two, but he made it clear to the club in May that he wasn’t maybe Keith’s trade is a harbinger of more activity. The Blackhawks willing to sign a contract extension with Columbus this summer because haven’t won a playoff series since their last Cup win in 2015 and they he planned to pursue free agency in 2022. missed the postseason three of the past four seasons (only making it in Kekalainen initially indicated he’d be willing to carry Jones into next 2020 by winning their qualifying series). They’re looking to make a splash season, much like the club did in 2019 with left winger Artemi Panarin this summer. and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Potential trade package: Forward Philipp Kurashev, defenseman Nicolas But the return of John Davidson as the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey Beaudin, left-wing prospect Lukas Reichel, and a first-round pick in 2022 operations — Kekalainen’s new/old boss — has signaled a far different Portzline’s thoughts: Reichel is a bright prospect and the first-round pick approach. next season is highly desirable, especially if it’s not lottery protected. Unless Jones somehow has a charge of heart in the next few weeks, he Both Kurashev and Beaudin are 21-year-olds who are just starting to get will be traded, Davidson has said, explaining that the projected 2021-22 NHL time. roster isn’t nearly as deep or talented as the 2018-19 roster when Pronman’s thoughts: Reichel is a very good prospect, a well-rounded Panarin and Bobrovsky headed into their final years. forward you could project as a second-line forward, analogous to Norris The Blue Jackets are expected to endure a couple of rough seasons in at the time of the Karlsson trade. Kurashev had a solid rookie season in the name of rebuilding the franchise, which is Davidson’s forte as an Chicago. He’s a good player, highly skilled and intelligent, but not as executive. He’s done it in St. Louis and he was doing it in New York good as Tierney was in 2018. Thus, Chicago gives a little more than San before the Rangers abruptly cleaned house in May. Jose and includes Beaudin, who had a good season. For Chicago, you presume the Blackhawks will be better with Jones and hope that the Where will Jones be traded? Kekalainen’s heard from just about every 2022 first-round pick is later in the round. GM in the league regarding his prized defenseman, he said, but four teams appear to be front-runners based on multiple conversations with Colorado Avalanche NHL club executives: Chicago, Colorado, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Overview: It has been widely assumed that Colorado wants to get more What will the return look like? Well, that’s a more difficult question, which physical defensively after watching how the playoffs have unfolded this is why we roped in The Athletic’s hockey prospects guru Corey Pronman. season. The Avs have an incredibly skilled blue line, but Jones would give them size, defensive smarts and physicality. Plus, Denver is where No two trades are exactly alike, of course, but we wanted to find a Jones learned how to skate while his father played basketball for the comparable trade in recent seasons to help set parameters. We didn’t Nuggets. have to look far to find a trade involving an elite-level defenseman with one year remaining on his contract before unrestricted free agency. Potential trade package: Center Tyson Jost, forward prospect Sampo Ranta, defensive prospect Justin Barron and a first-round pick in 2021 In 2018, Ottawa traded Erik Karlsson to San Jose for forwards Chris Tierney and Rudolfs Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, the rights to Portzline’s thoughts: Barron is a very promising prospect. Scouts drool at forward prospect Joshua Norris, a first-round pick in 2019 or 2020, a his size and skating combination, which is rare. He got a taste of the AHL second-round pick in 2019, and two conditional picks. last season and did not disappoint. Jost is an established bottom-six NHL player. Ranta had a great career at Minnesota and just turned pro last To be clear, Karlsson’s resumé in 2018 was extremely impressive, year. A fourth first-round pick this year? Why not? putting him a solid notch above Jones. He’d won the Norris Trophy twice (2012, 2015) as the NHL’s top defenseman, he’d averaged just under a Pronman’s thoughts: Jost has been a useful but not great NHL player. point a game over the previous three seasons, and he was one of the top He’s got a lot of skill, not that much speed. He’s good, arguably not quite offensive defensemen of his generation. as good as Tierney at the time. Barron is a very strong prospect, a highly mobile defenseman with size with some offense. He could be a second- Jones is a much more accomplished two-way player than Karlsson, but or third-pair defenseman. Columbus gives a little bit on Jost, so Colorado his offensive output has been average throughout his career, his last two needs to give a slightly better prospect than Balcers was at the time, seasons have been average at best, and he’s never finished higher than which Ranta is. fourth (2018) in Norris voting. Los Angeles Kings Based on this, the Blue Jackets should expect a smaller return for Jones than the Senators achieved for Karlsson, but it’s also possible that Overview: No, you’re not getting Quinton Byfield from the Kings. At least that’s what the Kings keep telling opposing GMs, although you wonder if Jones was willing to sign long-term if that might soften the stance. We digress. The Kings have one of the best prospect cupboards in the NHL, and they desperately need help on defense. Man, Jones could be a big deal in L.A.

Potential trade package: Center Adrian Kempe, center prospect Akil Thomas, defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and a first-round pick in 2022 (lottery protected).

Portzline’s thoughts: Thomas put up huge numbers in junior and had a very good rookie AHL season this year. Bjornfot stuck in the NHL this season and shows promise. Kempe, 24, is an established middle-six center, probably best suited to a third line. The lottery protection takes all the fun out of this trade, though.

Pronman’s thoughts: Kempe is a useful player close enough in age to Tierney in 2018. Bjornfot is a good young player, he’s mobile and smart. He may be a second- or third-pair defenseman. Thomas is a strong, not top prospect, with great skill but a lack of pace.

Philadelphia Flyers

Overview: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher must be fun at a poker table. From the moment Jones was known to be headed out of Columbus, the Flyers have been seen as the club most aggressively in pursuit. Would Kekalainen trade Jones within the division? Damn right he would, as long as it’s the best offer.

Potential trade package: Defenseman Philippe Myers, forward prospect Zayde Wisdom, center prospect Morgan Frost and a first-round pick in 2022

Portzline’s thoughts: Underwhelmed. Frost is a strong prospect, but he missed the final three months of the season following shoulder surgery. He should be ready for camp in the fall, but that’s a red flag. Myers is a stay-at-home type, and Wisdom looks solid but unspectacular. They’d better nail that first-round pick in this scenario.

Pronman’s thoughts: Myers is a big, mobile defenseman whose been up and down in the league. Frost is a very intelligent and skilled player without a ton of pace who could be a top-six forward. Wisdom had a great season in the AHL. He’s not that quick or big, but he has offense and a high compete level. I’ll consider him slightly better than Balcers at the time.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216779 Philadelphia Flyers you’re likely left with a good-but-not-great true-talent group of skaters who basically needs their goalie to elevate them to “actual contender” status. When he does — as Hart did in the 2020 playoffs — you end up with a club that maybe could squeak into the final four with the right The Flyers at a pivot point: Why July will be one of the most matchups but would have almost certainly been crushed by Tampa Bay. consequential months in recent franchise history When he doesn’t, you end up with this past season.

And I think the Flyers’ front office gets that.

By Charlie O'Connor Jul 1, 2021 Make no mistake: The Flyers have enough assets to make big moves this month. They may not have the best prospect pool (probably the

Kings) or the best crop of young NHL players (likely the Rangers). But Let’s get it out of the way right off the bat: For nearly a decade, the they have a lot of everything. Sure, the down seasons from Philadelphia Flyers have been boring. Philadelphia’s youth may have hurt their trade values a bit. But general managers are not going to stop dreaming on Philippe Myers’ physical Boring on the ice, for the most part, largely trapped in a seemingly upside just because he struggled in a pandemic year. They won’t stop endless cycle of mediocrity. And certainly boring in terms of team- wanting to add an agitating top-six forward on a good contract such as building. In fairness, much of this was by design and by necessity. In the Travis Konecny. And while the Flyers may be lacking surefire stars in wake of Paul Holmgren’s hyperaggressive, multiyear push to chase down their prospect pool, the sheer depth they possess gives potential trade a Stanley Cup in the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Flyers were left with partners lots of attractive options to choose from, increasing the few prospects, even fewer dollars of cap space and no realistic way to likelihood that a team’s scouts have long coveted one of the players quickly improve a fatally flawed club, particularly on the back end. A under Flyers’ control — not to mention the fact that Philadelphia’s period of calm, meant to reload the organization in terms of assets, was prospect depth makes it far easier to justify shipping out high draft picks, the only possible medicine for such a situation, as painful as it might with the knowledge that doing so won’t cripple the organizational have been for fans who reveled in the team’s previous “win at all costs” pipeline. mentality. The Flyers don’t necessarily have the pieces to be the high bid in every The front office’s pivot to the long game meant that Flyers offseasons conversation. But there’s no trade discussion that Philadelphia lacks the didn’t come with high stakes anymore. No longer were the Flyers in on assets to be a serious participant in. And with the expansion draft on the every free agent and potential trade target. The buzzwords surrounding way, there’s a clear path to clearing up cap space to make the types of Philadelphia were “future” and “potential.” There was no feeling that the moves that simply didn’t exist last offseason. front office had to make moves, that inactivity would be just as big of a risk as heavy action. Of course, having the means to be active is only one part of the equation; the will must be there as well. But there’s plenty of reasons to believe Well, it’s back. Welcome to one single calendar month poised to shape that it is. the next decade of Flyers hockey. First, ownership wants GM Chuck Fletcher to be aggressive. Comcast Part of it is simply the unique nature of the league’s schedule. Usually, Spectacor chairman and CEO Dave Scott said as much in a May the active portion of the NHL’s offseason is spread across June and July, conversation with the Philadelphia Inquirer, and everything I’ve heard in the time before and after free agency’s traditional start date on Canada my conversations with the organization implies that the higher-ups do Day (July 1). This July, there’s an expansion draft, the actual draft and legitimately want action. It makes sense — there almost certainly won’t UFA day all crammed into an eight-day period from July 21-28. The be any capacity restrictions next season at the Wells Fargo Center, and chaos potential league-wide is high. And basically everything major will the team is going to need to have a big money year to make up for the be done by the time Aug. 1 rolls around. revenue lost during the past two seasons. Fan frustration is palpable, and without something to address it this summer, it seems likely to bleed into But it goes beyond that. After all, the Flyers could simply sit out the ticket sales and attendance at games in 2021-22. Even setting aside the month-long madness, as they did last offseason and so many other fact that Comcast would certainly prefer to build a team capable of long offseasons in the recent past. playoff runs, it really doesn’t want empty seats. I don’t believe they will. Second, I believe Fletcher himself wants to be aggressive. There’s a My takeaway from the 2020-21 debacle isn’t that the current version of reason the Flyers keep getting named as potential suitors for the biggest the Flyers is an irredeemable, broken mess. League-worst goaltending names on the market, from Seth Jones to Jack Eichel. It’s because they will go a long way in making a team seem worse than it actually is, and are. The 2020-21 season was essentially a test to see if this Flyers club the challenges of the pandemic — both from a training standpoint and a could take the leap into elite status absent outside help, and looking at mental-health standpoint — seemed to hit this particular group harder their current cap situation, it’s not difficult to understand why they gave than others around the NHL. The Flyers, as currently constituted, are that a go. Had the team done so, it would have been relatively painless to almost certainly not as bad in terms of true talent as they looked. But keep the gang together. Obviously, the Flyers strongly implied with their they’re almost certainly not good enough, either. play this season that they can’t take that leap in their current form. Simple logic plus early circumstantial evidence hints that changes are Assume for a second that the Flyers do nothing this offseason beyond re- now forthcoming in response. signing their players and adding a few cheap depth pieces. They’ll probably be a pretty solid team. After all, in a Murphy’s Law season And finally, there’s additional urgency that stems from the statuses of where basically everything went wrong, they still finished with the 19th their two best players: Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux. Both have best record in hockey — not great, but far better than a team with a contracts that expire at the end of the 2021-22 season, and while both league-worst 88.06 percent save percentage deserved, especially when have expressed interest in re-upping with Philadelphia, with another 30th place came in a full percentage point higher in that regard (San season like 2020-21, few would blame either player for seeking greener Jose at 89.13 percent). Give the Flyers a solid Carter Hart, give them the pastures. That’s not even mentioning the fact that Giroux turns 34 in under-25 skaters looking somewhere in the realm of 80-90 percent of January, and even if he does finish out his career in orange and black, what they were in 2019-20 as compared to 40-60 percent of peak form it’s an open question as to how many impact seasons he even has left. that they collectively provided in 2020-21, and give them regular practice The clock is ticking. time for coaches to clean up system work, and they’re probably a playoff Some fans have little faith in Fletcher’s ability to make any consequential team. moves whatsoever, and in fairness, that’s a justifiable position to hold, But as currently constituted — even accounting for the logical given his relative inactivity dating all the way back to the 2020 trade bounceback possibilities — are they anywhere near the level of the best deadline, when he ultimately shopped at the bottom of the market. But teams in hockey? It’s incredibly difficult to argue they are. In 2020-21, this situation feels different. It’s not the spring of 2020, when Fletcher they ranked 13th in five-on-five Corsi For Percentage and 17th in wasn’t quite sure if he had a contender or just a team on a hot streak. It’s Expected Goals For Percentage (per Evolving-Hockey). But OK, last year not last winter, when standing pat seemed like an understandable call in was a bad year. What about 2019-20? Eighth and 14th, respectively. In the wake of an objectively successful season. For me, the question is not both seasons, they were a cut below the teams that truly control play. whether the Flyers will make a few eye-catching moves in July. It’s And it’s not like they made up for it with stellar special teams, either. So whether those moves be the right ones. The rub when it comes to “going big” in the offseason is that while such an approach raises a team’s plausible ceiling, it also lowers its floor. When the dust settles in early August, it very well could be unclear if the Flyers are better or worse than they are now, even if they almost certainly will be different. Take Jones for instance, if the Flyers were to acquire him. If he’s as good as those close to the game believe he is, the Flyers could have a top-tier first pairing set for the next 10 years. Jones is just 26 and Ivan Provorov 24, after all. But if the public stats and models are right, the Flyers could also have given up multiple prime assets to bring in a cap-crippling albatross for years to come, especially if they lock Jones up to a massive extension after acquiring him. We’re talking about a wide range of plausible outcomes here, and while Jones might be an extreme case, every possible major move comes with similar best/worst case scenario possibilities.

But at some point, risks need to be taken. And that’s because sticking with the status quo is a risk on its own. Basically sitting out a second offseason means an implicit bet on a bounceback from pretty much everyone on the team — a massive leap of faith. Sure, the fans will show up (maybe not right away, but they’ll come) if the Flyers make minimal changes this summer and then storm out of the gate and win 50 games next season. But if they play it conservative and the team flounders — or even merely stagnates — what does that do to the value of your chief tradeable assets? Does Giroux even want to re-sign if he has designs on winning a Cup before he retires? What about Couturier? These guys want to win, and the plausible window for contention closes pretty quickly without them (particularly the latter).

So call it a pivot point for the franchise. If the expected big moves are made, the ages of the impact players brought in — and the pieces sent out — will help to clarify what and when the front office sees this team’s true window for contention, and success or failure of those big moves will determine if the window even opens up in the first place. And if no big moves are or can be made, even that inaction will stand as a serious gamble, one last bet on the internal development of the pieces gathered over the past decade before the reset button may need to be pressed.

No more kicking the can down the road. No more waiting to see how things play out. No more “next year is when we’ll make the tough decisions.” It’s time to see exactly what Fletcher and his front office think of this group, for better or worse.

At the very least, it won’t be boring.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216780 Pittsburgh Penguins

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's J.D. Forrest to coach United States in Hlinka Gretzky Cup

SETH RORABAUGH | Thursday, July 1, 2021 10:14 a.m.

This past season, coach J.D. Forrest directed the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to a 13-13-4-2 record.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins coach J.D. Forrest has been selected as head coach of the United States’ Under-18 men’s select team that will compete in next month’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament.

Forrest, a native of Auburn, N.Y., previously served as an assistant coach for the United States in the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The 40-year-old Forrest just completed his first season as head coach of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, directing the club to a 13-13-4-2 record in 2020- 21. He previously served as an assistant coach for four seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States are slated to participate in the tournament, scheduled for Aug. 2-7 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is named after former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Ivan Hlinka, a prominent player in the former Czechoslovakia throughout the 1970s and 1980s, as well as long-time NHL star Wayne Gretzky. It serves as a preseason showcase event for draft-eligible players.

