sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alexander Barabanov, Alexis Gravel, Anton Khudobin, Butch Goring, Jim Benning, Jim Nill

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 9/13/2020 1193308 Bruins’ days as a true contender could be 1193331 Islanders’ Casey Cizikas a ‘game-time’ decision for Game over 4 1193332 reclaims mantle as Islanders’ No. 1 goalie 1193309 How Sabres GM could navigate a lower 1193333 Islanders’ named NHL’s GM of the Year budget for next season 1193334 Islanders’ top two lines come up big in Game 3 1193335 Casey Cizikas is a game-time decision for Game 4, Barry Trotz says 1193310 Carolina Hurricanes trade Joel Edmundson to Montreal 1193336 Islanders' Lou Lamoriello voted of the 1193311 For Hurricanes, trading pending UFA Joel Edmundson year was a no-brainer 1193337 Islanders must maintain same focus as they had in Game 1193312 Dissecting the Carolina Hurricanes and Charlotte 3 win Checkers parting ways 1193338 not planning any big speeches for Islanders' biggest game 1193339 Islanders' Ilya Sorokin getting invaluable practice time 1193313 Blackhawks’ chance to draft top goalie Yaroslav Askarov heading into uncertain offseason depends on teams picking before them 1193340 Rangers win NHL draft lottery, now have chance to draft 1193314 Chambers: Nathan MacKinnon is not your typical Lady Alexis Lafreniere Byng winner 1193341 Nils Lundkvist dilemma pushing Rangers to trade Tony 1193315 will have cap space to use in free agency to DeAngelo improve Avalanche roster 1193342 Rangers' prospects getting an opportunity to play in Europe 1193316 Michael Arace | Columbus Blue Jackets face decision on Josh Anderson 1193343 Julien BriseBois didn’t rush but made the Lightning a better playoff team Stars 1193344 Could the Lightning get Brayden back for Game 4? 1193317 Anton Khudobin, Stars steal Game 4 from Golden Knights, sit one win away from Stanley Cup Final Maple Leafs 1193318 He may be unpredictable, but ’s 1193345 The Maple Leafs need work in the off-season, but you fingerprints are all over the Stars' playoff run have to like their prospects 1193319 Stars' finishes third in voting for Jim Gregory 1193346 Matthews a strong second to MacKinnon in Lady Byng General Manager of the Year award vote 1193320 Stars’ Radek Faksa misses Game 4 of Western 1193347 Leafs legend Dave Keon hopes can Conference Final against bring home Byng 1193321 Stars notebook: Another Alex Tuch infraction goes uncalled; Dallas getting comfortable in close games Vegas Golden Knights 1193322 Stars 20/20: Anton Khudobin plays hero again as Stars 1193348 Veterans buck trend as Stars rally to defeat Golden are 1 win from Cup Final Knights 1193323 Stars Mailbag, Vol. 61: Royal Rumble, contract extensions 1193349 Missed special teams chances haunt Golden Knights in and the perfect player Game 4 1193350 Golden Knights stymied again, face 3-1 series deficit 1193351 Golden Knights name goalie for Game 4 against Stars 1193324 must nail 2020 draft pick for Red Wings' 1193352 NBC’s Pierre McGuire blown away by safety inside NHL rebuild to succeed. Here's why bubble 1193353 With sputtering offense, Golden Knights on verge of Oilers elimination against Stars 1193325 Lowetide: For Oilers prospect Tyler Benson, the past can 1193354 Golden Knights searching for answers with backs against be inspiration the wall 1193355 Dallas Win Over Frustrated Golden Knights Saturday Leaves VGK A Game From Elimination In West Finals 1193326 The Kings’ smart, creative deal with Sean Walker reflects current uncertainty Websites 1193356 .ca / Golden Knights forwards feel ‘sense of Wild urgency’ as elimination looms 1193327 New Wild center arrives with 'something to 1193357 Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Beware of the 4 teams with prove' extra first-round picks 1193328 Nick Bjugstad’s homecoming with Wild is more business SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 than pleasure 1193329 Canadiens acquire Joel Edmundson from Hurricanes 1193330 Ask Arpon: On the Joel Edmundson trade, the draft and the Danault-Domi situation 1193308 Boston Bruins They should also expect to lose Krug, who has made it clear he wants to maximize his earnings.

The Bruins will be a lesser team without Krug’s puck-moving ability, no Bruins’ days as a true Stanley Cup contender could be over question. It’s fair to wonder if he will be less effective without Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy as his right-side partners. It’s also fair to wonder if Krug, whose capability as a defender is limited by his size and By Matt Porter lack of high-end speed, is worth building a defense around. But some team with cap space will be obliged. Updated September 12, 2020 The most obvious fit is Detroit, which could easily sell fans on his playoff

experience, production, and local roots. Krug could be the leader the Red GLOBE STAFF In this space, we believe in the fickle bounces of the Wings desire, replace Filip Hronek as the power-play quarterback, and frozen biscuit, which is to say that anything can happen in this sport. bring along 19-year-old prospect Moritz Seider, whose game is similar to Carlo’s. Krug played for Wings coach Jeff Blashill in juniors, and grew up The Bruins could ride a rejuvenated and a duck boat’s a fan of Steve Yzerman, Detroit’s GM. worth of lucky goals to the Stanley Cup in 2021. Hope springs eternal. You never know. Montreal needs forward talent, particularly in the middle, but coach Claude Julien could find an offensive spark from Krug, whom he coached But as team president acknowledged this past week, this is a for five seasons in Boston. On the back end, the Habs have some $21.4 gut-check offseason for the local hockey club. He knows the work of the million tied up in Shea Weber (due $7.86 million per year through 2026), weeks ahead, before the draft (Oct. 6 and 7) and the opening of free , Karl Alzner, and Ben Chiarot. The latter three are off the agency (Oct. 9), involves taking “a hard look at our roster and our books after 2022. organization and [seeing] where we should be going for this next year or two.” The Devils are interesting, given they could use Krug on the man- advantage to facilitate P.K. Subban’s heavy one-timers. “Can we compete for the Stanley Cup?” Neely asked. “And if everyone feels we can compete for the Stanley Cup, what do we have to do to get Other teams with cap space don’t look as enticing. Buffalo, desperate to back to that final twosome and have a legitimate to win?” build a contender around , could slot Krug behind Rasmus Dahlin, but would they take PP time off the young Swede’s plate? Would The realistic answer: The Bruins' days as a “legitimate shot” team could Ottawa do the same to Thomas Chabot? Doubtful. Can the Kings, who very well be over. have $11 million per year tied up in 30-year-old Drew Doughty through 2027 and a huge hole on the left side, take on another long-term deal? The core is aging out. The prospect pool is comparatively shallow. Losing Torey Krug is going to hurt. The free agent market isn’t deep. Barring a Calgary could be a player for Krug, given its need for puck-mover. The groundshaking effort from the supporting cast, Boston could very well Flames are also in need of some juice up front. If the Bruins aren’t willing recede into the sizable pack of NHL also-rans. to meet DeBrusk’s price for a second contract — his reps have every right to expect at least $4 million a season, given he ranks 30th in goals Because of age and mileage, the Bruins' 2011 holdovers are in decline. per 60 minutes since breaking into the league — maybe they could Patrice Bergeron is still a top-flight center, but he is 35 with a wonky explore a swap involving . groin. David Krejci remains productive at 34, but his days of carrying a line are numbered. Zdeno Chara, 43, is useful in a limited role. Brad Hanifin, from Norwood and , is no stranger to the trade Marchand, 32, is one of the best left wings in the game, but how many block. He has been on Bruins GM ’s radar going back to elite years does he have left? the 2015 draft (Carolina took him fifth overall, then shipped him to Calgary three years later in a Dougie Hamilton blockbuster). Hanifin, 23, Then there’s Rask, 33, who was equal parts Vezina candidate and makes $4.95 million against the cap and would bolster Boston’s left side question mark this season. through 2024. Three Finals and one Cup is an outstanding decade, certainly Boston’s In that kind of deal, the gregarious DeBrusk would be going home to best since the 1970s, and an even more remarkable feat in a salary-cap to take the next step in his career (and would be an instant fan world. The Hall of Fame-caliber and HOF-adjacent players who made it favorite). But the Bruins would then be hunting for the kind of speed and happen are not going to be the primary producers for another Cup run. scoring that DeBrusk provides when he’s on. Might be better to let Nothing lasts forever. DeBrusk, 23, and Kase, 24, have a full season with Krejci. To give this core a pleasant ride into the sunset, the Bruins badly need The Bruins' most attractive trade chips are the kind of young, relatively those waiting in the wings to take over. That would mean: inexpensive assets — DeBrusk, on an entry-level deal for the next few ▪ Jake DeBrusk becomes the 35-40- man the club thinks he can be. weeks; Bjork, Kase, Studnicka, Trent Frederic — that ideally become the next core. ▪ Anders Bjork and Ondrej Kase prove themselves to be more than speedy third-liners. This is not a deep free agent class. , a bona fide No. 1 defenseman, would look great on the Boston back line. Were he a left ▪ Jack Studnicka becomes a legitimate top-six center within two years. shot, the Bruins might consider offering the kind of figure — seven years times $9 million — the Blues captain could command on the open That’s a lot to ask, particularly in short order. It also leaves out the market. defense, which needs Urho Vaakanainen, Jeremy Lauzon or Jakub Zboril to step in and contribute, and the goaltending, where everyone’s a There are few enticing wings. Other than Taylor Hall, it might be little too green. inadvisable to commit long term to Evgenii Dadonov, Tyler Toffoli, Mike Hoffman or Vladislav Namestnikov. and Justin Williams Were the Bruins at their best in the bubble? No. Overreacting to one would be short-term solutions. playoff series doesn’t help a management team, particularly when the leadup to the Bruins' five-game dismissal by the Lightning was so Hall, if the Bruins were to lose Krug and jettison DeBrusk, would be a complicated by the circumstances of the pandemic. killer No. 2 left wing behind Marchand. But DeBrusk, five years younger and some $4 million to $5 million cheaper, brings some of what Hall The late arrivals of David Pastrnak and Kase to camp, the early does. Or should, anyway. departure of Rask, the lack of cohesion between the Bruins and trade deadline pickups Kase and Nick Ritchie; all of it stems from the pause, “It didn’t go the way I expected it to at all,” DeBrusk said of his season, in and how the principals navigated the restart. which he was demoted to the third line in the final weeks. He finished with 19 goals in 65 games, after scoring 27 in 68 as a sophomore. “I had So the Bruins should be eager to see what Rask, Kase, and Ritchie have very high expectations for myself coming into this year. There’s lots of in store for 2020-21, and should assume Pastrnak, 24, is up for another ups and downs, so just going through those waves is probably the thing 50-goal chase. If he’s complacent, the Bruins are in deep trouble. They that stands out the most this year.” should expect Bergeron and Krejci to decline. Chara, if brought back, should see the bulk of his ice time while defending a lead or killing penalties. Krejci is a believer. “I think his upside is tremendous,” he said of the 24 teams involved in the restart in goals saved above expectation. DeBrusk. “He can take games over. He had the one amazing game Tuukka Rask, Jaroslav Halak, and Vladar collectively came up with against Carolina when he scored two goals in the third period. Once he saves at a Mike Smith-Mikko Koskinen level. During the regular season, gets going, he’s got great speed. He can finish on breakaways. Not many Rask and Halak were second and fifth, individually. people have that. He’s just got to find a way to be more consistent … If he does that, he’s going to be a pretty dangerous player in this league Losing Tavares didn’t hurt Islanders every night.” The Islanders, in the Cup semifinals for the first time since 1993, are This UFA class is bereft of top-six centers (Mikael Granlund, Carl anything but boring. Mathew Barzal is creating multiple chances on Soderberg, Erik Haula, Derek Grant, Joe Thornton, ). nearly every shift, and is such a sublime skater that he stays in the play Charlie Coyle, slotted in as a well-paid No. 3 pivot ($5.25 million while floating around on his edges. For high-speed, dynamic skill, he and annually), will have to pull harder on the rope. Brayden Point are the Eastern Conference’s answer to Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid. “They’ve won a championship, been to championships, finals appearances, all that,” Coyle said of Bergeron, Krejci, et al. “They’ve The Islanders' rise is more proof of Lou Lamoriello’s managerial acumen done an unbelievable job. But yeah, time is running out, and we need and the steady coaching hand of Barry Trotz, who lost a longtime captain new guys stepping up. I’m definitely in that mix, as well as a few others.” from the organization and remained one of the league’s best teams. Of the six teams that had a seat at the interview table in June Offer sheets are rare as is, and the Bruins, bleeding draft picks for 2018 — the Bruins, Islanders, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Sharks, and Stars several seasons as they try to remain elite, would not be a candidate to — five have made the final four since then. Tavares picked the only team use that tool on a restricted free agent such as Pierre-Luc Dubois, that hasn’t. Anthony Mantha or Tyler Bertuzzi. Something to give Blues fans a little extra hope if they lose Alex Sweeney has supplemented the roster with short-term free agent Pietrangelo. additions over the last few seasons. Signing a heavy, inexpensive, left- side defender such as Brenden Dillon might ease the transition of Loose pucks Vaakanainen, Zboril, and/or Lauzon, but is that helping prop open this In his days as an NHL agent, new Panthers GM was something team’s championship window? of an outsider, in that he never played, and his client base was filled with No easy solutions, as Neely conceded. underdogs such as Tim Thomas and Brian Rafalski. Zito takes over an underachieving team that was shoved out of the play-in round by the “We have to look at the regular season we had prior to the pause, [that] Islanders and has a lacking farm system. The playoff roster included just was so far different than we played prior to the postseason,” he said. "We one homegrown draft pick — Riley Stillman — taken since also have to recognize the team that beat us and see where we stack up went No. 1 overall in 2014. If $10 million goalie Sergei Bobrovsky doesn’t against those elite teams in the league, which I felt we were one of those rebound, it’ll be another long season in Sunrise … Entering the weekend, elite teams this year. 85 NHL-contracted players were on loan to teams in Europe, according to the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs. The Bruins had loaned five “But, we’re going to start December, January, now we’re talking another prospects: Oskar Steen and Victor Berglund (Sweden), Jakub Zboril and four, five months off. How are we going to play? How are we going to Jakub Lauko (Czech Republic), and Robert Lantosi (Slovakia) ... Sweden react to that? What does that season look like? There are all these and the Czech Republic planned to drop the puck this coming week, questions still unanswered right now.” Finland and Switzerland on Oct. 1. The KHL opened its new season on ETC. Sept. 2 … It was nice to see shot speed pop up as one of the NBC broadcast’s bells and whistles. Now, let’s show data such as zone Playoff numbers tell the story entries, possession time, pass success, rush defense, and shot heat maps. Teams track all that on a proprietary basis. The hockey-viewing Brad Marchand and the Bruins had difficulty creating scoring chances in public will be richer once the broadcast discusses them regularly … the playoffs. product became the first goalie in 55 A few more stray thoughts on the Bruins: years to make his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup semifinals. The last was Bob Champoux with the Red Wings in 1964 … Boston College ▪ One of the damning playoff numbers from an analytics perspective: defenseman Luke McInnis, of Hingham, signed a one-year deal with minus-10.96, which was the Bruins' rate of expected goals against actual ECHL Orlando. His father, Marty, is an assistant under Jerry York at BC goals they scored at five on five. Some teams outscore their expected … It was a productive year for the Gaunce family, of Sudbury, . goals numbers. The Islanders and Lightning have. The Stars and Golden Combined, brothers Cameron (Tampa) and Brendan (Boston) scored at Knights have not. Of the 24 teams involved in the restart, one team better than a point-per-game clip in their NHL call-ups. Unfortunately, scored less against expectation than the Bruins. That would be Vegas, Cameron got into three games (1-3—4) and Brendan suited up once (0- which has created more, finished more, and gotten more saves, and has 1—1) … Garnet “Ace” Bailey and Mark Bavis, who died 19 years ago little issue getting pucks and bodies to the net. Friday during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, are not forgotten. Bavis’s loved ones started the Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation ▪ To that point: Entering Friday, according to Charting Hockey, skaters (markbavisleadershipfoundation.org/), while Bailey’s began the Ace had taken 10,171 shots and scored 647 goals in the bubble. They were Bailey Children’s Foundation (AceBailey.org). The latter focuses on the shooting 8.855 percent, putting 71.84 percent of their attempts on goal, well-being of those at Floating Hospital for Children in Boston. Like many and averaged 36.73 feet distance. The Bruins shot 6.84 percent, were on charities, their fund-raising work has been hampered by the pandemic. target 68.83 percent of the time, and were shooting from 37.47 feet. Please donate if you are able. ▪ The Bruins were one of 17 teams that have taken measures to reduce Matt Porter expenditures this offseason, according to TSN. Management requested the coaching staff, helmed by Jack Adams Award winner , forgo their playoff bonuses to avoid cuts in the hockey operations budget. Asked if the Bruins had the cash to be at the cap next season, team Boston Globe LOADED: 09.13.2020 president Cam Neely said they “could be, I mean it’s just a matter of do we want to be and where we’re at and what’s going to happen next year? Until we find out really though when are we starting, how many games is the season going to be, that’s going to be a factor in some decisions that we’re going to make. But we may not have that luxury to make those decisions.”

They might not be the only team that feels the COVID-19 crunch.

▪ When GM Don Sweeney says the Bruins are “in a great spot” with their goaltending, he’s not thinking about postseason results. The Bruins' netminding this postseason (which included 29 minutes of Dan Vladar) did not hold up. Entering the weekend, the Bruins were second-worst of 1193309 Buffalo Sabres Montour appears to be the most likely candidate to be traded given he’s projected to receive a $3.525 million qualifying offer and the 26-year-old never seemed to fit coach Ralph Krueger’s preferred style of play. How Sabres GM Kevyn Adams could navigate a lower budget for next However, trading Montour, who struggled while playing on his off side season last season, might prove difficult given other teams are also expected to have lower budgets next season.

The Sabres’ new scouting department, most notably director of analytics Sep 12, 2020 and assistant scouting director Jason Nightingale, will need to use data and video study to unearth a bargain left-shot defenseman who could By Harry Scull Jr. possibly help on the kill.

A lower budget would create additional challenges in signing Larsson, When was the first of 22 hockey operations employees who joined Girgensons and Okposo to form one of the top shutdown fired by the Buffalo Sabres in June, owner told reporters forward lines in the NHL. According to Evolving-Hockey.com, Larsson is that the department will now prioritize an “effective, efficient and projected to receive a $2.932 million contract if he returns to the Sabres, economic” approach. though industry sources told The News that Larsson is likely to receive more on the open market. The Sabres haven’t received any meaningful revenue since the coronavirus pandemic abruptly ended their season in March, and there If Larsson leaves, Krueger would have to replace two centers unless he remains uncertainty whether fans will be able to attend games in decides to use Johansson out of position for a second consecutive KeyBank Center in 2020-21. Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the season. The Sabres may have trouble affording the few talented centers team’s parent company, has also made staff cuts across the past nine available in unrestricted free agency. months. Owner told The Buffalo News in April that PSE will Evolving-Hockey projected ’ Erik Haula, arguably one of operate differently in the future. the top centers available, to have an average cap hit of $4.234 million. If The economic fallout could now impact the product on the ice. TSN’s the Sabres want to add scoring help on the wing, Mike Hoffman, who has Frank Seravalli, citing sources, reported Thursday that the Sabres are scored 65 goals across the past two seasons with Florida, is expected to considering an internal salary cap in the low $70 million range. The NHL receive $6.557 million per year. Additionally, the Sabres may have instituted a flat $81.5 million salary-cap ceiling over the next three trouble attracting free agents given the significant front-office turnover. seasons. Adams would likely have more success trading for someone like the New Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams, who is still operating a lean ’ Jared McCann, a pending restricted free agent who hockey operations department, will have to creatively build a playoff is projected to receive a $1.25 million qualifying offer. The Sabres might contender around a frustrated superstar center, no small task considering have trouble swinging such a trade given their lack of draft capital – they the team has the third-most pending unrestricted free agents in the NHL don’t own a third-round selection until 2022 – and tradeable prospects. and two significant holes on the roster. In addition to addressing the team’s needs amid a difficult economic Such a scenario would require Adams to make smart trades, bargain landscape, Adams will have to earn some goodwill with Eichel, who told free-agent signings and possibly promote young, cheaper players such reporters in May that he was “fed up with losing” after a “tough” five years as Dylan Cozens. in Buffalo. When questioned about preferred additions to this roster, Eichel mentioned veterans and toughness. Both elements might be When projecting the Sabres’ possible expenses, it’s wise to focus on the difficult to add at the right price, which could force Adams to rely on more player’s salary, not his average cap hit. According to CapFriendly.com, young talent during a season in which the Sabres will try to snap a nine- the team has approximately $49,248,810 in salary commitments to 13 year playoff drought. players next season, including Cozens and two former Sabres whose contracts were previously bought out: Christian Ehrhoff and Cody Hodgson. This figure does not include players projected to play for the Buffalo News LOADED: 09.13.2020 in 2020-21.

This Sabres roster projection includes Cozens, Jack Eichel, Jeff Skinner, Kyle Okposo, Marcus Johansson, Rasmus Ristolainen, Colin Miller, Jake McCabe, Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju and Carter Hutton.

Adams also has eight prominent restricted free agents, all of whom will likely have to settle for a qualifying offer or arbitration award: Sam Reinhart, Victor Olofsson. Linus Ullmark, Curtis Lazar, Dominik Kahun, Brandon Montour, Tage Thompson and Casey Mittelstadt, though the latter is not eligible for arbitration.

According to CapFriendly, those eight Sabres are projected to receive qualifying offers in the total amount of $12,650,000. Reinhart, a 24-year- old who has scored at least 22 goals in four of his five NHL seasons, would be a natural candidate for a long-term extension, but such a contract could cost the Sabres anywhere from $5 million to $7 million per season. Adams will likely push the decision to next offseason.

If we assume the Sabres keep all their pending restricted free agents at their projected qualifying offer, the team’s total salary commitments increase to $61,899,000.

Theoretically, Adams would have approximately $10 million to upgrade the roster and sign or replace his three prominent pending unrestricted free agents: Johan Larsson, Zemgus Girgensons and Jimmy Vesey. Adams will also have to deal with a $1.275 million cap overage from last season, though he could spread that over the next two seasons.

One of those vacant roster spots could be awarded to Cozens, Thompson or Mittelstadt, but the Sabres would still have two significant holes on this roster: second-line center and left-shot defenseman. The latter could be solved by trading one of the four right-shot defensemen projected to make the team: Ristolainen, Montour, Miller or Jokiharju. 1193310 Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina Hurricanes trade Joel Edmundson to Montreal

BY STAFF REPORTS

SEPTEMBER 12, 2020

The Carolina Hurricanes have traded defenseman Joel Edmundson to the Montreal Canadiens for a fifth-round pick in the year’s draft.

Edmonston recorded 20 points, including seven goals and 13 assists, in 68 games last season. The 27-year-old has scored 72 points, including 20 goals, in 337 career games with the Hurricanes and St. Louis.

The NHL Draft is Oct. 6 and 7 this season.

News Observer LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193311 Carolina Hurricanes The Athletic LOADED: 09.13.2020

For Hurricanes, trading pending UFA Joel Edmundson was a no-brainer

By Sara Civian

Sep 12, 2020

In an unsurprising and somewhat inevitable move, the Hurricanes traded the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Joel Edmundson for Montreal’s 2020 fifth-round pick on Saturday.

Acquired during the preseason in the trade that sent to St. Louis, Edmundson had a strong start to his Hurricanes career. But some inconsistencies along the way amounted in 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) in 68 regular-season games overall. Edmundson, who was on a one-year, $3.1 million contract, had an equally strong performance in the four postseason games he played for the Hurricanes, including one big goal, while being plus-four with 16 (!) shots.

This strong finish had some (read: me) convinced the Canes should re- sign him above any other in-house UFAs, but that was equal parts recency bias and wishful thinking. Evolving-Hockey’s model predicts his next contract will be in the ballpark of three years with a $3.9 million cap hit. Going through with the trade is one less thing for the Hurricanes to deal with on their quest to grow their $7,782,261 projected cap space.

There’s also this…

Edmundson’s M.O. is providing a tough presence and size, which the Canes showed they lacked in the postseason, especially when he was out of the lineup. And that is something the Canes will need to figure out elsewhere.

But here’s the deal: The Canes already have five NHL-regular defensemen on contract for next season: Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Jake Gardiner and Brady Skjei. Restricted free agent Haydn Fleury finally looked like the player the Hurricanes drafted in the first round; they’ll figure that contract out. Promising prospects Jake Bean and Joey Keane have been waiting for an opportunity.

It was always likely the Canes would let at least two of the three pending UFA defensemen – Edmundson, Trevor van Riemsdyk and Sami Vatanen – walk. Squeezing a draft pick out of that situation is a no- brainer.

The brass and head coach Rod Brind’Amour were particularly impressed with Vatanen, by the way. I would err on the side of caution and assume they let van Riemsdyk and Vatanen walk or finesse another trade, but there’s a chance they at least attempt to see Vatanen back.

The Canes gave up their own first-rounder in the Skjei trade, so the Rangers got the No. 22-overall pick from Carolina.

They still have eight picks and a lot to look forward to in the upcoming draft, and they built on that today in what appears to be a no-risk situation.

1. No. 13 overall, acquired from Toronto in the trade

2. Their own second-rounder

3. Rangers’ second-rounder

4. Sabres’ third-rounder

5. Their own fourth-rounder

6. Canadiens’ fifth-rounder

7. Their own seventh-rounder

8. Maple Leafs’ seventh-rounder

For more offseason news, check out The Athletic‘s NHL trade and free agency tracker.

Sara Civian

1193312 Carolina Hurricanes “We won a championship in Charlotte last year, and all was good. We sat down in January and tried to make a deal to move this forward and it wasn’t there to be, for me at this point,” Waddell said. “Then the season Dissecting the Carolina Hurricanes and parting ways dragged on, and then (the season paused because of COVID-19), it got to a point where we had to look at our other options — we knew Chicago would be an option, so we started talking with them … Don and I started talking shortly after the whole virus started, just about what was going to By Sara Civian happen in hockey in general. That continued on and we realized this Sep 12, 2020 made a lot of sense to pursue.”

If we can’t get the exact official clarification we so crave we can try to connect the dots based on what we do know. The Hurricanes and the AHL’s officially announced a three-year partnership agreement Thursday, putting to rest a four-month I once took a class on logic meant for law students because it filled a separation saga with the Charlotte Checkers, their now former affiliate. math credit and I wanted to avoid actual math at all costs. I dropped it one month in but I did learn to lay my opinions out very specifically, in a To be clear, the Hurricanes’ prospects are still the Hurricanes’ prospects. series of bullet points to see if they are logically consistent. So here we Head coach Ryan Warsofsky is still their coach, and his coaching staff is go. still his coaching staff. The front-office staff — including PR and media personnel — will remain Checkers employees. The Wolves were most From a financial standpoint, it makes sense for an affiliated team that just recently affiliated with the Vegas Golden Knights. won a championship to ask for more money.

