SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 9/17/2020 1178823 ‘Excited to do this together’: Ex-Ducks , 1178849 Wild trades center and fan favorite to Buffalo in Cup hunt 1178850 NHL veteran Paul Martin rejoins Gophers, this time as a coach 1178851 Wild trade Eric Staal to Sabres for Marcus Johansson 1178824 Arizona Coyotes set to name St. Louis Blues executive Bill 1178852 Wild stunner: Eric Staal dealt to Sabres, and the Matt Armstrong new Dumba rumors intensify 1178825 Blues assistant GM Bill Armstrong is Coyotes’ new general manager 1178826 Arizona Coyotes and goalie Adin Hill agree to 1-year, 1178853 Canadiens sign Joel Edmundson to 4-year, 1-way deal $14M deal 1178827 NHL coach and executive tracker: Arizona Coyotes hiring 1178854 Canadiens loan Jesse Ylönen to Finnish club Bill Armstrong as GM 1178855 The priority of the Canadiens’ offseason is clearly to optimize Bruins 1178828 Down Goes Brown: Who had the most miserable season one year before a Cup win? 1178856 Inside ’s coaching tactics, contract and media approach 1178829 Five things about new Sabres center Eric Staal 1178830 Sabres acquire center Eric Staal from Minnesota for 1178857 Devils scouting director Paul Castron talks prepping for Marcus Johansson draft in pandemic, 3 1st-rounders, career path | Q & 1178831 Can Ralph Krueger's positive approach ignite change for 1178858 What the Devils can learn from every team in the NHL the Sabres? conference finals BuffaloSabres 1178832 What the acquisition of Eric Staal means for the Sabres 1178859 What Islanders’ mindset is heading into another must-win 1178860 Islanders’ miracle sequence is all a blur to Flames 1178861 He's not dynamic, but Anders Lee is just right for these 1178833 Duhatschek: What it’s like being on the losing end of a Islanders ‘miracle’ comeback 1178862 Barry Trotz on Islanders' situation: 'We've got one life left' 1178834 LeBrun: Head coaching tidbits from Capitals, Flames, 1178863 Semyon Varlamov's celebratory slide after Islanders' Sharks, Stars and Kraken Game 5 win no surprise to Barry Trotz 1178835 Where do things stand with the Avalanche’s RFAs this 1178864 Reshaping the Rangers: Assessing the team’s options at offseason? in ’20-21 NHL 1178836 Booms, busts, steals and strikeouts: Ranking the Blue 1178865 Lawsuit alleges hockey league conspiracy Jackets’ 20 NHL Drafts Stars 1178866 GARRIOCH: As the NHL draft draws closer, expect the 1178837 Stars' Radek Faksa remains unfit to play, status for Game level of trade chatter to increase 1 of Final still up in the air 1178867 Wheeler: Remembering the 2017 playoff magic of Erik 1178838 ‘This is the team we thought we had’: Why Stars owner Karlsson isn’t surprised about team’s Stanley Cup Fi 1178839 10 most impactful moments of Stars' postseason: Anton Khudobin, young upstarts lead Stanley Cup Final run 1178868 Flyers goalie talks about his first , his 1178840 Ex-Stars coach Jim Montgomery joins St. Louis Blues as hope that Brian Elliott returns, and his good vi assistant 1178869 Playoffs show Flyers’ Carter Hart the importance of 1178841 How the Stars built their Stanley Cup Final roster: 6 staying even-keeled trades, timely signings and many draft picks 1178870 First playoff season over, Flyers' Hart eager for more 1178842 Anatomy of a series-winner: How Stars’ power-play 1178871 Analyzing the Flyers’ cap picture and 3 scenarios ahead of adjustments eliminated Vegas an unusual offseason 1178843 ‘Excited to do this together’: Ex-Ducks Corey Perry, Andrew Cogliano in Cup hunt 1178844 LeBrun: Head coaching tidbits from Capitals, Flames, 1178872 Former Penguins president Jack Kelley dies Sharks, Stars and Kraken 1178873 10 center possibilities — internal and external — as the Penguins shake up bottom six Red Wings 1178874 Yohe: Analyzing Jim Rutherford’s cost-cutting options as 1178845 2020-21 opening lineup: Our free agency looms predictions for who'll be out there Night 1 Oilers 1178875 Sharks will soon make their full-time coach, 1178846 Georgiev is perfect goalie target for Oilers, even if out of per report reach 1178876 As Sharks attempt a quick turnaround, here are 9 reasons for hope 1178847 NHL Scouts Poll 2020: Byfield vs. Stutzle, video views and an ‘exceptional’ crop 1178848 REIGN NOTEBOOK, SEPTEMBER 16 Kraken 1178877 The ’s AHL farm team won’t debut in Palm Springs as planned 1178878 LeBrun: Head coaching tidbits from Capitals, Flames, Sharks, Stars and Kraken St Louis Blues 1178879 Blues add ex-Stars coach Montgomery to coaching staff 1178880 Blues goalie prospect Ville Husso ready to prove himself after Jake Allen trade 1178881 Duhatschek: What it’s like being on the losing end of a ‘miracle’ comeback 1178882 If the Lightning don’t have Brayden , who might help fill the net? 1178883 Lightning’s Carter Verhaeghe has had to battle every step of the way 1178884 Tampa Bay Lightning face adversity and New York Islanders in Game 6 of NHL Conference Final 1178885 Lightning face adversity and Islanders in Game 6 of Eastern Conference final 1178886 After brief time with Leafs, Clifford headed for the open market: Agent Canucks 1178892 Patrick Johnston: Players praise Green as bench boss, hope Canucks reward him 1178887 VGK Season 3 Closed With Three Straight Losses To Dallas, Quiet Wrap-up Day With Media Via Zoom Wednesday Capitals 1178888 LeBrun: Head coaching tidbits from Capitals, Flames, Sharks, Stars and Kraken Websites 1178893 The Athletic / Discovering Ondrej Palat: How the Lightning landed playoff star in seventh round 1178894 The Athletic / The rise of Kevin Bieksa, the breakout media star of the 2020 NHL playoffs 1178895 .ca / Fuelled by commitment to sacrifice, Stars are the picture of winning 1178896 Sportsnet.ca / 7 centres Jets could pursue to fill opening on second line 1178897 Sportsnet.ca / Islanders' belief unwavering despite label of Game 6 underdog Jets 1178889 Jets can turn to still-active teams for answers 1178890 Jets have chance to take advantage of NHL salary cap crunch, without trading away young stars 1178891 How Neal Pionk is doing his small part to address hockey’s lack of diversity SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1178823 Anaheim Ducks franchise to an end as they moved in a younger direction after a run of contention in the West was officially over.

Before those chapters were closed, the two shared the highs that were ‘Excited to do this together’: Ex-Ducks Corey Perry, Andrew Cogliano in five straight Pacific Division titles and dramatic playoff victories mixed Cup hunt with inexplicable Game 7 losses at home and postseason stays that either ended early or culminated with an inability to squeeze teams out when they were in their clutches. By Eric Stephens Sep 16, 2020 Funny how situations sometimes work out even better in the end.

“It’s really tough to comprehend but then you start thinking back on your With what might have been the best viewpoint of anyone outside of days in Anaheim,” said Cogliano, who re-made himself into a defensive Robin Lehner and referee Steve Kozari, Corey Perry saw Denis whiz and killer extraordinaire over seven and a half seasons with Gurianov’s now-signature moment, a scorching one-timer zip off the the Ducks. “And you start thinking about how close you were and those Vegas netminder’s . He reflexively threw his hands up into the air. feelings of playing in those games with those guys there and how good our teams were. Perry turned around, took a couple of strides toward his merry Dallas teammates and then, as if a switch went on inside his head, immediately “I still think about the Chicago series. That series still tears me up reversed course and had something else on his mind. because I still think that was a year where we could have won, and we were right there. But now, you’re on the other side of it last night, when The puck. Get it. you beat a good Vegas team in five games which is not very easy to do. “It’s funny,” Perry told The Athletic on Tuesday in the aftermath of the … Hopefully, it keeps trending in the same direction and we keep doing Stars’ Game 5 triumph in the Western Conference finals that what we’re doing.” sent them to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years. “I did it after Game Looking back, Perry thinks about the “tough, tough breaks in Anaheim.” 7 in the series before. I was on the ice when we scored. Went instantly The Game 7 defeats and even those Game 6 losses where they failed to and grabbed the puck. put away teams like Detroit (2013 first round), Los Angeles (2014 second “I thought, ‘Why not?’ and do it again.” round), Chicago (2015 West finals) and Nashville (2016 first round).

When you become one of the final two teams standing and, in this most “Heartbreakers,” he said. unusual of seasons, are traveling the road of the playoffs in one city It made him wonder if he’d ever get another opportunity to play for the within a bubble that only a few are permitted inside, you try to secure any Cup. It makes this journey alongside Cogliano something more memento of the journey that you can. Perry handed the puck to Rick meaningful to share. The two have locker rooms near each other at the Bowness, the likable Dallas coach that has had all sorts of journeys over Stars’ practice facility in suburban Frisco. a career that is into its fifth decade behind an NHL bench. “That made that transition from Anaheim to here a little bit easier,” Perry The then hugged Bowness and went off to celebrate with his said. “Having him here. Having somebody that I knew personally for a teammates. The achievement is just the same, even if the atmosphere of while, a teammate and a great teammate at that. And then going through an empty in Edmonton was dramatically different. this whole season, this whole bubble life, it hasn’t been easy with all the “It’s very different,” Perry said. “We were saying last night. It’s weird. You families at home. Your kids at home. have nobody in the stands. You score a huge and obviously you’re “He cares. He wants to win. You’ve seen it. People in Anaheim saw how celebrating but you didn’t feel that other emotion from the fans. There’s much he cares about winning, about playing the game and playing the obviously something missing. But at the same time, it’s still the same right way. It’s his first time. We’re both excited to do this together.” passion that we have for this game. And there’s one goal in mind. The two have seen their roles change with the Stars. Perry has played “It doesn’t matter if we’re in a bubble or playing in front of fans. We want from the first line to the fourth and no longer comes near the 20 minutes to get the job done.” a game he used to easily average. Cogliano is in the lineup most nights Perry knows what playing for the Cup is like. He is back after a 13-year but injuries have kept him from being the ironman that was dressing wait, when he lifted it with Anaheim in the spring of 2007 as a second- without fail every night. year winger on the rise. also knows the feeling. He was a The 33-year-old winger was also scratched for the first three games of rookie with Boston in 2011 after the Bruins defeated Vancouver. the conference final after an injury kept him out of Game 7 of the second Other Stars have come close. Joe Pavelski got to play for it in 2016 with round against Colorado. Ironically, it was rookie Joel Kiviranta who took San Jose after a nine-year wait. Ben Bishop was the man in net for his place in the lineup and had a stunning hat trick that included the Tampa Bay in its 2015 run that came up short. And some have their first overtime winner to eliminate the Avalanche. at it. The most notable is , their sometimes-maligned Both are on the back end of their fine careers. Both combined for just and 11-year veteran that has had a resurgent postseason. eight goals and 35 points – for instance, Perry once had 19 goals and 30 Thirteen years in, Andrew Cogliano gets to play for the Cup. The points in the final month of his Hart Trophy-winning season – despite celebration was more muted than what it would ordinarily be, with his each playing in at least 57 games. Both had no issues with making wife, Allie, and their daughter, Lottie, unable to be with him and Cogliano sacrifices to fit into the Stars’ four-line methodology. not wanting to put them in a quarantine-type situation. There were beers “To have success in the NHL, you’ve got to have the right type of consumed in the team’s hotel inside the bubble the NHL has constructed. players,” Dallas general manager said. “The character, the guys But the feeling of winning something big. It never changes. that have gone through this. They’ve lived this. They came from an Anaheim team that was very successful. They’ve been in these battles. “Last night, I think the feeling of winning of that game was just – it’s really They’ve been in these wars. You can never have enough of those indescribable,” Cogliano said. “You’re not really putting it together in players in your dressing room. terms of what’s going to happen and where you are and what the next step is. I didn’t win in college (at Michigan). I didn’t play major junior and “You go through adversity. There’s going to be times the wheels are win a championship. When you’re out there and the trophy’s coming out, coming off the truck and you’ve got to get them back on. In the end, it’s it’s a new experience you know. those players that are the ones that keep things focused. They’re the ones that guide the players. You can never have enough of those guys. “It’s something in Anaheim we were close to but didn’t get to. Pretty They live and breathe the game the right way.” special. It was a special night. Really, it was.” Perry might play the fewest minutes at even strength since his second of This trip to the Cup is a noteworthy one for Perry and Cogliano. The two 14 seasons in Anaheim, but he still gets time on the power play. The reunited in Dallas last fall after Perry signed with the club last summer Stars use the greasy 35-year-old as a net-front presence. Perhaps it is and Cogliano was traded there a few months prior last season. The no coincidence that the winger was at the net for not only the Gurianov Ducks no longer wanted both, bringing their long associations with the rocket but the game-tying score by Kiviranta, where he popped in a rebound after Perry whacked at a loose puck left by Lehner. Disturbing the opposing . Just what he’s always done, what his out what next and talking to teams and going that way, that’s obviously fans have loved and his many detractors have despised over time. going to help, to figure out what’s next right away,” Perry said. “I really don’t know how long it took me. I just thought that’s the end of one “They’re power-play goals so you know I’m going to be around the net,” chapter and we’re starting a new one. And that’s kind of how I went about Perry said. “That’s where I have to live and that’s to be expected. It’s just it.” creating havoc. Getting a tip. Whatever it is. Last night, I was in front on both those goals. That’s just where you’ll find me.” Two longtime teammates are reveling in where their connecting roads have taken them. It is a long way from his salad days as one of the game’s top right wings. Those 30-goal seasons he used to rack up are now a memory. And that “Guys still don’t realize how hard it is,” Cogliano said. “You can look at is fine. Anaheim. We went to the conference finals, we lost four straight against San Jose and now you’re in a situation where you have younger guys “Later in your career, you don’t play those top high-end minutes that come in and older guys are gone. anymore,” he said. “I accepted that. I fill a role. When I’m on the ice, I play my game. We roll four lines here. The ice time is spread out so “Listen, this is hard to do. This is a hard place to get. And at the end of much that it doesn’t feel like you have a fourth line or you have a third the day, you have to take advantage and put your best foot forward. This line. Everybody rolls. Everybody just keeps jumping over the boards, is hard to do. That’s why it’s so exciting. You got to enjoy it.” continuing to do the same thing. The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 “I’ve personally accepted where I am. And I really like what we have going on.”

The greatest strength with the Stars may be how indistinguishable they’ve become from their first forward to their 12th and a defense that plays a suffocating game particularly when they gain the lead. What has elevated them into championship contenders is their offense waking up in the postseason, enabling them to dispose of Calgary, outlast a more wide-open Colorado team or go toe-to-toe and deliver clutch goals against what was a physical, favored Vegas squad. They’ve repeatedly erased deficits and are 4-0 in overtime games through three playoff rounds.

There is the emerging superstar in Miro Heiskanen who might be in competition with affable goalie Anton Khudobin for the should they capture the Cup. They have the timely contributions that have come from youngsters like Gurianov, Kiviranta and Roope Hintz. And there have been the vets that have helped keep them chugging, from Pavelski to Andrej Sekera to Blake Comeau. Even though his offensive numbers have fallen the last two seasons, the 31-year-old Benn has responded in the return to play by turning back the clock with his inspired play.

The effective concoction of young and old that Nill put together has created an air of healthy accountability within their dressing room. Cogliano sees a group that is willing to do all the things beyond scoring goals to win games. He fits that definition and hopes it rubs off on teammates. He also tries to draw the energy that the youngsters give him and keep it flowing.

“We have accountability because we have older guys that I think have been around and when stuff’s not going to the right way and stuff’s going sideways, we can just say it,” Cogliano said. “They believe us is my point. When we step in and say something that we think needs to be said, you’re going to listen to Joe Pavelski. And they’re going to listen to guys that have been there and are working hard as well.

“I’m not saying other teams don’t have that. But in a league where I think people and the praise you get for scoring and playing offensively and having all the glory is sometimes the higher priority for some guys, I really do feel like you have a lot of guys that are willing to do a lot to help the team win and get where we are now. What we’ve done is kind of proof that what players on our team and the coaching staff are buying in is actual evidence that it works.”

Once he was bought out by the Ducks, Perry and his representatives talked with numerous teams seeking to add his edgy play and vast experience in important games. In Dallas, it helped that he knew Benn well from their days as linemates with Ryan Getzlaf centering them for Team . Cogliano was there, too.

But what attracted him to the Stars was the mix Nill was creating. The addition of Pavelski. The fact that they were knocking on the door last season and would be a motivated band after losing Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals to eventual Cup champion St. Louis.

Moving on stung him. But the hurt soon subsided. Even his pocketbook is filling up, with $1.6 million of bonuses reached for games played, the Stars advancing to the playoffs and three playoff rounds won. Another $150,000 can be gained with a Cup win. A second Cup would add to his legacy as a player that has won at every level of hockey.

“Going right from hearing the news that they’re going to buy me out to going kind of right into switch your mind and turn your brain to figuring 1178824 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes set to name St. Louis Blues executive Bill Armstrong new general manager

Jose M. Romero

The Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday moved toward naming St. Louis Blues assistant general manager Bill Armstrong as their new general manager.

NHL sources confirmed that Armstrong, who as of Wednesday afternoon was still listed as assistant GM and director of amateur scouting on the Blues' official website, is the leading candidate for the Coyotes' job and was close to becoming the Coyotes' general manager.

An announcement wasn't expected to be made before Thursday.

Steve Sullivan, general manager of the , the Coyotes' affiliate, has been serving as interim general manager since the team parted ways with former GM John Chayka.

Sullivan, who had been a candidate for the Coyotes GM job, was assistant general manager under Chayka, who on July 24 informed the Coyotes that he was terminating his contract. The Coyotes released a statement two days later expressing their disappointment in his decision as the team prepared to head to the NHL "bubble" in Edmonton to resume the 2019-20 season.

Armstrong, 50, has made his biggest mark on the Blues in the NHL draft. The team credits him for the selection of former goaltender Jake Allen (traded earlier this month), defenders and Robby Fabbri and center Robert Thomas. All were part of the Stanley Cup-winning roster in 2018-19.

Armstrong has been with the Blues since 2004, when he was brought in as a scout. He's headed the team's amateur scouting department in 2010. Armstrong was promoted to assistant general manager in 2018.

With less than three weeks to go before the NHL draft begins, the Coyotes have been looking to hire a GM since losing their first-round playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche 4 games to 1. Other decisions the new general manager must make include whether to re-sign free agents and exploring potential trades.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178825 Arizona Coyotes

Blues assistant GM Bill Armstrong is Coyotes’ new general manager

BY ARIZONA SPORTS | SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 AT 4:15 PM UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 AT 4:22 PM

St. Louis Blues assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Bill Armstrong is the Arizona Coyotes’ new general manager, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro.