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216781 Pittsburgh Penguins The future: Lagace is an unrestricted free agent and given his acumen at the AHL level, he’s always going to be in demand. NHL teams typically want a steady veteran presence on their AHL roster in net, even if just to platoon with or back up a rising prospect. Penguins A to Z: Goaltender Maxime Lagace served his purpose As for any future with the Penguins, there are much larger questions that need to be answered at the position than if Lagace will return. Given Jarry’s struggles in the playoffs, any decisions general manager Ron SETH RORABAUGH | Thursday, July 1, 2021 8:01 a.m. Hextall makes, such as possibly bringing on a more established NHL- caliber goaltender to challenge or replace Jarry, will obviously impact the organization’s depth in net from top to bottom. Goaltender Maxime Lagace backed up starter Tristan Jarry for all six games of the Penguins’ first-round playoff series this past season. Lagace served his purpose well this past season with the Penguins. But factors beyond his control will dictate where he plays next season. With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 48 players currently under NHL contracts to the Tribune Review LOADED: 07.02.2021 organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.

Maxime Lagace

Position: Goaltender

Catches: Left

Age: 28

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 190 pounds

2020-21 NHL statistics: 1 game, 1-0-0 record, 0.00 goals-against average, 1.000 save percentage, 1 shutout

2020-21 AHL statistics: Nine games, 4-3-2 record, 2.30 goals-against average, .907 save percentage, zero shutouts

Contract: One-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $700,000. Pending unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, Oct. 10, 2020

2020-21 season: Perhaps no role in the NHL was going to be impacted more by the rules and the league laid out to orchestrate the 2020-21 campaign during the unique circumstance of a global pandemic than the third goaltender.

All 31 active franchises were to keep a third goaltender on the practice squad. Typically, the player that inhabits that station is the top goaltender with each franchise’s American Hockey League affiliate. But given the very real possibility of teams dealing with multitudes of players being unavailable for health concerns — a possibility that became a reality for many teams this past season — the third goaltender was kind of in a “break glass in case of emergency” dynamic.

So that meant Maxime Lagace — one of the top goaltenders in the AHL with the Providence Bruins during the 2019-20 campaign — just wasn’t going to play that much, either at the NHL or AHL levels last season.

As it turned out, Lagace was involved in 14 different transactions by the Penguins this past season, being shuffled between the NHL roster, the taxi squad and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. In contrast, he appeared in only 10 professional games during the 2020-21 season.

On the scant occasions he did play, he was pretty sharp. In his season debut, he made 27 saves on 29 shots for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in a 3-1 road loss to the Hershey Bears on Feb. 20.

Lagace did serve as the backup goaltender for the NHL club on five different occasions during the regular season when health matters briefly sidelined starter Tristan Jarry or backup Casey DeSmith.

Perhaps the most stirring moment of the Penguins’ 2020-21 campaign came in their season finale on May 8.

With DeSmith sidelined due to a core muscle injury and Jarry withheld as a precaution, Lagace made his Penguins debut. Appearing in his first NHL contest in over two years, Lagace recorded his first career shutout by making 29 saves in a 1-0 home win against the Buffalo Sabres that helped clinch the East Division title. Lagace also became the first goaltender in franchise history to record a shutout in his debut for the club.

In the postseason, with DeSmith still sidelined, Lagace served as Jarry’s backup for all six games of the Penguins’ first-round loss to the New York Islanders. 1216782 Pittsburgh Penguins Does this mean the Penguins wait until Joseph is ready to move a lefty? Or do they feel comfortable enough with their other options to shake up this side of the blue line?

Penguins offseason preview: Change is coming on defense. But how Expansion considerations much? Each team can protect three defensemen in the expansion draft. (First and second-year players are automatically protected and don’t count against the total, so that means Marino and Joseph are both Penguins). Mike DeFabo 7/1/2021 Letang has to be protected due to his no-movement clause and Dumoulin would appear to be a lock to be protected, as well.

So who is the third? There’s an argument to be made that the Penguins With the NHL offseason right around the corner, Post-Gazette reporters should leave both lefties behind Dumoulin unprotected and possibly Matt Vensel and Mike DeFabo are going position by position to examine entice the Seattle Kraken to take a big contract off their hands. areas the Penguins must address. The five-part series continues today with defensemen. Matheson turned in a bounce-back season during his first year in Pittsburgh. While he wasn’t perfect, the blue liner’s elite skating and Over the second half of the Penguins’ season, the defensive pairs were offensive instincts meshed well with Mike Sullivan’s up-tempo system. essentially written in Sharpie. Still, Matheson’s long contract runs through 2025-26 and carries a Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin formed a familiar top pair, just as they $4.875 million average annual value. The deal remains one of the bigger have for so many seasons. Offseason acquisitions Mike Matheson and gambles on the Penguins’ payroll. Cody Ceci, somewhat surprisingly, jumped into the second pair, where Similarly, Pettersson’s new contract kicked in this season. Yet, at the end they found a way to maximize each other’s strengths while hiding some of the year, the defenseman admitted himself that he didn’t take that next of their blemishes. And youngsters Marcus Pettersson and John Marino step forward he anticipated. A team can only afford so many $4 million-a- formed the third pair. year defensemen. Paying Pettersson $4.025 million to be a third-pair guy But this offseason, a group that stuck together for so much of the stretch creates some salary cap challenges. He’s another player that, if the run could see some significant shake ups. The question is how many? Seattle Kraken want him, could free up some cap space by leaving. And to which side? Free agent situation On the right side, it appears there will be at least one change, as Ceci will The Ceci dynamic was already laid out earlier in this story. Beyond that, become an unrestricted free agent. After arriving in Pittsburgh last Letang is entering the last year of his deal, which carries a $7.25 million offseason on a one-year, $1.25 million, prove-it type deal, Ceci played average annual value. Based on his production level, the Penguins were well enough to earn himself a regular spot in the top-four during the getting good value out their top defenseman’s deal. Now, it remains to be season. Now, he’s in line for a six-figure pay raise that should be closer seen if they will agree to an extension ahead of this year. to the $3 million-$4 million range he made for most of his career. Ruhwedel and Riikola, likewise, are entering the last year of their Does he fit into the Penguins’ future plans and — more critically — their respective deals. They are both set to be unrestricted free agents salary cap projections? following the 2021-22 season. Friedman will be a restricted free agent “We have interest in him,” Penguins general manager Ron Hextall told after next year. the Post-Gazette. “In terms of the cap, that’s another question. Right Potential promotions now, we don’t have the space. So we’d have to create the space.” In terms of prospects, Joseph is the obvious player. Cam Lee is another Another factor here is that Marino’s new contract kicks in this season, young defenseman to know. He signed a two-year, entry-level deal out of bumping his cap hit from $925,000 to $4.4 million. The 24-year-old slid Western Michigan last offseason and spent this year in Wilkes- into a third-pair role last year during a somewhat up-and-down season. Barre/Scranton. Given all the lefties in front of him, his route to the NHL Now that he’s making considerably more, the Penguins will likely move could be tough unless the Penguins choose to move one on the NHL him back into the top-four to get more bang for their buck. roster. So unless the Penguins create some space to re-sign Ceci, it appears In terms of a promotion within the roster, can Friedman or Ruhwedel step they will need to find a new right-handed defenseman. Will they look for up and be more than just injury insurance? one in a trade or free agency? Another option would be to turn to affordable depth defensemen Mark Friedman or Chad Ruhwedel to play Is this position a priority? a regular role. If the new front office is looking to make some tweaks to the roster’s Meanwhile, on the left side of the defense, the Penguins have several identity, the blue line could be a good place to start. players that make up one of their deepest position groups — and one of the costliest. Dumoulin, Matheson and Pettersson are all signed for at The first-round playoff series against the New York Islanders highlighted least two more seasons and all make upwards of $4 million a year. both the strengths and the shortcomings of the mobile defensive corps Friedman, a righty, feels just as comfortable on his left side. And Juuso the club assembled. On one hand, smooth-skating defensemen like Riikola still has one more year on his deal. Matheson helped neutralize speedster Mathew Barzal and limit the Islanders’ transition game. The defensemen also helped the Penguins If the Penguins want to free up salary cap space or deal from a position handle what can be a frustrating New York forecheck, as the fleet-footed of depth, the left side of the defense would appear to be a possibility ... or blue liners were able to get back to pucks and find options. When they is it? got into trouble, players like Matheson could simply whisk the puck out of trouble with their skating. The big X-factor on the left side is Pierre-Olivier Joseph. The 22-year-old lefty flashed his potential in 16 NHL games last year. However, he began At the same time, the Penguins got bodied in front of the net on several to lose momentum the more he played and the club determined he would occasions during the series. While some of that had to do with attention be best served spending the remainder of the season in the AHL. to detail, the defensive corps doesn’t really have a big-bodied defenseman to clear the crease. Maybe that changes this offseason. A lot of these discussions within the sports media universe are predicated upon the idea the Joseph is ready to step in and play regular Post Gazette LOADED: 07.02.2021 minutes at the NHL level. It sounds like maybe it’s time to pump the brakes on that.

“Based on this year, I’d say there’s still some development,” Hextall said. “Sometimes in the summer, kids come a long way with their strength. That’s P.O.’s biggest thing. He needs to work on his strength. If he has a great summer, never say never. But based on this year, I’d say he might need a little more time.” 1216783 San Jose Sharks Or a Dominik Hasek (10th round in 1983), Henrik Lundqvist (seventh round in 2000), Miikka Kiprusoff (fifth in 1995), or Patrick Roy (third in 1984).

Is It Really Easier to Find Star Goalies Later in Draft? I don’t think that’s enough to dissuade the San Jose Sharks or any other franchise from investing their first on Wallstedt or Sebastian Kossa — and it shouldn’t — but it’s always productive to scrutinize the legitimacy of clichés. By Sheng Peng San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 07.02.2021

For every Joe Pavelski, there’s an Evgeni Nabokov.

That is to say, there are gems to be found in any round of the draft. The San Jose Sharks uncovered Pavelski — 1,086 games played and counting — in the seventh round of the 2003 NHL Draft. They dug deeper for Nabokov, 697 big league contests to his credit, in the ninth round of the 1994 Draft.

Yesterday at San Jose Hockey Now, we looked at the first round of the NHL draft from a historical perspective, as we considered top goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt with the San Jose Sharks’ seventh pick.

Our conclusion? “The odds of getting a successful NHL’er — or a bust — in the first round seems fairly even whatever position you pick.”

Has Bias Against Drafting Goalie in 1st Round Gone Too Far?

This opposes draft groupthink that traditionally warns against selecting a goalie in the first round.

Today, we’re going to tackle the late rounds and another goaltending draft cliché: Namely, don’t spend a first-round pick on a goaltender because you can get a star goalie anywhere in the draft.

We’re going to use yesterday’s standard to study this: 1,000 games played for a skater and 600 games played for a goalie are our “success milestones.” This is obviously an inexact measure — Mario Lemieux suited up for 915 tilts, while Ken Dryden backstopped 397 contests — but you also wouldn’t call a player who has met either milestone a “bust.” It’s a worthwhile measuring stick that translates across every position: Bad players don’t reach that many games played.

So what percentage of non-first round skaters play in 1,000-plus games? What percentage of non-first round goalies play in 600-plus games?

1.5 % of inactive non-first round skaters — 117 of 7,883 — dressed in 1,000 or more games

3.6 % of inactive non-first round goalies — 33 of 923 — played 600 or more contests

That supports the traditional thinking.

Interestingly, the difference is especially pronounced in the second round.

3.8 % of inactive second-round skaters — 37 of 975 — suited up for 1,000 or more tilts

8.9 % of inactive second-goalies — 7 of 79 — played in 600 or more games

Sean Burke, Mike Richter, Jose Theodore, Dan Bouchard, Kelly Hrudey, Don Beaupre, and Felix Potvin are the seven aforementioned netminders

One reason for this? Perhaps the hesitation with selecting a netminder in the first round has allowed first-round talent keepers to slip into the next round? Anyway, that’s just an unsubstantiated aside.

But anyway — if your argument against drafting a goalie in the first round is that using a top pick on a netminder is a huge risk — I think we refuted that a little yesterday. However, if your argument is that you have a better chance of acquiring a premium keeper later in the draft as opposed to a premium skater — hence, don’t use your first on a goalie — the numbers support traditional thought.

1.2 % of inactive non-first or second round skaters — 80 of 6,908 — suited up for 1,000 or more tilts

3.1 % of inactive non-first or second round goalies — 26 of 844 — played in 600 or more games

Basically, after the second round, you have more-than-double the chance of picking a Nabokov than a Pavelski. 1216784 Tampa Bay Lightning floodgates in the 8-0 rout over the Islanders in Game 5 of the semifinal series.

“If I’m being completely honest, I would not have projected him to be the How Yanni Gourde became player Lightning look to for a boost player that he is today,” said Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois, who was Syracuse’s GM when Gourde was signed. “Once we brought Undrafted and once uncoveted, the third-line center has turned into one him into the organization and I got to know the person and the competitor of Tampa Bay’s most important players the past two postseasons. a little bit more and the professional that he is, I could see why he may end up being more because of his work ethic, his passion for the game,

his drive to be the best player he can be. And today, I’m so impressed by By Eduardo A. Encina the player that he is.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.02.2021

TAMPA — If there’s one player who best represents the Lightning’s drive and determination, it might be third-line center Yanni Gourde.

The Lightning aren’t two wins from stamping their legacy as back-to-back Stanley Cup champions without Gourde. And as much as Gourde has been a critical piece to Tampa Bay reaching hockey’s mountaintop, his climb was a rocky one.

But the energy Gourde brings when he hops over the boards and his blades touch the ice is nothing short of electric.

Teammates are awed by his ability to dig deep and play at such a frenetic pace. He’s not afraid to tussle with players much bigger than his 5-foot-10 frame. In fact, the smile on his face afterward says he loves getting under the other team’s skin. His teammates call him an Energizer Bunny in skates.

He’s the kind of player championship teams need.

“He’s just non-stop, his work and he’s moving his legs, he’s just a huge pain in the rear to play against, and it’s infectious,” linemate Blake Coleman said. “I think you need guys like that. There’s a lot of games during a season and during a playoff run ,and it’s hard to consistently have that energy and those legs. And when you have a guy that’s always able to bring it like Yanni, you can kind of plug into him for that energy and really build off that.

“You just can’t get enough Yanni Gourdes in your lineup.”

As the Lightning head into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final with a 2-0 series lead, Gourde has scored four goals in the past seven games, including some of the most important in putting the Lightning where they currently sit.

Now Gourde, a Quebec native who grew up outside Montreal rooting for the Canadiens — though he’s said his favorite player growing up was Martin St. Louis — has the opportunity to return home and close out the Canadiens at the Bell Centre in Games 3 and 4.

For a player who went undrafted after a stellar juniors career and toiled between the AHL and ECHL during his first three pro seasons, unable to find a place to stick before he was given a chance with the Lightning’s AHL team in Syracuse in 2014, to think where he is now is remarkable. But Gourde always pushed harder, and having the mentality that there’s always another gear to reach is what made him the player he is today.

“I think it’s how I’ve always played in junior, in the minors and coming up here, and that’s why they gave me a shot, because I’m relentless,” Gourde said. “I try to play hard every single night. I try to be consistent in what I do and that’s how I got my first NHL shot, and I’ve tried to bring that same energy, the same way I played every single night then. So, I mean, it’s been working,”

That hunger has been apparent since Gourde’s first day with the Lightning.

“The thing about Gordo is that he really hasn’t changed much since he came in the league,” Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said. “And I mean that in a great way, because he’s always got that kind of dog-on-a bone mentality on the ice. You know there’s certain times where players have come in, they have a little success and then they get comfortable. He goes out there and he works extremely hard every time. It’s amazing to see, whether it’s in practice or in the game.”

Gourde has 13 goals over the past two postseasons, including four game-winners. He scored the only goal in the Lightning’s Game 7 win over the Islanders in the semifinals, his tip in front of the net in Game 1 of the final turned out to be the game-winner, and he put a marvelous move on New York defenseman Andy Greene in open ice to help open the 1216785 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Jon Cooper excited to coach in Montreal’s Bell Centre for Stanley Cup final

The league’s longest-tenured coach has special — and painful — memories of the Canadiens’ home arena.