“I think they’re all excited,” Hurricanes president and general manager It also makes sense for a team with contract negotiations with stars like said. “Ryan’s actually very familiar with the situation there. Andrei Svechnikov and Dougie Hamilton coming up to push back. It’s He knows it’s gonna be an attraction. I actually spoke to him this entirely reasonable to assume the Canes will be dishing out a ballpark of morning, he’s getting a lot of calls already from players that want to be $9 million average annual value each for Svechnikov and Hamilton. We there. So I think from a staff standpoint it’s worked out real well. I haven’t aren’t exactly aware of how much money the Hurricanes or owner Tom heard one negative thing at all. You’re going into a place that treats Dundon have lost due to the fallout from COVID-19, but it’s safe to people really good — they have their own practice facility. Everyone is assume it’s a non-zero number, and they’re also looking out for what they excited about this opportunity.” could lose in the future, should fans not be able to attend games in 2020- 21, etc. Rumors that the Hurricanes and the Checkers were parting ways came to a head in late April with a statement from the Checkers calling out the It makes sense for both sides to seek stability amidst a situation in which Hurricanes for pushing forward with Chicago. we aren’t sure if minor league sports will be played at all in the upcoming season. I have reached out to a few neutral league sources asking for “While we are aware that the Carolina Hurricanes are nearing an their opinions on the Hurricanes-Wolves affiliation and I’m being met with affiliation agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, the Hurricanes a lot of “… assuming the AHL has a season” caveats. Folks are operating have had little dialogue with us regarding this matter,” a Checkers as if it’s going to happen, but aren’t treating it as a definite. It’s fair to spokesperson said April 29. “In an era when NHL teams are placing wonder. great value on affiliations with closer proximity between the two clubs, we understand the confusion that such a move would cause. We will explore Speaking of neutral league sources, those are the ones who are first to other options for our affiliation and look forward to continuing in the knock the Hurricanes for being cheap about things. So when they see the when play resumes.” Hurricanes’ side, it means they understand where the franchise is coming from in changing affiliations. A statement like this is unusual in the world of hockey PR, so before we even get into negotiations with the Wolves, I asked Waddell if he knows Can we agree and/or understand that negotiations take two sides to what might’ve prompted it. work? So this wasn’t exclusively the Hurricanes screaming “NO DEAL!” like Howie Mandel. “I don’t,” he said Thursday. “We thought everything was good, there, until January or so — then things fell apart. I can’t say what they’re thinking, Can we agree that the Checkers announcing to the public that they obviously we’ve been there almost 10 years (since 2010-11), we enjoyed haven’t had communication with the Canes is odd but doesn’t necessarily ourselves there. We thank them for taking care of our players and mean they’re in the right? obviously winning the (Calder) Cup last year. I can’t speak for them, but it Court is adjourned! was a business decision that we eventually had to make.” Many of y’all on Twitter were asking me what to think of this and how to OK, so what exactly fell apart — and why? And how did dropping an in- feel. You should feel your feelings about it! It was special and cool to state affiliate hot off a 2019 championship become an have a #OneCarolina type situation going on with the pro hockey in this essential business decision? The Checkers will now be the affiliate of the state, especially since it’s basically Carolina vs. The World in terms of Florida Panthers. Waddell said Thursday the move had to do with that mindset. finances and working relationship. If you’re a Canes fan in Charlotte, it obviously stinks to have this taken “It’s a combination, when you’ve worked with people in the past and you away. You’re allowed to be mad about that. know you have a good relationship that’s worked in the past, that’s the first thing you look at,” he said. “Money is great, but if it’s not going to be But, I’d implore you to ask yourself who you’re mad at and why. I’d also a good spot for your players, you can have all the money in the world, but ask you to consider how often minor league affiliations change and why. what we’re talking about is small peanuts when you’re talking about You could finally ask yourself if this is worth losing Svechnikov or developing players for your team. So financially, Hamilton over. yes there is more money and it’s not coming to us it’s going to the players, but most importantly it’s a great opportunity for our players … the working relationship is first and foremost.” Sara Civian

When pressed again about the Checkers specifically, he implied that the relationship was struggling. The Athletic LOADED: 09.13.2020 “I’m not here to knock anything … every relationship has bumps and ups and downs,” he said. “But this one just got to a point where it was time to move on.”

Waddell and Wolves GM Don Levin have known each other since 2001, when the Wolves and the Thrashers (Waddell’s former team) had a 10- season affiliation. The familiarity with Levin helped when forming this business partnership. 1193313 Chicago Blackhawks And those two guys are basically the only goalies in the pipeline. 2019 sixth-round pick Dominic Basse is years away from relevance, and the Hawks opted not to sign promising 2018 sixth-rounder Alexis Gravel to a Blackhawks’ chance to draft top goalie Yaroslav Askarov depends on pro contract this summer. 2016 third-rounder Wouter Peeters didn’t pan teams picking before them out, nor did 2010 second-rounder Kent Simpson.

In fact, the Hawks haven’t drafted a goalie who has eventually made it to the NHL since, of course, Corey Crawford in 2003. By Ben Pope Unless general manager trades up higher in the first Sep 12, 2020 round, though, the odds are that Askarov will be gobbled up before the Hawks come up to the podium — er, Zoom screen — at 17th.

The good news is that the Sabres (picking eighth), Panthers (12th) and The Blackhawks controlled their own destiny when picking Kirby Dach Canadiens (16th) each already own elite goalie prospects, and the third overall last year, but won’t have the same luxury with the 17th pick Hurricanes (13th) and Oilers (14th) have also spent a lot of draft capital this year. Getty on goalies recently. Those teams may not be especially inclined to Last year, the Blackhawks essentially controlled their NHL draft destiny gamble on Askarov. with the No. 3 pick. The bad news is that Wild (9th), Jets (10th), Predators (11th) and Maple With Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko virtually guaranteed to go first and Leafs (15th) have not yet invested in a clear goalie of the future, and will second, as they eventually did, the Hawks were able to start the domino likely be quite intrigued by Askarov. chain by choosing Kirby Dach out of a number of viable candidates. So it’s possible he could fall to the Hawks, but it’s not a good bet. This year, the Hawks won’t have nearly as much control. Until he’s officially off the board, though, Askarov is a near-certain bet to Holding the No. 17 pick in the draft, which will take place Oct. 6-7 — just be the most discussed prospect outside of the top few. over three weeks away — the field of options from which Hawks scouting The Russian netminder stands out like a blue jay in a flock of cardinals — director Mark Kelley will choose the franchise’s newest top prospect will not necessarily better, but certainly different — and his fate come Oct. 6 be greatly affected by the many teams picking beforehand. might well set the trend for the rest of the night. With a massive crop of solid forward prospects projected to go roughly in the middle of the first round — from Seth Jarvis, Connor Zary, Noel Gunler and Dylan Holloway to Dawson Mercer, Hendrix Lapierre, Rodion Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 09.13.2020 Amirov and Jan Mysak, the list goes on and on — the Hawks should regardless be able to land a solid player in their pipeline’s area of greatest need.

That is, unless consensus top goaltending prospect Yaroslav Askarov falls into their lap.

In such a deep and largely positionally homogenous draft class, Askarov is a wild card. He’s a goalie, which are rarely chosen in the first round due their unpredictable, years-long development curves prior to becoming NHL-ready.

He catches with his right hand, a rare preference used by only six NHL goalies this season (only one, Colorado’s Pavel Francouz, was a regular).

He’s Russian and currently playing in the second division beneath the Kontinental Hockey League, where many NHL-drafted players spend their entire careers without ever coming to North America.

But he’s also been lauded by many as a potential cornerstone goalie, in the same vein as Montreal’s Carey Price (drafted fifth in 2005) and Tampa Bay’s (19th in 2012).

“He is such a monster in the crease, as good as any goalie I’ve seen at his age going post to post,” Chris Peters wrote in ESPN’s final draft rankings, putting him seventh.

“Askarov has the chance to be the best goalie of his generation,” wrote Ryan Kennedy in The Hockey News’ final draft rankings, putting him 10th.

The Askarov hype was actually even higher before a mediocre showing in the IIHF World Junior Championship last winter, when he recorded an .877 save percentage in five games.

Yet his numbers in other competitions have been stellar, including a .920 save percentage in 18 games for his usual club team, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, last season and a .916 save percentage in six games in the 2018-19 U-18 World Junior Championship. Plus, the 2020-21 Russian hockey season is already underway, so he’ll be adding to his statistical sample size soon.

For the Hawks, landing an 18-year-old goalie with a ceiling as high as Askarov would be a monumental addition.

Rockford IceHogs goalies Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen, while talented and decently likely to make it to the NHL in the near future, are not exactly young at 26 and 25 years old, respectively. 1193314 Colorado Avalanche

Chambers: Nathan MacKinnon is not your typical Lady Byng winner

By MIKE CHAMBERS

Nathan MacKinnon is a deserving recipient of the 2020 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. The Avalanche’s fiery superstar, however, is certainly not a quintessential choice.

Winning the award speaks to his maturation since he began his NHL career with the Avs at age 18 in 2014.

“I never thought I would win this one,” MacKinnon, 25, said of the Lady Byng after being awarded it Friday. “But it’s cool and I’m very honored.”

Given to the NHL player “adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability” during the regular season, the Lady Byng and MacKinnon don’t exactly see eye to eye.

MacKinnon, who is also up for the Hart Trophy (media) and Ted Lindsay Award (players) as NHL MVP, definitely has a high standard of playing ability. But he’s no Joe Sakic or Ryan O’Reilly, Colorado’s two other Lady Byng winners, and he had never before been one to consistently stay away from chippiness before the 2019-20 season began.

MacKinnon, who finished fifth in NHL regular-season scoring with 93 points, took just 12 penalty minutes in 69 games. He became the first player in Avalanche history to produce 90 points while sitting in the penalty box for 12 minutes or less, and just the third NHL player in the last 20 years with those numbers.

The Lady Byng is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season. If the voting was conducted during or after the playoffs, MacKinnon wouldn’t have been considered.

MacKinnon matched his career-low 12 penalty minutes with a dozen in just 15 playoff games when the stakes were much higher. He served an unsportsmanlike conduct minor in round-robin play against the Vegas Golden Knights, and interference and hooking minors in Game 3 of a first-round series against the .

In Game 4 against Arizona, MacKinnon and Christian Fischer served roughing minors after the former threw the latter around like a rag doll in what nearly became a full-fledged fight.

A self-proclaimed “hot head” at times, MacKinnon is smart enough to know about wasted energy in a superstar’s body. In the regular season, he doesn’t need to deliver big hits and mix it up with opponents after the whistle. In the playoffs, his boundaries expand.

“It’s important to treat your opponents with respect, but also play hard, play between the whistles,” MacKinnon, the 2014 Calder Trophy winner, said after winning his second major NHL award. “It’s important that your coaches can trust you in key situations and you won’t take a minor and put your team on the penalty kill. Obviously, it’s amazing to win this award — some of the best players ever have won this award — so for me to also win this is very humbling and exciting.”

Sakic won the Lady Byng in 2001 after producing 118 points in 82 regular-season games, with just 30 penalty minutes. O’Reilly won the award in 2014 with 62 points and just two penalty minutes in 80 games.

Sakic was, and O’Reilly is, very mild-mannered. MacKinnon is not, but his incredible skating enables him to defend without reaching with his stick. He’s a puck-possession machine and, although he’s highly emotional, he’s not mean-spirited.

“With my skating, I try to use my legs to stick-check and things like that, and not take unnecessary minors,” MacKinnon said. “It’s a line you need to hover on. I respect my opponents. I don’t want to be dirty.”

He certainly speaks like a very worthy Lady Byng Trophy recipient.

Denver Post: LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193315 Colorado Avalanche

milehighsports.com LOADED: 09.13.2020

Joe Sakic will have cap space to use in free agency to improve Avalanche roster

By Aarif Deen

September 12, 2020

The off-season is here and notable dates are approaching quickly.

It’s been just eight days since the Avalanche were eliminated in Game 7 of the Western Conference semi-final series against the . Unlike years past, Colorado won’t have much time to contemplate its next moves. The NHL announced Friday that the draft will take place on Oct. 6-7, virtually, and the first day of unrestricted free agency begins Oct. 9 — where Colorado will have $22.3 million in salary-cap space.

While the Avs do not hold the high draft picks they’ve had in previous drafts, they’ll still look to the two-day event to make trades ahead of free agency. And with a flat-cap system implemented for the 2020-21 season, Colorado finds itself as one of the only contending teams with space to maneuver, albeit contract extensions for captain Gabe Landeskog and rookie sensation Cale Makar are inching ever so closely.

“We know what we’d like to do, if all things are said and done, where we’d like to try and improve the team,” Avs GM Joe Sakic told reporters at his annual golf tournament Thursday. “But we know with the flat cap, we got a couple of big buys coming up here pretty soon. We’re mindful of that. But there are some things that we can work around the edges to try and improve the team.”

Sakic will have a lot to figure out in the coming months, starting with his own restricted free agents. These players include defensemen Ryan Graves and Nikita Zadorov along with forwards Tyson Jost, and Andre Burakovsky.

Both Graves and Burakovsky played large roles for the Avalanche in 2019-20 and will likely re-sign. But what happens with Jost and Zadorov? The two former first-round draft picks saw their names swirl in trade rumors around the Feb. 24 deadline.

Perhaps Sakic will use the draft as an opportunity to unload one, or maybe both of the young players.

And Nichushkin? The forward did successfully revive his career with Colorado. But does he fit into the plans moving forward?

Once those questions are answered, Sakic will shift his focus to free agency — the day the Avalanche could be one of the bigger players around the league.

Sakic has numerous roster spots to fill. Upcoming unrestricted free agents that will need to be re-signed, or likely replaced, include forwards Vladislav Namestnikov, Matt Nieto and Colin Wilson, defensemen Mark Barberio and Kevin Connauton, and Michael Hutchinson.

Basically, the Avalanche will need to sign or replace two top-nine wingers, a fourth-line winger, a depth forward, two depth defensemen and potentially two more roster players if Zadorov and Jost are traded.

Colorado has the ability to go all-in on big-name free agents come Oct. 9. With the caveat that these names, such as Taylor Hall, are willing to accept a shorter-term deal.

The 2018 Hart Trophy winner, who was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Avalanche, is likely looking for an opportunity to make a run for the Stanley Cup. The Avs are one of the only teams that can offer him a reasonable amount of money to play for a Cup contender.

Sakic and company can also fill the bottom-six winger and depth forward roles through free agency. Players like Wayne Simmonds, Patrick Maroon, Tomas Nosek and Erik Haula are all options that can potentially fill those spots.

And as for the depth defensemen? Colorado can turn to its own young defensemen such as Conor Timmins and Bowen Byram or potentially look to free agents. 1193316 Columbus Blue Jackets Wilson opted to sign long term with his second contract in 2018, when Anderson was sitting out of training camp. Wilson is two years into a six- year contract that pays $5.17 million per. In a normal year, maybe that’s Michael Arace | Columbus Blue Jackets face decision on Josh Anderson at least a framework for a fruitful discussion.

In a normal year, Ferris, the agent, would be asking for a big number, holding Anderson out of training camp, threatening to send him overseas, By Michael Arace pandering to fans (“Josh loves Columbus and his teammates”) and shifting all the blame to a recalcitrant GM. We’ve seen it before. Ferris Posted Sep 12, 2020 has a script.

In a normal year, Anderson would be weighing the Jackets’ best offer There is a chance Blue Jackets will sign right winger Josh Anderson to a against the price he could fetch next summer as an unrestricted free long-term contract extension. How good a chance? Probably on par with agent. Maybe, the Jackets would be forced to trade him, to salvage the odds the Jackets had of beating the Tampa Bay Lightning last month. something. For months, that is how this negotiation trended. It’s conceivable, but doable is something else. But this is not a normal year. The cap is flat and will remain so for the “We hope to keep him,” Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen foreseeable future. General managers with little or no cap space have said. less flexibility. Players face a depressed market for their services.

Anderson possesses a rare combination of size, strength, speed and Does Anderson really want to stay in Columbus long term? It’s scoring ability. But he is coming off a season in which he scored one goal conceivable. For now, Jackets fans ought to take that as a good sign. in 26 games and then had shoulder surgery. He was shelved in Maybe there’s a deal to be made. Just remember: If you hear the word December and sat out the playoffs in August. His rehab went the max. “Switzerland,” all bets are off.

Anderson is a restricted free agent, and for months now, Jackets fans could fairly predict how the negotiations were likely to proceed. Or, not Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 09.13.2020 proceed. Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris, is infamous for marrying sanctimony with acrimony; Kekalainen can be, well, stubborn. And here they go again.

Three years ago, Ferris made a big ask and threatened to send Anderson to Switzerland. Anderson missed all of training camp before he agreed to a deal that had sat on the table for weeks. Coach John Tortorella was candid about his distaste for players who missed training camp. Jackets fans were sickened by all of it.

This year, there are new wrinkles in the negotiations. The flat salary cap, put in place as the league lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the season of COVID-19, depresses the market. The Jackets are a budget team, which means they might not even spend up to the $81.5 million cap ceiling. They have other contracts to extend — Pierre-Luc Dubois’ chief among them — and they have a bigger picture to consider.

Anderson, coming off a one-goal season, does not have terrific leverage, not even in arbitration. And he is just a year away from unrestricted freedom.

For months now, the best guess was that the Jackets would have to trade Anderson, even though they might not get value for him. Then, on Wednesday night, TSN’s Darren Dreger, during an edition of “Insider Trading,” said the following:

Listen to the Cannon Fodder podcast:

“Anderson would like to stay in Columbus, but he needs a long-term deal to do that. Jarmo Kekalainen may not have the stomach for that, which might fuel more Anderson trade speculation.”

Kekalainen brushed aside the comment about his stomach and said: ”(Anderson) assured us he does (want to stay). Based on our most recent conversations, I believe he does. We’d love to keep him. We’ve had a good dialogue.

“We have to fit him under the salary cap and within our structure, and those things are important to us. It’s a matter of agreeing what’s fair.”

There’s the rub. What’s fair? Is Anderson the 17-goal scorer he was in 2016-17, his first full season in the NHL? Is he the 19-goal guy (2017-18) or the 27-goal guy (2018-2019). What is fair coming off a one-goal season that included shoulder surgery?

When Anderson is right, he is an impact player. One strains to find someone comparable. Tom Wilson of the , another big thumper with a right-hand shot, comes closest. Both were drafted in 2012 (Anderson 95th overall, Wilson 16th), they’re the same age and they bring a similar presence. Mayhem.

Anderson is the more skilled player and Wilson is the more reliable. Put another way: Anderson remains a projection while Wilson — who helped the Caps win a Stanley Cup in 2018 and, in two seasons since, has 43 goals in 136 games — has a well-defined value. 1193317 Dallas Stars Khudobin made sure the goals stood up. In four games of the Western Conference final, Khudobin owns a .952 save percentage and 1.64 goals-against average.

Anton Khudobin, Stars steal Game 4 from Golden Knights, sit one win At each turn of his Stars tenure, Khudobin has risen to the challenge. In away from Stanley Cup Final 2018-19, when got hurt, Khudobin carried the load for weeks at a time, helping the Stars to the postseason. This season, he led the league with a .930 save percentage. In the postseason, he made his first By Matthew DeFranks career postseason start and collected his first playoff victory and first playoff series win. 9:56 PM on Sep 12, 2020 Khudobin has played so well for so long that his performances are no

longer a surprise for the Stars. They’re used to it. A robbery occurred Saturday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton. And they could use five more performances like Saturday night’s. The suspect wore a mask throughout the duration of the heist, and his “We didn’t come here to win one or two or three rounds,” Stars interim accomplices stuffed the bag with two marks 200 feet away from him. He coach said. "We came here to win the Stanley Cup, and wore No. 35 on his back and elbows and pulled off his theft with an array the focus is entirely on that and taking the steps necessary to get the of splits and kicks, grabs and covers. team there, so we know where we are. We know we can play a little bit The Stars stole Game 4 of the Western Conference final Saturday, and better than we have this series. But every win is a huge win, every win’s Anton Khudobin was the reason. a big win and important win.

During the Stars' 2-1 win over Vegas, Khudobin was the team’s best “But again, the goal is to get by this series and take a run at the Stanley player, making 32 saves in backstopping Dallas to a 3-1 series lead. The Cup. That’s been the objective since we came back to camp in July, and Stars are five wins away from the Stanley Cup, the closest they’ve been we’re not taking our eyes off that. We came here to win the Stanley Cup, to a championship in 20 years. and that’s our objective.”

Joe Pavelski and scored for the Stars, who overcame a slow Dallas Stars right wing Alexander Radulov (47) celebrates his overtime start to overtake Vegas in the second period and hang on in the third goal against the Vegas Golden Knights with (13) in period by killing two Golden Knights power plays, including 70 seconds of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Western Conference final, Thursday, Sept. a 5 on 3. 10, 2020

At every juncture of the game, Khudobin was there for the Stars. , in Edmonton, Alberta. The Stars won 3-2.

“He’s been solid back there for us,” Corey Perry said. “He’s made big STARS saves at crucial times. He doesn’t get fazed. He just keeps going, next He may be unpredictable, but Alexander Radulov’s fingerprints are all shift. He just keeps battling for pucks.” over the Stars' playoff run In the first period, Khudobin made the save on Paul Stastny’s short- BY MATTHEW DEFRANKS handed rush chance, absorbing the puck in the Stars logo on his chest. He fought around a screen to fight off a Jonathan Dallas Stars goalie Anton Khudobin (35) makes a save on Vegas Golden Marchessault bid. In the second period, he kept the puck out on William Knights' Alex Tuch (89) as Stars' Esa Lindell (23) defends during the first Karlsson’s cut to the net from the left wing, even surviving a video review period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Western Conference final, of the play. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020

But he shined most brightly in the third period. , in Edmonton, Alberta.

There was the net-front scramble with 14 minutes left in the third period, STARS when Khudobin’s 5-11 frame spanned the crease and his vacant hand was able to corral the puck. After Pavelski and Jason Dickinson were Stars notebook: Another Alex Tuch infraction goes uncalled; Dallas called for third-period penalties, the Stars had to protect a one-goal lead getting comfortable in close games down two men.

“The way the guys are battling, the way [they’re] blocking shots,” Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.13.2020 Khudobin said. “They have bruises, they have bumps, and they still sacrifice their bodies, go and block shots. Even if they can’t they still try, and they’re working their ass off to make sure I see the puck.”

Khudobin turned aside Max Pacioretty and ate a Shea Theodore point shot. He swallowed Alec Martinez’s one-timer before stoning Marchessault. Every time the Golden Knights tossed the puck laterally, Khudobin was there waiting for it. He was aggressive in coming out of the crease to challenge shooters, and he was Velcro, preventing rebounds as the clock ticked away.

“I just tried to find the puck and react to it,” Khudobin said of his save on Martinez. “I don’t know if it’s luck or whatever, but let’s go with luck.”

Maybe the Golden Knights didn’t get enough traffic in front of Khudobin. Perhaps they were unlucky by ringing two posts. Either way, Khudobin shut down anything else that Vegas sent his way, pushing the Golden Knights one loss away from a trip home.

Pavelski’s goal 11:34 into the game helped stem the Vegas tide coming at the Stars. Pavelski’s goal was the team’s seventh shot of the game and the second of the period. But he converted a Nate Schmidt turnover into a goal when his backhand fluttered over Robin Lehner.

Benn gave the Stars the lead in the final minute of the second period by depositing a power-play rebound past Lehner. It was Benn’s seventh goal of the playoffs and second in as many games. 1193318 Dallas Stars

He may be unpredictable, but Alexander Radulov’s fingerprints are all over the Stars' playoff run

By Matthew DeFranks

8:25 PM on Sep 12, 2020

With Alexander Radulov, there are a couple of constants.

You can count on him working, being voracious on the forecheck and sometimes too much so, resulting in penalties. And you can count on explosive goal celebrations, like the sheathing of his sword after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 3 against Vegas.

“One of the more interesting individuals I’ve coached over 38 years, I can tell you that,” Stars interim coach Rick Bowness said.

“One thing about Rads, you can forget all this other stuff, when the puck drops, he works. Practice, he works. He’s a true professional in that way. The guys love him. We all have our own personalities. We all have our own way of doing things, and Rads is no exception to that.”

You can’t predict if Radulov will score, but when the Stars need a big goal, there’s a good chance that his fingerprints will be on it. That was the case Thursday during overtime, when he streaked down the right side of the ice and ripped a shot past Robin Lehner to give Dallas a 2-1 series lead.

Radulov also scored a tying goal in Game 7 against Colorado and the winner in overtime against Calgary in Game 4 of the first round. That’s on top of his regular-season heroics in the Winter Classic and his October hat trick against Minnesota.

Radulov is an engine on the top line with and Jamie Benn and entered Saturday’s Game 4 tied for the team lead with eight goals in the postseason.

At various points in the regular season and postseason, the coaching staff has tried to handle Radulov. Bowness and former coach Jim Montgomery talked to Radulov about his long shifts. Montgomery benched him for a game, and Bowness played him less than 10 minutes in Game 5 against Colorado.

But even with his drawbacks, Radulov is the explosive offensive threat that the Stars acquired him to be.

“Sometimes, he looks like he’s on his own program out there, but that’s just the way he plays,” Bowness said. “You’ve got to learn to read off him, but his heart’s in the right place and he comes to play. Really, from a coaching perspective, that’s all you can ask from a player.”

Matthew DeFranks.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193319 Dallas Stars period of Game 4 of the NHL hockey Western Conference final, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020

Stars' Jim Nill finishes third in voting for Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award Matthew DeFranks.

By Matthew DeFranks Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.13.2020

7:29 PM on Sep 12, 2020

Stars general manager Jim Nill finished third in voting for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award, the NHL announced before Game 4 of the Western Conference final Saturday night.

Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello won the award, and Lightning GM Julien BriseBois finished second. Nill received eight of the 40 first-place votes, and his 61 total points were one point ahead of Colorado GM Joe Sakic.

The award was voted on by the league’s GMs and a panel of NHL executives, along with print and broadcast media. Voting was conducted after the second round of the playoffs, and four of the top five finishers are GMs of teams still playing.

The Stars are in the conference final for the first time since 2008, and Nill has been the main architect building the Dallas roster.

Nill also had to navigate firing Jim Montgomery in December, installing Rick Bowness as the interim head coach, plus steering the Stars through the challenges the Winter Classic and coronavirus pandemic brought. Last summer, Nill made a big splash in free agency by signing Joe Pavelski to a three-year contract, and his signing of Anton Khudobin the previous summer is paying dividends in his postseason.