It’s a four-year deal for Armstrong, with an option for the fifth year.

Gambadoro reported Tuesday that Armstrong was the leading candidate for the job.

The Coyotes cut ties with former general manager John Chayka in late July, with Steve Sullivan taking over the job in an interim role. Chayka had previously taken over the job in May of 2016, replacing Don Maloney, who had held the job for the previous nine seasons.

In late August, the NHL announced the Coyotes had been penalized for scouting violations and would lose their second-round draft pick this year and their first-round pick next year.

Armstrong had been with the Blues since 2004, making his way up the front office ranks in St. Louis and earning the assistant GM title in 2018.

The Coyotes made the 2020 NHL Playoffs after qualifying via a series win over the Nashville Predators and were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178826 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes and goalie Adin Hill agree to 1-year, 1-way deal

BY ARIZONA SPORTS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 AT 9:37 AM UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 AT 9:39 AM

The Arizona Coyotes locked up one of their netminders for another season.

The team announced Tueday it has signed goaltender Adin Hill to a one- year, one-way contract.

Per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the deal is worth $800,000.

The terms of the agreement could signal a potential departure for one of the starting-caliber goalies on the team, Antti Raanta or Darcy Kuemper.

Hill played in 13 games last season for the Coyotes, going 2-4-3 with a 2.62 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.

The goalie also spent time with the Tucson Roadrunners, posting a 15-5- 0 record. He posted a .918 save percentage with the AHL affiliate.

Over the last three seasons with the team (30 games), Hill has a 10-12-3 record with a .907 save percentage and a 2.81 GAA.

Hill was originally drafted by Arizona in the third round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft with the 76th overall pick.

Hill did not log any ice time during the Coyotes playoff run last season, but was on the roster and replaced Antti Raanta on the bench during Game 2 of the qualifying round against the Nashville predators after the goalie was deemed unfit to play for the team.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178827 Arizona Coyotes would have to imagine the fun he’s had in return to play with a surprise run to the Cup Final will galvanize his desire to stay on.

-Pierre LeBrun NHL coach and executive tracker: Arizona Coyotes hiring Bill Armstrong as GM Bowness shrugged off a question about Jim Nill’s comments that Bowness had earned the job and smiled, saying they would talk about it after the season.

By Craig Custance and Sarah Goldstein Sep 16, 2020 -Sean Shapiro

Arizona Coyotes: Sources say Blues assistant GM and director of More than players are changing teams this year. Teams looking for an amateur scouting Bill Armstrong is the leading candidate for the Coyotes advantage are trying to find the perfect fit behind the bench and in the GM job and has been offered the position. The deal is not done yet, but front office. an announcement could come as soon as today.

Keep track of the latest hirings, firings and rumors this offseason as we -Jeremy Rutherford continue to update you with all the ins and outs. Sept. 15

Sept. 16 : Peter Laviolette will be the new in Arizona Coyotes: Bill Armstrong has verbally agreed to become the Washington. Laviolette still had another year left on his old Predators Coyotes GM but the paperwork on a five-year contract still hasn’t been deal at $2.5 million. Told going forward the Caps are picking up all of signed or finalized, according to sources. But all signs point to him being that, so the Predators are clear of paying that. In total, the three-year the next Arizona GM. deal is worth just under $15 million in total, according to a source.

-Pierre LeBrun -Pierre LeBrun

St. Louis Blues: Former coach Jim Montgomery was hired I wonder if Kevin McCarthy, whom the Predators fired along with by the Blues as an assistant coach. Laviolette in January, will join the Capitals’ coaching staff. Laviolette and McCarthy first worked together with the Hurricanes. -Jeremy Rutherford -Adam Vingan Toronto Maple Leafs: Bruce Boudreau wants to be a head coach again, but he has been left without a chair in this offseason’s coaching carousel. : Former Wild GM Paul Fenton is going to Florida, along I do believe the former Wild coach has finally talked with Toronto about with former Panthers GM Rick Dudley, as senior advisors to new GM Bill going to his beloved Leafs as ’s assistant. If offered the Zito. Former Wild co-director of amateur scouting P.J. Fenton is also job, Boudreau would consider it even though I think he’d be one of the joining the staff as a scout. first out of the bullpen if a head coach is fired early next year. -Michael Russo

-Michael Russo Columbus development coach Gregory Campbell and scout Blake Seattle Kraken: I was told this week that the new reality in the COVID-19 Geoffrion are joining Panthers GM in Florida. Both are former world and the uncertainty about what’s going on with the next NHL clients of Zito’s from his time as an agent. Expect to see a lot of former season has given GM enough reason to wait on hiring a clients and longtime Zito connections join him in Sunrise, Fla. coach. -Aaron Portzline

I still think former Vegas coach , for rather obvious Dallas Stars: GM Jim Nill said Tuesday that interim head coach Rick reasons, would be the perfect fit for Seattle. I mean, he just lived the Bowness “has definitely earned the right to come back as the coach.” expansion experience and knocked it out of the park. And while nobody will confirm this, I believe Francis and Gallant had a conversation at -Sean Shapiro some point over the past few months, but at this point it doesn’t appear like anything is on the front-burner with a coaching hire in Seattle. Gallant Sept. 14 still has another year on his deal with Vegas so his impending free : Geoff Ward signed a two-year deal with the Flames, agency in June 2021 might be the right timing for Seattle. Or maybe removing the interim tag from his head coach title after he took over the Seattle thinks outside the box and hires against the grain. That wouldn’t team in November with Bill Peters resigned. surprise me, either. -Pierre LeBrun -Pierre LeBrun Pittsburgh Penguins: Even GM Jim Rutherford is now hinting that some Florida Panthers: Gregory Campbell joins the Panthers staff as VP of help would be nice, and it appears that the assistant GM job is Jason player personnel and development. Campbell reunites with former Botterill‘s if he wants it. Botterill is still owed two years worth of money on linemate Shawn Thornton, who is a senior VP. his contract from the Sabres and it’s unclear how much he wishes to -Fluto Shinzawa jump back into the NHL.

San Jose Sharks: For a while now, all indications were that Bob -Josh Yohe Boughner would have his interim tag removed in San Jose and I’m told Sept. 11 that’s finally going to happen over the next week or two. Montreal Canadiens: head coach Joel Bouchard confirmed -Pierre LeBrun the return of all of his assistants for next season, which means Alex Rockey Thompson is expected to be named an assistant in San Jose, Burrows, Dan Jacob and Marco Marciano will be back. but there’s no word yet on who else will join him. Mike Ricci and Roy -Marc Antoine Godin Sommer could very well return to their previous roles in the organization. Sept. 10 -Kevin Kurz Florida Panthers: is reporting that Paul Fenton may end Dallas Stars: The original plan was for and GM Jim Nill to up in Florida on the staff of GM Bill Zito. Fenton most recently was reconvene after the season to discuss Bowness’ future. Bowness has scouting for Columbus with Zito and, of course, was the Wild GM before one more year left on his assistant coach’s contract, which he continued that. Zito has a lot of respect for Fenton’s player evaluation ability so it to work on. It wasn’t just about whether Nill thought Bowness was a good wouldn’t be surprising at all to see this get done. One source early fit after replacing Jim Montgomery in December, but also whether the 65- Thursday said it wasn’t finalized but that can change quickly. year-old Bowness himself wanted the gig past this season. The rigors of being a head coach in the NHL have never been more demanding. But I -Craig Custance It seems all but guaranteed both former Wild GM and former Panthers who knows on the coaching front, but also, who knows what Tocchet GM Rick Dudley will join Zito in Florida. It’ll be cool to see Dudley back in himself wants? The Coyotes might be in player payroll cutting mode, it Florida, where he got shockingly tossed when fired-coach might not be the best coaching gig out there over the next few years. returned as GM in 2004. The Wild will get a haircut on what they owe Fenton in the final year of his deal. : I don’t believe there have been any conversations yet on the contract front with , the Hawks priority right -Michael Russo now is readying themselves for the Oct. 6-7 draft and potential roster changes. But I do expect the Blackhawks to explore extending Colliton Washington Capitals: Looking for a bench boss after firing , before next season begins. GM Brian MacLellan is looking for “an experienced coach.” , Peter Laviolette and Gerard Gallant have interviewed for the Columbus Blue Jackets: ’s whole staff is entering the final vacancy. It’s also believed there has at least been contact between the year of their respective deals. If this were a normal offseason, I think the Capitals and Bruce Boudreau but the former Caps coach is not Jackets would have already begun the process of trying to extend considered a candidate at this time. Tortorella but because of the uncertainty around next season, the Jackets, for now, are in a holding pattern. So it’s something they’ll get to Babcock’s resume is clearly impressive, but a source with knowledge of later once there’s clarity on if/when there’s hockey next season. the landscape in D.C. also wondered if Babcock’s no-nonsense style and desire to be the headliner would work in a room that revolves around Detroit Red Wings: Red Wings GM said in May that Jeff Ovechkin and its stars. It should also be noted that the Leafs still owe Blashill would be the coach whenever the 2020-21 season begins, Babcock $6.25 million per year for the next three seasons, potentially despite the team finishing the season in last place with 39 points in 71 complicating any deal with a new team. One source, who described games, which had them on pace for the lowest point total in an 82-game Laviolette as a potential fit, wondered whether the sides could strike a season of the salary cap era. “It’s unfair to judge on our deal should discussions advance to the point of talking dollars and years. team’s record. Really. It is.” Last month, MacLellan said he believes ownership is “open” to spending top dollar on a coach “if it makes sense.” -Pierre LeBrun

-Tarik El-Bashir New Jersey Devils: The staff for new Devils coach is starting to take shape. New Jersey hired as an assistant Tuesday, Nashville Predators: The Predators formally announced the hiring of Dan and he will likely coach the forwards and run the power play. Recchi Hinote as an assistance coach Thursday. As an assistant with the spent three years as a development coach with the Penguins and then Columbus Blue Jackets from 2010-14, Hinote worked with the forwards the past three seasons as an assistant coach for Mike Sullivan. and penalty kill. Dan Lambert should continue to oversee the Pittsburgh had the No. 1 power play in the NHL in 2017-18 and a top five defenseman and power play on ’ staff. group last year but slipped to 16th this season without Phil Kessel and with significant injuries on the back end. -Adam Vingan The Athletic also confirmed this past weekend that goalie coach Rollie Sept. 9 Melanson will not be back with the club next season. He’s worked with Dallas Stars: GM Jim Nill confirmed that he and interim head coach Rick Cory Schneider since his days with the Canucks. Recchi would likely Bowness have an agreement to sit down at the end of the year to discuss replace Rick Kowalsky, who was promoted from the AHL to run the Bowness’ future. Nill has been very impressed with the coach’s work and power play two years ago after Geoff Ward left for Calgary, but a team mentioned they need to have a discussion if Bowness wants to continue source said the club is still talking to Kowalsky about a role with the being a head coach. organization, either in a coaching or developmental role. A league source said there could be news on the defense/penalty kill role on the staff, -Sean Shapiro which Alain Nasreddine held for four-plus seasons before replacing John Hynes in November, later this week. Ruff said Nasreddine would be a St. Louis Blues: Bill Armstrong, the Blues assistant GM and director of candidate for that role when he was hired. amateur scouting, interviewed for the Florida GM job, but the Panthers went with Columbus assistant GM Bill Zito. So Armstrong, who has two -Corey Masisak more years left on his contract, will remain with the organization, but he appears to have interest in the vacant Arizona GM job and will certainly St. Louis Blues: Last week’s news that Marc Savard was stepping down be a candidate for others that open up, too. as a Blues assistant coach after one season was a surprise to many, but not in the organization. The job was more taxing than he expected and -Jeremy Rutherford the club realized that, too. That said, the power play flourished under Savard, who allowed players more free rein with the puck. One veteran Nashville Predators: The Predators are expected to hire Dan Hinote as said Savard was the best PP coach he ever had, so he will be missed. an assistant coach, a source told The Athletic. Hinote will replace Dan Muse, whose contract was not renewed last month, as part of John -Jeremy Rutherford Hynes’ staff. Muse, whom Hynes inherited from predecessor Peter Laviolette, has since been hired as a head coach in the USA Hockey Sept. 2 National Team Development Program (NTDP). Florida Panthers: Bill Zito, the former Blue Jackets’ vice president of -Adam Vingan hockey operations, was hired as general manager of the Panthers. was fired by the team in August after a quick loss in the return to Sept. 8 play tournament.

Vancouver Canucks: After a fantastic Return to Play and the expectation Pittsburgh Penguins: Todd Reirden returned to the Penguins as an is will be rewarded by the Canucks. My sense is that at assistant coach after being fired by the Capitals. Reirden will coach the some point after the fall NHL draft, the Canucks will turn their attention to defensemen and run the power play. Mike Vellucci, who was previously Green, whose contract expires in a year. There’s no rush, but the hope the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach, also joined Mike Sullivan’s staff. from a Canucks point of view would be to have Green extended before Pittsburgh declined to renew the contracts of its top three assistant next season. coaches — Jacques Martin, Mark Recchi and — in August. Green joins five other NHL head coaches entering the final year of their contracts: The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 : My sense is that the Canes will want to approach Rod Brind’Amour at some point this offseason to feel him out on the future. As one of the lower-paid NHL head coaches, he’s due a nice raise. He also doesn’t want to coach anywhere else as far as I can tell.

Arizona Coyotes: The Coyotes did briefly talk to about an extension before Return to Play, I’m told, but both sides decided to wait until after the season to re-convene. Since then, GM John Chayka and the club parted ways rather acrimoniously. So until a new GM is hired, 1178828 spots. They had six games left, including two against the struggling Hawks and one against the last-place Coyotes. All under control.

Then it all went off the rails. The Blues lost four straight, including an Down Goes Brown: Who had the most miserable season one year before embarrassing 6-0 loss to the Coyotes. That set up a desperate final a Cup win? weekend, and after a win over Chicago snapped the streak, it was down to a winner-take-all finale against an Avalanche team that had been the worst in the league a season prior. The Blues lost that one 5-2, missed By Sean McIndoe Sep 16, 2020 the playoffs, and some of us wrote them off as serious contenders. In hindsight, possibly incorrectly.

9. 2000-01 Detroit Red Wings With three weeks left in the playoffs and three teams still standing, we still don’t know who’s going to win the Stanley Cup this year. Depending The 2002 Wings are one of my favorite teams ever. Just a roster stacked on who you talk to, we’re not even all that close to knowing who the with future Hall of Famers, from longtime Wings like Steve Yzerman and favorite is. to ringers like and , almost all of them old and expensive. It is, quite literally, the sort of team we could But here’s one thing that’s likely to be true about this year’s winner: never see again in the cap era. They’re going to have recovered from a pretty miserable ending to their 2018-19 season. But if you went back to the spring of 2001, you’d have found plenty of fans who thought the Wings were all but done. They’d put together a Every ending to a season that doesn’t involve a lap around the ice with strong 2000-2001 season, one that saw them rack up 111 points, tied for the Stanley Cup is going to be miserable in its own way. But some are second in the NHL. But it all fell apart in the playoffs against a Kings more miserable than others, and some of those are so awful that you team they should have beaten easily. The Wings cruised through the first might expect a team to have a hard time recovering. There’s such a thing two games with wins by a combined score of 9-3, then lost four straight as a loss that’s so devastating that it ripples past the current moment and one-goal games, including two in overtime. To make matters worse, wipes out a chunk of the future. Yzerman and Shanahan both got hurt in Round 1, building a narrative Or at least that’s how it’s supposed to work. But maybe not, because if that the Red Wings were too old and beaten up to go the distance again. it’s true, some of the teams from this year’s conference final shouldn’t No less an authority than Sports Illustrated was writing articles about how have been here. the 2001 postseason could be “the last dance for the NHL’s oldest team.” Take the Lightning. Their 2018-19 edition rolled through one of the best And it really did feel that way. But rather than hit the reset button, the regular seasons of the modern era, then suffered one of the most Wings doubled down on even older names, and it paid off. And we shocking and humiliating first-round sweeps in NHL history. The Stars mostly forgot about those disastrous two weeks the year before. season ended when they blew a 3-2 series lead on a controversial non- 8. 1978-79 New York Islanders call, then dropped a double-OT Game 7 classic against the eventual champs when their captain just missed a chance on a half-empty net. When we look back at the Al Arbour era of Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin And the Golden Knights were in full control of a Game 7 against a hated and , we naturally tend to jump ahead to the dynasty. But that rival until a controversial call, a penalty kill disaster and an overtime leaves out some really strong seasons, including thee 1978-79 squad, a dagger that capped off one of the most unlikely comebacks ever. 51-win powerhouse that finished with a league-leading 116 points.

If any of those teams had decided to blow it all up or wobbled off track for They continued to roll in the playoffs, knocking off an overmatched a year or two, would you have blamed them? Instead, they were all back Hawks team in four straight. That set up a meeting with a Rangers team and looking better than ever. they’d finished 25 points ahead of during the season. But they lost the series in six, with most of the big names disappearing. Bossy had one The Islanders don’t really fit the narrative, because hockey gods forbid goal, Trottier had two points and Clark Gillies had one point as John these four teams ever agree on anything. Their 2018-19 ended badly, Davidson shut the door for the Rangers. with a sweep against the Hurricanes, but overall it was a surprisingly successful year, the kind a team can grow on. That’s how it’s supposed That Rangers team was good, but wasn’t especially well-respected; you to work – a team wins a round one year, then goes to a conference final may remember calling them a “piece of cake” opponent for the next, then finally builds to winning the Cup. One positive step after whoever faced them in the final. But the Islanders couldn’t get past them, another. and at the time there were some who were starting to wonder if Arbour’s boys would ever break through. Often, that’s exactly how it does go. But this year, there’s a good chance that one team is going to write one hell of a short-term recovery story. And yes, this was during the “Potvin Sucks” era. But it had just started – the Ulf Nilsson hit had come just a few months earlier – which had to So today, let’s set the stage with a look back on NHL history, and a make it even worse. question: Which Stanley Cup champion recovered from the most agonizing end to their previous season? We’re not just looking for teams 7. 2016-17 Washington Capitals that had disappointing seasons, with an early exit or even missing the playoffs altogether. We’re looking for style points, with as much pain as Sometimes, a miserable ending is about what happens. Sometimes, it’s possible in how it all ended. Let’s really twist the knife. more about the how. Others, it’s the who. And for the 2016-17 Capitals, it was all of the above. I’ve picked 10 teams from modern history; let’s count them down from the merely horrific to the outright unconscionable. By 2017, the narrative around the Capitals was well-established. They were the team that would put together a solid regular season, maybe 10. 2017-18 St. Louis Blues even a great one. But when the playoffs came around, they’d always choke. Oh sure, they’d run up a series lead, especially their patented 3-1 We all know the story of the 2019 Blues and their Gloria-inspired journey advantage. But then it would all fall apart, every time and we’d all point from dead last in January to Stanley Cup champions in June. It’s a great and laugh. tale, and if you’re looking for a comeback story, those six months are really all you need. Oh, and the story of the collapse usually involved the Penguins.