By Mari Faiello

TAMPA — Head coach Jon Cooper is focused on the task at hand during the Lightning’s trip to Montreal for the Stanley Cup final — preparing his team for what he hopes will be a second straight NHL championship.

But he’s not unaware that coaching at the Bell Centre Friday and Monday will also resurface memories of his previous experiences inside the Canadiens’ home arena, both special and painful.

Cooper, a Prince George, British Columbia, native, grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada featuring the Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs, saying you cheered for one team and detested the other.

Since then, the NHL’s longest-tenured coach has created memories of his own at the Bell Centre. He was behind the bench for his first career playoff series when the Lightning were swept by the Canadiens in the conference quarterfinals in 2014.

Tampa Bay returned the following year, defeating Montreal in the conference semifinals on its way to the franchise’s second Stanley Cup final appearance, eventually losing to Chicago.

Now, the Canadiens are the only team standing between the Lightning and a second straight Stanley Cup title. Tampa Bay can clinch in Montreal with victories in Games 3 and 4 Friday and Monday.

Friday’s game will be Tampa Bay’s first at the Bell Centre since Jan. 2, 2020. But it’s not just Cooper’s personal history that makes Montreal’s home ice special — it’s the deep history rooted in an Original Six arena.

“(Over the years, I’ve appreciated) everything; the way the seats go up, how dark it is, the banners, the history, the presentation, the fans, the passion,” Cooper said. “It all culminates into, you walk in there and you’re like, ‘Wow, something special has happened in this place for some time.’”

Cooper and his team have a chance to add to that history.

The Lightning have a two-game series lead after Wednesday’s 3-1 win in Game 2. The Canadiens will be desperate to bounce back in Games 3-4 to avoid watching Tampa Bay skate with the Cup on Montreal’s home ice.

The chance to coach in an arena with such a rich history is a “pinch yourself” kind of moment, Cooper said. Though he doesn’t expect to see many Lightning jerseys in the crowd of 3,500, he’s excited just the same.

“When you’re in there,” Cooper said, “you feel like you’re part of something special.”

Up next:

Who: Lightning at Canadiens, Game 3

When: Friday at 8 p.m.

Where: Montreal, Quebec, at the Bell Centre

WATCH: NBC

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216786 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Alex Killorn will travel to Montreal, but status in question for Game 3

Jon Cooper could not provide an update, but the fact Killorn is making the trip is a good sign.

By Mari Faiello

TAMPA — Alex Killorn did not play in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday against the Canadiens, but Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Thursday the forward will travel with the team to Montreal for Games 3-4.

Cooper did not say whether Killorn will play Friday in Game 3, but the fact he’s making the trip is a good sign.

Killorn’s absence left a hole on the second line, forcing veteran forward Tyler Johnson to move up from the fourth line and Mathieu Joseph to draw into the lineup for the first time since May 20 against the Panthers.

Joseph, who skated 6 minutes, 23 seconds in Game 2, had four hits and one shot on goal in his first career Cup final game.

The Lightning also had to make adjustments on special teams, as Killorn contributes on both the power play and penalty kill. Yanni Gourde saw some time with the second penalty-kill unit, while Anthony Cirelli moved up to play on the top power play.

Killorn’s absence was notable, even with the team’s winning 3-1 over the Canadiens. But Cooper said he isn’t worried about his team, calling it a work in progress without one of its “bigger pieces to the puzzle.”

“Cirelli’s line scored our first goal and the special teams were fine for the most part,” Cooper said. “We got through that long four-on-three (penalty) and a five-on-four (penalty) between the end (of the second period) and starting the (third) period, so that was big for us and, so far, so good. But it’s still a work in progress.”

Wednesday marked the first game Killorn has missed since Game 3 of last season’s Eastern Conference final against the Islanders. Killorn was suspended for a boarding hit on New York’s Brock Nelson in the previous game.

The last time Killorn missed play due to injury was Nov. 30, 2019 against Carolina and Dec. 3, 2019 against Nashville. Killorn had a lower-body injury at the time.

Killorn blocked a shot from Montreal’s Jeff Petry in the second period of Game 1 on Monday. The puck made contact with Killorn’s left leg, and he played only three more shifts totaling 1:58 the rest of the period and just one 23-second shift in the third.

And him on the bench recovering from said block pic.twitter.com/OJDDRkcbSO

— ���� ������� (@faiello_mari) June 29, 2021

Entering Wednesday’s game, Killorn averaged 17:32 of ice time this postseason, third-highest among Lightning forwards, behind Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov.

Killorn has eight goals and nine assists in 19 games this postseason, and his 17 points are fourth-most on the team behind Kucherov (30), Point (23) and Steven Stamkos (18).

Up next:

Who: Lightning at Canadiens, Game 3

When: Friday at 8 p.m.

Where: Montreal, Quebec, at the Bell Centre

WATCH: NBC

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216787 Tampa Bay Lightning The play began with the puck on a Montreal stick, and 8.5 seconds remaining in the period. Shea Weber passed to Phillip Danault in the neutral zone where Coleman jammed him up against the boards.

With one second to go, Lightning get a goal that will last forever “We had a little bit of a puck management thing right at the end of the second,” said Montreal assistant coach Luke Richardson. “Which was John Romano | Blake Coleman’s diving score in Game 2 instantly unfortunate.” becomes a classic on par with the best plays in Tampa Bay history. The puck slid down to McDonagh on the blue line, who quickly passed to Goodrow near center ice. Goodrow maneuvered past Ben Chiarot and began heading up the left side of the offensive zone. By John Romano With Danault skating side-by-side with Coleman on the right side and

Weber trying to close the gap on the left side, Goodrow could hear TAMPA — There are moments that matter, and moments that you players on the Lightning bench shouting for him to shoot with the clock remember. winding down.

There are plays that change a game, and plays that change a career. A huuuuuuuuge swing for the Bolts pic.twitter.com/YWxONqj2bm

And on rare occasions, there are plays and moments that accomplish all — Sports by Tampa Bay Times (@TBTimes_Sports) July 1, 2021 of that, and more. So why didn’t Goodrow shoot? In years to come, no hockey fan in Tampa Bay will hear the name of “Um, I’m not too sure,” Goodrow said. “I saw Blake drive the net so I Blake Coleman without grinning involuntarily and recalling the night that figured if I could maybe get it over to him, it would probably have a better the Lightning forward dove headfirst with arms extended and shot a puck chance of going in than me trying to shoot from where I was. So I went into the back of the net and the forefront of Lightning lore. for it, and luckily we had enough time.” “The timing,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said, “was epic.” The night was as lopsided as Game 1, just in the opposite direction. The The Lightning did not just win Game 2 against the Canadiens on Canadiens dominated the Lightning for long stretches and had to leave Wednesday night, they stole it. They got outbattled, outplayed and the ice feeling as if they deserved the victory. probably outdressed, and still came away with a 3-1 victory because Which, in some ways, makes it worse than Tampa Bay’s 5-1 beatdown in goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was brilliant and Coleman was balletic. Game 1. Pickles for everyone after that goal!!!pic.twitter.com/ZRtmyhlExH The Canadiens played as well as they’d hoped, and had nothing to show — Sports by Tampa Bay Times (@TBTimes_Sports) July 1, 2021 for it. It’s part of the frustration of facing the Lightning. Even on a night when their top scoring lines were mostly silent, the Lightning can still win Vasilevskiy kept the Lightning in the game with save after dramatic save, because Vasilevskiy is that good. And Tampa Bay’s offense is that deep. then Coleman put them in the lead for good when he teamed up with Barclay Goodrow on a turnover and goal that came, officially, with 1.1 And, on this night, Blake Coleman was that magical. seconds remaining in the second period. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.02.2021 “No doubt, a pretty remarkable play by those two in the last second of the period,” defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “To find a way to put it home was huge. Huge win, for sure.”

It’s hard to overstate just how magical the moment was. The Lightning had blown a 1-0 lead and were being completely dominated in the period. If things had continued on that path, Tampa Bay would have headed to Montreal for Game 3 having squandered home-ice advantage.

Despite a less-than-perfect game, the Tampa Bay Lightning persevere through a lopsided disparity in shots after Blake Coleman scored a second-period buzzer-beater forging a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 2 in the Stanley Cup final.

So put it on the Mount Rushmore of Tampa Bay sports history. It’s there with Ronde Barber’s interception in Philadelphia and Evan Longoria’s homer at the Trop. With Marty St. Louis putting in the rebound in the second overtime of Game 6 against Calgary, and Tom Brady hitting Scotty Miller in stride at the end of the first half in Green Bay.

It is the type of play that, in years to come, parents will describe to their children when explaining how a game, or a moment, or a player can forever claim a small piece of your heart. And the best part of this goal is that it will never need embellishing.

“It’s just kind of a reflex, really. I knew they had a back-checker there and I just tried to beat him to the puck,” Coleman said. “I don’t think anyone is planning to dive anywhere on the ice but in that moment it was all we had. And Goody couldn’t have put it in a better spot.

“I don’t know why these goals happen.”

The play was eerily close to a goal Coleman scored in Game 2 against the Bruins in the conference semifinals last season. That time, it was Zach Bogosian passing from the left, and Coleman making a similar diving effort. The biggest difference was Coleman had a little more room in the Boston game, and it was more of a deflection than a swinging shot.

Also, the horn wasn’t about to blow to end the period.

“I literally in my head though, ‘Did he just do that again?’” Cooper said. “A little bit different scenarios, but it was remarkably similar.” 1216788 Tampa Bay Lightning The country’s nine Olympic gold medals are most in the world, with three golds in this millennium alone (2002, 2010, 2014). Its under-20 team has won the IIHF World Junior Championships (“World Juniors”) a staggering 18 times since the event’s inception in the mid-1970s. Lightning’s Stanley Cup journey runs right through ice hockey’s homeland That international dominance helps galvanize a nation where the east (a manufacturing bastion) remains at odds with the west (a reservoir of raw Don’t expect Tampa Bay to enter the sport’s birthplace and just skate materials). away with the Cup. “The pressure is on Canada to win the gold medal always,” said Zimmermann, who also was skating at age 3.

By Joey Knight “As far as the Olympics go, yeah, major pressure. Canada’s always regarded as the top team, even over Russia and the U.S. now. There is a

lot of pressure for the coaching staff and the management. If you don’t As a kid growing up outside Calgary in rural western Canada, Bobby win, you’re not there next year.” Taylor would peer at his family’s backyard vegetable garden, longing for The 2021 Canadiens don’t feel the weight of such pressure. Winners of the spring day when it would yield a rink instead of roughage. only 24 games during the NHL’s abbreviated regular season, their surreal Tom Taylor, a janitor who worked night shifts, would pile dirt around the playoff run — highlighted by a seven-game conquest of rival Toronto garden in clumps about 6 inches high, forming a trough of sorts. When after a three-games-to-one deficit — has stretched longer than their most the initial freeze hit, he’d break out the hose and fill the trough. apologetic fans could have envisioned.

A 100-watt bulb on the back porch illuminated the fresh sheet of ice. But a lack of pressure doesn’t equate to a lack of pride. The Canadiens Voila, another hockey night in Canada had manifested itself. are representing their sport’s birthplace (the first indoor match was held in Montreal on March 3, 1875), and that stately silver chalice for which “Everybody had their own backyard rink, or it seemed like everybody they’re playing is named after the onetime governor general of Canada did,” said Taylor, a former NHL goalie and longtime Lightning studio (Lord Stanley of Preston). analyst known universally as “Chief.” That robust red maple leaf on the Canadian flag? It doesn’t wilt so easily. “I never played indoors until I was 14 years old.” “I think that’s exactly the word for it — just pride,” Shilton said. “I think just Contemplate, for a moment, the passion, tension and unbridled zeal that to be able represent this country, I’m sure for them is a real sense of ferments in the South when college football kicks off. Now multiply that pride.” by 10, Taylor says, and you might have an idea of Canada’s hockey obsession. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.02.2021

“It’s a culture, even more so than any sport in the U.S.,” said Ontario native Gordie Zimmermann, CEO and co-owner of Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice, one of the Southeast’s largest ice-sports facilities.

“The U.S. has multiple sports that are popular, but in Canada, it is hockey.”

For all the Lightning’s dominance of Montreal in Game One of the Stanley Cup finals, any presumption they’ll cross the border and dispatch the Canadiens in short order may be a tad misguided.

Pride doesn’t backpedal or concede the blue line, especially to outsiders. In Canada, you learn to skate before you learn to spell. Among the country’s most valuable exports: crude oil, cars and centers who deliver blistering one-timers. Couples remain wary of scheduling a winter wedding in conflict with Hockey Night in Canada (Saturday night NHL broadcasts).

Only a few days ago, StubHub indicated the cheapest secondary-market ticket for Game Three at Montreal’s Bell Centre was going for $3,600 (U.S. currency). By contrast, a ticket for Game One at Amalie Arena could be found for $266.

“If you had a birthday in the winter, it was probably being held at some sort of ice rink,” said Ontario native Kristen Shilton, Toronto Maple Leafs beat writer for TSN, Canada’s English-language sports specialty channel.

“We actually had a rink (where) we would go for gym class to skate. There were so many rinks around when I was younger, we actually had one right next to our school. So we would go over there, and instead of having gym inside, most days we’d just go skate.”

A survey earlier this year conducted by the Angus Reid Institute — a non-profit, public opinion research foundation — found nine in 10 Canadians say hockey provides a sense of identity and community in the country. The same survey showed 82 percent of the respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed that hockey is too dangerous for kids under 14.

“We never thought of growing up to play Major League Baseball or basketball or football,” said Taylor, who learned to skate when he was 3. “You played for the Stanley Cup every spring when you were out on the driveway or on the roads.”

A Cup drought notwithstanding (no Canadian franchise has won it since 1993), generations of Canadians have been reared to believe ice hockey not only is their sport, but their sport to rule. 1216789 Tampa Bay Lightning stopping Toffoli from the edge of the crease and then stopping Toffoli and Suzuki on consecutive odd-man breaks to keep the game scoreless.

Grade: C Lightning-Canadiens Game 2 report card: Timely goals, timelier saves Stepping up Montreal played the better game, but Tampa Bay was more opportunistic With forward Alex Killorn out of the lineup, the Lightning were missing a in taking a two-game series lead. big net-front presence who retrieves pucks, plays on the top power-play unit and is part of Tampa Bay’s penalty kill.

By Frank Pastor Fourth-line center Tyler Johnson moved up to the second line to take Killorn’s spot, and Mathieu Joseph stepped in on the fourth line.

It didn’t take Johnson long to make an impact, as he figured into Cirelli’s After being routed in Game 1, the Canadiens clearly showed in Game 2 opening goal early in the second period. that they belong in the Stanley Cup final. In fact, they were the better team for much of the game. Jan Rutta worked the puck down deep to Johnson, who passed it back up to the point, creating time and space for Cirelli, whose shot from just Trouble is, their stay in the NHL’s championship series might be a short inside the blue line went through four players and under Carey Price’s one. right arm.

