SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 8/8/2019 Arizona Coyotes 1107608 Arizona Coyotes single-game tickets go on sale Friday 1107630 Sharks jersey rankings: Why current teal sweater is 1107609 Arizona Coyotes to appear twice on NBCSN in 2019-20 third-best uniform season St Louis Blues Boston Bruins 1107631 Edmundson's deal leaves Blues $2.7 million under salary 1107610 Bruins Core Concerns: Brad Marchand looking to rebound cap with one player yet to sign from Game 7 gaffe 1107611 Bruins team of the decade: Few franchises could match this consistency 1107632 Lightning welcome new puppy Bolt as team ambassador 1107612 Sabres GM Jason Botterill: 'We don't have to make a 1107633 Why the time has come for the Leafs to name a trade' 1107613 Evaluating the best and worst case scenarios for each Vancouver Canucks Sabres player in the 2019-20 season 1107640 EA Sports picks Elias Pettersson for Swedish NHL 20 cover 1107641 Where do Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat rank among the 1107614 Joel Quenneville: What I appreciated about coaching league’s top centre duos? Marcus Kruger Washington Capitals 1107634 Alex Ovechkin tours Beijing, teaching hockey and meeting 1107615 ‘Waiting game’: Zach Werenski contract talks are amicable fans so deal by camp remains the hope 1107635 Tom Wilson was once a child and then had a glow up 1107636 20 Burning Capitals Questions: Is this the year age finally Dallas Stars catches up to the Caps? 1107616 The Gifted: How Stars prospect Jason Robertson plays smaller than he looks Websites 1107642 The Athletic / The Gifted: How Stars prospect Jason Robertson plays smaller than he looks 1107617 One question to consider this season for every skater on 1107643 The Athletic / The untold stories of Sidney Crosby, behind the Red Wings roster the scenes, as he turns 32 1107644 The Athletic / Projecting the 2019-20 NHL standings: How Edmonton Oilers does each roster projection stack up? 1107618 Examining the potential waiver-wire opportunities at hand 1107645 .ca / Senators' Dorion talks team's payroll, for the Oilers off-season moves and 2019-20 optimism 1107646 Sportsnet.ca / Former Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov eyeing NHL return 1107619 LA KINGS PICKWICK ICE CENTER TO REOPEN NEXT 1107647 Sportsnet.ca / Crosby on the Subban incident, Golden WEEK AFTER RENOVATIONS , Johnson's baseball brawl 1107620 Stu Cowan: Andrei Markov wants to play for the 1107637 Laine, Connor contract talks a high-price game of chicken Canadiens again 1107638 Laine scores... NHL 20 cover in Finland again 1107621 Former Canadien Andrei Markov wants to reach 1,000- 1107639 Laine to grace NHL 20 cover in Finland for second year game mark in NHL running 1107622 Former Canadiens Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 remain good friends 1107623 Brown: Offseason ranking of the Canadiens’ top-20 prospects – 5-1 Nashville Predators 1107624 Single-game Predators tickets go on sale Tuesday New York Islanders 1107625 Islanders arena project up for final approval Thursday NHL 1107626 All eyes on how GM Ron Francis will ‘build out’ the analytics department of Seattle’s NHL team Philadelphia Flyers 1107627 Why Flyers prospects Joel Farabee and Cam York don’t need a ‘wow factor’ to be stars 1107628 Sidney Crosby talks puppy accidents, Stanley Cup runs in rare long-form interview 1107629 The untold stories of Sidney Crosby, behind the scenes, as he turns 32 1107608 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes single-game tickets go on sale Friday

BY ZACK LARSEN

AUGUST 7, 2019 AT 3:58 PM

The Arizona Coyotes will begin selling 2019-20 regular season single- game tickets on Friday, the team announced Wednesday.

On Aug. 9 at 10 a.m., fans will be able to purchase tickets for all Coyotes home games throughout the season.

That includes the first home game of the season against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 5.

Several of the NHL’s best players will be coming to Arizona.

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers will come to town on Nov. 24. Three-time Stanley Cup champion Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with former Coyotes forward Alex Galchenyuk, roll into Gila River Area on Jan. 12. Nikita Kucherov, who won last season’s Hart Trophy, and Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning will visit Arizona on Feb. 22.

On Nov. 21, Arizona native Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs will make their only appearance of the year at Gila River Arena.

The Coyotes will also host the Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues on New Year’s Eve.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107609 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes to appear twice on NBCSN in 2019-20 season

Staff Report

BY ARIZONA SPORTS

AUGUST 7, 2019 AT 7:01 AM

NBC Sports Network announced its national NHL broadcast schedule for the 2019-20 season on Tuesday, and the Arizona Coyotes appeared on it twice.

Arizona’s NHL team will face its desert foe, the , in both matchups. Those games will appear live on NBCSN nationwide on March 18 and March 25, which both are Wednesday nights.

The Coyotes are 3-3-3 all-time against Vegas, which enters its third season of existence.

Both of the NBCSN games are the second game in a double-header on the network, the first one following a Penguins at Rangers game and the second one following a Penguins at Blackhawks game.

“We are thrilled to showcase our #OwnTheDesert rivalry in front of a national audience for multiple games this season,” said Coyotes president & CEO Ahron Cohen in a release from the team. “We take great pride in showing everyone across the country that hockey not only belongs but thrives in the desert.”

The last time the Coyotes were on NBCSN, they beat the Sharks at home on Jan. 13 by a score of 6-3, which snapped a seven-game win streak for San Jose.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107610 Boston Bruins “Knowing Brad, that will bother him, but he’s got to shake it off like we all do,” said Neely. “The rear-view mirror is broken. You can learn from the past, but I don’t want our players dwelling on the past.”

Bruins Core Concerns: Brad Marchand looking to rebound from Game 7 A motivated Marchand hellbent on revenge? That’s something most gaffe Bruins fans wouldn’t mind seeing if it means he torches and torments all opponents in his path next year.

By Joe Haggerty Key stat: 23 – Despite slackening just a little bit during the Stanley Cup Final, Marchand finished tied for the NHL lead in postseason scoring with August 07, 2019 1:37 PM his 23 points in 24 games played. The B’s clearly wouldn’t have even been in Game 7 of the Cup Final if it weren’t for Marchand being the

most consistently effective member of the Perfection Line during the Today’s piece on Brad Marchand is the third in a 10-part series over the postseason. next two weeks breaking down the core Bruins group of players, and Marchand in his own words: “The more time you have to think about, it where they stand headed into next season after last spring’s Stanley Cup just gets harder. You start to pick apart everything that you’d like to playoff run. change. You starting thinking the ‘What ifs.’ It just makes it tough. [Losing There’s no argument about Brad Marchand being at the height of his Game 7] is going to hurt forever.” playing abilities, and in the very prime of a brilliant career with the Boston The biggest question he faces: The biggest question mark facing Bruins. Marchand is whether he can replicate what he did in 2018-19, or whether Marchand garnered Hart Trophy votes this past season, which might the 100- season was a career year for the Nose Face Killah. have been unthinkable even a couple of years ago, given his track record Marchand did so many things right for the Bruins at the very pinnacle of for suspensions and brushes with the NHL powers that be in the NHL his NHL career, and the challenge will be to see if he can surpass, or Player Safety Department. even match, the magic of last season.

The 31-year-old Marchand played 79 games while hitting the magical 100-point mark for the first time in his career, and he once again teamed Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.08.2019 with running mate Patrice Bergeron to be one of the most dynamic duos in the league. More importantly, he avoided getting suspended for the first time in his NHL career and really seemed to find the hockey equilibrium between spiritual leader and smart player staying above the fray with careless penalties or games missed due to discipline.

Bruins Core Concerns: What's the plan for Bergeron going forward?

“He has recognized that he has to walk that line, and it’s a fine line that sometimes you’re going to cross when your wires get crossed upstairs,” said Bruins president Cam Neely in an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Boston. “He did a great job controlling his emotions this year for the most part. That’s tough to do when it’s an emotional game and he’s an emotional player, but there’s a correlation between the season he had and the games that he played.”

Unfortunately, though, such a great season ended on a bummer of a down note for Marchand. It was No. 63 that found himself at the heart of a crushing mistake in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final that really hurt his team in a must-win game. With less than 10 seconds to go in the first period, Marchand retreated to the bench as the Blues were rushing up the ice, and his absence led to an odd-man rush that made it a 2-0 lead for St. Louis headed into the first intermission.

The Bruins had 40 minutes left to play in the game, but they were essentially crushed when one of their best players made such a critical mistake at a key juncture in the game.

It’s something that Marchand took full accountability for in the days following Game 7, though he stopped short of saying it would be a motivating factor for next season.

20 Under 25: Can Pastrnak be a 50-goal scorer?

“It’s something you think about. Part of why we’re such a good great is because we expect to be very good in the big moments and we all expect to come through,” said Marchand. “Personally, I definitely have that thought where I’d like to have been a guy that was a difference-maker. I would like to have been better [in Game 7]. That’s how it plays out sometimes.

“There are a few things [I would have done differently]. A little bit better awareness to know there was only seven seconds left and more aware of the guys coming down the ice. I thought the one guy was by himself. I thought the play was dead, but it obviously wasn’t. It was a bad read. I obviously need to read the situation a little differently. That was the difference. One play can affect an outcome of a game and unfortunately it was a loss.”

Bruins President Cam Neely looked more at the missed scoring opportunities in the first 30 minutes of the game as the area where his hockey club fell short in the winner-take-all Game 7 against the Blues at TD Garden. But there was also little doubt that Marchand’s gaffe on the NHL’s biggest stage will make him an even better player moving forward. 1107611 Boston Bruins 33 assists for 63 points in 82 games before signing with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent for a chance to play with fellow Swedes Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

Bruins team of the decade: Few franchises could match this consistency Kelly made a major impact both on and off the ice. Acquired on Feb. 15, 2011, from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Boston’s second-round pick, Kelly — alongside Rich Peverley and Michael Ryder — proved to Joe McDonald and Fluto Shinzawa be dynamic on the third line en route to lifting the Stanley Cup. Kelly was then an important voice in the room for six seasons in Boston. Aug 7, 2019 Seguin has always been an interesting topic of discussion. The majority

of Bruins fans criticized Chiarelli for dealing Seguin to Dallas for what First in a series examining the All-Decade teams for the 2010s of the four many believed wasn’t enough in return, considering the obvious talent of Boston teams: the forward the Bruins drafted No. 2 overall in 2010. Off-ice issues ultimately proved to be Seguin’s downfall in Boston and Chiarelli had little Consistency was the major theme for the Bruins in the 2010s. choice. In fact, the only team that wanted Sequin at the time was Dallas, which handcuffed Chiarelli. During Seguin’s tenure in Boston, he showed It was an impressive decade: They won the Stanley Cup in 2011 and signs of developing into an offensive threat, and he finally blossomed in went to the final two more times. They’ve earned eight playoff berths Dallas. In 203 games with the Bruins, he posted 56 goals and 65 assists since 2010. for 121 points. His biggest game for Boston came during Game 2 of the The core of the Bruins roster — headlined by Zdeno Chara and Patrice 2011 Eastern Conference finals when he scored two goals and added Bergeron — remained the same throughout the decade and set a two assists en route to a 6-5 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. standard both on and off the ice, and every player in a Bruins sweater Fourth line had to adhere to those expectations. Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton It all resulted in a winning product, managed by just two general managers, Peter Chiarelli and Don Sweeney, and two coaches, Claude Ah, the famous (or infamous) Merlot Line. Simply, the Bruins do not win Julien and Bruce Cassidy. the Stanley Cup in ’11 without this trio. It was an impressive combination of skill, grit and determination. The Bruins acquired Paille from Buffalo in Sure, three championships would have been better than one, but the 2009 for a third-round pick. In Boston, he was a versatile player and culture created by ownership, management, hockey operations, players made an impact in the bottom six and on the kill. and fans made the Bruins one of the NHL’s most exciting teams during this decade. Many believed Campbell was simply a throw-in piece for the Horton deal from Florida to Boston. That notion couldn’t have been further from the The best part of what the Bruins have created? It’s going to continue into truth because Campbell was an integral part of the Bruins for his the next decade. relentless style of play. In fact, he’s forever remembered for breaking his As there was so much consistency and success with the overall roster, it leg while blocking a shot and staying on the ice for over a minute to help was relatively easy for us to select the team of the decade. Without the Bruins kill a penalty in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals further ado, here is that roster: against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013.

First line Thornton provided old-school grit and a veteran presence both on and off the ice for the Bruins. He had already won a Stanley Cup with Anaheim Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak in 2007 when he signed with the Bruins as a free agent on July 1, 2007. He always set the tone on the ice with his tenacity and willingness to do No one can deny this trio has become one of the best lines in the NHL. It anything for the team. starts with longtime linemates Marchand and Bergeron. These two first laid their foundation of chemistry and reliability in 2011 and helped guide Defense: First pairing the Bruins to a Stanley Cup victory over the Vancouver Canucks. It also helped that Marchand, a rookie at the time, began the process of learning Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg from one of the all-time great 200-foot players in Bergeron. They truly are They formed the best shutdown pair in the NHL for the majority of a dynamic duo and any player who is given an opportunity to play on Seidenberg’s seven seasons in Boston. The Bruins acquired the German their wing usually has success. Enter Pastrnak. Sure, he’s only been on from Florida, along with Matt Bartkowski, in exchange for Byron Bitz and Bergeron’s right side for the better part of the last five seasons, but this Craig Weller on March 3, 2010. Due to his size, strength and skating line continues to produce at an incredible pace. ability, Seidenberg and Chara became nearly impossible to play against Second line on a consistent basis. On hockey’s biggest stage in 2011, this defensive pair completely denied the Canucks any chance of beating the Bruins. Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Before he signed as a free agent in 2006, Chara requested two things: Talk about a scary line of size, strength and talent. These three had it all To wear No. 3 and to be named captain. Obviously, No. 3 was already and were another major reason for Boston’s Cup victory in 2011. Lucic hanging in the rafters with Lionel Hitchman’s name on it, so Chara was menacing on the left side and protected the ultra-talented Krejci. instead chose No. 33. His request to become captain of a team he had Adding a player like Horton proved crucial because of his size and ability. never played for, especially a team like the Bruins, was not normal. Acquiring Horton, along with Gregory Campbell from the However, it quickly became a no-brainer for the Bruins because Chara in 2010, was a key transaction for the Bruins. It gave Krejci the type of wanted to change the culture in Boston and he wanted to be out front. player he needed on his right side and also added depth in the bottom six Without question, Chara was the best free agent signing ever by the with Campbell. Lucic, Krejci and Horton dominated for parts of three Bruins. seasons, but the production was hampered a bit since Horton dealt with back injuries that kept him from playing at 100 percent and ultimately Defense: Second pairing ended his career prematurely. Andrew Ference-Johnny Boychuk Third line The Bruins acquired Ference in 2007 from the Calgary Flames and he Loui Eriksson-Chris Kelly-Tyler Seguin had an immediate impact. It remained that way for the next seven seasons. He quarterbacked one of the most important goals in Bruins Eriksson’s contributions and talent flew under the radar in Boston. He history when he assisted on Horton’s winner giving the Bruins a 1-0 might not have had the prototypical Bruins mentality, but he had a stealth victory in Game 7 of the 2011 Eastern Conference final against the playing style during his three seasons in Boston. It wasn’t fair that he was Lightning. judged partly on how he was acquired: as part of the package from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Seguin in 2013. Plus, Eriksson dealt with Boychuk quickly became a fan favorite for his ability to throw a nasty concussions, especially early in his Bruins tenure, that forced a slow body check, or unleash one of the hardest slap shots in the league. His start. He gave Krejci’s line a different look, but it produced. During arrival in Boston is sometimes easily forgotten after the Bruins acquired Eriksson’s final season in Boston (2015-16) he registered 30 goals and him in 2008 from the Colorado Avalanche. Boychuk spent six seasons in Boston and registered 19 goals and 56 assists for 75 points, including a Boston for one more season. It proved crucial. He helped guide the team +88 rating in 317 games. He played in 79 playoff games for the Bruins to a championship and then retired. and posted 27 points. In 2011, he played all 25 Stanley Cup playoff games and finished with nine points and a +12 rating. Charlie McAvoy

Defense: Third pairing If all goes according to plan for the Bruins, McAvoy should be the face of the franchise for a long time. It was tough not to include him on this team Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid given his ability, but the final decision came down to him playing only three seasons for the Bruins. I’m sure when we do this exercise again in Krug went undrafted before the Bruins signed him as a college free agent 2029 he’ll be atop the list. out of Michigan State in 2012. Part of his deal stipulated that he play for the Bruins that season, so the team agreed and he played two games. He spent the majority of 2012-13 in Providence, but his services were needed in the playoffs due to injuries, and he played 15 games for the After he snubbed the Bruins and decided to waive his no-movement Bruins and registered four goals and two assists, along with a +5 rating. clause to instead join the Penguins in 2013 only to watch Boston reach His offensive instincts are impressive for a defenseman and he’s the Stanley Cup final, Iginla signed as a free agent here for the 2013-14 developed into one of the best power-play quarterbacks in the NHL. He’s season. That was an incredible campaign for the Bruins, who won the also improved his defensive game and that was on display during the Presidents Trophy with 117 points before losing to the Montreal team’s 2019 Stanley Cup run. He has one year remaining on his current Canadiens in the second round of the playoffs. Iginla, then 36, had an contract and if he signs a long-term deal to stay in Boston, it’s possible outstanding season, posting 30 goals and 31 assists in 78 games, while that one day he could wear the “C” on his sweater. playing on Krejci’s line. That would be Iginla’s only season in Boston. No doubt he’s a future Hall of Famer, but his resume will forever be missing McQuaid was always the type of person who would help a grandmother a Stanley Cup. cross Causeway Street during rush hour, but he was the type of player who would beat her grandson to a pulp if he played for the opposition later that night. He was tall, physical and one of the toughest players in The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 the NHL. The Bruins acquired him from Columbus in 2007. After two seasons in Providence, McQuaid became a mainstay on Boston’s blue line during the 2010-11 season and helped the team win the Cup. Because of his relentless style of play, injuries played a major factor during his tenure with the Bruins. He was traded to the Rangers in 2018 in exchange for Steven Kampfer.

Goaltenders

Tim Thomas

Thomas was probably the most undervalued player to start his career with the Bruins after the organization signed him as a free agent in 2002. He was passed over time and again when he was playing in Providence. He finally earned the starting job in Boston during the 2006-07 season. He finished his career as a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, a Stanley Cup champion and a Conn Smythe winner. His historic run in 2011 guided the Bruins to a championship. He posted a 16-9 record in 25 playoff games, including a 1.98 goals-against average, a .940 save percentage and four shutouts.

Tuukka Rask

The Bruins acquired Rask in 2006 from Toronto in exchange for goalie Andrew Raycroft. Rask spent two seasons in Providence before becoming Thomas’ partner in 2009-10. Rask served as Thomas’ backup during the ’11 Cup run and again during the 2011-12 season. He then became the starter and led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup final during the lockout-shortened season in 2013. The Chicago Blackhawks defeated Boston in the final and Rask was criticized as not being a big-game goalie. He then won the Vezina the next season. Despite the St. Louis Blues defeating the Bruins, Rask finally silenced many critics during his impressive 2019 Stanley Cup run.

Coach

Claude Julien

During Julien’s 10 seasons in Boston, the Bruins amassed 419-246-94 record and he became the Bruins’ all-time coaching wins leader. He guided Boston to the Stanley Cup in 2011 and returned to the final in 2013. The team earned 100-point seasons four times under Julien, including a 117-point campaign en route to the Presidents’ Trophy in 2013-14. He also won the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s top coach in 2008-09. He was relieved of his duties on Feb. 7, 2017, and replaced by Bruce Cassidy, who has led the Bruins to three consecutive trips to the playoffs, including the 2019 Stanley Cup.

Three toughest cuts

Mark Recchi

The three-time Stanley Cup champion and Hall of Famer played parts of three seasons for the Bruins. Listen, Boston doesn’t win a Stanley Cup in 2011 without his presence. The Bruins acquired him on March 4, 2009, from Tampa Bay for that exact reason. The image of him at his locker stall in full equipment, contemplating his future after the Bruins’ historic collapse against the Flyers in 2010 eventually motivated him to stay in 1107612 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres GM Jason Botterill: 'We don't have to make a trade'

By Lance Lysowski

Published Wed, Aug 7, 2019|Updated Wed, Aug 7, 2019

A solution to the Buffalo Sabres' salary-cap situation might not come anytime soon.

General Manager Jason Botterill said Wednesday on WGR Radio's "The Instigators" program that he is not in a rush to make a trade to clear cap space. According to CapFriendly.com, the Sabres are currently $1.1 million over the salary-cap ceiling after signing restricted free agents Linus Ullmark and Jake McCabe.

Botterill noted that he could create space by placing one of his injured defensemen -- Zach Bogosian, Lawrence Pilut or Matt Hunwick -- on long-term injured reserve or sending a veteran with a one-way contract to Rochester.

"We like the situation we’re in right now," Botterill said. "We don’t have to make a trade to become cap compliant. We’ve gone over a zillion different scenarios. As much as the last couple weeks have been difficult weeks going through the salary arbitration process, what’s great about it is we have all the contracts done now. There’s no holdouts. We can focus in on how we’re going to get things going, and we’ll continue to have discussions with other teams on, ‘Hey, is there a trade that makes sense for us?’ "

A player is eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve if he is determined to be unfit to play by the team's physician for a minimum of 24 days and 10 regular-season games. Bogosian (hip) and Pilut (shoulder) had surgery this offseason and are not expected to be ready for the season opener. Hunwick, meanwhile, had "a lot of injuries last year," according to Botterill.

Hunwick missed the start of the season because of a neck injury sustained last summer and was limited to 14 games with the Sabres.

The team is allowed to exceed the designated ceiling by as much as the cap hit of the contract for the player entering the LTIR. The value of the allowed overage is determined on the day that the player is moved to the LTIR, and the player continues to count towards the cap and continues to receive his salary.

Bogosian is set to count $5,142,857 against the Sabres' salary cap, while Hunwick will account for $2.25 million. Pilut, meanwhile, makes $925,000. A team must become cap compliant once a player is activated from long-term injured reserve.

Sending a player to Rochester could provide the Sabres with as much as $1.1 million in cap relief, Botterill said. Buffalo's surplus of forwards and defensemen makes this a possibility, though the team might be hesitant to have a veteran such as Vladimir Sobotka taking playing time away from prospects who are part of the Sabres' future plans.

Each team can have up to six skaters with more than 260 professional games played, which could create issues when deciding whether to send a veteran to Rochester or attempting to loan one to another AHL team.

Botterill acknowledged he knew the Sabres would be up against the salary cap after signing winger Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $9 million contract last month. However, Botterill wanted to add depth scoring and Johansson can play both wing positions.

Botterill noted that many players on his roster have such versatility, including Sobotka, though it's important to remember that the general manager made a similar comment about Alexander Nylander a few weeks prior to the former top draft pick being traded.

The Sabres also could take advantage of the buyout window afforded to teams after arbitration, though Botterill chose not take that option before the NHL draft in June.

Buffalo News LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107613 Buffalo Sabres Best case: The left winger again carves out a role on the fourth line and skates in 70-plus games. He reaches 20 points for the first time in five seasons.

Evaluating the best and worst case scenarios for each Sabres player in Worst case: The Sabres decide they can get seven goals and 10 assists the 2019-20 season from C.J. Smith, Scott Wilson or Remi Elie, so they ship Girgensons and his $1.6 million salary to the Amerks.

By John Vogl ANDREW HAMMOND

Aug 7, 2019 Best case: The goalie plays in multiple NHL games for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The Hamburglar recaptures the magic from 2015 and goes 15 games without a regulation loss.

It’s inevitable in team sports. Every year, some players have the best Worst case: Rather than share the Amerks’ crease with Ukko-Pekka season of their career. Some have their worst. Luukkonen, Hammond sits as the goalie prospect grabs the reins in Rochester. (Though bad for Hammond, that would be a nice scenario for In Buffalo last season, Jack Eichel set career highs in goals, assists and the organization.) points. Jeff Skinner scored 40 for the first time. Meanwhile, Vladimir Sobotka went 42 games without a goal. Marco Scandella had seven MATT HUNWICK assists in 63 games. Best case: Arriving in camp healthy, Hunwick beats out Scandella and As the Sabres look ahead to 2019-20, here are the best and worst case Gilmour for the third starting job. scenarios for everyone with a good chance to make the roster. Worst case: The 34-year-old is sent to Rochester, where his $2.25 million RASMUS ASPLUND cap number becomes a $1.175 million hit based on the formula for buried contracts. Best case: The center, who had seven goals and 23 points during his final 22 games with Rochester, shows even more progress early. Though CARTER HUTTON it would take a huge training camp for Asplund to make the opening night roster, the 21-year-old could be the first NHL call-up and might do Best case: The Sabres have a sound defensive structure under new enough to stick around. coach Ralph Krueger and Hutton’s save percentage rockets back to lofty heights. He was at .908 last season after a .931 in 2017-18. His career Worst case: Asplund gets stuck behind Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt, Evan average when he arrived in Buffalo was .915. Rodrigues, Johan Larsson and Sobotka on the center list, then watches newcomers Arttu Ruotsalainen and Jean-Sebastien Dea pass him. Worst case: The 33-year-old fails to rebound from the subpar year. After Asplund spends his second full season in Rochester and waits until one season as a starter, he returns to a backup role as Linus Ullmark 2020-21 for his NHL debut. takes over the No. 1 job.

ZACH BOGOSIAN MARCUS JOHANSSON

Best case: In the final year of his contract, Bogosian channels his rookie Best case: Johansson earns a spot as the second-line left winger. When self and scores 10 goals for the first time since 2010. He shows enough he had that role with Washington in 2016-17, he put up career highs of defensive muscle that he gets the enviable pairing with Rasmus Dahlin. 24 goals and 58 points.

Worst case: It’s a repeat of 2017-18. There are multiple setbacks Worst case: The Sabres move Johansson to center and he resembles following offseason surgery, Bogosian doesn’t debut until December and Ville Leino, who never fit in with Buffalo. is limited to just 18 games and one point. HENRI JOKIHARJU

RASMUS DAHLIN Best case: The 20-year-old defenseman survives a dogfight on the right Best case: After putting up 44 points as a rookie, Dahlin reaches 60 and side, beating out Colin Miller, Bogosian and Casey Nelson for a starting joins Phil Housley, Larry Murphy and Ray Bourque as the only job behind Rasmus Ristolainen and Brandon Montour. defensemen under age 20 to hit the milestone. Dahlin also leads Buffalo Worst case: Lost in the crowd of right-handed defensemen (which also in ice time, getting a big jump from last season’s average of 21:09. includes Will Borgen), Jokiharju doesn’t get a sniff of the NHL all season.

Worst case: It’s hard to imagine Dahlin regressing, but even Nicklas JOHAN LARSSON Lidstrom had a sophomore slump. The Detroit legend put up 11 goals and 60 points as a rookie. He followed with seven goals and 41 points. A Best case: The 27-year-old locks down his familiar spot as the fourth-line similar 31 percent production drop for Dahlin would put him at 30 points center. After starting in the offensive zone just 16.6 percent of the time for the year. last season, Larsson gets shifts in the opponents’ end and matches his career highs of 10 goals and 13 assists. JACK EICHEL Worst case: The Sabres send Larsson and his $1.55 million salary to Best case: The 22-year-old continues his upward swing, recording 30 Rochester. goals and 90 points for the first time. The last two Sabres to reach 90 points were Daniel Briere (95) in 2006-07 and Pat LaFontaine (91) in CURTIS LAZAR 1995-96. Best case: The right winger, who has just 15 goals in 246 NHL games, Worst case: Like Dahlin, it’s tough to envision Eichel regressing from the shows during camp why he was drafted 17th overall in 2013 and earns a point-per-game average he’s established the past three seasons. But spot on the first three lines. He had 20 goals and 41 points in 57 AHL maybe Eichel’s commitment to an all-around game slips, his negative games last year, a confidence boost that produces double-digit goals in body language resurfaces and his leadership comes into question if the Buffalo. Sabres falter. Worst case: Like Calgary, the Sabres send the 24-year-old to the minors JOHN GILMOUR and leave him there.

Best case: After a 20-goal season in the AHL, the defenseman keeps JAKE MCCABE finding the net during training camp to edge Scandella and Matt Hunwick for a starting job on the left side. Best case: Following two injury-plagued seasons, McCabe stays healthy and tops his career highs of four goals and 17 assists. He also reaches a Worst case: Gilmour fails to earn a recall and spends the whole season 50 percent Corsi for the first time in his five-year career. in Rochester. Worst case: Despite signing a two-year contract that averages $2.85 ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS million, McCabe struggles to get playing time on the left side, lagging behind Dahlin, Scandella, Hunwick, Gilmour and Lawrence Pilut. COLIN MILLER Worst case: Nothing changes. Neither Montour nor Miller perform well enough on the right side to send Ristolainen to the 21-minute range. The Best case: The defenseman continues to excel at producing points and defenseman continues to play 25 minutes a night as his mental lapses possessing the puck despite moving from Vegas to Buffalo. Miller and negative stats increase. exceeds his 10-goal, 41-point season from 2017-18 thanks to impressive five-on-five numbers and a regular spot on the power play. EVAN RODRIGUES

Worst case: The erstwhile third-pair defenseman can’t handle an Best case: The fifth-year pro grows into a consistent offensive threat elevated role early and loses minutes at a position that features down the middle, taking pressure off Mittelstadt. Rodrigues replicates his Ristolainen, Montour and Bogosian. per-game averages from the stretch drive of 2018 and finishes with 17 goals and 62 points. CASEY MITTELSTADT Worst case: The 26-year-old forward can’t find a home at center. With Best case: The 20-year-old shows he can handle the job of No. 2 center, increased competition at left wing because of Johansson, Olofsson and doubling last year’s totals of 12 goals and 25 points. Jimmy Vesey, Rodrigues alternates between the fourth line and the press Worst case: Mittelstadt gets outmuscled again and can’t keep up with the box. elite centers in the Atlantic Division. ARTTU RUOTSALAINEN

BRANDON MONTOUR Best case: The Finnish center quickly grasps the North American game. Best case: Montour shoots past Ristolainen to become the top right- He takes advantage of the Sabres’ lack of depth down the middle and handed defenseman, playing big minutes at even strength and on the steals a spot on the opening night roster. power play. He tops his career highs of nine goals and 27 assists. Worst case: Rather than skate on a scoring line in Rochester, Worst case: Montour’s late-season Corsi of 57.4 alongside Dahlin was a Ruotsalainen chooses to return to Finland for another season of mirage and the defensemen fail to find chemistry, keeping Montour off development. the top pairing and reducing his role. MARCO SCANDELLA

CASEY NELSON Best case: With his contract expiring, the left-handed defenseman Best case: The 27-year-old earns the job of seventh defenseman and becomes a steady contributor on the second and third pairings. skates in 40 games for the first time in his five seasons. Worst case: Already behind Dahlin and McCabe, the 29-year-old gets Worst case: Nelson lands behind Ristolainen, Montour, Miller, Bogosian, passed by Hunwick, Gilmour and Pilut to become a regular scratch. Jokiharju, Borgen and Casey Fitzgerald on the right side and is a scratch Alternate case: The Sabres use their second buyout period Thursday and for the Amerks. Friday on Scandella, making him an unrestricted free agent. He has a KYLE OKPOSO $4.75 million salary and $4 million cap hit. According to Cap Friendly, the Sabres would get cap savings of $3.167 million this season and have a Best case: After averaging a career-low 13:47 of ice time last season, cap hit of $1.58 million in 2020-21. Okposo skates on a scoring line. His shooting percentage, which dipped below 10 percent the last two seasons, goes back to his career average CONOR SHEARY of 10.3 percent and he scores 20 goals for the first time in Buffalo. Best case: With a move to right wing being teased by general manager Worst case: Father Time steals another step from Okposo’s stride, Jason Botterill, Sheary gets regular shifts on the top line with Eichel and relegating the $6 million right winger to the fourth line again. Jeff Skinner. He bests his career highs of 23 goals and 53 points.