“Jim is very good with the players, and I know he has a ton of respect from every player in that room,” Bowness said. “It’s great to see him walking around through making sure everyone is OK. Jimmy is a great human being.”

Nill was included on 17 of the 40 ballots cast. Voters selected three GMs per ballot.

Hanley sticking: Defenseman Joel Hanley remained in the lineup for Game 4 against Vegas despite Taylor Fedun being ruled healthy to play. Hanley filled in for Fedun in Game 7 of the second round and played the first three games against the Golden Knights on the third pairing with Andrej Sekera.

Game 7 against Colorado was Hanley’s first NHL game since Nov. 13. During the first month in the Edmonton bubble, Hanley was a healthy scratch.

“That’s a hard thing to do, mentally and physically, every day to just come to the rink and work, work, work, and hopefully you get a chance to play,” Bowness said. “We’ve integrated them into our morning skates just to make them feel part of the team.”

During the regular season, Hanley played minimally with Sekera (1:30 total at 5 on 5), but the pair has had to acclimate to each other in the high stakes of the playoffs.

“[Sekera is] a veteran guy, and plays a really, solid, steady game,” Hanley said. “Just been able to talk off the ice and helping me with the d- zone stuff, and the way Dallas has been playing. So far, it’s been pretty good. I’m thankful to have him, being able to play with him. It’s been good so far.”

Fedun took part in warmup Saturday but was a healthy scratch.

Bad penalties: For Bowness, there are good penalties and there are bad penalties. The Stars have been taking bad ones.

In the first three games of the Western Conference final, the Stars gave Vegas 14 power plays. By comparison, Dallas had only five.

“When you’re chasing the game, you end up taking penalties,” said Bowness, who added that he’d keep preaching discipline to the Stars.

Among the four teams remaining in the postseason, the Stars had spent the most time on the penalty kill (121:11) entering Game 4 on Saturday.

Dallas Stars goalie Anton Khudobin (35) makes a save on Vegas Golden Knights' Alex Tuch (89) as Stars' Esa Lindell (23) defends during the first 1193320 Dallas Stars

Stars’ Radek Faksa misses Game 4 of Western Conference Final against Vegas Golden Knights

By Matthew DeFranks

12:47 PM on Sep 12, 2020

Stars center Radek Faksa was unfit to play for Game 4 of the Western Conference final.

Faksa appeared to injure his left hand in the third period of Game 3 on Thursday after a collision with Vegas forward Alex Tuch. After the play, Faksa shook off his glove and looked at his hand. After the game, video from the Stars dressing room showed a large wrap on Faksa’s left hand.

This is where Radek Faksa got hurt in Game 3. pic.twitter.com/WDoPmTFqGQ

Faksa centers the Stars' checking line that has Jason Dickinson and Blake Comeau on the wings. He also plays in the slot on Miro Heiskanen’s power-play unit and has three goals and five assists in the playoffs.

Without Faksa, the Stars shifted Dickinson to center and re-inserted Andrew Cogliano into the lineup. Cogliano was a healthy scratch for the last three games after missing Game 7 against Colorado with an injury. Since then, the Stars opted to keep Joel Kiviranta in the lineup over Cogliano.

On the power play, Mattias Janmark could get the nod as the bumper on Heiskanen’s power play unit or the Stars could ask Kiviranta to fill in there.

Bowness also said goaltender Ben Bishop and defensemen Taylor Fedun and Stephen Johns are also unfit to play.

Bishop has not played since Game 5 against Colorado, while Fedun has not played since Game 6 against the Avalanche and Johns last played in Game 1 against Calgary.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193321 Dallas Stars Hintz appeared to get hurt when he collided with Corey Perry in the first period.

Dallas Stars goalie Anton Khudobin bats the puck out of the air during Stars notebook: Another Alex Tuch infraction goes uncalled; Dallas the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of the getting comfortable in close games NHL hockey Western Conference final, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020

By Matthew DeFranks Matthew DeFranks.

11:49 PM on Sep 12, 2020

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.13.2020 Stars fans are getting used to seeing Alex Tuch. They’d rather see less of him.

The Golden Knights forward delivered a big hit away from the puck on Stars forward Corey Perry behind the Vegas net in the second period, leading to Perry temporarily exiting the game to fulfill the NHL’s concussion protocol. Perry was cleared and returned to the game.

Tuch’s hit on Perry was a textbook interference call since Perry never touched the puck, and a “minor penalty shall be imposed on a player who interferes with or impedes the progress of an opponent who is not in possession of the puck,” according to the NHL rule book.

“I didn’t see him coming at all,” Perry said. “He came around the net, and I was going around the net, but yeah. It was a hit, and I played a shift after, and then somebody called, and I had to go back and do all the tests or whatever, but I’m fine. Just one of those things that the spotter called out, and I had to go do it.”

Stars interim coach Rick Bowness: “I have no comment on that.”

It was Tuch’s second infraction that went uncalled by officials on the ice.

In Game 3, Tuch slew-footed Tyler Seguin behind the Vegas net after the whistle, knocking the Stars center to the ice by using his leg to wipe out Seguin’s. According to the NHL rule book, “any player who is guilty of slew-footing shall be assessed a match penalty.”

Tuch has one assist in four games against Dallas after posting eight goals and two assists in the round robin and first two rounds of the playoffs.

Momentum changer: In the Stars' loss in Game 2, Bowness said the team just needed one goal to get them going in the right direction. In Game 2, that goal never arrived. In Game 4 on Saturday, Joe Pavelski provided it.

After Nate Schmidt turned the puck over to Andrew Cogliano, Pavelski’s backhand deflected off Schmidt’s stick and floated over Robin Lehner. It was a goal completely against the run of play, and helped the Stars stabilize their game.

Between Jason Dickinson’s shot on goal with 9:18 left in the first period, and Pavelski’s goal with 11:34 elapsed in the second period, the Stars had two shots on goal in 20:52.

“We didn’t have a lot going on,” Perry said. “Our emotion was a little low, and I think we only had six shots or seven or eight shots at that point. That’s what Joe does. He comes up big at big moments, and we got a bounce, and it kind of put some life into us.”

The Stars had seven of the period’s nine shots in the rest of the second, including Jamie Benn’s power-play goal.

“Would we like better stretches at times?” Pavelski said. “Yeah, absolutely. I don’t think we’ve probably been on the positive side of power-play chances, so that can clean up for us a little bit, but we understand where we’re at, and we haven’t done anything yet. We’re in a position, we’re one step closer, but nothing’s been done, nothing’s been accomplished yet, so we’ll just stay focused, try to play our best game of the series next [game].”

Close games? No problem: The Stars improved to 9-1 in one-goal games in the playoffs with Saturday night’s win. They are 3-7 in all other games.

Dallas has not lost a one-goal game since Game 1 against Calgary.

No update on Hintz: Roope Hintz left the game with 7:18 remaining in the first period on Saturday night and did not return. After the game, Bowness did not provide an update. 1193322 Dallas Stars 4. While the captain gave Dallas the lead, “Captain America” put Dallas on the scoreboard earlier in the second period on a wacky one that went against the flow of play.

Stars 20/20: Anton Khudobin plays hero again as Stars are 1 win from Pavelski’s shot took a deflection off Nate Schmidt’s stick and then with a Cup Final high-arching trajectory it was lobbed over Robin Lehner for Pavelski’s ninth goal of the postseason.

By Sean Shapiro As weird as the goal was, Pavelski, who is closing in on the record for most goals all time by an American-born player, earned it.

Pavelski’s next playoff goal will be his 58th career postseason tally, The Dallas Stars are one victory away from reaching the Stanley Cup which would tie him with some guy named Mike Modano. Final after winning Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1. The all-time record is 60 by Joe Mullen. The Stars, who lead the series 3-1, can reach the final for the first time in 20 years with a win on Monday in Game 5. 5. Khudobin’s most important work came on the penalty kill.

1. Anton Khudobin stated, several times, after Game 3 that he wasn’t He faced 13 shots while shorthanded, stopping 12 of them. And when injured. Vegas had a late five-on-three, he was easily snatching pucks out of mid- air so confidently that it almost looked too easy. And in Game 4, his actions backed that up. And maybe it was. The goalie, who can no longer be considered a backup, made 32 saves Saturday. For the Golden Knights, one of the biggest takeaways from this night has to be this: How do they not create any traffic in front of the net on a five- Dallas shouldn’t have won this game; Vegas should have easily tied this on-three? series based on the first and second periods. But Khudobin stifled the Golden Knights with both his actions — stopping pucks — and the 6. The Stars are at their frustrating best when they have a third-period mental block that he has clearly built inside the Golden Knights’ heads. lead.

Khudobin has made the highlight-reel saves, but he’s also hexed Vegas They tie things up and commit to a complete bunker mentality. As teams into making his work easier. before them have learned, the Golden Knights have gleaned that their Vegas fortress doesn’t hold a candle to the bunker the Stars can build in To Vegas, the 5-foot-11 Khudobin, a shrimp by NHL goalie standards a close game. looks like the Walrus goalie from a Geico commercial. “It’s confidence,” Corey Perry said. “It starts with Dobby and goes all the The Golden Knights weren’t supposed to let anything rattle them. They way out.” were the schoolyard bully who talked the talk and pushed others around. Tyler Seguin laying out to block a shot in the final minutes was an Instead, the normally loud Vegas bench has been silenced in multiple exclamation point on that effort. In total, the Stars blocked 17 shots, ways by Khudobin. including a game-high seven by Esa Lindell.

“I just try to find the puck and react to it,” Khudobin said. “I don’t know if “When the game is on the line, like it was in the third,” Stars interim it’s luck or whatever, but let’s call it luck.” coach Rick Bowness said, “you’ve got to do whatever it takes to win.”

Sure, luck … 7. In the second period, when the score was still 0-0, Vegas thought it had scored on a sharp-angle shot into Khudobin’s feet by William 2. Khudobin’s personality makes this playoff performance even more Karlsson. enjoyable. The play was reviewed, but thanks to a veteran move by Khudobin in He’s genuinely one of the most likable athletes I’ve covered, and there’s swiveling his legs to reveal the puck in the blue paint, there weren’t any a reason he’s considered one of the best teammates in the NHL. conclusive angles that could have ever determined it was close to a goal. Before COVID-19 limited us from being able to watch practice, we would It was one of a few comical/effective things Khudobin did in this game. see Khudobin spend extra time on the ice each day, battling every shot. Earlier, in the first period, when Lindell was hobbled by a shot block, the Khudobin has always said this was drawn from dedication to his Stars goalie did his part to give the defenseman a good shove to aid his teammates. He’s not out there just for himself, but he’s battling every day path back to the bench. to make them better and give them the toughest possible competition. In the third period, Khudobin made a sprawling save and used his free- After the game, Joe Pavelski said that mentality “bleeds to our team and blocker hand to pick up and freeze the puck before Vegas could clean up we go from there.” a rebound. 3. Jamie Benn continues to deliver big moments in this series. That’s a technique that was made famous by Dominik Hasek in the In the second period, he scored the game-winning goal when the Stars 1990s — dropping your stick to use the blocker in that manner. Hasek finally found the back of the net on the power play. made goaltending fun to watch, and Khudobin has been the most fun goalie to watch in these playoffs. It was a simple goal as he picked up a rebound and finished, but it was one of those “goal-scorer goals” where Benn took minimal time and 8. Vegas finally beat Khudobin on the power play in the second period on space and delivered maximum reward for Dallas. a blast by Alec Martinez.

It’s similar to his Game 3 goal; it looked simple, but on further review, it That goal came after a wild sequence, including a shot that hit the post, was an incredibly smart “goal-scorer goal” where he changed the angle where Vegas had to be wondering, “What else can we do to score?” of his stick blade at the last second. 9. Khudobin is, deservingly, a theme of this 20/20. This has been Benn’s first trip to the conference final. He’s dominated In addition to all the saves, I also thought it was one of his better nights both in a physical sense and on offense. handling the puck and disrupting the Vegas forecheck. “His game, his leadership has just gone up another level in the playoffs, I thought the Stars would miss Ben Bishop’s puckhandling more than from what I’ve seen,” Pavelski said. “What I like about him, he’s been they have, and that’s a credit to how good Khudobin has been in that very direct. When he has the puck, you have an idea of where it’s going. realm and communicating with his defensemen. He’s been shooting it, he wants it and you can see that. That’s something that this time of year, that’s what’s productive. There’s not a lot of 10. Lehner was fine in the Vegas net, stopping 18 of 20 shots. guessing what you’re going to do or hope plays out there. He’s been very direct and hard and that’s good to see.” One of the shots left more of a mark, literally, when Alexander Radulov stung him on the neck during a Dallas power play. 11. One of the more notable things said on Saturday came from Stars Joel Kiviranta – Roope Hintz – Corey Perry general manager Jim Nill, who was talking to SportsNet’s Scott Oake on the pregame show and was asked about Rick Bowness’ future and Andrew Cogliano – Jason Dickinson – Blake Comeau whether he’d be the full-time coach after this playoff run. Esa Lindell – John Klingberg

“We talked when he took the job over. We said, ‘You know what? Let’s – Miro Heiskanen get us through the regular season. Let’s get through the playoffs, and we’re going to sit down and talk,’” Nill said in the interview. “But he’s Joel Hanley – Andrej Sekera earned it, and I hope that down the road he wants to be the head coach.” Justin Dowling and Fedun also took warmups. Both Nill and Bowness have said that they wouldn’t make any decisions Vegas countered like this. about the coaching position until after the Stars’ season ended, and both had agreed to sit down and discuss it at that time. Max Pacioretty – William Karlsson – Mark Stone

Based on my read of the situation, Bowness wanting the full-time job or Johnathan Marchessault – Paul Stastny – Reilly Smith not is something that has evolved after the Stars went to the bubble. Nick Cousins – Chandler Stephenson – Alexa Tuch Before the bubble, I don’t think he was viewing a head coaching gig as something he wanted to pursue after this season. But since the bubble, William Carrier – Nicolas Roy– Ryan Reaves Bowness’ attitude has changed and he’s become more interested in Brayden McNabb – Nate Schmidt having the interim tag removed. Alec Martinez – Shea Theodore Bowness won’t talk about this now, but based on what Nill said on Saturday, it sounds like the Stars’ head coach job is Bowness’ if he Nick Holden – wants it. 16. Dowling has been a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs, only 12. Roope Hintz missed the final 7:18 of the first period and didn’t return appearing in the Stars’ exhibition game in July, but this was one of the for the start of the second period. best moments for any Stars player in the bubble.

Hintz collided with Corey Perry in the first period, and his head and neck 17. Penalties have been a frustrating topic for Stars fans, and in this were crunched a bit. He took one shift after that, throwing a hit on Nick series, the Golden Knights have taken a major edge in power plays with Holden, but then left the game immediately. 19 to the nine for Dallas.

After the game, Bowness said he didn’t have an update on Hintz. Vegas feels like that’s a fair representation of how things have gone.

Hintz missing time would be a big loss. With the role he plays, the Stars “We’re playing the most penalized team in the playoffs, and we’ve got the would have an interesting decision to make when it comes to replacing puck, so I expect the penalties to be in our favor,” Vegas coach Pete him in the lineup. DeBoer said. “We’ve earned that by our discipline and by how we’re playing.” 13. Radek Faksa missed his first game of the postseason and was “unfit to play,” after injuring something on his left arm below the elbow in the In some ways I agree with DeBoer — Vegas had the puck more — but third period of Game 3. there have been more notable missed calls against Dallas in a series filled with missed calls on both sides. The injury happened with 11:31 remaining in that game and Faksa immediately threw off his left glove in pain after the incident. After the There was a particularly egregious one in the second period when Tuch game, Faksa was seen in the Stars locker room with his left hand and got away with a big hit behind the play, textbook interference, that forced wrist wrapped up. Perry to go back to the locker room for concussion protocol.

Faksa is a key cog on the Stars’ checking line and one of the team’s best Bowness declined to comment on the hit after the game. penalty killers. His line is often tabbed to start games because of their work on the forecheck and how they set a tone for the team. 18. New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello was awarded the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award on Saturday Faksa didn’t get any votes for the Selke Trophy, which was awarded evening. earlier this week, but he is widely considered a top-10 defensive forward who doesn’t have enough offensive pop to get any Selke attention. Nill finished third in the voting. Here are the full results.

I didn’t have Faksa on my Selke ballot; we get to list only five names. If 19. Earlier this week, when Nill was announced as a finalist for the we were able to submit a full top 10, I would have voted for him. award, I wrote about the Stars GM and his compassion for others.

14. With Faksa injured, Andrew Cogliano returned to the lineup. That’s something that Mark Janko knows from personal experience and it’s a story the Stars assistant GM never planned on sharing publicly. Cogliano was injured in Game 7 against the Colorado Avalanche and then missed the first three games of this series as a healthy scratch But when I asked him about Nill earlier this week, Janko decided it was because of how well Joel Kiviranta seized his opportunity. worth sharing.

Cogliano is a veteran who had never been a healthy scratch before in the “This isn’t a story about me; this isn’t the type of thing I would want to playoffs. He handled it professionally. Bowness said Cogliano is a “true bring attention to,” Janko said of the incident that occurred after Game 3 pro” and didn’t change his approach over the past week, knowing that he of the Stars’ second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. “But would be the next forward into the lineup. it’s the type of thing I think I should share to give people a better idea about the type of man that Jim Nill is.” And then in this game, Cogliano forced the turnover that led to Pavelski’s first goal. Janko has Eosinophilic Esophagitis, and after the Stars lost Game 3 to the Avalanche, he got a piece of food caught in his chest. It’s happened Coming back into the lineup, Cogliano moved back onto a line with Blake before and typically the food will eventually slide its way down, but not Comeau while Jason Dickinson was moved back to center, once again this time. This was the scariest incident as Janko was struggling to turning the old Stars’ FCC line into the CDC unit. breathe.

15. In addition to Faksa, Bishop and Stephen Johns remained “unit to “I was having tense pain in my chest like I’ve never felt in my life,” Janko play.” said. “Every time I was trying to swallow my saliva, I was regurgitating or vomiting it back up because nothing was going down because (food) was Taylor Fedun had been “unfit to play,” but has since been cleared and stuck in the bottom of my esophagus.” was a healthy scratch in favor of Joel Hanley. The Stars had the team doctor and both trainers in Janko’s room in the Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov JW Marriott monitoring him, trying to figure out the best course of action. Mattias Janmark – Joe Pavelski – Denis Gurianov “And Jim Nill was sitting in my room after a Game 3 loss to make the series 2-1 and he sat in my room the entire time,” Janko said. “And that was until about three in the morning. … I was in excruciating pain and I will never forget that Jim sat in a chair in my small room right next to me, just being there and trying to help after his team had just lost a huge Game 3. And nobody would ever have known that, because he does things like that behind the scenes that nobody will ever find out about.”

At 3 a.m., it was determined that Janko would be taken to the hospital. He had the piece of food surgically removed via endoscopic scope at 8 a.m., nine hours after he’d taken the bite of food. Janko was the only one allowed to leave the bubble for surgery and he was quarantined upon return, but the support he felt from Nill before being loaded into the ambulance will never be forgotten.

“I was just so thankful that a guy like that would be just sitting in my room just trying to advise me and help me in a time that I’ve never been more scared in the history of my life,” Janko said. “How many general managers, after their team loses a playoff game, would be in the hotel room until three in the morning, just fully focused on the human being that was terrified and hurting and unsure of what to do?”

20. Being up 3-1 isn’t new to the Stars. They were leading 3-1 in the last round against Colorado and they needed Game 7 after losing Games 5 and 6.

With this group, that message won’t be lost heading into Game 5 against Vegas. In fact, the blasting Dallas took in Game 5 by Colorado could end up being the best piece of film Bowness could show to make sure the Stars are ready to try and put away Vegas on Monday.

Sean Shapiro

The Athletic LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193323 Dallas Stars I have a hard time seeing a scenario play out where the Stars trade Bishop.

Anton Khudobin has been good in the playoffs, and he was great in Stars Mailbag, Vol. 61: Royal Rumble, contract extensions and the Game 3 on Thursday, but Bishop has been the NHL’s best statistical perfect player goalie over the past two seasons, and this postseason has just underscored the importance of having two competent goalies. GM Jim Nill isn’t going to give up one of the strengths of his team, especially if we By Sean Shapiro are looking at a likely condensed season in 2020-21 and every team will need the 1A-1B system. Sep 12, 2020 The Stars can afford Khudobin. The issue will be the length of the term.

Dallas’ long-term plan includes Jake Oettinger taking the net from The Stars’ playoff run has kept us all busy. But when enough of you ask Bishop, so they need a spot for him in a couple of seasons. for a mailbag, I consider it my sacred duty to deliver. Here goes! Would Khudobin be willing to sign a one-year deal for close to $4 million? I know very little about wrestling, but for this Royal Rumble, we’ll have all That would work for Dallas. But he might prefer a three-year deal that 31 players in the bubble enter the ring at the same time. takes him to the end of his career.

I would assume alliances would be formed early based on nationalities It’s all about what Khudobin is looking for and what he values. and position groups. There’s a group of Finns in one corner, on I also expect a pretty big goalie carousel this offseason, so Khudobin will the other side, the taxi squad and a group of players who have decided have options to consider. to follow Jamie Benn since hockey captaincy also leads to combat-sport captaincy. Jamie Benn has been very good in the playoffs. He’s been one of the biggest difference-makers in Games 1 and 3 of this series. You would think Alexander Radulov would be a favorite to go deep in this competition, but he’s too chaotic and will get himself into a bad position We’ve also seen those “Sochi Benn” moments, particularly early in after dominating the competition early on. Benn would bide his time and games, in how he sets the tone and with the goals he’s scored, like in eventually get into a heated scrap. He’d end up tackling Radek Faksa Game 3 with a deft fake to open up Robin Lehner’s five-hole. over the top rope in what we think is a double-elimination of the two finalists. Rick Bowness referred to that performance as inspirational.

There will be some confusion. Who won? And then everyone will realize This isn’t full-blown Sochi Benn. Age and time have robbed us of that that Justin Dowling actually emerged victorious because he avoided all of player, but this is the closest thing I think we’ll get to that prime version, the conflict and was quietly watching all of the action from the side of the and it’s been impressive to see him find this switch in the postseason. ring, avoiding elimination. After Game 7, I spoke with Finnish broadcaster Antti Mäkinen, the man It’s a cute theory, but remember that the Stars were managing and behind the famed Joel Kiviranta goal calls, for his perspective on this. limiting Ben Bishop’s workload all the way back in training camp in Frisco According to Mäkinen, the Carolina Hurricanes had been one of the most before the team even left for Edmonton. popular teams. Sebastian Aho’s superstardom helps. Once Carolina was Whatever he’s dealing with likely isn’t something that just happened in knocked out, the Stars become a prohibitive favorite for the nation. Edmonton. It’s probably a nagging ailment that’s been aggravated and “Finns notice they have Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell on the back, and never had the chance to fully heal. then Roope Hintz is there, too. But when Joel Kiviranta does that, fuck, We don’t know what Stephen Johns’ ailment is. Hopefully, it’s not related that brought everyone in,” Mäkinen said. to his past post-traumatic headaches. Either way, what’s happened with There’s a line that hockey coaches like to use about “playing with Johns in this postseason is going to further force the Stars’ hand to carry emotion, but not playing emotional.” eight defensemen, including Johns, into the 2020-21 season. Playing with emotion means you use your emotions positively and find Jamie Oleksiak has really solidified himself as a top-four defenseman in motivation in certain things. Playing emotional means letting those the playoffs and fits well with Miro Heiskanen. That sets up a top four that emotions guide decisions and sometimes cloud judgment. looks like this. It’s a fine line, and I think you’ll notice the NHL’s best players, the most Esa Lindell – John Klingberg consistent ones, find a way to stay calm no matter what’s happening Miro Heiskanen – Jamie Oleksiak around them. Just look at how Heiskanen handles chaos. That’s the mark of an elite player. After that, I would surmise the Stars would use the foursome of Thomas Harley, Joel Hanley, Taylor Fedun and Johns to fill out the third pairing, The Stars have reaped the rewards of Jamie Oleksiak’s “loan” to the with the hopes that Harley is able to win a full-time role. Pittsburgh Penguins. They sent him away, and he came back a more confident player who was actually able to move the puck out of the I think $3 million per season for three seasons would be a fair ballpark for defensive zone. Denis Gurianov and Roope Hintz. The popular narrative is that Pittsburgh taught Oleksiak how to play the Oskar Lindblom in Philadelphia is actually a pretty good comparison for right way, which is fine. But I think the answer lies more in the both players. He was on pace for similar production before his cancer expectations that were stripped away when he was traded away and diagnosis, and he signed a $3 million-per-season deal for three seasons brought back for the same fourth-round pick. back in July. Oleksiak didn’t have to be a first-round pick expected to save the Joel Kiviranta, in my eyes, has played his way onto the roster for the franchise. He was able to ease into his role and surpass expectations, 2020-21 campaign. His emergence, in theory, could be the reason which led to greater confidence overall. Mattias Janmark doesn’t re-sign in Dallas. It’s a unique situation, and I don’t know if you could apply it to other But there is a real possibility that the Stars carry Janmark and Kiviranta development paths. on the roster if they let Corey Perry walk in free agency. They’ve certainly gone up quite a bit in the bubble. I know Janmark’s lack of finishing ability frustrates people, but he’s made the Stars a better team in the playoffs, and the coaches and Nill gives Bowness credit for using the stoppage to put his stamp on the management have been pleased with his overall game. His lack of finish team, and that team is in the Western Conference final. will also keep his market value down; as a six-goal scorer, he doesn’t Bowness, I believe, is also more interested in the head coaching job than have much leverage, and with an overall financial crunch across the he was back in March. Before the stoppage and even in training camp, league, he could be signed for less than the $2.3 million he made against Bowness wasn’t afraid to concede that he’d had second thoughts about the cap this season. entering the bubble. He also wasn’t afraid to talk about how he signed on Over. to finish this season out and that’s what he was going to do. I would still say so. The panel is made up of writers from Being in the bubble and running a team in Edmonton, however, has both markets in the final, as well as national media members. Heiskanen changed his feelings. I think he wants the job. has been the story, and if anyone were to steal votes, I think it would be Radulov or Khudobin before Benn. For those reasons, he’s going to be a serious candidate. Honestly, it’s impossible to project right now. There are too many players Miro Heiskanen is pretty close to the perfect player. who will be free agents the summer of that draft, and this offseason will If you delivered Heiskanen to a factory and asked for an upgrade to him, determine too many things. Right now, if you play with the expansion finding something to alter would be difficult. draft tool on CapFriendly, the Stars don’t have to leave anything of great value unprotected. The one thing I would do to upgrade Heiskanen would be to give him John Klingberg’s ability to run the power play and Denis Gurianov’s one- The player tracking has been in use since Game 2 of the Western timer. Conference final.