Montreal played about as well as you can against Tampa Bay, The cycle play started with Cirelli passing to a pinching Rutta from behind outworking and outskating the Lightning, frustrating their forecheck, the net and ended with him celebrating with his teammates near the blue limiting their time in the offensive zone and nearly doubling their shot line. total (43-23). Killorn would have been proud. But Tampa Bay was more opportunistic — including the most spectacular goal of these playoffs — and had the best goaltender in the world (sorry, Grade: A Marc-Andre Fleury, it’s not you) to back it up. Extra effort Have the Lightning ever needed Andrei Vasilevskiy more than they did The Lightning were outshot 16-7 in the second period but emerged with a Wednesday at Amalie Arena? 2-1 lead thanks to the hustle of linemates Coleman and Barclay One night after he was robbed of the Vezina Trophy, Vasilevskiy stopped Goodrow. a season-high 42 of 43 shots as Tampa Bay stole Game 2 to take a two- After a heavy hit from Coleman on Phillip Danault in the neutral zone game series lead. Teams that go ahead 2-0 in a best-of-seven Cup final created a turnover, Goodrow chipped the puck past Canadiens have won more than 90 percent of the time. defenseman Ben Chiarot at the blue line. He skated to the right faceoff Vasilevskiy stayed composed, positioned himself well, tracked pucks, dot and backhanded a pass across the slot to Coleman, who dove used his size to cut down shooting angles, handled deflections and headfirst to beat Danault to the puck, batting it past Price with 1.1 controlled rebounds while picking up his league-high 14th victory of the seconds left in the period. postseason. Tampa Bay, which was badly outplayed in the period, was lucky to take a He kept Tampa Bay in the game long enough for his teammates to score lead into the third. a few timely goals. But Coleman’s goal? Sheer determination. Despite a less-than-perfect game, the Tampa Bay Lightning persevere Grade: A-plus through a lopsided disparity in shots after Blake Coleman scored a second-period buzzer-beater forging a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Gift goal Canadiens in Game 2 in the Stanley Cup final. If Palat was surprised to find the puck on his stick, you never would have The Lightning call it “out-pro”ing their opponent: staying patient, showing known from the poise he showed. resilience, finding a way to make a play when things aren’t going their way or they’re running on fumes. The Tampa Bay forward was in on the forecheck late in the third period when Edmundson tried to reverse the puck off the end boards from Anthony Cirelli scored on his only shot. Blake Coleman netted the game- behind his own net to teammate Jeff Petry in the corner. winner in the final second of the second period. Ondrej Palat put a Joel Edmundson mistake in the back of the Canadiens’ net. But the puck banked sharply off the boards to Palat at the side of the net, and he quickly shot it off Price’s skate and over the goal line to give the It was enough. Lightning a 3-1 lead.

Just enough. Bad break for Montreal, great reaction by Palat.

Grade: Lightning, C-plus You might call it opportunistic.

Grade: Vasilevskiy, A-plus Grade: A

Here’s how we graded the rest of the Lightning’s performance in Game 2: Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.02.2021 Finding their footing

After doing a great job of managing the puck in Game 1, the Lightning lacked crispness with their passing and accuracy with their shooting in the first period Wednesday. Three giveaways in the period helped feed the Canadiens’ transition game, and they did a good job of using their speed to get pucks into the Lightning zone, not turning them over and getting them on net.

The second line of Nick Suzuki, Tyler Toffoli and Cole Caufield — victimized for three goals by the Brayden Point line in Game 1 — had seven of Montreal’s 13 shots in the period and most of their best scoring chances.

Fortunately for the Lightning, Vasilevskiy was sharp, poking the puck off Suzuki’s stick as he tried to go to the backhand on a breakaway, 1216790 Tampa Bay Lightning If you’re looking for a better home-road trend to watch this series, Speros has another idea: Each of the past five Stanley Cup champions clinched the title away from home (including Tampa Bay’s triumph in the Canadian bubble last year). The last team to buck that trend? The 2015 How will Lightning’s larger home crowds affect Canadiens, Stanley Cup Blackhawks, who clinched the Cup at home against the Lightning. final? Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.02.2021 Amalie Arena is at full capacity. Montreal’s Bell Centre is not. Sports betting experts don’t expect that difference to impact the Stanley Cup final much.

By Matt Baker

After playing in front of a pair of buzzing home environments in the Stanley Cup final, the Lightning’s path to a second straight Cup title shifts Friday from Tampa to smaller crowds in Montreal.

Amalie Arena hosted almost 16,000 fans in Game 1, and its capacity swelled to an announced 17,166 for Wednesday’s Game 2. Montreal’s Bell Centre will remain limited to 3,500 because of tighter coronavirus restrictions.

Does the attendance disparity create a home-ice advantage for the Lightning?

Not a significant one, sports betting experts say.

“I don’t think it’s a factor at all,” said Bill Speros, a senior producer for bookies.com.

Adam Burns agrees. As the sportsbook manager for the offshore site betonline.ag, Burns has monitored the effects of homefield advantage across sports during the coronavirus pandemic, first as games resumed without fans and then as crowds returned differently in different regions.

The only change Burns noticed was an uptick in underdogs winning UFC fights without fans, something that might have been a coincidence or based on specific matchups more than the empty seats. For every other major sport, Burns didn’t spot any significant trends.

“We’ve held the line,” Burns said.

That doesn’t mean a home advantage isn’t real, at least for some. Lightning forward Yanni Gourde said the crowd’s energy for Game 1 of the Cup final created an immediate push.

“We were flying because of them,” Gourde said.

Lightning center Yanni Gourde said the noisy home crowd gave Tampa Bay an early push in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

Home teams have other edges beyond fan support. Athletes don’t have to deal with planes or hotel beds when they’re playing at home. They’re more comfortable in their familiar locker room and understand the arena’s quirks better.

In hockey, the home team gets a decided tactical advantage. The visiting team must put its players on the ice first, so the home team can counter with a specific matchup based on the opposing line and defensive pairing. That personnel edge can be more significant than an extra jolt of adrenaline players receive by playing in front of a raucous home crowd.

In its six-game league semifinal win against Vegas, Montreal had the same 2-1 record at home in front of 3,500 fans as it did in Las Vegas in front of capacity crowds of almost 18,000. The Canadiens outscored the Golden Knights 8-7 on the road and 7-6 at home.

Regardless of whether Montreal hosts 3,500 or 10,500 fans (the Canadiens’ rejected proposal), Burns doesn’t see the line changing; the Lightning will still be favored.

Before the series began, the Canadiens’ odds were around plus-240, meaning a $100 bet wins $240. After the Lightning’s lopsided 5-1 win in the series opener, Montreal’s odds moved to around plus-430 (where a $100 bet wins $430).

“I would say that at plus-430, maybe plus-429 has nothing to do with the crowd size in Montreal,” Speros said, “and everything to do with the fact that they got smoked the other night and appeared to have no offense whatsoever.” 1216791 Tampa Bay Lightning The country’s nine Olympic gold medals are most in the world, with three golds in this millennium alone (2002, 2010, 2014). Its under-20 team has won the IIHF World Junior Championships (“World Juniors”) a staggering 18 times since the event’s inception in the mid-1970s. Lightning’s Stanley Cup journey runs right through ice hockey’s homeland That international dominance helps galvanize a nation where the east (a manufacturing bastion) remains at odds with the west (a reservoir of raw Don’t expect Tampa Bay to enter the sport’s birthplace and just skate materials). away with the Cup. “The pressure is on Canada to win the gold medal always,” said Zimmermann, who also was skating at age 3.

By Joey Knight “As far as the Olympics go, yeah, major pressure. Canada’s always regarded as the top team, even over Russia and the U.S. now. There is a

lot of pressure for the coaching staff and the management. If you don’t As a kid growing up outside Calgary in rural western Canada, Bobby win, you’re not there next year.” Taylor would peer at his family’s backyard vegetable garden, longing for The 2021 Canadiens don’t feel the weight of such pressure. Winners of the spring day when it would yield a rink instead of roughage. only 24 games during the NHL’s abbreviated regular season, their surreal Tom Taylor, a janitor who worked night shifts, would pile dirt around the playoff run — highlighted by a seven-game conquest of rival Toronto garden in clumps about 6 inches high, forming a trough of sorts. When after a three-games-to-one deficit — has stretched longer than their most the initial freeze hit, he’d break out the hose and fill the trough. apologetic fans could have envisioned.

A 100-watt bulb on the back porch illuminated the fresh sheet of ice. But a lack of pressure doesn’t equate to a lack of pride. The Canadiens Voila, another hockey night in Canada had manifested itself. are representing their sport’s birthplace (the first indoor match was held in Montreal on March 3, 1875), and that stately silver chalice for which “Everybody had their own backyard rink, or it seemed like everybody they’re playing is named after the onetime governor general of Canada did,” said Taylor, a former NHL goalie and longtime Lightning studio (Lord Stanley of Preston). analyst known universally as “Chief.” That robust red maple leaf on the Canadian flag? It doesn’t wilt so easily. “I never played indoors until I was 14 years old.” “I think that’s exactly the word for it — just pride,” Shilton said. “I think just Contemplate, for a moment, the passion, tension and unbridled zeal that to be able represent this country, I’m sure for them is a real sense of ferments in the South when college football kicks off. Now multiply that pride.” by 10, Taylor says, and you might have an idea of Canada’s hockey obsession. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.02.2021

“It’s a culture, even more so than any sport in the U.S.,” said Ontario native Gordie Zimmermann, CEO and co-owner of Wesley Chapel’s AdventHealth Center Ice, one of the Southeast’s largest ice-sports facilities.

“The U.S. has multiple sports that are popular, but in Canada, it is hockey.”

For all the Lightning’s dominance of Montreal in Game One of the Stanley Cup finals, any presumption they’ll cross the border and dispatch the Canadiens in short order may be a tad misguided.

Pride doesn’t backpedal or concede the blue line, especially to outsiders. In Canada, you learn to skate before you learn to spell. Among the country’s most valuable exports: crude oil, cars and centers who deliver blistering one-timers. Couples remain wary of scheduling a winter wedding in conflict with Hockey Night in Canada (Saturday night NHL broadcasts).

Only a few days ago, StubHub indicated the cheapest secondary-market ticket for Game Three at Montreal’s Bell Centre was going for $3,600 (U.S. currency). By contrast, a ticket for Game One at Amalie Arena could be found for $266.

“If you had a birthday in the winter, it was probably being held at some sort of ice rink,” said Ontario native Kristen Shilton, Toronto Maple Leafs beat writer for TSN, Canada’s English-language sports specialty channel.

“We actually had a rink (where) we would go for gym class to skate. There were so many rinks around when I was younger, we actually had one right next to our school. So we would go over there, and instead of having gym inside, most days we’d just go skate.”

A survey earlier this year conducted by the Angus Reid Institute — a non-profit, public opinion research foundation — found nine in 10 Canadians say hockey provides a sense of identity and community in the country. The same survey showed 82 percent of the respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed that hockey is too dangerous for kids under 14.

“We never thought of growing up to play Major League Baseball or basketball or football,” said Taylor, who learned to skate when he was 3. “You played for the Stanley Cup every spring when you were out on the driveway or on the roads.”

A Cup drought notwithstanding (no Canadian franchise has won it since 1993), generations of Canadians have been reared to believe ice hockey not only is their sport, but their sport to rule. 1216792 Tampa Bay Lightning Via HockeyViz BriseBois paid a hefty price to bring Coleman and Goodrow into the fold,

giving up a couple of first-rounders and top forward prospect Nolan How Lightning’s Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman Foote. But it helped transform the team during the Cup run last season. have become this era’s ‘Grind Line’ “They’re pieces of the puzzle,” Cooper said. “But they were the final piece.”

By Joe Smith and Shayna Goldman Jul 1, 2021 The Lightning coaches thought Gourde — who went through a rattling two-month goal drought during the regular season — could use a spark in a switch to center. They noticed his natural chemistry with Goodrow, with the two going through a lot of identity video shifts when they were When Darren McCarty watches the Lightning’s Yanni Gourde line, it first together. They spent as little time in the defensive zone as possible, brings him back. It reminds the retired Red Wing of the “Grind Line” he managed the puck well and were a great fit on the forecheck. The staff played on with Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, with the tenaciously tough gave Gourde, Coleman and Goodrow a look during the round-robin trio becoming the unsung stars of their Stanley Cup-winning teams in the games in the bubble, and they never looked back. late 1990s and early 2000s. “Three tenacious workers,” Lightning assistant Derek Lalonde has said. McCarty sees the same type of synergy with Gourde, Barclay Goodrow “Goodrow has the hockey sense to positionally support Coleman and and Blake Coleman, believing they’re on the “same wavelength.” They Gourde to get after it and puck pressure all over the ice. It makes for have similar nonstop motors but are built more for the speed of the special chemistry. As you have seen, they have had so many shifts to modern game as opposed to the snarl McCarty (and fourth “Grind Line” change ‘field position’ and get momentum back.” member Joey Kocur) had. Before the Lightning beat Columbus in five overtimes in Game 1 of last And it was all on full display on Coleman’s spectacular, diving, buzzer- year’s first round, it was the Gourde line that connected for the tying goal. beating goal in the second period of Wednesday’s Game 2 victory. The line would often start games, and periods, with it fitting that Coleman “Your third line and fourth line have to be impactful to win a Cup,” scored Tampa Bay’s final goal of the Cup run. McCarty said. “And between the three of them, they can play all facets of “I’m a big believer in skilled grinders,” said former Lightning center the game. They can play against any line. It’s more of a weapon. And Dominic Moore. “If they have the speed, they can take away your time when your third line is a weapon, that’s the ‘Grind Line.’” and space really effectively. But they’re not just defending, they’re putting The Gourde line doesn’t have a catchy nickname yet, though coach Jon you on your heels and attacking, and they still have the ability to finish. Cooper’s contention that those three “don’t give a rat’s ass who they play Julien made a lot of changes from 2019 to 2020, but when he put that against” is a perfect description. Gourde, Coleman and Goodrow typically line together last year, I thought that was the biggest difference-maker.” start every game, a tone-setting group that is relentless on the forecheck Coleman is the definition of a skilled grinder. And he’s versatile in terms and boasts underrated skill. of fit; his role trended up to the top six in New Jersey, and he’s a perfect They were put together before last year’s playoffs, with the coaching staff fit on the third line on a stacked Lightning team. He can chip in with sparking Gourde’s game by putting him back at center and deadline scoring that’s around the rate of a middle-sixer, is willing to shoot the additions Coleman and Goodrow finding chemistry. puck, effective with his physical play and excellent in his own zone. Coleman has become the ideal depth player, and a handful of general “It was instant,” Gourde said. managers are going to line up this offseason to sign the pending unrestricted free agent. Though Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov led the 2020 Cup champs offensively, the Gourde line provides depth and versatility for Cooper in Via HockeyViz matchups, especially important as the Stanley Cup Final moves to Montreal for Friday’s Game 3. Goodrow doesn’t have the same offensive upside as his linemates, but he stands out for his gritty defensive efforts over the years, including on a “They’re almost uniquely suited to this era’s version of a third line,” said struggling Sharks team before the trade deadline last year. He often has retired wing Mike Johnson, an NHL Network analyst. “Not just the ‘Grind the task of playing challenging minutes at even strength and on the Line’ physically, but this era requires speed, tenacity, forecheck, penalty kill and helped shore up the Lightning’s depth. defensive acumen, talent offensively, versatility and ability to play the puck. They can do it all. Like Coleman, Goodrow really hasn’t had to change his game to mesh with the Lightning. Both were clear fits when they were acquired at the “They’re one of the reasons Tampa Bay has a shot at a repeat.” last deadline, with the potential to affect two postseason runs. Being surrounded by the skill of this squad helped each elevate their game, as The connection has the chemistry they’ve generated over time on the third line with McCarty said the Gourde line plays like it has “something to prove.” Gourde.

And he’s right. “Those guys are unbelievable,” Anthony Cirelli said. “Every time they’re going out there, they’re creating some sort of energy for us, swinging You have two undrafted players in Gourde and Goodrow, who both momentum our way. They’re finishing hits, showing us the way. And needed significant seasoning in the AHL before getting their shot. each line follows.” Coleman, a third-round pick by the Devils in 2011, came from an unlikely hockey hometown of Plano, Texas. The forecheck

Put it this way: Gourde used to play for $450 a week for the ECHL San This is the Gourde line’s bread and butter, its identity. Francisco Bulls in a place called the Cow Palace. His wife, Ann-Marie, “We’re not the fanciest players,” Goodrow said. used to make his pregame pasta in hotel bathrooms while they made stops in Kalamazoo and Worcester and Syracuse. “There’s a lot of predictability to our game,” Coleman said. “It makes it easy and fun to play with those guys. I know what I’m getting with them It’s no wonder Gourde plays every shift like it is his last. night in, night out.” “If I’m being completely honest, I would not have projected him to be the The three players have had more than enough time to figure out each player that he is today,” GM Julien BriseBois said. “Once we brought him other’s tendencies. They were a staple of last year’s playoff run, with into the organization, and I got to know the person and competitor a little about 290 five-on-five minutes together. This season, they were the most bit and the professional he is, then I could see why he may end up being consistently deployed forward combination for Tampa, with a team- more because of his work ethic, his passion for the game, his drive to be leading 404 minutes together. Through 15 postseason games this year, the best player he can be.” they’ve added 163 minutes of ice time. That drive has led to his being an impact player on both ends of the ice Cooper, in describing Goodrow, summed up the whole line well: through each season of his career. “You can’t have all Ferraris. Sometimes you need a good old-fashioned Goodrow had back-to-back 20-goal seasons in the AHL, and even four-wheel-drive Jeep to get you through the mud, and that’s what though his NHL high is eight, he’s come through in key moments. He Barclay Goodrow can do for you.” doesn’t have the same finishing ability as his linemates, nor is he nearly as frequent of a shooter. But when he does, he gets to that home plate Goodrow is usually the first one in the zone, the F1, but the line comes in area to generate a scoring chance. waves. Via HockeyViz “They don’t let you breathe,” McCarty said. “One is on you, and when you think you’ve got a second, the other one is there backing them up. They The combination of their three skill sets bodes well not only for don’t get caught out of position. They don’t take reckless chances. Very aggressive forechecking and solid defensive play but also for offensive little do you find three guys below the goal line. production.

