SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 07/22/19 1149979 Vegas sees improvement from Sabres with over-under total 1149980 Sabres, Evan Rodrigues more than $1 million apart heading into arbitration hearing 1149981 NHL analyst: Stars are among select teams with a 'real shot' of winning in 2020 1149982 Does the James Neal acquisition impact Oilers’ prospects in 2019-20? 1149983 How Devils’ drive to build culture starts at development camp NHL 1149984 NHL Seattle GM Ron Francis, an avid wine collector, hopes his future player crop will yield fine fruit 1149985 Why Peter DeBoer is confident Sharks can fill Joe Pavelski's scoring void St Louis Blues 1149986 Maroon's day with the Cup: cereal, toasted ravioli and old friends 1149987 South County rink full of nostalgia and joy as Patrick Maroon brings Stanley Cup home 1149988 Las Vegas oddsmakers expect Golden Knights to be best in West Winnipeg Jets 1149989 Jets sign Pionk to two-year, $6 million deal, avoid arbitration 1149990 Jets could find great value in acquiring Stars’ Honka 1149991 ‘Second quick’: How the Jets and assistant Todd Woodcroft build, coach and use their centres

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1149979 Buffalo Sabres

Vegas sees improvement from Sabres with over-under total

By Staff|Published Sun, Jul 21, 2019|Updated Sun, Jul 21, 2019

The oddsmakers at the prominent SuperBookUSA in Las Vegas released the NHL over-under totals for points and the expectation is that the Sabres will be improved, but still among the bottom teams in the league.

The oddsmaker set the Sabres' over-under at 83.5. The Sabres have not reached that total since their last playoff appearance when they posted 96 points in 2010-11. Buffalo has only exceeded 80 points once since then and had 76 last season, which was a 14-point improvement over its league-worst total in 2017-18.

Three teams were set at less than the Sabres: Columbus (82.5), Anaheim (80.5) and Ottawa (62.5). Tampa Bay had the highest total at a whopping 108.5.

Here is the full list in alphabetical order:

Anaheim 80.5

Arizona 91.5

Boston 100.5

Buffalo 83.5

Calgary 96.5

Carolina 94.5

Chicago 90.5

Colorado 100.5

Columbus 82.5

Dallas 96.5

Detroit 76.5

Edmonton 85.5

Florida 96.5

Los Angeles 74.5

Minnesota 84.5

Montreal 89.5

Nashville 97.5

New Jersey 88.6

NY Islander 94.5

NY Rangers 88.5

Ottawa 68.5

Philadelphia 90.5

Pittsburgh 95.5

San Jose 94.5

St Louis 96.5

Tampa Bay 108.5

Toronto 102.5

Vancouver 88.5

Vegas 103.5

Washington 97.5

Winnipeg 96.5

Buffalo News LOADED: 07.22.2019 1149980 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres, Evan Rodrigues more than $1 million apart heading into arbitration hearing

By Mike Harrington|Published Sun, Jul 21, 2019|Updated Sun, Jul 21, 2019

The first of the Buffalo Sabres' four arbitration hearings is set for Tuesday in Toronto with center Evan Rodrigues, and the sides are apparently more than $1 million apart.

Rodrigues had nine goals and 20 assists in 74 games last season to set career highs in each category. He is asking for a huge raise, from $650,000 to $2.65 million. The Sabres are still offering a sizable bump in salary, but only to $1.5 million. The figures were reported Sunday by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Rodrigues, 25, is likely to serve as the Sabres' No. 3 center next season and is Buffalo's top restricted free agent forward. The Sabres also have arbitration hearings scheduled with forward Remi Elie (Aug. 1), goalie Linus Ullmark (Aug. 2) and defenseman Jake McCabe (Aug. 4).

According to CapFriendly.com, the team is down to just over $5.1 million in cap space. Rodrigues and Elie would become forwards 13-14 under contract while McCabe would be the ninth defenseman, so the Sabres are certain to move some players to free up roster spots and cap space.

Buffalo News LOADED: 07.22.2019 1149981 Dallas Stars

NHL analyst: Stars are among select teams with a 'real shot' of winning Stanley Cup in 2020

By SportsDayDFW.com

NHL Network analyst and former NHL player Mike Johnson recently broke-down the Dallas Stars' roster for the upcoming 2019-2020 regular season. Below is a recap of what Johnson had to say as the Stars seek their first Stanley Cup title since the 1998-1999 season. You can view the full video here.

On expectations and new players

Johnson: "They’re high. Very high. They have so many ingredients of a team that goes far in the regular season but also goes deep in the playoffs. It starts with the guy taking batting practice behind Corey Perry: Ben Bishop. He’s been one of the best in the league for a while now. He’ll be the foundational piece of what they need to do. You need a couple of stars up front, no pun intended, and they have a few big ones in Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. These guys have been around for a long time. They haven’t had the kind of team success they’ve looked for but they’ve had great individual success. Now they have more bodies and talent around them to support to the demands on those two guys. They’ll play even better because Joe Pavelski is around, Perry is around and Roope Hintz has emerged. Because of that, they’ll get to do more.

They haven’t had the depth scoring. The depth scoring hasn’t been the last few years what they’ve needed it t be. Now Perry, if he’s healthy -- he said he’s feeling 100 percent, which has not been the case the last couple of years -- should mean 20-25 goals. Joe Pavelski is 30 (goals) in his sleep. They’ll both have to deal with the change in teams. Even with veteran guys who have been the league and are comfortable in their own skin, to walk into a new team and a new room.

On defense

Johnson: You have to love some of the pieces they have on defense. John Klingberg -- we know how good he is at moving the puck up the ice Miro Heiskanen was as good as any rookie as there was in the league last year. Between those guys, there goes 50 of the 60 minutes per game -- if they’re on the same pair -- that one of those two guys will be on the ice. They will play in every situation. We know Esa Lindell fits in very nicely with Klingberg. Heiskanen fits in nicely with anybody he plays so they have so many big foundational pieces in place. Man, on paper you really like what you see in Dallas.

On Stanley Cup chances

Johnson: It’s too early to make those kinds of predictions. I’m always going to take the field. I won’t bet on them to get (to the conference final or beyond) because it’s hard. Ask Tampa Bay. It’s hard to go deep in the playoffs. But they are certainly one of the five or six teams with a real shot of winning the Stanley Cup and that’s all you want ... I think it’s a really comforting, confidence-inducing feeling when you do, and Dallas can look into this season and honestly think “we are one of the teams that has a chance to win. We need to play well. It’s on us. We are capable of it.” That is all you can ask for.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.22.2019 1149982 Edmonton Oilers but didn’t overwhelm the competition. I think Tierney is the best available comparable for Marody from the group.