That makes it easy to forget about the Blues’ 2017-18 season. Which is That had happened in 2016, when the Caps had run away with the probably a good thing, because man, did that ever end badly. Presidents’ Trophy to the tune of 120 points, only to lose to the Penguins in Round 2, then watch their rivals go on to win the Stanley Cup that had Most of the entries on this list will be about miserable playoff losses, with always eluded Washington. They followed that up with another Game 7 collapses or controversies. The 2017-18 Blues didn’t even get Presidents’ Trophy win, and a second-round rematch against the that. After six straight years of making the playoffs, including a trip to the Penguins. conference final, the Blues were looking to build on sustained success. And despite some ups and downs, they were in decent shape heading Surely, this time would be different. Except it wasn’t, with the Pens down the stretch. After a March 27 win over the Sharks, the Blues were stealing the first two games in Washington, on their way to a 3-1 series sixth in the West, part of a four-team logjam fighting for three playoff lead. But with everyone writing them off, the Capitals stayed alive with an impressive Game 5 win. Then they looked even better on the road in (207). Here’s all you need to know: The Bruins had a guy shatter the Game 6, and suddenly we were down to a winner-take-all game. All the single-season goals record by 18 goals … and he wasn’t even the team narratives had been flipped. Were the Caps going to finally slay the MVP. Between Phil Esposito up front and on the back end, dragon by beating the Penguins, and even pull off a 3-1 comeback in the they basically redefined what hockey fans thought offensive hockey could process? look like.

Of course not. With their season on the line, the high-powered Caps fired Then they ran into the Canadiens in Round 1, and it all evaporated. In a blanks, losing a 2-0 heartbreaker on home ice. The franchise had seen monster upset, the Habs rallied to win the series in seven games, then so many losses over the decades, maybe including some that were went on to win the Cup while the high-powered Bruins watched from worst. But to lose that series, that way, against that team, felt like the home. final straw. In the moment, for fans who’d been through it all, this was the one that finally broke them. Honorable mentions

6. 1969-70 Montreal Canadiens A few candidates that didn’t quite crack the list that you might be thinking about: Here’s all you need to know about the ’69-70 Canadiens: They missed the playoffs. As mentioned, the Hurricanes (2006) and Rangers (1994) both missed the playoffs entirely the year before winning a Cup. So did the Penguins OK, I know I said I wasn’t going to put teams on this list just for missing (1991), whose 1989-90 season ended with a late collapse that saw them the playoffs the season before a Cup. A surprising of teams have win just one of their last 13 games and miss the playoffs by one point done that, including the Blues teams we just met as well as the 1993 (but “earn” a high enough pick to take Jaromir Jagr, so it actually worked Rangers and 2004 Hurricanes. out).

But this was the Canadiens back when missing the playoffs just didn’t The 1986 Habs were coming off a Game 7 overtime loss to the hated happen in Montreal. The 1970 miss was the franchise’s first since 1948. Nordiques in 1985. And the 1993 team was coming off a year where they And they wouldn’t miss again until 1995, meaning there was nearly half- were swept in the playoffs, then watched their coach quit to go work for a-century where Montreal fans never had to watch a postseason that their rivals. didn’t include their team. Except for 1970. The 2001 Avalanche had to endure losing a Game 7 the year before with So what went wrong? Well … not much, actually, except that the NHL Ray Bourque that nobody remembers. decided to do what it usually does and have a playoff format that didn’t make any sense. The 1969-70 Habs finished tied for the fourth best The 1990 Oilers bounced back from trading , then losing record in the league. But the teams ahead of them were all in their to him in seven games in 1989. division, and the NHL insisted that four teams from the all-expansion The 1997 Red Wings had to shake off the previous year’s upset loss to West Division had to make it. So the 92-point Canadiens lost the goals- the Avalanche that had been crushing in more ways than one. for tiebreaker for fourth spot and went home, while teams like the 60- point North Stars and 58-point Seals were invited to the postseason. And of course, as always, your favorite team’s losses were always far more miserable than anyone else’s, and none of us can ever know your The Habs weren’t all that much better in 1970-71, finishing with 97 pain. points, but it was enough to make the playoffs, where they unleashed a rookie named Ken Dryden against a team we’ll meet in a few entries. 3. 1985-86

5. 1994-95 Game 7 against your fiercest rival, and you don’t need me to tell you what happened. It might be the most famous “oh no” moment in NHL This one’s a bit tricky, since the 1996 Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche history. hadn’t actually had a tough end to the 1994-95 season. They’d never had any end to any season, at all, at least not in Colorado. But if we count the I’ll be honest, I struggled a bit with where to place this one. Based purely Nordiques – and we should – then we have to include this team on our on how painful a single moment was, you could make a strong case for list. this entry to top the list. And unlike most of what we’re working with, this one almost certainly cost a team a Cup. It should probably be higher. The 1990s hadn’t been kind to the Quebec Nordiques. They entered the decade as the league’s worst team, and stayed that way long enough to But on the other hand … I mean, it was the Oilers. They’d already won draft Eric Lindros with the No. 1 pick in 1991, then watch him refuse to two Cups. They were a good bet to win a few more (which they did). How report. They made it back to the playoffs in 1993, immediately lost to their devastating can a loss really be if you’re team is already hanging hated rival Montreal, then missed again the next year. But with rumors of banners? No really, I’m asking, my own life experience doesn’t help me relocation swirling, they finally put it all together in the lockout-shortened at all with this question. 1994-95 season, posting the best record in the conference and heading In the end, I think top three is about right. The 1980s Oilers still won a into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. ton, but knowing this moment cost you a five-peat that no team will ever They drew a tough matchup with the Rangers, but opened with a win. get near again has to hurt. They lost the next two, and went into Game 4 needing a win to reset the 2. 1993-94 Devils series. They were well on the way, leading 2-0 in the first before made it 3-0 on an end-to-end rush to all but seal it. This is another one that’s a little tricky, because 1994 marked the most successful run in Devils history. That was part of what made the ending Or at least, he seemed to. But the goal was waved off because … well, so painful. nobody was quite sure. The season marked the 20th in franchise history and 12th in New Jersey. Andy Van Hellemond ruled that he’d blown the whistle before the goal For most of those, the team had been a joke – or in the immortal words due to an injury to Alexei Kovalev. As the replay makes clear, he didn’t. It of Wayne Gretzky, “a Mickey Mouse organization.” They’d made the was one of the worst phantom calls ever, and led to an almost unheard of playoffs for the first time in 1988 and made a surprise run to the reaction by the NHL: they admitted a mistake, publicly fining Van conference final, but that remained the only time they’d ever won a Hellemond and calling the play “a glaring error in judgement.” The series. Nordiques ended up losing the game in overtime, with the Rangers’ comeback getting a key goal from a miraculously recovered Kovalev. But the 1994 team was actually good. They’d had 106 points, by far the most in franchise history and good for second place overall. They had Quebec lost the series, then lost their team. Other than that, things , plus two kids named and Scott turned out great. Niedermayer, and they eliminated the Sabres and Bruins with relative 4. 1970-71 Boston Bruins ease. But then came a matchup with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers, led by two-time Hart winner . It was a hard-fought Who’s the best single-season team to not win the Cup? I think there’s a series, and the Devils led 3-2 heading into a Game 6 on home ice. That’s strong case for these Bruins. Forget about the 57 wins or 121 points (in a when Messier made his famous guarantee, then backed it up with a hat 78-game season). Forget that they were the defending champs. Forget trick. (If you haven’t heard that story, go flip on the NHL Network and wait that they very nearly scored twice as many goals (399) as they allowed five minutes, they’ll get to it.) Game 7 back at MSG was a classic, one the Devils trailed 1-0 in the final minute before scoring a dramatic game-tying goal with seconds left. But that just set the stage for an even more painful finale.

Is this the worst great goal of all-time? I think it might be. Does that make it more or less painful for Devils fans? I’m not sure, but I do know that when Matteau’s goal went in, lots of us were convinced that the Devils would crumble, sliding back to Mickey Mouse status and letting the real contenders have the spotlight. Three Cups in the next decade proved us wrong.

1: 2009-10 Boston Bruins

I’m not sure there was a ton of suspense over the top spot.

At least not among Bruins fans, who had to endure one of the worst collapses in NHL history. It’s not even like the 2009-10 Bruins were an especially great team; they had a pedestrian 91 points and were the East’s sixth seed. But nearing the end of a wild opening two rounds of upsets that included Montreal taking out the conference’s top two teams, the Bruins suddenly had a clear path to the final. Oh, and a 3-0 series lead against the overmatched Flyers.

The Bruins were one goal away from a sweep when Game 4 went to overtime, only for the Flyers to stay alive. From there, the Bruins failed to score for 119 straight minutes in a pair of sluggish losses, summoning a Game 7 and the possibility of becoming just the third team in history to blow a 3-0 lead.

So what’s worse than coughing up a 3-0 lead? How about coughing up two at the same time. The Bruins roared out to score the first three goals of Game 7, and it felt like a historical disaster had been averted. It had not.

The Bruins had blown the 3-0 series lead, the first time we’d seen it happen in 35 years. It was one of those losses, the kind that can leave a mark. A few years later, the Sharks would pull the same collapse, and still have the scars.

But the Bruins escaped the worst-case scenario. They’re not off the hook completely. This one still hurts. But winning a Cup cures just about all wounds, and the 2011 run turned 2010 into a shake-your-head kind of story, instead of the collapse-in-great-racking-sobs tale it should have been.

One of the Stars or Lightning might get the same relief this year. The other … well, let’s not think about it.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178829 Buffalo Sabres

Five things about new Sabres center Eric Staal

Staff

The Sabres acquired Eric Staal in a trade with the Minnesota Wild for Marcus Johansson on Wednesday.

1. The numbers: A 16-year veteran, Staal played the last four seasons in Minnesota and the Sabres will be his fourth NHL team. He spent 12 years with Carolina after being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 draft. He also spent a half-season with the Rangers. In more than 1,200 games, he has 436 goals and 585 assists for 1,021 career points. He is seventh among active players in games and sixth in points.

2. Contract status: Staal is entering the final season of a two-year, $6.5 million deal. Then, he will be an unrestricted free agent. He had a modified no-trade clause with 10 teams listed.

3. Winner: While Stahl spent a good portion of his career with a Carolina franchise that has struggled, he was a member of the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup championship team in 2006 that also included current Sabres General Manager . He also won gold for Canada at the 2007 World Championships and 2010 Olympics. He served as Canada’s captain in the 2013 Worlds.

4, Brother act: Eric is the oldest of the four . That group includes former teammates Marc, Jordan and Jared, who is out of the NHL. Eric, Jordan and Jared have played for the Hurricanes. The brothers grew up in , , and learned to play hockey at a young age on a rink on the family farm.

5. Skinner connection: While played more frequently with in Carolina, he does have some familiarity with Eric, too. The line of Staal, Skinner and Tuomo Ruutu played 16.6% of the Hurricanes’ even-strength ice time in 2011-12, and was the Hurricanes second most frequently used line.

Buffalo News LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178830 Buffalo Sabres process is different,” said Adams. “Dylan is someone that we look forward to coming in and challenging for a roster spot. But at the same point, we do not want to put Dylan Cozens in a position that he’s not Sabres acquire center Eric Staal from Minnesota for Marcus Johansson ready for. The underrated part of an Eric Staal in your dressing room, and if Dylan Cozens is on our roster, is the ability to be with him every day and learn from him, not just on the ice but off the ice as well.”

Lance Lysowski Sep 16, 2020 Mittelstadt will compete for a roster spot after splitting last season between Buffalo and Rochester. The former eighth overall draft pick has

17 goals with 22 assists in 114 career games since joining the Sabres Kevyn Adams did not wait until the start of free agency next month to from the University of Minnesota. make his first big splash as general manager of the Buffalo Sabres. Perhaps most important, this trade should provide a much-needed Adams potentially filled the void at center behind Jack Eichel on morale boost for an organization that fired 22 hockey operations Wednesday by trading forward Marcus Johansson to the Minnesota Wild employees in June, including former General Manager Jason Botterill. in exchange for Eric Staal, a former Stanley Cup champion in Carolina The bloodletting occurred three weeks after Eichel told reporters during a who has scored 436 regular-season goals in the National Hockey video conference call that he’s “fed up” with losing after five “tough” years League. in the NHL.

The Sabres were not on Staal’s 10-team no-trade list, which was Eichel added that he wanted the Sabres to add veterans to the roster this submitted to the Wild on Tuesday. He and Johansson are set to become offseason. Staal will bring leadership to a dressing room that lost unrestricted free agents following the 2020-21 season. Staal, 35, is owed valuable playoff experience with the departures of Johansson and Conor a $3 million salary and will count $3.25 million against the salary cap, a Sheary, who was traded to Pittsburgh at the February deadline. bargain price for a player who should immediately step in as the Sabres’ Staal has appeared in 62 playoff games, including a five-point second-line center. performance in four games during the Wild’s most recent run this Adams has a relationship with Staal dating back to their time as summer. teammates in Carolina, where they won the Stanley Cup in 2006. Adams He could also help the Sabres’ second power-play unit, which lacked an told reporters Wednesday that the two had a brief but "great" effective center last season. Staal ranked second among all Minnesota conversation following the trade. forwards in power-play ice time in 2019-20, totaling five goals and nine Though Staal is entering his 17th season in the NHL, he produced 19 assists for 14 points, which would have ranked fourth on the Sabres. goals and 28 assists for 47 points in 66 regular-season games in 2019- “Eric Staal has had a world-class career,” said Adams. “He’s won a 20. He’s a six-time all-star and has appeared in 1,260 regular-season Stanley Cup, he’s won an Olympic gold medal, he’s won a World games during his career. Championship gold medal. He’s been an all-star many times. He’s still a “Everybody knows the career that Eric’s had,” said Adams during a very productive player and what I’m telling you there is what he is on the conference call Wednesday night. “There are very few players in the ice. He’s a tremendous person, high character, a tremendous leader, a league that from what they’ve done on and off the ice command the former captain.” respect and have the presence that Eric Staal does. He fits in that small According to CapFriendly.com, the Sabres have the third most group of people. It’s a great thing for our locker room, it’s great for our unrestricted free agents in the NHL and are projected to have $34.5 organization and he’s a winner. He’s been there. He’s been in a Game 7 million in salary-cap space, though the figure does not account for the of the Stanley Cup final. He’s raised the trophy. These are really, really $1.25 million overage from last season. Free agency is scheduled to important experiences that he’s lived and he’s going to bring into our begin Oct. 9. Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson are among the team’s locker room that are very, very important to our team and the culture that pending restricted free agents. we have.” TSN reported last week that the Sabres are considering an “internal” Staal should give the Sabres a reliable presence on the second power- budget in the low $70 million range instead of spending to the $81.5 play unit and he may be reunited on a line with former teammate Jeff million ceiling. When asked whether ownership has given such a Skinner, who scored a career-low 14 goals last season while spending mandate, Adams gave a non-answer and said Terry and are most of his time at even-strength with Johansson. still dedicated to bringing a Stanley Cup to Buffalo. Though Johansson was a valuable mentor to the young Swedish players “I want to make sure we put this organization in a position that gives us on the Sabres’ roster, he totaled only nine goals while spending the bulk the ability to put a good team on the ice and also have flexibility,” said of his time at center, a position he had not played full-time for several Adams. “We’re going to work on that in the coming weeks.” seasons. He is owed $4.5 million in the final year of his contract. Buffalo News LOADED: 09.17.2020 Adding a center ahead of free agency was a priority for Adams. It’s unclear if the Sabres will be able to lure unrestricted free agents to Buffalo following a ninth consecutive non-playoff season and there are few centers available that are capable of filling such a prominent role. It’s also possible the Sabres could lose Johan Larsson, who is a pending unrestricted free agent.

“To me, looking around the league and to be able to target and identify a player was really important,” said Adams of the void at center. “It was definitely something we were working on doing.”

Staal is two seasons removed from scoring 42 goals for the Wild and has 24 or more goals nine times during his career. He’ll now serve as a mentor to former top draft choices Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt, both of whom can now develop without the responsibility of playing a top- six role.

Cozens, a 19-year-old whom the Sabres drafted seventh overall in June 2019, is expected to make the jump to the NHL after totaling 38 goals with 47 assists for 85 points in 51 games for the ’s this season. The Sabres will now have the option to start Cozens on the wing or shelter him in a third-line center role.

“I think we would all say we’re extremely excited about Dylan, but I probably mentioned this a few months ago: every player’s maturation 1178831 Buffalo Sabres year, we need to be better,’" said winger Kyle Okposo. "But it’s something that requires action and it requires a change.”