“It’s definitely a team game. And if you look at the different aspects that Case in point: Goodrow scored the winner in Game 1 of the Lightning’s Tampa has on that line, there’s five tools.” second-round series against the Hurricanes. On the play, Gourde sent the puck up the boards in the neutral zone, with Coleman making a slick NHL Network analyst Mike Rupp, a Cup champion forward, said the play inside the blue line to drop the puck to a streaking Goodrow, who Gourde line plays a “cat and mouse” game, standing teams up at the scored on a bad angle. blue line and baiting them to try to make a play so they can take it the other way. It’s almost a competition of who gets to make a hit, and get The Gourde line also cashed in quickly in transition in Game 1 of this the puck, first. “They create chaos,” he said. Cup Final, with a goal that epitomized an array of strengths. Goodrow forced a turnover at Tampa Bay’s blue line, then started the Coleman and Goodrow lead the trio with hits, but even Gourde, despite counterattack. An initial shot off the rush by Goodrow was blocked, but his size, jumps right into the physical play. And after one makes a hit, Coleman jumped on the rebound and Gourde crashed the net to secure another member of that line is often scooping up the puck to drive play a screen and tip it in. the other way. This line was a source of offense throughout the regular season; the They go to work every single shift they’re deployed; they put pressure on team generated shots and quality chances at a high rate with it on the puck carriers, force their opponents to dump the puck in and battle along ice. The line carried that high level of play into the postseason, pushing a the boards to retrieve it. number of those shots to the danger areas in front of the net. The heat That forecheck helps stunt opponents from generating offense against. maps below put that offensive creation on display, with red areas The Lightning were solid defensively at five-on-five; their expected goal indicating areas of high shot volume. The left is the team’s shooting with rate against was 13 percent stronger than the league average. But they this line deployed in the regular season. The right is the postseason. were much better with their trusty third line deployed. Via HockeyViz

With Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow on the ice in the regular season, the “You’ve got the Gourde line that’s got a little bit of everything,” Canadiens Lightning kept their opponents to just 1.88 expected goals against per 60, assistant coach Luke Richardson said. “They’ve got some feistiness and which was 25 percent stronger than league average. Most of the scoring nastiness to their game, which is great in playoff-type hockey. And we’ve areas and the net front were clear with this trio defending. got to just counter that and match that discipline but hardness-wise. And Via HockeyViz they can score. If you make a mistake like we did in the second period, they showed they can turn that into a goal, just like the Point line.” Those minutes most often coincided with Tampa Bay’s shutdown pair of Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak and came against such tough Moore said the Gourde line reminded him of the dynamic Lightning third opponents as Jamie Benn, Aleksander Barkov, Jordan Staal and Roman line he was on during the run to the 2011 Eastern Conference finals. Josi in the regular season. Back then, Moore teamed up with Sean Bergenheim and Steve Downie to rack up 14 goals in 18 games (nine by Bergenheim). They had 36 The line has just continued to play at that level when the stakes are even combined points. Coleman, Gourde and Goodrow have nine goals so far. higher in the playoffs, limiting shots and scoring chances against. And there’s a difference in the team’s zone play when those three aren’t on “All of them can make plays,” Moore said. “You turn the puck over, they the ice. can capitalize. They don’t sit back. Sometimes, there’s a line that’s just defending, but that’s a losing strategy.” Via HockeyViz Matchup equalizer “You appreciate how they play with the physicality, how they’re so very consistent with that degree of engagement in the regular season and Cooper has often put the Gourde line out for the start of periods, no playoffs,” Johnson said. “They’re physically and emotionally engaged matter whom the opponent sends. every game, every shift.” It was usually the Islanders’ fourth line with Matt Martin in their third- The skill round series, for example. But there were times when Coleman, Gourde and Goodrow took on top lines like the Barkov line against Florida and These aren’t just blue-collar pluggers who dump and chase. the Mathew Barzal line against the Islanders.

There’s plenty of skill that goes with their will. Coleman and Gourde have “What they offer Jon Cooper is great flexibility,” Johnson said. “He two 20-plus-goal seasons in the NHL. doesn’t have to worry about who they play against, he can put them against a checking line, put them against a scoring line. That flexibility Coleman has been a positive influence on his team’s offensive allows Cooper to do whatever he wants with (Anthony) Cirelli and Point generation over the years, having his best impact this year. He’s more of because he knows Gourde can take on any task, and he trusts they will a shooter than a passer, and he generates a high number of quality do the job.” chances off high-danger passes. Most of those shots come in the scoring areas, especially right in front of the blue paint. His finishing ability gives The Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow line was given a tough workload in terms teams a better chance of scoring when he drives play, too. of the forward competition faced in the regular season; it was often used to shut down opponents’ best lines. Gourde also gets to that net-front area to generate offense. His offensive creation balances that shooting with his passing; he leads this line, and Even if the Gourde line doesn’t score on its shift, the players take their rates highly on the team, with primary shot assists, or passes that directly toll. They’re usually in the middle of every scrum, from Gourde jawing to precede shots. Goodrow dropping his gloves to Coleman racking up 11 hits in Game 1.

These two lead this line in transitional play. Coleman has a knack for “It’ll not only frustrate you, whether it’s a fifth or sixth defenseman, or top getting the puck out of the defensive zone and into the offensive end at a centerman,” McCarty said. “(Scotty) Bowman had been famous for rolling high rate. Gourde’s exit and entry rate was slightly lower in the regular all four lines and not caring. Whether you step up with a big hit or blocked season, but he has a higher percentage of possession plays in his shot, it’s all those little things that the ‘Grind Line’ represented.” attempts. And he’s elevated his game even more in the playoffs, pushing play into the offensive zone more often and recovering his teammates’ “You know when you’re going up against them, you’re going to get hit,” chips and dump-ins into the zone. Johnson said. “It’s going to be physical, and that does wear on you. You know you’re not going to get away with anything. They bring something close to their best all the time. That’s hard to do. It can be taxing. Every shift, they’re in your face, they’re in your ear, they’re in your zone. They do it in all different areas that put you under duress.”

The third line will have to keep that up as the Lightning push toward back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

Through the playoffs, the Gourde line hasn’t always seen top competition like it did in the regular season. At times, Cooper’s approach has been power versus power, with Point’s line taking on the opponents’ best scorers. But as the series shifts back to Montreal, the expectation should be the Canadiens’ line-matching Phillip Danault’s line against the Lightning’s leading trio.

Montreal’s line of Danault, Brendan Gallagher, and Artturi Lehkonen has faced off against opponents’ top players, from Auston Matthews to Mark Stone, particularly when the Canadiens have controlled the matchups. Those players may vary stylistically, but the Danault line adjusted to contain them on their path to the Stanley Cup Final.

Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow took on the Canadiens’ leading shutdown trio to give Point’s line more time and space on home ice. But that’s expected to change in these next two games given Montreal’s tendencies at home; the Danault line will likely take on Point’s and could limit its scoring potential. That puts even more importance on depth scoring that Tampa’s third line can provide.

And with the Gourde line, Cooper is comfortable with whichever line those players end up matching up with. That they have such good possession numbers despite Gourde being 45 percent in the faceoff circle and Goodrow at 37 percent makes it more impressive.

“They don’t have to jump through hoops and worry about who Gourde is up against,” Johnson said. “The fact is they can contribute offensively, not to the degree as other guys, but they don’t have to. They have come up with big goals in the last couple years. They are guys who don’t mind physical play or an emotional game when it gets heavy. They play better when it is, that’s why they’re a very important piece.”

The future

Lightning fans should appreciate what they’re seeing with the Gourde line, as its members are likely playing their final few games together.

Tampa Bay is in a significant cap crunch, already $5 million over for next year’s expected $81.5 million cap with just 19 players under contract. Goodrow (making $925,000) and Coleman ($1.8 million) are due for hefty raises and some deserved security on the open market.

Evolving-Hockey projects Coleman to sign a four-year contract with a $4.69 million average annual value. Goodrow, on the other hand, projects to sign a four-year, $3.15 million cap hit.

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn puts Coleman’s market value closer to $3.2 million and Goodrow’s around $1 million, which would be more fitting for the Lightning. But given some of their standout contributions over the Lightning’s playoff runs this year and last, teams are likely going to try to add both depth scorers with prices the Lightning probably can’t compete with.

BriseBois has said he’d love to keep both Coleman and Goodrow. “They’re the type of players who help you win championships,” he said. Both players have said they love it here, would be open to staying. It doesn’t sound like there have been any in-season negotiations, which makes sense, with all the focus on the Cup run. Those will likely heat up by the end of the month as free agency nears.

It’s entirely possible Gourde could be exposed in the Seattle expansion draft July 21 — that is, if Tampa Bay goes with the eight-skater alignment to protect its top four defensemen. Playoff performance, however, certainly has to play into those decisions. And it’s hard to imagine the Lightning winning the Cup last year, or being two wins away from another one now, without this generation’s “Grind Line.”

“That line has been the difference,” said NHL Network analyst Kevin Weekes. “They’ve been the best line in the Cup Final.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216793 Toronto Maple Leafs Caufield had four goals in six games against a Vegas team that had Lehner or Vezina Trophy winner Marc-Andre Fleury in net. Against Winnipeg, he had three assists in four games against Connor Hellebuyck, who was last year’s Vezina Trophy winner. Montreal needs 'Goal' Caufield to find his scoring touch again Arguably, his biggest impact came in a first-round series against Toronto, where Caufield went from being a healthy scratch in the first two games to assisting on the overtime winner in Game 5 in a come-from-behind Michael Traikos series victory.

At times, he’s made it look too easy. As though he discovered a cheat Cole Caufield is 20 years old. He is not only the youngest player on code or that his youth has given him a jump on his older opponents. So either team in the Stanley Cup final, but he is also the lowest paid. Before far, this is a new challenge, a new taste of adversity for a player who has these playoffs, he had appeared in only 10 games. He lacks so much yet to fail. NHL experience that he will still qualify as a rookie for next season. “I think I’ve dealt with adversity many times in my playing career,” said But none of that matters any more. Caufield. “I think all those situations better yourself for situations like these. There’s just no panic in this room. I think we’ve been here before. If the Montreal Canadiens hope to claw back from being down 2-0 in their We’ve got great leadership in the room to keep our emotions intact. I best-of-seven series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the diminutive think that’s how we’re going forward with this. Caufield needs to step up and start scoring. He needs to be a game- changer. He needs to rise above his age and get back to being the “I think all our energy is focused on Game 3 and that’s all we can control budding superstar he has been in the previous three rounds. right now.”

It’s a lot to ask of a player who just completed his sophomore year of Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.02.2021 college a few months ago. And yet, the unfortunate reality is that unless Caufield can defy his age and experience, the Canadiens won’t have a chance against an opponent that has allowed just two goals in two games.

After all, if the player known as ‘Goal Caufield’ doesn’t score, who will?

“I really didn’t expect this to happen in your first year, your first couple of years. But just to be in this moment, you kind of enjoy it every day,” said Caufield, who has no points in th two games, on Thursday. “Being around the guys, they really calm me down in certain situations where you can get kind of nervous and emotional. But they have been nothing but the best. They’ve kept me in the moment.

“I think this is a stage like no other. You can’t really compare this to anything. I think some of the events that I had leading up to this have prepared me a lot for this moment. But it’s the Stanley Cup final and you really can’t compare anything to it.”

On the list of players who need to be better, Caufield’s name should not be anywhere near the top. None of Montreal’s kids — including Nick Suzuki, who had the lone goal in Game 2 — should be. There are plenty of others who are being paid more to produce. Players who have been here before. Players who haven’t been pulling their weight.

Tyler Toffoli, who led the Habs with 28 goals in the regular season, has gone six games without a goal. Josh Anderson, whose 17 goals were the second-most on the team, has gone five games without scoring. The last time Brendan Gallagher found the back of the net was in Game 1 against the Jets. That was a month ago for the team’s highest-paid forward, who had 14 goals this year.

Caufield’s most recent goal came in Game 6 against Vegas, when he got the last laugh in a tit-for-tat against Robin Lehner and buried a wrist shot for his fourth goal of the playoffs.

Since then, he and the rest of the team have run up against a brick wall named Andrei Vasilevskiy, who allowed one goal in Game 1 and then stopped 41 of 42 shots in Game 2.

“Obviously, some bounces didn’t go our way, but that’s hockey. You’ve got to move on and deal with it,” said Caufield, who had two shots in each of the first two games against Tampa Bay.

“No, I don’t think you need the perfect shot right now in this situation. I think we’ve got to stick to what works and that’s doing the right things that we can, what we can control. Get people in front of him so he can’t see it, getting rebounds, getting guys to the net, stuff like that, just winning our battles.

“Obviously, he’s a really special goaltender and he’s really hot right now. So we’ve got to keep finding ways to get it past him. And I’m sure at some point we will.”

Caufield has every right to believe that the puck will eventually find the back of the net. It’s not as if he isn’t getting chances — his wrist shot on the power play on Wednesday night just missed the top corner — or that he hasn’t faced good goaltending before. 1216794 Vegas Golden Knights Benefits: A VIP experience at a home game, including a behind-the- scenes tour at T-Mobile Arena, a Zamboni ride, the chance to watch warmups from the penalty box and two tickets.

Golden Knights create 1st NFTs, put 7 up for auction An artwork inspired by the sugar skulls associated with the Mexican Día de Muertos celebration, with subtle hockey elements added.

Benefits: A 2021 Latino Heritage jersey and two tickets to a 2021-22 By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal home game.

Sevens

The Golden Knights took their first plunge into the non-fungible token, or An animated slot machine landing on sevens with Knights coins pouring NFT, space Thursday. out.

The Knights created eight NFTs and made seven available in a 48-hour Benefits: A 777 treasure chest from the team’s gold jersey unveiling and auction at Crypto.com/NFT. The auction ends at 9 a.m. Saturday. The two tickets to a 2021-22 home game. seven NFTs available come with extra benefits, such as tickets to a home game or a jersey. They started the auction priced at $2,000 or Chrome Dome $2,500. The Knights’ gold helmet with the number 21 to represent the 2021 The Knights’ eighth NFT is a digital-only version of their “Gold Drip” coin season. that features the same logo as the one at center ice at T-Mobile Arena. Benefits: A gold helmet and two tickets to a 2021-22 home game. There are 1,500 copies available for $50 each until 9 a.m. Sunday. Swag Sweater An NFT, as Knights chief marketing officer Brian Killingsworth said, is “basically a digital collectible.” It’s a unique “one-of-one” object that in the The Knights’ gold jersey with the phrase “always advance, never retreat” sports world is akin to an online piece of memorabilia. on the collar.

The Knights are believed to be one of the first NHL teams to have their Benefits: A gold jersey and two tickets to a 2021-22 home game. own NFTs. The New Jersey Devils became the league’s first team to enter the space in May. Red Light Special

“We take a tremendous amount of pride in trying to be first in a lot of The Knights’ red reverse retro jersey. areas,” Killingsworth said. “It’s kind of like our MO to try to be unique and Benefits: A red jersey and two tickets to a 2021-22 home game. first.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 07.02.2021 The Knights prepared for Thursday’s drop for nine weeks.

They knew their fan base probably would be drawn to NFTs because of how successful their physical collectibles have been. Killingsworth said the team’s game-day posters have been a success, and he saw the gold figurine of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury that was given away this year was being resold online for $300.

The NFTs felt like a natural next step, Killingsworth said. They were made in-house. The Knights came up with the idea of pairing each digital item with a physical benefit to make the experience more accessible and make their first drop unique.