Are they ready? Does the James Neal acquisition impact Oilers’ prospects in 2019-20? If we use Tierney as a comparable, or any of the rookies from 2018-19 who were already in the NHL by the end of last season, the answer is By Allan Mitchell Jul 21, 2019 yes. After a couple of injury-plagued campaigns postdraft, Benson was kept in the minors in order to play a lot this past season. Marody did spend time in the NHL, but the team was changing coaches and making trades on the fly so there was little chance to make an impact. In the days before the Oilers traded for James Neal, there was a growing sentiment that Bakersfield Condors winger Tyler Benson had a clear shot I think it’s safe to say both men are in the window of opportunity to begin at an NHL job — on one of the skill lines. Although not as known among their NHL careers. Spending part of next season at Bakersfield shouldn’t Oilers fans, Cooper Marody was also in the conversation after an be met with a raised eyebrow, but both should be expected to compete outstanding debut in the AHL last season. Does the addition of Neal for jobs in Edmonton this fall at camp. block Benson and Marody from a roster spot? Does it prohibit both players from seeing time on a skill line? Let’s have a look, beginning with Does Neal block a roster spot? whether they’re ready for the NHL. If Neal plays right wing, then Benson has a real shot at an NHL job at left AHL entry-contract forwards’ points-per-game 2018-19 wing. The Oilers’ depth at left wing drops off badly after , with Benson surely in the mix against Markus Granlund, Jujhar Khaira, Cooper Marody, Oilers 58 games, 19-45-64, 1.10 ppg (21 years old) Tomas Jurco and Joe Gambardella. If Neal plays left wing, then it becomes more difficult for Benson to force his way onto the roster. Jeremy Bracco, Maple Leafs 75 games, 22-57-79 ,1.05 ppg (21 years old) Marody is a slightly different case. Neal playing right wing doesn’t help, but Marody is already at least No. 5 on the depth chart. It’s a good bet Drake Batherson, Senators 59 games, 22-40-62, 1.05 ppg (20 years old) coach will run (in some order) Zack Kassian, Alex Dillon Dube, Flames 37 games, 15-24-39, 1.05 ppg (20 years old) Chiasson, Josh Archibald and Sam Gagner on the starboard side to begin the season. Marody would need some help to make the team out John Quenneville, Devils 37 games, 18-21-39, 1.05 ppg (22 years old) of camp at right wing.

Jayce Hawyrluk, Panthers 31 games, 8-24-32, 1.03 ppg (22 years old) Marody’s chances of making the roster at centre are far better and likely depend on roster moves over the rest of the summer. As of now, the Troy Terry, Ducks 41 games, 16-25-41, 1.00 ppg (20 years old) group lining up behind Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at Michael Dal Colle, Islanders 34 games, 18-16-34, 1.00 ppg (22 years old) centre do not represent a murderer’s row. Marody could make the team on merit if Tippett goes skill over two-way acumen at No. 3 centre. Tyler Benson, Oilers 68 games, 15-51-66, 0.97 ppg (20 years old) Can Benson or Marody play on an NHL skill line? Mike Amadio, Kings 28 games, 8-18-26, 0.93 ppg (22 years old) It’ll depend on usage, and that’s a big factor when it comes to any NHL This is a list of AHL players — aged 20-22 who played at least 25 games player. Benson and Marody have plus skills — both are outstanding — and their totals from a year ago. Two Oilers prospects are on the list, passers — but are likely to be complementary skill players early in their with Marody and Benson “true” rookies in the AHL during the 2018-19 NHL careers. Using Tierney as an example, the spectrum of linemates season. he’s enjoyed over the years ranges from Mikkel Boedker to Patrick Marleau — mostly second-line teammates with some bottom-six players Looking at the previous four years of AHL scorers, we get a small but mixed in. interesting group of comparable prospects. I selected players who were AHL rookies, age 20 or 21, and had performed at 0.90 or better in points Tierney’s offence at five-on-five over the years has run the gamut per game. Here’s the list, with a description of the player’s destination depending again on usage. As a rookie, and then again in 2018-19, and role in the following season: Tierney was used in more of a feature role. Here are his numbers (and rank among regular forwards) over his career: Chris Tierney 2014-15: 8-21-29 in 29 games for the San Jose Sharks affiliate (Worcester Sharks). Tierney made the NHL during the 2014-15 2014-15: 1.88 points-per-60 (No. 92, borderline first-line production) season and played 43 games. He was promoted to the NHL in midseason of his rookie year and has been there since (save for two 2015-16: 1.01 points-per-60 (No. 298, fourth-line production) games in 2015-16 when he was sent to Worcester). He finished 7-13-20 2016-17: 1.22 points-per-60 (No. 266, barely third-line production) in 79 games during his first full NHL season at age 21. 2017-18: 1.31 points-per-60 (No. 261, third-line production) Frank Vatrano 2015-16: 36-19-55 in 36 games for the Providence Bruins before being promoted to Boston for the final 39 games of the season. 2018-19: 1.80 points-per-60 (No. 146, second-line production) Vatrano has been in the NHL ever since (again save a two-game stint 2016-17). He finished 10-8-18 in 44 games for Boston in 2016-17 at age This past season, Tierney spent 189 minutes with before 22. Stone was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, and Tierney’s most common linemates were Boedker and Bobby Ryan. As a rookie, Jake Guentzel 2016-17: 21-21-42 in 33 games for the Wilkes- Tierney’s most common linemates were Tommy Wingels, Matt Nieto and Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was brought up to the NHL by midseason Tomas Hertl. In other seasons, such as 2015-16, Tierney spent a lot of and has emerged as a potent NHL scorer (40 goals in 2018-19). At 22, time with Mike Brown and other forwards we would associate with he finished 22-26-48 in 82 games during his first full NHL season. bottom-six work (all information via Natural Stat Trick).

Dylan Strome 2017-18: 22-31-53 in 50 games for the Tucson If Tierney is a reasonable comparable for Benson and Marody, then we Roadrunners. He played 21 games for the Arizona Coyotes that same can expect the same kind of results for Edmonton’s two prospect season and blossomed after a trade to the last forwards. If Marody lands on a skill line as a complementary player, season. In 78 games, he delivered 20-37-57 in his first full season at age chances are his numbers will shine, same for Benson. If one or both are 21. assigned a secondary role, the job becomes a little different (don’t get scored on while McDavid is on the bench). That’s the NHL for young Tierney is the best comparable for Benson from this group, with both players. scoring at a point-per-game pace at 20 in the AHL. Per 82 games in his career, Tierney has scored 11-23-34. That might seem like a What does it all mean? disappointing projection for Benson, but Tierney (also a second-round pick) is enjoying a productive NHL career. Does the addition of Neal impact the young forwards from Bakersfield? My opinion is that it does, but only slightly and not long-term. Ken Marody is a more difficult match. Vatrano and Guentzel were the same Holland desperately needs value contracts, and a skilled winger making age but both dominated AHL competition. Marody had a quality season less than $1 million who can contribute to the Oilers will be very valuable. The team also badly needs young players to find the footing in the NHL this season in order to avoid the backlog of prospects with little or no NHL experience. Holland moved Andrej Sekera this summer, at least in part, to make room for a young defenceman.