Ahead of his first training camp as the Sabres’ coach, Krueger Can Ralph Krueger's positive approach ignite change for the Sabres? collaborated with former GM Botterill to hire assistant coaches who would communicate the same positive messages during meetings, practices and games. Lance Lysowski Sep 16, 2020 Krueger prioritized building trust with his players, first by traveling to to meet with Eichel and Sam Reinhart at the IIHF World Championships in May 2019. The coach later dined with several veteran Following a series of appointments in the Buffalo Sabres’ hockey players to discuss the franchise’s recent past and to better understand operations department, General Manager Kevyn Adams’ first prominent some of the mental hurdles that were difficult for past Sabres teams to test will arrive next month when the NHL holds an unprecedented overcome. October draft and free agency. After observing how fans’ frustrations created a pressure-packed Adams, who replaced Jason Botterill in June, must fill holes on a roster environment in Hockey Heaven, Krueger crafted the phrase, “keeping the that has the third-most unrestricted free agents after finishing 25th in the picture small,” to remind his players to ignore external noise, and shifted league standings last season. There also is a flat $81.5 million salary-cap their focus to mastering what he called “Sabres hockey,” a style of play ceiling, continued economic uncertainty across the NHL stemming from that prioritized defense. the coronavirus pandemic and external pressure created by a nine-year playoff drought. There was no talk of the Stanley Cup or other lofty goals, and Krueger captivated his new team with an impassioned speech at the start of Yet no trade or free-agent acquisition will matter if coach Ralph Krueger training camp in September. Players quickly embraced Krueger’s can’t cast away the dark cloud that’s hovered over the franchise since the coaching philosophy. He rarely shows emotions during games and tank season in 2014-15. Across the past nine seasons, the Sabres have critical remarks are saved for the following morning because Krueger fired three general managers and five head coaches. There have been does not want his players thinking negatively while competing. Instead, public trade requests – most recently Evan Rodrigues and Zach he and his assistant coaches point out what players are doing well Bogosian – a passionate admission by Ryan O’Reilly that he became against an opponent. complacent and Jack Eichel told reporters in May that he’s “fed up” with losing. “I think there’s a time to teach and a time to coach and to get the most out of the next opportunity within a game,” explained Krueger. “I’m really Krueger, a 61-year-old motivational speaker who penned a best-selling able to separate those two and I’ve become extremely patient in German book on leadership, was hired in May 2019 to inject optimism in understanding sometimes you need to pause before you can actually the dressing room and create a winning culture. And while the former give the lesson or make the correction. Often within a game it does Switzerland National Team coach expressed confidence that progress nothing but distract the player from his next task, his next shift. I like to occurred last season, he noted that such a seismic change requires keep the confidence level high within a game and I believe to compete patience. right to the last minute no matter the score.” “I believe we’ve taken a huge step,” said Krueger during a conversation These are the same techniques he used during his 13 years as head with The Buffalo News in June. “I understand people who love the coach of the Switzerland National Team, which proceeded his seven Sabres want those results quickly. They want that change of position in seasons building VEU Feldkirch from one of Europe’s worst clubs into a the standings, but they need to know if you build sustainable success it is champion. The latter experience was the subject of Krueger’s book, also a grind to get it right. … If I would have come three years ago, the “Teamlife: Beyond Setbacks to Success.” players may not have been at the right place for my style of leadership. It’s exciting to see how one year in it evolved and it’s important that we Sabres players, including Eichel, spoke glowingly of Krueger’s ability to keep the pressure healthy and the growth needs to be our driver.” motivate. However, one expert said such an approach isn’t always effective when trying to inject belief into a group of players who have When the Sabres held their annual end-of-season media availability in never experienced success at a high level. May, players detailed how Krueger was a catalyst for positive change. There was notable progress on the ice with Eichel scoring 36 goals, role “Motivational speaking, coaching, teaching, actually backfires when the players such as Johan Larsson thrived, and Krueger’s strategic speaker is speaking to someone else who thinks that the messaging adjustments led to improved defensive play at 5 on 5. can’t possibly be directed toward me because I’m a loser or I haven’t been on a winning team or I really don’t know what success feels like or I There also were shortcomings, all of which led to players expressing don’t know what a winning team feels like,” said Dr. Carrie Wicks, a frustration in May: California-based sports psychologist who treats professional athletes. “If • The Sabres posted a combined 1-16-3 record across three stretches in you keep being told you can do this and you don’t know if you can or you the season, including a six-game losing streak following the February don’t believe it or there’s something that happens that’s a disassociated trade deadline. feeling while training or competing, then there’s a fracture within the individuals, not to mention the group.” • There were more disappointing losses to inferior opponents such as Ottawa. Wicks went on to explain that the most effective approach is having a coach address an athlete’s individual narrative, such as their strengths or • Buffalo struggled to win close games, none more troubling than a 6-4 weaknesses and how they fit within a team. Krueger did this by loss to Tampa Bay on New Year’s Eve in which the Lightning scored five establishing clear roles and responsibilities for each player on the roster. unanswered goals. Botterill was criticized by fans for bringing back Larsson and Zemgus • The Sabres earned only 24 of a possible 68 points on the road and their Girgensons, both of whom struggled in 2018-19 and had never won in penalty kill was the second worst in the NHL. Buffalo. Krueger, though, coaxed more out of both players, as well as Okposo, by empowering them to take on the role of a shutdown Rasmus Ristolainen, who has witnessed seven losing seasons in Buffalo, defensive line. This required sacrifice – Okposo needed to accept a acknowledged in May that he’s never experienced a winning culture and, checking-line role after spending most of his career as a scoring winger – while he forecasts a promising future for the Sabres’ young defense and players explained that Krueger’s promise to reward strong play corps, the 25-year-old noted that there has been talk of brighter days for created a healthy internal competition that wasn’t present in previous some time. seasons. “So, I mean, Buffalo has a bright future,” said Ristolainen. “But we've “The best approach for a coach is to be truthful and honest,” said Wicks. been saying the bright future for seven years now, when I've been here, “'We’re a team whose narrative has been X, Y and Z. We haven’t made and not sure when is it.” the playoffs in this many years.’ What is everybody’s internal narrative as "Obviously, it seems like Groundhog Day I’m sure for a lot of the guys an athlete? And maybe they work one-on-one with a sports psychologist who have been here and just saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to be better next or psychologist to get clear on what that means. … Becoming empowered about their truths and secrets. Not that they have to share them publicly but doing that personal work and knowing and being able to say to themselves, ‘I have fear and this is what my fear is about; I have self-doubt and here’s what my self-doubt is about.’ You feel much more empowered stepping onto the ice when you’re walking in your truth. If you’re not walking in your truth, there’s a lot of pain.”

Krueger had little patience for anyone who didn’t embrace a specific role or what was required of them to help the Sabres succeed. He was quick to bench Bogosian and Rodrigues when the frustrated ex-Sabres requested trades during the season. The culture of accountability resonated with Eichel, Reinhart and others.

“There’s no room for egos in hockey,” Krueger said. “The individual in hockey can only flourish if he finds acceptance in his role, his responsibilities and the coach also explaining those and communicates that with him.”

Perhaps no player benefited more from Krueger’s approach than Eichel, who explained that he was able to focus more on his on-ice play because Krueger was a vocal presence in the dressing room, and the former second overall draft pick told The News at NHL All-Star weekend in January that he has worked with a sports psychologist to learn how to better handle the pressure that comes with being the face of the franchise.

Flourishing in the face of so much internal and external pressure will require more than an injection of talent or an adjustment to the special- teams units. Krueger will need to exorcise the inevitable here-we-go again mentality that players admit creeps in following a string of losses. But Mike Rupp, a retired NHLer who won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils, said that the onus is on the players to no longer settle for moral victories and laid out one not-so-simple solution.

“The biggest thing is not tolerating it,” said Rupp. “That’s what you’re seeing from Jack and some of his comments. Those things may sting. It may sting certain players on the team. It may sting the organization. But the only way you can establish a winning tradition is to win. The only way to do that is to taste the playoffs. It’s a process to win the Stanley Cup. That’s what’s everybody’s goal. You have to start experiencing some of it in the playoffs. It’s a big thing.”

Buffalo News LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178832 BuffaloSabres “Dylan is someone that we look forward to coming in and challenging for a roster spot,” Adams said. “But at the same point, we do not want to put Dylan Cozens in a position that he’s not ready for. The underrated part of What the acquisition of Eric Staal means for the Sabres an Eric Staal in your dressing room, if Dylan Cozens is on our roster, is just the ability to be with him every day, to learn from him – not just on the ice but off the ice, as well.”

By John Vogl Sep 16, 2020 * Low risk: If age finally catches up to Staal, the Sabres are only on the hook for one season. No matter what, it’s unlikely Staal will be a

downgrade from Johansson. Eric Staal helped break the Sabres’ hearts. Now he gives them peace of The Sabres forced Johansson into an unsuitable role, transferring him mind. from a successful third-line left winger into an overmatched No. 2 center. The veteran center, acquired from Minnesota on Wednesday for Marcus Johansson’s numbers plummeted to stats that Staal has blown out of the Johansson, should be the long-sought key to the second line. Buffalo water in 16 of his 18 seasons. needed a center who could back up Jack Eichel while grooming Dylan A *VERY* STRONG MOVE FOR BUFFALO. Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt, and Staal checks every box. ERIC STAAL IS OLDER, YES, BUT HE IS ALSO $1.25M CHEAPER “The fact that I was fortunate enough to sit next to Eric in the locker room AND WELL, A LOT BETTER THAN MARCUS JOHANSSON. HE'S and we won a Stanley Cup together, I know what he’s all about,” said STILL A TOP SIX CALIBRE PLAYER THAT CAN DRIVE PLAY WELL, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams, who celebrated a title with Staal WHILE JOHANSSON HAS DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE in Carolina in 2006. “Eric Staal has had a world-class career. He’s won a PAST FEW SEASONS. PIC.TWITTER.COM/OJAIQDFRJQ Stanley Cup. He’s won an Olympic gold medal. He’s won a World Championship gold medal. He’s been an All-Star (six) times. He’s still a — DOM LUSZCZYSZYN (@DOMLUSZCZYSZYN) SEPTEMBER 16, very productive player. 2020

“What I’m telling you there is just what he is on the ice. He’s a “Identifying the center-ice position and trying to strengthen ourselves up tremendous person, high character, tremendous leader, former captain. the middle was important,” Adams said. “To be able to look around the Obviously, because of the past and my experience of being a former league and be able to target and identify a player like Eric was really teammate with him, I’ve seen that up close and personal. important.”

“We added a phenomenal player and person. I’m very excited about it.” Staal also has familiarity with the Sabres’ Jeff Skinner, sharing a dressing room in Carolina for six seasons. The left winger saw his stock drop with He should be. In his first trade since becoming GM in June, Adams just 14 goals and nine assists, numbers that can be partially attributed to added plenty while subtracting little: inferior linemates such as Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues. It’s * Production: Staal had 19 goals and 47 points in 66 games last season. possible Skinner moves to the second line to skate with Staal. He would have ranked third in points and fourth in goals with Buffalo. They were on the ice together in Carolina for 957 even-strength minutes, Johansson had just nine goals and 30 points. according to Natural Stat Trick, outshooting opponents 1,056-951, Though Staal will be 36 when next season starts, he is only two years though they were outscored 52-40. removed from a 42-goal, 76-point season. Regardless, Staal’s arrival gives the Sabres options. They can use four “He’s still a very productive player,” Adams said. “He’s played a lot of skilled centers down the middle by rolling out Eichel, Staal, Mittelstadt hockey in his career in top, top matchups.” and Cozens. They can move Cozens or Mittelstadt to the wing, easing their transition into the NHL, while using Curtis Lazar as a fourth-liner. * Experience: Staal, as Buffalo fans no doubt recall, helped eliminate the Sabres in the Eastern Conference Final in 2006. The 16-year veteran It made sense for Buffalo to put Johansson back at left wing, so there’s a has 426 goals and 1,021 points in 1,240 games. small hole there. Skinner and Victor Olofsson top the depth chart. Cozens, Mittelstadt, Tage Thompson and C.J. Smith can compete for the “There’s very few players in the league, just from what they’ve done on other spots. and off the ice, that command the respect and have the presence that an Eric Staal does,” Adams said. “It’s a great thing for our locker room. It’s Then again, Adams may not be done. Even though the 2019-20 playoffs great for our organization. are still going on, he said GMs have begun to ramp up talks about revamping next season’s rosters. He’ll be looking to make more moves. “He’s a winner. He’s been there. He’s been in a of a Stanley Cup Final. He’s raised the trophy. These are really, really Adams’ first one looks good. important experiences that he’s lived that he’s going to bring into our “There’s a lot of thought and work that goes in before doing something locker room.” like this,” said Adams, who had a brief talk with Staal and will join coach * Cost efficiency: Not only did the Sabres get an increase in production, Ralph Krueger in having a deeper one soon. “It definitely gives me they shed salary. Johansson will carry a $4.5 million cap hit into the final comfort knowing the person he is, the family man he is. I know his wife season of his contract. Staal is at just $3.25 million entering the last year very well. Certainly, having that knowledge and background is helpful of his deal. when you make a big decision like this.

While that’s not the main reason Buffalo made the deal, it helps for a “It’s special.” team dancing with an “internal salary cap.” Adams didn’t say that owners For more offseason news, check out The Athletic‘s NHL trade and free Terry and Kim Pegula have limited his budget, but he didn’t deny it, agency tracker. either. The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 “The discussions that I’ve had with Terry and Kim over these past few months have been, ‘OK, we want to do everything we can to win a Stanley Cup here in Buffalo,’” the GM said. “I don’t look at the cap as what I’m focused on. I’m looking at the team that we’re trying to build, and then making sure that we’re putting ourselves in a position to also adjust and be flexible.”

* Flexibility: The Sabres hope Cozens and/or Mittelstadt will grow into a second-line role during the next season or two. If they do, Staal won’t be standing in their way. His contract makes him a one-year option. Other veteran centers on the market had several years left on their deals, which might have created an unneeded excess in salary or roster space when Cozens and/or Mittelstadt make the jump. 1178833 Calgary Flames “I think it hurt us in the long run.”

How exactly did the momentum swing so dramatically that night? It was 4-1 after two periods and the Flames had the game well in hand. Duhatschek: What it’s like being on the losing end of a ‘miracle’ Wickenheiser and Mullen traded goals about a minute apart. The Blues comeback got a goal from Brian Sutter at 8:08 and the building suddenly came alive.

By Eric Duhatschek Sep 16, 2020 Greg Paslawski made it closer still at 15:49 and then with 1:08 to go, Paslawski pickpocketed a Flames defenceman in tight, and swung the puck into the net, past , from a bad angle. Reeling, the Flames had the overtime to regroup and had their share of chances but Al MacInnis is one of the central figures in St. Louis Blues history. There ultimately Wickenheiser scored the winner, on the rebound off a shot by is a bronze statue of him outside the arena, poised to take his trademark Hunter. Even now, MacInnis can remember how the momentum just , a nod to the 613 games he played as a defensive mainstay for slipped away. the team, which also included a Norris Trophy in 1999. “It’s hard to put it into words, but you feel it happening,” MacInnis said. Soon after his 23-year NHL career ended, MacInnis was elected to the “You feel the ice tilting against you. You feel like you’re skating uphill. . His life after hockey involved joining the Blues’ You’re tentative. You know the other team has the energy and the crowd front-office, where he is the senior advisor to the general manager and behind them. It’s hard to explain, but it’s real. You feel it. The fans feel it. where he had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup last summer, after the Blues’ victory over the Boston Bruins. “A team gets life and all of a sudden, they take control of the pace of the game. You hear it all the time from coaches: ‘We don’t want to sit back.’ Until the Blues actually won the Cup, however, the most memorable Well, nobody wants to sit back and try and protect a one-goal lead. But it moment in franchise history occurred on May 12, 1986, in what is known just happens. It gets in your brain and it just takes over. You try to fight it locally as the Monday Night Miracle. It occurred in Game 6 of the 1986 – but sometimes you just can’t. Stanley Cup semifinals, a night when the Blues were down 3-2 in the series and 5-2 in the potentially deciding game, with 12 minutes to go in Life on the losing side of a miracle isn’t much fun, MacInnis ruefully regulation. conceded.

But that night, the Blues completed the greatest comeback in team “But that’s what makes sports so entertaining, right? It’s why we watch.” history, scoring three third-period goals to force overtime, before Doug Wickenheiser scored the game-winner at 7:30 of the extra period, a win The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 that sent the capacity crowd of 17,801 into an absolute frenzy.

In author Bob Broeg’s book on the 100 greatest moments in St. Louis sports history, the Monday Night Miracle made the grade. But here’s the thing. For as much as MacInnis is now known for his connection to the Blues, that night, he was playing for the opposition Flames, who were playing for a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, after having upset the defending champion Edmonton Oilers in the previous round.

In professional sports, one man’s miracle can be another man’s nightmare.

And because MacInnis’s career was divided almost equally between the Flames and the Blues, it took him a while to reconcile the two completely separate narratives of the same essential event.

“When I first came to St. Louis, probably the first couple of years I played there, people kept talking about this Monday Night Miracle, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’ I didn’t even know what they were talking about,” MacInnis said. “Finally, one time, I had to ask: ‘What the heck is this Monday Night Miracle?’ And they said, ‘That’s when we beat the Calgary Flames, with a big comeback in the third.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Really? That’s your miracle?’

“The second part of that is, when I first started to come to practice … sometimes you’d come in through the main entrance of the building, where they had a huge picture of the winning goal – and the celebration – right on the wall there. I’d have to walk by, with my eyes down, so I didn’t have to look at it.”

That year, Calgary and St. Louis were tied together by a major trade. The Flames had acquired , Rik Wilson and Terry Johnson from St. Louis for Eddy Beers, and Charlie Bourgeois. For the next half-dozen years, the two teams kept making massive trades with each other. Doug Gilmour, Mark Hunter, Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley – all of whom were with St. Louis for the Monday Night Miracle – later joined MacInnis on Calgary’s 1989 Stanley Cup championship team. But the Blues did OK in the deals that went the other way, landing future Hall of Famer Brett Hull, and 50-goal scorer Mike Bullard in separate trades with the Flames. So, there were a lot of friends who eventually became opponents and opponents who eventually became friends.

But that night…

“It was devastating obviously,” said MacInnis. “We ended up winning Game 7, but who knows, if we’d won in Game 6, if we might have done better against Montreal in the final because we would have had extra time to prepare and rest. Instead, you’re going back to Calgary and you win, but you go right into Game 1 of the final with no rest or recovery. 1178834 Calgary Flames For a while now, all indications were that Bob Boughner would have his interim tag removed in San Jose and I’m told that’s finally going to happen over the next week or two.

LeBrun: Head coaching tidbits from Capitals, Flames, Sharks, Stars and With the Stars, meanwhile, the original plan was for Rick Bowness and Kraken Jim Nill to reconvene after the season to discuss his future. Bowness has one more year left on his assistant coach’s contract, which he continued to work on. By Pierre LeBrun Sep 16, 2020 It wasn’t just about whether Nill thought Bowness was a good fit after replacing Jim Montgomery in December, but also whether the 65-year- old Bowness himself wanted the gig past this season. The rigours of Brian MacLellan was on a mission and he didn’t deviate from his plan. being a head coach in the NHL have never been more demanding. But I On the day in late August when he fired head coach Todd Reirden, the would have to imagine the fun he’s had in return to play with a surprise Washington Capitals GM hinted strongly at wanting to bring in an run to the Cup Final will galvanize his desire to stay on. experienced replacement to hold his players accountable. Nill reiterated in a media call Tuesday that he would talk to Bowness after Which is why I speculated in a column on Aug. 24 that he would no doubt the season but that the coach had earned the right to stay on. So that’s interview Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette and Mike Babcock. good to hear.