VICTOR OLOFSSON Worst case: The 27-year-old, who is entering the last year of his contract, watches Johansson, Olofsson and Vesey move past him on the depth Best case: It’s another league, another high-scoring season for the left chart. As Sheary’s goal-scoring drop continues for the third straight winger with the outstanding shot. Olofsson shows that 27 goals in season, he bounces from side to side on the fourth line. Sweden and 30 in the AHL translate to the NHL as he pots 25 for the Sabres. JEFF SKINNER

Worst case: Olofsson struggles to find open ice in the big leagues and is Best case: Last season, he found the net 40 times despite a slump of sent back to the Amerks. one goal in 22 games. There’s no power outage this time as Skinner becomes the Sabres’ first 50-goal scorer since LaFontaine (53) and LAWRENCE PILUT Alexander Mogilny (76) electrified the city in 1992-93.

Best case: The defenseman recovers quickly from offseason shoulder Worst case: The new eight-year, $72 million contract looks bloated right surgery and is on a rehab assignment in Rochester by mid-October. For off the bat as Skinner’s numbers fall. For the fourth time in six seasons, the second straight season, his elite AHL numbers force the Sabres to he fails to score 30. promote him. C.J. SMITH Worst case: The recovery timeline of five-to-six months from the May surgery stretches past Thanksgiving, putting Pilut way behind in the Best case: After 28 goals and 58 points in 62 games with Rochester, competition at right defense. He spends the season with the Amerks. Smith shows he can score in the NHL, too. The 24-year-old outperforms Olofsson in camp to earn a roster spot at left wing. SAM REINHART Worst case: Smith’s skills remain AHL-caliber and he spends his third Best case: Knowing a huge payday awaits, the pending restricted free season with the Amerks. agent tops his career highs of 25 goals and 65 points. And the right winger does it all without Eichel by his side, showing he can drive his VLADIMIR SOBOTKA own line. Best case: The forward feeds off the embarrassment of last season as Worst case: Given a chance to be the second-line catalyst, Reinhart his feistiness returns. After dipping to a career-worst 1.3 hits per game falters. The Sabres reunite him with Eichel as offensive depth remains last season, Sobotka becomes the two-plus guy from Boston and St. one of Buffalo’s weak spots. Louis. He also matches his output of 11 goals and 20 assists from two seasons ago. RASMUS RISTOLAINEN Worst case: The Sabres send Sobotka to Rochester, which reduces his Best case: The 24-year-old proves he really is a top-pair defenseman, cap hit from $3.5 million to $2.425 million based on the formula for buried displaying his physical side in the defensive zone while developing a salaries. But he’s disgruntled and negatively impacts the Amerks and knack for making routine passes and smart plays. That adds a five-on- their prospects. five game to his power-play prowess and he finishes as a plus player for the first time. Alternate case: The Sabres use their second buyout period Thursday and Friday on Sobotka, making him an unrestricted free agent. He has a $3 million salary. According to Cap Friendly, the Sabres would get cap savings of $2 million this season and have a cap hit of $1 million in 2020- 21.

TAGE THOMPSON

Best case: The third-year pro starts burying his chances. Thompson ranked 14th among Sabres forwards with a shooting percentage of 6.5 percent. Plus, nearly 31 percent of the 156 shots he took missed the net. This year, he boosts his average to two shots on net per game, scores on 10 percent and pots 16 goals.

Worst case: Thompson remains a defensive liability and doesn’t have the offensive numbers to overcome it, earning a return to Rochester.

LINUS ULLMARK

Best case: His entire season mimics the first half of last year, when he went 9-1-3 with a .922 save percentage. The 26-year-old supplants Hutton to become the full-time starter.

Worst case: His entire season mimics the second half of last year, when he went 6-13-2 with an .892 save percentage.

JIMMY VESEY

Best case: After producing during a brief audition at right wing with the Rangers last season, Vesey rides shotgun with Skinner and his buddy Eichel. He tops 20 goals for the first time in his four-year career.

Worst case: Vesey remains in his regular spot at left wing and sees his minutes dwindle to fourth-line status behind Skinner, Johansson and Olofsson.

SCOTT WILSON

Best case: Wilson, who broke his ankle during training camp last year, stays healthy and lands the spot as 13th forward.

Worst case: Unable to beat out the increased competition up front, Wilson heads to Rochester.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107614 Chicago Blackhawks 2015-16 and 29.81 in the 2016-17 season. It jumped to 45.41 during Kruger’s year away from the Blackhawks in the 2017-18 season and came back down to 26.74 last season. Despite all of his neutral and Joel Quenneville: What I appreciated about coaching Marcus Kruger defensive zone faceoff starts, Kruger had a 51.6 Corsi percentage and was on the ice for 163 goals for and 162 against in 5-on-5 play during his time with the Blackhawks.

By Scott Powers For Quenneville, there was a comfort level with Kruger in that role that increased over time. Aug 7, 2019 “I think he’s one of those guys you felt comfortable with how he saw the

game and how he read plays,” Quenneville said. “You trusted him on Marcus Kruger wants to score goals like any other hockey player. No one faceoffs or defensive situations. Always managed to be above the puck, grows up dreaming of compiling defensive zone starts. always seemed to be in the right position to kill plays, had a real competitive, relentless type of attitude and the way he played the game, Joel Quenneville understood that. He realized Kruger wanted more did everything he could to keep the puck out of his net. You really offensive opportunities, more chances to score goals and just more ice appreciated what he brought and had the real defensive mindset. We time. had a lot of guys who could score, but he was kind of the other end of it, really took pride in being that defensive type of guy.” “You know what? I think everybody wants to play more,” Quenneville said recently. “I think everybody wants better opportunities. I think even Krugs Part of that defensive role was on the penalty kill. The Blackhawks were is a guy who handled it, he accepted it, but I think he would have still a top-10 penalty killing team during the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 liked more. He would have liked more quantity, more quality. Yeah, I seasons, and Kruger led the forwards in shorthanded ice time during that think that’s one thing about a player; every guy wants more quantity and span. He played 503:40 of shorthanded ice time in those three seasons more quality. That’s the nature of hockey players.” and the next forward was Toews at 296:48. Kruger only played less shorthanded ice time than defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. Quenneville didn’t give in to what Kruger wanted. If anything, he gave him less and made scoring goals even more difficult. Quenneville Quenneville looked to his assistants to run the penalty kill, but he also required more of something else. empowered Kruger.

As a former player, Quenneville identified with Kruger, but as a coach, “He was like a coach on the ice,” Quenneville said. “He accepted the Quenneville knew better. He had a lineup full of offensive players with the responsibility of the penalty kill, making sure that unit would be getting Blackhawks. He could get enough goals from Patrick Kane, Jonathan the job done. So, he had a real good mindset. He was one of those guys Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad, among others. who was not only coaching but took on a lot of responsibility to make He needed Kruger to be a shutdown center, start a majority of his sure the guys around him knew what they’d be doing and was a real faceoffs in the defensive zone, lead the penalty kill and sometimes play leader in his little niche. limited minutes. Most of all, he needed Kruger to accept his role and the fact that this was how he could contribute and help the Blackhawks win. “He was a team player. He’d do anything for the team. He took pride in penalty killing, having some success, too, pride in not being scored on, Over time, Kruger bought in. Because of that, he’s one of the reasons faceoffs. He had a couple years where his wrist was bugging him, why the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2013 and 2015. probably wasn’t as effective in the faceoff circle. But you knew even if he did lose a faceoff, you were comfortable with how he played in his own As Kruger has parted ways with the Blackhawks and signed to play in end.” Switzerland next season, we’ve examined Kruger’s legacy in Chicago. Quenneville, who coached Kruger for parts of eight seasons with the Kruger was of the few players on the ice during both final minutes of the Blackhawks, will certainly always appreciate what Kruger did for his Blackhawks’ 2013 and 2015 Stanley Cup-clinching wins. He helped set teams. up Bolland’s go-ahead goal against the Boston Bruins by keeping the puck alive and knocking it out to the point in 2013. He was also on the ice “I think probably we had so many guys offensively, it’s probably denying in the final minute to ensure the Blackhawks would hold onto their lead him a lot of offensive zone starts too,” Quenneville said. “Because if you against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the 2015 Stanley Cup. It’s rolled the lines, he’d be getting the offensive zone starts. He’d miss shifts also worth noting Kruger’s biggest goal: the game-winner in triple for that reason as well going in the offensive zone. You’d use him overtime against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 of the Western accordingly to the score or the way things were going in the game. He Conference final in 2015. gave you a lot of options. For a guy who didn’t play a lot of minutes, but he was used a lot of times whether he had short shifts, he was changing Looking back, Kruger has a number of fond memories of Quenneville as on the fly or whether the type of matchup it was in that particular game. a person and coach. He was very useful, very reliable, very dependable. He was very instrumental in us having some success. “He meant a lot,” Kruger said. “He gave me a chance to play in the league. He introduced a totally different mindset when it came down to “He’s one of those guys you really appreciate coaching because he breaking down the game into details. brought a real mentality to the way he approached the game and did everything he could for the betterment of the game and his team.” “I first of all learned what it means to be a pro and the preparation that comes with it. Then like I said, all the details in the game, I think how When Kruger first appeared in the NHL for seven games during the good he sees the game separates him to a lot of other coaches. … One 2010-11 season, Quenneville actually gave him more offensive zone other thing that I think he did was to introduce a winning mentality in the faceoff starts than anything else. Kruger had to be hopeful for his team, no one likes winning more than him.” offensive future. A season later, Quenneville began to see more of Kruger’s defensive usefulness. Still, Quenneville gave him a decent As for not always agreeing with Quenneville – Kruger still would love to amount of offensive opportunities. Dave Bolland was at that time score more goals – he had a constant respect for Quenneville regardless Quenneville’s go-to defensive center. Kruger went off for nine goals in his of his decisions. rookie season. It would end up being a career-high. “I’ll always respect him as a coach and as a man,” Kruger said. “Having Quenneville began utilizing Kruger more in the defensive zone in the him for that many years, of course you always didn’t see eye to eye of 2012-13 season and set up how Kruger would be used throughout his everything, but I think he always handled stuff the right way. That goes a Blackhawks career. Kruger had a team-low 39.91 offensive zone starting long way for me.” percentage that season, according to Natural Stat Trick. In the playoffs, it The respect was mutual. dropped to 22.92.

Marcus Kruger scored four goals in his final season with the Blackhawks, and possibly in the NHL. (David Banks / USA Today) The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 From there, it was more of the same. Kruger had a 20.91 offensive zone starting percentage in the 2013-14 season, 25.25 in 2014-15, 18.75 in 1107615 Columbus Blue Jackets • The Blue Jackets are close to hiring a replacement for legendary broadcaster Bill Davidge, sources have told The Athletic. As many as four former Blue Jackets have interviewed for the job as Fox Sports Ohio ‘Waiting game’: Zach Werenski contract talks are amicable so deal by studio analyst — Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, James Wisniewski, Ron camp remains the hope Tugnutt and Andrew Cassels. Wisniewski has also auditioned for a TV job with the Vegas Golden Knights, so he might have options. Tugnutt pulled his name from consideration earlier this summer, although he was so inspired by his trip to Columbus during the playoffs last spring that his By Aaron Portzline relationship with the organization seems renewed. Grand-Pierre has Aug 7, 2019 done extensive broadcast work for the Blue Jackets in recent seasons and is seen as the odds-on favorite.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ryan Johansen’s contract squabble with the Blue Jackets in 2014 dragged all the way through training camp and ended The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 only three days before the season started.

Josh Anderson’s impasse three years later lasted almost as long, ending when he signed a contract only four days before the puck dropped on the 2017-18 season.

Is history going to repeat itself in Columbus?

With a little more than a month to go before NHL training camps open, defenseman Zach Werenski — the best blue-liner ever drafted by the organization — remains the only Blue Jackets player without a contract for this season.

In one sense, the situation is similar to that of Johansen and Anderson. Werenski, 22, performed so well during the three seasons of his entry- level deal that his next contract, with still four seasons to go as a restricted free agent, is tricky.

But there are at least two ways where the current situation with Werenski is different.

The fact that Werenski is just one of many unsigned, high-end RFAs is proof that it’s not just a local problem. Toronto’s Mitch Marner, Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point, Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor, and Boston’s Charlie McAvoy are all without contracts.

The only high-end RFA to sign a deal is Carolina’s Sebastian Aho, but that only happened because Montreal signed Aho to an that the Hurricanes quickly matched.

“It’s a bit of a waiting game by the agents’ side,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said. “They’re waiting for somebody else to go first (and set the market). That’s the way it goes, I guess.”

At this stage of the negotiations with Johansen’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, and Anderson’s agent, Darren Ferris, there were already signs that reaching an agreement would be difficult. In each negotiation, the two sides needed the pressure of the start of the regular season to get a deal done.

That’s not the case now between the Blue Jackets and Werenski’s agent, Pat Brisson. Blue Jackets vice president of hockey operations Bill Zito, who is handling the negotiations for the club, has chatted with Brisson several times this summer.

Kekalainen said there has been slow and steady progress toward a deal, and he assured that the talks remain amicable.

The two sides have discussed a three-year contract, which would leave Werenski with one more season of RFA status at the end of the deal. But they’ve also discussed longer-term contracts (five years or more) that would extend into Werenski’s UFA years.

The Blue Jackets quite obviously want Werenski signed and in Nationwide Arena when training camp opens Sept. 13. A third RFA missing training camp in six years would be messy.

“We’ve been pretty firm with the way we’ve handled things in these situations,” Kekalainen said. “And we’re going to be the same way — consistent — with Werenski, as well.

“We really appreciate him as a player. We want him to be a big part of our team and become a leader. He’s a great teammate and a good person. I’m confident that everything will get done and that he wants to be part of the team right from the start (of training camp).”

Notebook 1107616 Dallas Stars front. Watch how he lurks on the below goal, intentionally swinging behind the North Bay defenders to the back post:

He also has excellent stickhandling skills for a player his size and The Gifted: How Stars prospect Jason Robertson plays smaller than he handles the puck in tight effectively. That often allows him to finish with a looks flair of talent and a quick dash rather than leveraging his heavy frame to simply attempt to pound pucks past goalies.

By Scott Wheeler That was true above. And it’s true below when, after trailing the play into the zone rather than crashing the crease, Robertson fakes the shot Aug 7, 2019 before curling the puck past the diving defender and lightly lifting (rather than shooting) the puck over the goalie:

That attitude is true throughout Robertson’s game. In some ways, he’s In hockey, as in life, there are archetypes built on hyperbole and almost the anti-power forward. Here, again, after being the first player to buzzwords that are designed to fit every player into a pre-defined box. the offensive zone blueline, he elects to be the trailer into the zone Scouts and evaluators often fall prey to lazily characterizing young anyway — and scores: prospects in this way: the power forward, the two-way centre, the speedy winger, the one-dimensional scorer, the stay-at-home defenceman. But None of this is to say Robertson is soft on the puck, or unwilling to use sometimes, just sometimes, there’s a player who is so different from his size. He finishes the above play with a stick around his waist. everyone else in approach or in ability that he is able to distinguish himself through his uniqueness. These players have turned one skill into His power was on display in this burst of speed out wide for a partial the body of their game, and they illustrate the varied ways hockey can be break and a quality scoring chance, too: played at the highest levels. “The Gifted” is a 10-part series that Robertson does operate with finesse more than power, though. In the examines, through video, the NHL’s most fascinating prospects and the process, he routinely demonstrates how hockey can be played in a unique skill sets that define them. By popular demand, “The Gifted” is variety of ways. back for a third year at The Athletic. It runs every Wednesday from July 24 to Sept. 25. Watch here, after bumping his man and using the physical advantage in his own zone, the way Robertson feigns to the middle off the rush before The Gifted (2017 series): Part 1: Carl Grundstrom | Part 2: Jordan Kyrou | pulling up (rather than driving), resulting in a secondary assist off his Part 3: Vitaly Abramov | Part 4: Juuso Valimaki | Part 5: Vili Saarijarvi | entry: Part 6: Filip Chlapik | Part 7: Travis Sanheim | Part 8: Timo Meier | Part 9: Kirill Kaprizov | Part 10: Elias Pettersson And watch the attention he draws from two defenders when he feigns toward the slot on the power play ahead of this secondary assist: The Gifted (2018 series): Part 1: Miro Heiskanen | Part 2: Casey Mittelstadt | Part 3: Dylan Strome | Part 4: Oliver Wahlstrom | Part 5: While most teams use 6-foot-2 wingers who can really turn and shoot in Gabe Vilardi | Part 6: Adam Boqvist | Part 7: Evan Bouchard | Part 8: the slot on the power play, Robertson played the point (a role normally Kristian Vesalainen | Part 9: Jonathan Dahlen | Part 10: Morgan Frost reserved for smaller forwards) on Niagara’s power play due to his outsized creativity and patience. The Gifted (2019 series): Part 1: Cale Makar | Part 2: Nick Robertson | Part 3: Jason Robertson | Part 4: Aleksi Heponiemi | Part 5: Adam Fox | That’s because he’s among the better passers in the league (hence the Part 6: Dante Fabbro | Part 7: Emil Bemstrom | Part 8: Cody Glass | Part league-leading PPA numbers) and he sees the ice extremely well for the 9: Martin Necas | Part 10: Bode Wilde cross-seam plays:

Last week, when I wrote about Nick Robertson in Part 2 of this year’s As the year progressed, teams began to try to take that play away from series, I detailed the game of a 5-foot-9, 160-pound forward who plays him and he adjusted. Watch, here, the way Colts forward Jason Wilms loud and forceful. (No. 19 in white) turns his back to the play to track Akil Thomas (No. 44 in black), anticipating a play that Robertson never makes: This week, as I write about Jason Robertson in Part 3, I’ll be detailing a 6-foot-2, 200-plus-pound forward who is … nothing like that. Instead, Robertson had the presence of mind to send the puck low for a tic-tac goal that resulted in the slot option being left available because too And that, in essence, is what “The Gifted” is all about. much attention was placed on Thomas.

Looking at their numbers and measurements, you’d probably assume Again and again, Robertson makes plays that you wouldn’t expect out of Jason, the elder brother, who has scored 153 goals in his last three a winger with his characteristics. seasons (or a 53-goal 82-game pace across 235 games), is the power forward in the family. That’s led by his patience. Wherever his brother would think “I have to power my way to the net,” Robertson often thinks “I can delay here.” But looks can be deceiving and there’s more to Robertson, who ranked 37th in my top 50 drafted prospects ranking, than meets the eye. Look for that patience in action on this goal:

The numbers are eye-popping. And on this one:

Last season, Robertson led the OHL in points (117), points per game He also has much better puck skills that many players his size. Watch (1.89) and power-play assists (36). In the last decade, just six other not for the way he goes to the net to finish the play but for the little bit of under-20 players have posted more than 117 points in a season. Each of finesse required to handle the puck out of the air and begin the give-and- them did it with another player on their line who’s also on the list: Connor go with the little flip pass off his backhand here: McDavid and Connor Brown; Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat; Mitch Marner and Christian Dvorak. Robertson is the only one to do it alone, Or the way he again knocks the puck out of mid-air, this time for a shot having begun the season with the lowly Frontenacs before finishing it on (after lurking off his defender’s back yet again), below: the IceDogs, where he scored at a rate of 2.08 points per game. And while Robertson is capable of driving the net, he’s comfortable The style of play is less eye-popping. That doesn’t make it any less playing on the perimeter (a word that has always carried a negative effective, though. connotation in hockey when it doesn’t always have to).

(As part of this analysis, I watched back the last three games of In this sequence, Robertson gets the puck in the middle of the neutral Robertson’s 2018-19 regular season. In them, all victories, Robertson zone. Rather than try to force a middle-lane entry, he takes it wide, stops contributed on 11 of the IceDogs’ 19 goals with five goals, six assists and up, finds the trailer cross-ice and then gets into that familiar space near 15 shots on goal. He is wearing No. 19 in all clips.) the back post to receive the puck back as part of a give-and-go:

Unlike his little brother, Robertson doesn’t force his will on a game. Look for the way he weaves through traffic (again like a much smaller Instead, he plays smaller than he is. player) with control below, before intentionally taking the puck from the middle of the ice to the flank and below the goal line for a cheeky attempt Robertson often finds pockets of space on the perimeter in situations off the back of the goalie: where a player of his size and strength would go to the slot or the net- Watch here, the way he uses his length and puck skill to stickhandle through two defenders for a scoring chance while actually trying to avoid — rather than initiate — contact:

In isolation, Robertson has a lot of individual skills.

His curl-and-drag release is tough for goaltenders to handle:

He’s got straightaway speed and the skill necessary to take pucks off the boards and make plays:

When the option to carry off the boards isn’t there he has the defensive stickwork needed to be disruptive and gain possession, as well as the offensive playmaking ability to get the puck to a more dangerous area as a passer:

But it’s his approach that makes him unique. It’s the willingness to use his size — and the complement of those skills — to play a finesse game instead of a power one.

Robertson has learned to play a game that contrasts his brother. He has learned to disengage instead of engage. He has learned to steal pucks instead of hit for them. He has learned that sometimes skating around someone serves the same purpose as skating through them:

He has learned that patience, timing and the ability to lurk in space can be just as effective as impatience and power. He’s the big kid who plays small.

That talent, as much as anything else he possesses, is what made him the CHL’s top scorer. Before long, that talent will make him an excellent playmaking NHL winger.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107617 Detroit Red Wings offense as a center in the middle six. The sub-question here might be how much Filppula will fall off from a career-high 21.8 shooting percentage last season, a big reason he scored 17 goals last year after One question to consider this season for every skater on the Red Wings four straight campaigns of 12 or fewer. It feels all but certain that number roster will drop. But, especially if Filppula is the one tasked with centering Athanasiou, is it possible he could rediscover some of his playmaking abilities and get back up over 20 assists? That could be the difference in how this deal is perceived a year from now. It’s a low-stakes contract at By Max Bultman just two years, but with Joe Veleno on the way, the Red Wings need Aug 7, 2019 Filppula to play a role, not just fill a space.

Luke Glendening: Will he finish the season on the team?

Four months have passed since the Red Wings played their final regular- Quietly (as in, so quiet I didn’t even realize it until researching this story), season game. Only a month remains until players report to Traverse City Glendening put up a career high in points last season. That total was still for training camp. And with such a long offseason, there’s been lots of just 23, and it was accompanied by a career high in minutes per game, time to contemplate the current group of Red Wings and what the team too, but it’s still noteworthy for the all-grind-team member. The crux of it needs from them in order to improve in 2019-20. is this: Glendening, at 30 years old and costing just $1.8 million per year for this year and the next, is actually one of the better contracts on the Here, then, is one question to ponder about every skater on the likely Red Wings (which may not be saying much). He plays a clear role as a roster (sorry, goalies!) from Andreas Athanasiou to newcomer Patrik shutdown-line center and penalty killer, and he does both of those things Nemeth — plus a few more about those battling for spots in camp. well. Detroit should want to keep him. But players with an extra year of term are something of a commodity at the trade deadline, and it’s worth Centers wondering if Glendening’s name could pick up some steam again come Dylan Larkin: Can he repeat the production … but rein in the penalties? trade season. He already came up in rumors in connection with Mike Babcock and the Maple Leafs last year. Of all the question marks on the Red Wings roster, Larkin’s not one of them. He’s the unquestioned best player on the team, a two-way center From the Red Wings’ perspective, they certainly shouldn’t be looking to who led the team in points while playing against other teams’ top lines. move Glendening unless the offer is serious. The contract is fine, the And considering the steps he’s taken in each of the last two seasons, player is useful and what the farm system is missing (star prospects, not plus how much he’s on the ice (he played the ninth-most minutes per depth ones) isn’t reliably found in the middle rounds of the draft. But, in a game in the league last season among forwards), the first part of this year where most of Detroit’s lineup is either future core players or aging question should be simple enough for him. veterans on less-than-appealing deals, Glendening may turn out to be one of their more interesting players come February. So, even if the The real curiosity, then, is whether Larkin can do so while cutting back on market doesn’t turn out to fit Detroit’s valuation on Glendening, this is a his 75 penalty minutes from a year ago. That number placed him with the question that can’t be dismissed just yet. 20th-most penalty minutes among all forwards last year, more than Vegas enforcer Ryan Reaves. Some of that is probably due to Larkin’s Wingers general playing style — he certainly hustles back on defense but can Anthony Mantha: Is this the year? occasionally get overly aggressive when stick-checking, for example — but there’s still there’s room to shave, say, 15-20 of those minutes off The signs are there. He finished last season on a torrid pace. He tore up next season. That may not seem like a ton over an 82-game season, but the world championships. He’s going into his age-25 season, squarely in this is a Red Wings team that needs every edge it can get. And it’s not the age range that big power forwards tend to break out. But observers just about keeping opponents off the power play; Larkin’s speed can could be forgiven for staying in wait-and-see mode on arguably the make him a weapon on the penalty kill, but not if he’s the one in the box. team’s most tantalizing talent. Because of Mantha’s blend of size, speed, shooting and hockey IQ, he could certainly go off and lead the team in Frans Nielsen: How can the Red Wings get the most out of his abilities at goals heading into restricted free agency next summer. Playing with this stage? Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi more often should help that. The What often gets lost behind Nielsen’s daunting contract and remaining skepticism relates to perceived streakiness from the big man, and, to be term is that, while his 50-point days are behind him, he’s still one of the sure, all parties would like him to be more consistent. But even as is, team’s most responsible defensive forwards. That can be undervalued in Mantha’s heaters can swing games in bunches. Getting him to break the public discourse, but it will unquestionably matter to Detroit this through to that next level of production, even if it still comes in waves, season. So the question becomes this: How can the Red Wings put could be arguably the most important development of the coming year. Nielsen in the best position to succeed without asking him to be more Tyler Bertuzzi: How much more can he do if he stays with Larkin and than he reasonably can at age 35? To that end, a common refrain has Mantha all season? been that Nielsen’s past the point where he should realistically be a second-line center. And it’s probably true. Look, Bertuzzi’s not going to be a point-per-game guy, and after putting up 47 points last season, he’s already flown past expectations. You could But consider this option: If Nielsen were to center a second line featuring argue, in fact, that at 24 he may be at his statistical peak already, just a Andreas Athanasiou, it’s possible that he could provide some defensive year and a half into his full-time NHL career. You could also look at his cover while allowing Athanasiou to drive the line’s offense from the wing. 16.0 shooting percentage last season and question if some regression is Think of it more from a line-balancing standpoint than a “stack the top coming. And those points would be hard to argue, especially considering six” philosophy, but it could work for the Red Wings. None of this is to that 15 of those 47 points came in five games. say Nielsen can’t contribute at all on offense any more (he’s actually the team’s fifth-leading scorer among returners). But with Athanasiou leading But, if you’re looking for a way Bertuzzi can repeat — or even top — his the charge up ice, Nielsen could make use of his intelligence in the surprising season a year ago, this is the answer. Of the aforementioned offensive zone with less pressure to be the creator while focusing on five three-point games, four came back-to-back-to-back-to-back late in what he still does better than most of his teammates: limiting danger the the year when Bertuzzi, Larkin and Mantha collectively wrought havoc on other way. opponents. That level of dominance is not sustainable over a full season, but it does reflect how well suited each of those players is to play with the The alternative is playing him on the third line, perhaps with one of the others. And that could help Bertuzzi continue to deliver if the trio can stay rookies who makes the team out of camp. And that’s a reasonable together over a full season. Of course, such an outcome would put option, too. As third-line centers go, Nielsen would measure up pretty Detroit in an interesting position in restricted free agency next summer, well. But either way, the Red Wings should spend the preseason figuring when Bertuzzi could potentially lay claim to back-to-back seasons on a out which path gets the most value out of one of their highest-paid 50-point pace. But that’s a matter for next offseason. players — not just hoping he can live up to that value independently. Andreas Athanasiou: Will last season’s experiment at center help his Valtteri Filppula: Can a return to his roots spark a resurgence? game back on the wing? Filppula wasn’t high on the list of news items this July 1, but he did fill a hole for Detroit, which needed someone who could facilitate a bit more I don’t think you can call Athanasiou’s post-trade-deadline stint at center Can Svechnikov make a full recovery from his ACL injury then find his a failure because he had a handful of really strong games down the legs again in time to make a roster push? middle. But in bringing in Filppula, the Red Wings made it clear they think Athanasiou would be best used on the wing going forward. That may How much did Rasmussen learn from his NHL stint last season, and was allow the Red Wings’ most dangerous offensive weapon to take a few it enough to propel him to win that job again — with the AHL now an more risks if the opportunities present themselves, perhaps allowing him option? to try and top his 30 goals from last season. But a best-case scenario for Will Hirose’s eye-catching trial run at the end of last season give him the Detroit would be if the nightly defensive demands of playing center stick inside track to a job? And what’s realistic to expect from him over a full with Athanasiou and help him round out his game just a little more — not season? at the expense of his offense, per se, but just in a constant-engagement- to-his-defensive-responsibilities sense. Either way, Athanasiou’s primary These are the narratives that should drive a very tense camp battle for value is going to come as an attacker. But if he’s able to use his the available jobs. The two who (likely) emerge will immediately become intelligence and speed more often in the defensive zone, too? That could major sources of excitement entering the year. be a game-changer. Defensemen Darren Helm: What’s his ideal role? Danny DeKeyser: Can he repeat last season’s resurgent performance? Obviously, Helm’s going to be a key factor on the penalty kill. His skating DeKeyser’s 0.38 points per game last season approached his career demands it. But at even strength, what’s the best way for Jeff Blashill to high, but the reason he enters this year as Detroit’s presumed go-to trot Helm out? As defensive or veteran cover for a younger player defenseman is his play in all situations. He’s not likely to ever be an breaking in (a la Taro Hirose, Evgeny Svechnikov or potentially Filip offensive dynamo, but his skating makes him enough of a threat to join Zadina)? Or as part of a defensively focused line with someone like the rush, and he’s probably the most reliable defensive defenseman on Glendening? You can see a reasonable argument either way, since the the roster. It’s not a particularly high bar to clear, mind you, but he led the Red Wings aren’t likely to load up all their youngsters on one line, and Red Wings’ skaters in ice time last season for a reason. Now, the any line with Hirose or Zadina and another offense-first player is going to question is whether he can repeat that all-facet bounce back, and the need a plan for when it doesn’t have the puck. The split-the-difference stakes are fairly significant. The signing of Patrik Nemeth could provide option might be if Helm lines up on the wing opposite Michael some buffer if he stumbles, but DeKeyser will be the only other veteran Rasmussen, who fits the criteria of a young player breaking in but could under contract beyond this season. Following up last season’s also be effective on a more defensively focused unit. Bottom line: Helm’s performance with more of the same could give the Red Wings just a little 17 points in 61 games last year weren’t encouraging, nor was his -1.1 more peace of mind as they presumably turn things over to the young relative Corsi. But, similar to Nielsen, Detroit’s priority here has to be blueliners en masse. more about finding the best way to use the player where he can most help them. Filip Hronek: Is a breakout year imminent?