A good guess would have Benson and Marody starting the season in Bakersfield, with one or both recalled early in the season. It’s a reasonable bet we’ll see both players in Edmonton this winter, with one playing in at least 40 games with the Oilers during 2019-20. Injuries, slumps and trades will always make room on an NHL roster. If Benson and Marody play well in the preseason or at Bakersfield, the Oilers can’t afford to hold them back. They represent the depth Edmonton has been looking for since 2010.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.22.2019 1149983 New Jersey Devils

How Devils’ drive to build culture starts at development camp

Posted Jul 21, 6:05 AM

By Chris Ryan

During the six days Devils prospects spend at development camp each summer, the on-ice activity gets the most attention. Everyone wants to see the future skating and playing.

But for the players, it’s just a small part of the week. They’re on the ice just four times, adding up to only a handful of hours actually skating. And while other times are dedicated to working out behind the scenes, the rest of the week is filled with activities meant to help the prospects understand what it means to be in the NHL and, specifically, part of the Devils.

Meetings have consistent underlying themes. Players room together and spend valuable time bonding away from the ice. From the moment they arrived in Newark for this July’s camp, they were quickly introduced to the Devils’ core values.

Devils GM Ray Shero already added Jack Hughes, P.K. Subban and Wayne Simmonds to the roster. What else can he do this summer?

“That’s the culture they’re trying build here and have implemented,” said Jack Hughes, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. “Starting at dev camp, you get off to it early. I think the four key words here, everyone’s got them engrained now. That’s the culture here, so it’s good to be a part of it.”

Those four key phrases — grit, compete, brotherhood and self-starter — popped up at every turn of the course of the week.

And even when the prospects got completely away from hockey by going axe throwing or attending a Yankees game, they continued to build relationships that will be important down the line.

“When you’re a first-year guy, you don’t really realize it, but looking back to my first year now, all the guys at the camp I have played with in the American League or in the NHL at some point," said forward Nathan Bastian, who attended his fourth development camp. "This is the trend. These guys all around the room, you better get to know them now because they’re going to be your teammates before you know it.”

Throughout the process leading up the NHL Draft in June, there were plenty of storylines about Hughes and the U.S. National Team Development Program, and how the close-knit group used its bonds to fuel on-ice success.

During Hughes still brief time with the Devils, he’s seen some of the same underlying themes in trying to build a tight group.

“All of us are hockey players. All of us are kind of the same. We share the same interests, stuff like that,” Hughes said. “So it’s pretty easy to come into a locker room, kind of be boys with all the guys. It’s pretty cool to come here. Whether you’re drafted, undrafted, whatever it is, once you get in the locker room, you’re all part of the team and kind of have the same role.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 07.22.2019 1149984 NHL Francis hopes to project a model of what he wants Seattle's team to look like and use analytics to figure out whether it will work.

"We want to know – and there are a lot of things that can change over NHL Seattle GM Ron Francis, an avid wine collector, hopes his future the next two years – who potentially is someone that needs to be player crop will yield fine fruit protected," Francis said. "Who someone is that may not be protected. Whose contract may be coming up that will be a free agent. There are a lot of things in that regard that we can start looking at, getting ahead of BY GEOFF BAKER the game with different analytics stuff where we can start pulling information and analyzing how players are playing and what they may JULY 21, 2019 01:00 AM look like moving forward."

Much of it amounts to playing the percentages. Only 11 of his 33 drafted NHL Seattle's new team general manager Ron Francis spent his second players with the Hurricanes have made the NHL, though that will likely day on the job pondering a question about whether young player change after the AHL team's recent success. prospects really do age like fine wine. Francis scored arguably his biggest wine pick back in 2000 when he Francis, 56, has been known to dabble in "the grape," which is about as snagged a store's 14 remaining bottles of 1997 Antinori Toscana Solaia unsurprising as a player from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, making the from Italy for $72 per bottle. Soon after, Wine Spectator magazine listed Hockey Hall of Fame. A city of only 73,000 bordering northern Michigan, it as that year's No. 1 wine in the world and a bottle today sells for "The Soo" has a disproportionately large Italian community that included roughly $350. Francis and fellow native Hall of Famers Phil and Tony Esposito, while "I got a bit lucky on that," Francis said. "I think I still have one left." the local Greyhounds junior team helped groom Wayne Gretzky, Adam Foote, Paul Coffey, John Vanbiesbrouck, Craig Hartsburg and Joe And he'll likely need similar player luck more quickly here than in his Thornton, among others. previous job. Though the projection game often amounts to a crapshoot, he'll be given financial resources in Seattle he rarely had with Carolina to Francis, his Italian family loving its wine at large dinners, started trying it tilt the odds more favorably. by age 9 in a glass mostly filled with soda. Then, with the in the early 1990s, fellow Hall of Famer and renowned wine And if anyone's capable of beating the odds, it's a guy from "The Soo" collector Mario Lemieux turned teammate Francis on to the joys of with something to prove. Francis isn't sure why his hometown has keeping a more serious stash. spawned an impressive 43 NHL players, or whether its Italian influence – including him, the Esposito brothers, Gene Ubriaco, Lou Nanne, Paul That's led to a private collection of his favorite wines from Barolo and DiPietro, Matt D'Agostini, Rico and Drew Fata, Mike Amodeo and Marty Barbaresco in Italy, as well as others from France and Napa Valley – Turco – had anything to do with it, or the success of its junior team some from as far back as the 1970s. He admits wine collecting can producing even more future All-Stars born elsewhere. require patience similar to what he's shown as a GM with young players. "I think they're definitely going to be well fed because of the Italian "I think the beauty of wine is, just because it's from a certain country, or a influence," Francis quipped. "There's no shortage of homemade pasta certain grape or a certain type, it doesn't mean it's something you're and good meals and restaurants in that town. As a kid growing up there, going to like," Francis said Friday morning. "You have to find the things it always a gets lots of snow in winter – last year, I think they had about that you like. And with wine, a lot of the times, just because you buy it, it's 15 feet – and as a kid, you have to learn to get out and do things. not ready to drink. You've got to sit and wait until it matures." "So, you either had rinks in your backyard, or neighborhood or street Francis took criticism his four years as GM with the Carolina Hurricanes hockey games. There was always something to do, and that bodes well for waiting on prospects. He was ultimately fired by a new owner in April on getting out and practicing your skills." 2018, only to see his crop of draftees and trade acquisitions take off this past season and reach the Eastern Conference final. Not to mention, honing your wine palate at an age still in single digits.

Among them was 30--scorer Sebastian Aho, a second-rounder from Francis hasn't tried Washington wine yet but hopes to get out to 2015 that led the Hurricanes with 83 points. The guy right behind him Woodinville to taste local brands from a Northwest terroir that should with 76 points was Teuvo Teravainen, 24, acquired by Francis from appeal to his European-style tastes. Chicago for second- and third-round picks in 2016. As for his player picks, he'll lay the groundwork for now, cross his fingers His drafting of defenseman Noah Hanifin at No. 5 overall in 2015 and hope it eventually yields more Solaia than Two-Buck Chuck. produced an instant NHL player, whose trade last year to Calgary brought in defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Micheal Ferland to News Tribune LOADED: 07.22.2019 key Carolina's playoff run. As well, the majority of players that helped Carolina's AHL affiliate in Charlotte win a championship this past season were Francis picks.