Which is exactly what he did. And not only that, they’re the only three And Seattle? guys he interviewed. There’s also the NHL’s 32nd team, which still hasn’t hired a head coach. He took a chance on Reirden last time around, a longtime NHL assistant We reported a number of months ago (pre-COVID-19) that Seattle GM getting a chance to be a head coach for the first time, letting Barry Trotz Ron Francis had the green light from ownership to hire a coach as early walk in the process. as this summer if he saw fit. You may remember that Gallant was hired by Vegas in April 2017 before the team’s first game six months later. Trotz had to decide between accepting an extension paying $1.8 million a year with Washington, which was triggered in his deal when the team So hiring this summer in Seattle would have been a departure from what won the Cup, or head to free agency where he landed a deal worth $4 Vegas did. million a season from the New York Islanders. It created a bit of a PR But what I was told this week is that the new reality in the COVID-19 nightmare for the Caps, part of which was the notion that they don’t pay world and the uncertainty about what’s going on with the next NHL for coaches. season has given Francis enough reason to wait on the hire. Well, you can’t make that argument now, as MacLellan knew he needed First of all, who knows exactly when Seattle’s first game will be now. a more experienced hand to keep his competitive window open with an Which is to say the start of the 2021-22 season might be delayed aging core. Laviolette’s deal according to sources is worth just under $15 depending on how late next season goes. So the Kraken have lots of million in total over three years, so a salary in the high 4s (Laviolette was time to figure out who their first coach will be. owed $2.5 million on his Nashville deal but the Caps picked up the entirety of it so the Predators are now off the hook). I still think Gallant, for rather obvious reasons, would be the perfect fit for Seattle. I mean, he just lived the expansion experience and knocked it Laviolette is now the fifth-highest paid coach in the NHL behind Joel out of the park. And while nobody will confirm this, I believe Francis and Quenneville ($6 million), Claude Julien ($5 million), ($5 Gallant had a conversation at some point over the past few months, but million) and Todd McLellan ($5 million) and just ahead of Trotz. at this point it doesn’t appear like anything is on the front-burner with a By all accounts, MacLellan was impressed by his interviews with Gallant, coaching hire in Seattle. Laviolette and Babcock. Not easy picking between the three. Players go Gallant still has another year on his deal with Vegas so his impending through a wall for Gallant everywhere he goes. And Babcock really free agency in June 2021 might be the right timing for Seattle. Or maybe intrigued MacLellan, according to a source. But the Caps went with Seattle thinks outside the box and hires against the grain. That wouldn’t Laviolette, who has made three trips to the Stanley Cup Final with three surprise me, either. different teams and won it all with Carolina in 2006. For more news and rumblings about hirings and openings around the This is about squeezing out 2-3 more years out of this veteran core and NHL, check out The Athletic’s coaches and executives tracker. having a coach who will ensure it’s all business in that dressing room. The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 Flames and Ward

The Calgary Flames also confirmed their head coaching plans this week when GM announced he was retaining Geoff Ward and removing the interim tag.

Colleague Eric Duhatschek did a thorough job of walking us through Treliving’s decision here.

What wasn’t made official but confirmed to me by sources was that Ward’s new contract is for two years. Which suggests that while Treliving has seen enough from Ward since taking over from Bill Peters in November to keep him as head coach, this is still a show-me period.

You have to hand it to Treliving, I remember he once also signed Bob Hartley to a two-year extension. You just don’t see it very often. Coaches normally get 3-5 year deals.

But I mean, what else is Ward going to do? Reject the offer? Where else is he going to be a head coach at this time? He had zero leverage. Ward made the right choice. He’s got a shot to run his own bench. And hey, if Ward helps the Flames get over the hump with a deep playoff run next year, his next extension will look different perhaps as soon as next summer, a year before his deal expires.

Which leaves San Jose and Dallas …

The Washington and Calgary coaching announcements leaves the interim situations with the Sharks and Stars as the only ones left to officially iron out. 1178835 Colorado Avalanche 10 playoff games to reinforce that their supporting cast can take over when needed.

It’s now just a matter of getting a deal done. At first, it was understood he Where do things stand with the Avalanche’s RFAs this offseason? could command somewhere between $4-$5 million annually over a four- year period in his next deal. But that was before a flat cap was instituted. The Avalanche and Burakovsky’s team still have time to get a future deal By Ryan S. Clark Sep 16, 2020 done if they agree to a one-year pact while managing how the next 12 months will impact all sides.

Ryan Graves The point was raised last week to Joe Sakic during his charity golf tournament that he doesn’t have to worry about trying to sign any What he provides: Examining what Graves has done for the Avalanche restricted free agents to a massive, long-term contract before training can be viewed through numerous prisms. Sakic traded for Graves in February 2018 in what initially looked like a straight defenseman for camp like he did last summer with Mikko Rantanen. defenseman trade with Chris Bigras going to the New York Rangers. Don’t worry. That will come next offseason, if not a bit sooner, when Cale Graves spent the rest of the regular season in the AHL but the following Makar’s entry-level contract expires. year he developed under then-first-year Colorado Eagles coach Greg Cronin. How Graves progressed under Cronin and his staff resulted in For now, the landscape appears to be a bit more straightforward for the him receiving more interest from the front office throughout the 2018-19 Colorado Avalanche general manager and his front office staff. They season. Furthermore, his performances are in part why they were able to have a seven-player RFA class who was part of the club’s playoff roster. move on from Patrik Nemeth. But each situation is different. All Graves has done since is become the partner for Makar that Bednar Sakic said knowing several members of his RFA class have arbitration was seeking. Bednar is a coach who seeks symmetry with his defensive rights meant he was not overly concerned when it came to discussing pairings. Placing Graves with Makar gave him a combination featuring a new deals for those players. But it’s not to say that he and other club left-handed shooter with a right-handed one while also placing a puck- executives don’t face a number of challenges. The most notable being mover with someone in a two-way role. Having them work in tandem they must find a way to manage their RFA class, make decisions on their meant they were a pairing that could offer a few ways to be effective. It unrestricted free agents and determine how to approach free agency with also became one of the primary examples of how Bednar will trust youth a projected $22.364 million in salary cap space in the first offseason considering both Graves and Makar were in their first full NHL seasons. under a flat cap. Graves blocked shots. He occupied passing lanes. He was constantly One player who will not factor into those decisions is forward Vladislav skating to check while also using his 6-foot-4 frame to be physical in the Kamenev. Kamenev, who was one of several players acquired in the attempt to make his actions a non-liability. Above all, Graves added three-team Matt Duchene trade, signed a contract with SKA St. another dimension to a defensive unit that finished the regular season as Petersburg in the KHL. Here is a look at what Sakic and his front office one of the league’s strongest. Piecing together all those items is what staff will examine when it comes to the club’s RFAs. made Graves one of the team’s bigger surprises during his first season.

Andre Burakovsky Where he fits within the big picture: Yes. Graves offers quite a bit. Perhaps what makes Graves’ progress more enticing is what it could What he provides: The last time the Avalanche featured a 20-goal mean going forward. Sakic and the front office entered the 2019-20 scoring winger not named Gabriel Landeskog or Mikko Rantanen was season with a blueprint for how their defense of the future would look. during the 2015-16 season when Hall of Fame member They drafted Bowen Byram with the fourth pick in the summer while scored 22 times. So, yeah. It’s been a while. Landeskog, Rantanen and Conor Timmins was ready to start playing after using the last 18 months Nathan MacKinnon have consistently shown they can produce at that recovering from a concussion. Samuel Girard just signed a seven-year level, but it has come with the caveat of requiring help. Everything Sakic extension going into his third year while Makar proved he could be the and his staff did last offseason establishes what they did with Burakovsky top-pairing defenseman of the future. and led to him playing in a significant role throughout the season. Then Graves enters the group chat. Suddenly? It is now being Burakovsky, among others, reinforced the evolution of a roster that was hypothesized that the Avalanche might have five defensemen younger often dictated by its top line. used Burakovsky in tandem than 25 who could become the cornerstone pieces for their defense over with Nazem Kadri to create a second line that could score goals. Pairing the next several years. Furthermore, the proposed fifth member has now him with Kadri also saw Burakovsky receive more tutelage on learning become an example the organization can use with its AHL prospects in more about becoming a stronger two-way player. There were moments regards to why they must believe in the approach employed by Cronin when Burakovsky could be used alongside MacKinnon and Rantanen. and his staff. Cronin already had that credibility during his time with the Yet, in the event Burakovsky was inconsistent, he could be moved onto New York Islanders but using Graves, among others, reinforces that the third line since Bednar still had the additional personnel to score those methods can gain results here, too. goals. But that’s just it. Graves only had one season, and it was an unplanned Having that interchangeability also worked on the power play. The one at that. The item that perhaps makes Graves one of the more Avalanche’s preferred top unit featured Kadri, Landeskog, MacKinnon, challenging RFA cases facing Sakic and the front office is that there are Rantanen and Makar in most situations. Adding Burakovsky to that still some unknown long-term variables compared to others. It leads to an dynamic provided a different look. He could be used on the perimeter or exercise. Those who argue whether or not the club can trust someone in the middle of the 1-3-1 scheme in the event of an injury or if the unit who has done it for one season versus those who believe these are the was struggling. conversations every front office has after a first-year player succeeds Where he fits within the big picture: A discussion could be had about how while occupying a number of critical roles. Burakovsky essentially checks every box of the Avalanche’s long-term Tyson Jost vision. Sakic and his staff want young players who have intelligence plus speed. The belief was that Burakovsky had those items but needed more What he provides: It all depends upon the source. Some will argue that playing time away from the forward-heavy Washington Capitals to prove the 22-year-old is still something of an enigma. That he can generate it. scoring chances for himself and those around him, but not at a consistent enough rate. Others raise the point of how there should be an Coming to Denver allowed him to do that. Burakovsky is still only 25 and understanding how some top 10 draft picks are not the finished product has the required youth needed for an organization that appears set on after three NHL campaigns. Yet in Jost’s case, the commitment he is becoming the league’s next long-term Stanley Cup contender. The making toward becoming an emerging two-way forward further reinforces flexibility he offers Bednar means there is another top-six forward who why it might be too early to deliver a verdict. can be used to create another combination on either the first or second line. Watching Burakovsky net his first 20-goal season was only one Acquiring Kadri secured the second-line center role. Trading Carl piece of the return Sakic received when he executed that trade. Both he Soderberg cleared up cap space while also paving the way for J.T. and Bednar watched Burakovsky score seven goals and 17 points over Compher to become the team’s long-term third-line center. Signing Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to a two-year deal meant there was an understudy before the club acquired Hutchinson at the trade deadline. experienced option anchoring the fourth line. Such moves have led to Getting Miska to sign for a similar or even slightly higher price would questions about Jost’s future with the franchise. Those concerns were provide depth at a low cost. even more amplified when he was battling with Matt Nieto to become the team’s 12th forward heading into the round robin. Then it comes something of a hypothetical exercise in a cost-benefit analysis. Re-signing both Hutchinson and Miska in addition to having Nieto is a UFA. As is Vladislav Namestnikov. The flat cap, among other Werner provides the Avalanche with three depth . It is likely reasons, might make it difficult for one, if not both, to remain in Denver. It Hutchinson would serve as the team’s third goalie with Miska and Werner would then force the coaching staff and front office to seek internal jockeying for fourth. A healthy Grubauer and Francouz dynamic means replacements. Maybe Jost is one of those players? He could be used as Cronin has his choice of three goaltenders. Plus, it allows the a third-line left winger as was the case during the playoffs. There is also organization to have reinforcements given all three players would be on the possibility he could be deployed on the fourth line, too. But the initial team-friendly deals. thought behind those specific roles is that he stands to face competition for both of those openings. Deciding to have three goaltenders spend a majority of their seasons in the AHL might appear excessive. Until one reviews what happened to the Where he fits within the big picture: Potentially losing Namestnikov Avalanche in net over the last five seasons. Recent history shows having suggests Jost could be used alongside Compher and goalie depth could prove beneficial. Injuries witnessed five goalies — on the third line. One of the reasons why the Avalanche traded for Bibeau, Francouz, Grubauer, Hutchinson and Werner — all getting Namestnikov was that he was a two-way player who consistently victories for the Avalanche during the 2019-20 season. Miska being produced in the low slot and net front. Jost is still developing the Francouz’s backup for a time during the regular season meant there defensive side of his game but his metrics during the regular season and were six goaltenders in total who were trusted by Bednar in some playoffs revealed as much. The former University of North Dakota star fashion. A year earlier, they only needed three and that was the same was present for 17 goals against in 5-on-5 sequences and that is one number they used during the 2017-18 season. But the 2016-17 campaign fewer than Nichushkin during the 70-game campaign, according to led to them using four goalies. The 2015-16 season was also one that led Natural Stat Trick. In the playoffs, Jost was on the ice for two goals to them using a quartet of netminders. against in 5-on-5 play and it was the lowest number surrendered of any Avs player with more than 12 postseason appearances. Valeri Nichushkin

Carrying over that defensive consistency could aid Jost’s bid for a top- What he provides: Layers. That’s the short answer. It starts with nine role. Being a reliable offensive presence should plausibly strengthen Nichushkin’s two-way ability. He became the type of forward who that case. IcyData shows that all of Jost’s goals came from the middle of personified what Bednar sought when it came to defensive prowess. the ice. It’s just that 56 percent came from the slot while only 11 percent Nichushkin possessed the speed that allowed him to stay with quick originated from the net front. Namestnikov, by comparison, scored 68 forwards. It was also the type of acceleration he could use to find the percent of his goals in 2019-20 from the slot while 21 percent were moments to be aggressive and turn a penalty kill into a scoring converted from the net front. Meanwhile, Namestnikov was a proven 20- opportunity on the other end. And throw in that Nichushkin is also 6-foot- goal scorer who had 17 goals this season while Jost’s personal best was 4? All of those details are what allowed the Avalanche to have someone 12 during the 2017-18 campaign. Also, Namestnikov is averaging 0.44 who could be trusted in numerous situations. points per game for his career while Jost’s average is 0.35 points. His overall reliability was also a feature that allowed him to gain a Having Jost serve as a replacement for Namestnikov does more than fill stronger role within the team. Injuries and working around those a multi-faceted third-line role, though. It allows the Avalanche to have absences were a constant theme for the Avalanche. That is what made some financial breathing room with their cap situation. Evolving Hockey Nichushkin more valuable. He missed only five games during the regular projects Jost to sign a three-year contract with a $2.139 million cap hit. season. Knowing he would be available gave Bednar a middle-six winger Attempting to retain Namestnikov is expected to cost more now that his who offered options. Does he play him with Burakovsky and Kadri to add two-year deal with a $4 million cap hit has concluded. Maybe this is the a defensive-minded player with goal scoring capabilities on the second next avenue for Jost. Maybe it could be something else entirely different line? Is he a better fit on the third line where he can use those qualities altogether. with more like-minded players?

Hunter Miska And then there are the goals. He failed to score in 57 games with the Stars in 2018-19 but had scored 13 goals for a new team that was What he provides: Goaltending has taken center stage of the referendum working toward establishing it had accountable secondary scoring. The surrounding the Avalanche’s postseason exit. The bulk of those 13 goals were one shy of tying his career high while his 27 points were discussions have concentrated upon Pavel Francouz and Philipp eight away from setting a new personal best. Players like Burakovsky, Grubauer. It has also generated questions regarding the organization’s Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen are often charged with scoring depth considering the man initially slated to be the team’s third game-winning goals. Nichushkin was also a presence as well. He goaltender – Antoine Bibeau – sustained a long-term injury only to give entered this season with three game-winning goals in 223 games with way to the man, Michael Hutchinson, who became the new third the Stars. Yet Nichushkin had three in his first season with the goaltender after a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Avalanche.

Both Bibeau and Hutchinson are UFAs. It leaves prospects Justus Where he fits within the big picture: Finding ways to supplement the top Annunen and Adam Werner as the only goaltenders under contract for line was the priority facing Sakic and the front office last offseason. Now 2020-21 when it comes to having organizational depth. Annunen is the objective turns toward keeping those players under contracts that expected to spend the season in before coming to North America allow the club to still have some financial freedom in the coming years later in the campaign. Meanwhile, Werner will return for the last year of when certain players like Makar will no longer be on their ELCs and his two-year pact and will play with the Eagles. This leaves Sakic and the make higher salaries. It is plausible that Nichushkin could be the type of front office needing to sign depth with the idea Miska could come back forward who allows them to fill a few needs but at a manageable price for a second season with the organization. within the flat cap structure.

Miska spent all of this season with the Eagles. He and Werner were the Colorado signed Nichushkin to a one-year deal worth $850,000 last tandem Cronin used to get the team to what would have been a playoff offseason. Evolving Hockey projects Nichushkin could return on a two- appearance in the AHL until the league eventually canceled its season. year contract carrying a $2.515 million cap hit. The Avalanche added Miska to their postseason manifest once Grubauer’s injury meant they were in need of another goaltender behind For years, the issue with the Avalanche was not having the depth beyond Francouz and Hutchinson. Of course, Francouz sustaining an injury led their top line. But now? They have someone who can move throughout to Miska backing up Hutchinson in Games 6 and 7. the lineup while also being another forward who can be used in penalty- killing situations when needed. Having that kind of presence in a 25-year- Where he fits within the big picture: Keeping Miska for another year could old veteran are qualities another organization could covet if an event like allow the Avalanche to have more goaltending depth at a low price point. an expansion draft was on the horizon. Miska agreed to a one-year deal worth $700,000 in February so he could be eligible to play in the NHL after he was initially signed to an AHL Searching to find depth. Only to then risk losing one of those players. contract by the Eagles. The reason for that move was also due to injuries That is the reality of the Seattle Kraken expansion draft when it comes to at a time when Grubauer was shelved, which left Miska as Francouz’s the Avalanche. Someone is going to leave. But who will it be? The belief is there are certain members of this year’s RFA class like Burakovsky Those moments allowed Zadorov to showcase how he can use his 6- who are hypothetically going to be protected regardless of the format the foot-5 frame to provide a physical counter in addition to having the ability Avalanche determine to be the most responsible. Where does that leave to skate alongside some of the game’s most dangerous players in the Graves, Jost or Nichushkin if they are left unprotected? Protecting process. Having a player like this who fit within this framework played a Nichushkin means they will keep him for one more year before he enters part in why the Avalanche finished the regular season as one of the best free agency. But it will come at someone else’s expense. Yet leaving him defensive units in the league. unprotected creates the possibility he could be elsewhere. Injuries altered the Avalanche’s plans during the regular season and in Logan O’Connor the postseason. But those moments when they were healthy offered a glimpse into what they could be when at their full potential. Graves’ What he provides: Stanley Cup contending teams are that way for a emergence led to him being paired with Makar as Bednar’s top duo. That reason. Much of it goes back to how their rosters are constructed. There sends the long-standing partnership between Girard and Erik Johnson to are players who are going to be the highest earners and whatever they the second pairing. Bednar then created a shutdown partnership sign for will impact the salary cap. It is why front offices pour over hours featuring Ian Cole and Zadorov designed to limit offensive opportunities of footage from every developmental league imaginable in the hopes of with the idea forwards would have to employ a more physical approach in finding talent who could conceivably assist their team on an affordable order to get those scoring chances. contract regardless of the role. Such as when the Avalanche liked what they saw from a certain two-way forward at the University of Denver. It’s Where he fits within the big picture: Sakic and the front office appear to why they invited him to their camp and offered him a two-year contract to have several items to consider when evaluating Zadorov’s future. The forgo his senior season. 25-year-old was present for 31 high-danger goals against in 5-on-5 situations in 2019-20 over 64 games, according to Natural Stat Trick. A O’Connor has used the last two seasons to go from a relative unknown in year earlier, opponents scored 28 high-danger goals against in those some circles into a prospect The Athletic’s Corey Pronman states has a sequences in 70 games. Of the four returning Avalanche defensemen chance at a legitimate NHL future in the coming years. The belief is who played in more than 70 games in 2018-19, Zadorov was the only O’Connor has provided enough evidence to show he could be used in one who saw an increase in high-danger goals against in 5-on-5 play several ways. His defense and skating is what made the Avalanche’s compared to the year before. Cole went from allowing 33 goals to giving front office take notice. Yet what has them believing they might have up just 17. Girard reduced his figure from 31 to 25 while Johnson cut his found a trusted contributor is how O’Connor has parlayed his time with from 36 to 16, but played in 21 fewer games primarily due to injuries. Cronin into being a consistent scorer at the AHL level. Cole is under contract for one more season. Girard enters the first He has recorded 67 points in 104 AHL games with the Eagles after season of a seven-year extension. Graves could sign at least a two-year finishing with 43 points in 108 collegiate contests over three seasons at deal. Johnson has three more years remaining on his deal. Makar enters Denver. The gradual development is O’Connor is among the first names the last season of his ELC with the premise his next contract will up the recalled in the event of injuries and the Avalanche are in need of a club’s wage bill. Prospects like Byram and Timmins will use the forward. It is why he was invited to attend training camp and made the preseason to challenge for a roster spot. Even though the organization postseason roster. This is why Bednar selected him to fill in for Matt appears to be in position to let Byram and Timmins develop for an Calvert at a time when injuries decimated the roster all while the Avs additional year. That is not taking into account other defensemen who were fighting to force their way into the Western Conference final. could interest the Avalanche in free agency.