Jacob de la Rose: What’s reasonable to expect from him health-wise? Entering training camp last season, Hronek was the young defenseman expected to crack the opening-night lineup and win a job outright. And, This early-season waiver claim proved to be a useful addition to the technically, he did play on opening night. But as the Red Wings’ dinged- lineup last season as a defensive forward, but a heart issue down the up defensive corps got healthy, Hronek was sent back to Grand Rapids. stretch forced him out of action. He is expected to be ready for training camp, but the uncertainty can’t be considered quashed yet. Already on As it turned out, that might have been the best thing for him. By the time this rundown, you can probably tell that Detroit isn’t hurting for defense- he returned later in the season, he was much improved and set the tone first forwards. They won’t need to rush him. But it’s hard to know what to for what could be his breakthrough in 2019-20. Hronek finished with 23 expect from even a recovered de la Rose until we see him back out points in 46 games, a rate that would have easily made him Detroit’s there. highest-scoring defenseman had he played all 82 (although Mike Green’s per-game rate was still higher). Even more promising, his defensive Justin Abdelkader: Is there another gear left? metrics graded out well, too. Part of that could be that he played with Maybe Abdelkader will be confined to the fourth line, and his 19 points in DeKeyser regularly, but there’s reason to believe that Hronek can 71 games last year didn’t do much to inspire confidence in a rebound. become one of Detroit’s top defensemen as soon as this season — But if Abdelkader can come into camp motivated to prove he’s not done especially if he’s given the chance to run the top power play. yet, is there any way he can at least get close to his 2017-18 output of 35 Patrik Nemeth: Can the newcomer bring some much-needed shutdown points? Frankly, it’s hard to see it without a really strong center on his line play to the ice? creating chances, and down the lineup, that’s not likely to be the case for him. He needs to prove he has more in the tank than he showed last By most measures, the Nemeth signing isn’t expected to move the year. It’s that simple. needle. He’s not a scorer, not a cornerstone, and, on just a two-year contract, may not be around that long. What Nemeth should be able to Christoffer Ehn: Can he crack the lineup with regularity? do, though, is free up a couple of Detroit’s offensive blueliners just a bit Another penalty killer and defensive forward, Ehn’s fate on the roster more. Micah Blake McCurdy and HockeyViz.com measure him as having depends in part on those around him. He’s reliable and plays the kind of suppressed shots a touch better than league average from 2017-19 but game coaches like, but without a particularly high offensive ceiling, he’ll with an especially strong showing right in front of the net. That’s exactly likely be confined to the bottom six when he’s in the lineup. And that’s where Detroit needs help. He’s expected to play with either Hronek or crowded territory on this team. Ultimately, that could lead to Ehn being Mike Green, which likely means top-four minutes and the important job of the 13th forward, sliding in naturally when injury strikes or veterans need bringing some stay-at-home ability. Especially if Niklas Kronwall ends up a breather. But, especially if Detroit’s potential rookies underwhelm in the retiring (he doesn’t have a section here because he remains unsigned), preseason and need more time in the AHL, there’s also a world where he that’s an element Detroit may have no other answer to beyond slots into one of those bottom two lines and plays a shutdown game with DeKeyser. The ceiling may not be high offensively, but the Red Wings hope that his speed can generate a bit more on the forecheck. It’s not a need Nemeth to help limit the danger in their own end if they’re going to pressing question in the grand scheme, but Ehn’s role will be something take a step forward. to watch once the preseason begins. Mike Green: Does he have one more year like last season in him — The young roster contenders: The questions surrounding Filip Zadina, minus the health issues? Evgeny Svechnikov, Michael Rasmussen and Taro Hirose are all just Green will turn 34 a week after the season opens, so it would be unfair to variations on the same theme. Figure two NHL spots between those four expect the world from him. But, quietly, he was close to a 50-point pace players will be available, with the chance for maybe one more depending last season when healthy. Viruses limited him to just 43 games, but in on injuries. that time he put up 26 points, wasn’t a liability in terms of shot share and So who makes the team? Each player will have an individual question did so while splitting his zone starts evenly between the offensive and that will likely determine his fate. defensive zones. Put simply, he was one of the more impactful options the Red Wings had — when he was in the lineup. Again, it was a low bar, Can Zadina’s offseason training turn him into a more explosive skater, and over a full season, that scoring rate would be hard to repeat. But that helping him better utilize his high-end skill and shooting? said, those numbers came on a below-career-average shooting percentage and with an only slightly higher than usual shooting percentage for his teammates when Green was on the ice. If Green can even come close to that kind of production and do so without sacrificing too much defensively (playing with DeKeyser or Nemeth would help), his final year with the Red Wings could be his best.

Of course, doing that means staying healthy, and that is not a given.

Trevor Daley and Jonathan Ericsson: How much do they have left?

These two could both be in the lineup opening night, perhaps on a pairing together, but they share one question because their situations are relatively similar. Both are on expiring contracts. Both will turn 36 during the season. And between the two of them, they accounted for the two highest rates of on-ice expected goals against at five-on-five in the league last season (among defensemen with at least 500 minutes played). That’s a tough spot to be in.

It’s possible, of course, that injuries contributed in Daley’s case, or that playing with rookies so often forced them to play in ways they weren’t used to. But if those rates are the new normal, the Red Wings have to be seriously worried about trotting both out there. It’s also possible that one of the youngsters is able to win a job out of camp, lessening the burden a bit. But it’s likely that at least one of these two is going to be playing in at least half the team’s games. And Detroit can’t afford another year with the league’s two lowest xGF percentages (with those same parameters) sitting on its blue line.

Madison Bowey: Is he ready (or able) to take a full-time job?

Bowey was an interesting case last season. After coming over from Washington in the Nick Jensen deal, the Red Wings gave Bowey 18 minutes a night in a trial run of sorts for the season to come. Statistically, things didn’t look great for the 24-year-old: Over the full season, he joined Daley and Ericsson in the bottom five of xGF% and was on the ice for the ninth-most high-danger chances against at five-on-five (per 60, among defensemen with at least 500 minutes played). Those full-season numbers are heavily influenced by his time with Washington, but no matter how you slice it, that’s not ideal.

But there is reason for optimism. Late in the year, Blashill observed that Bowey had cut out the big mistakes he was making when he arrived, looked more confident and was someone who could play against other teams’ top players. That had to be encouraging. But now he’ll have to prove he can still do those things after a long summer off — and with a little more pressure. He’ll enter training camp in a legitimate roster battle, and not making the big mistake might just be enough for him to earn a spot. Not being exempt means he should make the team. Will he do enough to earn a spot in the opening-night lineup, too?

The other roster candidates: It’s a similar situation here as with the young forwards, only Dennis Cholowski and Oliwer Kaski don’t have the benefit of a clear roster spot to target. Both will be hoping to show up in Traverse City and steal a job on an already crowded blue line. These two will probably be able to offer more upside than most of the players above, but the question is whether either can make a strong enough statement to override any impulse to let them develop more in Grand Rapids. Both are waiver exempt. Cholowski will have the advantage of having won a job out of camp already a year ago, but he may also face a higher threshold after cooling off midseason and being sent down. Kaski, meanwhile, will be out to prove his offensive upside translates from the Finnish league, where he starred last year.

If neither can make Detroit out of camp, the Grand Rapids blue line will be awfully interesting.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107618 Edmonton Oilers recent season was the most promising and he may be on the verge of a breakthrough. Ho-Sang’s five-on-five per 60 scoring rate (1.71) in the NHL is encouraging and he has all kinds of skill. Both men might merit a Examining the potential waiver-wire opportunities at hand for the Oilers waiver claim.

Central Division

By Allan Mitchell Nashville Predators signed a few value contracts over the summer, and Daniel Carr was one of them. A bubble player for the last several Aug 7, 2019 seasons, it’s quite possible the Preds will have no room for him. Carr’s season in 2018-19 (71 points in 52 games) was beyond splendid, and he

won the AHL MVP Award. He should be on the Oilers’ radar during the The Edmonton Oilers have been using the waiver wire with increased waiver period. regularity over the last 24 months, no doubt in an attempt to improve the Pacific Division team’s roster while giving up no assets during a “rebuild and try to contend” period for the franchise. During the 2018-19 season, the club Anaheim Ducks used Chase De Leo for just one game last season, he picked up and lost Valentin Zykov and then claimed Colby Cave on was effective in the AHL for the remainder of the campaign. The former waivers from the Boston Bruins. Will Ken Holland scan the waiver wire in Portland Winterhawks scoring star hasn’t had a true NHL shot and at 23 late September or early October? Who might be available? Let’s have a it may not come. He has considerable skill. look. Choices Roster holes The nature of the waiver wire is that at least one NHL team views the Edmonton’s projected roster has several holes and some attractive waiver player as being expendable. However, the Oilers are unsettled on options will show up on the waiver wire as teams get down to the 23-man skill lines led by Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. This kind of roster limit. A third-line centre and scoring wingers are prominent areas feature opportunity could be just the thing for any of the forwards of interest, but we could also see a late training camp hole pop up in net mentioned in this article. (due to injury or struggle). By the time NHL teams begin cutting these men, the Oilers will have Ken Holland’s waiver claim history seen their potential roster wingers. If the team is dissatisfied, there are multiple options that will come available via waivers. Last season, Holland’s Detroit Red Wings claimed Jacob De La Rose from the Montreal Canadiens. In October of 2016, Detroit’s Martin Frk Ideally, the Oilers find a first-shot scorer this season, and this group’s was claimed by the , with the Red Wings reclaiming shots per game numbers vary wildly: him on waivers a month later. In November 2015, the Boston Bruins claimed Landon Ferraro from Detroit. None of these moves resulted in a Carter Verhaeghe 204 shots in 76 games (2.68) career spike for the players involved. Sonny Milano 71 shots in 27 games (2.63)

Atlantic Division Paul Bittner 115 shots in 50 games (2.30)

As mentioned, Holland plucked De La Rose from the Canadiens, and big Michael Dal Colle 74 shots in 34 games (2.18) winger Michael McCarron appears to be a bubble player with the current Habs roster. He is shy offensively but has underlying skills (faceoffs) that Nic Petan 113 shots in 52 games (.217) (2017-18 season) make him interesting. Michael McCarron 65 shots in 32 games (2.03) Toronto Maple Leafs have some interesting forwards (as always), with Nic Petan in a tough fight for a depth role. I wrote about him in February Nick Shore 47 shots in 37 games (1.27) (KHL) 2018, everything still applies except he’s a little older. Petan’s skill would Josh Ho-Sang 59 shots in 56 games (1.05) be a welcome addition for a team desperate for quality on the wings. Toronto also made a nifty little signing in free agency, bringing Nick The most intriguing option is Verhaeghe, who appears to have taken a Shore back from the KHL. He’s a right shot centre who can win faceoffs step forward and is now looking for an opportunity that could come in and kill penalties, and might be an upgrade on Colby Cave and Kyle Tampa Bay, or Edmonton. Brodziak.

Tampa Bay Lightning have a minor league team that looks like it could The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 contend against the bottom end of the NHL most seasons. When the team signs RFA’s Brayden Point and Adam Erne, there won’t be many roster spots left. One waiver eligible minor leaguer is Carter Verhaeghe, who posted 82 points a year ago in the AHL. He scored 34 goals, 27 at even strength, will be 24 on August 14. Whatever his shortcomings, his boxcars with the Syracuse Crunch are too good to ignore. The Lightning have also spent several months collecting goaltenders and it’s possible Louis Domingue shakes loose. He would be a solid, inexpensive option should something go awry in net for Edmonton in preseason.

Metropolitan Division

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a team in transition and that should mean opportunities for players bubbling under. That said, Sonny Milano has been percolating in the system since fall 2015 and can’t seem to gain the traction necessary to emerge as a full-time NHL player. Milano’s shooting rates are attractive (71 shots in 21 games, with 11 goals in 27 games a year ago in the AHL) and he has been associated with Edmonton previously (his name was on the draft floor in 2016 connected to the Oilers). Paul Bittner is waiver eligible this year according to CapFriendly, suspect the Blue Jackets will protect him but he’s a name to keep in mind. As a corner man with some size and skill, Bittner would have value.

Michael Dal Colle and Joshua Ho-Sang are both RFAs at the moment and both men may have a hard time sticking with the New York Islanders this fall. Dal Colle was the No. 4 overall selection in the 2014 draft, but hasn’t shown enough offence to play in the NHL as a regular. His most 1107619 Los Angeles Kings

LA KINGS PICKWICK ICE CENTER TO REOPEN NEXT WEEK AFTER RENOVATIONS

JON ROSEN

AUGUST 7, 2019

COMMUNITY

INSIDERS. The Matt Luff feature, which is 4/5 written and in need of a little bit of formatting, has been bumped back to the afternoon. Before I post these Luff letters, here’s an update on the renovations to the Pickwick rink, which has undergone a needed renovation and rebranding and will now be known as the LA Kings Pickwick Ice Center. This is great news for Kings fans and hockey players across the 818, 626 and 323, as we say colloquially.

I’ll be there one week from today at the ribbon cutting ceremony (and many Thursday and Friday nights thereafter), so lots more to come. The nuts and bolts, via the Kings:

BURBANK – The Los Angeles Kings and American Sports Entertainment Company (ASEC) will host a special Community Open House at the newly-named LA Kings Pickwick Ice Center next week along with a special Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony to usher-in a new era at the long-time community institution.

Formerly known as Pickwice Ice, the facility has been closed the past several weeks while undergoing a three-phase alteration-and- improvement project at a cost of approximately one million dollars.

To help commemorate the event, LA Kings Pickwick Ice Center will host a free Community Open House next Wednesday, August 14, from 4-7 pm that features a free Open Skate from 6-7 pm and a Youth Hockey Clinic from 4:45 – 5:45 pm. For more information including how to participate, visit LAKings.com/pickwickclinic.

This past December, the Kings and ASEC announced the acquisition of the Pickwick Ice facility operations and agreed to a long-term partnership with Ron Stavert, CEO of Pickwick Gardens. The Stavert family have owned and operated the rink since 1961.

At that time, it was also announced that the facility would immediately be re-named LA Kings Pickwick Ice Center with exterior and interior re- branding décor set to begin in the Summer of 2019 after the facility was temporarily shut-down in mid-June. ASEC at that time began the three- phase alteration-and-improvement project that now benefits the community including everyone who visits the new-look facility.

The initial changes to the facility include: Removal and replacement of cold floor pipes; chiller re-build and upgrades; removal of heaved concrete and ice rink floor (to NHL acceptable tolerances); repair and renovate the existing sub-floor heat system; install cold floor center feed headers and pipes; upgrade board system and tempered glass; interior painting with LA Kings branding and graphics; and the installation of new exterior signage with LA Kings branding.

The popular facility has been home to the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club, The California Golden Bears youth hockey club and countless skating enthusiasts for decades. In addition to LA Kings Pickwick Ice Center, the campus has a 24-lane state of the art bowling center, six full- service conference and banquet rooms, and a two-and-one-half acre garden for guests to enjoy.

About ASEC:

Founded in 2006, ASEC is the largest owner/operator of ice skating and indoor sports facilities in the United States. ASEC owns and/or operates 21 facilities in New York, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, and California, including the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, which is home to the LA Kings, the Los Angeles Lakers’ state-of-the-art practice facility in El Segundo and the LA Galaxy Soccer Center in Torrance.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107620 Montreal Canadiens When asked Tuesday about the first-come, first-served offers, Markov said: “I didn’t pay attention, probably. It was kind of, I don’t know. … Like I said, I had my view at that point and it didn’t happen and we didn’t Stu Cowan: Andrei Markov wants to play for the Canadiens again communicate well, probably. But I’m not complaining about it. That’s his job and he did his job.”

Markov definitely could have helped the Canadiens the last two seasons, STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE especially on the power play. He could probably still help.

Updated: August 7, 2019 Markov said he hasn’t spoken with Bergevin over the last two years, but added the GM has been made aware he’d like to return to the

Canadiens. Andrei Markov wants to make it clear he never wanted to leave Montreal. What would Markov have said to Bergevin if the GM had been sitting But two summers ago, when Markov was unable to reach an agreement across from him in the hotel lobby on Tuesday? on a new contract with Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, the defenceman “I would say bonjour,” Markov said with a big smile. returned home to Russia, signing a two-year KHL deal with Ak . During his first season in Russia, Markov posted 5-28-33 totals and a plus-7 rating in 55 games and helped win the as KHL champions. Last season, he had 2-12-14 totals and Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.08.2019 was plus-13 in 49 games.

Now, the 40-year-old is a free agent and would love nothing more than to sign a one-year contract with the Canadiens to finish his playing career and reach the 1,000-game milestone in the NHL. Markov played 16 years with the Canadiens, posting 119-453-572 totals in 990 games and earned the same US$5.75-million salary in each of his last 10 seasons.

Two summers ago, Markov was looking for a two-year contract, but Bergevin only wanted to give him one. When asked Tuesday if he later changed his stance and said he would accept a one-year deal before going to the KHL, Markov paused briefly and then said: “Actually, I don’t remember. Probably, yes. But I don’t go back. … I don’t regret what I did. I spent two years in Russia and we won the championship there.”

Markov is vacationing in Montreal this week with his wife and three of his five children and on Tuesday afternoon sat down for a 30-minute interview at the downtown hotel where they’re staying. Markov looks very fit and had just returned from a gym workout before the interview. He was always a man of few words with the media, but Markov wanted to talk on Tuesday.

Markov didn’t have an agent during his negotiations with Bergevin two summers ago, but said he didn’t think he needed one.

“It’s funny,” he said. “At the end of the last year in Montreal, I had a meeting … we always had a meeting one-on-one with the coach and the GM. In that meeting, Marc asked me if I had an agent or not. I said: ‘No, I don’t have an agent.’ And he was like: ‘That doesn’t matter.’ So, that’s what he said. It’s OK if I don’t have an agent. He can talk to me personally. I guess I’m supposed to have an agent at that time, but I didn’t know that.”

Two summers ago, Markov said the only NHL team he wanted to sign with was the Canadiens. Now, he’s willing to listen to offers from other teams, but his first choice is Montreal.

“That’s my dream, you know,” Markov said. “But it’s not up to me. We’ll see … we’ll see what’s going to happen. I’ll try to train hard and prepare myself. But it’s not just my decision. I’m trying to prepare myself for that, but we’ll see what’s going to happen, you know. Most probably it’s going to be my last year. I’m looking for a one-year contract and try to enjoy that and give my all.”

Markov added there’s no point looking back at what happened two summers ago.

“Whatever happened at that time, it happened,” he said. “They have their view, I have my view, that’s it. … (Bergevin’s) got his own job, he’s got his own view and that’s his job to build the team the way he sees that team. I’m not against him. I always loved the team, loved this city and I always will. But, like I said, whatever happened that time … that’s life, you know.”

At one point during contract negotiations, Bergevin said he had given offers to both Markov and fellow Russian free-agent Alexander Radulov and it was a case of “first come, first served.” Bergevin ended up unable to sign either player, with Radulov accepting an offer from the Dallas Stars, and the Canadiens missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons while playing more than $8 million under the NHL salary cap both years. The Canadiens are now $4.044 million under the cap for next season. 1107621 Montreal Canadiens (for). … But when the fans support the players, it gives them a lot of power.”

Former Canadien Andrei Markov wants to reach 1,000-game mark in NHL Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.08.2019

STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: August 7, 2019

Apart from his bald head, Andrei Markov certainly doesn’t look like a 40- year-old.

A very fit-looking Markov, wearing a T-shirt, shorts and running shoes, sat down for an interview Tuesday afternoon at a downtown Montreal hotel where he is vacationing this week with his family. The former Canadiens defenceman is hoping to return to the NHL next season after playing the last two years in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan.

“I know I’m 40, but it doesn’t feel like I’m 40,” said Markov, who is hoping to sign a one-year contract with an NHL team for next season, preferably the Canadiens. “I worked hard over the summer and I’ve done some stuff I never did before. I put in lots of work this summer and I’m looking forward … we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

Markov never wanted to leave the Canadiens, but was unable to come to a contract agreement with GM Marc Bergevin two summers ago. Instead, he returned home to Russia with his family and helped Ak Bars Kazan win the Gagarin Cup as KHL champions in his first season, when he posted 5-28-33 totals in 55 games and was plus-7. Last season, Markov had 2-12-14 totals in 49 games and was plus-13 with Ak Bars Kazan getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

When asked Tuesday what he has missed most about Montreal, Markov replied: “Everything.”

“Start from the bad roads, the crazy traffic,” he added with a smile. “The most is probably playing for the Canadiens. When you step on the ice you feel the fans, they’re so passionate and they support each game and you feel like the crowd’s got your back behind you. That feeling is kind of like something special, you know.”

The Canadiens selected Markov in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 1998 NHL Draft and he went on to play 16 seasons with the club, posting 119-453-572 totals in 990 games. Reaching the 1,000-game milestone in the NHL is something Markov wants to do, preferably with the Canadiens. Only five men have ever played 1,000 games with the club: Henri Richard (1,258), Larry Robinson (1,202), Bob Gainey (1,160), Jean Béliveau (1,125) and Claude Provost (1,005).

“It’s something you want to be there,” Markov said about the milestone. “It’s important, you know. But most important probably is to try to play one more year in the NHL, to prove that I can still play in that level.”

Which means if the Canadiens aren’t interested, Markov is willing to listen to offers from other NHL teams.

“You never know,” he said. “Right now, I’m going to say ‘why not?’ For example, if the Canadiens don’t want me anymore and any other team gives me an offer or gives me an opportunity to play, I’ll probably take that.”

If there’s no interest from the NHL, Markov hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to the KHL.

“Yeah, maybe,” he said. “Like I said before, it’s most probably going to be my last year as a professional hockey player. I will enjoy it. I will go somewhere just to play, go somewhere to have fun, to enjoy the game, you know.”

The Canadiens have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons without Markov. During his final season with the Canadiens, Markov had 6-30-36 totals in 62 games and was plus-18 while averaging 21:50 of ice time.

When asked if he had a message now for Canadiens fans, Markov smiled and said: “Be patient.”

He added: “I’d like to tell them thank you for all the support they gave me and they always give to the team. Stay passionate, stay believing. Everybody knows it’s not easy, Montreal Canadiens are not easy to play 1107622 Montreal Canadiens who’s going to decide what kind of team it’s going to be, right. I don’t know what else I can say about that.”

Two summers ago you said you wouldn’t play for another NHL team Former Canadiens Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban remain good friends besides the Canadiens. Why?

“Probably it’s about a family decision. I have five kids right now … OK, STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE my oldest kid is 18 years old and he can handle himself, right. So I have to move the whole family from one city to another city, it’s not easy. That Updated: August 7, 2019 time two years ago we decided to go back to Russia to play there. It was easy for my family to adjust to the lifestyle, probably.”

What’s the biggest difference between living in Montreal and Russia? Andrei Markov spoke no English and knew almost nothing about Montreal or the Canadiens when they selected him in the sixth round “It didn’t take me lots of time to adjust. I was born there, I lived there 20 (162nd overall) at the 1998 NHL Draft. years. I didn’t feel the big difference, you know. Most probably the big difference is I didn’t hear the French language there.” “I think I knew that they had 24 Stanley Cups … that’s probably what I knew,” Markov said during a 30-minute interview Tuesday afternoon at a What’s the difference in quality of play in the KHL and NHL? downtown Montreal hotel, where he is vacationing this week with his wife and three of his five children. “It’s not a big difference, but it’s a difference, you know. The bigger ice. I know right now they’re going to smaller ice … most of the teams are Twenty-one years later, the Canadiens haven’t added to their NHL record going to play in NHL size (rinks). But the difference, you can feel the of 24 Stanley Cups, but that’s not Markov’s fault. He played 16 seasons difference between the NHL and KHL, especially if you spent so much with the Canadiens and became an outstanding defenceman, posting time here. But you have to realize they’re not there yet. They’re moving 119-453-572 totals in 990 career NHL games. Only five players have forward. The league is getting better every year. Hopefully they’re moving played more games with the Canadiens: Henri Richard (1,258), Larry in the right direction.” Robinson (1,202), Bob Gainey (1,160), Jean Béliveau (1,125) and Claude Provost (1,005). Provost is the only one of those players not in Former Canadien Nikita Scherbak recently suggested team management the Hall of Fame. has an anti-Russian bias. What was your reaction to that?

Two summers ago, Markov was unable to come to a contract agreement “I don’t know … we live in a free world, right. So whatever he said, it’s his with Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin and left Montreal, returning home to opinion, his view. I never felt that way. I spent my whole career here and Russia and signing a two-year deal with the KHL’s AK Bars Kazan. I respect what the Canadiens did for me. I never felt that way.” Markov helped AK Bars Kazan win the Gagarin Cup as KHL champions Do you still keep in touch with any of your former Canadiens teammates? during his first season and is now a free agent again, hoping to return to the NHL for one final season and reach the 1,000-game milestone, “I saw P.K. (Subban) this summer in Florida and we text each other. But preferably with the Canadiens. not much. There’s not many people left on the team, right, since I’ve been there.” Here’s some of what Markov had to say Tuesday afternoon: What did you like about P.K. … what made you guys get along so well? What brought you back to Montreal this week? “I think he’s a cool guy, a funny guy. He’s got so much energy. You can “First of all, I miss the city and I always loved this city. I was here last see that on the ice, off the ice, whatever. Just in general life. It’s always summer. We had a few options for vacation … I was training in Florida fun to spend time with him, laughing, and I try to enjoy that.” and we decided to come here and have fun, plus I have a few things to do. I’m just trying to enjoy my time.” Why were you and P.K. good defence partners on the ice?

Do you still get recognized by fans a lot when walking the streets here? “I don’t know. Sometimes you play with someone and you feel a connection between each other and you understand each other. It’s just “Not a lot, but they still recognize me. It’s nice to see that. It’s nice that a hockey game.” they still remember me.” Would you like to play with P.K. again with the Devils? You look lighter than you did last time you played for the Canadiens. Is that right? “(Chuckles) Like I said, it’s not only my decision. I can’t choose any team.” “Probably, yeah. I’m trying to be in shape.” Who were some of your favourite teammates with the Canadiens? Do you hope to play in the NHL next season? “I spent so many years here and had so many teammates. I’d start “Yes, but it’s not just my decision. I’m trying to prepare myself for that, probably with one of my first partners, Craig Rivet. He’s been a good but we’ll see what’s going to happen, you know.” teammate and a good partner. Then Mike Komisarek was a good Your first choice, I imagine, is to play for the Canadiens? teammate and we played together. Alex Kovalev. . P.K. Who else do you have …? . I have to sit and think about it.” “That’s my dream, you know. But, like I said, it’s not up to me. We’ll see … we’ll see what’s going to happen. I’m not kind of in a rush. I’ll try to Would you be able to play beside ? train hard and prepare myself.” “I don’t know. I’ve always been a player who’s not going to the coach and What kind of contract are you looking for? say: ‘Listen, I want to play with that guy.’ I respect the job of the coaching staff. Whatever decision they make or they made, at the end of the day “Most probably it’s going to be my last year. I’m looking for a one-year he is responsible for the result most of the time, right. Whoever you’re contract and try to enjoy that and give my all.” partnered with you have to give your 100 per cent all the time.”

Why couldn’t you come to a contract agreement with the Canadiens two What are your thoughts about Michel Therrien as a coach? summers ago? “I had a good connection … I’m not complaining about that. We always “I was looking for two-year contract. I don’t want to go back … there’s no had a chance to talk to each other if we needed that.” point to go back. Whatever happened at that time, it happened. They have their view, I have my view, that’s it.” What are your thoughts about Claude Julien as a coach?

What was the big difference between their view and your view? “The first time he was here he was a different person, different coach, right. And the last time he came here I didn’t have much time to work with “I don’t know what they want to see from the team. I’m still a hockey him.” player, right. Like I said, they had a view on what kind of team they want to see, what kind of team they want to build, right. I’m not the person What’s your relationship like with Canadiens owner Geoff Molson? “I mean, like nothing special … he’s the boss and I’m a player. He always supported the team, he has always been with the team and you can see the way he cares about the team. It’s something special, you know. I know he cares about the team. He wants to build a good team and to do something special.”

What was your most memorable moment with the Canadiens?

“I think there’s a few. Start probably from my first game. Another moment I remember when Saku came back from the cancer and the crowd gave him a standing ovation for about 10 minutes. That was an unbelievable feeling. What else …? We played outside a couple of times, and each time you step on the ice, especially in the playoffs, that feeling is something special, you know. I’m never going to forget that.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107623 Montreal Canadiens four defender who can run a power-play unit. He might require some time, but I don’t think he’s too far from the NHL.

Ranking Explanation: Brook over Alexander Romanov (No. 6) was a Brown: Offseason ranking of the Canadiens’ top-20 prospects – 5-1 tricky decision. The list is focused on upside and I feel greater certainty about projecting offence than defence (with transition landing in between). I see better vision, shooting and handling from Brook, which By Mitch Brown ultimately means more offensive and transition upside. I think of Brook as more of a gamble than Romanov, but one with potentially more upside. Aug 7, 2019 The differences between prospects No. 6 to No. 4 on this list are razor thin.

Three weeks ago, I started unveiling my top-20 Canadiens prospects 4) Jesse Ylönen – RW – Pelicans () with positions 20 – 16 and honourable mentions. In the two weeks since, Age: 19 | Drafted No. 35 in 2018 we’ve covered prospects ranked 15 – 11 and 10 – 6. Today, we finish the list with the top-5. Stats: 53 GP, 13G, 14A, 27 Pts, 0.51 P/GP

As a reminder, the goal of this list is not to identify who will play in the While Ylönen’s production skyrocketed from 0.28 to 0.71 points per game NHL the soonest or who is most likely to have an NHL career. Instead, it in the second half, his play was admirable all season. He’s the ultimate is to identify the players with the highest probability of becoming top- plug-and-play forward, possessing the speed, skill and effort to make line/pairing players, with a secondary emphasis on top-six and top-four plays up and down the lineup regardless of teammates or role. players. More information on the guidelines can be found in the first piece of the series. Ylönen’s game is based on his skating, the best in the organization. The mechanics of his stride are flawless: 90-degree knee bend, a controlled, Let’s begin the countdown of the five best prospects in the Canadiens in-motion upper body and a full-length stride recovery bringing his knees organization. directly under his body, capped off with a powerful forward knee drive. His skating habits match his stride. He uses crossovers to accelerate, 5) Josh Brook – RD – Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) linear crossovers for a speed burst on and off-puck and keeps his feet in Age: 20 | Drafted No. 56 in 2017 motion at all times.