Compared to a wine crop, Francis said: "They're close to being ripe."

For now, in his newest NHL job, he'll eschew the wine equivalent and focus on building the cellar.

"You're trying to find the player that you like, the one you think has a chance," Francis said. "And then when you have them, you try to give them the tools – like storing your wine in the right place – to try to develop."

Francis doesn't expect to hire any assistant GMs or coaches right away as he starts building that supportive infrastructure, but has prepared an organizational flow chart of what his staff will look like on the professional and amateur side – including the AHL team operations, the medical staff and the high performance and analytics fronts.

He'll pinpoint the right time frame for filling those positions and budget it out with NHL Seattle. The analytical side will start right away because hockey operations director Alexandra Mandrycky is already on board, and Francis plans to use her expertise and that of some local team owners and other technology professionals within the market "to do some pretty special things" pinpointing future player targets for the June 2021 NHL expansion draft. 1149985 San Jose Sharks

Why Peter DeBoer is confident Sharks can fill Joe Pavelski's scoring void

By Brian Witt July 21, 2019 5:38 PM

Joe Pavelski led the Sharks with 38 goals last season. That's 38 goals that now reside with the Dallas Stars.

It's not as if San Jose lacked for goal scoring this past year, having ranked second in the league with an average of 3.52 goals per game during the regular season. However, no Sharks player found the back of the net more often than Pavelski, meaning that if the Sharks are going to maintain or even surpass that offensive output next season, they're going to have to find those 38 goals elsewhere.

San Jose Peter DeBoer touched on that very subject in a recent interview with NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger, in which he insisted that Pavelski's character will be tougher to replace than his goal-scoring.

"Look, it's hard to replace Pav's 38 goals," DeBoer conceded. "We scored a lot of goals last year and if we score a little bit less I don't think it will kill us. At least I hope it doesn't. The goals are one thing, but it's the leadership, the presence, the message that he would convey in the dressing room when times were tough. Those are the things that are harder to replace than his goals."

Part of the reason DeBoer is confident his team can adequately fill Pavelski's scoring void is due to the continued progression he's expecting from young players already on the roster.

"We've got to continue to hope that guys like Timo Meier can build on the season he had last year," DeBoer said. "Kevin Labanc too. I think Doug [Wilson] has done a great job of setting us up with young players in the pipeline we feel can create some offense."

Additionally, after Erik Karlsson was banged up throughout much of his debut season with the Sharks, DeBoer is hopeful the former Norris Trophy winner can have an even greater offensive impact moving forward after signing an eight-year contract in the offseason.

"When we had the opportunity to acquire Erik Karlsson last summer there was no hesitation in anyone's opinion to go forward on the possibility of doing that," DeBoer insisted. "Those are generational-type players and they rarely become available, if at all. It was a no-brainer to trade for him and it was a no-brainer to sign him.

"He's going to be a huge part of what we're doing going forward," DeBoer continued. "You take out Pavelski but you add Karlsson and some young guys. … The game might change in how we create and how we do things but I think he's going to have a big impact. The two months he was healthy he controlled a lot of the games we played. We just need to get him healthy so he can have a full healthy year to get into rhythm."

The Sharks are going to feel Pavelski's departure in more ways than one. Yes, his 355 goals rank second all-time in franchise history, but he brought so much more to the table than simply the ability to put the biscuit in the basket. However, if Karlsson, Meier, Labanc and others can combine to fill his resulting scoring void, Pavelski's absence won't be nearly as noticeable.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.22.2019 1149986 St Louis Blues Maroon, of course, is a man without a country right now. He’s an unrestricted free agent who, three weeks after free agency began, is still unsigned. Maroon said he thought he was getting some traction for a Maroon's day with the Cup: cereal, toasted ravioli and old friends deal and he still had a lot to offer.

Maroon brings the Cup home to St. Louis

By Tom Timmermann 17 hrs ago Pat Maroon brings the Stanley Cup to awaiting Blues fans after a private event at All-American Sports Mall in South County during his day with the Cup on Saturday.

On Saturday, the Stanley Cup came home. “I’m ready to compete and play for any team that wants me,” he said. “I’m a guy you can probably use in the locker room, a good veteran guy. I The chalice may reside in Toronto, but for right now, as long as the Blues don’t really pump my tires up too much but I feel I’ve done a good job of are Stanley Cup champions, St. Louis is its spiritual, if not physical, bringing guys together and being a locker room guy. I think anyone can home. So the Cup had two homecomings over the weekend, returning to use me. St. Louis for the first time since the team’s spirited victory parade in June and, on Saturday morning, Pat Maroon, on his day with the Cup, brought “I’m 31 years old, I’m a big guy, I can help someone’s locker room for it to All-American Sports Mall in south St. Louis, the place where he sure and help someone’s team and be a big presence in the locker room played inline hockey as a youth and the place he had about 250 family and a big presence on the ice. I’ve still got it. I think I can get back to and friends stop to take pictures with the Cup and share his happiness. where I was a year ago. Obviously it was a frustrating year last year, but I came on strong the last four months. That’s the game I’m supposed to “It’s obviously a good day,” Maroon said, “but a stressful day at the same play and I think I can get back to that.” time. It’s like planning a wedding to have everyone see it.” The Blues and Maroon have said they’re staying in touch, but with the Maroon wanted to keep his day with the Cup private, fearing, not Blues’ salary cap situation, Maroon is likely to get a better offer from unreasonably, a potential mob scene that could break out with the Cup in somewhere else. a public setting. He started the day with it at his home in Clayton, where he and his son Anthony ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch from it. (Philip “A lot of restricted free agents right now and everyone’s trying to find their Pritchard of the Hockey Hall of Fame, the keeper of the Cup and its number right now,” he said. “The cap didn’t really go up. I’m just enjoying escort around the world, said that Maroon himself cleaned it when they it. I’m just going to take the time and soak it all in and enjoy. I know I’ve were done. “He’s all in,” he said.) Then he had an invitation-only event at got a lot left in the tank, a couple years. I’ve got three solid years I can All-American, and from there went downtown for lunch at Charlie Gitto’s, give somebody. I’m just waiting and hopefully good things happen. Good where the Cup served up toasted ravioli. After that, it was out to a nearby things always happen to good people.” lake for some quieter family time. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.22.2019 Maroon brings the Cup home to St. Louis

Pat Maroon raises the Stanley Cup to the crowd at his childhood rink, All- American Sports Mall in South County.

This is a weekend getaway for the Stanley Cup, which had been making its way across Canada, hitting the many Blues in Ontario before its quick sidetrip here, which included a surprise appearance at the Muny on Friday night, rising up on one of the theater’s lifts in front of the stage to the delight of a crowd that thought they were only going to see “Footloose.”

But on Saturday, it was about Maroon, a St. Louis kid with hockey’s premier trophy in his hometown. The last time a St. Louis-based player brought the Cup to town was in 2013, when Brandon Bollig, from St. Charles, had it after winning with Chicago. Maroon, considering the Blues’ history, is obviously the first St. Louisan to have it here after winning with the Blues.