Where he fits within the big picture: Going into an offseason means Graves and Zadorov are both RFAs. But what makes their situations certain financial choices must be made to keep balance. Parting ways different is team control. The Avalanche have it with Graves whereas the with Nieto could be one of them. But there has to be an alternative. The 2020-21 season will be their final year with Zadorov before he becomes a Avalanche, or any team in their situation, must need a plan to replace a UFA. It just so happens Zadorov will hit the open market in the same two-way forward with quickness capable of serving in a number of roles offseason as the Kraken expansion draft. As it relates to the salary cap, in even strength and shorthanded situations. Now you are starting to see the front office could employ methods to keep Zadorov for one more why O’Connor’s development and his gradual rise became a matter of year. Doing so, however, comes with caveats such as having limited significance over the last two years. salary cap flexibility in free agency or at the trade deadline.

The 24-year-old signed a two-year deal with the final season of that The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 contract amounting to a $925,000 cap hit. Re-signing him for a deal either right at $1 million or under is still going to leave the Avalanche with more cap space than if they re-signed Nieto, who earned $1.975 million annually over two years. O’Connor’s two-way profile means he stands to be the long-term replacement for someone like Nieto. If so, it would allow the Avs to add more youth to a fourth line that is slated to feature Bellemare and Calvert alongside O’Connor next season.

Above all, it goes back to a continuity discussion as well. Graves and Francouz were the first full-time NHL players the Eagles sent to the Avalanche since their AHL affiliate partnership started during the 2018-19 season. It appears players like Shane Bowers, Martin Kaut, O’Connor and Timmins are next. Getting those players to serve as serious contributors while still operating on team-friendly deals is objective every contender seeks going into the start of a new season. It appears the Sakic and the front office may have found that in O’Connor.

Nikita Zadorov

What he provides: Pair him with a puck mover to create the preferred combination Bednar seeks in his defensive partnerships. Have him work alongside either someone who is either a two-way profile or a more stay- at-home option to form a dynamic needed in shutdown situations. Use his size to deliver hits or have his long reach be a factor in disrupting passing lanes or inadvertently blocking shots while receiving the guarantee he is durable. The last four seasons have witnessed Zadorov transition from being a promising prospect into someone used on a nightly basis during the Avalanche’s rise.

Zadorov has shown at times that he can be used a shutdown option against some of the NHL’s best competition. Look at what he did in December when he was assigned to take on the challenge of defending , Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak. 1178836 Columbus Blue Jackets Hits: Jared Boll, RW — McQuaid refused to sign with the Jackets, so his rights were traded. Russell has bounced around with St. Louis, Calgary, Dallas and Edmonton. Boll became a fixture in Columbus, playing 579 Booms, busts, steals and strikeouts: Ranking the Blue Jackets’ 20 NHL games and holding the franchise record for penalty minutes. No offense, Drafts but when Boll is your draft “hit,” you’ve taken this draft off.

Misses: Well, Kopitar. MacLean was uneasy about Kopitar’s background in Slovenia, the competition he faced, his training techniques, etc. But By Aaron Portzline Sep 16, 2020 more than anything, he loved Brule’s two-way game, and so did MacLean’s teenage son, Clark. (Yep, he had input.) Imagine if the

Jackets could have put Kopitar and Nash together on a line. COLUMBUS, Ohio — The NHL Draft is the lifeblood of small-market Lingering memory: The draft was held in a ballroom at an Ottawa hotel organizations like the Blue Jackets, which explains why the team’s because the carryover of the 2004-05 lockout dragged well into the history has been filled with so many starts and stops and so many summer, pushing it to late July. A shame, too, because it was billed for seasons that never quite got off the ground. several years as the “ draft.” To be fair, nobody’s great at drafting 17-, 18- and 19-year-old hockey No. 18 players. Despite the hours and miles and dollars spent sifting through amateur talent all over the world, it’s an exercise full of few successes 2003: Missing in a can’t-miss draft and a whole bunch of big mistakes. NHL players: RW Nikolai Zherdev, C Dan Fritsche, LW Philippe Dupuis, The Blue Jackets’ drafts, through the years, have been full of drama and D Marc Methot devastation, early-round busts and late-round diamonds. There are names that instantly make Blue Jackets fans smile: Rick Nash, Zach Overview: This is where a three-year span of horrific drafts began, and Werenski, Pierre-Luc Dubois. And names that are truly groan-worthy: it’s one of the toughest to swallow — as much for the talent the Blue Alexandre Picard, Gilbert Brule, Nikolai Zherdev, and Nikita Filatov to Jackets missed as the players they took. Nikolai Zherdev was the first- name a few. round pick (No. 4), and Dan Fritsche (No. 46) was added in the second round. The only other NHL contributor in Columbus was sixth-round pick With less than one month to go before this year’s draft — which will be (No. 168) Marc Methot. held virtually — we went back through the Blue Jackets’ 20 years on the NHL draft floor to rank each year’s class. We’re going worst-to-first to Hits: Marc Methot, D — The Blue Jackets came to appreciate Methot in ensure you end on a high note. their scouting trips to London to see Rick Nash. He was a physical freak but struggled in the finer points. The Blue Jackets traded him to Ottawa The “NHL players” listed with each year are the players who dressed in after four seasons, acquiring Nick Foligno. In this draft, having Methot as more than 100 games, except for the drafts held in the last five years your “hit” pretty much says it all. (2015-19), where we took the liberty to project a bit. Misses: Within 10 picks of Zherdev, the following players were drafted: Enjoy! And if you disagree, make sure you leave a comment below. Thomas Vanek, Ryan Suter, , Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown and Brent Seabrook. In taking Fritsche mid-second, the Jackets missed No. 20 Shea Weber, Corey Crawford, and others. This was a draft 2004: Third-liners in the first round that made several teams rich. Anaheim mined Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in the first round. NHL players: D Grant Clitsome Lingering memory: The No. 4 pick was too early to take Ohio State’s Overview: Dear God, this draft. The Blue Jackets traded down in the first , and they didn’t think he’d be there for them in the second round, going from No. 4 to No. 8 and adding a second-round pick (No. round. But the Blue Jackets weren’t that high on Kesler, either, doubting 56). Seems reasonable. But they used the pick on Alexandre Picard, who whether he’d ever be productive offensively in the NHL. He went to never scored a goal in 67 NHL games. (Was his stick ever on the ice?) Vancouver at No. 23 and totaled 258-315-573 in 1,001 NHL games. He turned out to be a decent AHL forward. The Jackets had 12 picks. None of them played 100 games for Columbus. No. 17

Hits: Grant Clitsome, D — He played in 205 NHL games — 93 of them 2001: No immediate help for Columbus — before an injury ended his career in 2015, which is more NHL players: G Pascal Leclaire, RW Tim Jackman, D Aaron Johnson, C than most ninth-round picks (No. 271) deliver. Clitsome had one of the Andrew Murray best nicknames in the room: “Red Stripe,” due to his short and stocky build. He was a decent player. Overview: The Blue Jackets played themselves out of a top pick with a better-than-expected first season. They took goaltender Pascal Leclaire Misses: The Blue Jackets could have had forwards or at No. 8 and landed Aaron Johnson in the third round (No. 85), but did Blake Wheeler with the No. 4 pick. Trading down was a huge mistake not land a single impact player despite having 11 picks. because it was not a deep draft. Future Metro rivals Washington and Pittsburgh added Alex Ovechkin and with the No. 1 and 2 Hits: Andrew Murray, C — A sad commentary on this draft, but Murray picks, respectively. They bottomed out at the right time. not only reached the NHL but played 221 games … not bad for an eighth-round pick (No. 242). Lingering memory: Columbus coach Doug MacLean, chatting with reporters on the draft floor, was asked about Picard. “We have our third- Misses: Leclaire was the first goaltender off the board but played in only line left winger for the next 15 years,” he said. Maybe he meant in 173 games because of a slew of injuries. He had one good season, Syracuse. bought a Lamborghini and never took off from there. Once again, the Blue Jackets missed a player from their own backyard: R.J. Umberger No. 19 went to Vancouver at No. 16. 2005: Missing Kopitar Lingering memory: Only one year into their existence, this was a real NHL players: F Gilbert Brule, D Adam McQuaid, D Kris Russell, F Jared head-scratcher. A year earlier, the Jackets traded a second-round pick to Boll Colorado for young goaltender Marc Denis, so this was, essentially, a commodity pick, not something that could immediately improve the Overview: A pick that shall live in infamy, and the one that likely led to roster. MacLean’s firing two years later. His head amateur scout, Don Boyd, wanted Anze Kopitar, who fell to No. 11. Gilbert Brule, taken at No. 6, No. 16 could never be a two-way impact player like he was in junior. Two other 2000: A stumble out of the gate picks — defensemen Adam McQuaid (No. 55) and Kris Russell (No. 67) — were productive NHL players with other teams. Jared Boll was a NHL players: D Rostislav Klesla, D fourth-round find (No. 101 overall). Overview: A coin flip. That’s what it came down to between the two expansion teams, Minnesota and Columbus. The Wild won the coin flip and took high-octane Marian Gaborik at No. 3. The Jackets settled for NHL players: C Alexander Wennberg, C Marko Dano, RW Oliver stay-at-home defenseman Rostislav Klesla at No. 4. Columbus took 11 Bjorkstrand players, but only Klesla had a meaningful career. Overview: Kekäläinen walked into a perfect setup for a first-year NHL Hits: None. GM, holding three first-round draft picks. It was the first time in franchise history the Jackets had three firsts and only the second time they had Misses: It was not a great draft, and Klesla had a pretty solid career, multiple firsts, but they used those picks on Alexander Wennberg (No. playing 659 games. But the other player they considered at that spot, 14), Kerby Rychel (No. 19) and Marko Dano (No. 27). Wennberg has Scott Hartnell, had a brilliant career and would have been a Nationwide been decent, but the others have flamed out badly. Arena favorite. Hey, it could have been worse. The Jackets were also high on goaltender , who played only one NHL game before Hits: Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW — It took a few years before Bjorkstrand’s retiring in 2009. game blossomed at the NHL level, but this is one heck of a third-round pick (No. 89 overall). Bjorkstrand has the best shot on the team, one of Lingering memory: The Blue Jackets grew from a concept to an actual the best snap wristers in the NHL. He’s the one player keeping this draft NHL organization this weekend in Calgary, first with the expansion draft out of a much lower spot on this list. and then the entry draft. Sure, they wanted Gaborik, and, sure, they should have taken Hartnell. But this was the honeymoon phase of the Misses: This draft tailed off considerably after the top 10, but the Blue organization. Optimism prevailed. Jackets passed on Anthony Mantha (No. 20) and Andre Burakovsky (No. 23) with their Wennberg and Rychel picks. There was so much No. 15 excitement about the three first-round picks, but they netted the Jackets 2008: Falling for Filatov one player, a checking-line center at that. Dano was part of a trade package sent to Chicago for Brandon Saad in 2016, but … NHL players: D Cody Goloubef, LW Matt Calvert, RW Cam Atkinson Lingering memory: Most of the Blue Jackets’ draft week was consumed Overview: This is GM Scott Howson’s big draft mulligan. Taking Nikita by nasty negotiations on a new contract for goaltender . Filatov with the No. 6 overall pick was devastating for the organization, One executive called his agent’s negotiating tactics — not kidding — but the draft was saved with some late-round gems: Matt Calvert in the “contractual terrorism!” The Blue Jackets sent out faux missives across fifth round (No. 127) and Cam Atkinson in the sixth round (No. 157 the NHL that they were looking for a goaltender and were willing to move overall). on from Bobrovsky, who was coming off his first win. It was all bluster. He signed shortly thereafter. Hits: Cam Atkinson, RW — Though a sixth-round pick, only two players in this draft class — (422) and Jordan Eberle (225) — No. 12 have scored more goals than Atkinson (198), and only five forwards have generated more points (368). That’s a tremendous sixth-round pick. 2011: Paging Mr. Jeff Carter

Misses: Cody Goloubef has played spot duty for four different NHL clubs, NHL players: C Boone Jenner, D Mike Reilly, C Lukas Sedlak so it’s not a great second-round pick (No. 37). But it’s harder to swallow Overview: The Jackets traded their first-round pick (more on that debacle once you know Nashville took defenseman Roman Josi with the very in a minute), but they were thrilled to land Boone Jenner in the second next pick. round (No. 37 overall). Jenner is the only bona fide NHLer to come out of Lingering memory: Howson took a season to evaluate the organization this class. The Jackets drafted defenseman Mike Reilly in the fourth and clean up MacLean’s oil spill, but he was ready to be aggressive in round, but he refused to sign with them and signed instead with the hunt for high-end skill. Filatov was an electrifying player in Russia but Minnesota. way too light and not nearly competitive enough to compete in the NHL. Hits: Boone Jenner, C — He may have second- or third-round skill, but “Filly don’t do rebounds” shall be his legacy in Columbus. Jenner is unrivaled when it comes to competitive spirit. He has become Elvis Merzlikins was the eighth goaltender taken in the 2014 draft. (Anne- one of the foundational players in the organization, which makes him a Marie Sorvin / USA Today) darn good find in the second round.

No. 14 Misses: Everybody missed on Nikita Kucherov (No. 58 overall), but the Jackets took T.J. Tynan in the third round (No. 66) when they had Nick 2014: A very un-Kekäläinen pick Cousins (68), Blake Coleman (75) and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (96) still on the board. NHL players: F Sonny Milano, G Elvis Merzlikins Lingering memory: One day before the draft in St. Paul, Minn., the Blue Overview: This was an awful draft for the Blue Jackets. They spent a Jackets swung a huge trade, sending Jake Voracek and their first- and first-round pick on a very un-Kekäläinen-like selection, taking Sonny third-round picks to the Flyers for center Jeff Carter. Those picks turned Milano at No. 16 overall. They could barely give Milano away at the trade out to be and the aforementioned Cousins. Ouch. The deadline this year. It’s on goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, taken in the third- trade consumed the entire weekend, especially as it became known round (No. 76), to save this unseemly lot. during Day 2 that Carter was distraught by the trade and was refusing to Hits: Elvis Merzlikins, G — Hard to believe Merzlikins was the eighth take the Blue Jackets’ calls. They flew to Sea Isle, N.J., right after the goaltender taken in the draft. Of the seven taken above him, only draft to try to soothe his feelings. Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko has shown promise. Merzlikins was parked No. 11 in Switzerland while Sergei Bobrovsky played out his time in Columbus, but Elvis made a big arrival in 2019-20. 2019: Barely there

Misses: GM Jarmo Kekäläinen usually favors hockey sense and/or hard- NHL players: TBD nosed, elite athletes. Milano showed neither of those traits in his time with Columbus. The worst part? (You’ll want to be sitting down for this.) Overview: Obviously, this one is going to require a few more years before Players taken right after Milano in the first round that year included it can be fully and fairly considered. And, one can safely say, there’s forwards Alex Tuch, Nick Schmaltz, Robby Fabbri, , probably a limit to how good (or bad) it can be, with only three players Jared McCann and (gulp) David Pastrnak, as well as defensemen Travis taken, none before No. 104. The Jackets, you’ll recall, went all in at the Sanheim and Tony DeAngelo. trade deadline, using their draft picks as capital to swing or sweeten trades. Lingering memory: Kekäläinen was extremely active on the draft floor that year in Philadelphia, trying to move up in the first round before taking Hits: Dmitry Voronkov, F — He’s said to have Boone Jenner’s work ethic Milano at No. 16 and trying to trade his way back into the later stages of but a better skill set. Sounds like he could be the Blue Jackets’ second- the round. The buzz on the floor was that he wanted Kapanen — who or third-line center once he arrives from Russia. If any of that proves true, went to Pittsburgh at No. 22, was traded to Toronto one year later and he’s a steal for a fourth-round (No. 114) pick. traded back to the Penguins last month. Misses: If you don’t pick, you can’t miss, right? The Blue Jackets were No. 13 the first club to draft fewer than four players in a draft since the draft took on its current format in 1980. 2013: Three swings, two misses Lingering memory: The draft can’t start until the NHL does its “roll call,” Hits: Ryan Johansen, C — He caused his share of headaches in but you wondered if the Blue Jackets would bother to show up on Day 1 Columbus, but Johansen looked like a legit No. 1 pivot once he got out in Vancouver. They came into the draft with their first pick at No. 81 (mid- from under Scott Arniel’s tutelage. Johansen was an All-Star Game MVP third round), then traded back to pick up two fourth-round picks, meaning in 2015. Also, he was traded straight up for Seth Jones. Kekäläinen and Co. weren’t actually on the clock until No. 104. For a “draft and development” organization and a “drafting” GM, this was a Misses: Dalton Smith is a speedy, feisty, fightin’ forward … remember bizarre weekend. those? He has bounced around the AHL and made his NHL debut this season with Buffalo. When the Blue Jackets took him in the second No. 10 round (No. 34 overall), defenseman (No. 37) and forward Tyler Toffoli (No. 47) were still available. 2007: A new era dawns Lingering memory: It was a bit of a surprise to see Johansen go that NHL player: RW Jakub Voracek early in the draft; most had him off the board in the first 10 picks. But, as Overview: This was GM Scott Howson’s first draft, and it was held in the first round played out, Howson said six other NHL GMs approached Nationwide Arena just one week after he was hired, so he leaned hard on the Blue Jackets’ table to “congratulate” him on the pick. a scouting staff that he really didn’t know. The Jackets landed Jakub David Savard was the 26th defenseman taken in the 2009 draft, going in Voracek with the No. 7 pick but otherwise added no NHL players to the the fourth round to Columbus. (Greg Bartram / USA Today) roster. Pretty rough. No. 7 Hits: Jakub Voracek, RW — Only Patrick Kane has played more games (973) or totaled more points (1022) in this draft class than Voracek (915 2009: Heavy D games, 695 points). He played only three seasons in Columbus before he was traded in the ill-advised deal for Jeff Carter (see above), so he’ll NHL players: D John Moore, D David Savard be remembered by most as a Flyer. Overview: This was new territory for the Blue Jackets — after making the Misses: It seemed like a cagey deal at the time. The Jackets traded three playoffs in 2008-09, they picked outside the top eight for the first time in fifth-round draft picks (Nos. 128, 129 and 149) for a fourth-round pick franchise history. They spent four of their six picks on defensemen, (No. 94), then used the pick to snap up forward Maksim Mayorov, a top- plucking John Moore in the first round (No. 21) and David Savard (No. ranked Russian prospect who fell much farther than most expected. 94) in the fourth. Mayorov didn’t work out, however, and that No. 129 pick was used by the Hits: David Savard, D — Twenty-five defensemen were picked before Stars to pick Jamie Benn. Savard went off the board, and only four blueliners from this draft class Lingering memory: Columbus staged one hell of a draft weekend, and have played more games than Savard (557 games). That’s a steal in the the NHL took notice. Of course, the home crowd cheered Howson when fourth round. he stepped to the podium to announce the Voracek pick, but it required Misses: In this draft, only Moore and Savard even made it to the NHL. some interpretation. They were welcoming Howson to the city, sure, but Kevin Lynch in the late second round (No. 56) hurts a little more due to they were also bidding farewell to MacLean and his toxic tenure in Tomas Tatar going four picks later to Detroit and sitting there Columbus. for 13 more picks before Dallas grabbed him.