“Our goal in this was to blend the excitement of the crypto community with our Golden Knights fan base,” Killingsworth said. “By marrying the physical with the digital, we think our NFTs are a nice blend of both.”

The Knights are hopping onto a growing trend with the auction.

The popularity of NFTs has boomed in 2021. That includes in sports. The Golden State Warriors became the first pro sports team to create their own in April. The NBA has NBA Top Shot, where fans can collect digital artwork of highlights from their favorite players.

Individual players also have entered the space. Dallas Stars center Tyler Seguin and Calgary Flames left wing Matthew Tkachuk have released their own digital collectibles.

The Knights don’t intend this to be a one-time thing, either

“We felt pretty strongly we wanted to come out of the gate with some of our strongest items from last year and convert them into digital,” Killingsworth said. “Our goal is to continue to have future drops now that we’ve learned about the marketplace.”

Here are descriptions for the seven NFTs up for auction:

Shoot Your Shot

Pucks laid out on a black ice surface with a Knights’ branded gold puck standing out from the rest of the group.

Benefits: A full set of warmup pucks from the 2021 season and two tickets to a 2021-22 home game.

Vegas Baby

The words “Vegas Born” above the Strip. 1216795 Vegas Golden Knights The biggest domino for the Golden Knights will be deciding whether to go forward with Marc-André Fleury, who’ll get paid $7 million next season, or Robin Lehner, who’ll cost $5 million. Choosing the 36-year-old Fleury would have sounded outrageous a year ago, but he’s now coming off a Knights WATCH: Expect another active offseason from Vegas career year and headed into the final season of his contract.

Fleury has also rehabilitated his trade value—which is further increased by his expiring deal—but he has said he doesn’t want to be traded. By Case Keefer Lehner, meanwhile, is on a relatively cheap deal that runs four more years and might be attractive to suitors, but he sounds like he’s found a long-sought home in Vegas. A common criticism of the Vegas Golden Knights while they thrived during their inaugural regular season four years ago was that their style There’s some talk that the Golden Knights could keep both goalies again, would never work in the playoffs. Those predictions proved to be wildly but DeBoer alluded to next season being “a different story” without the wrong, as the team outpaced external expectations and waltzed to the COVID-forced condensed schedule the team used to justify its Stanley Cup Final before losing to an uber-talented, in-their-prime uncommon goaltending payout this year. Either Fleury’s or Lehner’s Washington Capitals squad. feelings will likely get hurt, but there’s no way around that if Vegas wants to get better. No one really accuses the Golden Knights of not being built for the postseason anymore, but ironically, the allegation might have more merit That’s especially true if the Golden Knights hope to get involved with the now than ever before, considering how the past two years have played biggest-name players who might be available, and history indicates they out. For the second straight season, the Golden Knights fell in the do. Former No. 1 overall pick Jack Eichel (currently with Buffalo), semifinals to a more physical, defensive-minded team when the Montreal onetime Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall (Boston) and power-play Canadiens eliminated them in six games. specialist Patrik Laine (Columbus) could all be playing for new teams next season. The past two seasons’ playoff losses to Montreal and Dallas were painful and somewhat shocking, but some perspective is necessary before Any of those three players, and probably several other options, might bashing Vegas too much for falling short. The Golden Knights have put help solve the offensive problems that have led to the Golden Knights’ together two great seasons in a row—collectively better than every team untimely demise the past two years. It would require something of a in the NHL apart from Tampa Bay—but not great enough for an roster makeover, but the Golden Knights haven’t shied away from that in organization that was openly on a championship-or-bust quest. the past and shouldn’t get gun-shy about doing so now. Passivity cost Vegas on the ice, and with a championship in sight, this team can’t afford “We’ve made progress. I think we were better than we were a year ago,” a similarly languid attack in the offseason. coach Pete DeBoer said in his season-ending news conference. “We were better equipped to win tough games in the playoffs than we were a “You tweak from both a coaching point of view and personnel point of year ago, and we’ve got to keep moving that forward. I love this group. I view to make yourself better,” DeBoer said. “You decide the guys you love this city. I love the environment at the rink, I love the fans and their can win with and the guys you can move on from and keep the process passion, and I love the group of men. Unfortunately, when you don’t win, moving forward.” that never stays the same.” LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 07.02.2021 Vegas needs to make significant changes this offseason to maximize its Stanley Cup chances going forward. Championship windows are notoriously fragile and prone to shatter before their expected expiration date if a team gets too attached to certain players or too complacent about exploring potential options to upgrade.

Luckily for Vegas fans, those haven’t been significant problems for the Golden Knights. The franchise’s brain trust—President of Hockey Operations George McPhee and general manager Kelly McCrimmon— has consistently displayed the level of aggressiveness, and callousness, required to succeed in the modern-day NHL. And no one in the organization seems to believe they will suddenly soften heading into this offseason.

“We can’t take a step back; we can’t take things for granted,” captain Mark Stone said. “There are so many teams out there that would love to be in our situation, and they’re trying to fight and play hard to get into our situation. I’m excited for next year. I know they’re going to do everything they can to make this team better.”

Stone has taken responsibility for the team’s latest premature exit, and it wasn’t some hollow gesture or a way to take the heat off his teammates. He deserves significant blame for failing to register a single point— leading a troubling trend that has seen the Golden Knights fall apart offensively when it matters most for two straight seasons.

Still, the 29-year-old Stone is the closest thing the Golden Knights have to a superstar, and perhaps the only absolute lock to return to the roster next season. Given the way DeBoer likes to structure his teams with offensive defensemen, Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo are also pretty certain to be back.

The Golden Knights have only three unrestricted free agents: defenseman Alec Martinez, forward Tomas Nosek and forward Mattias Janmark. Nearly everyone else on the roster has been the subject of trade rumors at one point or another. The franchise would likely move anyone in the right deal or to create requisite cap space for a splashy signing.

Speaking of the cap, the Golden Knights have only $6 million of open space right now, but Vegas has more flexibility than that figure might indicate, largely because of its goalie situation. 1216796 Vegas Golden Knights

Foley Inc.: Vegas Golden Knights Owner Creates LLC To Oversee His Entertainment Properties

From LVSportsBiz.com:

Vegas Golden Knights majority owner Bill Foley has a new official business organization to oversee his portfolio of entertainment properties and businesses.

It’s Foley Entertainment Group LLC, which manages the Vegas Golden Knights, Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas Indoor Football Team, City National Arena, Lifeguard Arena, the Dollar Loan Center, the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, Hotel Le Mars and Chalkboard Restaurant in Healdsburg, California, a 5-star hotel under contract in Santa Barbara, Whitefish Mountain in Whitefish, Montana, a number of other assets and any future acquisitions.

Foley will be chairman of the Foley Entertainment Group with Golden Knights President and Chief Operating Officer Kerry Bubolz serving as Co-CEO alongside Randy Morton.

We reported in May that Foley was going to create an umbrella group to oversee his entertainment properties.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216797 Vegas Golden Knights Might Enter the Conversation: William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Alex Tuch, Nicholas Roy, Keegan Kolesar, Peyton Krebs – Total Cap Space $17.125M

Vegas Golden Knights Trade Block Projections for This Summer I’m Listening: Reilly Smith, Chandler Stephenson, Ryan Reaves, William Carrier – Total Cap Space $11,794,167.00

Defense By Dan Kingerski On defense, there’s a big decision looming with Alec Martinez. I think Vegas is where he ends up, and it might take a three-year deal to make it happen. If the contract can be strong in the first two seasons perhaps As it stands today, the Vegas Golden Knights have 19 players on the with a lower number in year three to help pull the AAV down, that might roster. Twelve forwards, five defensemen and two goalies. With more work. Remember, cash is different from cap. That said, he’s not included players left to sign and potential trades to be made, they have roughly here. $5.2M in open cap space. It’s definitely not enough room to re-sign everyone from last year’s team who might be UFA or RFA this season. Unlikely to Move: Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore – Total Cap Space $14M Something has to give. Someone has to go. But who? Might Enter the Conversation: Zach Whitecloud, Nicolas Hague – Total DECISION CENTRAL Cap Space $1,516,667.00 I’ve seen my share of war rooms and have talked to a lot of executives I’m Listening: Brayden McNabb – Total Cap Space $2.5M on trade deadlines or draft days. It’s taught me a few things: Goaltending 1 – Whatever the coach, GM, agent, or player say at the moment may be true. It may not. But even if it is true, it’s only true for that moment. Five This is the most-talked-about situation on the team. Marc-Andre Fleury minutes later it all could change. and Robin Lehner are a lot of money tied up in two starting-caliber goaltenders. They support each other and have become friends. Fleury is 2 – Everyone has a contingency plan. Don’t believe anyone who says the face of the franchise and has full owner support in his request to stay “we never considered another course of action” when it comes to and retire as a Vegas Golden Knights icon. Lehner was signed to a deal personnel moves. They’ve considered the alternatives. There is usually a that was meant to declare him the starter for the next five years, and then strong Plan A unless there’s a divided house over how to proceed on a combination of inconsistent play and injuries saw him a clear number something. What team management tells you at that moment is the two choice this year. strong Plan A, but there’s always a B, C and maybe even a D. The corollary to this is if management won’t tip its hand that’s because either There is no easy answer or category for either of these guys. If someone there is no strong Plan A or you’re touching on something that could calls, I’m listening. But I don’t know if they’re actively being shopped. affect the plan if revealed. Either way, this will be a really tough situation and the VGK might just have to suck it up for one more year… or move a goalie and get Logan 3 – Not everyone agrees on what’s best for the team, and it can get Thompson into the NHL rotation a year early. political. I’ve seen the house divided regarding players to trade for or draft. I’ve seen a team stay stubborn and after deciding they want a Total Cap Space $12M specific player go ask internal advice on that player that came back negative. Then make the deal anyway because that’s what they had ANALYSIS already decided. You give the power to one person for a reason: The contracts (not players) I think Vegas would most like to offload are accountability. Ultimately that person must decide to go with their gut or Fleury, Reaves, Smith and McNabb. This has less to do with the players compromise. themselves as opposed to the space those deals take up against the 4 – Relationships are everything in the game. When you feel like your cap. Fleury’s deal has nothing to do with actual on-ice performance, team has a typical “trade partner” or two that’s because of the while I think the other three contracts would be better values with more relationship between the two decision-makers. Trust matters when return. That said, these are my four most-likely-to-be-moved guys making deals and swapping assets. You might be sold a defective because of money. product once, but if you are, you’re never going back to that store again. After that, I think you have to give up another big deal to get something It’s also the reason I don’t think you see many offer sheets. No one wants big back. Marchessault and Stephenson are those players for me. to cross someone else. They might need their help later on. Marchessault I put here because he’s $5M in cap for another three Given all of these things, it also helps to have a strong vision and culture seasons, while Stephenson is $2.75M for another three years. I think in your organization. If you don’t, it’s easy to get lost along the way. Stephenson has been a tremendous value for the VGK, but if they’re going to acquire a top center, he seems like the odd man out. If GM Kelly McCrimmon has been unflinching in his determination to do Stephenson stays and the Golden Knights go for a big-time overhaul, what he feels will make the team better. Between the moves George then perhaps Karlsson has his name floated as the guy to go. He’s McPhee made when still wearing the GM hat and McCrimmon, the $5.9M for the next five years, and while I think that’s a perfectly adequate Golden Knights have been aggressive, trading prospects for quality contract for him and his production, it represents the room that might be current NHLers and building a winning nucleus in Vegas. Max Pacioretty, needed for the last big fish. Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, Alec Martinez and Robin Lehner were all added to bolster a squad that showed the potential to compete for the Finally, I do think that for whatever reason at least the coaching staff has Stanley Cup on a regular basis right out of the gate. already passed judgment on Cody Glass and he will be shopped. I like Glass and I’ll continue to be a supporter of his. I know he didn’t have a Now, the Golden Knights are in a situation where cap room is tight and five-on-five goal and his skating has to improve, but those are things that moves will likely have to be made in the form of trades to open up cap can be improved on. You can’t make a guy smarter or give him better room and keep some of the more desirable players. Here’s a look at how hands and Glass is good to go there. He also scored all four goals on the players might be viewed via the trade block this summer. power play and has a nose for the net. Players willing to pay that price and show success in those areas are hard to come by. I think he could Forwards become a Patric Hornqvist-type player, and Patric is a guy I always want Up front, there’s a lot to like about the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s on my team. tempting to look at every contract or player and justify why they should Expect the Vegas Golden Knights to make moves and be active leading stay. But if there’s anything I can say for how GM Kelly McCrimmon has up to the draft and free agency. Keep in mind some teams may want to gone about making moves, it’s that very few players should get make moves prior to the expansion draft to make decisions easier on comfortable. who to protect, and others may stall to see who is taken by the Seattle Note: This applies only to players currently signed to a contract. Also, Kraken. The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft takes place on July 21, 2021. Cody Glass is not considered to be on the roster in this exercise. Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 07.02.2021 Unlikely to Move: Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone – Total Cap Space $16.5M 1216798 Washington Capitals

How will the Capitals get younger?

BY J.J. REGAN & ANDREW GILLIS

With a flat salary cap, some expiring contracts and the Seattle expansion draft, this is going to be a busy offseason for the Capitals. To get you ready, Capitals writers Andrew Gillis and JJ Regan are breaking down the biggest offseason questions with their thoughts.

Today's question: How will the Caps get younger?

Andrew: I’ve mentioned this a few times already, but I think the answers seemingly everyone wants aren’t going to come true. I don't think a major youth movement is about to overtake the Capitals.

General manager Brian MacLellan has said he believes this team can still compete at a level to win the Stanley Cup, and although he only specifically mentioned Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin aren’t on the table in trade talks, shipping out still talented veteran players simply for the sake of getting younger might be bad business.

The Capitals’ core is locked in, and, absent a handful of major trades, the team is probably going to look very similar next season. The lone exception appears to be the Evgeny Kuznetsov trade question, which still may not end up coming to pass.

Instead, I think the Capitals get younger on the edges, just as I said they’ll look to get cheaper. Assuming they hang onto both goaltenders with an Ilya Samsonov extension, they’ll have a pair of young and cheap goalies. Defensemen Martin Fehervary and Alexander Alexeyev appear ready to make the leap from the AHL, as does center Connor McMichael.

The Capitals will have a few exit ramps with NHL-ready players in the AHL, but I think we’re still looking at a very veteran team next year. Zdeno Chara will likely be gone, but don't expect this team to be the youngest in the league all of the sudden.

JJ: The caveat I will give to this question is that it does you no good to force prospects into the lineup who are not ready or who just flat out are not as good as the veterans they are replacing. The unfortunate truth is that the team just does not have many high-caliber prospects in the system for a sudden refresh of the roster.

With that in mind, at a minimum, the Caps have to get Martin Fehervary onto the roster and into an everyday role. We keep getting told he is ready to make that jump so let's see it. With all due respect to Zdeno Chara who is a Hall of Fame player, I don't see how the team could justify re-signing a 44-year-old player if it means keeping the 21-year-old Fehervary out. At this point, there's no other way to look at it other than an indictment of Fehervary. Either he's ready, or he's not.

I think it is also time Daniel Sprong sticks as a middle-six player rather than someone who goes in and out. Goal scoring is the hardest thing to do in hockey and Sprong does it. I understand he does not provide much defensively, I understand it is hard to justify third-line minutes for a player who won't play on the top power-play unit or on the penalty kill, but goals win games and he can provide those even in limited minutes. Give him defensive linemates, work on his defensive acumen, but he needs to play.

Beck Malenstyn was going to have a legitimate shot at a fourth-line role if an injury did not keep him out for the entire 2021 season. Do not forget about him.