Other than that, Heiskanen is perfect for this era of the NHL. Enjoy this run. That’s a question for another day. Game 4 is Saturday.

I’ll let the people decide on your first question, but on to the second and third. Sean Shapiro

On the Stars slowing teams down despite not being fast themselves: You don’t need to be fast to control space. The Stars are systematically great at controlling time and space. Even when opponents attack with speed, The Athletic LOADED: 09.13.2020 the Stars’ structure is built around yielding the low-danger areas and reading things the right way.

On Tyler Seguin, that’s an interesting question.

I believe Seguin is playing through something that will be revealed after the playoffs are over. There is internet hubbub that it’s a wrist injury, which would explain his puckhandling, but he’s also looked slower when skating. That has nothing to do with an upper-body ailment.

Seguin has also still been taking faceoffs, which is a slight indication that the wrist might be in pain but it’s at least manageable.

Whatever it is, the Stars need Seguin to score. He’s been a better overall player in the past three victories for Dallas, but for him to make a full impact, he needs to find the back of the net.

We could nerd out about that, but I think the bigger fact is that NHL teams on a whole don’t know what to look for when it comes to goalies.

Goalies are voodoo, and voodoo is hard to predict.

For starters, I don’t think Devante Smith-Pelly or Joel Kiviranta was considered the next big thing because of their respective playoff performances. I think both were strong role players who seized the moment, while Smith-Pelly was more established at the time and a known commodity.

I want people to realize Kiviranta isn’t going to stick in the NHL because he’s a goal scorer. He’s going to stick in the NHL because he does what he’s done the past three games: He brings speed and energy while being very good defensively. Kiviranta is essentially a younger, faster version of Andrew Cogliano.

Bowness is the head coach, and he took the heat for the Game 5 decision to start Ben Bishop. But in reality, that’s not his call.

Bowness lets goalie coach Jeff Reese handle all the goaltending decisions, and while Bowness has the final veto, he’s never been one to tell Reese he was wrong when it came to . So that decision to start Bishop falls on Bowness, but it also falls on Bishop and Reese, who made a poor decision based on information only they should have been able to interpret.

There are many things Bowness does behind the scenes that the players love. In many ways, I think his approach — treating players as humans before athletes — is one of the main reasons Dallas is still even in the postseason.

Bowness has created an atmosphere where players want to run through a wall to win for him, even though he’s never asked them to do so.

It doesn’t happen too often, thankfully.

But when it does, it’s pretty noticeable. It’s unfortunate the NHL officials missed such a blatant offense by Alex Tuch on Seguin in Game 3.

Joe Pavelski is an elite golfer and has a +0.4 handicap. He’s widely considered the best golfer in the NHL.

I wasn’t there, but based on how he was trying to catch balls, I would assume Radulov was one of the more entertaining ones. 1193324 Detroit Red Wings up 89 points in 67 games with Val-d’Or. Anticipating he’d be around two more spots, Holland flipped picks with the , moving back to 20th but also gaining the 58th overall pick. Mantha has emerged as a Steve Yzerman must nail 2020 draft pick for Red Wings' rebuild to core part of the rebuild, a two-time 20-goal scorer whose ascent has succeed. Here's why been waylaid by injuries. Holland used the 58th selection on forward Tyler Bertuzzi, who also has established himself as a core rebuilding block.

Helene St. James 2014

This was another good first round for the Wings, who chose homegrown forward Dylan Larkin at No. 15. He ranks third in his draft class with 266 In less than a month general manager Steve Yzerman is tasked with points in 386 games, trailing Edmonton’s and Boston’s making a choice that hopefully moves the needle on the Detroit Red David Pastrnak, both of whom play on considerably better-stocked Wings’ rebuild. teams. Larkin has earned the right to be the next captain (expect an He holds the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft, as the Wings were announcement before next season begins), impressing with his bruised as much as possible by the lottery after finishing in 31st place. relentless drive and emergent leadership on and off the ice. They were the only team not to reach 20 victories and lagged 30th-place 2015 Ottawa by 23 points. This one is tough. Forward Evgeny Svechnikov was billed as a complete A good player will be available: possible choices include defenseman package of size and skill when the Wings drafted him at 19th, but five Jamie Drysdale, and forwards Cole Perfetti, Marco Rossi, Lucas years later he’s appeared in just 20 games (two goals, two assists). He Raymond and Alexander Holtz. The Wings are in desperate need of a missed 2018-19 recovering from knee surgery, but he didn’t dominate in player who dominates and makes those around him better. the AHL the season before or after. He was signed to a one-year When they were competitive, the Wings at times used their first-round extension this summer, and time is running out for the affable Russian to picks to acquire players who could help them continue their success. As demonstrate if he fits into the rebuild. they’ve declined over the past decade, there was a shift in approach. 2016 Now some of their recent first-rounders are the ones counted on as rebuilding blocks — and some are looking like busts. This was a messy situation. Datsyuk quit with a year to go on his contract, leaving the Wings with a $7.5 million cap hit and nothing to In advance of the Oct. 6-7 virtual draft, here is a look at the team’s first- show for it. Holland struck a deal with Arizona: The Coyotes took round picks going back to 2010, and what impact they’ve had on the Datsyuk’s cap hit (no actual money was owed to him) and the Wings’ Wings: pick at 16th, while the Wings got Arizona’s pick at 20th and at 53rd. The Then-general manager held the 21st overall pick and used it first selection was used on defenseman Dennis Cholowski. He’s a good to draft forward Riley Sheahan. He was coming off his first year at Notre skater with NHL-caliber talent, but his lack of assertiveness has been an Dame, where he’d tallied six goals and 11 assists in 37 games. He was issue. Yzerman has talked to Cholowski about the problem, but he considered a defensive center with an offensive upside. Sheahan spent finished the season in the minors for a second straight year. 42 games with the Wings in 2013-14, seemingly on the right track — he The guy the Wings chose at 53rd has been a boon: Defenseman Filip notched nine goals and 15 assists. He was a full-timer the next season Hronek has established he can help the rebuild, demonstrating offensive and delivered 13 goals and 23 assists in 79 games. He scored a career- skills mixed with a ferocity in physical play. high 14 goals in 2015-16, but his point total dropped to 25. 2017 The next season was a disaster. Sheahan went 79 games before finally scoring, doing so twice in the last game of the season, the final game at Here begins the Wings’ bitter fortune in the draft lottery. They were Joe Louis Arena. Eight games into the 2017-18 season he was traded to pushed back from seventh to ninth and missed out on, among others, the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s since also played for the Florida Panthers, defensemen Miro Heiskanen (third, a top-pair guy for the Dallas Stars) and spent last season playing for Holland again, with the Edmonton and Cale Makar (fourth, a driving force with the Colorado Avalanche) and Oilers. forward Elias Petterson (fifth, Canucks, leads his draft class with 55 career goals). Michael Rasmussen is a 6-6 center with the

potential to be a solid net-front presence, but picking so far back hurt a The Wings’ first-round pick (No. 24 went to Ottawa as part of a draft-day team coming off a 25-season playoff run and in need of restocking star deal that sent the Senators’ and Chicago Blackhawks’ second-round power. picks to the Wings. Those picks were the 35th and 48th overall, on top of 2018 the 55th pick the Wings already held. This is notable because it gave Detroit three chances at , who the Tampa Bay Lightning The Wings were pushed back from fifth to sixth, leaving them to sit and nabbed at No. 58. In fairness, no one at that time knew how good stew as Buffalo drafted defenseman Rasmus Dahlin at first overall and Kucherov would be (he leads his draft class with 547 points in 515 career Carolina drafted forward Andrei Svechnikov, Evgeny’s brother, at games) but it stings because none of the Wings choices — Tomas Jurco, second. Holland and company, though, were thrilled when forward Filip Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul — panned out. (The Senators used the Zadina, projected to go as high as third, was available at pick No. 6. 24th pick on Matt Puempel, who has appeared in 87 NHL games and has Zadina made strides this season in figuring out how to get off his shot in been in Detroit’s farm system since 2017-18.) limited space, and looks like he’ll be a factor in the rebuild. Trading Tomas Tatar got the Wings the 30th overall pick, which they used on Joe This is another one that’s best taken sitting down and with a dose of Veleno. He’s a smooth-skating center with offensive upside whose context. In 2012, the Wings still had Nicklas Lidstrom, who even as he improved defensive game should boost the Wings down the road. neared 42 was one of the best defensemen in the NHL, while Pavel Datsyuk and were in their prime. The Wings were 2019 decimated by injuries around the trade deadline, prompting Holland to engage in a three-way trade that ended with the Lightning (then with Yzerman stunned the draft-night crowd, including his target, when he Yzerman as GM) gaining the Wings’ first-round pick and the Wings picked defenseman Moritz Seider at sixth overall (the Wings were reacquiring defenseman Kyle Quincey. Quincey stuck around for four pushed back from their fourth-place projected pick, missing out on Jack seasons, but he wasn’t the type of player to invigorate a declining team. Hughes). Seider is 6-4, shoots right and has the skill set to be a top-pair Yzerman used the first-round pick on Andrei Vasilevskiy, who became anchor. He’s likely to play with the Wings this season (he’s currently in Tampa’s franchise goaltender. Germany with his old DEL team but he’ll be recalled whenever the NHL gives the go-ahead on training camps). He handled himself well last 2013 season with the , where he played in all situations.

Here’s where things start to improve. The Wings came into the draft holding the 18th pick and had their sights set on Anthony Mantha, a 6- foot-5 forward out of the Major Junior Hockey League who’d put Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193325 count on it. Overall, Brodziak was about four goals better than the rest of the Roadrunners. Now, Year 2:

Brodziak’s 2005-06 even-strength on-ice goal differential: 32 goals for, 23 Lowetide: For Oilers prospect Tyler Benson, the past can be inspiration goals against (a 58.2 percent goal share)

Stars’ 2005-06 even-strength on-ice goal differential without Brodziak: By Allan Mitchell 122 goals for, 105 goals against (a 53.7 percent goal share)

Sep 12, 2020 Brodziak continued to grow as an outscorer in the AHL even as he was playing for a far better team. That was the period when Edmonton placed the Roadrunners in stasis, so they loaned their players to other teams. Brodziak, clearly not a priority for the Dallas Stars, had enough utility to You’ve seen this story dozens of times. A second-round draft pick gets a carve out a key role in the AHL. Brodziak didn’t project as an outscorer seven-game look in the second year of his entry deal and follows it up (he was shy offensively, scoring just nine goals and 20 points at even with a strong first half in the minors the next season, his last on the strength in 2005-06) but he was growing his resume as a checking contract. The player is recalled to the NHL, the team tests him with a centre. veteran’s minutes and he flourishes. The replaceable, more expensive veteran is dealt at the deadline. Voila! An NHL player has arrived. The next season, 2006-07, was his last in the AHL. Brodziak blossomed offensively, scoring 24 goals and 56 points in 62 games. Once again, he The Oilers’ classic modern example is Fernando Pisani. The former St. increased his effectiveness in even-strength outscoring: Albert Saints winger was drafted in 1996 by Edmonton from the AJHL, then spent four seasons with Providence in the NCAA. He played his first Brodziak 2006-07 even-strength on-ice goal differential: 43 goals for, 30 two seasons in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs, seeing his first NHL goals against (a 58.9 percent goal share) action midway through Year 3. He replaced Daniel Cleary on the wing, and coach Craig MacTavish played him on a regular shift for most of the Penguins 2006-07 even-strength on-ice goal differential without Brodziak: decade. 126 goals for, 112 goals against (a 52.9 percent goal share)

Others from the last 20 years who fit the description are Brad Brodziak was NHL-ready and then some by the completion of his entry- Winchester, Zack Stortini, Kyle Brodziak, Tyler Pitlick, Tobias Rieder and level deal. He went the extra mile in fall 2007, playing so well in camp Jujhar Khaira among forwards who were Oilers draft picks. there was simply no way for coach Craig MacTavish to send him back.

Tyler Benson fits that model perfectly, but there is work to do and an Brodziak sealed his fate as a bona fide NHL player on Sept. 17, 2007. He unforeseen bump in the road that leads to his NHL career. The AHL was in competition for a roster spot with Marc Pouliot, Jean-Francois season is in question, and that’s more than a little inconvenient. Here’s Jacques and Patrick Thoresen. MacTavish said after the preseason why. game that night, “That’s the closest you’ll get to a perfect game. He wasn’t in the wrong position all night. Made great plays with the puck, Benson’s AHL resume scored two goals, had a beautiful short-handed assist, big block at the end. There’s nothing he didn’t do tonight. He looks faster and stronger In his two minor-league seasons, Benson has delivered quality play for and maybe the most important difference for him is mentally he’s ready the Bakersfield Condors. His scoring numbers led them in Year 1 and to stay. And it looks like he’s made the decision that he’s staying. That ranked second in Year 2, during which he made his first appearances in was a hell of a game.” the NHL. His on-ice even-strength numbers year over year suggest an outscoring forward in the AHL. Here is his rookie season: Brodziak played 173 AHL regular-season games, then graduated to the NHL. He was a productive NHL player for over a decade before injuries Benson’s 2018-19 even-strength on-ice goal differential: 59 goals for, 33 ended his career in 2019. goals allowed (a 64.1 percent goal share) Lessons to learn Condors’ 2018-19 even-strength on-ice goal differential without Benson: 125 goals for, 91 goals allowed (a 57.9 percent goal share) Benson is two-thirds of the way through his entry deal and has been dealt a bad turn. In a normal year, he’d be in training camp vying for an The Condors were fine in 2018-19, but when Benson was on the ice, NHL job. If he got sent down (general manager Ken Holland is going to good things were happening more often. Some of the credit for those recall more players in his time with Edmonton than will make the Oilers numbers goes to Cooper Marody, who was also a rookie that season and out of camp, that’s a guarantee), there would be work to do on improving played centre. Still, Benson enjoyed a strong rookie campaign. Here is his outscoring at even strength. Year 2: Brodziak is the template. He was a late-round selection, was not a Benson’s 2019-20 even-strength on-ice goal differential: 27 goals for, 35 feature prospect (Pouliot won the job Brodziak was pushing for, leading goals allowed (a 43.5 percent goal share) to Brodziak’s trade to Minnesota) and received no special treatment. If Condors’ 2019-20 even-strength on-ice goal differential without Benson: he’d faltered with Iowa or Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, his career could have 92 goals for, 114 goals allowed (a 44.7 percent goal share) taken a downward turn.

Benson trails the rest of the team, but only by a goal. It’s safe to say that Benson’s bad turn is the possibility of the AHL season being washed out. without Marody healthy, Benson corrected to the rest of the team quickly Bob Stauffer reported he has been skating with the University of Alberta (as did Marody). Based on the on-ice results at even strength, another Golden Bears and may be another Oilers prospect assigned to a half-season in Bakersfield might be wise. European team. Wherever he lands, Benson’s job is identical to that of Brodziak 15 years ago: improved even-strength outscoring while he’s on Except there is no Bakersfield training camp planned. Not yet, and the ice. possibly not this season. Brodziak found a way to get faster and stronger (as noted by Kyle Brodziak MacTavish), showed well in the faceoff circle and became part of the regular rotation on the penalty kill as a rookie. He made himself useful in There are very few examples of forwards drafted by the Oilers who spent so many situations, executed the small plays well and made a difference. time in the minors and then successfully adjusted to the NHL. One such He went from plus-1 to plus-9 to plus-13 in even-strength outscoring player is Brodziak, who was in the AHL 15 years ago. Here are his on-ice during his AHL career. numbers at even strength during his first season (2004-05): Benson’s first AHL season was a dream. His second season was less Brodziak’s 2004-05 even-strength on-ice goal differential: 22 goals for, 21 than expected. He’s still on track as a prospect and he might make the goals against (a 51.2 percent goal share) Oilers out of camp at the start of next season. Roadrunners’ 2004-05 even-strength on-ice goal differential without In a recent interview with Oilers TV reporter and host Tony Brar, director Brodziak: 124 goals for, 140 goals against (a 47 percent goal share) of amateur scouting Tyler Wright explained the type of player he is The first thing we see is that Brodziak was playing on a low-event line looking for. “You want to have big defenders,” he said. “You want to have compared with Benson, but his line was efficient and the coach could fast defenders. You want to have guys that are able to score, guys that can win faceoffs. Those attentions to detail, I think, that we did pretty good at through the course of the season with the penalty killing, the special teams and goaltending. There’s so many little games within side games that you can improve. If you can just improve 1 or 2 percent better in those areas, I think that it improves the outcome for the whole team. As far as philosophy goes, we want to be an exciting team. We want to be fast, we want to be competitive and we want to be skilled.”

Benson needs to improve his speed, his positioning and his attention to detail. It’s likely he’ll begin his career as an NHL regular on a bottom-six line, meaning penalty killing is a chore that might be available to him if he shows acumen.

He’s close, and last year was a tough one for a short-handed and injured team in Bakersfield. In the short term, it may not get better for Benson, who may be playing in a European secondary league for some or all of next season.

No matter where he plays, Benson needs to improve. Despite the difficulty of last season, those seven NHL games served as a solid introduction to the scouting staff. Wherever he plays this fall, Benson needs to arrive at Edmonton’s training camp with an extra step and fantastic attention to detail.

The template is Brodziak from 15 years ago. The good news for Benson? He is in the window of opportunity.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193326 Los Angeles Kings (-Duluth) have worked out far better than anyone else. This past season, Blake Lizotte (St. Cloud State University) made the Kings out of training camp and went on to play 65 games.

The Kings’ smart, creative deal with Sean Walker reflects current Of the young defensemen in the Kings organization, the only two who uncertainty really were ready to play in the NHL at the start of this past season were Walker and Matt Roy.

By Lisa Dillman In 70 games, Walker totaled 24 points (five goals, 19 assists). Now comes the next hurdle for Walker and Roy, an increase in responsibility. Sep 12, 2020 The path to success for a young defensemen isn’t always linear.

“Walks once and awhile has the tendency to go to sleep,” Kings assistant coach Trent Yawney said. “As you move into your career as a Not long ago, the Minnesota-based analytics site Evolving Wild offered defenseman, you want to minimize those times. contract projections for pending unrestricted and restricted free agents. “He’s very coachable. You just remind him that in the word defenseman Kings defenseman Sean Walker, then a soon-to-be RFA, was one of is defense. He’s got such skating ability that his ability to get up in the those players. Evolving Wild projected his next contract at four years and rush and support the rush is really good. But your job has to be done first $3.75 million per year. in your own zone.” On Friday, the Kings signed Walker to a four-year contract extension with Walker, a right-shot defenseman, has added value because he can play an average annual value (AAV) of $2.65 million. both sides. Internally, the Kings also valued his work on the second-unit The projection by Evolving Wild probably would have been accurate if we power play, especially in the latter stages of the regular season. hadn’t been in these unusual circumstances. But the reality is, the Kings “He’s got a leg up on everybody,” Yawney said. “I thought he really and every other NHL team are headed into a flat-cap era. Whatever the improved on that. The more reps he got on the power play, the more expectations might have been before the pandemic, they may have to be comfortable he became and he started to taking control of it. Running a lowered across the board. power play, a lot of it is repetition.” It’s far better to have a signed contract at this juncture than not to have Yawney previous was an assistant coach in charge of the defense with one. the and worked closely with Cam Fowler in the early Walker’s deal is backloaded to reduce the 10 percent percent salary stages of Fowler’s professional career. deferral and higher escrow in the next couple of years, per the website “Walks skates like he’s got great wheels. Cam Fowler comes to mind, PuckPedia. His deal was really the only meaningful bit of contract work although they shoot a different way,” Yawney said. “Walks is quick and I left on Kings general manager ’s to-do list this summer. like that he’s got a little bit of snarl in his game, too. He can get really (Presumably, one of the few advantages of the longest offseason in NHL pissy and I like that about him. He’s a competitive guy and wants to do history is that you can get all of your busy work done way ahead of well. usual.) “He had a good year in terms of production, but we’re going to need The Kings got Walker wrapped up for four years at a good price. When more of that without sacrificing the other side of it.” the contract expires, Walker will be an unrestricted free agent at age 29.

“Sean is an important part to our right side going forward,” Blake said. The Athletic LOADED: 09.13.2020 “His competitiveness and skating ability allows him to transition the puck out of our zone. We look forward to having Sean in a Kings uniform for years to come.”

Regarding Walker’s contract, one can expect to see much more of that creativity (backloading), perhaps even more pronounced, in future deals crafted around the league.

“That will be the preferred structure going forward,” one hockey agent said via text on Saturday.

The Kings operated in a similar manner with another recent contract extension this month. Forward Austin Wagner’s three-year contract extension worth $3.4 million was backloaded. The AAV is $1.133 million but the salary goes from $900,000 in year one to $1.4 million by year three.

Not only is there the issue of a flat cap, but internal budgets as well. TSN reported this week that 17 NHL teams had reduced pay of staff members during the pandemic, including the Kings. The Athletic reported in May that entertainment giant AEG, the parent company of the Kings, had cut salaries 20 percent across the board company-wide. It is believed that the end of September will mark six months of salary rollbacks by the organization.

The NHL Draft is a little more than three weeks away, almost immediately followed by the start of the free-agent signing period, and now the Kings have a clear idea of how much money they have to spend and their needs going forward.

The Kings will have 11 picks in next month’s draft, including four in the first two rounds. Previously, near the end of the Dean Lombardi era, when there weren’t a lot of draft picks in the pipeline, the Kings worked around the shortfall by mining the college free-agent market.

Blake was the GM by the time Walker was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green, the alma mater of Blake and Nelson Emerson, the Kings’ director of player personnel. There have been more hits than misses with the college free agents. Walker and Alex Iafallo 1193327 Bjugstad, who was a bit surprised by the trade, said he’s 100% and has resumed skating and working out. He’s confident he can log a full season and feels he can rove up and down the Wild lineup as needed. He New Wild center Nick Bjugstad arrives with 'something to prove' expects his frame to be a nuisance for defenders down low, but he also prides himself on being responsible defensively.

“Whatever I can do to come in and help the team,” he said, “I’m willing.” By Sarah McLellan Although he’s preparing to manage the hype that comes with a return SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 home, the familiarity could ease the transition.

Since he and his wife, who welcomed a second daughter on Monday, spend summers in the Twin Cities, Bjugstad doesn’t have to move. And Don’t be surprised if Nick Bjugstad doesn’t pick up his cellphone on he has a built-in support system with family and friends around; he plans game days next season. to chat with his uncle Scott Bjugstad, an ex-North Star, about playing in His phone might be in airplane mode to block incoming calls. his hometown.

“I’ve found ways to calm the outside noise,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll have some good advice on how to handle it,” said Bjugstad, who has already talked to new teammate Zach Parise and the Now more than ever, Bjugstad might need those tactics. coaching staff. “I think he’s a big reason I’ve continued to play hockey for this long.” The Blaine native, former Mr. Hockey and Gophers alum has come full circle, with Bjugstad joining the Wild on Friday in a trade from Pittsburgh. This is where that journey started, and now Bjugstad is back for a new chapter. “I’ve watched [the Wild] growing up my whole life,” Bjugstad said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am for the opportunity.” “I love it here,” he said. “I’m just ecstatic about the opportunity.”

But the hoopla of the homecoming isn’t distracting Bjugstad from the business at stake, and that’s recalibrating a career that has been knocked off course by injury. Star Tribune LOADED: 09.13.2020

“I’m looking forward to definitely, after the year I didn’t really have, coming out and proving myself again,” Bjugstad said Saturday on a video conference call. “It’s not easy to come back from surgeries, but I set up the right team around me with strength and conditioning and physios. It’s been a great time for me to really learn about myself.

“I’m ecstatic, but with that, I’m approaching it like I got traded to any other team where I want to help them win a Stanley Cup.”

Last season was a challenging one for Bjugstad. He suffered a core muscle injury and after undergoing surgery in November didn’t make it back to the Penguins’ lineup until March. After three games, he was sidelined again — this time for a new issue — and had spinal surgery in May to correct a herniated disc.

‘Something to prove’

In the end, Bjugstad played only 13 games last season, registering a goal and assist, but the Wild was still interested.

“Nick definitely has something to prove,” General Manager said. “I think the healthy, motivated Nick Bjugstad is a very good player. I’m anxious to see him get going, and I’m confident that he’ll do fine.”

Guerin was with Pittsburgh’s front office when the team acquired Bjugstad from Florida in 2019 and sees a versatile player who combines size with skill and can line up at center or wing. The 6-6, 215-pound Bjugstad is also a right shot, which the Wild are short on up front.

After conversations with Penguins GM and Bjugstad’s agent, Guerin wasn’t concerned about past injuries. The 28-year-old, who will wear No. 27 with the Wild, has appeared in all 82 games only once in his NHL career — in 2017-18, when he recorded a career-high 49 points.

Bjugstad has 97 goals and 110 assists in 439 NHL games after stints at the University of Minnesota and Blaine High School. The Panthers drafted him 19th overall in 2010.

Guerin said this trade isn’t related to captain Mikko Koivu’s future and declined to elaborate on whether the veteran will return. More changes up the middle, however, are realistic, Guerin said.

Looking at next step

Pittsburgh is retaining half of Bjugstad’s salary, which is at $5.25 million during the last season of his six-year, $24.6 million contract. The Penguins will receive a 2021 seventh-round draft pick from the Wild only if Bjugstad plays in 70 games or scores 35 points.

“I really do believe in the skill set he has,” Guerin said. “Just being as big as he is and having the hands and the playmaking ability is something that is rare. Nick has had a couple of off years, and he’s going to have to work hard to get his game back to where it can be, and I’m confident that he is.” 1193328 Minnesota Wild “I’m a bigger guy, and I like to use my body to protect pucks and create kind of a tough game for the opposing defensemen down low,” Bjugstad said. “I’ve been in the league eight years now, so I’ve learned a lot. I’ve Nick Bjugstad’s homecoming with Wild is more business than pleasure definitely taken pride in playing a defensive role if I have to, and I can chip in offensively if that’s the case, too. Just whatever the team asks; I’m here to try to help the team win and just do my best.”

By DANE MIZUTANI As for the potential distraction of being home, Bjugstad doesn’t seem too concerned. His ultimate goal is hoisting the Stanley Cup, and that hasn’t PUBLISHED: September 12, 2020 changed.