No. 9 Lingering memory: The glow of the first playoff berth still radiated, and 2017: Finally some promise the organization seemed to be ramping in the right direction. But the intensifying question all week was whether the Blue Jackets would be NHL players: C Alexandre Texier, RW Emil Bemstrom able to sign captain Rick Nash, then a restricted free agent, to a long- term deal. (He signed an eight-year extension on July 3.) Overview: First-round picks, who needs ’em? The Blue Jackets traded theirs (No. 24 overall) to Vegas in the ill-fated deal with the Golden No. 6 Knights to prepare for the expansion draft. (Vegas later traded it to Winnipeg.) This draft is three years out, but we’re still projecting the key 2018: Forward-thinking Blue Jackets picks. Forwards Alexandre Texier and Emil Bemstrom show NHL players: C Liam Foudy promise, and goaltender Daniil Tarasov is a top prospect, soon to arrive in North America. Overview: This one hasn’t properly fermented yet, but it looks like the Blue Jackets landed two future NHL top-nine forwards — Liam Foudy Hits: Texier is still figuring it out, but he has shown first-round talent at and Kirill Marchenko — and three others who seem to be on the right times. He looks like a top-six forward, and he could be switching to trajectory to land NHL roles: defenseman Tim Berni, goaltender Veini center soon. Either way, he’s a steal for a mid-second-round pick. Vehviläinen and forward Trey Fix-Wolansky. Tarasov missed most of the previous season with a knee injury, so he fell off or down many other teams’ boards. Columbus was delighted to grab Hits: Kirill Marchenko, F — The easy pick here would be Foudy, who him in the third round. already has played his way to Columbus. But we’re going with Marchenko, who looks to be a second-round steal (No. 49 overall). Most Misses: They didn’t have a first-round pick, so no glaring whiffs yet. Most scouts see him as a dynamic top-six forward, but a few think he has of the players drafted in the second round or beyond in this draft are still point-a-game potential when he makes the leap from Russia to the NHL. playing their way toward the NHL. Misses: Maybe too early to tell. This draft dropped off considerably after Lingering memory: The Jackets weren’t scheduled to pick until No. 86 the top 10-12 players, so landing Foudy at No. 18 is looking pretty sharp. overall, but they traded forward to Vegas for a second- round pick and grabbed Texier. Can still see the scouts smiling and back- Lingering memory: It was so damn hot in Dallas this weekend, so the slapping Kekäläinen for getting them an extra pick. draft in was a great escape. The Blue Jackets made the draft memorable by asking defenseman Seth Jones, who grew No. 8 up playing hockey in Dallas, to make the Foudy selection. (It was a nice 2010: The Johansen surprise touch, but admittedly we did miss Ville Sirén announcing the pick.)

NHL players: C Ryan Johansen, D Dalton Prout No. 5

Overview: After Taylor Hall at No. 1, the top of the draft board was deeply 2016: An audible gasp unsettled. But the Blue Jackets went into the draft intent on getting the NHL players: C Pierre-Luc Dubois, D Andrew Peeke rarest commodity in the NHL: a No. 1 center. Ryan Johansen was the pick at No. 4 after he had a strong finish to his junior season. The Overview: Oh, the drama. Kekäläinen was dropping hints that he wasn’t Jackets drafted just one other player who saw significant time in the NHL going to follow “conventional wisdom” at the top of the draft board, but it — rugged defenseman Dalton Prout (No. 154) — so it remains a mixed- was still somehow shocking when he busted up the expected top three bag draft for them. — Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi — by taking Pierre-Luc Dubois at No. 3. Andrew Peeke, a second-round pick, looks like a future top-four defenseman. Hits: Dubois hasn’t missed a game in his NHL career and is clearly the NHL players: LW Rick Nash, LW Joakim Lindstrom, D Ole-Kristian Blue Jackets’ No. 1 center. He looks like he’s playing his way into the Tollefsen, LW Lasse Pirjeta upper echelon of centers across the NHL, too. If the Blue Jackets had drafted Puljujarvi, imagine where this franchise might be today. Overview: Moving up from No. 3 to No. 1 and drafting Rick Nash may have been MacLean’s best work in Columbus, right up there with Misses: Just a question here — yes, grabbing Dubois at No. 3 is a game- removing Stinger from the crest of the sweater before the inaugural changer when you hold it up to the option of taking Puljujarvi. But look season. Any draft that starts with Nash is pretty good, but it fizzled after down a few spots. Calgary took Matthew Tkachuk at No. 6, and he has that. Third-round pick (No. 65) Ole-Kristian Tollefsen left a mark, quite been, arguably, the second-best player in this draft class. literally.

Lingering memory: The response from the crowd in Buffalo when the Hits: Rick Nash, LW — The consensus big three that season were Nash, Blue Jackets announced Dubois, not Puljujarvi, was stunning. Boos. goaltender Kari Lehtonen and defenseman . All of them Gasps. Groans. Needless to say, it’s not the “welcome to the NHL” had good NHL careers, but the Jackets landed their franchise player, moment that most players envision, but it has served as motivation for future captain, brand ambassador, now a legacy employee. Almost a Dubois ever since. decade after he was traded, he’s still the franchise’s Mr. Everything.

No. 4 Misses: The Jackets took Joakim Lindstrom in the second round (No. 41), and he never figured out the NHL. They passed on 2012: I want all of your picks (No. 43), Duncan Keith (No. 54) and Matt Stajan (No. 57), among others.

NHL players: D Ryan Murray, G , RW Josh Anderson Lingering memory: MacLean could sell earmuffs in Cancun. He Overview: This was the draft following the Blue Jackets’ most miserable convinced Atlanta GM and Florida GM Rick Dudley that season. They were the NHL’s worst team by a mile (nine points), they they could get their desired players — Lehtonen and Bouwmeester, still couldn’t win the draft lottery and the draft in which they had the No. 2 respectively — even if they slid down one spot at the top of the draft. pick was among the thinnest in memory. They caught a break on the Essentially, MacLean moved up two spots from No. 3 for nothing, a move draft floor, though, when Edmonton took Nail Yakupov No. 1 overall. The that would typically cost a bevy of picks and prospects. Jackets landed oft-injured Ryan Murray at No. 2 and added goaltender No. 1 Joonas Korpisalo in the third round (No. 62 overall) and right wing Josh Anderson in the fourth (No. 95). 2015: Transforming the defense

Hits: Josh Anderson, RW — Korpisalo looks pretty good in the third NHL players: D Zach Werenski, D Vladislav Gavrikov, D Markus round, but goaltenders are notoriously unpredictable. We’ll go with Nutivaara Anderson, who has a rare combination of size and speed. It’s hard to believe almost 100 players went off the board before him. Overview: The Jackets played their way out of a top-two pick — don’t they always? — so Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel were out of reach. Misses: If Murray had gone No. 1, the Jackets would have traded the Still, this was a pretty good draft by Columbus. They landed top-pairing pick or likely picked forward Alex Galchenyuk, who ended up going No. defenseman Zach Werenski at No. 8 and added two other NHL 3. You could argue they should have, as much as Murray has been defensemen later in the draft — Vladislav Gavrikov in the sixth round and injured. Galchenyuk is a decent forward, but (No. 5), in the seventh. There’s still a chance center Kevin Hampus Lindholm (No. 6), Matt Dumba (No. 7) and (No. 9) Stenlund and defenseman Gabriel Carlsson could pop, too. were all on the board. Hits: The Blue Jackets tried desperately to move up the draft board and Lingering memory: Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson got a once-in-a- take Noah Hanifin, but he went No. 5 to Carolina. They’re damn happy lifetime offer from Islanders GM Garth Snow on the draft floor before the they stayed put because Werenski has been one of the most productive draft started. Snow offered every Islanders pick in the draft — one in young defensemen in recent NHL history. He had 20 goals in only 63 each of the seven rounds, including the No. 4 overall — for the Blue games last season. Jackets’ No. 2 overall pick. Howson declined. It would have given the Jackets the following picks: 4, 31, 34, 62, 65, 95, 103, 125, 152, 155, Misses: Kekäläinen traded second- (No. 34) and third-round (No. 68) 182, 185. Reminder: It was an awful draft. picks to move up to No. 29 and take defenseman Gabriel Carlsson. If they’d held onto those picks, they could have taken Sebastian Aho at No. No. 3 34 (he went No. 35 to Carolina) and Anthony Cirelli (No. 72 to Tampa Bay). 2006: Brass bonanza Lingering memory: The decision was made to revamp the blue line, and NHL players: C Derick Brassard, G Steve Mason, LW Tom Sestito, RW Kekäläinen didn’t hesitate. Two months after trading James Wisniewski Derek Dorsett to Anaheim, he spent two first-round picks (and six picks in all) on Overview: It was MacLean’s last draft in Columbus and, ironically, one of defense. Six months later, he made one of the biggest trades in the his best. The Jackets landed Derick Brassard in the first round (No. 6), history of the organization, acquiring Seth Jones from Nashville. Calder Trophy-winning goaltender Steve Mason in the third (No. 69) and The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 scrappy, fearless winger Derek Dorsett in the seventh (No. 189).

Hits: Steve Mason, G — Nothing against Brassard, but Mason almost single-handedly carried the Blue Jackets to their first playoff appearance three years later. He was the seventh goaltender drafted, trailing only Semyon Varlamov in career achievements. Mason never replicated his rookie performance, but he had good seasons in Philadelphia before an early end to his career in 2019.

Misses: There are no glaring areas here. You’d rather have Claude Giroux, sure, but it would have rocked the draft floor if he went anywhere near No. 6. He ended up going to Philadelphia at No. 22.

Lingering memory: The Blue Jackets were torn between Phil Kessel and Derick Brassard as the first round played out. Truth be told, they thought Kessel was the most NHL-ready player in the draft, but his demeanor and fitness level were concerns. Boston made the decision for them, taking Kessel at No. 5.

No. 2

2002: Moving up for nothing 1178837 Dallas Stars

Stars' Radek Faksa remains unfit to play, status for Game 1 of Stanley Cup Final still up in the air

Faksa missed the last two games of the Western Conference Final with an apparent left hand injury suffered in Game 3.

By Matthew DeFranks

Stars center Radek Faksa remains unfit to play, interim coach Rick Bowness said Wednesday afternoon.

Faksa missed the last two games of the Western Conference final with an apparent left hand injury suffered in Game 3 against the Golden Knights. Bowness would not guess whether Faksa would be able to play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against either the Lightning or Islanders.

Tampa Bay leads the Eastern Conference final 3-2, with Game 6 on Thursday night. Should the Lightning win Thursday, the Stanley Cup Final against Dallas would likely begin Saturday night.

In NHL-distributed video of Wednesday’s practice, the Stars used the same lineup that they used in Games 4 and 5 against Vegas, with Jason Dickinson centering the Stars' checking line with Andrew Cogliano and Blake Comeau on his wings.

Injured Stars goaltender Ben Bishop participated in practice. Bowness was not asked about Bishop’s potential availability for the Cup Final, but Bishop has been active for only one of the last 15 games.

Bishop’s status could again be a topic of conversation should the NHL choose to schedule a back-to-back in the Cup Final. Bishop’s lone start in the last month came in Game 5 against Colorado, the second night of a back-to-back in which Anton Khudobin played the front end. Bishop allowed four goals in less than 14 minutes, and was ruled unfit to play the next game.

Ready either way: Bowness said the Stars have started preparing for the Cup Final no matter who they face. Bowness and assistant coach John Stevens will handle scouting Tampa Bay. Assistant coaches Derek Laxdal and Todd Nelson will cover the Islanders.

“There’ll be no surprises regardless of who we play,” Bowness said. “It’s going to be a great hockey club — we’re down to three teams here now. Both of those teams are great hockey clubs, and they’re going to be very, very tough opponents, but we’ll be well-prepared for them.”

The Stars went 1-0-1 against the Islanders in the regular season, and won two overtime games against the Lightning.

Revisiting Khudobin: With goaltender Anton Khudobin’s performance in the postseason, general manager Jim Nill was asked recently about the summer of 2018 and what drew the Stars to sign Khudobin to a two-year contract.

Nill said the Stars scouting staff and goaltending coach Jeff Reese met with him and put Khudobin at the top of their list.

“We watched him develop through his career,” Nill said. "He’s had a lot of different stops, but he’s really matured over the last five, six years. We’ve watched him in Boston; we thought Boston and ourselves play a similar style of game, and we just thought we was going to be a good fit with us.

“Did our homework as far as his personality — he’s infectious. One of the best guys you’ll ever meet. He fits into any room. He leads the rooms; he’s a battler. He never gives up, and that’s why he’s having success now.”

Khudobin’s two-year contract expires after the playoffs, when he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. The Stars and Khudobin had conversations about an extension during the season, but have tabled talks during the playoffs.

“As far as the two years, I wish it was about a five-year deal now,” Nill said. “Would have been nice, but good for Anton.”

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178838 Dallas Stars Gaglardi said what happened in the regular season is irrelevant now, but he recognized the craziness of it all.

“We started out 1-7, and then for a good stretch, we became the best ‘This is the team we thought we had’: Why Stars owner Tom Gaglardi team in the league,” Gaglardi said. "Then we were leaking oil there at the isn’t surprised about team’s Stanley Cup Final run end, lost six in a row and it didn’t look like we were ever going to win To Gaglardi, this is the team the Stars have been building toward. again.

"It’s a crazy game. That’s why you play 82-game schedules, and that’s why playoff series are best-of-7 games. By Matthew DeFranks “Even if we wouldn’t have had the stoppage for the pandemic, we would have called it a crazy season. At 1-7, you’re sitting there thinking, statistically, we’re in trouble. We can’t make the playoffs.” To Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, this isn’t a shock. But they rebounded, and now have a chance to capture the second No, this is the team he expected to see in the playoffs. This is the team Stanley Cup in franchise history. the Stars have built, and their Western Conference championship and Stanley Cup Final berth isn’t astonishing to the person who has owned Gaglardi will be in Edmonton’s Rogers Place for the Stanley Cup Final, the franchise since 2011. but he is weighing whether to enter the NHL’s bubble and be in close contact with the team, or simply be allowed in the arena away from “I would say that this is the team we thought we had,” Gaglardi told The players and staff. Dallas Morning News. “This is the team we thought we had for a few seasons now. I don’t mean to sound trite, but I’m not surprised. This is “It’s obviously surreal,” Gaglardi said. “What can you say? Playing the what we expected to happen. This is the type of team we built.” playoffs in August and you’re watching hockey with hot weather. It’s odd, the whole thing is odd, but it is what it is. Not playing in front of fans, not The Stars advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000, playing at the American Airlines Center, the whole thing is almost just thanks to their Game 5 win over Vegas on Monday to close out the unbelievable.” Western Conference Final. Simply by reaching the conference final, the Stars advanced further than they had since 2008. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.17.2020 Dallas has received contributions from a host of players throughout the lineup: captain Jamie Benn’s return to brilliance, backup goaltender Anton Khudobin stepping into the spotlight, defenseman Miro Heiskanen consistently controlling games and performances from young Denis Gurianov and unheralded Joel Kiviranta.

“Guys are playing to their potential, and what we hoped they’d get to, and we’re seeing that now,” Gaglardi said. "Just a whole bunch of guys playing their best hockey, and a bunch of guys playing the best hockey they’ve ever played. Jamie Benn’s back to playing at an elite level consistently.

“These things are happening, and then the goaltender. What can you say about Anton? If people said heading into the playoffs that the Stars are going to the Stanley Cup, and big Ben Bishop has played one game, you’d say come on.”

The Stars won high-scoring series against Calgary (six games) and Colorado (seven) before stifling the Golden Knights in five.

Gaglardi pointed to hiring to transform the team’s identity from the high-flying Stars to the grind-you-down Stars, and then continuing the trend the past two seasons under Jim Montgomery and Rick Bowness.

“We’ve built ourselves to win playoff series,” Gaglardi said. “We’ve had a drafting methodology: size, skating. We built a big team that can play, skate. This thing’s by design. The Calgary and Colorado series, we actually forget who we were for phases of those series because we had to score a lot of goals. The Vegas series looks more like our team where we’re winning 2-1, 1-0, 3-2. That’s the team we built.”

Since Gaglardi has owned the Stars, they never advanced past the second round of the playoffs, ousted twice in Game 7 of that round, including last year’s double-overtime heartbreaker in St. Louis.

This postseason, the Stars have been delivering pain. They won two series in overtime and completed multi-goal comebacks in all three series against Calgary, Colorado and Vegas.

“It’s nice to be on the good side of those,” Gaglardi said. “Obviously, the organization hasn’t been out of the second round since 2008, and haven’t been to a Final in 20 years. It’s hard to get here. That was a pretty bitter pill in Game 7, double overtime in St. Louis. It feels good to be on the right side of it.”

The Cup Final appearance punctuates a wild year for the Stars.