Beyond that, I think it will be a matter of plugging players in on call-ups and seeing who sticks. Other players I see as possible call-ups next season are Connor McMichael, Brett Leason, Garrett Pilon, Alex Alexeyev, Bobby Nardella and maybe Axel Jonsson-Fjallby.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216799 Websites negotiations had gone cold and that the KHL is a viable threat. “I’m not really worried about it. We have a long time ‘til we get going again, so there’s no real rush. Nothing’s gone cold with me, I’ll tell you that. … That tweet was just kind of out of left field. I can’t worry about that stuff.” – The Athletic / NHL offseason tracker: Jack Eichel’s agent talks to Sabres Michael Russo (June 25) GM, plus trades, signings and news around the league The market for Jack Eichel

Defenseman Seth Jones is likely to be traded this summer after informing By Sarah Goldstein Jul 1, 2021 the Blue Jackets in May that he won’t sign a contract extension and he wants to pursue unrestricted free agency after next season. But there

have been reports in recent days that the Blue Jackets are heavily Keep track of all the trades, rumors and signings during the busiest time involved in discussions with the Buffalo Sabres, along with the Anaheim in the NHL calendar. This page will update through the start of free Ducks, Minnesota Wild and surely others, to acquire Jack Eichel. agency on July 28 (the start of free agency this year), so check back It doesn’t appear that the Blue Jackets — at least as of today — are in frequently. hot pursuit of Eichel. Has Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen had Viktor Arvidsson traded to Kings conversations with his counterpart in Buffalo, Kevyn Adams? Yes. That’s what high-ranking executives call “due diligence.” Earlier this week, The Los Angeles Kings acquired Viktor Arvidsson from the Nashville Kekalainen said he spoke with “six or seven” GMs in a single day. -Aaron Predators. The Predators received a second-round pick in the 2021 draft Portzline (June 24) and a third-round pick in the 2022 draft. (July 1) Key dates for the NHL offseason Jack Eichel, Sabres ‘heading towards a resolution’ Dates to keep in mind: Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said regarding trades, he’s looking at “anything and everything” and conversations are happening every day. • July 13: Deadline to ask a player to waive no-move clause for the sole He also said he had a long talk with Jack Eichel‘s agent Wednesday but purpose of being exposed in the expansion draft. didn’t divulge details. • 24 hours after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final: First buyout He added that the Sabres have not changed their mind: No neck surgery. period begins.

In response to Adams’ comments, Eichel’s agent told The Athletic: “We • July 16: Last day to put player on waivers prior to the expansion draft have definitely been communicating with the team and we are heading freeze. towards a resolution.” -John Vogl (July 1) • July 16: Deadline for players to agree to waive their no-move clause for Sources: Coyotes to hire Andre Tourigny as head coach the expansion draft.

The Arizona Coyotes are hiring Andre Tourigny of Hockey Canada as • July 17-22: Trade freeze. Seattle is allowed to make trades with any their next head coach, sources confirmed to The Athletic. Tourigny will club during this time. sign a three-year deal, sources said. • July 17: At 5 p.m. ET, firm deadline for each club to submit its Tourigny, 47, served as an assistant during Team Canada’s victory at the expansion draft protection list. World Championship last month. He spent the last four seasons leading • July 18: Opening of the RFA/UFA interview period for Seattle. the Ottawa 67s in the Ontario Hockey League, winning the Matt Leyden Trophy as the OHL’s coach of the year in consecutive years. He has also • July 21: There’s a 10 a.m. ET deadline for Seattle to submit its been an assistant in the NHL with the Senators and Avalanche. Tourigny expansion draft selections and any contracts for pending RFAs/UFAs replaces Rick Tocchet, who parted ways with the team in May after they’ve signed during the interview period. (Selections announced at 8 Arizona missed the postseason. The Coyotes finished 24-26-6, a year p.m. ET) after snapping a seven-season postseason drought. -Pierre LeBrun (July 1) • July 23-24: NHL Draft

Seth Jones trade interest • July 26: Deadline for qualifying offers.

Two league sources said that the Colorado Avalanche were kicking • July 27: First buyout period ends at 5 p.m. ET. A team’s ability to offer around the idea of renting out Seth Jones for a year in a trade with an eight-year max deal to its own pending UFA expires at 11:59 p.m. ET Columbus and going all-in for the Cup next season. The Philadelphia • July 28: Opening of free agency at noon ET. Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks probably make more sense for Jones. They’ve got the parts to make a deal work. But if Jackets GM Jarmo The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 Kekalainen wants Jones dealt West … -Pierre LeBrun (June 30)

Maple Leafs approach Frederik Andersen’s camp

Claude Lemieux, the agent for pending UFA netminder Frederick Anderson said that Leafs management has reached out recently to ask if Andersen had interest in returning. And the answer from Lemieux to the Leafs was yes. -Pierre LeBrun (June 30)

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins re-signs with Oilers

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins signed an eight-year, $41 million extension with the Edmonton Oilers. The max-term, $5.125 million AAV deal also contains a full no-movement clause, The Athletic has confirmed. (June 29)

Kirill Kaprizov contract talks with Wild

The Wild are currently working to extend Kirill Kaprizov’s contract, but as of now, he’s seeking a short-term deal while the Wild would prefer to sign him long-term. There’s a worry that the KHL could swoop in and try to bring him back, but GM Bill Guerin did his best to diffuse that situation last week.

“I thought everything was going fine. I mean, that was news to me,” Guerin said of a tweet by NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes insinuating that 1216800 Websites heard some great things in between the benches and some first-hand information down there.”

Turner Sports and ESPN are both planning on using between-the- The Athletic / Shapiro: As the torch-passing to ESPN and Turner begins, benches analysts in their coverage, while the majority of local broadcasts don’t forget all that NBC brought to the NHL also had a broadcaster at ice level before the COVID-19 pandemic altered what was allowed when it came to placement of non-players within the rink.

By Sean Shapiro Jul 1, 2021 Brian Boucher took over as the No. 1 rinkside analyst this season for NBC and will likely have a similar role with ESPN next season.

“It’s a unique area to watch a game and try to analyze from,” Boucher TAMPA, Fla. — Steve Levy and Barry Melrose watched from Section 319 said. “You can’t pretend like you see everything. You certainly see the at Amalie Arena on Wednesday as the Tampa Bay Lightning took a 2-0 game a lot better from upstairs with how games develop and what not. series lead against the Montreal Canadiens. But you also get a feel down at ice level for the speed of the game and For the considerable future, it’s the last time any ESPN broadcasters will the temperature of the game … I think it’s great to be part of a three- be relegated to the auxiliary press area of a Stanley Cup Final. As rights person broadcast when you can’t get the perspective from upstairs and a holders, ESPN broadcasters soon will be treated like kings and queens different one downstairs.” when it comes to media placement at hockey’s championship series. It’s a role that was pioneered by Pierre McGuire, who for better or worse, This Stanley Cup Final is serving as a torch-passing moment for the NHL will be synonymous with NBC’s era of NHL coverage. and its national television deals in the United States, which begin next While McGuire’s schtick and ability to rattle off where a player played season. junior may have grown old — so old that neither Turner nor ESPN have NBC, for at least two more games, still has top billing and is capping a shown interest in hiring him — his work as the guinea pig between the 16-year run as the sole national television provider. NBC logos still adorn benches for NBC was at one point groundbreaking and completely the primary press box locations and the trucks outside Amalie Arena, but altered the industry, while also creating 40 to 50 broadcasting jobs as once the Cup is lifted, the event will move to ESPN and Turner Sports, local broadcasts started to try to adopt the approach. which have both signed seven-year deals and will rotate airing the Senior Vice President Mark Gross is running the hockey initiative for Stanley Cup Final, starting with ESPN in 2022. ESPN moving forward He’s on-site in Tampa for the Final and has been It’s a key development for the league on several levels. Financially, the complimentary of how NBC covered the game during its time as the deals represent a major boost, as ESPN will pay $2.8 billion to carry the rights holders. A package and the out-of-market streaming platform on ESPN+, while “I think their hockey coverage is excellent,” Gross said. “In the studio, it’s Turner Sports is sending the NHL $1.57 billion over the same time span really good. The games are really good. … We will be adopting some of for the B package. the things they’ve done.” That’s not enough to unflatten the salary cap at this point, mind you, but But that’s also just a building block for ESPN and Turner, both of which it’s still a major financial boost after the league missed out on more than have an opportunity to use what worked with NBC and what didn’t. $3.6 billion revenue this past season, and a jump after NBC had paid the NHL $2 billion for 10 years of the sole national TV package. Gross said he wants ESPN’s coverage to better utilize analytics and the “metrics that the teams use to determine success” in coverage of both It was also a move that the NHL needed for vindication, to prove it truly games and on ancillary programming like SportsCenter. That effort has remains one of the so-called big four sports in the United States. The already gotten a soft launch, with ESPN trying to find ways to fit more measure of a major sports league in the United States is one that has analytical breakdowns into SportsCenter coverage of the Stanley Cup multiple national television partners and is important enough to be carried Final. by ESPN, which still holds clout as the sports leader in the country. ESPN and Turner are also likely both going to borrow elements of Turner Sports isn’t the “sports bar default,” as an NHL executive has broadcasts that have worked for other sports. called ESPN, but it does hold more cultural sway and Turner channels TBS or TNT — unlike NBC Sports — are typically easy to find and are Both networks have taken big swings on Hockey Hall of Fame players, carried by more television providers than NBCSN. with Turner landing Wayne Gretzky and ESPN getting Mark Messier, but how well that will translate to broadcast success is the key question. While it’s easy to take shots at NBC on the way out, the network played a Gretzky and Messier aren’t fountains of personality like Charles Barkley significant role in shaping the league for the better. brings to Turner on its NBA broadcasts, and some industry observers are “I think NBC has done such a remarkable job presenting the game to the worried that without the proper setup it could be a flop for both. U.S. audience,” said Kenny Albert, who is doing this Final for NBC and This new era of broadcasting could also signal the addition of a rules will call games for Turner. “I think when the history books are written on analyst on NHL broadcasts. This has become common practice in NFL, the NBC era with the NHL over the 15 years, I think the entire network NBA and soccer broadcasts, but it’s been lacking in the NHL space. And has so much to be proud of.” given how much scrutiny officials have been under in this year’s playoffs, Particularly, the NHL’s marquee regular-season event, the Winter it almost makes too much sense that ESPN or Turner could be trying to Classic, was born out of a collaboration between the league and NBC. find a former referee to add to their broadcast lineup before next season. The Winter Classic has been the NHL’s most-watched non-Stanley Cup Overall, it’s a unique final series for NBC. Broadcasters will be allowed to game since its inception, and each season the games represent cross the border for games in Montreal, but the production crew will anywhere from $5 to $10 million in revenue for the league depending on remain in Tampa for the duration of the series because of border the size of the venue. restrictions. In a way, that’s fitting for a network that took over primary Turner Sports will take over airing the Winter Classic in 2022, with the broadcasting roles after a lockout, and witnessed its cable channel game scheduled for Minnesota, while Turner is also expected to handle change names multiple times, from Outdoor Life Network to Versus and the other outdoor games, like the Stadium Series in Nashville. NBC may eventually NBC Sports Network, which was shortened to NBCSN, an be gone, but an idea hatched in collaboration with the peacock network acronym that technically stood for nothing. will continue to be one of the league’s biggest money-making endeavors. And at this time next year, ESPN will be running the show in its first NBC will also have a lasting impact on how the game is covered. After Stanley Cup Final since 2004. NBC will be an afterthought by then, but it the creation of the Winter Classic, the between-the-benches analyst role will be a piece of league history that’s impossible to ignore. will be one of the longest legacies of the NBC era on both a national and The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 regional level.

“The credit has to go Sam Flood, our executive producer,” NBCSN coordinating producer John McGuinness said. “He came up with the inside-the-glass position … that’s really opened up the game. We’ve 1216801 Websites And on the next clip, he also uses his stick to make the stop, then makes a heads-up pass to his forward for a dangerous rush chance that draws a penalty.

The Athletic / What prospect Brandt Clarke’s skating questions mean for The question for these purposes, however, is how some of this will the NHL team that drafts him project into the NHL and his future development.

“See all the crossovers?” the source said. “In the NHL, when you cross like that, Brayden Point’s going to cross you up.” By Max Bultman Jul 1, 2021 And again, good luck finding an 18-year-old who Brayden Point wouldn’t cross up right now. Clarke has plenty of runway in front of him to adapt to the growing challenges he will face as he rises levels. But if tasked with OHL defenseman Brandt Clarke is regarded as one of the top prospects defending a speedier player, with a better chip, that play could have in the 2021 NHL Draft — a strong candidate to be picked inside the top ended differently for Clarke and Canada. 10 on July 23. The Athletic’s final draft boards each have him slotted well within that range, with Scott Wheeler ranking Clarke third overall, and Clarke can work on the backward skating, and surely whichever NHL Corey Pronman rating him eighth in the class, on the bubble of projecting team drafts him will seek to do that. The source also made the point that, to the top or middle of an NHL lineup. beyond the technique, there are some tactical decisions Clarke could make to help cover any remaining weakness, too. A 6-foot-2, right-handed shooting defenseman, Clarke has produced at the top of his age group in the OHL, as well as in Slovakia this past “Any time somebody has more speed than him and he’s in a season, where he played against men. Pronman called him “a dynamic disadvantage, that’s when he gets exposed,” the source said. “So, if he player with the puck because of his puck skills and playmaking ability.” can skate faster forward than he can backwards, try and defend forward Wheeler described him as playing a “free-flowing, fearless, aggressive as much as (he can).” roving style that keeps opposing players guessing.” A junior coach even told Wheeler he thought Clarke was “the best D (he’s) coached against,” Essentially, that means angling forward and keeping attackers outside, calling him “special.” giving him a chance to close on the play skating forward. As a byproduct, it would also leave him well-positioned to win a race to a puck retrieval if For all these reasons, Clarke figures to be one of the first players off the the player chips it past him. board come draft day. Like nearly all 18-year-old hockey players, though, he carries a question mark. And Clarke’s is his skating. A partial example of this actually popped up from one of Clarke’s teammates later in the game. Watch No. 25 at the blue line. Instead of For the team that drafts Clarke, that question mark will quickly turn into a pivoting to skate backward to defend, he protects the passing lane with task for the franchise’s development staff: working on technical elements his stick, and angles his body so he can close on the skater if he walks and adding strength, as well as making tactical adjustments. the puck in. Instead, it ends up being a dump-in.

Clarke’s track record is long, dating back to when he was the fourth pick “If (the Russian forward with the puck) were to skate down, he’d kill it,” in the 2019 OHL draft. But a close look into his most recent game, the source said. “But since he chips it, he doesn’t have to pivot again. Canada’s gold medal win over Russia at the U18 World Championship, He’ll just go get it.” offers some good visuals into where his skating is now, what challenges may be in store and what may be able to be improved as he rises levels Here’s a clip of Erik Karlsson doing exactly that against a rush: and develops. This isn’t meant to nitpick Clarke, just to provide a window into some of In the clips below, Clarke is No. 5 in red. the things an NHL team may look at with Clarke once they’ve drafted him. One of the first things you notice about Clarke, especially when skating backward, is how wide his feet are set. That can leave him in an From the mix of plays above, it seems Clarke has found ways to use his awkward position to recover. In this clip, he also leans way forward into a stick disruptively, but he may end up more vulnerable when defending cross-check, trying to impede his man after swiping at the puck. backward against speed at higher levels. And to the source’s point, some of that could be mitigated with stylistic tweaks. Other aspects, though, It’s not Clarke’s fault here that the puck takes an unlucky bounce right could require mechanical work and adding strength in the coming years. onto the stick of the Russian forward, who quickly wires it for a goal. But his man also gets by him, and if that shot had ended in a rebound to the Along those lines are his pivoting, stops and starts. goalie’s right side, his man still may have gotten a clean look. At the 1:59 mark on the clock here, especially, you can see the wide “When you’re super wide and then hunched over, or fully committed, stance, and the minimal push he gets as he tries to get to the loose puck. you’re not in a position to do the next thing,” explained a league source “This is too wide,” the source said, noting that it prevents Clarke from who has worked in player development. “It’s all in on this cross-check or pushing off harder. And part of it, again, is a strength issue, which can be this poke check, and if I don’t get it (I’m in trouble).” aided by time in the gym. The source agreed to look over a few clips from Clarke’s most recent Below is another clip where Clarke’s explosiveness leaves a bit to be game to share a development perspective on Clarke. And in the process, desired. You can see the difference in how quickly his teammate (No. 22) Clarke’s backward skating and pivoting became a theme. gets moving. At times, defending the rush stood out as a potential vulnerability — even Again, this is more about the development arc still ahead of Clarke than on plays in which Clarke was able to get by at the junior level. nit-picking the 18-year-old over a few moments. And it’s certainly not “He’s so wide and deep,” the source said of this clip. “What happens if meant to ignore the positives that have Clarke rated so highly. that guy cuts to the middle on him? Like the guys that play like that, Here’s a play, for example, where Clarke gets out and leads the rush, where they’re wide and they’re pot-committed, are like Brooks Orpik. then makes the simple play and earns an assist. He’s 6-3, 220. It’s a big body to run into.” Here’s another where he moves laterally across the blue line and gets Clarke, for what it’s worth, is listed at 6-foot-2 by NHL Central Scouting, one of the defenders covering him to fall over. which gives him the frame to add to his current 185-pound weight. But certainly, the hit he lays here does not exactly conjure visions of Orpik. “Great. Fucking awesome. Awesome,” the league source said. “He’s And while on this play he does take (and get) the body, and allow his under pressure, taps it to the forehand, he’s moving, shaves ice. Look teammates to then overwhelm the other attacking forward, Clarke’s man what he did to (the defender). That’s gold.” is still able to complete his pass and stay on his feet — although Clarke certainly slows him down. Here’s the still frame of the end result

Still, bone-crushing hits are hardly the only element of defending. Below, And here’s a play from a different game in the same tournament, where the source noted that Clarke uses a good gap and active stick to knock Clarke is under pressure at his own goal line, but uses a crafty play to get the puck off the attacker immediately, forcing a turnover and springing out of it, creates time and space by passing to his defense partner, then Canada in transition. gets it back and baits the defender with a fake to create a wide-open lane for a stretch pass that leads to an assist.