“It’s a business first and foremost, and I’m definitely well understanding of Nick Bjugstad starred at Blaine High School and flourished at the that,” Bjugstad said. “I’ll have to maybe go on airplane mode on game University of Minnesota before finally leaving the nest to start his NHL days. I’ve found ways to calm the outside noise. At this stage in my life career. Now he’s back in his own backyard after the hometown I’m better apt to handle this situation than I was maybe eight years ago.” Minnesota Wild acquired him in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on That’s exactly what Guerin wants to hear from his newest addition. He Friday night. better than anyone understands the pressure of playing at home. Not that Wild general manager Bill Guerin is getting caught up in the “Listen, I’m from Massachusetts,” Guerin said. “I’ve seen friends of mine cliche. play for the Bruins, and it didn’t go well; I’ve seen friends of mine that “This is not a homecoming for him by any stretch,” Guerin said. “He’s played for the Bruins, and it went very well. I went home, and I had the coming here to play for the Minnesota Wild and to help us win, and that’s two best years of my careers. what I expect. And I know that’s what I’m going to get.” “Some guys can handle it. Some guys can’t. I’m confident that Nick can That’s something the 28-year-old center echoed on Saturday morning handle it and he will enjoy it, and he will thrive in it. It’s not that we can’t during a Zoom call with reporters. While he’s excited to be back in the bring guys home. It’s that we have to find out if he can handle it or not. I Twin Cities, he made it clear he’s not going to let it become a distraction. think he can.”

“I think that would be a definitely potential problem when I was younger,” Bjugstad said. “Now it’s at the point I have family and a couple of Pioneer Press LOADED: 09.13.2020 daughters. I don’t do much anymore. I’m on a dad routine where I’m going to bed early and I’m able to get workouts, and there’s not much from the outside going on especially considering the circumstance with COVID.”

That said, Bjugstad is looking forward to being around family and friends for the first time in his NHL career. His wife Jackie gave birth on Labor Day, and having a support system nearby will be helpful.

A screenshot of Nick Bjugstad from Saturday, Sept. 12.

“Just having family around being able to help out with the kids and having grandparents being able to be with their grandchildren is great,” Bjugstad said. “I’m definitely excited from that standpoint to be able to get a little more help.”

It’s a business at the end of the day, though, and Bjugstad knows he has a lot to prove this season. He’s coming off an injury-riddled campaign that featured sports hernia surgery and back surgery, and while he claims to be 100 percent again, he knows he’s going to have to show it on the ice.

“I’m looking forward to, after the year I didn’t really have, coming out and proving myself again,” Bjugstad said. “It’s not easy to come back from surgeries. I set up the right team around me with strength and conditioning. It’s been a great time for me to really learn about myself.”

This move has been awhile in the making, according Guerin, who was familiar with Bjugstad from his time with the Penguins and still believes he can be a key contributor. Plus, Guerin chatted with Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford and agent Ben Hankinson, both of whom assured him that the injuries won’t be a problem moving forward.

“They have all given me peace of mind that Nick’s going to be OK,” Guerin said. “I trust both parties, so it’s not a concern of mine.”

If the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Bjugstad can stay healthy — and that’s a big if considering he has only played a full 82-game season once in his career — he has all the tools to be a mainstay in the lineup for years to come. Not only does he have size, he has skill with 97 goals and 110 assists in his NHL career.

“I think he’s got incredible potential,” Guerin said. “You see the size and skill combination. I mean, health is a huge part of professional sports. You have to stay healthy. This offseason it’s our job and Nick’s job to make sure he is doing what he needs to do to stay healthy, because I really do believe in the skill set he has.”

He will almost surely play center, joining Eric Staal and Joel Eriksson Ek, who are under contract, and Nico Sturm, who is a good bet to be re- signed this offseason. As for veteran captain Mikko Koivu, it seems unlikely that he’s back next season, though Guerin has refused to comment on the matter. 1193329 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens acquire defenceman Joel Edmundson from Hurricanes

Pat Hickey

Publishing date:Sep 12, 2020

The Canadiens added some depth to their defence corps Saturday when they acquired Joel Edmundson from the Carolina Hurricanes in return for a fifth-round pick in 2020.

Edmundson played a top-four role for the Hurricanes for most of last season, but he became expendable after Carolina acquired Brady Skjei from the Rangers at the trade deadline.

Montreal didn’t have to give up much because Edmundson is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current . He had a cap hit of $3.1 million for the past season.

If the Canadiens sign him, he’ll be battling Brett Kulak and newcomer Alexander Romanov for ice time.

Edmundson, 27, suited up for 68 games with Carolina last season, recording seven goals and 13 assists in addition to posting a plus-7 differential. He has good size at 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, and he plays on the left side. He added one goal in four playoff contests with the Hurricanes this year.

In five seasons in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues and the Hurricanes, Edmundson had 72 points (20 goals, 52 assists) in 337 regular season games while serving 320 penalty minutes and posting a plus-25 differential. He has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 53 playoff games, notably helping the St. Louis Blues hoist the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2018-19 season.

Edmundson was a second-round pick, 46th overall, for the Blues in the 2011 NHL draft.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193330 Montreal Canadiens defenceman or perhaps having one of them move to the right side. Having Romanov play the right side — Russian players often feel more comfortable playing on their off side — is also possible, though I’m sure Ask Arpon: On the Joel Edmundson trade, the draft and the Danault- the Canadiens would rather not do that to a rookie learning the ropes not Domi situation only in the NHL but also in North America.

Another possibility is that either Kulak or Mete or maybe even both suddenly become options for a trade. Which, if we’re being honest, was By Arpon Basu already a pretty big possibility. It’s only gotten bigger now.

Sep 12, 2020 Mete’s next contract is going to be very difficult to predict and the playoffs Kulak just had with the Canadiens might have made him more valuable

on the trade market as an affordable, proven puck mover on the blue EDMONTON — It seems like every time I’ve run my mailbag lately, line. Bergevin, when asked about Kulak after the Canadiens were something significant has happened in the hockey world that has nothing eliminated from the playoffs, did not exactly give him a glowing to do with hockey. endorsement. He acknowledged that if Kulak plays the way he did in the playoffs, he would be a valuable member of the team. But he also This month is no different. brought up Kulak’s struggles with inconsistency all season.

I am in the Alberta capital covering the final two rounds of the Stanley In any case, what Edmundson brings, assuming he signs, is flexibility at Cup playoffs, a stage the Canadiens would like to reach soon, but one left defence and more size. they are probably still far from reaching. But these entire playoffs have been significant for something that has even overshadowed the bubble Speaking of which, as soon as this deal was signed, I thought of and the pandemic and the sacrifices the players have made to reach this something Dallas Stars coach Rick Bowness said the other day. Now point. remember, no one is as much of an old-school hockey guy as Bowness, who has been coaching in the NHL for parts of five decades. He was I will always remember these playoffs as the moment NHL players talking about the changing nature of the defence position and said realized they have a social responsibility, that their voice matters and can something that appears to specifically apply to this exact trade, as if have an influence on the very people who need to be reached at times Bowness knew it was coming. like this, the people who want to close their eyes and not see what is happening in the world around them simply because it doesn’t have an “The whole change to me has been the way our league has changed impact on them (and no, I am not simply talking about Alain Vigneault). over the last six, seven, eight years that you need a mobile defence,” he said. “The days of the big, stay-at-home defenceman, you can have one The people who scream “stick to sports” are the ones the NHL needed to or two of those, the rest of them have to be very mobile.” reach when the players decided not to play for two days to allow everyone to focus the conversation on the racial injustice that continues With Chiarot, Edmundson and Shea Weber, the Canadiens now have to plague our society. And even if people were screaming that it came a three defencemen who would not be best described as mobile. They’re day late, the fact it came at all was a historic moment for the NHL and its not necessarily immobile, but mobility is not their No. 1 quality. They are players. Especially its players, because they led the charge and did big, strong men who are difficult to play against, yes, but the Canadiens something they never do. They spoke out and stood for something aside appear to be moving away from this trend of having a quick, mobile from hockey. defence group. Jeff Petry can still move, Romanov is an excellent skater, Kulak and Mete remain in the mix for now. It was important. We’ll see how the defence shakes out, but the acquisition of Edmundson Being here watching games in a largely empty Rogers Place drove the seems to be a sign that more moves are coming on the blue line. point home to me how important that two-day break was. These players want to win the Stanley Cup, that much is clear, but living in the bubble is At 16th overall has there been any talk on who they’re looking at or if not something that is all that pleasant. Yes, they are well taken care of, they will trade the pick? I think Amirov, Gunler and Holloway would be living in luxury hotels with all their needs looked after. But they are living great adds. — Phoenix L. in isolation. It is luxury isolation, but isolation nonetheless. The fact the As a follow up to this, who would be an off the board pick at 16? — John players decided they would extend their stay in that isolation to take a W. stand makes that stand that much more significant. I applaud them for it. Hi, Phoenix and John. There are so many ways the draft can shake out And with that, we move on to this belated mailbag, with lots of questions over the first 15 picks that it is nearly impossible to make an accurate on what should be a fascinating offseason and draft for the Canadiens. prediction of who the Canadiens might take at No. 16. Only adding to the But first, I will attempt to answer a question that I imagine you all are unpredictability of their pick is the fact that their organizational depth is asking. not blatantly lacking at any position, unlike in previous years, so they can Why did just acquire the rights to unrestricted free-agent legitimately go for the best player available. defenceman Joel Edmundson? — Arpon B. (imagining what many of you Who is that player? Well, it will be fascinating to see how the Canadiens are asking) approach it at that pick. Good question, Arpon! It is very possible they will get their pick of the best of the second tier of Edmundson is coming off a one-year, $3.1 million deal. He is 27. He is defencemen available this year, Braden Schneider or Kaiden Guhle or big and strong and tough at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. He had 20 points in 68 Jérémie Poirier or someone else. If not, they could go for a very deep games and played 18:27 a game for the Carolina Hurricanes this season. crop of forwards, with possibly the most intriguing one at that spot being the Russian winger Rodion Amirov, who has high-end skill but a All of that is good, though his defensive impact metrics were not. potentially long wait before he comes to the NHL. Dawson Mercer, Seth Jarvis, Jack Quinn, Anton Lundell, Dylan Hollowell, Mavrik Bourque — all And in fact, they have never been all that great. or some of these guys could be available at No. 16. In fact, at least one So, what gives? will be available at No. 16, and any of those forwards would help the Canadiens. For a guy of his size and with his demeanor, Edmundson is relatively mobile, which makes him somewhat of a rare commodity. He is similar to But then there’s Hendrix Lapierre. He is the ultimate wild card in this draft Ben Chiarot in that way, and if Edmundson signs with Montreal, that will and might be considered an off-the-board pick. It would definitely be a make two consecutive summers where Bergevin has sought out this risk with his health issues, but it could be a real home run. The particular package in a left-side defenceman. Canadiens are desperate to have a Quebec-born star at forward, and there is absolutely no way to know if Lapierre would be that guy. But he But Edmundson is no better than a third-pairing option. With Chiarot could be. The talent is there, he is the type of forward the Canadiens locked in and Alexander Romanov seemingly just as much of a lock to love, smart and crafty. open the season in the top six on defence, that would leave Brett Kulak and Victor Mete fighting for what might be a job as either the seventh The Canadiens will have lots of options at No. 16, not the least of which Hey there, John and Marc-Philippe. would be trading the pick. Because all those options that will be available to them might, in fact, be more attractive to another team that has a I must concede, when the Canadiens’ playoff run ended a few weeks player they absolutely love slide to that spot. And ultimately, I think this ago, I didn’t think this would become as hot a topic as it is right now. would be the best-case scenario for the Canadiens, to have a player This week, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet went on Buffalo radio and was another team covets drop to No. 16. Montreal could then monetize that asked about Max Domi’s status on the trade market, and he suggested pick into an established NHL player who can help immediately. that the Canadiens are testing the market for both him and Phillip The Canadiens still have three picks in the second round to add to their Danault, and that Danault might be the one who is more likely to be already considerable prospect depth. What they need coming out of this moved this offseason. draft more than anything else is immediate help, whether that comes I’m not one to doubt Elliotte — I’m sure he heard that from someone or from trading their first-round pick or making a more significant trade with even multiple people — but I personally would be very surprised if a roster player. Danault were traded this offseason. The reasoning is sound, that Danault Lots of love for the Habs prospects on defence. In reality, what’s the has much more value as a high-end two-way centre than Domi does, best-case scenario with regards to Romanov, Norlinder, Harris, Struble, whose one-dimensional game could scare off some teams. But it is Brook working out? — Erik L. Danault’s value that makes me believe the Canadiens will do everything in their power to keep him and re-sign him long term. Hi, Erik. One argument Elliotte made that I am in complete agreement with is that First off, I don’t think Romanov is in the same category as the rest of Danault will want to be paid for what he is — or, more specifically, what these guys. I have rarely seen the Canadiens this excited about an he sees himself as. That’s not to say Danault is overvaluing himself in his unproven prospect, which is what Romanov is. The fact they signed him own mind, because players like him are rare, and the laws of supply and and brought him into the bubble shows to what extent they believe in demand make it so that players who are rare obviously cost more money him, because had they not done that, the possibility of Romanov going to sign. This is the only big-money deal Danault is likely to sign in his back to the KHL for a year was very real. And the Canadiens couldn’t career, and he would be stupid not to try to squeeze every dollar he can have that happen. When Claude Julien was talking about Romanov after out of it. And neither Danault nor his agents at Newport Sports are stupid. the playoffs, he said there was no doubt he would be in the lineup. Does all of this mean Romanov is a slam dunk to be a star, or even a regular The problem as I see it is the market realities in the middle of a pandemic NHL player? No, of course not. But it speaks to an uncommon level of are not the same as they were before, and it is unclear to what extent belief from the Canadiens, so for that reason alone, I can’t put Romanov Danault is going to be willing to take that new reality into account when it in the same category as the other guys. Because the Canadiens don’t comes time to discuss his next contract. I am quite certain the Canadiens have that level of belief in them. will at least attempt to engage in talks with Danault this offseason on an extension in the hopes they can either get a deal done at a discount As for the other guys, I think the best case is that two of them pan out because of the current situation or, barring that, at least know what into NHL players. Personally, I would put my money on Mattias Norlinder Danault is thinking in terms of his next contract. If that number seems and Jordan Harris, but that’s just a guess based on where the position of unreasonable to the Canadiens, then yes, they should explore the market defenceman is going. They are the prototype for the modern, mobile NHL to see what is out there. But ultimately, I have a hunch this will not be defenceman. But that doesn’t mean Jayden Struble and Josh Brook don’t resolved this offseason and Danault will enter the final season of his have a shot. Of course they do. And that’s kind of the point of the contract without an extension in place. Just my impression of the Canadiens’ overall reset strategy. situation. Would that be a risk for the Canadiens? Absolutely. But Danault is an important enough player for them that I feel they will want This is generally what is promising about the Canadiens’ group of to take every shot at working something out that is acceptable for both prospects as a whole. They have lacked high-quality draft picks over the sides. years, with only three top-10 picks in 15 drafts, including this year. But assuming Bergevin keeps all three of his second-round picks this year — Also, let’s make one thing absolutely clear here, though Danault said his which would shock me — that would make 20 picks in the top three role changed in the playoffs to one that was defensive, that really was not rounds in four drafts, or just one shy of the number of picks in the first the case. In fact, all that changed were the wingers he was playing with. three rounds over the previous eight drafts. But the role itself did not change at all. He still took defensive draws for the most part, as he always does. He still played nearly 20 minutes a Lacking quality picks, the Canadiens are going for quantity in the hopes game, as he always does. He still killed penalties, as he always does. some of those picks pan out. So even if two or three of those And he still didn’t get power-play time. Nothing really changed when defencemen don’t wind up making it, if they get one or two out of that Danault was placed with Artturi Lehkonen and Paul Byron other than the group playing in the NHL in the next two or three years, it will be fact that for the last two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, that was considered a huge success. the Canadiens’ best line. If Bergevin is able to find a winger or two to play Hi Arpon, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions. It seems with Kotkaniemi and Suzuki so Julien can keep Tomas Tatar and to be a given that one of the centres on the team will be moved this Brendan Gallagher with Danault, I think the whole question of his role will offseason to make room for Suzuki and KK’s growth. go away.

In light of Julien’s recent comments (preferring to see Max up the middle) As for Domi, it seems clear he won’t be one of those wingers. I saw and Danault’s rather passive-aggressive comments, wondering if you Julien’s comments as a clear sign that Domi’s days in Montreal are think Danault or Domi are more likely to get moved? numbered. If he were to have a future with the Canadiens, it would be on the wing. You don’t need to be a hockey savant to see that. Julien surely I feel like if they were to move Danault they could net a bigger return knows that as well. For him to say that both he and the organization — (thinking Hayes/Pageau deals) and Domi seems to have the higher floor he made a point of saying it was the organization’s opinion as well, which as it relates to offence, which they desperately need. But then again, he almost never does — believe Domi is better at centre meant, at least Danault brings a critical skill set that appears to be lacking in their other to me, that Domi is unlikely to be playing in Montreal for much longer. It’s options but he doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed (or a 3rd liner). simple math.

I feel like something’s got to give because both of these guys are getting Bergevin said at the end of the playoffs he believes he can build this frustrated and either of them could be the trade chip or part of a package team around Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. He also said he that brings back an important return (a top pairing D man or a winger who believes Jake Evans has a future with the Canadiens, and it is my belief can score 25+ goals). — John W. they have him penciled in as the fourth-line centre next season. And then there’s Danault. That, by my count, makes four centres. Domi wasn’t Julien emphatically said this week he sees Max Domi as a center and thrilled by how he was used in the playoffs, and though Julien explained Domi clearly feels that way based on past comments. With that in mind, he was trying to create a four-line attack by playing Domi on the fourth and if Danault is re-signed this off-season to a long-term deal, isn’t it in line with, of all people, Dale Weise and Jordan Weal, I think there was the best interest of everyone for a Domi trade to happen? Playing Domi more to it than that. I think he wanted to see how Domi would respond, on the wing will just reduce his trade value since centers are so valued. and he didn’t respond all that well. And we all know that Domi as a 4th line C will be a MASSIVE talking point all season long. It will be a distraction that no one needs. Your Domi’s agent switch from Pat Brisson to Darren Ferris also doesn’t bode thoughts? — Marc-Philippe L. particularly well for a return to Montreal. The circumstances are eerily similar to when Max Pacioretty, uncomfortable with Brisson’s relationship with Bergevin, switched to agent Allan Walsh at the 2018 NHL Draft. Three months later, and with one year left on his contract, Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. Ferris, who is also Mete’s agent, is one of the toughest negotiators out there and will fight doggedly to get his client every penny he feels he deserves. It can often lead to acrimony. I don’t see this happening any differently.

I don’t know what Domi’s market value is right now, but he is a highly skilled offensive player who is fast, has excellent vision and is a very high-end playmaker who has defensive warts to his game. Any team with a half-decent pro scouting department already knows that. I think several teams would take the infusion of offensive skill while thinking their coach will fix the other deficiencies.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193331 New York Islanders

Islanders’ Casey Cizikas a ‘game-time’ decision for Game 4

By Peter Botte

September 13, 2020

Casey Cizikas is no certainty to return to the Islanders’ lineup for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The all-important center on the team’s Identity Line missed the Isles’ Game 3 win Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning with an undisclosed injury.

“Sort of the same as [Friday], it’ll be sort of a game-time [decision], quite honestly,” Isles coach Barry Trotz said. “That’s where we’re at right now.”

Jean-Gabriel Pageau took Cizikas’ spot between Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin, and the line accounted for two goals, including Pageau’s game-sealing empty netter in the closing seconds.

Tampa Bay will get suspended forward back in the lineup Sunday, but coach gave no update on leading postseason scorer Brayden Point, who also was scratched from Game 3 with an injury.

Adam Pelech’s goal Friday gave the Isles six defensemen with at least one playoff goal in the same postseason for the first time in their history, including their four-peat Stanley Cup run in the 1980s.

“We try to activate our defense at the right time, whereas other teams have more of those types of players activating almost every shift,” Trotz said. “I think we’re probably a little more selective on that. But when they do, they’re all capable of contributing, that’s been a little bit of our philosophy.”

Ilya Sorokin is ineligible to play after signing with the Isles in July out of the KHL, but the Russian goalie has been working out with the extras in the Toronto and Edmonton bubbles since the resumption of play this summer.

“Awesome. He’s a really hard-working guy,” forward Michael Dal Colle said of the 25-year-old Sorokin. “When he got here he didn’t really know anyone. But he’s really worked a lot off the ice, as well, working on his English. He’s adjusted really well. Works really hard in practice. That group, when we’re not playing, it’s been really intense, high-intensity practices.”

New York Post LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193332 New York Islanders

Semyon Varlamov reclaims mantle as Islanders’ No. 1 goalie

By Peter Botte

September 12, 2020

A brief hiccup bridging the Islanders’ current playoff series and their previous one appears to have been eradicated now by Semyon Varlamov, who has reclaimed his spot as the starter in goal with two consecutive strong performances between the pipes.

Varlamov’s latest showing — particularly early in a 5-3 Game 3 victory Friday night over the Lightning — backstopped the Isles to their first win of the Eastern Conference finals with a chance to even the series Sunday afternoon in Game 4 in Edmonton.

Thomas Greiss had started and posted a in the Game 7 clincher one round earlier against the , but he was chased in the first period of an 8-2 loss in the opener against the Lightning.

“I think the great thing is having two goaltenders, but I thought the first 10 minutes of that game, it could have been out of reach real early,” Isles coach Barry Trotz said in a Zoom call Saturday. “I thought Tampa came out buzzing, they had a long shift right off the bat, and I think they had three or four scoring chances and Varly had to be really sharp.

“We mismanaged the puck a couple of times, we threw it into the middle of the ice … and he had to come up with some big saves early, which was really key any time you’re gonna win a hockey game. But [Friday] night he was the difference, especially early, and I thought we settled in after that. He had a good game.”

Late goals by Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (empty net) pushed the Isles ahead from a 3-3 tie, but the 32-year-old Varlamov executed 34 saves to record his 10th win of this postseason run. He is the only Isles goalie other than Hall of Famer and four-time Stanley Cup winner (1980-84) to reach double digits in wins in one playoff year.

“[Varlamov] has been there for us all along,’’ said forward Cal Clutterbuck, who scored the Isles’ first goal. “Obviously, he came up huge for us a couple times. We broke down a couple times — and that’s something we’ll have to tighten up — but he was there when we needed him [Friday night].’’

Varlamov also was sturdy in Game 2 — though the Isles lost, 2-1, in heartbreaking fashion on Nikita Kucherov’s winner with 8.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

Trotz’s team also will need that net play to continue against a Lightning squad that hasn’t lost consecutive games during this postseason. The Isles are 4-12 in their history when trailing a seven-game series two games to one, but they haven’t won one (0-6) since upsetting Pittsburgh in seven games in the second round in 1993.

“Obviously after Game 1, we knew we had to bounce back. I think Game 2 we played a pretty good game, played how we want to play. But we just have to keep building here,” Isles defenseman said.

“We’re gonna get their best game tomorrow, and we’ve gotta have our best game,” Trotz added. “You’re in a position where you can get it to a best-of-3. We’ve gotta make sure we do everything in our power that it gets to that best-out-of-3.”

New York Post LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193333 New York Islanders

Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello named NHL’s GM of the Year

By Peter Botte

September 12, 2020

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello added another acclamation to his Hall of Fame resume, being named winner of the NHL’s Jim Gregory GM of the Year award for the 2019-20 season.

It marks the first time Lamoriello has won the award, which began being given out in 2010.

The 77-year-old Lamoriello, who previously won three Stanley Cups as GM of the Devils, edged out Tampa Bay’s Julien BriseBois and Dallas’ Jim Nill in voting done by a 41-member panel of GMs, NHL executives and media members.

Lamoriello’s key moves in his second season with the semifinalist Islanders were the free-agent signings of Semyon Varlamov and Derick Brassard, the re-signing of captain and others and the in- season trades for J-G Pageau and .

New York Post LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193334 New York Islanders

Islanders’ top two lines come up big in Game 3

By Larry Brooks

September 12, 2020

The Islanders had gone through the first two games of the conference finals with only one goal from a top-six forward, Jordan Eberle’s Game 1 power play goal standing alone.

But in a league where, as Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper often says, “Your best players have to be your best players,” the Islanders needed their best goal-scorers to, well, score goals.

And so, second-line center Brock Nelson scored the winner at 16:25 of the third period in Friday’s 5-3 Islanders victory over the Lightning in Game 3 on a set-up from Anthony Beauvillier after second-line winger Beauvillier had scored the 3-1 goal in the second period off a nifty feed from Nelson.

Beauvillier, who recorded 18 goals in 68 games on the season, leads the team with nine playoff goals. Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who recorded an empty-netter, each have eight goals in the postseason.

Cooper had said he would be “mildly shocked” if Alex Killorn were suspended for the late hit from behind that sent Nelson’s face into the glass 5:55 into the first period of Game 2.

But the Lightning coach was less judgmental and expressive after the winger was indeed set down for one game by the Department of Player Safety for the blow that drew a five-minute major and game misconduct.

“It’s pointless now. What’s done is done,” Cooper said hours before Game 3. “I think there have been a lot of hits that have been similar, and there’s a fine line.

“I think when you look at any hit, you’re fighting for your guy. But if you were to reverse the roles and say, ‘Well, what if that were your guy getting hit?’ Then I can see where they’re coming from. So the decision has been made and so it’s pointless for me to comment on how I feel about it.”

Barry Trotz did not campaign for Killorn’s suspension for the hit that sidelined Nelson for 25 game-time minutes bridging the first two periods, but the Islanders coach believes justice was done in this instance.

“I thought Killorn would get one [game],” Trotz said. “It looks very fair.”

The coach, though, was not exactly thrilled that the league did not take any action whatsoever against Barclay Goodrow for his unpenalized cross check that sent Nelson’s head into the glass again almost immediately after No. 29’s return to the ice midway through the second period.

“I knew the league would look at Goodrow, and they look at it frame by frame, so I’m good with whatever they decide. I’m probably a little disappointed, but at the same time I have a lot of respect for Player Safety and what they look at. They probably looked at that a thousand times.”

Casey Cizikas missed the game with an unidentified injury while Andrew Ladd was a healthy scratch. Derick Brassard and Michael Dal Colle were inserted into the lineup in their place.

“I had an inclination [Thursday] that Casey might not be available,” Trotz said. “We’ll see where it is. We have another day here.”

New York Post LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193335 New York Islanders

Casey Cizikas is a game-time decision for Game 4, Barry Trotz says

By Andrew Gross

Updated September 12, 2020

Barry Trotz was asked three separates times about Casey Cizikas’ status for Sunday’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Lightning before begrudgingly giving an answer.

"It’s sort of the same as yesterday," Trotz said on Saturday. "It’s a game- time (decision). That’s where we’re at right now."

The invaluable fourth-line center missed the Islanders’ 5-3 win in Friday night’s Game 3 at Rogers Place at Edmonton with an undisclosed injury. Trotz had also listed Cizikas as a game-time decision for that game.

The Islanders did not practice on Saturday.

Trotz juggled his bottom-six forwards with Cizikas absent in Game 3, moving Jean-Gabriel Pageau into his spot in between Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin. That trio combined for two goals and two assists. Derick Brassard skated between Leo Komarov and Michael Dal Colle.