“That’s obviously special and I think Pat appreciates that,” said Pritchard. “It’s always good when it’s a hometown hero guy bringing it home. That’s what movies are written about and for a guy like Pat to do that, he’s a heck of a guy, a heck of a family guy, and he’s soaking this whole thing in. We just took the bus over and sitting there, looking at the Cup and he saw the Montreal Maroons on there and he said, ‘Hey, I’m already on here.’ ”

It was like a reunion at All-American, with friends, teammates and coaches from Maroon’s childhood on hand.

“Everyone makes fun of me playing roller hockey, but this is where I grew up playing,” he said. “To bring it back here is a very special day for me. To cherish these moments with the 250 people I invited, it’s a really private event that I feel like I know everyone here. To share that day with everyone, it really is amazing. It’s a big reunion for all of us to see each other and smile.

“It’s been one of the coolest memories I’ll ever have. It really doesn’t get full circle until you actually leave it, and wow, the Stanley Cup was just at All-American, the rink where I used to come from 9 in the morning to 5 o’clock and just sit and be a rink rat. It’s awesome.”

The Stanley Cup wasn’t the only trophy on hand. Maroon’s son was on hand with the trophy his inline team won for taking an under-10 national championship in July in Florida. Both trophies got lifted, and Anthony, and some of his teammates went around the rink offering people drinks from their cup. “Those 10-year-olds know how to party,” Maroon said. “It’s been fun.” 1149987 St Louis Blues uncle, Rob Ferraro, on the cheek and put on a wristband given to him by a fan with his nickname, “Big Rig,” embedded in beaded letters. Laura Branigan’s “Gloria,” the Blues’ adopted victory song, played on repeat South County rink full of nostalgia and joy as Patrick Maroon brings over the loudspeakers. Stanley Cup home Maroon with one of his former teachers at Oakville.

Maroon wasn’t the only star of the day. Anthony Maroon, his 10-year-old By Peter Baugh Jul 21, 2019 son, was at the rink with a cup of his own, a national championship roller hockey trophy his team had won two weeks earlier in Wesley Chapel, Fla. He and his friends filled the trophy’s bowl with Dr. Pepper, and Anthony — taking after his father — held it up to drink near the middle of A little after 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Ryan Haman checked his friend’s the rink. wedding schedule. As a groomsman, he was supposed to be with the wedding party at 9:30, sipping beers as he prepared for the event. “Do not spill it on the rink!” someone called as Anthony took a gulp.

Instead, he was at All American Sports Mall, standing on a muggy Anthony Maroon drinking Dr. Pepper from his own Cup (from winning the balcony over an empty roller hockey rink. His friend understood his roller hockey national championship). absence; it’s not every day you get to touch one of the most iconic trophies in sports. Guests also flocked to Philip Pritchard, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s “keeper of the Cup.” He lingered by the boards, keeping tabs on the Haman and his mother, Debbie, were two of around 300 on the guest list trophy and taking photos with fans. for Patrick Maroon’s Stanley Cup celebration at All American in South County, where the free-agent winger grew up playing roller hockey. High “It’s always good when it’s a hometown hero bringing it home,” Pritchard school teachers, coaches, childhood buddies and family friends — like said. “Movies are written about that kind of stuff.” the Hamans — huddled on the balcony, waiting for the hometown boy to Ron Baechle, more commonly known as Towel Man, also made an arrive with the Cup. appearance. The 60-year-old is entering his 30th season as a Blues hype “See the excitement in all the people that are here?” building owner Greg man. He leads a goal count after every Blues goal and tosses towels into Gawrys said. “They just want to see it, touch it.” the crowd.

It was fitting for Maroon to bring the Stanley Cup here. Gawrys, whose Baechle walked up to Maroon and showed him a white T-shirt under his son is best friends with Maroon, remembers kicking the Blues’ fan customized Towel Man jersey. It featured a logo and the favorite out of the building when he was a kid. Everyone at the event had words “second place” and “runner up.” a connection. “That’s sick,” Maroon said.

“I feel like I know everyone here,” Maroon said. When he approached the black table holding the Cup, Baechle put his Maroon with a few guests of the event. arms around the sliver bands and gave the metal a kiss. He’s been a fan since the franchise’s first year in 1967, and this was his first moment with When Maroon stepped onto the floor, a collective whoop burst from the the trophy. balcony. He hoisted the Cup above his head and beamed. Ryan Haman, whose suit for the early-afternoon wedding was in his car, started a “Let’s “In my head, I always knew the day would come,” he said. I just didn’t Go Blues!” chant. know when.”

“I’m probably going to change out in the parking lot and head right to the As the final picture-seekers made their way through line, Maroon waved church,” he said. “Get there right on time and then look at pictures while lingering fans off the rink. He stood by the cup alone for a moment, his I’m at Mass the whole time of me and the Stanley Cup.” right hand resting in the upper bowl.

Maroon looked a little frazzled as the crowd filed onto the ice — he called “It’s been one of the coolest things, one of the coolest memories I’ll ever the day good but stressful — but didn’t hesitate to smile for photos or have,” he said. “To bring it here, it’s one of those things where it really sign autographs. Most invitees gathered in a line to take a picture with doesn’t go full circle until you actually leave and you’re like, ‘Wow, the the Cup, then found Maroon to say congratulations. Stanley Cup was just at All American.’”

Stanley Cup tradition says each winning player gets to bring the trophy to At 11:30 a.m., less than an hour after his arrival, Maroon carried the Cup their hometown for a day of celebration. Maroon’s day started at his off the rink, through the doors he once used as a budding roller hockey Clayton house, where he ate cereal from the Cup. star. His family left with him, the song “Gloria” still playing overhead.

He proceeded to All American, then Charlie Gitto’s for lunch and a bar in Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 07.22.2019 Pendleton, Mo., with Conn Smythe winner Ryan O’Reilly. In the evening, Maroon watched country artist Adam Sanders perform next to the cup.

“It’s like planning a wedding,” he said at All American.

It’s been an interesting summer for Maroon, who does not know where he’s playing next year after a 28-point season and successful Cup run with the Blues. Before free agency began July 1, The Athletic reported Maroon, who is looking for a multi-year deal, was unlikely to be back with the Blues. Three weeks later, he remains unsigned. Meanwhile, the Blues are in a holding pattern with three restricted free agents left to sign and $7.1 million of cap space, according to capfriendly.com.

There appears to be mutual interest between Maroon and Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, though both sides understand the cap situation. The 31-year-old veteran thinks he can still bolster a team with his play and also provide a boost in the locker room, which he did with the Blues. There remains a chance he stays in St. Louis, but things would have to fall into place.

“Me and Doug talked,” Maroon said. “We have good conversations. I think it’s tough right now. A lot of restricted free agents, and I think everyone’s trying to find their number.”

But that wasn’t the focus Saturday. It was a celebration, not a goodbye. Maroon hugged one of his teachers from Oakville High School, kissed his 1149988 Vegas Golden Knights but maybe he drums up a second wind because he knows he’s on a Cup contender.”