Stats: 59 GP, 16G, 59A, 75 Pts, 1.27 P/GP The way Ylönen handles the puck directly relates to his skating. He uses a high grip handle, which keeps his body upright (allowing him to I missed the boat on Josh Brook last year. Even my most optimistic maintain his skating mechanics with the puck) and locks his head up, projections didn’t have Brook becoming the player that he is today. Brook allowing him to watch the play unfold. Holding his stick directly in front of led all WHL defenders in points per game with 1.27, the fourth-highest his body, he seamlessly transitions between forehand and backhand, rate in the past 15 years, while making all-round improvements. both in tight or fully extended. He recognizes that his speed means he doesn’t have to dangle everyone; a simple push into space or wide drive The most notable difference is how well Brook now executes on the is enough. Watch the clip below to see how his skating and handling offensive side of the puck. The truth is, he’s always been skilled, but the interact (the clip starts over 30 seconds into the shift, which makes it skills were never applied consistently. The shot-pass that showed up in even more impressive). spurts two seasons ago is now a full-fledged weapon, contributing to at least 20 percent of his 59 assists. The shot-pass is naturally deceptive Given his speed and puck handling, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that because defenders and goaltenders freeze expecting a shot, which Ylönen is a transition machine. He backs off defenders with his speed, Brook exploits by finding a teammate lurking to redirect the puck. creating space for his teammates to join the rush as additional layers. He stays active off-puck to make himself an option. In a 15-game sample, he The shot-pass, given Brook’s ability to find moving teammates, is a led the Pelicans in both controlled entry percentage (75 percent) and projectable tool. I’m confident he brings the shot-pass to the NHL (if he controlled entries per 60 (16). makes it) because his execution patterns are so similar to the best in the NHL, such as Morgan Rielly. Offensive diversity is where Ylönen’s upside as a scorer lies. He’s a dual- threat attacker, relying on shot variety as a scorer and the gravitational Over the past two seasons, Brook’s improved as a shooter by decreasing pull of his speed to set up teammates. Wrist, one-time, backhand and his shot distance and adding in more shooting variety. He’s a more redirection shots are all feature heavily in his arsenal, showing upside as confident shooter; picking corners as well as shooting for rebounds and a one-touch, two-touch and possession shooter. Improving his timing deflections. At 5-on-5, he’s hardly a scoring threat from the point because around goal and adding deception to his shot could turn him from a his shot’s value is more based on improving location, speed of release skilled shooter to a dangerous finisher. and placement more so than power and one-timers. Moose Jaw’s power play was tailor-made for Brook’s strengths – skating, movement, pace – Speed and skill give Ylönen this natural gravity; defenders are pulled which allowed him to pot half of his 16 goals. towards him, leaving Ylönen’s teammates open. Figuring out how to better exploit this will be critical for Ylönen, who’s a technically skilled With separation speed, a deft touch and pace-pushing passing ability, passer but suffers from tunnel vision at times. His gravitational pull sucks Brook has all the tools to become an impact transition player in the NHL. in defenders along the boards, where Ylönen should be dangerous given Once he limits his tendency to rush the puck straight into layers with no his rather ridiculous combination of sharp cutbacks followed by a one- escape plan, his upside will only increase. He turns short spurts of step separation burst. But his timing is off; either he escapes too early possession into long-range passes, short-range area passes that his (before the defenders have closed in, which doesn’t open up the passing teammates can skate into with speed and break-in rushes that penetrate options), or too late (when both defenders have pinned Ylönen to the the offensive zone. All-in-all, he makes his forwards’ jobs much easier; at boards). times, he’s a transition cheat code. Defensively, Ylönen applies his speed with a never-ending motor by Defence has been an area of continual growth for Brook. He remains taking the extra stride to catch the hips of the puck carrier, making for an assertive in the neutral zone, closing gaps and breaking up plays. Net- easy steal. He’s high-pressure in all scenarios but shows discipline in front coverage and risk mitigation around the boards have improved, as positioning. Although his defensive zone reads need some improvement, Brook has become better at closing space and funneling attacks to the I think he could become a solid penalty killer with 5-on-5 defensive points. The next step is weeding out the pointless aggressiveness, often upside, given his motor and awareness. occurring in the neutral zone where Brook tends to surrender the middle by trying to break up a play along the boards far too early. Like Brook, Ylönen is already a highly effective player at his level but hasn’t yet maximized his tools. Without improvement, Ylönen looks like a Brook is such an appealing prospect because he’s already highly potential top-nine forward who brings a unique dimension. With growth, productive without having maximized his tools. Sorting out a few of the he projects as a potential plug-and-play top-six forward with special decision-making issues, moving off-puck more in the offensive zone and teams value. Ylönen will return to Liiga next season, where he’s a solid expanding his shot arsenal are minor tweaks that could significantly bet to be among the league’s better players. increase his impact. I’m comfortable projecting Brook as a potential top- Ranking Explanation: This closely-ranked group of Ylönen, Brook and 2) Nick Suzuki – C – Guelph Storm (OHL) Romanov features a potential top-six forward and two potential top-four defenders. The difference is razor-thin, and I don’t see Ylönen as being Age: 19 | Acquired via trade with Vegas Golden Knights, drafted No. 13 any more certain than the two defenders (less so, in fact). Instead, in 2017 Ylönen’s ranking is based on the central premise of this list: Identifying Stats: 59 GP, 34G, 60A, 94 Pts, 1.59 P/GP potential top-of-the-lineup players. Ylönen’s skill set is slightly closer to fitting that criteria than the two defenders. He’s the best skater in the Between regular season and playoffs, Suzuki scored 367 points in his organization with hands to match, a dual-threat offensive skill set and a last 240 games in the OHL. That’s a staggering 1.53 points per game never-ending motor. I don’t see the skill from Romanov or the decision- clip, including 0.62 goals per game. He won the OHL’s Most making, defensive awareness and consistency from Brook to become Sportsmanlike Player three consecutive times. He’s an OHL champion. top-pairing defenders, at least in the (somewhat arbitrary) way that I He was named the OHL Playoffs MVP. define such a player. I’m not saying Ylönen’s a top-line player. I’ll be Only one other player on this list creates scoring chances with the ease gobsmacked if he becomes one, but slightly less so than if Romanov or Suzuki does. The tools alone are impressive enough; he finds the tiniest Brook become legitimate top-pairing defenders. of seams in just about every possible way as both a shooter and passer. 3) Ryan Poehling – C – St. Cloud State University (NCHC-NCAA) But the layers of Suzuki’s attacking game are truly impressive; the head and shoulder fakes, the problem-solving, the willingness to stay with the Age: 20 | Drafted no. 25 in 2017 play and so on.

Stats: 36GP 8G 23A 31P, 0.86 P/GP There are two standout offensive qualities in Suzuki’s game: Dual-threat Hat trick in his NHL debut, World Juniors MVP and NCHC First All-Star offence and deception. The two are virtually inseparable, with Suzuki Team – Ryan Poehling had a season to remember. While his production playing off the threat of his shot to pass and vice-versa. He added the with St. Cloud plateaued on a higher-scoring team, both his scoring drawback and delay wrister, in which he shows the goaltender shot, but chances and scoring chance assists increased despite having less help. then he doesn’t shoot. On its own, the delay is a clever way to shoot in open ice when the shot is expected because it keeps the goaltender The main reason why Poehling was able to bolster his offensive creation guessing. But Suzuki often turns that delay into a pass instead, turning was improved rush habits. He’s swapped single-speed attacks for mid- the clever play into a weapon. rush changes of speed and straight-line attacks for crossover heavy attacks that zigzag across the dotted line testing the defence for Another example: Post-Guelph trade, Suzuki started using the curl and weaknesses. His creativity as a handler has blossomed, and even if his drag shot to change the angle and use the defender as a screen. Then hands are relatively average, he attacks with so much pace and Suzuki started using a fake curl and drag shot to set up a pass. That’s deception that he fools defenders before a deke is even necessary. the interaction between dual-threat offence and deception.

The benefit of diversifying rush patterns is it improves overall offensive Suzuki combines these details and skills with creative puck handling and diversity. Poehling’s playmaking has taken another leap forward (not that an increased pace of attack. He masks shots and passes with his it needed to), as he connects with tape-to-space and cross-ice passes in stickhandling just as often as he uses the soft touch to walk right through just about every possible scenario. a defender. His in-tight handling, hand-eye and body positioning give him crafty walks to escape without a separation burst. This season, he began The second benefit of improved rush habits has been increased scoring attacking at a higher pace, crossing over the dotted line more and chance generation for Poehling himself. His off-puck tendencies have attacking the net more often. improved, not just driving down the middle lane but keeping his stick on the ice and body ready to transition into a shooting motion. As Suzuki finds ways to improve his transitional value, he continues to increase his defensive value. He applies the vision that makes him so Despite what Poehling’s NHL debut might suggest, he’s a playmaker dangerous offensively in the defensive end, anticipating and deflecting first; everything else in his game is secondary and will probably remain passes. Improved balance gave Suzuki an edge in puck battles that he that way. He’s still an average shooter from any range beyond a few didn’t previously have. Suzuki’s versatility is exemplified in his defensive metres. Pressure causes his shooting mechanics to crumble as he plays at both wing and centre in all situations. hurries to shoot before setting his feet. There’s limited deception or placement ability in his shot. The best players improve. Improvements are often achieved through a change of habits, which is difficult. Expecting to significantly alter nearly None of this is meant to say Poehling won’t score goals in the NHL. lifelong tendencies in the few years that a player’s window to make the Rather, his first two NHL goals are good reflections of how he’s going to NHL exists is unrealistic. The best players also adapt. Adaptation is often score. Both of them came by outsmarting and outworking 6-foot-5 minute, occurring in-game to changing situations. The ability to adapt is Toronto Maple Leafs centre Frederik Gauthier. For the first, Poehling woven into a player’s fabric; if they don’t have it, it’s unlikely they ever gains body positioning and keeps his stick on the ice. For the second, he will. steals the puck on the forecheck and makes a timed off-puck drive into space around an unaware Gauthier for a deflection. While these are skills Suzuki’s does both. He improved this season by adding more pace (for he didn’t feature heavily in the NCAA, Poehling rarely had the chance to example, building or maintaining speed through a rush) to increase the make those plays. diversity of his rushes. He adapts by recognizing how the penalty kill plays his power-play unit, then altering his approach, often mid-shift, to It’s impossible to untangle Poehling’s offence from his defence. Few start tearing the opposition apart. players weaponize turnovers better than Poehling; including NHL players. He applies tremendous pressure while also remaining an active The innate abilities to improve and adapt are why Suzuki’s not just support player. He funnels plays up the boards and shows the another high-scoring junior player; they’re why he’s a top prospect. anticipation and effort to make a timed steal. Those abilities are why I believe Suzuki will find success early in his professional journey and then continue to improve until he finds another Progression is paramount, and Poehling has already achieved plenty of level. it. The improvements he made this season were more like icing on the cake; they weren’t necessary to get him to the NHL, but they make him Ranking Explanation: I’ve talked a lot about dual-threats in this series – that much better. Poehling’s ready for the professional level. It might not Suzuki’s the best of them. He is the organization’s second-best shooter be the NHL immediately, but I suspect it won’t be long before he’s a and best playmaker. He brings legitimate defensive value. His regular. adaptability, layered game and the high-end skill make him easily projectable to the NHL. I see a potential top-six forward, with greater Ranking Explanation: I see Poehling as standing alone in his own tier in certainty in reaching that upside than Poehling and Ylönen. this ranking; he’s clearly above the Romanov-Brook-Ylönen grouping, but his upside is behind the next two. He’s not the shooter, skater or handler 1) Cole Caufield – RW – USNTDP U18s that Ylönen is, but he produces a higher volume of similarly dangerous Age: 18 | Drafted No. 15 in 2019 plays. In short, Poehling’s execution rate is higher. He falls behind the next two players because he doesn’t have their skill and they execute at Stats: 64 GP, 72G, 28A, 100 Pts, 1.56 P/GP a higher rate. That’s not a slight, because the following two players Caufield didn’t just score goals; he scored goals at a historic rate. No include one of the best dual-threat scorers outside the NHL and a guy USNTDP player has scored more goals in a single season. The closest is who scores a goal every time he takes a breath. Auston Matthews, with a comparatively paltry 55 in five fewer games. evaluator (me) has to acknowledge and accept how much they don’t Scoring that many goals isn’t just a product of his shot, which is already know. among the best in the world. It’s also a product of the way Caufield thinks and how nearly every detail of his game links to the sole purpose of Think of prospect evaluation like an iceberg. Everything I’ve written in this scoring goals. series has been based on what I see on the surface – the tip of the iceberg sticking out of the water. I can see a player skate, shoot or The diversity of Caufield’s goal-scoring is one of many reasons I believe handle the puck with reasonable confidence. But there’s so much more he’ll score goals in the NHL. The layers on top of his shooting ability are lurking under the surface that I can’t see. genuinely exceptional. Take his wrister, for example, which has duck-for- cover power and laser-precision placement. Then he adds the ability to I can’t see the personality of a player, their work ethic, or thousands of shoot off either foot or both feet, pointed towards goal or away from it. pieces of information that make up a player’s decision-making or His release is adaptable to the situation; shooting with hands in front of mindset. Even what I can see – what I feel most confident in evaluating – hips for a quick release under pressure or with a drag back to maximize is uncertain because of cognitive and contextual biases that plague my power when shooting is the apparent option. own (and everyone’s) ability to observe, identify and explain what they see. What Caufield does before the shot also matters. He seeks out defenders to use as screens, building such detail directly into his rush This should be a strong prospect pool; the Canadiens drafted 28 players patterns. When he cuts laterally to change the geometry of defenders, in the past three years and signed a few more. The organization holds he’s challenging defenders to step up and screen their goaltender. high-end prospects in Caufield and Suzuki, plus several other high- upside bets. In total, 38 players were eligible for this ranking (I excluded With deception built into his shot, Caufield fools goaltenders who can’t four due to limited viewings). keep up as he shoots out of curl and drags or changes his release point. Caufield often uses deception to open up the goaltender; shooting not to Amassing that level of quantity is a way to combat the natural uncertainty an opening, but to a spot that will open once the goaltender reacts to the that comes with prospect evaluation — the more swings, the better. shot. That’s next level. Compared to previous years, the Canadiens have four strikes at this at- bat instead of three. Offensive feel is such an essential part of Caufield’s success as a scorer. It’s not just evident in his shooting from range, but also the goals that he My list isn’t right. It’s almost certainly wrong. This project is so gratifying scores off the rush or around the goal. He’s always moving off the puck, for me in that it allows me to identify where I went wrong and pushes me ready to pounce on a loose puck or rebound in the slot. His activations to adjust and adapt the process. Analyzing hockey’s future stars and into pockets of space are brilliantly timed and the size of the pocket making projections is an endless pursuit of knowledge. Each year, new necessary for Caufield to finish is much smaller than required for the players are introduced whose futures are uncertain and unpredictable. average player. His shooting mechanics are unshakable, even while Watching how the players progress or evolve throughout their careers, tightly checked. He also uses the width of the ice, flaring out wide to dip and subsequently how my views change with it, is endlessly fascinating off the defence’s radar only to reemerge with perfect timing. to me.

There are heaps of other details in Caufield’s shot, too. His one-timer is This ranking is merely a snapshot of my opinion – founded on thousands almost as dangerous as his wrister, while his hand-eye coordination and of hours of work, sure – at a given point in time. It doesn’t matter. footwork allow him to turn bad passes into goals. There’s also the way he Honestly, the ranking’s irrelevant compared to the information inside the makes the slightest of movements to decrease his distance to goals and profiles. improve his angle, illustrating his ultra-quick space recognition. And we Finally, a big shout out to the editing staff for making this outrageously in- can’t forget the way Caufield continually adjusts his positioning on the depth pile of words into digestible articles. And thanks to our subscribers power play, often moving right down to the goal line, where he’s still a for following along. threat. Anyway, you get the point. This dude scores goals.

Caufield’s more than just goal-scorer, showing an ability to return those same high-skill passes his teammates set him up with. Perhaps we’ll see The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 more of his playmaking and ability to use the threat of his shot to pass with the University of Wisconsin. He also shows defensive upside with his motor, strength and anticipation. Apart from size, the only notable flaw is that Caufield didn’t make much of an impact in transition with the USNTDP. But he also played with some of the very best transition prospects in the world, so his role likely influenced this.

Perhaps no other prospect in the world scores goals like Caufield. His flaws are few and marginal. There’s always uncertainty in projecting prospects and Caufield’s no different. But he’s a better gamble than any other player in the organization. If there’s a reason – beyond the natural luck and uncertainty that come with projecting players – to believe that Caufield won’t score goals in the NHL, I’d love to hear it. I suspect he’s a one-and-done at Wisconsin.

Ranking Explanation: Picking Caufield No. 1 wasn’t easy. I think, based on the parameters of this list, Suzuki has a legitimate case too. There are fewer question marks around Suzuki’s game mostly because he was drafted two years ago, therefore we have more information on him. Picking Suzuki is familiarity bias, while choosing Caufield is recency bias. Regardless, Caufield scores more goals; he has the upside to score goals at a high-end and perhaps even at an elite level.

Conclusions

Evaluating prospects is not science. It’s not even art. It’s gambling; educated gambling, perhaps, but ultimately, prospects are uncertain commodities. They haven’t made the NHL; there’s a very real possibility, no matter how great they appear, they won’t make it. Some are better bets than others. But every bet comes with uncertainty and every bet requires some amount of luck to hit.

There’s uncertainty not just in how the players turn out, but what they are currently. There’s only so much research one person can do. Thus, the 1107624 Nashville Predators

Single-game Predators tickets go on sale Tuesday

Paul Skrbina, Nashville Tennessean

Published 6:14 p.m. CT Aug. 7, 2019 | Updated 6:31 p.m. CT Aug. 7, 2019

Seats for Predators games at Bridgestone Arena can be difficult to come by.

The team has sold out 153 consecutive games. Single-game tickets for the 2019-20 season go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Ticketmaster.com, the team said Wednesday.

“Every game in Smashville is special thanks to the atmosphere that our fans have created and the on-ice play of the back-to-back Central Division champion Predators,” CEO and president Sean Henry said in a statement. “We are looking forward to making each game even more unique this season.”

Various theme nights and giveaways, including six player bobblehead nights, are planned. That information is scheduled to be announced Monday.

Single-game premium options will allow fans to purchase tickets that include suites that can hold 16-50 people. Additional information is available by calling 615-770-7888 or e-mailing [email protected].

Fans also will be able to buy a Nashville Predators Foundation package that will give the buyer access to four charity events – Petey's Party, a fashion show, a wine fest and a beer fest.

Tennessean LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107625 New York Islanders have homes near the proposed construction site are "still being worked out."

Islanders arena project up for final approval Thursday Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.08.2019

By Candice Ferrette and Jim Baumbach [email protected], [email protected] @candiceferrette

Updated August 7, 2019 8:47 PM

A $1.3 billion project intended to bring the Islanders back to Nassau County faces a critical vote Thursday that could result in work beginning as early as this month on a new arena and entertainment complex on state land at Belmont Park.

The six-member board of Empire State Development, the state agency overseeing economic development in New York, meets in midtown Manhattan at 3 p.m. and is expected to vote on final approval for the project.

Last week, the state Public Authorities Control Board approved ESD’s acquisition of the 43-acre Belmont property from the state Franchise Oversight Board, the agency that oversees the New York Racing Association. The Franchise Oversight Board still would need to approve the state’s environmental review.

The approvals would pave the way for the return of the Islanders to Long Island. Backers also say the project would generate an estimated $858 million in economic impact, and that a new, full-service Long Island Rail Road stop, infrastructure repairs and thousands of jobs also would be created.

“This is about our pride as Long Islanders. The Islanders belong here — let’s get Belmont done,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat, said Wednesday.

New York Arena Partners, developers of the project, plan to build a 19,000-seat arena, 350,000 square feet of upscale shops and restaurants, a 250-room hotel and parking on the vacant public property at Belmont Park.

The development group is a partnership of the owners of the Islanders, the New York Mets and the arena development company Oak View Group.

Some civic groups representing residents in the surrounding communities of Floral Park, Elmont and Bellerose have taken issue with the size and scope of the arena project since Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced the plan in December 2017.

Residents of the area close to Belmont have warned of increased traffic, water usage, noise and light pollution. About 150 residents, public officials and civic leaders gathered Monday to express concern about the prospect of final approvals. They have asked the state for additional time to respond to the final environmental impact statement because it includes new elements such as the new train station.

Michael Murphy, a Manhattan-based environmental law attorney representing Floral Park Village, wrote to ESD on August 1 that the state agency "has fundamentally failed to consider local community needs and desires" and added new elements to the project that haven't been studied, such as the new LIRR station.

Last month, Cuomo announced a plan to build the new LIRR Elmont station at a cost of $105 million. The arena developers would pay the state $50 million upfront for the project, including $30 million for the train station and nearly all the remaining balance to the state over the next 30 years, interest-free.

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) called the 20 months of work to get the project to the final approval stage, "an example of what can happen when government, business and the community can come together to everyone’s collective benefit. We looked at the project and brought some important concerns to the forefront."

Kaminsky called the LIRR station "a game-changer" and also noted additional planned funding for schools, parks and a new community center in Elmont. Kaminsky said some of the concerns of residents who 1107626 NHL Mandrycky came to Seattle from the Minnesota Wild, where she’d been a data analyst since 2016 working with lead hockey researcher Andrew Thomas — her former colleague at the War on website.

All eyes on how GM Ron Francis will ‘build out’ the analytics department She was known as a strong programmer who designed systems that of Seattle’s NHL team made it easier for Wild officials to digest numbers thrown their way, while Thomas was seen as having strengths on the analysis and strategy side. But Minnesota opted not to retain Thomas this past spring and Aug. 7, 2019 at 6:00 am Updated Aug. 7, 2019 at 8:15 am unsuccessfully tried to keep Mandrycky, who joined NHL Seattle just ahead of Wild GM Paul Fenton being fired last week after only one By Geoff Baker season. Seattle Times staff reporter It remains to be seen whether Mandrycky assumes the lead data analysis role here.

It’s been four years since nanotechnology expert Eric Tulsky quit his day Not surprisingly, there’s been speculation Francis will hire Tulsky away job developing electric vehicle batteries in California and moved his from the Hurricanes. That would place Tulsky in the senior role here — family to North Carolina to launch an entirely different career. he’s one of only two NHL team vice presidents in an analytics position, along with recently hired Tyler Dellow of the — though Then-Carolina Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis, now with the combo of his and Mandrycky’s skills would leave Seattle superbly Seattle’s NHL franchise, had employed Tulsky part-time for a season as stocked. a long-distance hockey analytics consultant but wanted to make him a full-time data analyst heading up a department devoted to statistics- Tulsky declined to discuss subjects unrelated to his current and past crunching. For Tulsky, who’d grown up a Flyers fan in Philadelphia work for the Hurricanes. before launching the Outnumbered hockey analytics website, it was a There’s also been talk, predating Francis’ arrival, of NHL Seattle CEO risky move into a field the NHL had only started embracing. Tod Leiweke luring longtime Tampa Bay Lightning director of hockey “We anguished about it for a bit because it’s not an easy thing to leave a analytics Michael Peterson with a VP promotion. It was under Leiweke, career and a bunch of training you’ve put into it,’’ said Tulsky, 44, who CEO of the Lightning from 2010 to 2015, that Peterson became one of holds a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry and physics from Harvard and a the game’s most respected specialists in his field. doctorate in chemistry from UC-Berkeley. “But it seemed like a good Just ahead of Leiweke’s final season with the Lightning in 2014-15, the opportunity, so we moved out there. And that was four years ago.’’ team signed a deal with TIBCO Software Inc. — a leading data and Tulsky was since promoted last year to Hurricanes vice president of analytics discovery platform — to better analyze the copious statistical hockey management strategy, owed largely to current Seattle GM information they were collecting. And that type of analysis will now be Francis having taken his work seriously right away. Where some teams critical with the league’s new tracking data becoming available. have been accused of marginalizing analytics personnel, Tulsky insists: The need to quickly incorporate that new data within its expansion draft “From the day I started, they brought me in because they wanted to hear planning means NHL Seattle could make any senior analytics hires — what I had to say.’’ especially any above Mandrycky — from within the league’s existing All eyes are now on Francis and what he’ll do analytics-wise with a talent pool rather that importing outsiders unfamiliar with inner workings Seattle franchise launching in October 2021. of teams. Unlike four or five years ago, when Mandrycky, Thomas, Tulsky and others were hired from online blogs, the league today is well- NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said the day Francis was named GM that stocked with analytical minds. work with analytics was a major reason, calling him “a visionary who understood that there’s new competitive advantages coming by way of That doesn’t mean bloggers aren’t still being hired. The Devils just picked analytics and technology and we wanted somebody — especially in up Matt Cane from Hockey Graphs to serve as their analytics director Seattle — who had that skill set.’’ under VP Dellow, while longtime Hockey Prospectus author Rob Vollman last year became a senior analyst with the Los Angeles Kings. The team already had analytics specialist Alexandra Mandrycky as a director of hockey administration, but Francis has said he’ll work with her A potential future NHL recruit is Dominik Zrim, 39, Montreal-based co- “as we build that department out.’’ That could take much of the next year, founder of the CapFriendly.com website devoted to salary cap issues. but will involve adding staffers. Zrim watched three years ago as the Vegas Golden Knights hired Tom Poraszka, founder of a competitor cap-related site, as their hockey In Carolina, where Francis had fewer financial resources than is operations analyst and said blogger poaching typically comes in spurts. expected here, the Hurricanes’ analytics staff was initially limited to Tulsky. “There was a huge thing in spring 2014 where clubs were just scoping out guys and their websites and bringing them onboard,” Zrim said. “And It wasn’t until just before his final 2017-18 season as Hurricanes GM that then, it slowed down a bit where you might have one or two guys a year. Francis approved adding Toronto native Kevin Kan — who’d also run a But in the last six months, there’s been a spike.” hockey analytics website — as a data engineer. Those working with the Hurricanes say Tulsky and Kan became regulars at meetings with scouts Zrim said one NHL assistant GM told him to expect “an arms race” for and coaches. analytics staffers ahead of next season’s flood of new stats.

“They didn’t come in trying to tell everybody how to do their jobs,’’ one “I think teams are gearing up for this next evolution in hockey analytics source said. “But as time went on, you could tell they were being listened and they don’t want to be left behind the eight-ball.” to because a lot of their ideas were what we ended up doing.’’ Among bloggers not already with teams, Seattle fans might keep an eye Under new Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, Kan was promoted this on twins Luke and Josh Younggren from Evolving Wild in Minnesota. summer to a hockey operations developer role, and Matt Walter was Mandrycky had an up-close view of their work while with the Wild. hired as data engineer. A new data scientist position has also been filled We need your support by a soon-to-be-announced hiring. In-depth journalism takes time and effort to produce, and it depends on The bolstered staff of four leaves the Hurricanes among the bigger paying subscribers. If you value these kinds of stories, consider analytics crews in the league — though it’s difficult to determine exactly subscribing. how many analytics staffers teams employ as they sometimes incorporate them within separate departments. Zrim agreed the Younggren twins have as good a grasp on analytics as any bloggers. He also listed Micah Blake McCurdy of the Nova Scotia- But Seattle’s team will need at least two such staffers and likely more as based HockeyViz site, Manny Perry of Corsica Hockey in Montreal and the NHL this coming season provides teams with reams of additional Brad Timmins from Natural Stat Trick in Ottawa as potential recruits. game data courtesy of player- and puck-tracking technology. One thing’s certain: Mandrycky should soon have more departmental co- workers than Tulsky did under Francis early on. The Hurricanes offered Tulsky his initial part-time role not long after being one of only a handful of teams that paid to attend a seminar he hosted on the state of NHL analytics in a Philadelphia hotel conference room during the 2014 NHL draft. Tulsky said it still took a while to gain the trust of Francis and others.

“Anybody new, whether in analytics or a scout, needs to prove themselves a little bit,” Tulsky said.

Another reason Francis and company likely want their department fully operational well ahead of serious player decisions.

Seattle Times LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107627 Philadelphia Flyers “He doesn’t have a physical attribute that you say that’s the ‘wow factor’ to, but he does have a mental one. He has this innate ability to know where the puck is going. And that sounds obvious, but it’s more than Why Flyers prospects Joel Farabee and Cam York don’t need a ‘wow hockey sense. He’s just a guy that the puck finds him because he’s so factor’ to be stars smart and he knows where to go,” Pearl said.

“He’s just a really cerebral player, and he’s a lot of fun to coach in that regard because he can do some things and slow the game down to make By Scott Wheeler Aug 7, 2019 plays when everything seems to be going chaotically. He kind of is just able to slow it down mentally and then make some really, really high-end

passes. He doesn’t have a shot like Ovechkin, but he has a good shot, PLYMOUTH, Mich. — In many ways, hockey has always been about the you know? He can do it all well.” attention-grabbers. Like USA Hockey’s staff, Pearl could see Farabee cracking the Flyers as The thud of Scott Stevens running someone over. Pavel Bure’s ice- a teenager. shredding explosiveness. The clack of Alex Ovechkin’s one-timer. Peter “I think he’ll handle the jump well. From the NTDP to here was a big Forsberg weaving through — or around — entire teams with the puck on jump, and jumping from here to the NHL is going to be a big jump, but a string. These are the players who’ve captivated us. he’s good enough to do it,” Pearl said. “I’m curious to see how much ice But for all of those “wow factor” superstars, there have been players who time he can get early on. lacked one of those standout skills and have made hockey work in a “However long it takes him to establish himself, he will establish himself different way. Jonathan Huberdeau had 92 points last season, three as a very, very good NHL player.” more than Ovechkin. Elias Lindholm, Jake Guentzel, Tomas Hertl and Mika Zibanejad all outscored Dylan Larkin and his catch-your-eye speed When York de-committed from Boston College last fall, the coaching staff and Mat Barzal and his you-can’t-hit-me carving. They were just quieter at the University of Michigan knew one thing: They had to put their best when they did it. foot forward.

Last week, inside USA Hockey Arena as part of the World Junior It wasn’t about whether York could replace the outgoing Quinn Hughes’ Summer Showcase, two Flyers prospects showed the entirety of the dynamic skating ability. He couldn’t. But the team had a void that needed hockey world — whose eyes were fixated on their teammates, from filling, and the coaches knew immediately that York was their guy. Arthur Kaliyev’s shot to K’Andre Miller’s power and Trevor Zegras’ shocking creativity — that it also pays to just be efficient. Assistant coach Brian Wiseman got to know York and his family when he was playing for Shattuck St. Mary’s years ago, and he has never doubted When it was all over and USA Hockey had wrapped up its competition the player’s talent level. There’s a difference, he thinks, between flash with a 5-3 win over Team Canada, it was Cam York who, after drawing and efficiency. And York doesn’t need the former to be the latter. the original penalty, set up Oliver Wahlstrom on the power play to open the scoring. And it was Joel Farabee who picked up an assist on the 2-1 “He’s extremely productive. It’s just not a high-risk way,” Wiseman said. goal while running the point on another power play. Then, with the score “There might be Player A that is a plus-five in scoring chances in a game tied 3-3, Farabee gave the Americans the lead on his first shift of the but he’s plus-nine on one end and minus-four on the other end to give third period, tapping in a rebound of a Jack Drury shot. him that plus-five. And that’s good, but I think Cam is going to get to plus- five by going plus-six and minus-one in his approach and how he Farabee is a 6-foot, 163-pound winger who has always been productive manages his game. wherever he has played. “There’s not a lot of high risk to his game, but there’s certainly a lot of He was the national development program captain who played a support reward, whether it’s himself or the guys on the ice, whether it’s his outlets role to Jack Hughes and Oliver Wahlstrom before being asked to do the out of the D-zone, his transition game, his decision-making through the reverse as the go-to offensive freshman with a lacklustre Boston neutral zone or the offensive zone. He’s got a high skill level: his skating, University team. There, his 36 points in 37 games and 0.97 points per his sense, his ability to make plays with the puck. I just think he does it at game rate led all under-19 NCAA players. a very, very efficient rate. Maybe some don’t appreciate that as much as I do.” “I can play a lot of different roles. And that helps me for future teams and hopefully making the Flyers. That’s how I’ve always played, being good Described as mature, self-motivated, personable, not the most outgoing, in the defensive zone but also creating plays,” Farabee said when the and quietly confident, York has an off-ice demeanor that is similar to his camp was over. “It doesn’t limit me to how I’m going to play in the NHL. I on-ice play, Wiseman said. think it’s a good thing. I just work on everything and go from there. “He’s not about ‘me.’ He’s a refreshing individual to know. He’s a fairly “I definitely think I can create a lot of turnovers, so that can create quiet, reserved individual, and his game emulates that in a confident way, offense for us.” not in a passive way by any means,” Wiseman said.

Farabee has become so efficient that the Team USA staff is worried he “It’s going to be exciting to have him here because he’s going to play a might not be available for the world juniors because he’ll make the Flyers big role on this team and in this team’s success early on, from playing in out of camp. all situations and big-time minutes. Cam’s going to be counted on to come in and be impactful, and we’re very confident that he’ll be able to “He has what’s called poise,” USA Hockey general manager John do that.” Vanbiesbrouck said when asked about Farabee’s ability to defy his talent. Cam York (Rena Laverty / USA Hockey)

“One of the most famous hockey players in the history of the game is With that demeanor and that efficiency come lofty expectations. As Bryan Trottier. And he reminds me of the poise of Bryan a lot because he Vanbiebrouck did for Farabee, Michigan associate head coach Bill can hold on to pucks and he’s very slippery, very elusive, and he thinks Muckalt wasn’t afraid to attach a significant name for comparison with at the speed he plays. And to be able to do that in the game is going to York. make you a very effective player.” “I hate to give lofty comparisons, but he reminds me a lot of Brian Leetch. Farabee’s elite skill is the indiscernible kind. Just the way he skates, his poise. He’s got a bright future ahead of him. He can score, he can make plays, and we’re excited to work with him,” Boston University associate head coach Paul Pearl describes Farabee Muckalt said. as a student of the game who takes coaching well, loves video and inherently knows where he needs to improve — or what he lacks on a “He’s kind of laid back off the ice. He’s got some moxie that way where I given night — and will fix it. don’t think he gets real excited. He’s got a calmness about him, and I think that’s going to be a real good attribute for him. We don’t want to put Pearl said he “marveled” at Farabee’s in-game thought process and his any added pressure on him, but I definitely think we expect him to run our consistency as an 18-year-old freshman. According to Pearl, Farabee top power play from Day 1 and there’s always a bit of an adjustment, but was “effective in almost every single game.” I think for him it’s going to be minimal. Once he’s comfortable, it will bode well for us.”