"I think they did fine," Trotz said. "Pageau going in Casey’s spot, that line got us a couple of goals. I thought we responded pretty well. Brassard’s line did pretty well."

On Point

Lightning coach Jon Cooper was also evasive when asked whether top- line center Brayden Point would be available for Game 4 after exiting the Lightning’s 2-1 win in Wednesday’s Game 2 in the second period with an undisclosed issue and missing Game 3.

Point participated in the Lightning’s practice on Saturday after also participating in the team’s morning skate prior to Game 3.

Rest and recover

Lightning left wing Pat Maroon won a Stanley Cup with the Blue last season. So far, he said playing these playoffs in quarantined bubbles – the Lightning were in Toronto for the first two rounds – has been easier on the body.

"You have everything in one setting," said Maroon, stressing the players prefer to play in home arenas in front of fans. "You walk over to the rink. You’re not getting on planes. You’re not traveling. That’s harder on the body."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193336 New York Islanders "I think that Barry’s past and present is something which has been extremely consistent in his career," Lamoriello said. "He’s very level- headed, very patient. That’s transmitted throughout our team. He’s very Islanders' Lou Lamoriello voted general manager of the year honest, very direct and it’s really been a pleasure and an honor for me to work with him the last couple of years."

By Andrew Gross Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.13.2020 Updated September 12, 2020

Lou Lamoriello was judged to have done a good enough job this season to win the Jim Gregory Award as the NHL’s general manager of the year, the league announced on Saturday night.

The Islanders’ president and general manager, known as a master team builder, wanted to thank everyone in the organization.

"It’s very humbling coming from your peers," Lamoriello said of the award, which was voted upon by the NHL’s 31 general managers and a select, nine-person panel of other league executives and media members. "But, really, anytime you have an award in a team atmosphere, it’s really shared with everyone and a part of everyone because it would not happen unless you had the people around you."

Lamoriello garnered 11 of the 40 first-place votes and also received nine second-place votes and four third-place votes for 86 points. The Lightning’s Julien BriseBois was second with 71 points (8-8-7) and the Stars’ Jim Nill finished third with 61 points (8-6-3).

It’s also no secret the only trophy that matters to Lamoriello is the Stanley Cup. He won three with the Devils during his tenure as the organization’s president and general manager from 1987-2015 and he’s trying to lead the Islanders to their first since winning four straight from 1980-83.

The Islanders have reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1993 and will look to even their series against the Lightning in Sunday afternoon’s Game 4 at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

"I think we have to simply continue to do what we have been doing, just focus one game at a time and each one of our players realizing what his role is, accepting it and putting it together," Lamoriello said. "Allowing the end result to take care of itself and not looking beyond that."

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the NHL to halt its regular season on March 12 and the postseason has been played in quarantined bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton.

Lamoriello said it was fair to wonder before play resumed on Aug. 1 what kind of product would be on the ice without fans in the neutral-site arenas.

He has been impressed, calling it "great hockey."

"I don’t look at it as anything other than it beats the alternative of not playing hockey," Lamoriello said. "The NHL and the Players’ Association have done a tremendous job of joining together and coming up with the best solution to get the playoffs underway. It’s been some seven weeks now and I can tell you my experience, day in and day out, I don’t know what they could have done better. The games have been tremendous. The living quarters are great. I don’t think there’s anything to complain about. Certainly, it’s a unique experience and hopefully it’s one that will happen only once."

Lamoriello made two crucial deals before the Feb. 24 trade deadline to solidify the Islanders’ roster. First, he acquired defenseman Andy Greene from the Devils. Then, he acquired center Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the Senators and promptly signed him to a six-year, $30 million extension.

"They’ve done everything we’ve hoped for them to do, and probably more," Lamoriello said. "Both of them just came into the organization like they’ve been here before. Their acceptance has just been so smooth I have a difficult time putting it into words. It’s probably the smoothest transactions that I’ve every had bringing two players in at this time of the year."

Lamoriello also had high praise for the work done by coach Barry Trotz.

The Islanders hired Lamoriello on May 22, 2018 after he spent three seasons as the Maple Leafs general manager. He hired Trotz the next month, shortly after he had led the Capitals to the Cup. 1193337 New York Islanders It’s something we’re going to continue to do and, hopefully, it helps down the road."

Islanders must maintain same focus as they had in Game 3 win Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.13.2020

By Andrew Gross

Updated September 12, 2020

The Islanders have proved adept at not letting losses, both blowouts and heartbreakers, negatively affect their next performance. But they must maintain that same focus coming off a win if they hope to even their Eastern Conference finals against the Lightning.

Game 4 is Sunday afternoon at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The Islanders won Friday night’s Game 3, 5-3 after an 8-2 loss in Monday’s Game 1 and a well-played 2-1 defeat in Wednesday’s Game 2 as Nikita Kucherov scored the winner with 8.8 seconds left in regulation.

"You get that win, it’s huge," defenseman Ryan Pulock said on Saturday, an off day for the Islanders. "But you’ve got to move on. You can look back and take some of the stuff we did well, see what gave us success and try to carry that over. Win or loss, you find things to be better at. Win or loss, it’s kind of the same in terms of washing it (away) and being ready to go the next game."

If Game 3 was a 99.9% must-win for the Islanders – only four teams in NHL history have rallied from a 3-0 series deficit – that percentage doesn’t dip much at all for Game 4 with the Lightning trying to take a 3-1 series lead.

"I think the reason we won (Friday) was because of the mindset in Game 2," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "With the way the scheduled worked out, playing Game 7 (against the Flyers in Toronto two days before Game 1), I didn’t think Game 1 was a fair representation. Game 2 gave us confidence we could win Game 3. Now, we’re within a game of tying the series up.

"We’re going to get their best game for sure and we’ve got to have our best game," Trotz added. "We’re in a position to get to a best-of-three. The opposition doesn’t want that. We’ve got to do everything in our power to get to a best-of-three."

It’s unclear whether the Islanders will have Casey Cizikas available after the invaluable fourth-line center missed Game 3 with an undisclosed injury.

The Lightning will have Alex Killorn back after the top-six left wing served a one-game suspension for his boarding major against Brock Nelson in the first period of Game 1. The Lightning could also get top-line center Brayden Point back after he missed Game 3 with an undisclosed injury.

Plus, the Lightning, who are 10-3 this postseason, have won both their games in their previous series coming off a loss.

"I just think we go to the mindset of playing every game like it’s a clinching game," Lightning left wing Pat Maroon said. "We’re going to find ways to keep playing the way we’re playing. We know how to bounce back when a loss happens. We’ve just got to find ways to turn the page. I think we did that. We’ll get a good Islanders’ team. They’re not backing down."

But as much as the Islanders were happy with their resiliency after blowing a two-goal lead in the third period of Game 3, then scoring the last two after the Lightning tied it at 3-3, the Lightning, in coach Jon Cooper’s words, felt they "gift-wrapped" that game because of their defensive miscues.

"We tighten up a couple of things in our own end and we’re going to be fine," Cooper said.

Many of those defensive miscues were the result of the Islanders’ strong forecheck and physical play in the offensive zone.

Wearing the opposition down physically is a goal in any playoff series. The Islanders may be doing it effectively.

"That’s the kind of style we like to play," Pulock said. "Continue to invest. Play hard and physical. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re getting hit every shift, it wears on you. Some of our success is wearing teams down. 1193338 New York Islanders Trotz said his players know that, so he is not big on rah-rah pregame speeches at this stage.

"I think you get to this point, there’s not a lot of motivation, it’s just going Barry Trotz not planning any big speeches for Islanders' biggest game over details," he said Saturday. "We’ve played, this will be I think Game 21 for us in this bubble or whatever, or the three bubbles we’ve been in (including two hotels in Toronto). So you can’t come in with a By Neil Best motivational speech 21 times.

Updated September 12, 2020 "Sometimes it’s got to fall on the group. Sometimes it falls on your systematic play and reminders. I think for the most part, it’s

understanding they’re motivated. I don’t think there’s any reason to Hey, no pressure, guys. It’s just the biggest game the Islanders have motivate guys right now. played in 36 years, when the only player on the ice for them this month "If they’re not motivated now, we have no chance to win, and that’s not who was alive at the time was Andy Greene. the case with this group." The last time they reached the conference finals, in 1993, they fell behind In other words: It’s big. 3-0 to the Canadiens, won one game to save face, then bowed out in five to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

So to find a game as potentially impactful as Game 4 of the Eastern Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.13.2020 Conference finals against the Lightning on Sunday, in which the Islanders can tie the series at 2-2, one must go back to the 1984 Cup Final against the Oilers.

The Islanders lost the first game, won the second, then were outscored 19-6 in losing three in a row and seeing the Oilers parade the Cup around Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton.

Now they are back in Edmonton, this time at Rogers Place, a neutral site absent fans, which makes for a strange and unpredictable dynamic.

But to this point, the Islanders have aced the unprecedented circumstances, bonding while sequestered for seven weeks in Canada and about to play their 21st game, counting an exhibition against the Rangers.

That is more than a quarter of a regular season worth of action. So if they did not get along, by now they would have turned on one another when the going got tough.

And tough it got when they lost their first two to Tampa Bay, first in an 8-2 rout, then with 8.8 seconds left in regulation in Game 2, followed by blowing a two-goal third-period lead in Game 3 before recovering late.

On Saturday, I asked Ryan Pulock whether perhaps being away from fans, friends, relatives and pesky journalists has helped keep the team focused on the task at hand, especially in difficult times.

"It’s hard to say," he said. "Obviously, in these circumstances, it’s different; it’s different for everyone. I think being all together, it kind of has brought us closer as a team, hanging out with each other every day.

"But there’s negatives to it, as well, guys being away from their families and the sacrifices they’re making with that to be here. But I think for us, we’re a tight-knit group and we all get along so well, so it’s really worked well for us to have that time together away from the rink. I think it’s helped build our game on the ice."

In the immediate aftermath of that blowout defeat in Game 1, the Islanders were reluctant to blame the quick, 48-hour turnaround after winning Game 7 against the Flyers in Toronto, then flying cross-continent to Edmonton.

But coach Barry Trotz has acknowledged in recent days how difficult that spot was, and over the past two games, the Islanders have proven it was an aberration and they can stick with the favored Lightning.

Games 2 and 3 were toss-ups decided late, so late that according to the NHL. it was the ninth time in history that a playoff series had the game- winner scored in the last four minutes of regulation in consecutive games.

The Islanders certainly have made things interesting for their fans and for fans of the league more broadly.

These conference finals are without any franchises or traditional television draws, and because of the unique timing, on Sunday the Islanders will go head to head with the first full day of the NFL season.

But for those of us who follow these things, and even more so for those directly involved, it does not get any bigger than this. (C’mon, people, it’s certainly bigger than Jets versus Bills in Week 1, is it not?) 1193339 New York Islanders

Islanders' Ilya Sorokin getting invaluable practice time heading into uncertain offseason

By Andrew Gross

Updated September 12, 2020

The longer this Islanders’ postseason run goes, the better it is for Ilya Sorokin.

The Russian goalie prospect, expected to play a huge role for the Islanders likely as soon as next season, is ineligible to participate in the postseason games after finally signing with the team. But he’s been practicing with the team’s extras since July 28.

And as far as the Islanders are concerned, the more time Sorokin gets working with director of goaltending Mitch Korn, goalie coach Piero Greco and acclimating to the North American game after five seasons in the KHL, the better.

"He’s awesome," said Michael Dal Colle, who has played three postseason games for the Islanders but mostly worked with the secondary group that includes Sorokin. "He’s a really hard-working guy. When he got here, obviously he didn’t really know anyone. He’s worked a lot off-ice, on his English. He’s adjusted really well and he works hard in practice."

Sorokin, 25, was a third-round pick in 2014 and signed a one-year, $925,000 deal with the Islanders on July 13 to cover the rest of this season, plus a one-year, $2 million extension for next season.

Except, there’s no telling when the NHL or its top minor league, the AHL, will be able to begin the 2020-21 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This postseason has been played in quarantined bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton but that is not likely an option over a full season.

That is why it’s so invaluable for Sorokin to put in as much practice time before heading into an uncertain offseason.

Fellow Russian Semyon Varlamov, who has started 17 of the 19 postseason games, is completing the first season of a four-year, $20 million deal. Backup Thomas Greiss is in the final season of a three-year, $10 million deal and not expected to be re-signed in order to open a roster spot for Sorokin.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193340 New York Rangers "We've been lucky in the last couple of years to do what we've done in the lottery," Gorton said. "It's a good night for the Rangers fans to be excited."

Rangers win NHL draft lottery, now have chance to draft Alexis Lafreniere said his favorite Ranger is Artemi Panarin, who was among Lafreniere NHL scoring leaders with 95 points in his first season with the franchise.

“I can create chances for me or my teammates,” Lafreniere said.

By LARRY LAGE

AUG 11, 2020 New York Daily News LOADED: 09.13.2020

The New York Rangers got a timely assist with their rebuilding efforts.

New York won the second phase of the NHL draft lottery, giving the franchise a shot at selecting winger Alexis Lafreniere.

"Luck is on our side," Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton acknowledged Monday night. "We're pretty happy with that a few days after coming out of the bubble."

The Rangers were among eight teams that lost in the qualifying round with a chance to claim quite a consolation prize.

Carolina finished off a sweep of the Rangers last week, leading to them boarding buses in Toronto while players and coaches from other teams in the league were drinking coffee at the same hotel.

"Leaving the bubble first, it hurts," Gorton said.

The Rangers have the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since they selected Andre Veilleux in 1965, four years before the universal draft began.

"Obviously, you don't get the first pick very often," Gorton said. "This is a special year and it's exciting."

While the Rangers would rather still be skating in the playoffs, they will have the rights to draft a player for a short- and long-term gain.

Canada's Alexis Lafreniere shoots during the team's practice at the World Junior Hockey Championships.

The sturdy, 6-foot-1 Lafreniere had 114 goals and 297 points in 173 games in the Quebec Major Junior League. The 18-year-old winger also captained Canada's gold medal-winning team and earned MVP honors at the world junior championships earlier this year.

Gorton refused to commit to drafting Lafreniere, saying the team wanted to get to know him during an interview process.

There is little doubt, however, that Lafreniere will be taken with the first pick.

In any other year, Lafreniere would have been drafted in June and focused on training for his rookie season.

"It's been a pretty long last couple of months," he said, adding he has never been to New York.

The league was forced to make a lot of changes after the COVID-19 pandemic paused the season and the lottery was turned into a two-phase process.

The league's bottom seven teams had their seasons concluded March 12. Those teams also ended up not winning the lottery in June. The Los Angeles Kings landed the No. 2 pick overall.

The winning placeholder team, which became the Rangers, got the top pick despite a 12.5% chance.

NHL Commissioner said the process was fair because the eight teams that were eliminated from the 24-team field would have had a chance to win the lottery if the pandemic didn't alter the season.

Ottawa ended up with the third selection overall as part of the 2018 Erik Karlsson trade with San Jose along with the fifth pick overall. The league- worst Detroit Red Wings dropped to No. 4 in the first phase of the lottery.

The final 16 spots in the draft, which is tentatively scheduled for October, will be tied to postseason results.

The Rangers also were fortunate in the lottery last year, landing the No. 2 pick overall that they used to select Kaapo Kakko. The Finnish winger finished his rookie season with 10 goals and 13 assists in 66 games. 1193341 New York Rangers entry-level deal or early on a controllable second deal. That’s a fine needle to thread.

If they can’t do it, there should be no rush. Upper-echelon players will Nils Lundkvist dilemma pushing Rangers to trade Tony DeAngelo become unexpectedly available over the offseason (and into next season) because of the cash crunch every team will experience. It would make sense for the Rangers, who are going to be in a stress position By Larry Brooks because of the significant amount of dead space on the ledger, to be in position to pick them off. September 12, 2020 They should use as much time as necessary. Because while a team

literally will win the Stanley Cup in (this) September, no one is going to Here is another reason, perhaps the most significant one, that the win the 2021 Cup in (this) November or December. Rangers won’t be signing impending restricted free agent Tony DeAngelo The Lightning are two victories from the with a to a multi-year contract and instead are seeking to trade the 24-year-old defense including Kevin Shattenkirk, Zach Bogosian, Luke Schenn and righty defenseman: Braydon Coburn. Yes, of course, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev and That is because a contract of longer than one year for DeAngelo would Ryan McDonagh, but the Rangers would be endlessly ridiculed for all but ensure losing 20-year-old righty defenseman Nils Lundkvist to owning a blue line corps with the initial quartet that hardly fits the mobile unrestricted free agency on June 2, 2022, without ever getting the Swede mold. to Broadway. That goes to structure, but structure with the puck every bit as much as Teams hold exclusive rights to European-born draft picks through the without it. The hiring of Jacques Martin to replace Lindy Ruff as the fourth June 1 following their selection, per the CBA. Lundkvist was assistant coach in charge of the defense was a slam dunk. But until the selected 28th overall in 2018 with the first-rounder obtained from Tampa Rangers play more of a puck-possession game and at least limit the Bay in the package for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. So, the Rangers high-risk, high-reward style that has been in vogue on Broadway since hold his rights through June 1, 2022. John Tortorella’s departure following 2012-13, no assistant coach is going to be able to improve the team’s gap control and rush read What do you think the odds would be of the highly regarded Swede defense. signing in New York next summer, or the summer after that, knowing the Blueshirts have Jacob Trouba, Adam Fox and DeAngelo lined up long If DeAngelo goes, the Rangers will need a righty for the third pair. There term on the right side of the blue line with free agency and a clearer path should be a multitude of veterans available on modest, one-year deals. elsewhere to the NHL available on the open market? Maybe Schenn, maybe Bogosian, maybe Michael Del Zotto, maybe Korbinian Holzer. There will be players flooding the market. The Exactly. Blueshirts need to find only one of them.

Lundkvist chose to sign a contract to play in the SHL for 2020-21 rather than sign an entry-level deal with the Blueshirts that would have included a European assignment clause. The uniqueness and uncertainties New York Post LOADED: 09.13.2020 surrounding next season and the state of COVID-19 in the U.S. may have been factors in the decision, but regardless, the Rangers have not yet gotten the offensively gifted athlete’s name on the dotted line.

The Rangers are going to need a steady flow of impact players on entry- level contracts over the next few years, at least, in order to support and counterbalance the pricey contracts at the top of the depth chart. Lundkvist would seem to fit that definition and fill that need.

DeAngelo had a dynamic 2019-20 with the puck. He flashed the ability to change games both at even-strength and on the power play. But the Rangers envision Fox taking command of the first unit. And, though DeAngelo’s deficiencies in his own end might be corrected playing within a tighter structure, No. 77 would still slot as the team’s third-pair righty.

In a no cap world, certainly not the flat one in which the NHL will live for the foreseeable future, can a team thrive by paying a third-pair defenseman the $5.5-to-$6 million to which DeAngelo would likely be entitled on a long-term deal. There seems no inclination to move DeAngelo to the left, where the Rangers do have an abundance of prospects beginning with K’Andre Miller, who has spent the summer in Connecticut training with the renowned Ben Prentiss.

No, the hierarchy will seek/is seeking to use DeAngelo in order to address a long-term solution to their second center spot. It is not as if the Rangers would be unable to live next season with Ryan Strome doing a reprise of his role, but the impending restricted free agent center with arbitration rights is just a year away from being eligible to hit the open market. A long-term arrangement is not likely. Hence, the Rangers are open for business.

Before identifying an individual target, management needs to identify the type of second-line center they’re seeking. Are they in the market for another high-end skill guy to fit among a passel of top-six options on the wing — including Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko, Chris Kreider, Pavel Buchnevich and, presumably, Alexis Lafreniere? Or are they seeking a sturdier, physically imposing, two-way center in the mold of a Jordan Staal? This year’s postseason tournament has only reinforced the fact that you can’t prance down the yellow brick road and expect to make it all the way to Oz.

And, because of future considerations regarding the pending negotiations with Mika Zibanejad next offseason in advance of potential 2022 free agency, the Blueshirts will need to acquire a center who is either on his 1193342 New York Rangers

Rangers' prospects getting an opportunity to play in Europe

By Colin Stephenson

While the NHL is still wrapping up its 2019-20 season, with its final four teams battling in the conference finals in the bubble in Edmonton, hockey leagues around Europe are already starting their 2020-21 seasons. And with so many of their young, developing players not having played since the coronavirus prompted the NHL and AHL to shut down in March, the Rangers are in the process of loaning some of their better-known prospects to European teams, just so they can play some hockey.

"We just want our guys to play, especially young guys,’’ Rangers assistant general manager said. "When the American League season stopped and the NHL season stopped there wasn’t a lot of hockey for these guys . . . so it’s just an opportunity to continue to get guys games, and (have them) be on a team and continue to develop.’’

Former first-round pick Vitali Kravtsov was loaned back to his old team, Traktor Chelyabinsk, in Russia where he has already played three games and scored one goal. Lias Andersson, who already had been loaned to Swedish team HV71 late last season, had his loan to that team extended, and goaltender Adam Huska, who played for AHL Hartford this season, was loaned to Slovak team HKM Zvolen. Defensemen Libor Hajek and Tarmo Reunanen are still in discussions about loan agreements, but are expected to be placed on other European teams soon.

In all cases, Drury said, the terms of the loan allow the Rangers to recall each player at any time. So they’ll be able to bring all the players in for training camp, whenever that is.

The NHL hasn’t announced when next season will start, but Drury said the league has given teams "rough estimates’’ on when training camp might start, based on a season opening date of Dec. 4. Recent published reports, however, have suggested that the season may not be able to start on that date.

Drury said the team has considered loaning some of their non-European prospects, such as defenseman K’Andre Miller and forward Morgan Barron, to European teams, but that is a trickier proposition, given that most European teams have limits on the number of import players they can have on their rosters. It is easier to loan a player to a European team if that player has a European passport, he said.

Kravtsov, especially, figures to benefit greatly from his loan situation. The No. 9 overall pick in 2018 – and first of three first-round picks the Rangers had that year – had a rocky first season in North America in ’19- 20. He sulked when he failed to make the Rangers’ roster and was assigned to AHL Hartford at the beginning of the season and ultimately left Hartford to return to Russia. The Rangers loaned him to his old team, Traktor, but things didn’t go well there either, and Kravtsov eventually got demoted to their minor league affiliate. The Rangers recalled him, and he finished the season in Hartford.

But Kravtsov was invited to the Phase 3 training camp in July and played well there. He went with the Rangers to the Toronto bubble for the club’s qualifying series against Carolina and though he didn’t play in any games there, Drury said the time in the Toronto bubble benefited the 20-year- old.

"He obviously didn’t get in any games, but I think he saw a lot, learned a lot, and he looked at it, I think, as an opportunity to grow as a person and a player and to learn more about the Rangers and what we’re trying to accomplish as a team and trying to get him to accomplish as a player,’’ Drury said. "I think everything progressed nicely, and once the league starts back up again, we’re looking forward to getting him back here.’’

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193343 Tampa Bay Lightning with as one of the Lightning’s top-performing lines. Bogosian has settled in on the top defense pair with Victor Hedman.

Jay Feaster, who was the Lightning’s general manager during the 2004 Julien BriseBois didn’t rush but made the Lightning a better playoff team Stanley Cup run and is now vice president of community hockey development, has known BriseBois since those days working in The Tampa Bay executive was a finalist for the NHL’s general manager arbitration. Nothing he has seen from BriseBois has surprised him of the year but did not win. because he knew BriseBois as a “bright, bright guy.”

“He’s clearly not one of those guys who wants to be surrounded by sycophants and yes men,” Feaster said. “He wants different opinions. By Diana C. Nearhos And he’s strong enough in his convictions that he knows the decisions Published Yesterday rest on his desk.”

Updated Yesterday BriseBois is quick to reference the team around him — the one on the ice and the one in the front office. He’s not looking to be “the guy” and often defers attention to players over himself. But he can be “the guy” in the office, and that’s where the Lightning need him. Julien BriseBois' route to Lightning general manager couldn’t have differed more from his predecessor’s. Steve Yzerman made his name on Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.13.2020 the ice. BriseBois came up through the ranks.

BriseBois played baseball growing up. He decided to go into law, with TV shows such as L.A. Law and Night Court on his mind, not working in sports.

But that’s where he ended up. And this season, his second as the Lightning’s general manager, BriseBois, 43, was recognized by his peers as a finalist for GM of the year. The Islanders' Lou Lamoriello was named the winner Saturday, but being one of the three finalists — the Stars' Jim Nill was the other — is an acknowledgement of what BriseBois accomplished to get the Lightning from a historic playoff disappointment a year ago to the Eastern Conference final.

He didn’t build this team, though he played a part while working with Yzerman during he Hall of Fame player’s tenure as general manager from 2010-18. But he did make the Lightning a better playoff contender than they were a year ago.

There seem to be two paths to being a general manager in the NHL: play in the league or become a lawyer. BriseBois worked his way from sports arbitration outside the league to Canadiens director of legal affairs at age 24, to AHL general manager to Lightning general manager at 41.

BriseBois learned the ropes from former players. And his path through law taught him a lot about decision-making.

Those around him laud BriseBois' methodical approach.

“There’s no standing on the fence, and Julien doesn’t stand on the fence. He listens, he takes in information, and he makes a decision,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, whom BriseBois hired 10 years ago as an AHL coach for the franchise. “And he doesn’t do it by the seat of his pants.”

BriseBois didn’t rush anything after the Lightning were swept in the first round of last year’s playoffs by the Blue Jackets. He said he wasn’t going to blow up the team, and he didn’t.

What BriseBois did, along with his front-office team and the coaching staff, was find the right pieces to produce the tweaks the Lightning wanted to see in their game. He added a big, physical forward in Pat Maroon, and veteran defensemen Kevin Shattenkirk and Luke Schenn in free agency in the offseason. Then at the trade deadline, he added more pieces.

Two months before the February deadline, BriseBois said prices for players are always high at that time, so he wanted to be intentional with the Lightning’s moves. He was skeptical of rentals — players on expiring contracts — because he went back through past trades and didn’t believe the value was there.

So BriseBois went looking for value. He paid a high price — a combined two first-round draft picks and a first-round prospect — for forwards Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman, but he liked the physical play he thought they’d bring to the team.

BriseBois also liked their contracts; each has another year at a reasonable price (Goodrow $925,000, Coleman $1.8 million) as the Lightning face a salary-cap crunch. He also signed defenseman Zach Bogosian, a free agent whose contract had been bought out by the Sabres.

The prices were questioned at the time, but each of the three players has made an impact during the playoff run. Goodrow and Coleman combine 1193344 Tampa Bay Lightning game when he slashed Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau as Pageau scored an empty-net goal.