Other teams Salmons expects to improve are the Chicago Blackhawks, Las Vegas oddsmakers expect Golden Knights to be best in West , and New Jersey Devils.

“The Devils got the No. 1 pick, Jack Hughes. They got (P.K.) Subban for By Todd Dewey / July 21, 2019 - 4:34 PM nothing from Nashville. Their best player, Taylor Hall, the (2018) MVP, missed a lot of time last year and their goalie was banged up last year,” Salmons said. “If all those things come together, I really expect them to have a dramatic improvement this year.” Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. In the West, Salmons sees the Vancouver Canucks and Arizona Coyotes If not for a controversial major called on the Golden Knights in as teams on the rise. Game 7 of their 2019 playoff series loss to the Sharks, many hockey followers believe Vegas would’ve reached the Stanley Cup Final for the “Arizona had decent numbers last year and they got (Phil) Kessel from second time in its two-year franchise history. Pittsburgh. A lot of people are high on them,” he said. “A lot of people are betting them to win the Stanley Cup. The good news for Knights fans is that Las Vegas oddsmakers expect them to be the best team in the Western Conference next season and “Vancouver has a ton of young talent. They’re a team on the come. It’s the second-best squad in the NHL, behind the . just a matter of when everyone matures. They have a chance to be really good this year.” The Westgate sportsbook on Sunday posted 2019-20 NHL regular- season point totals, playoff odds and division odds. Vegas is second in Davis said the final grade on the Knights’ offseason will come down to points, at 103½, to the Lightning (108½) and is the even-money favorite whether or not they sign Nikita Gusev. to win the Pacific Division. “He’s the best player in the world not currently playing in the NHL,” Davis “They play in the weakest division in the NHL. They should dominate said. “But I still think they’re the best team in the Western Conference their division this year,” Westgate sportsbook manager Ed Salmons said. without him.” “Last year, they were off the Stanley Cup Final, which makes for such a short offseason. It was just kind of a letdown the way the whole season LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 07.22.2019 went last year. But we expect big things this season from the Knights.”

Vegas, which went 43-32-7 for 93 points last season, opened at 101½ points shortly after the season ended and had moved to 102½ before climbing another point when the Westgate released numbers for all 30 NHL teams.

The Knights are at 101½ at William Hill sportsbook.

Other contenders

Only three other teams topped 100 points at the Westgate: the (102½), Colorado Avalanche (100½) and Boston Bruins (100½).

“Boston is filling the Knights’ role from last year,” Salmons said. “They had a really long season playing all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The hockey offseason is so short and Boston is a little older team.

“I would expect Boston to not have as good a regular season as last year.”

Other Eastern Conference teams Salmons expects to regress are the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins.

“Columbus lost a lot,” he said. “We have them at 82½, which is a drastic drop.”

The Penguins are at 95½.

“That’s the lowest number we’ve had on Pittsburgh in 20 years,” Salmons said. “Pittsburgh has always been over 100. Pittsbugh’s an older team. They’re past that (title) window now. It’s a matter of when they have to rip it apart.

“I kind of feel Washington is in the same boat. They won the championship two years ago but it kind of feels like time is closing fast.”

Western teams

In the West, Salmons expects the Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks to take a step back.

“Winnipeg lost a lot. Calgary overachieved last year; they weren’t as good as their regular season,” he said. “San Jose is an older team and their best player (Joe Pavelski) left to Dallas.”

The Stars, who also added Corey Perry in the offseason, are one of the teams Salmons and other Las Vegas oddsmakers are high on next season.

“The Stars are probably the second-best team in the Western Conference,” Caesars Entertainment sportsbook risk manager Jeff Davis said. “Dallas has really improved adding Pavelski. Corey Perry is old now 1149989 Winnipeg Jets

Jets sign Pionk to two-year, $6 million deal, avoid arbitration

Scott Billeck

The Winnipeg Jets have signed restricted free agent defenceman Neal Pionk on a two-year, $6 million deal.

The contract carries a $3 million annual average value for the 23-year-old former New York Ranger. Pionk was part of the return for Jacob Trouba, along with a 2019 first-round pick that was spent to draft defenceman Ville Heinola last month.

The deal avoids an arbitration date that was set for Wednesday. Pionk will be a restricted free agent at the end his new contract. He becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2023.

The Jets had an arbitration hearing for forward Andrew Copp on Sunday, with a decision on what he will make coming within the next 48 hours.

Copp had asked for a one-year deal with $2.9 million while the Jets countered with a two-year pact worth $1.5 million per annum.

All the attention now turns to the contracts for restricted free agent forwards Patrik Laine and .

Pionk’s deal leaves Winnipeg with roughly $19.8 million of cap space. If the arbitrator splits the difference down the middle for Copp, he’ll make in the $2.2 million range, leaving just over $17.6 million to sign Laine, Connor and pay three other guys to fill out the roster to 22 players.

Pionk gives Winnipeg a roster size of 16 at the moment, while Copp’s pending deal with make that rise to 17.

If Kristian Vesalainen plays, he makes just under $900,000. Mason Appleton would make roughly $750,000 and let’s add Andrei Chibisov at just shy of $800,000 to get them to 20.

We’re now looking at another $2.4 million taken off that $17.6 million so roughly $15.2 million left to pay Connor and Laine, who would get the team to 22 players on the roster.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 07.22.2019 1149990 Winnipeg Jets either. The thing is, it’s a very low-risk endeavour, one that would be a no-brainer for the right price.

The problem with trying to acquire Honka is that while he may be a Jets could find great value in acquiring Stars’ Honka surplus to requirements in Dallas, Stars general manager Jim Nill likely doesn’t fancy an intra-divisional trade.

Scott Billeck Even if they don’t believe he’s any good, a young right-shot, puck-moving defenceman that came out of the first round of the NHL Draft still has a certain appeal. And it’s not that appealing to trade him to a team you’ll see several times a season, one you’ll be fighting for in the standings Off-seasons in hockey is a time where the theoretical ripen. from the get-go and could very well meet someone down the line in the It’s time when speculation and prognostication come full bloom. From the middle of April or deep into May. NHL Draft to the ‘silly season’ of free agency, on through arbitration and Yet, if the market for Honka just isn’t there, or if the Jets gave Nill an offer the varying lengths of waits for restricted free agents to hammer out he couldn’t refuse (without horribly overpaying, of course), there’s a world deals with their respective clubs. in which a trade could be fostered between the two clubs. And it’s a period during hockey’s lull that allows for grandiose dreams of The Jets don’t need Honka to come in and play on the top pairing. They signing that big-ticket or trading for that wantaway/castaway. can even shelter his minutes on the third pairing and see where it goes. Acquiring Sidney Crosby for your team’s borderline fourth-liner and scrap He’s got a powerful shot and creates offense, kind of the way Myers did heap prospect isn’t likely to happen. But finding a gem in the rough, a but without the defensive liability branding. player that perhaps hasn’t been utilized the right way, could very much And his acquisition shouldn’t require a big piece to be shipped the other be in the cards. way. Not in the same way a Rasmus Ristolainen trade would. And the There’s no doubt that the loss of Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot leaves Jets wouldn’t have to carve a piece or two out of their lineup like they physical holes that need to be plugged prior to next season. The Jets are would if they tried to sign unrestricted free agent Jake Gardiner. losing a good chunk of NHL experience with their departures. Whether or And while Gardiner would be a tremendous addition, and while not their talent can be replaced is up for debate (this scribe believes they Ristolainen shouldn’t even be in the thoughts of Winnipeg’s hockey can internally, for what it’s worth.) management, kicking the tires on Honka most certainly should. But just because the Jets can fill the gaps with pieces in the system Upside, cheap and low risk. What’s not to like? doesn’t mean if a good deal comes strolling down Portage Avenue, they don’t make like good Manitobans and snatch it up quickly. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 07.22.2019 And that leads us to Julius Honka.