As with Farabee, York’s position, barring injury, is also already basically penciled in for Team USA at the world juniors. The team’s head coach, Scott Sandelin, pointed to York’s mobility and vision as his standout skills.

“Wait until he gets stronger, too,” he added.

Teammate Bode Wilde called York an “unbelievable player” who “does everything well.”

Vanbiesbrouck called York’s camp “tremendous.”

“Cam’s above his years with patience and poise. We talk about so many of the 01s, and sometimes we don’t talk about Cam York and how hard it is to play that position and have that presence back there,” Vanbiesbrouck said.

“We were wondering how he would play back there with getting so much pressure, and we have no problem with his game. We’re happy he’s on our side.”

This season, both players are excited to get started with their new teams: Farabee in Philadelphia and York in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Farabee, the team’s 14th overall pick in 2018, thinks he can take a job with the Flyers but is happy to prove himself in Lehigh Valley if he doesn’t — and proud to represent Team USA at the world juniors, too.

York, the team’s 14th overall pick in 2019, looks forward to rooming with national development program teammate John Beecher, as well as the time with Team USA, he hopes.

When asked about each other, Farabee and York couldn’t help but point to their similarities.

“He plays a lot like me on the defensive side. He can play offensive, and he can play really good D. He’s the type of player that you can put in all situations and he’s going to do really well,” Farabee said.

York points to their consistency and their competitiveness, skills he believes matter as much as how hard they can shoot or how much they weigh.

“I feel like my hockey IQ is pretty good and I can see the game well, and it’s the same thing with Joel. As a forward, I’ve heard from (Alex) Turcotte a bunch of times that he’s just easy to play with, and I feel like on the backend that I’m kind of the same way. I just don’t put myself in a bad situation,” York said.

“Our games never really fluctuate, and we just bring it every night. We have a lot of similarities. I think offensively my game speaks for itself.”

Both acknowledged playing for coaches who would tell them that the strength of their games is that they don’t have a weakness.

“We don’t have Cole Caufield’s shot, but we have other things in our game that are special,” York said. “For (Farabee) to be on the Flyers is pretty cool. Hopefully, I can play with him.”

Unsurprisingly, the feeling is mutual.

“I love playing with Cam, and hopefully he’s not at college too long so that I can play with him,” Farabee said.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107628 Pittsburgh Penguins “That's just kind of little. You know, that's just mind games. It’s nothing. Me and him had some good run-ins throughout the whole series. I was playing a lot against him. You know, I don't have anything against him for Sidney Crosby talks puppy accidents, Stanley Cup runs in rare long-form that. I just got kind of annoyed that I had to answer." interview The hour-plus conversation also included plenty of superstition talk and discussion of former teammates. It’s worth a listen, because Crosby does not speak this openly often. ADAM BITTNER Post Gazette LOADED: 08.08.2019

Sidney Crosby marked his 32nd birthday Wednesday by giving fans a rare treat.

The Penguins captain, who typically takes a low profile publicly, opened up in a long-form interview with former teammates Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette, hosts of Barstool Sports’ Spittin' Chiclets hockey podcast.

The trio covered a variety of topics about Crosby’s life on and off the ice. Some, including his preference for privacy, were serious.

“I always felt like hockey was so scrutinized,” he explained. “There’s so much expectation that came with that, and there was a certain level of, when it came to my personal life, I just liked having that for me.”

Clayton Phillips meets with assistant GM Bill Guerin after being selected 93rd overall by the Penguins during the 2017 NHL draft in Chicago.

Other moments were much lighter and, in trademark Barstool fashion, a bit crass.

For example, Crosby famously lived with Penguins owner Mario Lemieux early in his career. The arrangement was immensely helpful in his transition to superstardom, but it also wasn’t without its, uh, crappy moments.

“They convince me get a dog right away,” Crosby said. “So I was like, I don't know if I need a dog right now. I can barely do my own laundry. So they convince me to get a dog. I have a puppy, still have the puppy to this day. Fourteen-year-old Sam. But anyways, so I come back after the game and I smell something. I’m like, ‘What is that?’ The puppy definitely [relieved himself] somewhere in the house, and I've got to find out where this is.

“So I'm looking everywhere, like all over the house, and finally I come around the corner, and [Lemieux] is cleaning up all of this [waste]. Like everywhere in the kitchen. I'm like, ‘Oh my God.’ So embarrassing. Mario Lemieux's cleaning up my dog [waste.] Like, this is so backwards, this should not be happening."

Probably not! But the relationship has worked out pretty well regardless, as Crosby has led the Penguins to three Stanley Cups since.

Those runs provided plenty of fodder for discussion, too. Here are some of the hockey talk highlights.

● On his personal rivalry with Washington star Alex Ovechkin: “We've been kind of built up against each other from Day 1, but we've had some good moments and bad ones. But that just comes with playing against him so much.

“I think it's just it's an easy story line, right? You’ve got the Canadian kid, the Russian kid. The rivalry there between just two totally different people as far as personalities are concerned."

● On goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s final years with the Penguins, when he lost his starting job to Matt Murray at a couple different points: “We kind of take that for granted, but the way he handled it ... I mean, you couldn't handle it any better. And especially being a goalie, there's that little, you know, it's a little different, a little more competitive in that position.

“It automatically wasn't a distraction. Obviously you feel for him; we're teammates. He got us to that point and we didn't know [in the 2017 playoffs] if they're going to rotate [when Murray returned from injury], if Murray was gonna go all the way. So you try not to read into it too much. It's part of the position, and we just try to go with it. But it worked out."

● On the infamous “bad breath” comments by Nashville’s P.K. Subban during the 2017 Stanley Cup final: “I was a little irritated, yeah. I mean, I think you could tell at the time when I was doing the interviews. It's just like the last thing I wanted to be talking about. But I mean, maybe that was part of it. 1107629 Pittsburgh Penguins March 2, 2012 — The Penguins had just practiced in Denver and would play there the following day. Crosby had returned from a concussion, but made it through only eight games before enduring more symptoms.

The untold stories of Sidney Crosby, behind the scenes, as he turns 32 He was skating with the team again by this time and was planning on returning to the lineup in a couple of weeks. It was pretty clear he was dealing with all sorts of emotions during the concussion. He had been By Josh Yohe Aug 7, 2019 scared he would never play again, concerned that his life could be permanently impacted, bored, frustrated and everything else imaginable.

By early March, he was symptom free. And he was getting a little angry. It’s probably time to consider retiring the “Sid the Kid” nickname as In Denver at altitude, Crosby decided to test himself. He was, by Sidney Crosby turns 32 today. anyone’s estimation, the best player on the ice during practice that day. One of the great things about Crosby, though, is that he handled himself And it was a long, fairly grueling practice. But his work was just as an adult from the time he arrived in Pittsburgh as an 18-year-old. beginning.

I’ve covered him for a decade, which has given me a different While his teammates left the ice, conducted interviews, showered and perspective of Crosby from behind the scenes, when the cameras are off. walked back to the team hotel, Crosby was still on the ice, giving himself The polished, thoughtful gentleman that you see on camera isn’t phony. the ultimate, high altitude test. It almost looked like he was punishing Crosby really is a champion in the game of life as well as in hockey. himself. A few people were in the building watching, and they were starting to look uncomfortable just from watching the workout he put If you’ve read my mailbags and Q&As over the years, perhaps you’ve himself through. already come across some of these tales. Nonetheless, they’re worth telling or, in some cases, re-telling. In an era where athletes often make When it was finally, thankfully over, Crosby stayed on one knee for headlines for truly horrendous reasons, Crosby has always conducted extended period of time, lost in his thoughts and nothing else. I believe himself as a role model. that was the moment when he knew the hurdle had finally been cleared.

The most frequently asked question I receive is inevitably, “What’s Sid April 22, 2012 — The Penguins had just been dismissed, with conviction, really like?” Hopefully this will help answer that question. Here’s a look at by the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs. Entering the postseason as 10 Crosby moments I’ve witnessed over the years, some of them larger the Stanley Cup favorite, the Penguins were embarrassed by their than life, and some of them simply serving as subtle reminders that the biggest rival. Penguins’ captain is has never been changed by that nine-figure bank Crosby hardly played poorly in that series, having just returned from his account. health issues to record eight points in six games. But had been outplayed March 22, 2010 — The Penguins had just lost to the Red Wings, 3-1, at by Claude Giroux and the Penguins had lost their minds, and the series, Joe Louis Arena. It had a big-game feel because those two teams had in one of the low moments in franchise history. met in the Stanley Cup final the previous two seasons, and there was a The locker room following Game 6 was a particularly somber one, as you sense they could meet again, which, of course, never happened. One might imagine. Crosby and Jordan Staal were the final players to leave month earlier, for historical perspective, Crosby had won the Olympic the room. Staal knew he would be traded that summer, that his time with gold medal game in overtime. the Penguins had come to an end. He sat beside Crosby, the two of them A group of reporters stood outside of the visitor’s locker room that night in barely able to speak. Detroit. Standing beside us was none other than Gordie Howe, who had In the distance, Crosby could hear the Flyers celebrating. The look on his a picture in his hand. The picture, it turns out, was from the Olympics, face told quite a story. He’s never made it a secret that he doesn’t care one that showcased Crosby celebrating his game-winning goal against for the Flyers. Losing to them had a big impact, and the look on his face the United States. Howe walked directly to Crosby. They shook hands, indicated that he never again intended on losing a playoff series against and then Howe said, “I need your autograph on this.” Crosby looked them. He could have left the room but instead just sat there, taking in the uncomfortable and said, “You’re Gordie Howe. You don’t want my noises and the celebrations. You could see it fueling him. So far, he’s autograph.” met them once and recorded 13 points in a six-game series victory in Howe responded, “I sure as hell do.” Crosby doesn’t look overwhelmed 2018. very often, but he almost did at that moment. He was very much in awe Nov. 20, 2012 — The true essence of Crosby was on display during the of Howe and has a healthy respect for the all-time greats. After signing lockout. He was 25, right in the heart of his prime, and was finally feeling the picture, Crosby shook Howe’s hand again. healthy after missing 101 games — not including a playoff series — Crosby then looked at the group of people watching. during the previous two seasons. All he wanted to do was play. And he couldn’t. “When he shakes your hand, it feels like your hand is going to break,” Crosby said. “God, he’s still strong.” During this time, Crosby and about 10 of his Pittsburgh-based teammates practiced daily at Southpointe. On this particular day, when Jan. 11, 2012 — I’ve told this one before, but it’s a good one. Crosby was his teammates were done for the day, Crosby stayed on the ice for an out with a concussion and, well, long story short, I ended up writing an additional half hour. There were hundreds of pucks on the ice, two nets article about him the day before that wasn’t my best. Long story. The and the greatest hockey player in the world. He stayed on the ice for 30 article suggested that Crosby needed to let Ray Shero know what was minutes after they were gone. When practice was over, the methodically going on with his health so that he could make a big move before the skated the two nets off the ice and into a storage room. He then corralled trade deadline if Crosby wasn’t going to play again that season. the pucks into the center of the ice, sat on the frozen surface and placed each puck into a bag. This became his routine on a daily basis. There Crosby didn’t like the article in the least, and I don’t blame him. I was told was something sad about watching Crosby carry nets off of the ice each by a team official that Sid wanted to talk in between periods in the press day. There was also something impressive about it. He’s no diva. It box in Washington, where the Penguins were in the process of losing became his custom, day after day, to stay on the ice for longer than their sixth straight game, this one a 1-0 setback to the Capitals. anyone else, and to save the maintenance staff in the building the extra Crosby and I chatted for most of the second period. He wasn’t happy but work of putting everything back where it belonged. it’s hard for him to get angry. It feels forced because he’s so friendly by Dec, 10, 2012 — Team officials weren’t allowed to be at Southpointe nature. But I could tell he was upset. He then said something to me that during the lockout. Those workouts were for players only. No media I’ll never forget: “I don’t know how I’m going to feel from one day to the relations officials allowed. So Crosby decided to serve as his own media next.” relations person. Really. What became most clear during this chat, other than the fact that he was I got a phone call from Crosby on the night of Dec. 10. It was a Monday. dealing with a medical ailment that is frighteningly unpredictable, was his devotion to Penguins fans. “Hey Josh, I know I told the media we were going to practice at Southpointe tomorrow. But something came up so we’re not going to be “I don’t ever want them to think I don’t care about winning and that I don’t able to now. I’m really sorry about it. I would feel awful if anyone drove to want to be out there,” he said. practice, and expected us to be there. So if you could please let The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 everyone know that we won’t be there tomorrow, I’d really appreciate it.”

March 25, 2013 — The Penguins were thinking about making a trade deadline splash: Jarome Iginla. Following practice, some of the team brass wanted to have a meeting and wanted Crosby to be involved. I don’t know what the meeting pertained to, but I’ll guess Iginla was one of the topics involved.

Ray Shero was hovering around the locker room after practice. Some coaches were around. Dan Bylsma was looking for his captain and finally said, “Does anyone know where Sid is?”

No one knew, in fact. Crosby almost always talks with reporters following practices but wasn’t around the locker room that day. Nothing to be concerned about. Maybe it was an equipment issue. Maybe he didn’t feel well. Maybe he was busy. These things happen.

A quick walk around the corner adjacent to the locker room told the story. Crosby was on his hands and knees, skates still on, having a conversation with a boy in a wheelchair that probably spanned 30 minutes. This is a common sight. Crosby always goes out of his way to not only greet people who deal with health struggles, but to actually listen to them and spend time with them. I see it all the time, but you never stop appreciating it. It’s not for show. It’s totally genuine, Jarome Iginla meetings be damned.

Jan. 11, 2014 — The Penguins had just won in Calgary. And it was cold. Really cold. And windy. Alberta winters aren’t usually pleasant, after all.

In Calgary, the team bus sits on the arena floor level, and there is a steep hill beside it. On top of the hill, some young Flames fans wanted to get a glimpse of Crosby and had composed a sign that was wishing him luck in the upcoming 2014 Olympics.

One by one, the Penguins filed onto their team bus. Upon seeing the sign, Crosby did a U-turn from the bus and raced up the hill to sign autographs for his young fans. I wish I’d have had the good sense to take a picture of the scene, because the respective looks on their faces was priceless. I’ve seen Crosby sign autographs for literally thousands of people, but that one always sticks out. Most people who encounter Crosby will only meet him once in their lives. He knows that. He’s too humble to ever talk about such things, but he knows it means a lot to people, and I’ve always sensed that he wants that one meeting to be a good one, every time.

March 6, 2014 — The Penguins had just acquired Lee Stempniak and Marcel Goc at the NHL trade deadline the following day. They had a morning skate in San Jose the next day. Like all players, Crosby is a creature of habit and always leaves the skate at the same time, maintaining the routine.

The Penguins took the ice at 11:30, were in their locker room at noon, and were gone for the team hotel by 12:30. But not Crosby. As the clock went from noon to 1, he just quietly stood outside of the Penguins’ locker room. I finally had to ask why.

“I think it’s important to make the new guys feel welcome,” he explained.

Finally, a little after 1 p.m., while the rest of the Penguins were enjoying a nap, Crosby was there to shake the hands of his two new teammates.

It’s funny. Crosby played perhaps the worst game of his life that evening, finishing as a minus-5 in a 5-3 loss. Maybe there is something to be said for maintaining a routine. But there’s something to be said for being a good captain, too. It was highlighted that day.

July 15, 2016 — The Stanley Cup was in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, for Crosby’s hometown parade following the Penguins’ 2016 triumph. Crosby rode in the back of a truck, proudly showcasing the Cup. He gave a speech in front of thousands of people. It was a lovely afternoon, the perfect day for such an occasion.

When the speech was over, Crosby met with a few reporters for interviews and said hello to a few people in the area. He was then supposed to jump back in the truck and head back to his parents’ house to spend a day celebrating with family. After an hour, everyone was starting to wonder where Crosby was. Troy and Trina weren’t sure.

A look around the corner provided the answer. Crosby had met two members of the Canadian military and was deeply engrossed in his conversation about their travels, which seemed far more interesting and poignant to him than speaking about hockey. 1107630 San Jose Sharks

Sharks jersey rankings: Why current teal sweater is third-best uniform

By Josh Schrock August 06, 2019 4:29 PM

Editor's note: The Sharks have been in existence for 28 years and have worn a variety of jerseys in that span - teal, black and white. NBC Sports California ranked the five best sweaters since San Jose first took the ice in 1991. We continue with the third-best Sharks jersey: The current teal sweater.

When you think of the Sharks, one of the first few things that come to mind is the iconic logo and the crisp teal that has become synonymous with the franchise.

As we continue our jersey rankings series, we have reached No. 3 on our list of top five sweaters. Coming in at No. 3 is ...

*Drumroll*

The Sharks' current teal sweater.

Slightly redesigned when Adidas took over NHL jersey manufacturing prior to the 2017-18 season, the Sharks' did their best to preserve the feel of the teal jerseys while making a few slight modifications.

"While much of the teal jersey will appear the same, as San Jose worked with Adidas to preserve the team's current uniform identity, the team did take advantage of uniform platform change to introduce the Screaming Sharks secondary mark on the shoulders of the jersey. The jersey will also feature the phrase "This Is Sharks Territory" on the inside of the neckline and the addition of black on the outside of the neckline."

The screaming Shark logo is something that really pops on these uniforms, and I've always been a big fan of putting a team moto on the neckline of any jersey. My only critique of these jerseys is the quad-color stripes on the elbows. I think it detracts from the overall crispness of the teal, but that's just picking nits to nitpick, you know?

Since adding the AdiZero Teal duds to the rotation, the Sharks have gone 91-54-19 with 201 points. They have yet to make it to the Stanley Cup Final in the fresh threads, but there's no doubt the current teal jerseys would pop under the brightest NHL lights.

Now, since we're all here to talk about jerseys and alternates are all the rage, I present an idea: What if Adidas flipped the logos to feature the screaming Shark on the front and the classic logo on the shoulders while doing away with the elbow stripes? Also, let's maybe go back to a lighter teal while we're at it.

Too far? Agree to disagree.

If you wouldn't buy a screaming Shark jersey than you're probably not a jersey guy.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107631 St Louis Blues The Blues' season opener against Washington on Oct. 2 will be broadcast by NBCSN, one of four times the Blues will appear on Wednesday Night Hockey, the network's premier hockey showcase.

Edmundson's deal leaves Blues $2.7 million under salary cap with one Though it's not a Blues game, St. Louis will be on NBC when the network player yet to sign broadcasts the All-Star Game on Jan. 25. NBCSN will carry the skills competition the day before.

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch Edmundson got a B- for his performance last season. Here's how his teammates fared

RYAN O'REILLY, Forward One of the last pieces on the Blues' roster puzzle fell into place on Tuesday when an arbitrator set defenseman Joel Edmundson's salary for It's all or nothing for the Blues in Game 7 2019-20 at $3.1 million. GORDO ON O'REILLY: He followed his tremendous regular season (28 The ruling leaves the Blues with about $2.7 million of space under the goals, 47 assists) by earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the NHL's salary cap and one player yet to sign, center Ivan Barbashev. He's a postseason MVP. O'Reilly battled on with broken ribs to score 23 playoff restricted free agent without arbitration rights, so his choices are limited: points. He regained some jump against Boston Bruins and got the Blues the Blues, the KHL or not playing. going in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final with one of his trademark deflection goals. During the regular season O'Reilly earned good puck Barbashev made $863,333 last season in the final year of his entry-level possession metrics (53.6 Corsi For, 54.3 Fenwick For) with his faceoff deal. After a 14-goal season and positive reviews for his play centering prowess (56.9 percent success) and sturdy all-around play. Better yet, the fourth line, he's looking to at least double that salary and maybe go his day-to-day work ethic raised the bar for a team that had lost its way. higher. Forward Oskar Sundqvist also had a 14-goal season and got a four-year deal with an average annual value of $2.75 million. Grade: A-PLUS

General manager Doug Armstrong on Monday told Post-Dispatch OSKAR SUNDQVIST, Forward columnist Ben Frederickson that the sides were close and it would take Game 7 Stanley Cup Final just one phone call, but he wasn't sure when that phone call would happen. GORDO ON SUNDQVIST: He came to training camp as an afterthought, given all the team's offseason additions and the limited role (one goal in Edmundson had an up-and-down season which made it tough to assess 42 games!) he played in 2017-18. But Sundqvist followed his regular exactly where he fits in the Blues' plans. He at times played on the top season breakout (14 goals, 17 assists in 74 games) with a brilliant defensive pairing, at other times on the bottom pairing, and three times in postseason. He, Ivan Barbashev and Alexander Steen became a key the regular season and four times in the playoffs was a healthy scratch shutdown line for coach Craig Berube in 5-on-5 play. Sundqvist averaged as he had issues with puck control, being charged with 24 giveaways in more than 16 minutes per game in the playoffs and earned a plus-5 22 playoff games. He was a healthy scratch in Games 5 and 6 of the rating despite frequently matching up against scoring lines. He also Stanley Cup Final with Boston but was back on the ice for Game 7. chipped in with four goals and five assists at even strength. When he played, it often wasn't much. In Games 4 and 7, he played just 7:24 and 9:04 respectively as the team relied on other members of the Grade: A defensive corps. IVAN BARBASHEV, Forward Edmundson is one of the youngsters in that unit. The 27-year-old Edmundson is younger than all his bluelinemates except Vince Dunn. Blues look to redeem in Game 4 Last season's defensive group is returning essentially intact. GORDO ON BARBASHEV: He was a human missile during the playoffs, "He is an important part of our defensive unit and we are looking forward delivering crushing body checks all over the ice to wear down opponents. to another successful year,” Armstrong said in the Blues' announcement His 87 hits in 25 games led the NHL playoffs. Like Sundqvist, he earned of the decision. a one-game league suspension with that rambunctious play during the Cup Final. Like Sundqvist, he enjoyed his breakout regular season (14 Edmundson had just two goals and nine assists in 64 regular-season goals and 12 assists) and also chipped in some playoff offense (three games (he missed 11 games late in the season with a lower-body injury) goals, three assists). At times their so-called fourth line with Steen was and led the team in penalty minutes with 68. In the playoffs, he had one actually the Blues' best line at even strength. goal and six assists in 22 games. Grade: A The arbitration figure of $3.1 million was not far from the midpoint from the Blues' $2.3 million offer and Edmundson's counter of $4.2 million. It's DAVID PERRON, Forward the slightest of raises for Edmundson, who made $3 million last season It's all or nothing for the Blues in Game 7 on a one-year deal that was reached right before he was to have his arbitration hearing. This time, a deal couldn't be struck; Edmundson will GORDO ON PERRON: He added valuable production (62 points in 83 become an unrestricted free agent after this season. regular season and playoff games) during his third tour with the Blues, as well as the agitation element. Perron one-upped Bruins pest Brad Edmundson looked to be in line for a bigger deal after the 2017-18 Marchand, and then some, with his Cup Final antics. He remained season, in which he had seven goals and 10 assists, but the Blues were recklessly aggressive despite his extensive concussion history, putting reluctant to give out big contracts after a year in which they failed to himself in harm's way shift after shift. Perron scored 11 points in his last make the playoffs, so while Edmundson did get a raise from $1.05 million 12 regular season games after coming off injured reserve. Then he to $3 million, he also got only a one-year deal. helped lead the postseason charge with seven goals, nine assists and a Of the 41 arbitration cases filed this season, Edmundson was one of just plus-4 rating. six to be decided by an arbitrator. The Blues had five players go to Grade: A arbitration, and the other four were settled before the hearing was held. VLADIMIR TARASENKO, Forward NBC PICKS GAMES Scenes from Blues Stanley Victory Parade Despite being Stanley Cup champions, the Blues aren't scheduled for any NBC network broadcasts this season, though they are scheduled for GORDO ON TARASENKO: Like many Blues, he struggled early on this 15 games on NBCSN. (Some of those games will be blacked out locally, season before elevating his play during the second half. Tarasenko with the game airing as usual on Fox Sports Midwest.) scored 46 points in 39 regular season games during the New Year, then he scored 11 goals in 26 playoff games. He produced 80 fewer shot It's nothing personal about the Blues, only about where they're from. attempts than during the previous season, but he improved his all-around Other than two outdoor games, all the games televised by NBC involve play. Tarasenko was less sheltered than the season before (58.3 percent Eastern Conference teams, particularly Pittsburgh and Boston. offensive zone starts, down from 68.8 percent). He earned his plus-8 rating at even strength with solid possession metrics: 54.3 percent Corsi For and 54.9 percent Fenwick For. On the other hand, he was minus-5 GORDO ON SANFORD: When Berube gave him a second chance in the during the playoffs and he had a hand in his team's dismal 1-for-18 playoffs, Sanford made the most of it by producing four points in five power-play showing. games during the Cup Final. His ability to blend with O'Reilly and Perron to create another productive scoring line became one of the keys to the Grade: A-minus Blues' victory. That timely success overshadowed his unremarkable BRAYDEN SCHENN, Forward regular season -- eight goals, 12 assists in 60 games -- and his three empty postseason games against Winnipeg. Sanford raised his profile Game 6 Stanley Cup Final heading into next season.

GORDO ON SCHENN: He followed a strong 70-point debut for the Blues Grade: B with so-so production in the regular season (54 points in 72 games) and playoffs (12 points in 26 games). Like most of his teammates, he got SAMMY BLAIS, Forward stronger as the regular season progressed -- scoring 30 points in his last Blues face Sharks in game 3 31 games -- and he earned good possession metrics. Schenn scored the critical third goal in Game 7 of the Cup Final and his physical play was a GORDO ON BLAIS: It took several tries at the NHL level, but Blais, 22, plus during the postseason. His 83 hits were the second-most in the NHL finally found his identity as a power forward that can hit with leverage and in these playoffs and his 30 takeaways led the league. generate offensive chances as well. He had 93 hits in his 32 regular season games, then 70 more in his 15 playoff games. Blais added a goal Grade: B-PLUS and two assists during the postseason while playing nearly 12 minutes ROBERT THOMAS, Forward per game. He also handled himself like a seasoned pro during the team's post-Cup celebrations. Blues look for redemption in Game 5 Grade: B GORDO ON THOMAS: He suffered the usual rookie inconsistencies through much of the year before scoring 12 points in 15 games in March MACKENZIE MACEACHERN, Forward to help drive the strong Blues finish. Thomas played a key role in the The Blues and Predators fight it out at Enterprise Center Dallas playoff series, too, providing an offensive spark with Tyler Bozak and Pat Maroon. Then a wrist injury reduced his effectiveness before GORDO ON MACEACHERN: Don't overlook his impact during the ultimately knocking him out of the lineup. His overall production (39 regular season while playing 29 games as a fill-in. MacEachern helped points in 91 regular season and playoff games) only hinted as his establish the north-south game Berube desired. He is a straight-line offensive potential. player who manages to play hard in limited fourth-line minutes. Despite averaging just 8:02 per game, he delivered 49 hits and chipped in with Grade: B three goals and two assists.

TYLER BOZAK, Forward Grade: B

It's all or nothing for the Blues in Game 7 ALEXANDER STEEN, Forward

GORDO ON BOZAK: Had the Blues not added O'Reilly with that Game 7 Stanley Cup Final blockbuster trade with Buffalo, the Bozak addition might have gained unfavorable reviews. His free-agent deal ($15 million over three years) GORDO ON STEEN: He scored just 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in was a bit rich. He is a 40-point-type center and, with O'Reilly on board, 65 games during another injury-plagued regular season. He can no the Blues could shelter him in the No. 3 slot. In the more limited role his longer play to his compensation level ($5.75 million against the salary production (38 points in 72 regular season games, 13 points in 26 playoff cap for two more years). But Steen played a key role on his playoff games) was fine. He was an asset in the faceoff circle, winning 54.3 checking line with Sundqvist and Barbashev. While he didn't contribute percent of his draws during the regular season. He also had some big much offense (two goals, three assists, plus-2 rating) in the playoffs, his postseason moments in his supporting role, particularly with Pat Maroon heady play with the two younger forwards gave Berube an excellent and Robert Thomas during the Dallas series. matchup line to deploy against top opponents.