Plays like this speak to something Barrie assistant GM Rob Stewart told me about Clarke’s skating when we spoke earlier this spring.

“I also think it’s part of his game,” Stewart said. “He’s not your typical smooth, flow-y skater, but I think that lends to the deception that he plays with. I think that at times, opponents will think they’ve got him in a spot where they can check him, and he seems to find a way to get out of it. I don’t see it as as big of an issue as what some people do.”

Especially with the puck, there’s a real logic to that. But defensively, especially when going backward and pivoting, the team that drafts Clarke may need to plan for adjustments to his technique, and possibly tactics, in addition to strength.

But again, that’s going to be true (to varying degrees) about some part of the game for virtually every prospect in the draft. So if you’re looking for a window into the practical adjustments that come after a high draft pick is made, Clarke and his skating will be a good one to monitor in the coming years.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.02.2021 1216802 Websites "The series is still a long way from being over. Clearly, I remember that being on the other side," Staal said. "Back in ’06, it got all the way to Game 7 — and anybody knows anything can happen in Game 7."

Sportsnet.ca / Why Canadiens believe Stanley Cup Final is ‘a long way Canadiens assistant coach Alex Burrows knows too well. from being over’ Burrows is the club’s link to the last Canadian franchise to make it this far.

Luke Fox July 1, 2021, 3:19 PM Following Wednesday’s hard-luck loss, Burrows walked into the coach’s room and reminded Luke Richardson that the Vancouver Canucks were up 2-0 to the Boston Bruins in 2011… and we all know how that ended.

Well before he pulled on the sweater, Eric Staal already had a good "You gotta be careful you don’t get overconfident, because they ended grasp of what this all means. up losing that series," Richardson said. "So, we got to keep that in mind."

Way back in 2006 — the first and only other time Staal has enjoyed a The Canadiens, led by Price and Shea Weber, will draw upon history and playoff run this long — the budding star and his Carolina Hurricanes legacy and gold-medal spotlights, sure. But more so their recent rallying strode into Bell Centre and knocked off the home team, the first step in a from 1-3 to stun Toronto in Round 1 and 0-1 to upset Vegas in the semis. stunning journey toward silver and champagne. These are the stories competitors tell themselves standing in the From both an enemy’s and a Canadian’s point of view, Staal was all too shadows of a mountain. familiar with the deafening passion that binds the city of Montreal to its hockey team. Not much surprises a player 17 years and 1,293 games Montreal must now win four of five games to steal the belt. deep in the league. The last time the 2021 Lightning lost four of five games is no they Yet ever since Staal was dealt back to his home country, escaping haven’t. Buffalo at the deadline, all the closet Habs supporters in his circle have The series now pits Knowing You Can versus Belief That You Can. been coming out of the woodwork. Starting Friday, Belief owns home ice. "For me now, being a Canadien, it’s now hearing from so many people that maybe I didn’t realize were massive Montreal Canadiens fans," Staal "There’s a determination. And you’re right, I think we can pull from some said Canada Day morning, before hopping on the charter. confidence from being down in series before and being confident in our style of play and just be a little bit more determined to finish," Richardson "There’s so many people around Canada that follow this team and follow said. this organization — and it’s very special. I know my dad and my mom and my family have been getting a lot of messages from a lot of people "Maybe score that first goal, play with the lead in the series, and see that are following closely and supporting us and me. So, it’s been fun." where it takes us."

Less fun? The results in Tampa Bay, where Lightning coach Jon Cooper Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.02.2021 leveraged last change, Blake Coleman wielded a magic wand instead of a hockey stick, and Andrei Vasilevskiy outduelled Carey Price something severe.

Staal echoes the chorus that Montreal "deserved a better fate" in Wednesday’s 3-1 Game 2 loss. The Habs outshot the defending champs 43-23 and generated 62.6 per cent of the expected goals. But the Lightning scored 75 per cent of the actual goals.

Like punishment, hockey can be cruel and unusual.

Strange will be the scene Friday at the first Canada-hosted Stanley Cup Final game in more than a decade and the first in Montreal in more than 28 years.

Despite a pitch from Canadiens executive VP and chief commercial officer France Margaret Bélanger to increase capacity to 50 per cent (10,500) for Games 3 and 4, Quebec public health authorities will limit attendance to 3,500.

"Bell Centre is always loud." Canadien-turned-Lightning defenceman Mikhail Sergachev said. "Doesn’t matter how many fans they got there."

Added young star Cole Caufield, who won world junior gold just six months ago: "This is a stage like no other. You can’t really compare this to anything.

“They’ll still be loud and proud to be in there, so we’re really excited to get back home and play in front of our fans.”

All that unseated anxiety and hope will be pushed to the streets. Fans will flood oversized screens outdoors, just as they did when the Canadiens punched their ticket against Vegas last week.

"Unfortunately, I think there’ll be a lot more people outside of the building than inside, which will be a little bit different, but we know that they’re there. We know that the support is there. And we know that everybody is as excited as we are to be in this position — in the final," said Staal, viewing the emergence of head coach Dominique Ducharme from quarantine and home ice as a double jolt.

"We’ll use all that we can to have the energy to get the W."

Staal thought back to his Caufield-esque contributions to that defence- first 2006 Hurricanes squad, how favoured Carolina leapt to a 2-0 lead in the final only to see the scrappy Oilers drag it out for five more games. 1216803 Websites and expected goals (3.69-3.17), according to naturalstattrick.com, while Tampa is ahead 7-1 on the scoreboard during those minutes.

“It’s hard to play perfect hockey every single night,” said Cooper. “Like Sportsnet.ca / Lightning keeping business-like approach as Cup Final there are nights that you’re going to be off or the puck’s not going to go hifts to Montreal your way. It’s like how you adapt to that or how you fight through that and when some guys were fighting it a little bit [in Game 2], you know, they found different ways to contribute.

Chris Johnston “And that’s what we needed for the win and we got it.”

You won’t find many teams who are as consistently on top of their game as this version of the Lightning, which hasn’t even dropped two straight in TAMPA, Fla. — Jon Cooper has been making business trips to Montreal the playoffs since 2019. for so long that he once scratched Nikita Kucherov for two playoff games at the Bell Centre. That’s partly what makes this a road trip for dreamers. They’re doers. Or “gamers,” as Cooper is fond of saying. They are close to finishing the job. True story. And they will put the blinders on in Montreal because the NHL protocols It was in 2014 at the end of Kucherov’s first NHL season and during require them to maintain a strict bubble after crossing the border without Cooper’s first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it’s a pretty good observing a quarantine. reminder of how long these Tampa Bay Lightning have flown and grown together. “That’s the irony right?” said Cooper. “Just last year at this time, we’re in the exact same spot: Confined in a hotel room. You know like the whole And yet they boarded a flight here Thursday morning for a trip unlike all bubble circumstances have come full circle again and it’s crazy that we’re of the others that came before it. Ahead 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, back in it again, but it’s something we’re most definitely comfortable they flew north to Montreal with the possibility of making the return trip with.” home carrying a pretty shiny piece of carry-on luggage. Cooper says Lightning's playoff bubble experience has come full circle That’s not to suggest the Lightning are taking anything for granted, particularly after the strong pushback the Montreal Canadiens brought in Basically, the only small hint of disappointment comes from the fact the Game 2. It would be dangerous to assume this will be a short series. But Quebec government denied the Canadiens request to increase capacity even against a respected opponent, the situation can’t be completely at the Bell Centre to 10,500. So it’ll be a more intimate affair with 3,500 ignored: Tampa needs two wins and it has two games to play at the Bell fans in attendance. Centre on Friday and Monday night. Cooper was raised in Prince George, B.C., but says he “lived for Adding to the anticipation is the reverence Cooper has for the Saturday nights” when he could watch the games on “Hockey Night in environment they’re entering. The Bell Centre opened in 1996 and was Canada.” He is old enough to remember the great Canadiens teams of built with steep seating just like its predecessor, the Montreal Forum, the 1970’s and now he’s living real-time hockey history himself. creating a unique feeling for those on the ice. And Game 3 of this series will be the first ever played under its roof in the Stanley Cup Final. “You know, you almost, it’s like a pinch-yourself moment a bit that you have an opportunity to coach in that building and be a part of that When asked what he likes and appreciates about the Bell Centre, a environment of how much history and memories and books have been building Cooper has previously described as his favourite road written about that franchise,” said Cooper. “So I know the people in there destination in the NHL, he replied: “Everything.” won’t be cheering for us, but I’m sure excited to be a part of it.”

“Like just the way the seats go up, how dark it is, the banners, the Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.02.2021 history, the presentation, the fans, the passion,” said Cooper. “You walk in there and you’re like ‘Wow something special has happened in this place for some time.’

“It just has that feel.”

In the early years of the NHL, when Montreal dominated a six-team league, it enjoyed a decided home-ice advantage. The 1989 Calgary Flames were the only visiting team ever to clinch a Stanley Cup Final at the Forum.

It’s a different league today and the ghosts have long since retired.

Plus the Lightning have acquitted themselves quite nicely away from the comforts of home, spending 65 straight days inside the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles on the way to winning the Stanley Cup last September and going 6-3 on the road so far during this playoff run.

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They will be trying to keep their minds in small places now. They had a dominant Game 1 victory and relied on Andrei Vasilevskiy’s brilliance and a couple of big plays in transition to win against the run of play on Wednesday. Montreal threw a punch in Game 2, though, even if it didn’t quite land.

“They pushed hard last night. They were all over us for most of the game,” said Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli. “They defend well, they play a fast game, they’re all over you. Same with the Islanders [last round] and similar to Dallas [in last year’s Cup Final], they’re always in your face and they’re always on top of you.”

It’s made for some quirky numbers early in this series, with Montreal holding an edge in even-strength shots (51-41), shot attempts (97-74) 1216804 Websites Eric Staal, who’s played with and against some of the best players over the last 16 years, compared him to former Hurricanes teammate Ray Whitney — the five-foot-10, 180-pound winger who piled up 1,064 points in 1,330 regular-season games and regularly raised his tempo in the Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ Suzuki emerging as quiet leader during playoffs. Montreal’s playoff journey “Smaller right shot, but uber-competitive and intelligent with the puck, and that’s kind of what Nick is,” Staal said. “He’s really, really competitive, very intelligent with the puck, puts himself in good positions Eric Engels July 1, 2021, 11:42 AM to be able to do the right things defensively but also create offence. So, he’s a huge part of our team and obviously developing into a leader for this group and an important part of what we’ve got going here.” MONTREAL — Here’s a flashback to the first memorable conversation I had with Nick Suzuki, just after he tore up the OHL playoffs en route to a Suzuki doesn’t do it with burning speed or by hitting every player in sight championship and ran the Guelph Storm to the Memorial Cup semifinal, like Josh Anderson would — even if his skating has come up several and just months ahead of stealing a spot most people didn’t anticipate levels since 2019 and he’s thrown 49 checks in these playoffs — nor he’d immediately take on the Montreal Canadiens roster. does he exhibit his intensity in expressing himself like Brendan Gallagher would. It was almost exactly two years ago (June 29, 2019) that I stood with him on the soccer field at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, Que., right But the London, Ont., native, who has 28 goals and 82 points through his after his first session of Canadiens development camp, and shared with first two seasons, has undeniably taken up more and more space at the him an observation an amateur scout had made about his 16-goal, 42- head of the Canadiens table with the way he’s carried himself. point performance in the most important games of his last junior season. “I think he’s a quiet guy, but he’s going to be a quiet leader,” said The scout had said Suzuki walked a fine line between showing off his Richardson. “You saw in junior, you saw him tear it up there during the skill and playing too casually. He questioned his intensity as a player playoffs and you’ve seen it over the last two years just grow every game. who, unlike many rival prospects, tended to slow down the game instead I think it’s the confidence level that’s showing and it’s even in his smile. of speed it up. He’s got that sly smile on the ice. I’m sure it bothers the other team, but it brings confidence to himself and I think his teammates just showing that I didn’t recount this to Suzuki to burn him up, but I did want to see how he’s gaining more confidence in his play and his demeanor. he’d react and was eager to hear what he’d say. I also wanted to make him aware of the perception he’d have to battle to earn his place on a “I don’t think he’s going to be a real loud, vocal, rah-rah guy, but not Canadiens team that was seemingly trending upwards despite missing everybody has to be. I think some leaders are just pure by their play, and the previous post-season with 96 points in the standings. I think that’s what Nick’s going to be.”

It was at that moment that Suzuki revealed his true nature. It seems clear that’s what Suzuki is already. And as this series shifts back to Montreal, with the Canadiens desperate to get back on even There was no evidence this misnomer had bristled him. He was calm, terms, the occasion is there for him to continue showing it. cool and measured in explaining who he is as a player and what would lend to such a misconception. “Obviously we don’t want the series to get away from us,” Suzuki said after Wednesday’s 3-1 loss. “You gotta win your home games. We’re “To me, I’m a pretty intense guy when it comes to hockey,” Suzuki said. “I going back home to play two games there and we have a good may not show it on my face or blow up guys all the time, but I take it as opportunity to bring a 2-2 series back here. So, we know what’s at stake seriously as anything. Once I’m getting ready to play a game, I’m and we’ll be ready to go.” focused. Also, style-wise, I think if you can slow the game down at all it’s helpful for you. Guys get on you fast and if you can create any more time He definitely will be. for yourself, I think that’s a huge plus. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.02.2021 “I think coming down on defencemen this year, I was able to do most of what I was trying to do just by kind of hesitating, and they don’t really know what I’m trying to do but I know exactly what I’m trying to do. I guess people can take what they will out of it.

“I like to smile during games, I like having fun, too. But if people say that’s not intense, I don’t really agree with that.”

Neither does Luke Richardson, who on Thursday morning, just a dozen hours after watching Suzuki register a goal and nine shots in a tough Game 2 loss of the Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena, cited that “sly smile” as the mark of a confident player.

No one is questioning Suzuki’s intensity anymore, either, with one professional scout reaching out after Montreal’s series win over the Vegas Golden Knights to say, “He’s sending a message to the hockey world about how competitive he is, because we all knew how good and how smart he was.”

It’s the combination that has Suzuki shining in a top role on hockey’s biggest stage. The 21-year-old, who has just 127 games of regular- season experience, has scored 10 goals and registered 21 points in his first 29 playoff games. He’s popped back up from every big hit — and he took more than one massive one from Brayden McNabb in the semifinal — and rebounded from every tough performance, like the one that saw him finish Game 1 of the Final as a minus-3.

“He’s an unbelievable hockey player,” said Paul Byron of Suzuki after Game 2. “We really liked his game. We like how he plays. You play the best team in the league, sometimes you’re going to have an off night. It happens. He’s a young guy. But the way he bounces back, the way he carries himself, the way he works — he’s a tremendous hockey player and we have a lot of faith in him. He’s played incredible for us, and we know he’s going to have some big games going forward for us, too.”