Honka represents a few very interesting things for the Jets.

One is his handedness — he’s a right-shot defenceman on a team that lost two of them already this summer. He’s also young, 23 in fact, and a former 14th overall first-round pick that hasn’t reached his potential. The Jets could use some depth on the right side after losing Trouba and Myers, and Honka could very well provide that.

Because he hasn’t panned out in Dallas, he also comes cheap. Honka, a restricted free agent, hasn’t played a lot of hockey over the past three seasons in the NHL. He was a healthy scratch for the final 35 regular- season games and the entirety of the playoffs and thus, has no leverage at the negotiating table. Getting him to sign for not much more north of his $874,000 qualifying offer would be a fairly easy task.

(He’s Finnish, too, so that counts for something in around these parts.)

But perhaps the most important thing he offers is that he’s a young, right- shot, cheap defencemen with a decent amount of potential that it would be worth trying him in a new system and away from Dallas.

Honka creates offence in good areas and plays close-to-average defence.

In his 87 NHL games over the past three seasons, he has a Corsi of 52.34% over the span. In short, he’s good at puck possession in five-on- five situations, but it’s not a huge sample to go off of.

For fun, we can compare him to Dmitry Kulikov over the past three seasons. Assuming Honka would compete for a third-pairing job, he’s in the running with the likes of Kulikov, Sami Niku, Tucker Poolman and Neal Pionk.

Given his usage (and his multi-million dollar salary), we can assume Kulikov is going to play. But comparing the two shows that Honka has him beat in virtually every analytic over the past three seasons (granted Kulikov has seen a lot more ice time.)

The knocks against Honka begin where he was drafted (at this point, he’s a high first-round bust) and end somewhere around the fact that he hasn’t worked out under three different coaches during his time in Dallas. , Ken Hitchcock and Jim Montgomery have all looked at him and then, eventually, looked him over. Three coaches, three systems and the same result.

The reasons for that could be many, from poor coaching decisions to the player himself. A change of scenery could jumpstart him. It may not 1149991 Winnipeg Jets mean Mark Scheifele has to be the high forward. We want the puck in his hands and using what he’s best at, and that’s making plays and scoring or giving the puck to Patrik Laine, who I actually taught to shoot the ‘Second quick’: How the Jets and assistant Todd Woodcroft build, coach puck,” Woodcroft joked. and use their centres Woodcroft always comes back to that DNA, though, to that question.

“But how do you make a two-way centre? The excellent two-way centres By Scott Wheeler Jul 21, 2019 are the ones that play between the dots in all zones. Their head on a swivel seems obvious, but how often does that not happen? And then we see problems getting their toes up the ice as fast as they can and having their stick down and presented. I don’t care what system your team plays TORONTO — In two decades of coaching in the NHL, Todd Woodcroft — they’re critical pieces to the way any team plays,” Woodcroft said. has always been fascinated by one thing above all else: the centre position. Throughout his presentation, he paused to reinforce some of those points with Jets video — as well as video of his aforementioned favourite two- It began, in his formative years, watching Doug Gilmour play for the way centres. Maple Leafs. It continued, as his fandom of hockey turned into a passion for its details, when his favourite team became the Red Wings. He was He stressed that the Jets want their centres swinging to the top of their drawn, then, to Steve Yzerman’s dual prowess offensively and own goal crease defensively to make themselves available as that defensively, to Igor Larionov’s ability to influence a game all over the ice, “transporter” (the player who receives it from a defenceman and either and to Sergei Fedorov’s game-changing combination of skill and carries it into space or relays it to the next player and pushes tempo up responsible defensive play. ice while staying below the puck). Being a transporter requires understanding that one pass often beats two players, Woodcroft said, Later, when he was beginning his NHL coaching career in the early noting it’s not necessarily on the centre to carry the puck up ice. 2000s, Woodcroft appreciated a series of other Red Wings centres, from Pavel Datsyuk (whom he worked with for 10 summers) to Henrik By curling low, not only is the centre available, but he’s also the player Zetterberg and Kris Draper, for the ways they were able to put their own best positioned to act as what Woodcroft calls a “second quick.” stamp on multiple championships. “The second quick is the second layer. If there’s any kind of a And ever since, he has made studying the position his focus, whether breakdown, your centre is there to help out, to grab that puck, ready to that be talking to people he considers smarter than he is or vigorously transport it,” Woodcroft said. watching the players he deems the best centres in the game. “You have to convince your centre that he or she is that support valve. Saturday morning, inside a lecture hall at Ryerson University as part of The best coaches in the world, I think, are the ones who teach their the TeamSnap Hockey Coaches Conference, an annual speaker series centres the importance of defending. At the end of the day, coaches that this year featured Woodcroft alongside fellow Jets assistant Jamie need a reason to put you on the ice at critical times. That’s how the elite Kompon and a slew of other NHL coaches, Woodcroft outlined his two-way centres are born: by having the trust of the coach to be on the blueprint for building a two-way centre in today’s NHL. ice at critical junctures.”

It starts with a question: “What would the DNA be of a centre if we were The little details — the coming back to the top of the crease as that going to build one?” “second quick” — aren’t as simple as they appear, though.

The first lesson he learned in pursuit of the answer to that question, That’s because to excuse the play, the defenceman also has to be through studying everyone from Datsyuk to Marie-Philip Poulin, is it comfortable risking putting the puck into the middle of the ice to hit the doesn’t happen overnight. centre there. And the centre has to have the right sense of timing. The Jets want their centres to intentionally slow down their curl in the There are several components that help a centre become responsible off defensive zone to avoid putting themselves ahead of that defenceman or the puck, a threat on it and good in all three zones, according to outside the faceoff dots (and thus on the perimeter closer to the opposing Woodcroft. team’s forechecking wingers). And step by step, he can detail exactly what that looks like, weaving from It takes communication, too. The defenceman and the centre need to Mark Scheifele, Bryan Little and Jack Roslovic to Bo Horvat, Sidney make eye contact; both need to have their head on a swivel, both need to Crosby, Claude Giroux, Elias Pettersson and Dylan Larkin. have their toes facing up ice, and they need to be talking. In his 50-minute talk, Woodcroft offered rare insight into the way the Jets The centre also has to have his stick down and presented — and be able play. to handle those passes on his backhand, a skill Woodcroft promises is Everything starts and ends, Woodcroft insists, with the centre as the challenging for many — because there might be a body or two between “conscience of the team.” him and his defenceman, but they can always see a stick flat on the ice.