Grade: B Grade: B-MINUS

JADEN SCHWARTZ, Forward JORDAN NOLAN, Forward

Blues and Sharks skate in game 5 of the semifinals Several Blues players take advantage of optional practice

GORDO ON SCHWARTZ: How did opponents limit him to three goals in GORDO ON NOLAN: Remember when the Blues played pond hockey his first 41 games this season? Schwartz's all-around play was typically against Winnipeg during an 8-4 loss? Remember how Patrik Laine outstanding this season as evidenced by his strong possession metrics scored five times in that game? The next time the teams played Nolan (55 percent Corsi For, 54.3 Fenwick For). Back in 2017-18 he started fast earned an elbowing penalty 128 seconds into the game to set the tone in (35 points, plus-23 rating in his first 30 games) before suffering a broken a 1-0 victory. Like MacEachern, he is a straight-line player who came up foot. Schwartz finally picked up his offense down the stretch of this from the AHL to fill in (two assists in 14 games) and help Berube season by scoring eight goals in his last 28 games. Then he scored 12 establish more team toughness. For that he got to celebrate his third Cup times during the playoffs, including timely hat tricks in the series-clinching after playing for two championship teams in Los Angeles. victory over Winnipeg and in the huge 5-0 victory at San Jose. Grade: B-MINUS Grade: B JORDAN KYROU, Forward PAT MAROON, Forward 181025 jbf blues-24662463 Blues, Stars in deciding Game 7 GORDO ON KYROU: He deserves an "A" for his work with the San GORDO ON MAROON: After scoring 44 goals the previous two seasons, Antonio Rampage: 43 points in 47 games as a rookie in the American he scored just 10 in 74 games for his hometown Blues. The Big Rig Hockey League. That reaffirmed his standing as a high-end offensive finally got into gear late in the regular season, producing 12 points in his prospect. But Kyrou, 21, was unable to impress Berube during his brief last 17 games. His physical play (54 playoff hits) and ability to control the stints with the Blues. He had a goal and two assists while averaging just puck down low in the offensive zone helped the Blues establish their 9:40 in ice time during his first 16 NHL games. Cup-winning identity. And Blues fans will never forget his winning goal in double overtime of Game 7 against the Dallas Stars. On balance, he Grade: B-MINUS enjoyed a very good homecoming. ROBBY FABBRI, Forward

Grade: B Blues and Stars skate in Game 5 of their playoff

ZACH SANFORD, Forward GORDO ON FABBRI: The good news: His twice-reconstructed knee held Game 7 Stanley Cup Final up this time. The bad news: Fabbri never regained the offensive jump that made him such a promising prospect a few years back. He scored CARL GUNNARSSON, Defenseman just twice in 32 regular season games and just once in 10 playoff games. Remember, Fabbri scored 66 points in first 123 NHL games from 2015- Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final 17 before blowing up the same knee twice. GORDO ON GUNNARSSON: After his injury-abbreviated regular season Grade: C -- seven points, plus-8 rating in just 25 games -- Gunnarsson played a key role during the playoff run. He earned a plus-6 rating with just six CHRIS THORBURN, Forward giveaways in 19 games. The steady Gunnarsson even earned some Top 4 duty with Pietrangelo. And he earned his place in Blues lore by scoring Game 7 Stanley Cup Final the game-winning overtime goal in Game 2 of the Cup Final in Boston. If GORDO ON THORBURN: So there he was behind the hospitality area at the Bruins win that game instead . . . well, you don't want to think about the Blues' Stanley Cup rally Saturday night, chatting it up with that. actor/superfan Jon Hamm. Thorburn was a full participant in the team Grade: B-PLUS celebration that started on the ice in Boston and continued until . . . well, it is still ongoing actually. This came after he played two regular season ROBERT BORTUZZO, Defenseman shifts (1 minute, 52 seconds) for the Blues all season before spending most of it in the AHL. But he is a respected veteran and a well-liked Blues and Sharks square off in game 2 of the semifinals teammate, so the Blues were glad to have him along for the ride. GORDO ON BORTUZZO: He blocked 23 shots, delivered 27 hits and Grade: Incomplete scored a couple goals in 17 playoff games as a reliable third-pairing defenseman. Bortuzzo added an ornery streak to the lineup when called ALEX PIETRANGELO, Defenseman upon, but he played under control. He didn't go way out of his way looking for hits and he picked good times to pinch in. Bortuzzo had solid Scenes from Blues Stanley Victory Parade possession metrics (54.0 Corsi For, 55.1 Fenwick For) during the regular GORDO ON PIETRANGELO: He took a step back with his regular season. And he was plus-12 in 76 regular season and playoff games season scoring, slipping from 54 points in 2017-18 to 41 this season. But combined. like many teammates, Pietrangelo became more productive down the Grade: B-PLUS stretch (30 points in his last 45 games) and finished with good possession metrics (53.7 Corsi For and Fenwick For). Then he excelled CHRIS BUTLER, Defenseman in the postseason with 19 points, a plus-5 rating and a NHL-best 48 blocked shots. He earned a special place in NHL history as the captain of Chicago Blackhawks vs St. Louis Blues a Stanley Cup-winning team. So Blues fans can quit questioning his GORDO ON BUTLER: He spent much of the year serving as captain of leadership ability and demanding his trade. the Blues' American Hockey League affiliate in San Antonio, helping Grade: A shepherd the organization's prospects through their transition to pro hockey. But Butler, 32, also did a solid job during his 13 fill-in games for COLTON PARAYKO, Defenseman the Blues. The native St. Louisan filled the stat sheet with one goal, one assist, a plus-3 rating, 17 blocked shots and 17 hits in his limited duty. Scenes from Blues Stanley Victory Parade Grade: B GORDO ON PARAYKO: OK, so you want him to score more with that big slot shot and his ability to rush end to end with the puck. Parayko scored JOEL EDMUNDSON, Defenseman just 13 points in his first 49 games before producing 15 points in his last 31 regular season games and 12 more during the playoffs. You want him It's all or nothing for the Blues in Game 7 to be more physical, too, with his 6-foot-6, 230-pound frame. But Parayko GORDO ON EDMUNDSON: The Blues hoped he would establish himself matured into a shutdown defender this season, earning a plus-26 rating as a Top 4 defenseman this season, but that didn't happen. Sometimes and blocking 199 shots through the regular season and playoffs. He and Edmundson played in the Top 4, sometimes he played on the third Jay Bouwmeester did the heavy defensive lifting against top offensive pairing and sometimes he was a healthy scratch. He chipped in with lines during the Cup run. some offense (goal, five assists) and blocked 36 shots in 22 playoff Grade: A games. But his puck management was erratic. Edmundson also suffered 24 giveaways against just four takeaways in the postseason after posting JAY BOUWMEESTER, Defenseman a similarly bad ratio (41/9) during the regular season.

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final Grade: B-MINUS

GORDO ON BOUWMEESTER: It took him a while to fully recover from MICHAEL DEL ZOTTO, Defenseman hip surgery. In fact, Bouwmeester, 35, appeared to be skating around with a giant fork stuck in his back during the first few months of the The Blues tangle with the Red Wings at Enterprise Center season. Back on Dec. 11 he was lugging around a minus-14 rating. But GORDO ON DEL ZOTTO: This veteran offensive defenseman arrived he and Parayko became a formidable shutdown pairing for the stretch from Anaheim to provide late-season depth. He played for Berube in run and Bouwmeester became one of the team's postseason MVPs. He Philadelphia, so there was trust there. Del Zotto earned three assists and contributed seven assists, earned a plus-9 rating and blocked 46 shots a minus-2 rating during his seven fill-in games as a Blue. He and Butler while facing top offensive lines during the postseason. After playing were among those "Black Aces" enjoying the Cup ride as extra players. 1,259 regular season and playoff games, Bouwmeester finally got to hoist the Cup. GRADE: C

Grade: A-MINUS JORDAN SCHMALTZ, Defenseman

VINCE DUNN, Defenseman Blues vs. Blackhawks at Enterprise Center

Blues skate in critical Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final GORDO ON SCHMALTZ: He got one last chance to earn a role with the Blues and failed. Schmaltz played 20 games, earned two assists and a GORDO ON DUNN: He took a big step forward during his second NHL minus-7 rating and once again settled back into the AHL after clearing season, scoring 12 goals and adding 23 assists with a plus-14 rating. waivers. That minus-22 rating in 36 games at San Antonio didn't exactly Dunn, 22, has filled the puck-moving void Kevin Shattenkirk's trade left boost his stock with the Blues or any other NHL team seeking a depth on the blue line. He is easily the most creative point man on the Blues defenseman. power play. He proved his toughness by coming back with a broken jaw to help defeat the Bruins in the Cup Final. Dunn contributed eight points Grade: F in 20 playoff games, but that came with a minus-5 rating and the need to JORDAN BINNINGTON, Goalie limit his exposure to high-scoring opposing forwards. Scenes from Blues Stanley Victory Parade Grade: B-PLUS GORDO ON BINNINGTON: You know the story: He came to training GORDO ON BERUBE AND COACHING STAFF: When he replaced Yeo, camp as the No. 4 Blues goaltender and ended up saving this team's Berube said the Blues were a good team that lacked confidence. How season. would he rebuild that? By making demands, the man known as "Chief" told reporters, starting with his very first practice. It took a while, but it Binnington went 24-5-1 with a 1.89 goal-against average and a .927 save worked. Along with Larry Robinson and holdover assistant coaches percentage during the regular season. Then he won 16 playoff games en Steve Ott and Mike Van Ryn, Berube managed to refocus the Blues and route to the Cup, shaking off some rough outings (six games with four or inspire them to play a more cohesive, physical and smothering brand of more goals allowed) along the way. The Blues liked their chances in hockey. Game 7 of the Cup Final because of his strong track record (7-2 with a 1.86 GAA and .933 save percentage) after losing the previous playoff Ott's role increased during the transition and Van Ryn did a masterful job game. handling the defense, with input from the legendary Robinson.The Blues famously rallied from last place in the NHL to the middle of the Western Grade: A-PLUS Conference playoff bracket. Then they kept finding higher levels of play JAKE ALLEN, Goalie while beating Winnipeg, Dallas, San Jose and Boston en route to the Cup. And along the way, Armstrong quit looking outside the organization The Blues and Jets skate in critical game 6 for his next coach.

GORDO ON ALLEN: His GAA has climbed over the last five seasons: Grade: A from 2.28 to 2.35, 2.42, 2.75 and 2.83. His save percentage declined over the last four seasons: from .920 to .915, .906 and .905. That's what MIKE YEO, Former head coach you call a trend. This was his make-or-break season, since the team let Blues take on the Ducks at Enterprise Center security blanket Carter Hutton depart as a free agent. Allen broke, going 8-9-2 under the home-ice spotlight with a 3.65 GAA and an .878 save GORDO ON YEO: While the Blues were embarked on their epic Cup run, percentage. That struggle and Ville Husso's injury-ruined season at San Yeo quietly joined the Philadelphia Flyers organization as an assistant Antonio gave Binnington his long-awaited NHL chance. coach under new head coach Alain Vigneault. Let's hope Yeo didn't torment himself by watching any media coverage of the Blues' raucous Grade: D celebration. For whatever reason the Blues never came together this CHAD JOHNSON, Goalie season for Yeo. He tried all sorts of player combinations to no avail. He lost command of the group. The Blues were 7-9-3 when Armstrong fired Blues v Jets Yeo in November. While Armstrong, the assistant coaches and the players got the chance to redeem themselves this season, Yeo did not. GORDO ON JOHNSON: He arrived as a low-cost free agent to replace Hutton and buy Husso more developmental time. Johnson got his chance Grade: F to step up when Allen faltered, but he failed too -- thus opening the elevator door for Binnington's ascension. Johnson lasted just 10 games St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 08.08.2019 with the Blues before moving on to the Anaheim Ducks. He went 2-6-0 here with ugly ratios (3.55, .884).

Grade: F

TOM STILLMAN, Blues Owner

Scenes from Blues Stanley Victory Parade

GORDO ON STILLMAN AND TEAM OWNERSHIP: Tom Stillman has provided a steady hand since Day 1, leading a group of local investors who were committed to building a championship organization. That took a heavy financial commitment, since his group had to overcome the long- term damage caused when the previous owners started running out of money. Stillman and Co. made tough decisions on the business side to run a leaner operation.

But on the hockey side, they opted to go for it -- spending to the NHL salary cap again and again. The ownership groups' accomplishments just kept coming: a trip to the Final Four in 2016, hosting the Winter Classic in 2017, getting the NHL All-Star Weekend for 2020 and, of course, the long-awaited Stanley Cup. The value of the franchise has soared and its standing in our sports landscape appears secure.

Grade: A-PLUS

DOUG ARMSTRONG, General Manager

Game 7 Stanley Cup Final

GORDO ON ARMSTRONG: General manager Doug Armstong went "all in" last summer by trading for center Ryan O'Reilly and signing free- agent forwards David Perron, Tyler Bozak and Pat Maroon. When that bolstered offense failed to produce winning hockey, Armstrong fired coach Mike Yeo and promoted assistant coach Craig Berube to replace him on an interim basis. He added consultant Larry Robinson to the coaching staff on an interim basis as well. Those changes eventually worked -- as did Armstrong's decision to ride his core veteran group despite its first-half woes.

The culmination of those moves and others (like the earlier trades for Brayden Schenn, Oskar Sundqvist and Zach Sanford) was the remarkable Cup run.

Grade: A

CRAIG BERUBE, Head Coach

It's all or nothing for the Blues in Game 7 (copy) 1107632 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning welcome new puppy Bolt as team ambassador

The yellow lab will serve as the team ambassador while training to be a service dog.

By Mari Faiello

TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Lightning have made a “paw-sitive” move to their roster by adding Bolt, a four-month-old yellow lab puppy.

The puppy will serve as the team’s ambassador while training to be a service dog when his Lightning career is over.

Bolt was born on March 31, weighing 28.5 pounds and spent the first 12 weeks of his life in the Grant and Shirley Herron Puppy Academy at Southeastern Guide Dogs.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107633 Toronto Maple Leafs There’s a void now and it’s right that it be filled by those who will determine where this team ultimately goes. It’s their team. Naming a captain would make that official.

Why the time has come for the Leafs to name a captain It’s not a novice group anymore either, what with three straight playoff appearances and the first back-to-back 100-point seasons in franchise history. By Jonas Siegel Aug 7, 2019 They’re ready for a leader, an official one that is, someone who might one day receive the Cup from .

The Maple Leafs famously needed just 26 games to see Dion Phaneuf “If someone’s ready,” Babcock said at the end of the 2017-18 season, turn the volume up on the stereo and decide he was right for the stopping mid-thought before continuing. “I think being the captain in a lot captaincy. of franchises is a lot easier place (to be) than in Toronto. And so, do we need to put the extra weight on somebody? I don’t know the answer to “We never felt that we needed a captain,” Brian Burke, then the team’s that question.” president and general manager, said at a summer ceremony in 2010. “We felt we had to wait ’til we had the right person to come in and fulfill The answer was no. And it made some sense at the time: Matthews and that role.” Marner only had two years experience at that point; Rielly was still just 24; and Tavares, coming aboard in July, had a whole lot of weight on his The time has come, more than nine years later, for the Leafs, under shoulders already after coming home to sign the richest contract in different leadership, to finally name Phaneuf’s replacement. franchise history. It was justifiable to wait a little longer, to not force the The gig has been vacant ever since Phaneuf was dealt to the Ottawa issue like Burke and Ron Wilson probably did with Phaneuf. Senators in Feb. 2016. The franchise has only gone this long — three Now, not so much. consecutive seasons — without a captain once before in franchise history. Matthews and Marner are entering their fourth NHL seasons and have established themselves as elite performers; Rielly is 25 and almost 500 It’s time to empower this generation. games into his NHL career; Tavares just put together his most productive Let’s start off by saying that the captaincy isn’t some magical element NHL season in his first year as a Leaf. that’s going to put the Leafs over the top. Three straight first-round exits Someone can handle it. had zero to do with not having a captain. Furthermore, putting a “C” on someone won’t suddenly make the Leafs any more Stanley Cup-viable “We have John Tavares, real good pro. Morgan Rielly’s turned himself than they are already. into a real good pro. Freddy Andersen has become a totally committed pro. We have a good leadership core on our group,” Babcock said on the Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is already on record as a mild skeptic of its draft floor in Vancouver this past June. “We need these guys, like Mitchy, sometimes overstated importance, saying as much during a speech to Matty, Willy — I mean, (Zach) Hyman’s a leader in that way anyway — to Brock students at training camp in Niagara Falls last fall. He noted that continue to evolve and become leaders themselves and really good pros marquee franchises in other sports, like the New York Yankees and and set an example.” Boston Red Sox, went long stretches without captains and challenged a questioner on what exactly would change on a team that had multiple Unlike in the immediate aftermath of Phaneuf’s exit, and even before it leaders but no designated captain. when Phaneuf was rushed into the role, there’s no shortage of candidates: It’s a historic tradition in Toronto though, one that technically dates back more than 100 years to Ken Randall, who captained the 1917-18 Toronto Rielly: Babcock started grooming him for a leadership role early on; Rielly Arenas. The five greatest players in Leafs history were all captains at one was named an alternate captain at 22. He’s developed into one of the point or another: Dave Keon, Syl Apps, Ted Kennedy, Darryl Sittler and team’s most important players and a Norris Trophy candidate (he Mats Sundin. The captaincy stakes out an official claim to leadership finished fifth this past season). He’s a popular figure in the dressing and, owing to history, resonates symbolically in Toronto like few places in room, hits the right notes in dealings with the media and more hockey. importantly, plays with the kind of care and passion that a captain needs.

“This is such a thrill, it really is,” Sundin said in the Toronto Star shortly Tavares: He’s done the whole captain thing before — for five seasons after he was dubbed the first European captain in franchise history in with the Islanders. He’s the other guy Babcock talks about incessantly in Oct. 1997. “Even though I’m from Europe, I know what being captain of leadership terms — he does it right! — and it doesn’t feel like hyperbole. the Toronto Maple Leafs means. It’s a big honour and responsibility.” Tavares always seems to be revving in top gear at game-time and lingers long after practice to fine-tune on his shot or some other skill. He has the “This is not just another NHL team; this is the Toronto Maple Leafs,” respect and credibility to do the job and do it well. Burke said in 2010. “This is one of the great brands in the history of professional sports on this planet.” Marner: Marner doesn’t have the whole Jonathan Toews, Captain Serious thing going, but maybe that doesn’t matter. Marner is known for The franchise has never gone more than three seasons in a row without his infectious enthusiasm. He competes hard when he’s out there and a captain. An unusual bit of history would be set then if the Leafs he’s quickly become one of the Leafs best players. Furthermore, he’s proceeded without one again this year. In fact, there are only eight shown he can be an honest public spokesman for the team, an captain-less seasons in Leafs history, five of which have come following underrated component of the job in Toronto … Sundin’s decade-long run: 1986-87; 1987-88; 1988-90; 2008-09; 2009- 10; and now the past three seasons. MITCH MARNER'S: "IT'S THE SAME SHITTY FEELING AS LAST YEAR." Team president Brendan Shanahan has done plenty to honour more a century’s worth of history, including the reinvention of jerseys that — CHRIS JOHNSTON (@REPORTERCHRIS) APRIL 24, 2019 celebrate the past and a Legends Row out front of Scotiabank Arena. Matthews: If he’s not the Leafs best player already, he will be soon. He’s It’s time they start honouring this tradition again. arguably the most important piece moving forward — a 6-foot-3, 223- pound horse with goal-crushing, Hart Trophy potential at the No. 1 (or Mostly, this is about the present though, not history. 1A) centre spot. He’s the face of the franchise, the highest-paid player on This team now fully belongs to the current core of Auston Matthews, the team, and someone with the ability and stature to lead. Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, John Tavares and William Nylander. Any of the four would fit just fine, but Matthews, as the team’s top talent Nazem Kadri and Jake Gardiner, the two longest-serving Leafs up until today and down the line, feels like the right choice. Babcock even singled last season, are both gone. Ron Hainsey and Patrick Marleau, the two out him and Marner for greater leadership roles at the end of last season. players Mike Babcock mentioned all the time in leadership terms over the past couple seasons, are also out. “We think they’re very capable of doing that,” the Leafs coach said.

The best player on any given team isn’t always a suitable leader, but so often what they do ends up setting the course for the way things are done anyway. Phaneuf may have worn the “C,” but Phil Kessel was the all-star and leading scorer, and when he tip-toed off the ice mere moments after practice ended, others tended to quickly follow.

What Matthews does, or doesn’t do, will end up having the same effect. Why not empower him to do it right?

Like Sundin and some of the greats before him, he can dictate how hard and diligently work gets done at practice, in the gym and on a dull Tuesday night in January when the Florida Panthers are in town. He also has the gravitas to be the go-between for players and Babcock, a headstrong coach, and the (sometimes edgy, but also outspoken) personality, to be the public face of the team after disappointing defeats, encouraging postseason wins and maybe one day a Stanley Cup.

The Leafs are already entrusting him to deliver on the ice. They said so in February when they agreed to give him what was then the second- highest cap hit in hockey ($11.634 million), behind only Connor McDavid (and now, Artemi Panarin).

Why not give him full ownership of all that goes on?

It was probably right to wait on adding that kind of responsibility to his load, but not any longer: Matthews will be 22 by the time the season starts. Sidney Crosby got the Penguins captaincy at 19. McDavid was also 19 in Edmonton. Toews was 20 for Chicago. Jack Eichel was 21 for the Sabres.

It’s time to do this now — or sometime before the season that is.

The Leafs may not want to give Matthews the honour while Marner is without a contract and seeking coin on par with his (sometimes) more celebrated teammate. But that process could drag on until October, and the easy and suitable course anyway is adding a letter to Marner’s sweater as well; the Leafs could rotate alternate letters among Rielly, Tavares and Marner, with Matthews serving as captain.

It’s easy to overthink something like this, to imagine the captaincy as some grand burden that no one can handle until the time is right. And sure, it’s extra responsibility — maybe a little more media and public appearances. But it’s more about empowerment and tradition. It’s important, but not overly so. It won’t decide wins and losses.

And if not now, when?

The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107634 Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin tours Beijing, teaching hockey and meeting fans

By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times - Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Alex Ovechkin’s tour of China is in full swing, and the videos of his interactions with fans are something to behold.

The Washington Capitals star is spending five days in Beijing as an international ambassador for the NHL. So far, he held a youth hockey clinic and visited with a 10-year-old superfan.

 BEIJING!@Ovi8 arrives  for a week long trip to China  where he’ll serve as an @NHL Ambassador#Gr8inChina | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/gFiXOqKbTp

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 4, 2019

Running drills with @ovi8…no big deal#Gr8inChina pic.twitter.com/qr2f6phguE

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 5, 2019

And William even taught Ovi how to write in Chinese! pic.twitter.com/j7O6rWvn1y

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 6, 2019

But it hasn’t been strictly a work trip for Ovechkin. The Russian has also gotten in some sightseeing like any tourist would. He has seen the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and Shougang Park, one of the main venues for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

And it didn’t take long before Ovechkin dined on some Peking duck, the famous Chinese delicacy.

Washington Times LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107635 Washington Capitals

Tom Wilson was once a child and then had a glow up

By Rachel Hopmayer August 07, 2019

Right winger Tom Wilson has been with the Capitals since they drafted him at 16th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. In the six seasons and 454 NHL games since then, Wilson has tallied 144 points (57 G, 87 A) , +33 plus/minus rating, 934 penalty minutes and one heck of a glow up.

Allow us to show you.

View this post on Instagram

2012 Scouting Combine 👶🏻 ➡️ 🧔🏻

A post shared by Tom Wilson (@tomwilson) on Aug 7, 2019 at 10:44am PDT

In the first photo, you see 18-year-old Tom, playing for the Plymouth Whalers (OHL) at the time. Willy ranked within the top 10 overall for 17 of 29 fitness tests in the 2012 NHL Scouting Combine, including tied for first overall for pull strength (312 pounds, tied Branden Troock, most recently of the ECHL's Maine Mariners). At 16th overall, the Washington Capitals opted for this 6'4" forward that weighed 194 pounds and was once voted "Best Body Checker" in the OHL.

In the second photo, you see Tom Wilson's most recent headshot for the Washington Capitals. Sometimes referred to as "Top Line Tommy," Washington's fan-favorite heartthrob has gone through quite the glow-up since first rocking the red.

Some of the most popular comments came from teammates and other famous hockey players.

Andre Burakovsky chirped his teammate for even posting the two side- by-side. burakovsky_comment_wilson_ig.png

Fellow Caps right wing T.J. Oshie had a self-depricating comment on Willy's facial hair situation. oshie_comment_wilson_ig.png

Rounding out the golden replies is former Penguin and Coyote, now NHL media personality Paul "Biz Nasty" Bissonnette. bissonnette_comment_wilson_ig.png

We are just thankful to have been witnesses for the transformation. A caterpillar to a butterfly, if you will.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107636 Washington Capitals long-term contract that Oshie and Carlson received already. Again, after 30 the scrutiny grows.

Add in center Lars Eller, who turned 30 in May, and forward Carl Hagelin, 20 Burning Capitals Questions: Is this the year age finally catches up to who turns 31 later this month, and you have an older third line. Hagelin’s the Caps? game, in particular, is built on speed. He missed time with a knee injury last year. What happens if he loses a step? The Capitals just gave Hagelin a four-year contract. By Brian McNally August 07, 2019 None of this would be such a concern if this list of older players didn’t include Washington’s best winger (Ovechkin), defenseman (Carlson), goalie (Holtby) and two of its top three centers (Backstrom, Eller). A The long, endless summer is only halfway done. The Capitals last played decline in play from any of them - or an ever-more-likely injury - could a game on April 24 and will not play another one until Oct. 2. quickly turn this group from a Stanley Cup contender to a team just trying But with free agency and the NHL Draft behind them now, the 2019-2020 to make the playoffs or worse. roster is almost set and it won’t be long until players begin trickling back It’s hard to bet against any one of these individual players continuing to onto the ice in Arlington for informal workouts. shine. They have done it so long, after all. But in aggregate the odds are With that in mind, and given the roasting temperatures outside, for four at least one or two of them will show signs of decline as soon as this weeks NBC Sports Washington will look at 20 burning questions facing season. the Capitals as they look to rebound from an early exit from the Stanley The advantage Washington has is there is a built-in group of mid-20s Cup playoffs, keep alive their Metropolitan Division title streak and get players who can help take the load off Ovechkin, Backstrom, Carlson, back to their championship form of 2018. Holtby and Oshie. Tom Wilson is in his prime at age 25 and a staple on The list will look at potential individual milestones, roster questions, the top line. He won’t be 26 until March 29. Evgeny Kuznetsov needs to prospects who might help and star players with uncertain futures. Today, be better this season, but he’s just 14 months removed from a brilliant we look at a team with most of its top players either in their 30s already playoffs and is still just 27. Jakub Vrana had a breakout season (24 or turning 30 at some point before the NHL All-Star break in January. goals) in 2018-19 and at age 23 could score 30 goals. Those players will Could age finally catch up to Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals this ease any aging concerns if they perform as expected. season? The rest of the blueline remains in its 20s – if just barely. Michal Kempny, Age is the bane of all hockey players. Radko Gudas and Nick Jensen all turn 29 before the season and Dmitry Orlov turned 28 last month. Only Jonas Siegenthaler (22) and Christian One day they are putting on an NHL jersey for the first time at the draft Djoos (25) are in their early or mid-20s. and seemingly the next some reporter is calling them a veteran and soon after that words like “grizzled” are tossed around. Fourth-line center Nic Dowd is also 29 and third-line right wing Richard Panik turns 29 on Feb. 7. Age is creeping all across this roster. Experience is a good thing. But once a player hits 30, all eyes are watching for signs of decline. Fans. Media. Coaches. Executives. Even The Capitals have invested heavily in the draft the past two years, but teammates. The Capitals are relying on plenty of stars in their 30s as many of those players will be at AHL Hershey most of this season or still they head into the 2019-20 season and that can be a concern. in juniors. An injection of youth could be on the way soon, especially on the blueline with prospects Alex Alexeyev, Martin Fehervary and Lucas Before the season even starts, Alex Ovechkin will turn 34 on Sept. 17. Johansen, but probably not this season. He’s defied the aging curve for so long as one of the game’s great goal scorers, you can’t help but wonder when the 50-goal seasons become a The forward group could be even further away with 2019 first-round draft thing of the past, when one of the league’s most durable players finally pick Connor McMichael likely playing two more years of junior hockey in starts to show the wear and tear of years of physical hockey. the OHL. Second-round pick Brett Leason should play at Hershey, but he is a late-bloomer with work to do to even establish himself at that level. Ovechkin’s running mate, Nicklas Backstrom, turns 32 on Nov. 23. He is Kody Clark was a second-round pick in 2018 and Riley Sutter was taken still an elite center, but he’s had more physical problems than Ovechkin in the third round that summer. Both should also be at Hershey this year, over the years, including concussions and hip issues. Backstrom has but are a long way from becoming NHL regulars. long made up for a lack of high-end speed with an ability to see the ice at a level most players can’t. But at some point physical diminishment will The Capitals hope to squeeze a few more elite years out of their stars come and that vision won’t matter quite so much. before reinforcements arrive. Age gets every player in the end, but a team that won a title last season is eager to get back to that level. It’s T.J. Oshie has a history of concussions, too. He’s a hard player, hard to bet against them, but preparing for some regression would be relentless on the puck and unafraid to use his creativity to make prudent. opposing defenders look silly. But he turns 33 on Dec. 23 and has missed 35 games the past three seasons. Just in year three of an eight- Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.08.2019 year contract, the Capitals hope Oshie has a few more 50-point seasons left in him.

Meanwhile, top blueliner John Carlson turns 30 on Jan. 10. He got tons of love in the Norris Trophy voting the past two seasons. But he’s played heavy minutes and enters his 10thseason as a minutes-eating workhorse. Carlson’s been in the NHL since he was 19. Does he have a few more elite seasons or was last year his peak? These are the uncomfortable questions that must be asked. This is just year two of an eight-year contract for Carlson. The Capitals absolutely can’t afford to see his game slip.

Goalie Braden Holtby enters a contract year at age 30 on Sept. 16, the day before Ovechkin hits 34. He has won a Stanley Cup and been a reliable presence in goal for Washington most of the past seven seasons since taking hold of the No. 1 job. But the past two regular seasons have been a struggle for Holtby. He wasn’t the Stanley Cup playoff starter in 2018 and his numbers were well below average last season (.911 save percentage) compared to the rest of the NHL.

Maybe that is in large part to a declining defense in front of him. And he was brilliant in the playoffs in 2018. But Holtby needs a strong year to ease any concerns that his game is slipping and that he deserves the 1107637 Winnipeg Jets That's an all-star roster of talent. And it appears nobody wants to be the first to take the plunge and essentially set the market for their colleagues.

"I don't know if this is a trend or a one-off," another agent told me of the Laine, Connor contract talks a high-price game of chicken unusual development. He believes part of the issue was the salary cap coming in at a less-than-projected $81.5 million this summer, with general managers scrambling to deal with other business first such as By: Mike McIntyre | Posted: 08/7/2019 7:00 PM the draft in late June followed by July free agency.

"I think some of it may be waiting for the dollars to be allocated before getting to most of the RFAs," he said. OPINION That certainly appears to be the case in Winnipeg. Despite not locking up At what point should you put down your frosty beverage, get off the pool Laine or Connor yet, you can't say general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff noodle and start reaching for the panic button? has simply put his feet up. There's been a whole lot of business to get I hate to be the proverbial dark cloud, but we're well into the dog days of done, including trading Jacob Trouba to New York for Neal Pionk and a summer, with the August long weekend in the rear-view mirror, and two draft pick, signing Pionk to a new deal, going to arbitration with Andrew of the Winnipeg Jets' biggest offensive weapons are still without Copp, re-signing RFA backup goalie Laurent Brossoit, RFA defenceman contracts. Nelson Nogier and RFA forward C.J. Suess, and signing UFAs Nathan Beaulieu, Anthony Bitetto, Mark Letestu, Andrei Chibisov, Joona Luoto, Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor combined to score 64 regular-season goals J.C. Lipon, Logan Shaw, Seth Griffith and Cam Schilling. last year, which amounts to just under 24 per cent of the 272 times the team lit the lamp. And they did it on the cheap, in the final year of entry- Winnipeg Jets' Patrik Laine skates against Vancouver Canucks' Bo level deals that carried cap hits of just $925,000 each, not including Horvat during the Fastest Skater portion of the NHL All-Star Skills performance bonuses. Competition in 2017 in Los Angeles.

There will be no such bargain going forward as the restricted free agents As a result, the Jets know they have approximately $14.5 million left in are set to deservedly cash in on their success so far. But when, and at salary-cap room to get Laine and Connor's names on new deals. what price, remain burning questions. And with the start of NHL training Whether or not that will be enough remains to be seen, which is another camps about a month away, you'd think the urgency would be picking up, part of the problem. If more money is required, Cheveldayoff would have right? to make additional moves, with time being of the essence and potential dance partners likely very limited. After all, if the Jets are to make any noise this coming season, they're likely going to need more contributions from the likes of Laine, 21, and No doubt their agents are keenly aware of that as well and will be trying Connor, 22, given that internal development and growth appears to be to squeeze every dollar they can for their clients, as they should. the primary game plan. Having one or both of them unavailable due to a Talks of potential offer sheets have mostly quieted down, with only prolonged contract impasse would be very bad for the on-ice business. Montreal taking a laughable run at Carolina's Sebastian Aho only to have According to a handful of hockey agents I spoke to Wednesday, don't it backfire. It's still possible another one could come before the season hold your breath waiting for deals to get done. There appears to be a starts, but it seems more unlikely with each passing day, especially with giant, league-wide game of chicken going on between high-profile RFAs a large number of teams still looking to shed salary to get under the cap. and their respective general managers, with neither side wanting to be Whether it's a long-term extension or a shorter-term bridge contract, the the first to blink. NHL has shifted in recent years to a younger man's game in which top- "It’s all about the top young players figuring out and defining what the tier players coming out of their ELCs typically get paid. And Laine (110 market place is and will be moving forward. It’s also about the leverage goals in his first three seasons) and Connor (65 goals in his first two that those young players have at least before training camp and as the years) are now proven goal-scorers at this level. season begins," one agent told me on Wednesday. But finding the right price point that makes everyone happy and getting Indeed, players such as Laine and Connor certainly have some degree of those deals done has become increasingly complicated. As a result, the power right now, but that can change once they start missing waiting game goes on. And on. And on. paycheques. You'll recall the Jets' Josh Morrissey didn't have a deal Feel free to fill up that cup, get back in the water and return to your done when training camp began last fall, but there was a meeting of the regularly scheduled summer programming. Save the worrying until after minds just a few days later as they settled on a two-year extension that Labour Day. pays the talented defenceman $3.15 million per season. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 08.08.2019 Not so with Toronto's William Nylander, who wasn't signed until hours before the ultimate deadline of Dec. 1. That would have meant missing the entire season and not making a single penny if he didn't put pen to paper on what was a six-year, $45-million contract, which I'm guessing the likes of Laine and Connor's agents are bringing up in negotiations.