Cooper said Kucherov is one of many players who has learned to adapt Could the Lightning get Brayden Point back for Game 4? to adversity and take on a smaller role when needed outside of always being “the guy” in order to contribute. The team’s top center skated in practice on Saturday after missing Friday’s game with an injury. “I hope (the Islanders) keep (trying to get Kucherov off his game) because the more they do it, the better he plays,” Cooper said. “He’s been marvelous out there. His compete has been outstanding, and it’s a big reason why we’re still around.” By Mari Faiello and Diana C. Nearhos Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.13.2020 Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

The Lightning are looking to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time this postseason and could get a boost if Brayden Point is able to return to the lineup for today’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final.

Their top center was hurt in Game 2 on Wednesday and did not play in Friday’s Game 3, the Lightning’s first loss of the conference final. According to the league’s daily practice footage, Point skated in practice Saturday at Edmonton, raising the possibility that he could be available today.

Point participated in Friday’s morning skate but was unable to play in the Lightning’s 5-3 loss. It wasn’t clear how much of Saturday’s practice Point took part in, but the video shows him in multiple drills. Coach Jon Cooper didn’t give an update on Point when he spoke with the media before practice.

Lightning also played Friday without wing Alex Killorn, who was suspended for one game for a bad hit on Islanders forward Brock Nelson in Game 2. They’ll get at least Killorn back today as they look to build on their 2-1 series advantage. (3 p.m. Sunday, NBC).

Wing Pat Maroon didn’t realize his team hadn’t lost two straight games this postseason until it was addressed in a question from the media Saturday.

“I just think you just go into the mindset of just playing every game like it’s a clinching game,” Maroon said. “We’ve got to find ways to just keep playing. We have a good group, a good team. We’re just going to have to find ways to turn the page.”

That seemed to be the same message the team delivered after the Lightning’s series lead was trimmed to one game.

The Lightning’s most recent back-to-back losses came in March at what ended up being the end of the regular season. Tampa Bay lost in a shootout at Detroit and in regulation at Toronto, the latter coming two days before the league shut down March 12 because of the coronavirus.

To avoid a second consecutive loss Sunday, Cooper said his team needs to stick to its plan and stay the course.

The Lightning carry a quiet confidence, the coach said. Often, you can’t tell if the team has come off a win or a loss, he said.

“Let’s not mix the message here that guys weren’t pissed off after the (Islanders) win, they were,” Cooper said. “But I think I said this after we won 8-2 (in Game 1 of the series). Guys weren’t jumping around, hugging each other after that game. Everybody just knows their job and our game plan, and when we stray from it, there’s a chance for disaster to strike, like it did (Friday)."

The Lightning also aren’t losing perspective, Cooper said.

“These guys know the task at hand, and they know this isn’t a best two- out-of-three or three-out-of-five (series). They know what is ahead of them, and I like that, because you can’t ride the emotions, the highs and the lows," he said. "You want to, and sometimes you really want to enjoy these wins so much, but we have a goal, and we’re inching closer to it, but we’re not quite there.”

In the absence of Killorn and Point, Carter Verhaeghe and Mitchell Stephens stepped into the lineup and skated on a line with Tyler Johnson. Verhaeghe had an assist on Johnson’s third-period goal.

Nikita Kucherov had an assist in Game 3 to tie Point for the team postseason points lead with 23. He also got attention at the end of the 1193345

The Maple Leafs need work in the off-season, but you have to like their prospects

By Mark Zwolinski

Sports Reporter

Sat., Sept. 12, 2020

The Maple Leafs may be in better shape to fix their roster than meets the eye.

General manager had another solid season of prospect acquisition, a key tool heading into an off-season with the need for change — after another one-and-done post-season — despite an unchanging salary cap.

With the NHL cap pinned at $81.5 million (U.S.) for the next two years, teams operating with little space are expected to try to ship out expensive contracts in exchange for younger, cheaper, serviceable players. If the right opportunity arises, the Leafs will be well positioned.

The deep cupboard includes:

Two forwards drafted in 2016: Egor Korshkov (31st overall) and Adam Brooks (92nd), who have both produced with the AHL’s Marlies.

Recently signed Latvian defenceman Kristians Rubins and KHL winger Alexander Barabanov, a potential solution in what could be an overhaul of the third and fourth lines.

Defenceman Mac Hollowell, drafted 118th in 2018 and on the rise in the organization.

Three star forwards from the NCAA: Max Véronneau, a two-time Hobey Baker Trophy nominee at Princeton; Gordie Green out of the ; and Bobby McMann from Colgate. Green and McMann signed as undrafted 23-year-olds after captaining their respective teams.

Major junior players Jeremy McKenna, a Moncton forward with back-to- back 40-goal seasons, and Noel Hoefenmayer, an Ottawa 67’s defenceman who led OHL blueliners with 26 goals and 82 points.

The recent Kasperi Kapanen trade brought centre Filip Hallander (drafted 58th in 2018) from Pittsburgh, while forward Justin Brazeau led the ECHL’s in scoring with 55 points in 57 games.

At the moment, the Leafs have just over $7 million in cap space, which might be enough to land the solid defenceman they need, but not if they also sign core forward Zach Hyman to a contract extension.

Dubas will have to be creative, which has proven to be one of his strengths. He has a deep-enough prospect pool to sweeten a trade package to address key weaknesses if he goes that route.

Leafs who have been mentioned in trade speculation include forwards and Alex Kerfoot — as well as No. 1 goalie — but there could be motivation to move forwards Andreas Johnsson, Pierre Engvall and Hyman, all of whom will be making more money next season and beyond.

Should Dubas make a move and create an opening up front, Barabanov could earn an NHL role if he shows well in training camp.

Another option is Jeremy Bracco, a team leader with the Marlies for several years now. The 23-year-old Bracco is at something of a crossroads. There seems to be no advantage to keeping him at AHL level for a fourth season, and that could dictate either a spot on the Leafs or a change of scenery.

In an ideal world, Dubas would find a way to boost his cap space to at least $10 million before the free-agent market opens on Oct. 9. That should be enough of a base to restructure and improve the current roster.

Toronto Star LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193346 Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthews a strong second to MacKinnon in Lady Byng vote

Lance Hornby

Publishing date:Sep 12, 2020

Auston Matthews was named on 21 first-place ballots, but Nathan MacKinnon had the most bang for his Byng votes.

The Colorado Avalanche forward was announced Friday night as winner of the Lady Byng Trophy for good behaviour combined with a high standard of play. He finished with 64 first-place nods, pre-playoffs, from the Professional Hockey Writers Association for 984 points to Matthews’ 616 and 561 for third-place finalist Ryan O’Reilly of St. Louis.

Matthews had the fewest penalty minutes of the trio (four minors to MacKinnon’s five), but the latter had a 93-point season to the Leafs centre’s 70, putting the Avs’ star fifth in the NHL.

Matthews had also garnered some support for the Frank Selke Trophy as top defensive forward earlier in the week, including one first-place vote.

He was trying to become the first Leaf to win the Byng since Alex Mogilny in 2003 and just the second since back-to-back recipient Dave Keon in 1962 and ’63.

Also getting some scattered votes from second to fifth were teammates William Nylander and Mitch Marner.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193347 Toronto Maple Leafs In 1941-42, Syl Apps was the first Leaf to get the Byng after taking no penalties, one of three NHLers to do so. of the ’78 Kings was the last NHLer to do it with just one minor.

Leafs legend Dave Keon hopes Auston Matthews can bring home Byng The trophy was created in 1924-25 at the request of Marie Evelyn Moreton, wife of the Viscount Byng of Vimy, who commanded Canadian forces at the Battle of Vimy Ridge and was Governor General from 1921- 26. Lady Byng was an ardent hockey fan, particularly Frank Nighbor of Lance Hornby the original . When Nighbor dined at Rideau Hall and Publishing date: Sep 11, 2020 saw her new trophy, she gave it to him on the spot.

BYNG-GO CARD

Auston Matthews is on the short list for the Lady Byng Trophy, hockey’s Maple Leafs Lady Byng Trophy Winners good on-ice behaviour award, at a time his Maple Leafs are under fire for Year Player GP PTS PIM lack of players more bad to the bone. 1932 Joe Primeau 46 50 25 But don’t tell double winner and four-time Stanley Cup champion Dave Keon that the Byng ain’t the thing. 1938 Gordie Drillon 48 52 4

“I thought it was an important trophy to win,” the 80-year-old Keon said 1942 Syl Apps 38 41 0 from his home in South Florida. “Red Kelly won it four times, Wayne Gretzky (five). It’s a great award that highlights your skill and your ability 1952 Sid Smith 70 57 6 to play (clean).” 1955 Sid Smith 70 54 14 Keon, who keeps tabs on Matthews and the Leafs on TV, has heard 1961 Red Kelly 64 70 12 critics say Toronto is too soft as the Leafs made a fourth straight first- round playoff exit last month. 1962 Dave Keon 64 61 2

“I know everyone wants to be tougher, but there’s a way of doing that — 1963 Dave Keon 68 56 2 and to be physical and (stay at even strength),” he said. 2003 Alex Mogilny 73 79 12 That’s the kind of team general manager Kyle Dubas wants to build, via young guns Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander. Matthews Toronto Sun LOADED: 09.13.2020 says he places high value on not just points (a team-high 80 in regular season, six in the four playoff games) but in puck pursuit and retrieval. His 78 takeaways were tied for second in the NHL and just four minor penalties in 70 games puts him against Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan O’Reilly as finalists for the Byng. Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the winner will be announced Friday.

You can almost see the steam coming from under Matthews’ helmet whenever he does get whistled for something in the normal course of play. Turning 23 in a week, he’d declared flat out in his Calder Trophy winning rookie season, “I hate taking penalties.” Former Leafs coach predicted Matthews will also be in the hunt for the Frank Selke Trophy as top defensive forward as his career progresses.

Keon rarely saw the inside of the box, remarkably just 75 minutes of sentencing in 1,062 games as a Leaf. In the two seasons he won the Byng, 1962 and ’63, he took just one penalty in each season and two in 1971, the last time he was runner-up for the award.

“I don’t remember what the penalties were for,” he laughed. “I must have told the referee at the time ‘you can’t be serious’… You wanted to keep earning yourself a good reputation (to get the benefit of the doubt on a call).

“I always thought when you take penalties, you’re just being lazy. But certainly you don’t shy away from the physical part of the game.”

Matthews had slightly less PIMs than MacKinnon (12) and O’Reilly (10), though MacKinnon’s 93 points make him the Byng favourite.

The graceful skating of Keon and his adroit stick checking and body position gained him much respect through his NHL years and five seasons in the after his bitter divorce from the Leafs in the Harold Ballard era. Of course, being on good terms with the zebras didn’t hurt his pristine record.

“There was only one referee in the game back then,” Keon reminded. “After a while, you got to know them all and talk with them a bit.

“It’s good to hear (Matthews wanting to follow his lead and of other Byng- winning Leafs such as Kelly and Sid Smith). I watch him a lot, he’s got great potential and he’s learning that you have to play 200 feet.”

The last Leaf to win the Byng was winger in 2003. He controversially stayed away from the awards’ ceremony as he didn’t consider the trophy preamble of “sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard of playing ability” to be vital. Yet the Leafs haven’t earned that many individual honours during their 53-year Cup drought to be turning down such recognition. 1193348 Vegas Golden Knights

Veterans buck trend as Stars rally to defeat Golden Knights

By Ron Kantowski

Las Vegas Review-Journal

September 12, 2020 - 9:36 PM

To embellish the old song, the first goal has cut the deepest in the NHL’s Western Conference Final between the Golden Knights and Dallas Stars.

The team that had scored first had won each of the first three games. By drawing first blood in the first and third games, the defensive-minded Stars were able to fall back into their shell, form a gauntlet around Anton Khudobin and let their stingy goalie handle things from there.

So much for pregame trends, themes and predictions.

It was the Knights who scored first in Game 4 on Saturday before the Stars responded with goals from veterans Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn en route to a 2-1 victory and 3-1 series edge inside the Edmonton, Alberta, bubble.

Instead of opening up the Dallas defense, falling behind in the second period sparked the Stars’ offense.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of energy at the start,” Dallas coach Rick Bowness said about Alec Martinez giving Vegas the lead on a power- play blast from the top of the right faceoff circle. “They were throwing more pucks at the net than we were. We needed something to get us going. Pavelski’s goal got us going.”

Back to defense

Before Pavelski’s fluttering backhander found the back of Robin Lehner’s net after Nate Schmidt’s giveaway, the Knights were outshooting the Stars 22-6. Dallas enjoyed a 7-2 edge in shots during the remainder of the second period and took the lead when Benn knocked home a rebound after Brayden McNabb was sent off for holding.

After that, the Stars reverted to defensive mode and survived a five-on- three short-handed situation for 1:10 deep in the third period during which Khudobin made several clutch saves.

“I just tried to find the puck and react to it,” said Khudobin, who stopped 32 of the 33 shots he faced and also got help from the post on a couple of occasions. “I don’t know if it was luck or whatever.”

It’s not luck, his teammates said. It’s faith in their red-hot 34-year-old goalie, and the Stars’ ability to protect the lead once they get one.

“We play with confidence, we play the puck and (Khudobin) made some big saves for us,” Stars forward Corey Perry said. “It starts with (Khudobin) and works its way up.”

Added Bowness: “When the game is on the line like that, and your players respond like we did, from a coaching perspective we’re very happy. We gutted it out and found a way to get it done.”

If they can get it done one more time in three games, the Stars will advance to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years despite getting outshot by the Knights 130-92 in the first four games.

“There’s a big commitment on our side, for sure,” said Benn, the hard- nosed Dallas captain. “We understand where we’re at, but we haven’t done anything yet.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193349 Vegas Golden Knights

Missed special teams chances haunt Golden Knights in Game 4

By Ben Gotz

Las Vegas Review-Journal

September 12, 2020- 9:19 PM

The Golden Knights, trying to come back against the stingy Dallas Stars in the third period of Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, were handed a gift.

Stars center Jason Dickinson tripped right wing Reilly Smith after creating a short-handed chance, giving the Knights a five-on-three power play for 1:10 Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

They couldn’t capitalize despite getting three shots on goal and lost 2-1 to fall behind 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

The failed power play ensured the two teams finished even at special teams despite the Stars taking five penalties to the Knights’ four.

“We’ve got to win that special teams battle,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think we tied it tonight, which isn’t good enough when we’re on the power play more than they are.”

The Knights entered Saturday plus-two on special teams for the series.

They had another strong start in Game 4, as defenseman Alec Martinez gave the team a power-play goal 7:44 into the second period. It was the Knights’ third straight game with a power-play goal.

The penalty kill started strong, too. The Knights killed their first three penalties to improve to 8-for-8 in the series and give them 22 consecutive kills.

The streak ended soon after. Stars captain Jamie Benn took advantage of a Brayden McNabb holding penalty to give Dallas its first power-play goal of the series with 1:09 left in the second period.

The five-on-three gave the Knights a chance to pull ahead on special teams, but they couldn’t beat Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin. He kept seeing pucks and sliding through his crease to make easy saves on long- distance shots.

The three stops he made on the five-on-three were from 29, 31 and 52 feet away. Defenseman Shea Theodore also hit the crossbar from the left point trying to slide the puck backdoor to center William Karlsson.

Khudobin made two more saves — from 31 and 48 feet away — before the Stars settled things back down five-on-five. The Knights had missed their best chance to pull ahead on special teams and tie the game.

“He’s doing a good job being able to see the puck,” Smith said. “Where we are right now, we just have to keep putting pucks on net and trying to find rebounds.”

McCrimmon fifth for GM of year

Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon finished fifth in the voting for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award, which went to the New York Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello.

McCrimmon made several significant moves to get the team into the conference finals for the second time in three years. He fired coach Gerard Gallant and hired DeBoer in January. He also traded for forwards Nicolas Roy, Chandler Stephenson and Nick Cousins, Martinez and goaltender Robin Lehner.

Lamoriello, Julien BriseBois (Tampa Bay), Jim Nill (Dallas) and Joe Sakic (Colorado) finished ahead of McCrimmon.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193350 Vegas Golden Knights Dallas captain Jamie Benn potted the go-ahead goal with 58.3 seconds remaining in the period when he pounced on a loose puck in the slot during a power play and beat Lehner, who had 18 saves.

Golden Knights stymied again, face 3-1 series deficit The Knights had killed off 22 straight penalties dating to Game 4 of the conference semifinals against Vancouver.

“I thought the two penalties we took in the second period probably took By David Schoen us out of the rhythm that I felt we were in early in that second period,” DeBoer said. Las Vegas Review-Journal The Knights continued to generate more scoring chances (29-22) and September 12, 2020- 7:52 PM high-danger chances (15-12), according to NaturalStatTrick.com, and Updated September 12, 2020 - 9:56 PM finished with a 68-38 advantage in shot attempts.

But the Knights also missed the net on 19 attempts, which included two posts hit, and didn’t register a shot on goal during the final 3:52. Robin Lehner collapsed to the ice during the second period Saturday, shaken up from a shot that the Golden Knights goaltender stopped with Khudobin has stopped 124 of 130 shots in the series. his neck. “It seems that it’s just a mad scramble and we’re not finding loose pucks,” When he got to his skates, Lehner had a noticeable welt from the Smith said. “As a forward group, we’ve got to do a better job finding encounter with Alexander Radulov’s one-timer. some of those pucks and scoring some goals because we can’t rely on our defense to score every goal for us every single night.” Much like their goalie, the Knights were left damaged and bruised following a 2-1 defeat to the Dallas Stars in Game 4 of the Western LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.13.2020 Conference Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

“We all got to find a way here to be a little bit better,” Lehner said.

The Knights’ offensive frustration against Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin continued to mount as the stingy Stars moved one victory from playing for the Stanley Cup.

After squandering a 3-1 series lead to San Jose last postseason, the Knights must mount a similar comeback to advance.

History is against the Knights, as 34 of 35 teams that have had a 3-1 lead in the conference finals have gone on to win the series. The 2000 are the only team to pull off the feat and went on to win the Stanley Cup.

“We’ve been here before,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “We were in the exact situation against Vancouver with a goalie (Thatcher Demko) playing like this and a team playing like this. We stuck with it long enough to get through that.

“For me, it’s perseverance. We’ll work on some things, look at what we can do a little bit better.”

The Knights were unable to pull the Stars out of their defensive shell despite scoring first and were stymied by Khudobin for the third time in the series.

He finished with 32 stops and has allowed six goals in four games.

Defenseman Alec Martinez scored a power-play goal in the second period, but the Knights couldn’t convert on a five-on-three advantage for 1:10 in the third period despite three shots on goal.

Forward Mark Stone played the third period in visible pain after he blocked a shot in the second and returned to the locker room.

“It’s frustrating, but we have to stick to our game plan,” forward Reilly Smith said. “Getting negative and squeezing your stick too tight isn’t going to help anyone. Stick to our game plan, a little more urgency on pucks when we do find them. We just have to find a way right now.”

The Knights had a 22-6 advantage in shots on goal after Martinez’s drive from the top of the right circle at 7:44 of the second beat Khudobin and appeared to be in control before the Stars rallied with two goals.

The Knights were 10-1 when scoring first in the postseason before Saturday.

“There’s been lulls in our game,” Martinez said. “But I think we’ve been doing a lot of good things and generating opportunities. I think throughout a series or a game you’re going to face adversity. Right now, our back’s against the wall. It’s no secret.”

Stars forward Andrew Cogliano pressured defenseman Nate Schmidt into a turnover in the Knights’ zone, and Joe Pavelski’s backhand deflected off Schmidt’s stick and over Lehner’s shoulder to tie the game at 11:34 of the second. 1193351 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights name goalie for Game 4 against Stars

By Ben Gotz

Las Vegas Review-Journal

September 12, 2020- 4:44 PM

Updated September 12, 2020 - 4:48 PM

Robin Lehner and Anton Khuodobin will face off for the third straight game Saturday in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final between the Golden Knights and Dallas Stars at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

Each goaltender has won a game in that span. Lehner shut out the Stars in Game 2, while Khudobin made 38 saves in an overtime victory in Game 3.

Khudobin also shut out the Knights in Game 1 against Marc-Andre Fleury.

Lehner is 9-5 with a .921 save percentage and a 1.92 goals-against average this postseason. He has claimed the crease from Fleury and posted a league-leading four in the playoffs.

That’s led to speculation about the Knights’ future in net. Lehner, a pending unrestricted free agent, denied a report by The Fourth Period on Friday that said he had agreed to a contract extension.

“It’s not true,” Lehner said. “It’s kind of annoying. Here in the conference final and people are saying things they don’t know. It’s adding on to this thing that’s been going on here, you know?

“If it would have been finalized, it would’ve been finalized. But it’s not. I’m here to win a (Stanley) Cup, not discuss this stuff.”

Khudobin is 10-6 with a .915 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average. The Stars have had to rely on him with primary starter Ben Bishop largely unavailable and the 34-year-old Russian has been more than up to the task.

Khudobin had played 37:42 in the postseason before this year. He has played five more games this season than he ever has in his career.

“As a so-called number two goalie, (he’s) very reliable, very competitive,” Stars coach Rick Bowness said. “You never know how people are going to handle their first playoff experience, but that being said, he’s not a kid. He’s in his mid-30s. We’re not surprised at his ability and (that he’s) playing as well as he has.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193352 Vegas Golden Knights — Former Desert Pines High tight end Darnell Washington was one of Georgia’s big recruits and, according to a report in the Atlanta Journal- Constitution, has become an even bigger recruit during training camp.

NBC’s Pierre McGuire blown away by safety inside NHL bubble “Darnell has been working his way into shape,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. “At one time, he was at 273 (pounds). We felt like he needed to get down to about 263 to be effective. He’s a big man.”

By Ron Kantowski Washington, who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall, generally was listed at 260 pounds as a five-star recruit for the Jaguars. Las Vegas Review-Journal Incoming freshman TE: September 12, 2020 - 3:36 PM Darnell Washington, Georgia

6-7/260 There might be no getting away from the coronavirus. But being stationed inside the glass inside a bubble in Edmonton, Alberta, for the • 5 Athlete NHL playoffs might be the closest thing to sanctuary. • Monstrous size with stunning athleticism for his frame. “I wanted to see if we could even get past the first week without a huge COVID infection rate,” said Pierre McGuire, NBC’s “Inside the Glass” • Will need to develop as a blocker, likely does so with McKitty taking the reporter. lead in '20, but Washington could become a star in '21. pic.twitter.com/Kc8mrlzRxx “What people have done here, what the NHL has accomplished, is beyond anyone’s expectation. I’m blown away by the professionalism of — Brian Shacochis (aka Shack, aka Shacknado) (@DynastyTools) the players; I’m blown away by the health care workers who have been August 24, 2020 testing us every single day. I can tell you the people who work in the hotels and the restaurants here, who have to go through the COVID tests — In addition to leading UNR to its first two NCAA men’s basketball like us, they’ve been phenomenal, too.” tournament berths, Sonny Allen, who was 84 when he died Friday in Reno after suffering from Parkinson’s disease, also guided the Las During a cellphone chat on the Friday off day of the Golden Knights- Vegas Silver Streaks of the short-lived World Basketball League to the Dallas Stars Western Conference Final series, McGuire spoke about championship during the league’s debut season in 1988. what it’s like to be inside the glass for the most unusual playoffs in NHL history, as well as his ties to Las Vegas’ brief history as a hockey town. The WBL was a pro league for players 6 feet 5 inches and under (and perhaps a few 6-6 guys who were measured in their stocking feet). — On Radek Bonk, who starred for the International Hockey League’s Former NBA legend Bob Cousy was one of the league’s founders. as a teenager while McGuire was coaching the Hartford Whalers and played for Ottawa when he became a Senators Former UNLV standouts Freddie Banks, Anthony Jones and Mark Wade scout: “The biggest thing I can tell you is he was a physical freak at that played for the Silver Streaks, but Jamie Waller of little Virginia Union was age. Radek was maybe a half-gear slow, and that’s the only thing that the star of Allen’s Las Vegas title team that defeated the Chicago stopped him from being a real superstar in the league.” Express in a one-game playoff.

— On Bob Strumm, the Thunder’s former general manager who signed Sonny Allen, a humble man who won a national title and build the foundation for @ODUMensHoops success, passed away this morning. Bonk, was instrumental in indoctrinating Las Vegas to pro hockey and still lives in the valley: “I used to go across the (Canadian) prairie with He was also a social warrior — he integrated Virginia college basketball. Strummer — Saskatchewan, Alberta and . Strummer is a really @ODUSports @ODU @ODUAlumni @HerdMBB @SMU @ODUSEES good man and a hockey lifer.” https://t.co/OPbj3oZaUi

— On inviting Kurt Busch inside the glass for a Knights-Bruins game and — Harry Minium (@Harry_MiniumODU) September 11, 2020 having the NASCAR driver from Las Vegas practically steal his RIP coach Sonny Allen. Our relationship started in 1982 when Coach microphone: “We had so much fun in the booth in Las Vegas. (Laughing) was recruiting me. A true friend and mentor, I learned so much from him. He was great, and I look forward to doing that again with him sometime.” Sonny played a huge role in “coaching the coaches” and self scouting As for the Knights-Stars series, he said what’s not to like? our Nevada teams. “The Fastbreak Coach" leaves a basketball legacy pic.twitter.com/0nMk5eQfEm “You’ve got two really determined teams that play a little different in terms of style. There’s a lot to like about Vegas, there’s a lot to like about — Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) September 11, 2020 Dallas and there’s a lot to like about this series, because it’s so darn 0:01 even.” Rodger Sherman of The Ringer, on the Labor Day football game pitting Kurt Busch will appear inside the glass with Pierre McGuire during the Brigham Young against Navy: second period of NBCSN’s Bruins-Golden Knights broadcast https://t.co/jYRrbYxO22 pic.twitter.com/srBT9Szvoj “BYU and Navy are playing tonight, a matchup which has to be top 5 on the list of college football games least likely to be canceled due to — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 21, 2019 campus party-related COVID spread.”

Around the horn BYU and Navy are playing tonight, a matchup which has to be top 5 on — If the name Dampy Brar meant anything before Tuesday, when the the list of “college football games least likely to be canceled due to resident of Calgary, Alberta, was named winner of the NHL’s Willie campus party-related COVID spread” O’Ree Community Hero Award, then you just might be the biggest Las — Rodger Sherman (@rodger) September 7, 2020 Vegas Thunder fan who walked the planet. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.13.2020 Brar played in eight games and scored one goal for the local IHL franchise during its final season in Las Vegas in 1998-99 when former New York Islanders star Bob Bourne was coach.

Congratulations to Dampy Brar for winning this year's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award. #NHLAwards

MORE https://t.co/bZTLKWBhIs pic.twitter.com/vP2sExJJWL

— NHL (@NHL) September 8, 2020 1193353 Vegas Golden Knights postseason, and he’s turned away 119 of the Golden Knights 125 shots, good for a .952 save percentage.

“Goals are going to be scored in the hard areas, and we know that,” With sputtering offense, Golden Knights on verge of elimination against Smith said. “It seems like the puck is bouncing every way but in the net, Stars and we’ve just got to find a way to change that.”