That’s the pillar of Woodcroft’s approach to the way the Jets operate in “The first thing is understanding and recognizing pressure. The second is all three zones. about reading the possession. Is it a two-on-two, is it a two-on-one, how much distance is there between myself and the puck or the battle, who Woodcroft believes the centre ought to be the most responsible player on has control, what’s going on?” Woodcroft said. the ice. For him, that means several things: In those situations, the Jets want their centre to be patient. If the battle is The centre must be conscientious. equal in numbers, they would rather their centre hold at the top of the crease and remain available rather than dive in to help. But not all The centre is a “puck transporter.” centres have that kind of patience, when instincts push them to chase the The centre must be responsible down low. puck.

The centre must understand the importance of defending. When the defenceman is under a lot of pressure, it also means the Jets want their centre to wait long enough for the two defencemen on the ice In each way, Woodcroft refers to the centre as the “central nervous to make a D-to-D pass below the goal line, which requires the centre to system on the ice.” switch his handedness when he presents his stick as an option.

To be that, he believes his centres need to “be aware of their relationship “You will play in your D-zone, I promise. At some point in the game, you with all of the other five teammates that they have on the ice.” will play in the D-zone,” Woodcroft joked about often trying to teach patience to his centres. In a perfect world, that means the Jets’ centres are the low players in the defensive zone and the high players in the offensive zone, though “Hockey is about defence to offence and offence to defence, and then Woodcroft insists that doesn’t have to be the case. you’re rinsing and you’re repeating that. So learning how to play in the D- zone is critical for the development of your centremen.” “Hockey happens. Things happen on the ice. A line like Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Patrik Laine — if they’re working together, it doesn’t The decision to swing and the speed with which the player must swing “In Winnipeg, we have made faceoffs very important, understanding that are also determined by the pressure of the opposing team’s forecheck, faceoffs can win a game or lose a game. It’s about puck possession. To which requires that the centre constantly be shoulder checking. me, this is the ultimate one-on-one battle in a game. A faceoff is the only controlled environment, other than a penalty shot, in a game. And there Again and again, as Woodcroft flips between videos, those same are certain things you can do,” Woodcroft said. principles are consistently at play in successful exits. In his four years in Winnipeg, the Jets’ assistant has tried to instill a “I think this guy’s 11 years old — I have no idea. He looks like he’s 6, but handful of core faceoff skills in his centres, beginning with the way they he’s doing a great job. He’s paying attention to defence, he’s stopping, “anchor their sticks” in the circle (Woodcroft doesn’t want his centres the details of supporting the puck, transporting and relaying the puck, swinging their sticks outside of the faceoff circle and back in) and ending and getting up ice for an entry,” Woodcroft said of Pettersson before with the knowledge that the full faceoff circle isn’t even in play and that turning his attention to Crosby. the puck is almost always dropped in the half of the circle closest to the “This guy, 87, I don’t know who he is or if he has a chance to play hockey official. as a career. He’s a pretty good player. Not going to dive in. The middle of “(O’Reilly) uses a stick that’s about a 480 flex — I don’t know, it’s stiff as the ice is the area that’s open. In between the dots.” heck and he’s got a toe on it that I don’t know if it’s a back-scratcher or Some Jets do these things better than others, but they’ve all figured it out what he’s doing, but he’s a master craftsman,” Woodcroft said, pointing — and it’s at the core of what makes Winnipeg one of the league’s most to the way O’Reilly studies the handedness and the position of the dynamic offensive teams, Woodcroft said. opposing centre before he steps into a draw.

The principles don’t change in the neutral zone, either. Only in the neutral “When two sticks come together, who’s going to hold that dot better? You zone, nobody on the Jets is expected to slow down. can use the energy of your opponent to squirt that puck back. It’s about grit, not strength. Sometimes it’s a bad drop by a linesman — which “In the neutral zone, the most important thing for centres is to work to get never happens — or it hits off a skate and there’s the grit and available. Your mantra should be that you don’t want to slow down,” wherewithal to stay on a second puck for half a second. That’s will to me. Woodcroft said. “All a neutral zone counter is is a breakout on shorter ice That’s a compete indicator for our centremen.” — there’s no end boards.” Whether the draw is won or lost, the centre has to get back to those Through the neutral zone, the Jets still want their centre to drive the same-old Jets fundamentals. The ones Woodcroft can rattle off as if by middle of the ice as the transporter — and often kick it out at the second nature. offensive zone blue line for a winger. “Low and slow. If you continue the speed that you have, you will not be “The best teams in the NHL will use the middle of the ice as much as able to receive the puck and be inside the dots and plant your stick. The they can. And good teams, their defencemen are comfortable getting that skill to take the puck on your backhand,” he said, flipping through videos. puck to the middle of the ice. The D need a place to go with the puck, and they have to be comfortable getting the puck to those places,” “His feet are in the paint. Almost playing goalie. Woodcroft said. “He’s underneath the puck. Moving before you touch the puck.

“It’s the centre’s job to make him or herself available. Let the wingers do “Eyes are up. Recognize handedness. Shoulder check. Talking and the board work — they’re usually meatheads. The centre has to solve the listening. Understand the relationship with the D. problems and see the problems before they happen.” “Second quick.” Woodcroft views entries as “controlled or uncontrolled invasions of the other team’s zone.” The Athletic LOADED: 07.22.2019

“We’re trying to force D back, hopefully make them turn their feet. If something goes wrong, your middle driver is at the net. If there are problems, they’re going to get solved,” Woodcroft said.

Once that entry is executed, the Jets prefer to loosen up the structured approach they take in the other two zones.

“I personally don’t think that in the offensive zone your centres need a place to go. The offensive zone is their time. We don’t want robots. Everybody wants to play with the puck. Everybody deserves a chance to shoot and score and have some fun there. Too much structure can be a problem,” Woodcroft added.

That doesn’t mean the Jets don’t have principles in the offensive zone, though. After that kick-out at the offensive zone blue line, the Jets want their centre driving the net because that gives their wingers certainty.

And if the winger ends up outside those dots, he wants him taking the puck to the centre or giving it to the driving centre.

The Jets’ other offensive-zone principles include the importance of close support (just like in the defensive zone), the need for a constant high forward and a centre who works in concert with everyone else.

“Reward and embrace that responsibility. Good two-way centres like Steve Yzerman figured out you have to sacrifice some offence if your team’s going to win,” Woodcroft explained.

“Elite two-way centres are ones that are equal parts defence and offence and puck transporter and shutdown player. They’re getting the most out of their linemates while frequently masking their mistakes. And they trust their linemates. To me, being an elite two-way centre isn’t something that you are; it’s something that you do. Every shift. Every game.”

In his pursuit of finding the optimal role for a centre, Woodcroft has also closely studied faceoffs, settling on Ryan O’Reilly as the best he has ever seen do it — and his go-to when reviewing video with the Jets’ left- handed centres.