"As time goes on, as you know, the leverage swings (back to the team) because of the deadline in December," the same agent added.

A similar situation with either Laine or Connor, or both, would be a nightmare for the Jets, which has already lost several key pieces from a team that failed to meet high expectations last year, stumbling down the stretch and ultimately bowing out of the playoffs in the first round to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in St. Louis.

I would be shocked if either side lets it get to that point, especially after seeing how much Nylander struggled after missing so much time, but stranger things have happened.

Just take a look around the league right now, where it's clear Winnipeg isn't the only franchise involved in a worrisome waiting game. Mitch Marner of Toronto, Brayden Point of Tampa, Mikko Rantanen of Colorado, Matthew Tkachuk of Calgary, Zach Werenski of Columbus, Charlie McAvoy of Boston, Brock Boeser of Vancouver, Kevin Fiala of Minnesota and Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov of Philadelphia are among other notable RFAs who remain unsigned. 1107638 Winnipeg Jets

Laine scores... NHL 20 cover in Finland again

By: Mike McIntyre

For Patrik Laine, it's a match made in hockey heaven.

The Winnipeg Jets sniper and well-documented video game enthusiast has once again managed to parlay his two passions into one perfect package. Laine, 20, will be the face of EA SPORTS NHL 20 in Finland when it's released next month.

This is the second straight year Laine's mug will grace the cover of the popular video game franchise in his home country, making him the first hockey player to go back-to-back.

"It was awesome to hear that EA SPORTS chose me as the cover athlete for the second time. The new cover art looks even cooler than the previous one. This kind of recognition gives me the motivation on the ice to prove that I’m worth all the hype," Laine said in a statement Wednesday.

"As everyone already knows, I've been a passionate fan of the NHL game since childhood. The season is very demanding physically and mentally, and in return, playing EA SPORTS NHL on a console with friends is a really good way to relax."

Laine's patented one-timer will also be replicated in the video game as part of their Signature Shot feature.

Laine scored 30 goals last season after beginning his NHL career with 36- and 44-goal campaigns. He admitted following Winnipeg's first-round post-season exit to St, Louis that he battled a chronic back issue for much of the year, in addition to a groin injury down the stretch and in the playoffs.

He is currently a restricted free agent in need of a new contract.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 08.08.2019 1107639 Winnipeg Jets

Laine to grace NHL 20 cover in Finland for second year running

Scott Billeck

Patrik Laine will become the first NHL player to have himself featured on the cover of EA Sports’ popular hockey video game series for two consecutive years.

Laine, along with Vancouver Canucks superstar forward and reigning Calder Trophy winner Elias Pettersson have been chosen as EA Sports NHL 20 cover athletes for Finland and Sweden, respectively.

Laine was also the cover star for Finland for NHL 19.

“It was awesome to hear that EA SPORTS chose me as the cover athlete for the second time,” Laine said in a release from the video game giant. “The new cover art looks even cooler than the previous one! This kind of recognition gives me the motivation on the ice to prove that I’m worth all the hype. As everyone already knows, I’ve been a passionate fan of the NHL game since childhood. The season is very demanding physically and mentally, and in return, playing EA SPORTS NHL on a console with friends is a really good way to relax,”

Laine’s lethal shot is being replicated in the game this year with a new feature called ‘Signature Shot’.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 08.08.2019 1107640 Vancouver Canucks

EA Sports picks Elias Pettersson for Swedish NHL 20 cover

Patrick Johnston

The Canucks' young star played EA Sports' famous NHL video game as a kid; now he's the face of the game in the Swedish version

Play it loud Swedish hockey fans: Elias Pettersson’s digital self is headed your way.

EA Sports announced Wednesday the emerging Vancouver Canucks star will grace the cover of NHL 20 in Sweden.

“Winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, Pettersson continues his rise as one of the biggest hockey talents in the world,” EA said in a statement.

Pettersson’s cover will only be available in Sweden; fans in Vancouver are stuck with the Auston Matthews covers, an EA spokesperson explained in a Wednesday email.

“We create regionally exclusive covers to further engage with our fan base in certain regions. The Pettersson cover is exclusive to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark,” EA Sports explained. The cover for the Finnish version of the game features Patrik Laine.

“Each year we look to elevate NHL athletes that not only represent our product vision, but also embody the culture and lifestyle that surrounds hockey,” the company added. “We have a huge number of fans who play NHL 20 in Sweden, so we often create regionally exclusive covers that engage our fan base there.

“This past year, Elias Pettersson stood out with an incredible rookie season, and coupled with his style of play, he was an obvious choice for us to put on the cover.”

Pettersson’s affinity for video games is well documented. It was pointed out many times during his rookie season he used to dream of playing in the NHL while playing the famous EA Sports game as a youngster.

In a statement, he called being selected to be an NHL 20 cover athlete a “tremendous thrill.”

“Playing in the NHL has been a dream come true, and it feels great to follow up my rookie season with this huge honour,” he said.

”While I expect that being on the cover means I will probably face more intense battles with my teammates this season, I want to let them know right now that when NHL 20 is launched, I will be ready for any and all competition.”

Pettersson follows in the footsteps of the Sedin twins, who were the cover athletes for the Swedish version of NHL 2011, and Markus Naslund, who was on the cover of the global version of NHL 2005.

An action shot from the 1994 Stanley Cup Final was used for NHL 95 — Canucks goalie Kirk McLean appeared in that one but wasn’t specifically chosen for the image.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107641 Vancouver Canucks Pettersson and Horvat combined for the eighth-best impact of any centre duo in the league, quite the achievement when considering the names around them. From a team perspective, it’s easy to identify the Where do Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat rank among the league’s top importance of having high-end pivots. Three of the four conference centre duos? finalists (St. Louis, Boston and San Jose) owned a centre duo that ranked top-11 during the regular season in WAR.

At the same time, there are certainly a few outliers that stand out. For By Harman Dayal Aug 7, 2019 starters, it may seem odd to see Nashville with the least impactful top six centres last season. When you dive deeper though, Kyle Turris had a

very poor season relative to his standards and while Ryan Johansen had Finding a dynamic one-two punch at centre is arguably the toughest and a strong year in which he registered 64 points, the Predators ultimately most important box to check off when it comes to building a Stanley Cup allowed more goals than they scored when their top-six was on the ice. contender. Look no further than past Cup winners as proof — it’s quite Ditto for the Winnipeg Jets who had big issues with their second-line remarkable to peer back and see the star talent most of them possessed centre role as Bryan Little continued declining. at the centre ice position. Both teams were able to overcome these woes thanks to extremely 2019, St. Louis Blues: Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn strong depth. If you scroll up and go back to the graph that shows goal differential of each team’s bottom six, you’ll note that Nashville’s was the 2018, Washington Capitals: Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov very best in the league while Winnipeg’s was fourth-best. Winnipeg and Nashville each need to add another high-end centre for a deep playoff 2017, Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin run, with the latter already ahead of the curve in signing Matt Duchene 2016, Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin this offseason.

2015, Chicago Blackhawks: Jonathan Toews, Brad Richards Elsewhere, Washington’s case stands out as one example where the numbers are perhaps misleading. The model was quite fond of Evgeny 2014, Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter Kuznetsov in 2017-18 but docked him by quite a bit due to his defensive play in this past season — a correction that I think undersells his overall 2013, Chicago Blackhawks: Jonathan Toews, Michal Handzus value. 2012, Los Angeles Kings: Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards It’s also important to note that Evolving-Hockey’s WAR is descriptive 2011, Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci rather than predictive. It simply states the impact each player had without accounting for luck and places an emphasis on goal-based metrics which With the exception of the Chicago Blackhawks, who featured a rotating can be volatile (which explains why someone like Ryan Getzlaf who was cast of second-line pivots, each club had a strong foundation set by their unlucky with on-ice shooting and save percentages is shown to have top two centres. St. Louis, for example, didn’t win it all until it added Ryan below-replacement value even though we know he’s a great player). O’Reilly to the previously acquired Brayden Schenn this year. Pettersson is an example of someone who perhaps shows up with a For their part, the Vancouver Canucks aren’t legit contenders yet, but slightly inflated impact thanks to a 19.4 percent shooting clip. Between their offseason moves function as a declarative statement that they’re potential shooting percentage normalization and aging effects (we should ready to gun for the playoffs. With that in mind, the Canucks will need to expect 20-year-olds to get better), what value should Pettersson and identify a competitive advantage to gain a leg up in what’ll surely be a Horvat be projected to add for next season? stronger Western Conference than last season. In icing Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat as their top two centres, the Canucks will hope that For that, we can turn to colleague Dom Luszczyszyn’s Game-Score strength down the middle propels their top six to accomplish exactly that. based projections. This differs from the previous WAR model in that it’s calculations and weights are done with more of an emphasis on the On the surface, such hope makes a lot of sense. Pettersson burst onto future value players will provide next season and less so based on past the scene with an electrifying rookie season in which he notched 28 impact. goals and 66 points in 71 games while Horvat set a career-high with 61 points — ranking 24th and 34th respectively among full-time centres in There don’t appear to be many changes compared with last year’s points per game. impacts, though there are a few teams worth mentioning. Nashville’s top six centres improved by a notable margin after signing Duchene, These results should inspire confidence, but the question to ask is if it’s Washington looks a lot more fairly valued in Dom’s model, while the enough to overcome the myriad of issues plaguing the rest of the roster. Islanders look much better with a projected bounce-back season from Last year it wasn’t — the porous defence core, lack of scoring wingers Mathew Barzal. and underwhelming bottom six coupled with usual injury blows as Vancouver found itself missing out on the postseason for a fourth The Canucks were leapfrogged by Philadephia and Carolina, but consecutive season. Pettersson and Horvat hold steady as the 10th-best centre duo in the league, including the second-best in the Pacific division. The chart above is from an earlier piece and shows each team’s five-on- five goal differential last season when one of their top two centres To add further context, here’s where Dom’s projections have each centre (according to five-on-five TOI) wasn’t on the ice, a proxy for bottom-six ranked individually. minutes. Vancouver’s two checking lines were anaemic offensively and As expected, McDavid takes the cake as the league’s best centre, did little to stop the bleeding defensively, amounting to the worst bottom- followed by Sidney Crosby. After that, there is a whole slew of forwards six results in the entire league. worth roughly three wins above replacement starting with Jack Eichel Thanks to an aggressive offseason, the Canucks have certainly made and Pettersson is in this range, ranking 20th among pivots. Horvat, some upgrades to their roster, but the point remains that they’ll be meanwhile, slots in at 32nd. disproportionately reliant on Pettersson and Horvat to carry the load once Horvat’s two-way development and Pettersson’s transition magic more. So what can we expect from them next year and will it prove to be enough? After all, it’s not as if the Canucks are the only team with two Unlike Pettersson, who blew the doors down and took the league by high-end centres. storm from day one, it’s been consistently steady development that’s allowed Horvat to flourish as one of the game’s upper-echelon players. Past performance is usually the best predictor for future production and so it’d make sense to start by looking at how Pettersson and Horvat stack The offensive production proves as much with Horvat improving his up compared to the rest of the league’s centre duos. We’ll be measuring point-per-game pace every single season since entering the league as a performance using an all-encompassing statistic that includes point rookie in 2014-15, but so does his impact as a two-way play driver. Billed production, on-ice goal results, shot metrics and more in Evolving- as a defensive ace in junior, it took quite a while for his skills to translate Hockey’s wins above replacement model. to the professional level and it led to a narrative that Horvat’s two-way game is lacking. There are nuances and context requirements that make it inadvisable to use WAR only in evaluating players, but it’s an extremely useful and intuitive starting point nonetheless. This was absolutely the case early in his career but at this point, it’s clear the 10th best one-two punch down the middle in the league and second he deserves full plaudits as a consummate driver who creates dangerous only to the Oilers combo of McDavid and Draisaitl in the Pacific division. shots and scoring chances for his line while preventing quality chances defensively. Further hope should be found in the fact that Pettersson and Horvat will have better linemates to play with thanks to the additions of JT Miller and Viz courtesy Micah McCurdy (hockeyviz.com) Micheal Ferland. This should be of particular help to Horvat who had one of the largest disparities between matchup (quality of competition) and After accounting for factors like teammate quality, opponents, zone starts linemate (quality of teammate) quality in the league. One could make a and more using Micah McCurdy’s data, Horvat drives offence 12 percent compelling case that no centre was asked to do more with less than better than the average forward while allowing 2 percent fewer on the Horvat last season and in 2019-20 that’ll be a circumstance sure to defensive side of things. improve.

I dove into what exactly has led to this development in a piece earlier this There’s no doubt that Pettersson and Horvat will be leading the charge year, and when you combine this play-driving acumen with above- for the Canucks. Just how far they can carry the baton with their new average shooting, you’ve got yourself a hell of a player. reinforcements will ultimately determine the team’s playoff fate next As for Pettersson, you could pen an entire series on what separates him season. from the pack. Whether it’s his devastating shot, tremendous awareness The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 or deft hands, he’s a special talent that catches your eye every game. But if there’s one facet of his game in particular that I’d have to single out, it has to be how his elusiveness and puck skills have made him a dominant force in transition.

Viz by CJ Turtoro, data by Corey Sznajder

The 20-year-old Swede is unquestionably elite when it comes to exiting the defensive zone with possession and entering the attacking zone with the puck on his stick.

Seeing the numbers is one thing, but it’s equally amazing watching him in action. Just take a look at some of the magic he’s able to create carrying the puck from zone to zone.

Given the rare set of skills he’s put on display, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Pettersson was far and away the Canucks’ best skater in creating passing plays, shots and scoring chances off the rush. These situations are the most dangerous to create offence in because when you’re hitting teams on the counterattack in transition they have less time to get their defensive coverage set.

Suffice to say, Pettersson’s special ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and into attacking areas is one of the many characteristics that make him one of the league’s most productive centres.

The third-line-centre issue

While the strength of Vancouver’s top two centres is an advantage, the third-line centre position could very well wind up mitigating many of those gains.

Two years ago, Sutter was deployed like an elite, shutdown centre while being saddled with inferior wingers (similar to Horvat this past year). Once you adjusted the shot metrics for his difficult deployment, Sutter came away with a neutral impact on shot and expected goal share — pretty decent results from someone who should be deployed as the third- line pivot.

Unfortunately, injuries plagued Sutter this season and his play declined by an alarming rate. Offensively, he had just six points in 26 games. His typically reliable defensive game also fell off a cliff — the Canucks bleeding shots, scoring chances and ultimately goals against with Sutter deployed.

Viz courtesy Micah McCurdy (hockeyviz.com)

Red: More shots than league-average from that location

Blue: Fewer shots than league-average from that location

When Sutter was out of the lineup, the Canucks didn’t get any better two- way results in the bottom six from a heavily sheltered Adam Gaudette. The 22-year-old will need to take major steps forward if he’s to be counted on as the team’s full-time third-line centre.

One remedy for this situation could be slotting JT Miller into the 3C role, but I don’t think the Canucks have the top-six wingers, (particularly of the playmaking variety) to be able to shift him to the middle. It’d take a big season from someone like Nikolay Goldobin to open that possibility up and I wouldn’t be betting on that personally.

Conclusion

The NHL is chock full of high-end centre duos, but even among that standard Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat stand out in providing the Canucks with a competitive advantage at centre. They’re projected as 1107642 Websites He also has excellent stickhandling skills for a player his size and handles the puck in tight effectively. That often allows him to finish with a flair of talent and a quick dash rather than leveraging his heavy frame to The Athletic / The Gifted: How Stars prospect Jason Robertson plays simply attempt to pound pucks past goalies. smaller than he looks That was true above. And it’s true below when, after trailing the play into the zone rather than crashing the crease, Robertson fakes the shot before curling the puck past the diving defender and lightly lifting (rather By Scott Wheeler Aug 7, 2019 than shooting) the puck over the goalie:

That attitude is true throughout Robertson’s game. In some ways, he’s almost the anti-power forward. Here, again, after being the first player to In hockey, as in life, there are archetypes built on hyperbole and the offensive zone blueline, he elects to be the trailer into the zone buzzwords that are designed to fit every player into a pre-defined box. anyway — and scores: Scouts and evaluators often fall prey to lazily characterizing young prospects in this way: the power forward, the two-way centre, the speedy None of this is to say Robertson is soft on the puck, or unwilling to use winger, the one-dimensional scorer, the stay-at-home defenceman. But his size. He finishes the above play with a stick around his waist. sometimes, just sometimes, there’s a player who is so different from everyone else in approach or in ability that he is able to distinguish His power was on display in this burst of speed out wide for a partial himself through his uniqueness. These players have turned one skill into break and a quality scoring chance, too: the body of their game, and they illustrate the varied ways hockey can be Robertson does operate with finesse more than power, though. In the played at the highest levels. “The Gifted” is a 10-part series that process, he routinely demonstrates how hockey can be played in a examines, through video, the NHL’s most fascinating prospects and the variety of ways. unique skill sets that define them. By popular demand, “The Gifted” is back for a third year at The Athletic. It runs every Wednesday from July Watch here, after bumping his man and using the physical advantage in 24 to Sept. 25. his own zone, the way Robertson feigns to the middle off the rush before pulling up (rather than driving), resulting in a secondary assist off his The Gifted (2017 series): Part 1: Carl Grundstrom | Part 2: Jordan Kyrou | entry: Part 3: Vitaly Abramov | Part 4: Juuso Valimaki | Part 5: Vili Saarijarvi | Part 6: Filip Chlapik | Part 7: Travis Sanheim | Part 8: Timo Meier | Part 9: And watch the attention he draws from two defenders when he feigns Kirill Kaprizov | Part 10: Elias Pettersson toward the slot on the power play ahead of this secondary assist:

The Gifted (2018 series): Part 1: Miro Heiskanen | Part 2: Casey While most teams use 6-foot-2 wingers who can really turn and shoot in Mittelstadt | Part 3: Dylan Strome | Part 4: Oliver Wahlstrom | Part 5: the slot on the power play, Robertson played the point (a role normally Gabe Vilardi | Part 6: Adam Boqvist | Part 7: Evan Bouchard | Part 8: reserved for smaller forwards) on Niagara’s power play due to his Kristian Vesalainen | Part 9: Jonathan Dahlen | Part 10: Morgan Frost outsized creativity and patience.

The Gifted (2019 series): Part 1: Cale Makar | Part 2: Nick Robertson | That’s because he’s among the better passers in the league (hence the Part 3: Jason Robertson | Part 4: Aleksi Heponiemi | Part 5: Adam Fox | league-leading PPA numbers) and he sees the ice extremely well for the Part 6: Dante Fabbro | Part 7: Emil Bemstrom | Part 8: Cody Glass | Part cross-seam plays: 9: Martin Necas | Part 10: Bode Wilde As the year progressed, teams began to try to take that play away from Last week, when I wrote about Nick Robertson in Part 2 of this year’s him and he adjusted. Watch, here, the way Colts forward Jason Wilms series, I detailed the game of a 5-foot-9, 160-pound forward who plays (No. 19 in white) turns his back to the play to track Akil Thomas (No. 44 loud and forceful. in black), anticipating a play that Robertson never makes:

This week, as I write about Jason Robertson in Part 3, I’ll be detailing a Instead, Robertson had the presence of mind to send the puck low for a 6-foot-2, 200-plus-pound forward who is … nothing like that. tic-tac goal that resulted in the slot option being left available because too much attention was placed on Thomas. And that, in essence, is what “The Gifted” is all about. Again and again, Robertson makes plays that you wouldn’t expect out of Looking at their numbers and measurements, you’d probably assume a winger with his characteristics. Jason, the elder brother, who has scored 153 goals in his last three seasons (or a 53-goal 82-game pace across 235 games), is the power That’s led by his patience. Wherever his brother would think “I have to forward in the family. power my way to the net,” Robertson often thinks “I can delay here.”

But looks can be deceiving and there’s more to Robertson, who ranked Look for that patience in action on this goal: 37th in my top 50 drafted prospects ranking, than meets the eye. And on this one: The numbers are eye-popping. He also has much better puck skills that many players his size. Watch Last season, Robertson led the OHL in points (117), points per game not for the way he goes to the net to finish the play but for the little bit of (1.89) and power-play assists (36). In the last decade, just six other finesse required to handle the puck out of the air and begin the give-and- under-20 players have posted more than 117 points in a season. Each of go with the little flip pass off his backhand here: them did it with another player on their line who’s also on the list: Connor McDavid and Connor Brown; Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat; Mitch Or the way he again knocks the puck out of mid-air, this time for a shot Marner and Christian Dvorak. Robertson is the only one to do it alone, (after lurking off his defender’s back yet again), below: having begun the season with the lowly Frontenacs before finishing it on And while Robertson is capable of driving the net, he’s comfortable the IceDogs, where he scored at a rate of 2.08 points per game. playing on the perimeter (a word that has always carried a negative The style of play is less eye-popping. That doesn’t make it any less connotation in hockey when it doesn’t always have to). effective, though. In this sequence, Robertson gets the puck in the middle of the neutral (As part of this analysis, I watched back the last three games of zone. Rather than try to force a middle-lane entry, he takes it wide, stops Robertson’s 2018-19 regular season. In them, all victories, Robertson up, finds the trailer cross-ice and then gets into that familiar space near contributed on 11 of the IceDogs’ 19 goals with five goals, six assists and the back post to receive the puck back as part of a give-and-go: 15 shots on goal. He is wearing No. 19 in all clips.) Look for the way he weaves through traffic (again like a much smaller Unlike his little brother, Robertson doesn’t force his will on a game. player) with control below, before intentionally taking the puck from the Instead, he plays smaller than he is. middle of the ice to the flank and below the goal line for a cheeky attempt off the back of the goalie: Robertson often finds pockets of space on the perimeter in situations where a player of his size and strength would go to the slot or the net- Watch here, the way he uses his length and puck skill to stickhandle front. Watch how he lurks on the below goal, intentionally swinging through two defenders for a scoring chance while actually trying to avoid behind the North Bay defenders to the back post: — rather than initiate — contact: In isolation, Robertson has a lot of individual skills.

His curl-and-drag release is tough for goaltenders to handle:

He’s got straightaway speed and the skill necessary to take pucks off the boards and make plays:

When the option to carry off the boards isn’t there he has the defensive stickwork needed to be disruptive and gain possession, as well as the offensive playmaking ability to get the puck to a more dangerous area as a passer:

But it’s his approach that makes him unique. It’s the willingness to use his size — and the complement of those skills — to play a finesse game instead of a power one.

Robertson has learned to play a game that contrasts his brother. He has learned to disengage instead of engage. He has learned to steal pucks instead of hit for them. He has learned that sometimes skating around someone serves the same purpose as skating through them:

He has learned that patience, timing and the ability to lurk in space can be just as effective as impatience and power. He’s the big kid who plays small.

That talent, as much as anything else he possesses, is what made him the CHL’s top scorer. Before long, that talent will make him an excellent playmaking NHL winger.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107643 Websites “I don’t ever want them to think I don’t care about winning and that I don’t want to be out there,” he said.

March 2, 2012 — The Penguins had just practiced in Denver and would The Athletic / The untold stories of Sidney Crosby, behind the scenes, as play there the following day. Crosby had returned from a concussion, but he turns 32 made it through only eight games before enduring more symptoms.

He was skating with the team again by this time and was planning on By Josh Yohe Aug 7, 2019 returning to the lineup in a couple of weeks. It was pretty clear he was dealing with all sorts of emotions during the concussion. He had been scared he would never play again, concerned that his life could be permanently impacted, bored, frustrated and everything else imaginable. It’s probably time to consider retiring the “Sid the Kid” nickname as Sidney Crosby turns 32 today. By early March, he was symptom free. And he was getting a little angry. In Denver at altitude, Crosby decided to test himself. He was, by One of the great things about Crosby, though, is that he handled himself anyone’s estimation, the best player on the ice during practice that day. as an adult from the time he arrived in Pittsburgh as an 18-year-old. And it was a long, fairly grueling practice. But his work was just I’ve covered him for a decade, which has given me a different beginning. perspective of Crosby from behind the scenes, when the cameras are off. While his teammates left the ice, conducted interviews, showered and The polished, thoughtful gentleman that you see on camera isn’t phony. walked back to the team hotel, Crosby was still on the ice, giving himself Crosby really is a champion in the game of life as well as in hockey. the ultimate, high altitude test. It almost looked like he was punishing If you’ve read my mailbags and Q&As over the years, perhaps you’ve himself. A few people were in the building watching, and they were already come across some of these tales. Nonetheless, they’re worth starting to look uncomfortable just from watching the workout he put telling or, in some cases, re-telling. In an era where athletes often make himself through. headlines for truly horrendous reasons, Crosby has always conducted When it was finally, thankfully over, Crosby stayed on one knee for himself as a role model. extended period of time, lost in his thoughts and nothing else. I believe The most frequently asked question I receive is inevitably, “What’s Sid that was the moment when he knew the hurdle had finally been cleared. really like?” Hopefully this will help answer that question. Here’s a look at April 22, 2012 — The Penguins had just been dismissed, with conviction, 10 Crosby moments I’ve witnessed over the years, some of them larger by the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs. Entering the postseason as than life, and some of them simply serving as subtle reminders that the the Stanley Cup favorite, the Penguins were embarrassed by their Penguins’ captain is has never been changed by that nine-figure bank biggest rival. account. Crosby hardly played poorly in that series, having just returned from his March 22, 2010 — The Penguins had just lost to the Red Wings, 3-1, at health issues to record eight points in six games. But had been outplayed Joe Louis Arena. It had a big-game feel because those two teams had by Claude Giroux and the Penguins had lost their minds, and the series, met in the Stanley Cup final the previous two seasons, and there was a in one of the low moments in franchise history. sense they could meet again, which, of course, never happened. One month earlier, for historical perspective, Crosby had won the Olympic The locker room following Game 6 was a particularly somber one, as you gold medal game in overtime. might imagine. Crosby and Jordan Staal were the final players to leave the room. Staal knew he would be traded that summer, that his time with A group of reporters stood outside of the visitor’s locker room that night in the Penguins had come to an end. He sat beside Crosby, the two of them Detroit. Standing beside us was none other than Gordie Howe, who had barely able to speak. a picture in his hand. The picture, it turns out, was from the Olympics, one that showcased Crosby celebrating his game-winning goal against In the distance, Crosby could hear the Flyers celebrating. The look on his the United States. Howe walked directly to Crosby. They shook hands, face told quite a story. He’s never made it a secret that he doesn’t care and then Howe said, “I need your autograph on this.” Crosby looked for the Flyers. Losing to them had a big impact, and the look on his face uncomfortable and said, “You’re Gordie Howe. You don’t want my indicated that he never again intended on losing a playoff series against autograph.” them. He could have left the room but instead just sat there, taking in the noises and the celebrations. You could see it fueling him. So far, he’s Howe responded, “I sure as hell do.” Crosby doesn’t look overwhelmed met them once and recorded 13 points in a six-game series victory in very often, but he almost did at that moment. He was very much in awe 2018. of Howe and has a healthy respect for the all-time greats. After signing the picture, Crosby shook Howe’s hand again. Nov. 20, 2012 — The true essence of Crosby was on display during the lockout. He was 25, right in the heart of his prime, and was finally feeling Crosby then looked at the group of people watching. healthy after missing 101 games — not including a playoff series — “When he shakes your hand, it feels like your hand is going to break,” during the previous two seasons. All he wanted to do was play. And he Crosby said. “God, he’s still strong.” couldn’t.

Jan. 11, 2012 — I’ve told this one before, but it’s a good one. Crosby was During this time, Crosby and about 10 of his Pittsburgh-based out with a concussion and, well, long story short, I ended up writing an teammates practiced daily at Southpointe. On this particular day, when article about him the day before that wasn’t my best. Long story. The his teammates were done for the day, Crosby stayed on the ice for an article suggested that Crosby needed to let Ray Shero know what was additional half hour. There were hundreds of pucks on the ice, two nets going on with his health so that he could make a big move before the and the greatest hockey player in the world. He stayed on the ice for 30 trade deadline if Crosby wasn’t going to play again that season. minutes after they were gone. When practice was over, the methodically skated the two nets off the ice and into a storage room. He then corralled Crosby didn’t like the article in the least, and I don’t blame him. I was told the pucks into the center of the ice, sat on the frozen surface and placed by a team official that Sid wanted to talk in between periods in the press each puck into a bag. This became his routine on a daily basis. There box in Washington, where the Penguins were in the process of losing was something sad about watching Crosby carry nets off of the ice each their sixth straight game, this one a 1-0 setback to the Capitals. day. There was also something impressive about it. He’s no diva. It became his custom, day after day, to stay on the ice for longer than Crosby and I chatted for most of the second period. He wasn’t happy but anyone else, and to save the maintenance staff in the building the extra it’s hard for him to get angry. It feels forced because he’s so friendly by work of putting everything back where it belonged. nature. But I could tell he was upset. He then said something to me that I’ll never forget: “I don’t know how I’m going to feel from one day to the Dec, 10, 2012 — Team officials weren’t allowed to be at Southpointe next.” during the lockout. Those workouts were for players only. No media relations officials allowed. So Crosby decided to serve as his own media What became most clear during this chat, other than the fact that he was relations person. Really. dealing with a medical ailment that is frighteningly unpredictable, was his devotion to Penguins fans. I got a phone call from Crosby on the night of Dec. 10. It was a Monday. “Hey Josh, I know I told the media we were going to practice at conversation about their travels, which seemed far more interesting and Southpointe tomorrow. But something came up so we’re not going to be poignant to him than speaking about hockey. able to now. I’m really sorry about it. I would feel awful if anyone drove to practice, and expected us to be there. So if you could please let The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 everyone know that we won’t be there tomorrow, I’d really appreciate it.”

March 25, 2013 — The Penguins were thinking about making a trade deadline splash: Jarome Iginla. Following practice, some of the team brass wanted to have a meeting and wanted Crosby to be involved. I don’t know what the meeting pertained to, but I’ll guess Iginla was one of the topics involved.

Ray Shero was hovering around the locker room after practice. Some coaches were around. Dan Bylsma was looking for his captain and finally said, “Does anyone know where Sid is?”

No one knew, in fact. Crosby almost always talks with reporters following practices but wasn’t around the locker room that day. Nothing to be concerned about. Maybe it was an equipment issue. Maybe he didn’t feel well. Maybe he was busy. These things happen.

A quick walk around the corner adjacent to the locker room told the story. Crosby was on his hands and knees, skates still on, having a conversation with a boy in a wheelchair that probably spanned 30 minutes. This is a common sight. Crosby always goes out of his way to not only greet people who deal with health struggles, but to actually listen to them and spend time with them. I see it all the time, but you never stop appreciating it. It’s not for show. It’s totally genuine, Jarome Iginla meetings be damned.

Jan. 11, 2014 — The Penguins had just won in Calgary. And it was cold. Really cold. And windy. Alberta winters aren’t usually pleasant, after all.

In Calgary, the team bus sits on the arena floor level, and there is a steep hill beside it. On top of the hill, some young Flames fans wanted to get a glimpse of Crosby and had composed a sign that was wishing him luck in the upcoming 2014 Olympics.

One by one, the Penguins filed onto their team bus. Upon seeing the sign, Crosby did a U-turn from the bus and raced up the hill to sign autographs for his young fans. I wish I’d have had the good sense to take a picture of the scene, because the respective looks on their faces was priceless. I’ve seen Crosby sign autographs for literally thousands of people, but that one always sticks out. Most people who encounter Crosby will only meet him once in their lives. He knows that. He’s too humble to ever talk about such things, but he knows it means a lot to people, and I’ve always sensed that he wants that one meeting to be a good one, every time.

March 6, 2014 — The Penguins had just acquired Lee Stempniak and Marcel Goc at the NHL trade deadline the following day. They had a morning skate in San Jose the next day. Like all players, Crosby is a creature of habit and always leaves the skate at the same time, maintaining the routine.