Goals may be scored in the hard areas, but the Golden Knights had trouble getting there on Saturday. Martinez’s goal came from 54 feet out, By Justin Emerson (contact) one of 11 shots on goal from 50-plus feet.

Published Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 | 7:54 p.m. The Stars’ goals meanwhile came from 16 and 13 feet from the net, and much better success shooting from that part of the ice, particularly at 5- Updated Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 | 9:35 p.m. on-5, evidenced by the below chart from natural Stat Trick.

Now the Golden Knights find themselves in the unenviable position of The Golden Knights have lost seven games this postseason. There’s one needing three wins in a row to keep their season alive. They have ever common theme in each defeat: The scoring chances are there, the faced a 3-1 deficit just once, in the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, and lost puck’s just not going in the net. Game 5. Twice the Golden Knights have given up a 3-1 lead to force a Game 7, including last round against the Canucks, and last season to the Against the Blackhawks in the first round, it was one loss with a 3-0 San Jose Sharks. series lead. No worries; shake it off and move on. Those Sharks, of course, were coached by Peter DeBoer, now behind Against the Canucks in the next round, it happened twice. A little nerve- the Vegas bench. He said there’s no “magic pill” to come back, and it’s all wracking, but no significant damage about getting back to what worked in the early part of the season.

Against the Dallas Stars, it’s become a major problem, the latest instance The problem is, the margin for error is nonexistent now. The Golden a 2-1 loss in Game 4 Saturday of the Western Conference Final. When Knights aren’t going to blow up the game plan that brought them to the the offense dried up against Chicago and Vancouver, the Golden Knights conference final, but they better hope the results improve. had built enough of a head start that it wasn’t fatal. But now, down 3-1 in the series, Vegas is running out of time to figure out how to make it right. “All we need is to finish. I think the effort’s there,” DeBoer said. “This is a long way from over and we’re going to be a tough out.” “It’s frustrating but we have to stick to our game plan,” Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith said. “Getting negative and squeezing your stick too LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 09.13.2020 tight isn’t going to help anyone. Stick to our game plan, a little bit more urgency on pucks when we do find them. We just have to find a way right now.”

Smith has not scored since Game 1 of the Vancouver series, a span of 10 games. Ditto for Jonathan Marchessault. It’s been seven games for Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights forwards have struggled dating back to Game 5 of the Canucks series, a stretch of seven games where forwards have scored four goals against a goalie. Take out Game 3 of this series and it’s just Mark Stone’s goal in Game 2.

The defense — mostly Shea Theodore — has carried much of the offensive burden, including Saturday when Alec Martinez scored on the power play for a 1-0 lead in the second period.

Through the 10-minute mark of the second period, the halfway point of the game, the Golden Knights led in shots on goal, 20-6, but had just the one goal to show for it.

And it stayed that way the remainder of the game, most notably during a late power-play in the third period when Vegas fired five shots on goal during a 5-on-3 advantage but couldn’t score.

“Forwards I think we’re trying to get to the net and seems like it’s a mad scramble and we’re not finding loose pucks,” Vegas winger Reilly Smith said. “As a forward group we’ve got to do a better job finding some of those pucks and scoring timely goals because we can’t rely on our defense to score every goal for us every single night.”

The lack of scoring isn’t just Golden Knights’ sticks going cold. Defending a late lead is the kind of game the Stars are built for.

They made it this far into the season by sticking to a defensive system that suffocates opponents’ chances and makes the clock feel like it’s moving at double time through the third period. They scored twice in the second half of the second period, then shifted into a prevent defense for the final 20 minutes.

In the final period, the Golden Knights mustered four shots on goal at even strength. In all situations, including the 5-on-3, Vegas had just three high-danger scoring chances in the third, according to Natural Stat Trick.

“They do a good job of protecting leads, they deny a lot of entries into the zone, clog up the neutral zone and pack it in their ‘D’ zone,” Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez said. “But we’ve got a find a way to get through that.”

Even when the Golden Knights broke through the defense, they ran into a wall dressed in green standing in the crease. Anton Khudobin led the NHL in save percentage during the regular season playing in a tandem role with Ben Bishop. With Bishop injured, it’s been Khudobin’s net this 1193354 Vegas Golden Knights scored in the hard areas. We know that. We just have to start finding pucks and doing a better job of making space for each other, and clearing space in front of their net.”

Golden Knights searching for answers with backs against the wall The Golden Knights have admitted to needing more traffic in front of the Stars’ net to shield Khudobin’s eyes from the puck, and create deflection opportunities. They did more of that in Game 4 but hit a few posts on screened shots. But during their golden opportunity, late in the third By Jesse Granger period with a five-on-three for more than a minute, Vegas didn’t have one Sep 12, 2020 player in front of Khudobin. Hanging on by a thread, the Stars didn’t have enough players on the ice to clear the net front if they wanted, but the Golden Knights didn’t get there.

As the Golden Knights came up empty-handed on an extended five-on- “It seems the puck is bouncing every way but in their net, and we just three power play late in the third period, the broadcast cameras panned have to find a way to change that,” Smith said. to a suite inside Rogers Place with Vegas executives George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon. And to Smith’s point, the Golden Knights have certainly not been on the right end of most lucky plays in this series. They’ve had their share of McPhee threw his hands up and leaned back in his chair in capitulation. bad bounces, including Joe Pavelski’s game-tying goal that deflected off Nate Schmidt’s stick as it flew out of his hands, then ricocheted into the It’s a feeling shared amongst nearly everyone in the organization right air, over Robin Lehner and into the goal. now, from the front office to the coaches and players. The Golden Knights aren’t playing bad hockey. Through four games they’ve outshot “Their best player, Joe Pavelski, takes a backhand, rolls up the shaft of the Stars 130-92 and hold a decisive 51-38 edge in high danger chances. our stick, and over our goalie’s shoulder,” DeBoer said. “We haven’t gotten any of those, and we’ve gotta stick with it until we do.” But despite all of that Vegas has fallen behind 3-1 in the series, and must win three straight games to keep its season alive after its 2-1 loss It appears the Golden Knights are out of answers. They’ve lost three of Saturday. four games against the Stars, but believe if they continue playing this way, they will win the next three in a row. When the opposition is controlling play, it’s easier to find where improvement is needed in order to turn things around. The solution is They might be right. Watching the games, I can certainly see where staring you in the face, but getting it done on the ice is more difficult than they’re coming from. But if they’re waiting for freakishly-lucky goals to dig simply identifying the problem. them out of this 3-1 hole, it’s going to be an interesting offseason.

But right now the Golden Knights don’t seem to be able to identify the The Athletic LOADED: 09.13.2020 problem. I’ll admit it’s much more difficult to gauge from a Zoom call than it is from the postgame dressing room, but based on their body language, tone and responses, they appear to be searching for answers of their own.

“We have to just keep putting pucks on net and try to find rebounds, so I don’t really have a good answer for you on that,” said Reilly Smith, when asked how to make Stars netminder Anton Khudobin’s job more difficult. He’s stopped 70-of-73 shots over the past two games.

“It’s perseverance,” coach Peter DeBoer said after the game. “There’s no magic pill to take. It’s making it as tough as we can on him, making sure that the puck gets in the right hands of guys for us, and them having the confidence to shoot one by him.”

DeBoer’s messaging hasn’t wavered during the playoffs. Stick to the game plan, and eventually it will work.

“We’ve been here before,” he said. “We were in the exact situation against Vancouver with a goalie playing like this, and a team playing like this. We stuck with it long enough to get through that. For me it’s perseverance.”

DeBoer is right, they did run into this problem against the Canucks in Round 2. Despite generating plenty of offense the Golden Knights couldn’t find a way to score past goalie Thatcher Demko. There was a similar problem in closing out the Blackhawks and goalie Corey Crawford, but it didn’t have nearly the staying power that Demko did in this past series.

DeBoer is also correct that Vegas stuck with its game plan, and eventually beat Demko to win Game 7 by a score of 1-0, and advance to the next round.

But where DeBoer’s comparisons run out, is the situation the Golden Knights are currently in. This is nothing like the second round, where they raced out to a commanding 3-1 series lead, and needed to find a way to best Demko in only one of the next three games. It took all three games to do it.

Now they are on the brink of elimination, and must find a way to beat Khudobin and the Stars in three consecutive games or the season will come to an end.

“Getting negative and squeezing your stick too tight isn’t going to help anyone,” said forward Reilly Smith, who had 13 points in the first 15 playoff games, but has been held off the score sheet in all four games against Dallas. “You have to stay positive. The more you get down on yourself, you push yourself in the wrong direction. Goals are going to be 1193355 Vegas Golden Knights

Dallas Win Over Frustrated Golden Knights Saturday Leaves VGK A Game From Elimination In West Finals

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

The Vegas Golden Knights are learning the Dallas Stars are a cut above the Chicago Blackhawks and in competition.

And for all the Robin Lehner vs Marc-Andre Fleury goalie talk, it comes down to the VGK skaters unable to score goals on Dallas and its goalie, Anton Khudobin.

The Stars have pushed the favored VGK to the brink of elimination with a 2-1 win Saturday at the NHL playoff bubble in Edmonton.

Dallas now leads the Golden Knights, 3-1, in the Best-of-7 West Finals and is only a win away from burying the VGK’s Stanley Cup hopes. VGK coach Pete DeBoer said the Knights will be a tough out.

It was a similar script — the fast-paced, transition-based Golden Knights attack stymied by a hard-hitting Dallas squad that erased a 1-0 deficit in period two with goals by Stars veterans Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn in the middle stanza.

And as usual, the Golden Knights had more shots on goal than Dallas, but the Stars had the bigger number on the scoreboard. Post-game remarks here:

VGK tried to add more juice and speed to their up-tempo brand of hockey against the Dallas Stars. And the number-one seeded Knights had the puck more than Dallas in the first 20 minutes.

But the VGK’s scoring drought continued as Vegas has a 13-5 edge in shots on goal in period one, but the score was 0-0 after period one. Khudobin, filling in for veteran netminder Ben Bishop, was rock solid.

In period two, Alec Martinez scored at the 12:16 mark to give VGK a 1-0 lead before former San Jose Shark Pavelski knotted the score at one at 8:26. Benn put Dallas ahead with a mere 59 seconds left in period two.

The Knights had a two-man advantage in period three, but could not convert.

It left the frustrated Knights one game from seeing their season end. Game 5 is Monday at 5 p.m.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 09.13.2020 1193356 Websites “It seems like the puck is bouncing every way but in their net. We just have to find a way to change that.”

A Vegas team that recently went four games without a single forward Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights forwards feel ‘sense of urgency’ as scoring anything but an empty net goal watched as Martinez notched elimination looms their only goal in Game 4.

“As a forward group,” said Smith, “we can’t rely on our defence to score every single goal for us every single night.” Mark Spector Right now, Dallas owns the net front at both ends of the rink. They’re September 13, 2020, 12:54 AM defending like the second stingiest team in the National Hockey League this regular season, and when a shot does get through, Khudobin is

reminiscent of another little Eastern Bloc goalie from a few years ago. EDMONTON — It’s one thing to fix what’s broken. Like the great Latvian Arturs Irbe, suddenly Khudini is “like wall.” It’s quite another for the Vegas Golden Knights, who are winning in every “He’s feelin’ good. He’s there before the shot gets there a lot of times,” statistical category of this Western Conference Final other than the one allowed DeBoer. “It’s perseverance. There’s no magic pill to take. It’s that matters most, to fix a dominant game that does everything but score. making it as tough as we can on him, making sure the puck gets in the “We’ve got to stay patient, stick with our game, get shots to the net, hands of the right guys for us, and having the confidence to shoot one by create opportunities, trying to get in front of the goalie’s eyes, find those him here. rebounds,” listed defenceman Alec Martinez, the lone Vegas scorer on “I think the efforts there. We’re creating a lot of really good looks. yet another night when the entire forward ranks failed to dent the twine in Defensively we’ve been good,” he said. “This is a long way from over. a 2-1 loss. “We’re going to be a tough out.” “You can’t try to do anything extraordinary. Everyone just has to try and do their own job.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.13.2020 Right now, the term “extraordinary” would define propelling a puck past Dallas Stars goalie Anton Khudobin, who has played his way into the Conn Smythe conversation, stopping 32 shots to win Game 4 and put his Stars one win away from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final since the year 2000.

As good as Khudobin has been, however, the Stars’ team defence has been as good or better. On Saturday, with the Golden Knights trailing 2-1 and staring down a 3-1 series deficit, Vegas couldn’t find a shot on goal in the final 3:51.

“The way the guys are battling, the way they’re blocking the shots,” began Khudobin, dubbed ‘Anton Khudini’ by a voice on Twitter Saturday. “They have bruises and they have bumps, and they still sacrifice their bodies to go and block the shots. Even if they can’t, they’re still trying and they’re working their ass off to make sure that I see the puck. If I don’t, then they block and stay alive and don’t get scored on, which is unbelievable team effort I would say.”

That kind of praise is why the 34-year-old has established himself as one of the most universally well-liked teammates in the game today.

What about his own game, with Khudobin starting all but two of the Stars’ playoff games this fall?

“I just tried to find the puck and react to it,” he shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s luck or whatever. Let’s call it luck.”

It’s true: Dallas has had almost all the luck in this series. Like the tying goal, coming just less than four minutes after Vegas had opened the scoring in Period 2.

“I think they scored on their seventh shot, halfway through the game,” said Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer. “Their best player, Joe Pavelski, takes a backhand, it rolls up the shaft of our stick and over our goalie’s shoulder. We haven’t got any of those. We have to stick with it until we do.”

Truly, Vegas owns the puck in this series, ahead in Corsi (53.9%), Fenwick (57.01%), shots (54.55), but not in scoring chances (46.38%), according to Natural Stat Trick. If this were a best-of-11, the Golden Knights could take solace in the fact that all that possession would eventually translate into goals and wins.

But it’s a best-of-seven and the favorites are down 3-1. Something’s got to change, and fast, or Vegas will be leaving the bubble with nothing to show for seven weeks in Edmonton lock-up.

“There’s a sense of urgency right now, where we are in the series,” said Reilly Smith, who had just a single shot on goal in 19:56 of ice time. “We have to stay positive. The more you get down on yourself, the more you kind of push yourself in the opposite direction. Goals are going to be scored in the hard areas, we know that. We just have to start finding pucks. Do a better job of making space for each other, clearing space in front of their net. 1193357 Websites As we detailed earlier this season, the Leafs could argue that his new employer must pay Babcock a market-representative salary. Babcock’s closest comparables would be Claude Julien and Todd McLellan, each of whom earns in the ballpark of $5 million. Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Beware of the 4 teams with extra first-round picks Theoretically, if the Capitals (or whomever) decide Babcock is their guy, they’ll have to reach an agreement with the Maple Leafs on this.

“It’s not the right approach, but sometimes emotions get in the way. I’ve Luke Fox had this happen where I’ve literally had to negotiate with both sides,” Neil Glasberg of PBI Sports & Entertainment explained. Glasberg is a September 12, 2020, 8:15 AM professional negotiator and personal-brand manager who represents 40- plus coaches (but not Babcock) at the NHL and AHL levels.

A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious “The challenge is, he’s very expensive. He’s at least a $4-million guy.” and less so, and rolling four lines deep. This week’s blog was written Capitals owner Ted Leonsis has shown a willingness to spend, but it’s outside the blue. difficult to imagine coaching salaries — riding a crest last year with 1. Hockey executives, in general, are a rather conservative bunch. They Florida’s signing of Joel Quenneville — not taking a dive alongside the loathe to part with a high first-round draft picks and risk missing out on an players’ salaries through the pandemic. elite talent (or ticking off their owner or their fan base). 3. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney conducted a virtual debriefing But those mid-to-late Round 1 tickets, especially for teams with another with reporters Wednesday. Here are some key takeaways: first-rounder in the bank, have a much greater tendency to be in play for • Sweeney has not spoken with Tuukka Rask directly since Rask left the trades. bubble but reports that his No. 1 goalie and his family are doing well. The 2020 NHL Draft took forever to get a hard date, but now we have Sweeney said he has “zero reservations about where Tuukka will be both one — Oct. 6 — and it’s less than four weeks away. on and off the ice for us” in 2020-21, Rask’s contract season. “You have to respect his privacy and allow him the latitude to take care of [personal So, with the trade winds a-blowing, it’s worth keeping an eye on the four issues],” Sweeney maintained. “And ultimately it hasn’t affected his play teams with extra first-round selections, particularly the two rebuilding on the ice. We have good goaltending, and we’ll continue to do so.” clubs who’ve hoarded three first-rounders. Make ’em an offer. • The GM said he will “explore opportunities” to re-sign Zdeno Chara, a • New York Rangers (picks 1 and 22): While no one should anticipate Jeff 43-year-old UFA who wants another deal in Boston. To these ears, Gorton dealing away his lucky golden ticket for Alexis Lafreniere, the Sweeney was certainly respectful but noncommittal on the idea, and he 22nd-overall pick could be in play. Obtained from Carolina via February’s also mentioned the need for one of the oldest teams in the league to get Brady Skjei trade, Gorton could dangle that pick in attempt to bolster his pushed by younger players in the system. roster right now. New York is looking to boost its centre depth and improve the left side of its blueline. There’s precedent here: In the days • On UFA-to-be Torey Krug, who has made it clear he is swinging for the leading up to the 2019 draft, Gorton used his late first-rounder to help fences: “I would be the last person to begrudge any player trying to make bring Jacob Trouba from Winnipeg. the best decision for they and their family, and in a perfect world it’s with us, but we know that the world is anything but perfect right about now.” • Ottawa Senators (picks 3, 5 and 28): An organization rich in picks and prospects, the Sens have an incredible nine picks in the first three rounds • The Bruins expect to protect seven forwards, three defencemen and and 13 in total. “We know we’re going to get two impactful players,” one goalie in the 2021 Seattle expansion draft, although that plan could Dorion said of his third- and fifth-overall choices. Yes, the rebuilding club change based on in-season moves. is content to stock its cupboards, but make an offer on the 28th-overall 4. is still wearing a Maple Leafs sweater in his social-media pick Dorion acquired from the Islanders in the Jean-Gabriel Pageau deal. avatar, but fans took notice Tuesday when the impending unrestricted At some point, the Sens need to sign or acquire some actual NHLers. free agent removed his affiliation with his hometown club from his Twitter • Anaheim Ducks (picks 6 and 27): Of all the clubs with extra first- bio. rounders, Anaheim might be best off to gather as much high-end young Prior to the return to play, both Clifford and the Leafs brass expressed talent as possible. GM Bob Murray certainly obtained good value at the mutual interest in making the bottom-six winger more than a deadline deadline by dealing Ondrej Kase to the Boston Bruins for the 27th-overall rental, but there is a hitch here, and it’s exasperated by the flat cap. pick. (Kase underwhelmed in Beantown, failing to score a goal in 17 appearances.) But Murray sounded less than patient with his group’s If Dubas does not re-sign Clifford, he will surrender a 2021 third-round poor showing this season, and the fact he was rumoured to be interested pick to Los Angeles for the trade. But if Dubas does re-sign Clifford, that in Kasperi Kapanen trade talks suggests he might be in the market for pick gets automatically upgraded to a second-rounder, a condition Rob proven players. Blake shrewdly built in.

• New Jersey Devils (picks 7, 18 and 20): Few teams will have the cap Clifford, who will turn 30 in January, is facing his last, best shot at a raise, flexibility Tom Fitzgerald inherited in January. The new guy has already and Toronto is trying to keep the AAVs on its bottom-six low. proven adept at moving out assets, but we’re about to get a sense of his vision for building around core pieces like Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes Sounds like both sides will explore their options. and Mackenzie Blackwood. We’d be shocked if Fitzgerald doesn’t use his There will be a segment calling for Scarborough-bred UFA Wayne seventh-overall choice in a class with a loaded top 10. But does the Simmonds to take Clifford’s role of sandpaper veteran winger with decent rookie GM get creative with the 18th (via Arizona) and 20th (via hands, and Dubas should inquire for sure. Vancouver) overall choices? Thing is, Simmonds did not succumb to a discount in 2019 as a free Good morning, #NJDevils fans. agent, scoring a $5-million deal with some trade protection from a non- We have three first-round picks. contending Devils club.

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) August 8, 2020 Dubas, whose priority should be the blue line, might be hard-pressed to outbid rival GMs for the services of bottom-six forwards, even if he 2. The catch with the Washington Capitals’ consideration of a recently appeals to their roots. fired head coach like Mike Babcock, Peter Laviolette or Gerard Gallant is picking up the majority of the salary they’re already owed. 5. The New York Islanders’ 8-2 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 forced the lowest seed remaining into an uphill climb in the Babcock’s record-setting $5.875-million annual salary is guaranteed Eastern Conference Final. In most corners the laugher — atypical of the through June 30, 2023. Isles’ consistent performance through three rounds — was chalked up to a schedule loss. Rightly so. If/when he lands a new gig, the Toronto Maple Leafs must pick up whatever portion of his new salary is left over to make him whole. What I take issue with is the notion that the Islanders were unfairly 8. is in quite the bind, and how he navigates his Vancouver punished by only having one day’s rest between rounds and needing to Canucks through this potentially treacherous fall will be fascinating. travel two time zones west to be fodder for the rested and ready Lightning. RFA Jake Virtanen, 24, represents a particularly tricky case. The winger is coming off his most productive season — 18 goals and 36 points in 69 Firstly, the players have had a voice in the pace of schedule here, and games — but was ineffective in the playoffs (two goals and three points they want to keep it moving in order to be done with the bubble and in 16 games). return to their families. “We’ve been patient with him and his development but he’s a guy who I Secondly, if you don’t want to be at a disadvantage, you need to finish was expecting to produce more for us,” Benning said on Sportsnet 650. your own opponent off quicker. The Isles were up 3-1 on Philadelphia in the conference semis but allowed the Flyers to hang around for a “I was expecting more from Jake in the playoffs. He can skate, he’s seventh game. The Lightning earned their extra days off by eliminating strong, he can get to the net, and he’s a guy that we’re going to have to Boston — as fine a No. 4 seed you’ll find — swiftly. talk about here moving forward.”

I have no problem with Tampa’s Game 1 advantage, which set a strong Virtanen holds trade value. Teams love youth and promise, and top-six tone for the series. picks that don’t pan out with their drafting club usually get a second chance. 6. A small thing but a big thing took place in garbage time of that series- opening game. The Canucks have forward prospects on entry-level deals that can help ease their cap situation in 2020-21, but are they NHL-ready? Already up by six goals, the Lightning drew a lengthy 5-on-3 power-play in the third period due to consecutive too-many-men and puck-over-glass Surely, Benning would love to find a way to claw back a pick in the first or minors committed by New York. second round come October.

Despite being given ample time to rest his best players — Brayden Point 9. Benning’s language around pending UFA Jacob Markstrom has and Nikita Kucherov were each in the throes of a five-point night — changed significantly. during a TV timeout, Lightning coach Jon Cooper refused to give his top The GM has flipped from projecting confidence that the sides will work power-play unit one second of ice during the 1:49 5-on-3. something out, as he did on , to realizing Instead, the second power-play unit hopped the boards and completed Vancouver might not be able to match what Markstrom is seeking in 20(!) passes before finally getting a long-range shot on net. security.

Electing not to test the hockey gods or embarrass fellow Athol Murray “Jacob has earned that right if he needs to test the market, if he’s not College of Notre Dame (Wilcox, Sask.) alum Barry Trotz, Cooper happy with where we end up,” Benning said during his media rounds this followed with a two-man-advantage shift that featured seventh week. defenceman Luke Schenn and Mikhail Sergachev, plus third-liners Blake Heck, the executive isn’t certain the Canucks, like many others, will get Coleman, Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow. the green light from ownership to spend to the ceiling.

Cooper’s deployment stands in contrast to an incident in Round 1, when Tough call for the goalie, who deserves to cash in and has always Flyers coach Alain Vigneault publicly blasted Montreal assistant Kirk professed his desire to remain in Vancouver. Muller for throwing the Habs’ top PP unit on the ice late with a 5-0 lead and tried to use it as a rallying point for his own group. A sticking point will be how desperately Markstrom craves a no- movement clause (i.e., a guarantee he won’t be drafted to Seattle in the “We had embarrassed ourselves enough. I don’t think we needed to get spring). embarrassed more,” Vigneault had said, post-game. “I’m going to make sure our team is very aware of that next game.” No chance Benning can risk exposing Thatcher Demko — whom he has dubbed “our goalie of the future” — to the Kraken. Not after the kid’s Cooper made certain to avoid any such pot-stirring or karma-testing. performance in the bubble.

7. What a weekend to be a Tampa sports junkie. 10. Nashville centre Mikael Granlund will be testing free agency’s waters Not only are the Rays running away with the American League East, but on Oct. 9, according to his agent, Todd Diamond (per The Athletic). The Sunday’s schedule promises to wear out many a ‘last channel’ button on Finn has dropped from a 69-point guy to a 49-point guy to a 30-point guy. remotes in West Florida. His production in the post-season has routinely underwhelmed, be it with the Wild or the Predators. Puck drops on Game 4 of the Lightning-Islanders series at 3 p.m. local, and Tom Brady’s Buccaneers kick off their season versus the New The Kevin Fiala trade appears to be going down as a decisive win for Orleans Saints at 4:25 p.m. Minnesota.

“So, we’re going head to head?” Cooper smiled this week. Would any team offer Granlund a contract in the range of his current $5.75 average annual value? “The one thing about Tampa sports that I’ve learned: I’ve never felt there’s any competition. We’ve had Rays out to practices. We’ve had The sense is middle-class free agents will feel the pandemic squeeze, multiple Bucs come to games, practices, down to the locker room. And I but some lucky GMs will be able to scoop bargains once the Alex know they’ve done the same. Pietrangelos and Taylor Halls get claimed.

“Tampa Bay really pulls for each other. When the Rays made their run a 11. How difficult is it to score a playoff goal on the left side of the few years ago, that remarkable playoffs they had, we were all in it bracket? Here are the team save percentages in the Western together. Conference Final through three games:

“I know when Tom signed with the Bucs, everybody on our team was Dallas Stars: .948 incredibly excited. And then it was a trickle-down effect of everybody else Vegas Golden Knights: .944 that signed there. So, I think if there’s one big thing coming out of all this, I think the guys are upset that they can’t go to that game. Because I And to think, neither side is relying on their No. 1 goalie to start the know a lot of them would have.” season.

Tampa Bay might be the best sports town right now… 12. Pavel Datsyuk found the net in his 250th career KHL game this week and already has three points in the three games for Yekaterinburg Rays – 1st place Automobilist.

Lightning – Eastern Conference Finals Incredible. At age 42, he can still conjure magic.

Bucs – Tom Brady hype Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.13.2020 — Pat (@pjphelan32) September 2, 2020