The Penguins took the ice at 11:30, were in their locker room at noon, and were gone for the team hotel by 12:30. But not Crosby. As the clock went from noon to 1, he just quietly stood outside of the Penguins’ locker room. I finally had to ask why.

“I think it’s important to make the new guys feel welcome,” he explained.

Finally, a little after 1 p.m., while the rest of the Penguins were enjoying a nap, Crosby was there to shake the hands of his two new teammates.

It’s funny. Crosby played perhaps the worst game of his life that evening, finishing as a minus-5 in a 5-3 loss. Maybe there is something to be said for maintaining a routine. But there’s something to be said for being a good captain, too. It was highlighted that day.

July 15, 2016 — The Stanley Cup was in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, for Crosby’s hometown parade following the Penguins’ 2016 triumph. Crosby rode in the back of a truck, proudly showcasing the Cup. He gave a speech in front of thousands of people. It was a lovely afternoon, the perfect day for such an occasion.

When the speech was over, Crosby met with a few reporters for interviews and said hello to a few people in the area. He was then supposed to jump back in the truck and head back to his parents’ house to spend a day celebrating with family. After an hour, everyone was starting to wonder where Crosby was. Troy and Trina weren’t sure.

A look around the corner provided the answer. Crosby had met two members of the Canadian military and was deeply engrossed in his 1107644 Websites As James Mirtle said in his lineup projection, the 2019-20 Leafs are “going to be different.” New faces will be on both sides of the ice due to acquisition and opportunity – for example, Mirtle expects Nick Shore to The Athletic / Projecting the 2019-20 NHL standings: How does each slot in as Zach Hyman recovers from a torn ACL; and the acquisition of roster projection stack up? Jordan Schmaltz through a trade with St. Louis might add a name to the list of players vying for the third pair. Toronto remains the second-best offensive group but its defense sits in 19th place in terms of total WAR. Goaltending ranks 13th. By Alison Lukan Aug 7, 2019 Columbus ranking so high may be the biggest outlier in our model and

shows us some of the big red flags to watch for – for better or worse – in As free agency activity wore down, each of our beat writers took a look at this exercise. First, the impact of first-year players where the degree of what they expect next year’s lineup to look like for their respective team. difficulty estimating actual performance skyrockets. Alexandre Texier Offseason projections are stuff of what-if’s and possibilities, but they significantly elevates the value of the third line here, but the player, while might also be one of the times we look at a team individually without a lot promising, has just five NHL games to his name. Even the substitution of of context from the league as a whole. much-anticipated Emil Bemstrom halves the expected WAR for that trio and drops the team by six standings points. Second, this model is So the question came to mind — how would each of these rosters stack descriptive, not predictive, so overall, this forward group will have a lot to up against one another? live up to in the post-Artemi Panarin world, and the big question mark lies in goaltending. The unproven tandem of Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis To answer this question, Shayna Goldman and I ran each writer’s Merzlikins ranked last in our WAR projections. expected lineup through Sean Tierney’s lineup tool to evaluate each roster against the same set of measures and calculations. *The value of a replacement-level goaltender was used for Elvis Merzlikins. You can read more on how the lineup tool works here, but basically it evaluates a lineup in terms of combinations and the anticipated ice time There hasn’t been a lot of change for Montreal as far as the players in based on role. Then, using wins above replacement (WAR) data from the mix, it’s the mix itself that remains in question, and that variability Evolving-Hockey, each team’s anticipated standings points is calculated. obviously impacts how Montreal might perform. As Arpon Basu summarized, “in terms of who’s on the roster, (this lineup) should be There are some important limitations to know going into this analysis: pretty close. The one thing set in stone is the first forward line. Some of We restricted our lineup evaluation to 12 forwards, six defensemen and the line combinations may be different; and Ben Chiarot might play with two goaltenders Jeff Petry. Brett Kulak would therefore be on the third pair.”

For rookies and prospects outside the NHL, Tierney used Emmanuel But even with all this jumbling, Montreal currently ranks in our top 10 in Perry’s prospect data for his projections and, given how these players forward, defense and overall WAR. can be evaluated, their WAR values should be taken with a grain of salt Congratulations to the Stars who come in first overall in goaltending If a rookie or prospect outside the NHL wasn’t included in our WAR data WAR for next season and without a lot of drama. As Sean Shapiro noted, set, we used the value of a replacement level player – so there’s “Ben Bishop is the starter and Anton Khubodin is the reliable 1A. It would obviously room for improvement there be wise if the duo had a similar split in games to last season, albeit by design instead of injuries to Bishop forcing their hand.” In terms of TOI distribution across lines, pairs and goaltenders, we used the ones Tierney suggests. The only exception is when a writer Otherwise the team as projected will have some work to do forward-wise specifically noted exceptions for goaltenders. (ranked 21st) but the play in net should be strong enough to keep them in eighth overall in WAR and firmly in a playoff spot for the second straight If teams tied in standings points, we used total team WAR as a tie- season. breaker *The value of a replacement-level defenseman was used for Stephen There are definitely some weird results and outliers, and we’ve noted Johns. why for each, but overall this was a fun look at how things might just stack up come next season. Using this model, the Flames project to win the Pacific with the only weakness being goaltending (24th), but a lot of variables remain for Here’s how the final standings, as well as what the first round of the Calgary. For further explanation, we turned the floor over to Kent Wilson. playoffs would look like (click any image to enlarge). “Brad Treliving still has a lot of work to do to get under the cap, which will It’s no real surprise that last year’s President’s Trophy winners’ 2019-20 have implications on the depth chart. (This lineup) assumes Michael lineup projects strongly for next season. In our WAR categories, Tampa Frolik is traded as a cap dump. If (TJ) Brodie is traded instead of (or in currently ranks first in both forwards and defense, and fifth in addition to) Frolik, Rasmus Andersson moves up to the top pairing with goaltending. Further, the recent addition of Kevin Shattenkirk brings even (Mark) Giordano and Brandon Davidson plays on the third pairing with more versatility to the defense regardless of where he slots into the (Juuso) Valimaki. lineup. Competition on the blue line will look to be steep with Jan Rutta earning playoff time last season and the acquisition of Luke Schenn this “Andrew Mangiapane may start life out on the fourth line, but I think he’s offseason. a good bet to elevated to the top-six on the second line. If it’s not him, then it will be Sam Bennett, with Mangiapane sliding up and taking Boston is a team that didn’t have much overhaul to do on its roster and, Bennett’s place instead. Milan Lucic probably starts life out on the third accordingly, it’s projected roster looks to remain quite robust for the line, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on line 4 by midseason.” coming season, particularly when its forward group ranks third in total WAR. Josh Yohe wrote earlier this summer about the projected lineup for next season and it’s not expected to change much more. The Penguins’ The defending Stanley Cup champions are definitely a story of the sum forward group still projects to be one of the top 10 in the league, being greater than the total of its parts. Their forwards and goaltending according to WAR (Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will do that), but a units each project to be within the top third of the league in terms of total weaker third pairing has the defense ranked 15th overall and goaltending WAR, but they are bolstered by the third-overall defense. And, as we is also middle of the pack at 14th. saw, these puzzle pieces fit together perfectly down the stretch for St. Louis last year. Of those projected to be in the starting lineup, only Ivan Even with Ian Cole out of the lineup until December (hip surgery), a Barbashev remains unsigned. strong Avalanche team got stronger this offseason. Interestingly, according to our model, the most significant position is goaltending, A revamped fourth line and tweaked defensive corps add to an where Phillipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz are currently the third-best established core in Washington that will look to once again win the pairing in terms of any tandem’s WAR, but again, this is where fewer Metropolitan Division. It’s interesting that goaltending projects to be the appearances for the starter and rookie variability for the backup can weakest part of this specific team in terms of WAR, ranking 15th overall. inflate such projections. Over the past three seasons, Grubauer only appeared in 96 games; while his numbers were stellar and there’s reason to be optimistic, a lot can change in a netminder’s first full season as a starter. There is also a very good chance the skaters in front of the net team that hasn’t reached expectations of late. Changes may be coming exceed these projections; and even if they do not, this is still a playoff as the season rolls on, but for now, the projected roster sits outside of a team. playoff spot.

Murat Ates said Winnipeg is likely to be a cap team this coming season, The Canucks were active this summer and show some progress in their but they should also be guaranteed a playoff spot for their trouble. The lineup effectiveness, at least in terms of this exercise. Their defense roster as constructed looks to fall right in the middle in terms of forward ranks 17th overall and goaltending sits in a stout 11th place. However, WAR (15th) and defensive WAR (16th), and is bolstered by the seventh- outside of that dangerous top line, the forward group will still struggle best goaltending. offensively.

Nashville was involved in one of the most high-profile roster changes this Philadelphia is another team with some moving parts in its lineup and it summer as they moved P.K. Subban to make room for top-six center may be hard to squeeze impactful value out of the bottom six forwards Matt Duchene. The projected Predators roster remains strong enough to and defensive group. At least the goaltending situation seems to be earn postseason play and will continue to ride the strength of play in net settled after the position was a turnstile last year. And, with general – Nashville’s goaltending had the fourth-best WAR of any team. manager Chuck Fletcher saying, “he envisions (Carter) Hart and (Brian) Elliott sharing duties in 2019-20, with both netminders receiving Vegas had to do quite a bit of shuffling to remain cap compliant this somewhere between 30 and 50 games … (with) the organization is offseason, but the dust has settled and it locked in a roster that should hoping that Hart ends up closer to the 50-start mark,” we’ve modified the still make the postseason as constructed. The loss of Nikita Gusev cost time on ice percentages to 60-40. Vegas two standings points in our model, but it still has the fifth-best forward corps in the NHL that’s built around long-term deals for key *The value of a replacement-level forward was used for German players such as Mark Stone and William Karlsson. Rubtsov.

This roster presumes that both Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are on Even the addition of Phil Kessel isn’t enough to push this forward group the Sharks roster come opening night. But even with them, while San into the top half of the league, but coach Rick Tocchet acknowledged a Jose’s forward group has lost some punch, its defensive corps currently lot can change before opening night. There will be plenty to explore in the stands as second-best in the league in our WAR standings. And while Coyotes’ lineup and one of the most interesting parts of the roster may this isn’t exactly breaking news, a boost in goaltending could add a much be the goaltending. Catherine Silverman explored the netminding needed increase in overall performance. pipeline and, with her analysis, we’ve split playing time 50-50 between Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper. Right now the 6.44 WAR those two We mentioned Columbus earlier as over-estimated in this exercise, and generate ranks ninth. its former goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, is now with perhaps one of the most underestimated. Why? After a solid offseason, the Panthers’ This is one of the rankings that likely comes with a grain of salt as the forwards and defensemen showed well in our WAR rankings, but Rangers are likely another victim of young talent impacting WAR goaltending lagged – primarily due to the unpredictability of rookie Sam valuation – after all this is a team that added Artemi Panarin this summer. Montembeault. Couple that with a weaker than usual season for Outlining some of the key decisions in the lineup we used from this Bobrovsky last year and even a slight over-performance by this tandem exercise, Rick Carpiniello and Goldman chose to keep Chris Kreider on could propel the Panthers much higher in the standings. the second line (barring any trade) and put Ryan Strome in over Vladislav Namestnikov. If Kreider is traded, our writers project The Hurricanes are a group that likes to surprise people one way or Buchnevich and Kravtsov on line two, Brendan Lemieux-Lias Andersson- another, and they will have to do it again this season if this exercise Strome as line three, Cristoval Nieves over Greg McKegg on line four holds true. The team surely got stronger this offseason (we’re assuming and a shift lower in the standings. Justin Williams returns), but their forward corps ranked 22nd in our WAR exercise. But who is to say this team doesn’t again surge and remain in Buffalo entered the offseason with a lot of question marks, and with the the playoff conversation. dust settling, Joe Yerdon offered what he sees as the opening night lineup (acknowledging the initial absence of Lawrence Pilut (shoulder) Also on the netminding horizon, there are many players in the mix: Petr and Zach Bogosian (hip)). Ultimately, the Sabres are stuck in a bit of a Mrazek, James Reimer, Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg. We went balancing act with all the veteran players who still have a hold on spots with Mrazek-Reimer because, even though Carolina’s goaltending while young talent pushes for spots, and there are just so many situation isn’t sorted completely and it’s fair to expect Nedeljkovic to see defenders competing for ice time. some NHL action, his WAR impact was equal to Reimer’s. Anaheim is undergoing a “roster transformation” as Eric Stephens Chicago’s is a roster where change has become a constant and Scott described in his look at the lineup for the coming season, but for now, in Powers did an outstanding job trying to project what the lineup looks like Anaheim, the storyline is: John Gibson, we’re sorry. for the near future. One big key for this team in our exercise? The addition of Robin Lehner. He joins the Blackhawks off an exceptional *The value of a replacement-level defenseman was used for Jani season on the Island and brings a higher full season WAR value that is Hakanpaa. almost two wins higher than the incumbent Corey Crawford. This tandem currently ranks sixth overall in goaltending WAR. As Powers noted, Detroit is another team that is working on finding the right spots for the coach Jeremy Colliton acknowledge a greater share of time going to his young talent that is NHL-ready. Again, that injects a measure of “backup” netminder, so we gave Crawford just a 60-40 edge in terms of questioning because it’s hard to fully evaluate players in this exercise overall playing time. before they have a lot of NHL experience.

*The value of a replacement-level forward was used for Dominik Kubalik. Even when you’re a team that has Connor McDavid, this exercise doesn’t look as favorably on a roster that will see an injection of change coming Count New Jersey as another team anticipating a more even split in net, from a lot of prospect-based talent and with so much unknown. The so we’ve given Cory Schneider and Mackenzie Blackwood equal time in highest ranking segment of the Oilers roster was in net with a Mikko our exercise. As far as skaters go, many a positional battle is expected in Koskinen—Mike Smith tandem falling 23rd in WAR. training camp, and if Subban stays healthy and becomes a defensive force, while Nikita Gusev and/or Jack Hughes show to be as promised, *The value of a replacement-level player was used for Gaeten Haas and the Devils are another contender for over-performing the projections from for Matt Benning. this exercise. It’s hard to be optimistic about Ottawa’s lineup right now. While its The Islanders came up as a player in a lot of free agency talk, but when defense came in 13th, the forward group ranked last and only two teams’ all was said and done, there hasn’t been a lot of upheaval. Anders Lee goaltending was worse than the Senators’. remains an Islander and, after an upstart season last year that was *The value of a replacement-level forward was used for Jonathan driven by goaltending, this team will look to surprise once again. The Davidsson. good news on the Island is that, even with the departure of Lehner and arrival of Varlamov, the Islanders’ tandem still ranks ninth in the league in Another flag we noted in this exercise is the impact of being descriptive WAR, while the defense sits in 12th place. of what has happened, and last year’s performance surely impacts this Kings prediction. Each of Los Angeles’ units – forwards, defense and It will be an interesting season for the Wild who will be playing under a goaltending – ranked in the bottom five of our WAR standings. The new general manager likely looking to quickly reverse the fortune of a Kings’ are evolving their roster, but their promising young talent doesn’t look to be quite ready and this coming season may be a slow bit of improvement on last year.

Postseason Picture

While the resulting values in this exercise may not be fully true to expected outcomes, they do at least give us a look at how each team’s projected lineup measures against one another using the same scale.

Here’s how each team ranked in total WAR with representative segments for forwards, defense and goaltending.

If these relative measures to one another sta‹yed true, here’s how the final conference standings would shake out (an asterisk designates playoff teams):

And here’s a mock up of the first round of the playoff picture come April.

Conclusion

As noted, this exercise wasn’t about offering up concrete final standings for the 2019-20 season, it was about measuring each of our projections against the same ruler. There are plenty of variables not just in the lineups, but also in how the lineup calculator attributes value to players that can – and will – affect how reality compares to our results.

But for now, it was fun to take a gander at how each team expects to stack up against the other teams in the league, and who knows which lineups will end up over or under-performing expectations?

The Athletic LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107645 Websites I think you’d agree with me, spending to the cap right now would do us no good. We have the cap flexibility to sign this core group of young players going forward and that’s what we have to focus our attention on.

Sportsnet.ca / Senators' Dorion talks team's payroll, off-season moves SN: How soon can that happen? Owner Eugene Melnyk has mentioned and 2019-20 optimism 2021 as the start of Ottawa’s higher spending and what he termed a run of “unparalleled success.”

Wayne Scanlan August 7, 2019, 2:12 PM Dorion: Eugene has put it on me to determine when the time will be to spend to the cap. He has been extremely supportive. The one thing with the plan that we have, we can’t rush it, we can’t take shortcuts, as tempting as they may be. We talk regularly, and when it comes time, we This has been another interesting summer for the Ottawa Senators, a will pay our younger players. team that finished dead last in the NHL in 2018-19 and fired head coach Guy Boucher before it was over. Despite their finish, Ottawa only drafted SN: What excites you the most about the upcoming season? 19th overall in Round 1 because it surrendered its own pick to secure forward Brady Tkachuk in the 2018 draft. Dorion: That’s probably the most fun question to answer in all this. First and foremost, D. J. Smith, he’s got an infectious personality. He’s going In a one-on-one interview, general manager Pierre Dorion discussed with to make these players play hard, he’s going to make them accountable. I Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan his off-season moves, his notoriously low talked to him this morning for about 45 minutes, and I don’t think I’ve roster payroll and why he is so bullish on the upcoming season with new been more pumped about doing what I have to do today. He just brings a coach D.J. Smith behind the bench. joy to the game of hockey with his personality.

Sportsnet: Pierre, how would you characterize this off-season as far as The other thing that excites us is the turnover on our roster. Not just the the Ottawa Senators are concerned? young players but the veterans. It’s a significant difference, and we’re trying to do this the proper way, adding quality, character core guys. Pierre Dorion: It’s been a very productive off-season. I think we’ve made Their mentorship can be valuable for our team success moving forward. a lot of changes. Right from the end of the year until now, the first and biggest thing was the hiring of (head coach) D.J. Smith. We hired New Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith. (Sean Kilpatrick/CP) someone we feel is going to grow with these players. And someone who’s going to set the culture where we need it to be for us to have a lot SN: How big a difference can Smith and his staff make in the team’s of success going forward. overall play?

I think the other thing we’ve done, while we’ve created opportunity for Dorion: I think it’s going to be a massive difference. D.J. and his staff are young players, at the same time we’ve brought in veterans, guys we feel going to bring — they’re not going be radical changes but they’re going to are going to help these young players grow and develop. And we made be changes, where our players play for one another and we’ve got a some trades that will help us short term but also in the long term — the team that’s going to play with a lot of energy. trade we made with Toronto in getting Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Brown I don’t think it’s going to be measured all the time with wins and losses. (for Cody Ceci and Ben Harpur), as well as the trade for Artem Anisimov, But what we want to see from a management side, and what I think our who we feel will play really well in our system. fans want to see, is significant progression and we feel that’s going to SN: Is your work nearly done for the summer? happen this year.

Dorion: Honestly, I don’t think your work is ever done as a GM. We don’t SN: Smith has been talking about improving the way Ottawa players expect to be too busy right now. The Anisimov trade (for Zack Smith) “track the puck” (citing the Boston Bruins as an example). Is that came pretty quickly, in the second week of July we really started getting something that registers with you? into the details of it. And just a week ago or so the Ryan Callahan trade Dorion: Yes, it definitely registers with us. I think you’re going to see a big (for Mike Condon). We’re about a month away from rookie camp. I think it difference with our back-checking, in our tracking. How we play in our starts Sept. 6. So, we’re looking forward to it, but our work is never done. own end, with our centremen almost being like a third defenceman down SN: What is the latest on the Colin White contract discussions? low. Our scoring chances, I think, are going to come from different areas than they have in the past. But when you track the puck, and get on the Dorion: Respectfully, I don’t think we want to get into details about our opposition quicker before they get in the zone, or when they’re entering negotiations for the simple reason that for us, it makes it harder the zone, I think it’s going to really show to our fans that we are negotiating through the public. But we want to tell our fans we know the committed to a winning type of hockey and better defensive hockey. And importance of keeping our young core here for the long term. And we we need to do that. When you give up the most goals against (302) last know that includes (Thomas) Chabot, White, (Brady) Tkachuk. year, and we were pretty high up there the previous year (291), we have to really bear down on play without the puck. SN: Is there a chance Chabot could also get done this summer or fall, despite the fact he doesn’t become an RFA until next summer? SN: What are your expectations for this group this season?

Dorion: I’m pretty much going to give you the same answer, but we’ve Dorion: For us — our management group and me as GM — this is had discussions. probably the most excited I’ve been. I just feel with the turnover we’ve had, the veterans we’ve brought in, combined with the young players, the Ottawa Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot. (Paul Sancya/AP/CP) new coaching staff, the chance for our young players to grow, whether SN: A lot of fans feel the organization isn’t constructing a true rebuild until here or in Belleville — personally I don’t think I’ve been more excited some of these young players sign long-term deals? Would you concur? about a season. This is one summer I feel is dragging on. I almost wish it was Sept. 6 today so we could start with rookie camp and get on with Dorion: Our fans are really important to us. We all want the same things. training camp and exhibition games and play our first game against We all want our young players to be here on long-term deals. We want Toronto on Oct. 2. them developing and growing together. Winning together. But the most important thing for us this year is making sure our young players do I know good things are ahead. And we feel really positive about this grow, and are surrounded by good veterans. And whether they’re here in group of players. the NHL, or the American League, they’re always progressing. That’s the SN: This isn’t on the hockey side, but the departure of Aimee Deziel as most important thing we’re trying to do here … so when they get to the chief marketing officer is the latest in a long line of club executives who NHL, they’re ready to contribute and help us win. have come and gone. Do you expect her to be replaced? SN: As a competitive hockey guy, how much does it pain you to have an Dorion: That’s not my place to answer, the only thing I know from being actual payroll in the neighbourhood of $47.5 million (plus three LTIR in the office this summer is that our business side is really working hard players, including Callahan), when you have to compete against payrolls to get ready for this season and I think we’re going to have a lot of new as high as $80 million-plus? and exciting things. Dorion: First and foremost, the most important thing to us is the Ottawa SN: How would you market this 2019-20 team? Give us your best pitch. Senators and making sure our team continues to improve and get better. Dorion: The first thing is, our fans can grow with us, can see the growth of our players. I think there is going to be as much accountability as I’ve seen in the past five-to-10 years. I think we are going to see a totally different team as far as work ethic, systems. The biggest thing is a different mindset. We have a lot of faith in this coach and I think we are really going to see these players progress.

SN: With the veterans added, including Ron Hainsey and Tyler Ennis as free agents, there may be less room for some of your young talent to make this roster, but fair to say it’s not the worst thing to have them develop in AHL Belleville a while longer?

Dorion: Exactly. Let’s say Player X, whomever that may be, one of our best prospects, doesn’t make the team out of camp and is in Belleville til Christmas time. He’s getting valuable experience. His mistakes won’t be shown on Sportsnet every night and he’s getting that experience in the minors so when he comes up here he’s ready to contribute and help us have success. If you put them in the NHL too early, they lose their confidence and you set them back. It varies from prospect to prospect.

The importance of the veterans is twofold — they mentor the younger players and they ensure we don’t have too many young players at the NHL level. If we had 20 players under 25 we’d finish in last place and then you create a losing culture. We have to be careful to balance a winning culture with developing them properly, progression, all these things. We’ve planned for this.

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Sportsnet.ca / Former Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov eyeing NHL return

Mike Johnston August 7, 2019, 3:28 PM

Andrei Markov has spent the past two seasons in the KHL, but the veteran defenceman is reportedly eyeing a return to the NHL for the 2019-20 campaign.

If it were up to Markov, his North American comeback would be with the only NHL club he suited up for during his 16-season NHL career – the Montreal Canadiens.

“I know I’m 40, but it doesn’t feel like I’m 40,” Markvov told Stu Cowen of the Montreal Gazette. “I worked hard over the summer and I’ve done some stuff I never did before. I put in lots of work this summer and I’m looking forward … we’ll see what’s going to happen.”

Markov signed a two-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan as a free agent following the 2016-17 NHL campaign, after he and the Canadiens couldn’t come to an agreement on a new contract. Markov sought a multi-year offer then, something the Canadiens reportedly weren’t willing to make.

The Russian didn’t want to explore other NHL options two years ago, but he did leave the door open for an eventual return.

“I will never forget my time here,” Markov said at the time. “I didn’t see myself with any other NHL team. I didn’t see myself wearing another jersey.”

Markov was also just 10 games away from earning his silver stick when he decided to sign overseas. If he joins an NHL team this year and makes double-digit appearances, he’ll become the eighth Russian in NHL history to reach the 1,000-game milestone.

“It’s important … but most important probably is to try to play one more year in the NHL, to prove that I can still play in that level,” Markov told Cowen.

Unlike the case in 2017, it doesn’t appear to be a Canadiens-or-bust situation for Markov.

“You never know,” Markov added. “Right now, I’m going to say ‘why not?’ For example, if the Canadiens don’t want me anymore and any other team gives me an offer or gives me an opportunity to play, I’ll probably take that.”

Markov was selected by the Canadiens in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 1998 NHL Draft and accumulated 572 points in his 990 games. He ranks sixth all-time in games played in a Canadiens uniform behind Claude Provost (1,005), Jean Beliveau (1,125), Bob Gainey (1,160), Larry Robinson (1,202) and Henri Richard (1,258) and is among the franchise’s all-time leading scorers from the back end.

Markov told Cowen he misses “everything” about Montreal.

“When you step on the ice you feel the fans, they’re so passionate and they support each game and you feel like the crowd’s got your back behind you,” he said. “That feeling is kind of like something special, you know.”

The Canadiens currently have approximately $4 million in salary cap space and the blue line has a dearth of talent compared to other Atlantic Division teams.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.08.2019 1107647 Websites That happened every game though, it was just fun, guys are going back and forth. [Johnson] gets up to bat, he starts saying stuff to their pitcher but the pitcher starts brushing him off. He kind of moves in a little closer, Sportsnet.ca / Crosby on the Subban incident, Golden Goal, Johnson's like kind of showing him, ‘Hey I don’t care if you’re brushing me off, I’m baseball brawl going to get tighter to the plate.’ So I’m on deck and I’m thinking, ‘This is not going to be good.’ You can tell, like, he’s going to charge the mound at any point.

Sportsnet Staff | August 7, 2019, 3:08 PM “Sure enough, brushes another one back, he goes out there, he just starts beating the crap out of the pitcher. Like, within two punches that

guy’s down. First baseman comes over, that guy’s down. Second Make no mistake, Sidney Crosby’s got stories. baseman throws his glove at him. So he’s standing on the mound, two guys are down — I remember I ran, like hockey mentality, grabbed the Though the longtime face of the NHL has always seemed most catcher because I’m thinking he might blindside him. I’m like, ‘What just unfettered when that face is hidden away behind a CCM helmet and happened.’ visor, the Cole Harbour king’s 14-year career has seen no shortage of marquee moments — Stanley Cup runs, Olympic golds, and a fair few “The athletic director came up to us after and said, ‘You guys are run-ins along the way. going to have to sit out the rest of the season.’”

Joining former teammates Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette on a new Canada’s Sidney Crosby celebrates his game-winning goal during episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, released Wednesday on No. 87’s overtime period men’s ice hockey gold medal final at the 2010 Winter 32nd birthday, Crosby shared some of his best stories from his decade- Olympic Games. (Paul Chiasson/CP) and-a-half in the game. 3. A drill from his younger days helped Sid score Canada’s Golden Goal A few noteworthy tidbits: Though he’s amassed his fair share of NHL accomplishments, there are 1. Yes, Sid was irked by P.K. Subban’s mouthwash trolling many for whom his finest moment came without a Penguins jersey in sight. Crosby’s gold medal-winning tally against Team USA at the 2010 Back in 2017, Crosby and Subban were locked in a Stanley Cup Final Winter Olympics in Vancouver remains one of the Nova Scotia native’s showdown between the Penguins and Subban’s then-club, the Nashville most iconic memories. Predators. The stars’ rivalry was famously taken from the ice to the locker room midway through the series when Subban dropped this to Crosby reflected on the moments leading up to the golden goal: reporters after a game (a Preds win) in which he and the Penguins “I remember the feeling I had when [Team USA’s Zach] Parise scored, captain had exchanged some words: that’s what I remember the most. I was sick to my stomach,” he said. “I “Usually when guys chirp after a game or during the game it’s usually was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ This is, what was it a minute or about your game or something personal, but [Crosby] went on to tell me under a minute he scored? And I remember, like ‘Oh my God.’ … And that my breath smelled bad, and I don’t know why, because I used then we only had 30 seconds, so we come in the room still kind of like Listerine before the game. So I thought my breath smelled great. I mean, lingering. I remember was so cool and calm. I don’t at the end of the day we’re just going to take the win and move on.” remember exactly what we said, but I mean, he was convinced we were going to win, judging by the way he was talking. I just remember, ‘Wow, Soon after, Subban arrived at the arena on gameday hauling a bag of this guy’s been through everything. We’re going to get this done.’ He had Listerine for all to see. Much was made of whether the off-ice tomfoolery that quiet confidence.” helped spur Crosby and the Penguins on to their eventual series win. He also recalled how a drill from his younger days helped clinch the The Penguins captain shared his side: game for the red and white:

“Yeah, I was a little irritated by it,” Crosby said of Subban’s antics. “I “It’s cool because I used to do this drill growing up, I remember, mean, I think you could tell at the time when I was doing the interviews. It probably like 12-, 13-, 14-years-old. It was 10 pucks and you just shoot was just like the last thing I wanted to be talking about. But I mean, 10 into the net — the pucks were scattered all over the offensive zone, maybe that was part of it. so you didn’t necessarily know where the net is sometimes. You’re just trying to get 10 pucks in as best time as you can, so you’ve got to score “They had just tied it 2-2 — we had won the first two and that was in 10 goals on an empty net. It’s pretty hard because, once you get tired, Nashville. He had said something to Guentzy (Jake Guentzel) leaving the you’re skating out to the blue line, turning, you’re firing, you miss, puck ice, and I just went to kind of get in the middle and try to break them up. goes in the corner, you gotta go chase it down, it’s just annoying. It’s kind He kind of kept saying stuff, and him and I went at it. Nothing was said of like a bag skate at the end. even remotely close to that, but then to read that after, it was like, ‘Oh okay, I’m going to have to answer [questions] about this.’ It was more “But anyways, that drill used to get those bad angles all the time, and that. And then on top of that, he ended up taking Listerine, carrying a you don’t really look at the net a lot, you just kind of let it go. And it was bottle of Listerine into the game or something. What are you going to do.” just one of those things where that puck just kind of popped out and for whatever reason, I shot it. But it wasn’t a great angle — for whatever “He still jokes about it — we were at the awards and he was still joking reason, I shot it, but most times you’d take that to the net, and I think around about it. I mean, it is what it is. … That’s just mind games, it’s that’s what Miller probably thought, I was going to take that to the net. nothing. Me and him had some good run-ins throughout the whole series, I was playing a lot against him. I don’t have anything against him for that. “Nine times out of 10 I probably don’t shoot that right away. It was just I just was kind of annoyed that I had to answer about it.” weird the way it worked out.”

Crosby posted three points in the Penguins’ subsequent Game 5 win, Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.08.2019 before they claimed the series — and the Cup — in Game 6.

2. Penguins teammate Jack Johnson made Sid’s final baseball game a wild one

Prior to their reunion in Pittsburgh, Crosby and defender Jack Johnson played alongside each other during their dominant 2002-03 season for Shattuck-Saint Mary’s — Crosby had 162 points in 57 games that year, Johnson had 42 points in 48 games.

But their wildest moment together apparently came on the diamond, not on the ice, when Johnson started a mid-game brawl while the two were playing for Shattuck’s baseball team:

“That was crazy. That’s the last baseball game I ever played in,” Crosby said. “So, I was pitching and the other team was kind of chirping.