There was the 1-7-1 start, the firing of Montgomery, the Winter Classic, the late-season swoon and the four months of being the best team in the league. That doesn’t even account for the tornado in Dallas, the coronavirus pandemic and the franchise potentially playing in China to start next season. 1178839 Dallas Stars 6. Radulov’s overtime goal in Game 3 against Vegas

The Western Conference Final between the Stars and Golden Knights was a series built upon feasting on mistakes. 10 most impactful moments of Stars' postseason: Anton Khudobin, young upstarts lead Stanley Cup Final run During the Stars' 3-2 win in Game 3, the final game-changing moment came 31 seconds into overtime after a see-saw game, when Radulov After defeating Vegas in the West Final, Dallas is headed to its first rang the post on the game-winning goal, boosting Dallas to a 2-1 series Stanley Cup Final since 2000. lead over Vegas.

Radulov broke into the zone by himself after a feed from Pavelski and By Matthew DeFranks sniped a shot far side past Robin Lehner. It was Radulov’s eighth goal of the playoffs, and the quickest overtime goal in Stars history.

5. Gurianov’s four goals in Game 6 against Calgary As the Dallas Stars approach their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in two decades, we take a look back at the 10 most important plays that got Gurianov introduced himself to the hockey world last month, scoring four them to this point in the NHL bubble... goals during as the Stars eliminated the Flames with a 7-3 win in Game 6 of their first-round series. 10. Khudobin’s 19-save first period in Game 2 against Colorado Some of Gurianov’s history made: Anton Khudobin carried the Stars when they needed him to do so during a 5-2 win over Colorado in Game 2, helping the Stars to a 2-0 series lead — He became the first rookie since 1988 to score four goals in a playoff in the second round. game. The only other rookie was Tony Hrkac for St. Louis.

For the first 20 minutes, Khudobin was the only reason the Stars — He became the first player in Stars history to score four goals in a remained within striking distance of the Avalanche. As Nathan playoff game. His initial hat trick was the second in Dallas postseason MacKinnon buzzed around the ice, and the Avalanche dominated history, following Pavelski, who scored three goals in Game 4 against offensive zone time, Khudobin made 19 first-period saves, escorting the Calgary. Stars to the dressing room down just one goal instead of a handful. — He became the sixth rookie to have at least six points in a playoff “When that happens, your goaltender has got to give you a chance to get game, and the second to do so in a series-clinching game. The only your legs and get your game going,” Stars interim coach Rick Bowness other one was Joe Mullen for the Blues in 1982. said. “Dobby did that. He was fantastic tonight. Give him a lot of credit, — He was the first player to score four goals in the playoffs since because we survived that first period, there’s no question about it.” Pittsburgh’s Jake Guentzel in 2018.

9. Heiskanen’s goal in Game 6 against Calgary 4. Khudobin’s third period kill of a 5 on 3 in Game 4 against Vegas

Entering Game 6, the Stars knew they were the better team in their A robbery occurred Saturday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton. series against the Flames. But in the first 6:34 of the first period, it appeared like Game 7 was imminent. The suspect wore a mask throughout the duration of the heist, and his accomplices stuffed the bag with two marks 200 feet away from him. He Before the Stars even registered a shot on goal, the Flames punctured wore No. 35 on his back and elbows and pulled off his theft with an array Khudobin thrice. Calgary owned the game’s first eight shots. The Flames of splits and kicks, grabs and covers. were the team that needed a victory to extend their season, and forced the Stars to regroup early with a timeout by Bowness. The Stars stole Game 4 of the Western Conference final, and Khudobin was the reason. Then the goals began — first as a trickle, then as a wave, finally as a tsunami. 3. Gurianov’s overtime goal in Game 5 against Vegas

Miro Heiskanen started with a power-play goal that stemmed Calgary’s Do you need to send a team home? Try calling on Gurianov. momentum in the first. For the second time this postseason, Gurianov clinched a series for the Denis Gurianov scored in the first minute of the second period, and again Stars, this time blasting a one-timer past Lehner in overtime of Game 5 of less than three minutes later to chase Cam Talbot to the bench. Radek the Western Conference final, ending the series and sending the Stars to Faksa gave the Stars the lead with a power-play goal. Joe Pavelski the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000. tucked a rebound. Gurianov finished the second period with goal off the rush, and then tormented the Flames once more in the third period with a 2. Pavelski’s game-tying goal in Game 4 against Calgary rebound goal. As the Stars' season swung between a second-straight heart-wrenching 8. Oleksiak’s winner in Game 2 against Calgary defeat and an all-square first-round series, Pavelski — their battle-tested net-front dweller — turned behind him on the bench to Bowness. saw an ocean of open ice and jumped in head first. “Bones, I’m feeling it,” he said. The Stars defenseman scored the game-winning goal during the Stars' 5- 4 win over Calgary in Game 2 of their first-round series, sneaking down “Hey, I’ve got no problem with that. Let’s go,” Bowness replied. the back side before depositing a Corey Perry pass into the net with 39.2 Pavelski proved himself right, scoring three goals in a 5-4 overtime win seconds left in the third period. over Calgary, saving the Stars from a 3-1 series deficit and evening the “He made a great pass,” Oleksiak said. “He really had eyes and I was best-of-7 series at two wins apiece. Pavelski scored the tying goal with able to somehow get it in. It was close. Another goalie might have gotten 11.9 seconds remaining in the third period off a rebound, following up on a paddle, might have missed the net, but it worked out that time. It was a the power-play goal he scored in the first period off a rebound and the great feeling. Great play by Perry.” second period goal he scored off the rush.

7. Benn’s three-assist night in Game 1 against Colorado 1. Kiviranta’s hat trick in Game 7 against Colorado

The Stars' top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov This Stars regular season laughed in the face of logic, with a confounding rebounded and was explosive in Dallas' second-round opener, displaying coaching change and stretches of world-beating play and also of the top-end skill and finishing that raised both their salaries and worrying episodes. This second-round series with the Colorado expectations. Radulov scored twice and assisted on another goal in the Avalanche cackled at convention, with a goaltending carousel to go along 5-3 win over Colorado. Seguin had a goal and an assist, snapping a 12- with an inexplicably high-scoring series. game goalless streak that dated to February. Benn picked up three It was Joel Kiviranta — the 5-11, 180-pound floppy-haired rookie — who assists. won the series 7:24 into overtime in Game 7, dispatching the Avalanche In total, the Stars' top line piled up eight points. In the Stars' first nine by claiming the vacant ice in the slot and whistling a shot past third-string playoff games, Benn, Seguin and Radulov totaled 10 points. goaltender Michael Hutchinson. It was his third goal of the game (he also tied the score late in the third period), capping a wild game to finish a wild series.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178840 Dallas Stars

Ex-Stars coach Jim Montgomery joins St. Louis Blues as assistant

The Stars fired Montgomery for “unprofessional conduct” on Dec. 10, 2019.

By SportsDay Staff

Former Stars coach Jim Montgomery has found a new job in the NHL.

The St. Louis Blues hired Montgomery as an assistant coach on Wednesday, agreeing to a two-year deal with the former Stars head coach.

“We are excited to add Jim to our team and to Craig (Berube’s) staff,” Blues General Manager told stlouisblues.com. “Jim has won at every level he has coached at and we look forward to him being a valuable addition to our team.”

The Stars fired Montgomery for “unprofessional conduct” on Dec. 10, 2019, during his second season behind the bench.

In a statement, Montgomery said that he checked into rehab for alcohol abuse and that it was an appropriate call for the Stars to fire him.

“Losing my job as head coach of the Dallas Stars last month was a wake- up call. It was also the appropriate call. I let the team’s front office, staff and players down. More importantly, I let my wife and my family down,” Montgomery said. “The team’s decision to end my role forced me to look into the mirror and decide whether I wanted to continue living a damaging lifestyle or get help. I decided to get help. I turned to professionals in the field of alcohol abuse for their guidance and counseling. It has been an overwhelming and a very humbling experience knowing that I am not alone."

“Sometimes it takes an unbearable consequence to have an unbelievable breakthrough… I’m thankful for what happened because now I’m a much better person every day."

Jim Montgomery opens up about his dismissal from Dallas and a new opportunity in STL. https://t.co/Bp2CKWEHk5 pic.twitter.com/B3gunHe5nG

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 16, 2020

After 90 days sober, Montgomery checked out of rehab and returned to his home in Frisco, Texas.

Montgomery and his wife, Emily, spoke with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman about what it was like dealing with Jim’s firing initially and how his acclimation has been now that he’s out of rehab.

Montgomery would not discuss the incident that led to his firing, but he did tell Sportsnet that he’s “feeling great” and is at peace with himself. He said that even though he made bad mistakes, he is not a bad person.

“It was surreal, like an out-of-body experience,” Montgomery told Sportsnet about how he felt at the time of his firing. “All I could feel was incredible shame and guilt. All I was thinking was that it was going to be tough to protect my family. Making mistakes that affect them … it hurts.”

Since Montgomery’s firing, Rick Bowness has taken over his job with the Stars on an interim basis and has led them to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years.

More to come on this developing story.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178841 Dallas Stars Taylor Fedun: The Stars acquired the Canadian defenseman in 2018 for a late-round draft pick.

Stephen Johns: The Stars made a 2015 offseason trade for Johns and How the Stars built their Stanley Cup Final roster: 6 trades, timely by sending Trevor Daley and to the signings and many draft picks Blackhawks.

From Miro Heiskanen to minor-league call-ups, we evaluated how each Tyler Seguin: During the 2013 offseason, the Stars sent , of the 31 players on the Stars' postseason roster joined Dallas. Reilly Smith, and to the Bruins for Seguin, and .

By Callie Caplan 10:00 AM on Sep 10, 2020 CDT — Updated at 3:34 PM : During the 2015 season, the Stars acquired Janmark, on Sep 16, 2020 CDT Mattias Backman and a third-round pick for Erik Cole and a second- round selection.

Free agency Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Sept. 10. Now that the Stars have clinched their first Stanley Cup Final berth in 20 years, Gavin Bayreuther: The defenseman signed with the Stars' organization we’re bringing it back. as an undrafted free agent in 2017.

The Stars are in the Western Conference Final for the first time since : The goaltender signed with the as an 2008 and in pursuit of their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since undrafted free agent in 2016 and has been part of the Stars' system 2000. since.

Ahead of their Game 3 against the Golden Knights on Thursday night, Blake Comeau: Comeau left the Avalanche to sign a three-year, $7.2 with the series tied at 1, The Dallas Morning News evaluated the roster’s million contract with the Stars during the 2018 offseason. construction and how the Stars have used NHL drafts, timely free-agent Justin Dowling: Since going undrafted in 2010, Dowling has signed four signings and a few trades to build their most successful core in more short-term deals and extensions with the Texas and Dallas Stars. than a decade. Joel Hanley: The defenseman signed with the Stars on a two-way Here’s how each of the Stars' 31 players on the postseason roster contract in 2018. arrived in Dallas. Anton Khudobin: The goaltender signed a two-year, $5 million contract Draft with the Stars in 2018.

Jamie Benn: The captain was the Stars' No. 129 overall pick in the 2007 Joel Kiviranta: One summer before his Game 7 heroics, the Stars signed draft and has been central to the franchise’s path to this year’s Western Kiviranta to a two-year, entry-level contract. Conference Final. Joe Pavelski: After a 13-year tenure in San Jose, Pavelski signed a Nick Caamano: The Stars' No. 146 pick in the 2016 draft scored his first three-year, $21 million deal with the Stars in 2019. NHL goal earlier this season. Corey Perry: The Stars signed the veteran right-winger to a one-year, Ty Dellandrea: The 20-year-old center whom the Stars' selected at No. $1.5 million contract during the 2019 offseason. 13 in 2018 is one of the most recent draft picks on this playoff roster. Alexander Radulov: The right winger signed a five-year, $31.25 million Jason Dickinson: The Stars took Dickinson with the No. 29 overall pick in contract with the Stars in 2017, the latest stop in his professional career the 2013 draft. that has spanned continents.

Radek Faksa: The Czech center has been with the Stars' organization Andrej Sekera: The Stars became the Slovak defenseman’s fifth NHL since he was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2012 draft. team when he signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal in 2019.

Denis Gurianov: The forward joined the Stars' organization in 2015 as the Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.17.2020 No. 12 overall pick.

Thomas Harley: The Stars' most recent first-round draft pick (No. 18 overall in 2019) made the playoff roster as a “black ace.”

Miro Heiskanen: The 20-year-old defenseman was the Stars' highest draft selection (No. 3 overall in 2017) since the franchise arrived in Dallas.

Roope Hintz: The Stars selected the Finnish forward No. 49 overall in the 2015 draft.

John Klingberg: The Swede has been a focal point of several Stars runs since the team picked him at No. 131 in the 2010 draft.

Esa Lindell: Since the Stars selected him at No. 74 overall in 2012, the defenseman has signed two contract extensions with the franchise.

Jake Oettinger: The rookie goalie was the Stars' first-round draft pick (No. 26 overall) in 2017.

Jamie Oleksiak: The Stars' first-round pick (No. 14 overall) in 2011 also joined the roster via trade in 2019 after two years in Pittsburgh split his Dallas tenure.

Jason Robertson: The Stars' No. 39 overall pick in 2017 is one of the team’s eight “black aces” in the playoffs this season.

Trade

Ben Bishop: The Stars sent a fourth-round draft pick in 2017 to the Los Angeles Kings for negotiating rights to the goaltender.

Andrew Cogliano: In January 2019, the Stars acquired Cogliano from the Ducks in exchange for Devin Shore. 1178842 Dallas Stars “I thought he was outstanding in that role,” Laxdal said. “Something that we love about Kivi on the power play is that he’s gonna hunt down pucks, and he’s going to battle. And that’s when you need in a bumper guy, Anatomy of a series-winner: How Stars’ power-play adjustments especially against a team like Las Vegas that was outstanding on getting eliminated Vegas to those loose pucks on the penalty kill.”

The second power-play goal – Gurianov’s overtime game-winner – came from a similar setup, only with Klingberg using the other option with By Sean Shapiro Sep 16, 2020 Gurianov.

This is the moment before the blast.

The Dallas Stars haven’t had much time to rest. Klingberg winds up for the slap shot, and Vegas has to respect it after being burned earlier in the game. But he also has the dangerous outlet to Between Aug. 3 and Sept. 14, they played 21 games in 42 days. Each Gurianov available, and on the shot fake, he’s able to pass to the time they advanced in the playoffs, the Stars had one day between the Russian, who rips it past Robin Lehner for the series-winning goal. closeout game and Game 1 of the next round. That shot fake doesn’t exist with Heiskanen running the point. Instead, But the Stars actually have some time to breathe ahead of the Stanley the pass to Gurianov is more scripted for the penalty killers. While Roope Cup Final after the New York Islanders won Game 5 of the Eastern Hintz is open for the one-timer off more of a shot fake, he doesn’t have Conference Final on Tuesday night. The next game isn’t until Saturday, Gurianov’s cannon in these situations. at the earliest, and the players took advantage of an off-day on Tuesday to golf while coaches were able to decompress and break down a series DENIS GURIANOV PP OT that had just ended instead of jumping into warp speed to prepare for their next opponent. 3-2 #GOSTARS PIC.TWITTER.COM/5TDUQP6VYP

To a lesser extent, that chaotic schedule has created a similar situation — HERE'S YOUR REPLAY (@THEREPLAYGUY) SEPTEMBER 15, for fans and media members – we haven’t been able to really take the 2020 deserved deeper looks at closeout games without having to quickly swivel to a Game 1. The extra time affords us to the chance to break This is a minor in-game tweak that yielded major results for the Stars, down the Stars’ power-play adjustment from Game 5 against the Vegas who now enjoy the chance to actually wait for an opponent in Tampa Bay Golden Knights, which is deserving of a deeper breakdown. or New York instead of rushing to prepare after a closeout game.

The Stars struggled to enter the zone and maintain pressure on their first The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 two power plays of that game. They went 0-for-2, and it looked like part of the losing effort that would have extended the Western Conference Final in Game 6.

While Jamie Benn sparked the comeback, a coaching decision by Stars assistant coach Derek Laxdal gave Dallas the final ammunition it needed to get past Vegas in Game 5 by switching the units of Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg.

As Laxdal explained in an interview on Tuesday, that decision was based on both shaking things up and switching the handedness of the point man on each unit to better activate the one-timers for Tyler Seguin and Denis Gurianov.

Teams have started to scout Gurianov’s shot more, Laxdal said, and he’s noticed teams are doing a better job of getting over to that side and blocking Gurianov’s one-timer attempts, as Vegas did on the first two Dallas power plays.

Heiskanen on the point as a lefty rules out a fake-shot opportunity before the pass to Gurianov, another lefty, on top of the circle. The defenseman has to come across his body to pass to Heiskanen, which makes it easier to read and get into the shot lane for the Stars forward. As a righty, Klingberg’s presence at the top of the power play allows his body to stay more open to shoot or pass to Gurianov in the same motion, which forces opponents to respect both shot attempts.

“I like that right-shot, left-shot combination from Klinger to Denis, and I like that left-shot, right-shot combination from Miro to Seggy because it gives you a better angle and better pass for that one-time opportunity,” Laxdal said.

Let’s take a look at both of the Stars’ power-play goals from Game 5 against Vegas.

This is the build-up. Klingberg has the puck at the point and Gurianov is setting up on top of the circle for the one-timer. In this spot, Klingberg has the option to either shoot — which he does — or feed the puck back to Gurianov for a one-timer.

Klingberg ends up shooting, and Joel Kiviranta comes in to clean up the rebound. Kiviranta has been on the power play since Radek Faksa was injured in the Vegas series, and his role in the bumper spot is a callback to when Laxdal was coaching in the AHL in the first half of the season and stationed the Finn in the middle of the power-play formation.

JOEL KIVIRANTA PP 2-2 PIC.TWITTER.COM/4RYGEHDGLH

— HERE'S YOUR REPLAY (@THEREPLAYGUY) SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 1178843 Dallas Stars franchise to an end as they moved in a younger direction after a run of contention in the West was officially over.

Before those chapters were closed, the two shared the highs that were ‘Excited to do this together’: Ex-Ducks Corey Perry, Andrew Cogliano in five straight Pacific Division titles and dramatic playoff victories mixed Cup hunt with inexplicable Game 7 losses at home and postseason stays that either ended early or culminated with an inability to squeeze teams out when they were in their clutches. By Eric Stephens Sep 16, 2020 Funny how situations sometimes work out even better in the end.

“It’s really tough to comprehend but then you start thinking back on your With what might have been the best viewpoint of anyone outside of days in Anaheim,” said Cogliano, who re-made himself into a defensive Robin Lehner and referee Steve Kozari, Corey Perry saw Denis whiz and penalty killer extraordinaire over seven and a half seasons with Gurianov’s now-signature moment, a scorching one-timer zip off the the Ducks. “And you start thinking about how close you were and those Vegas netminder’s glove. He reflexively threw his hands up into the air. feelings of playing in those games with those guys there and how good our teams were. Perry turned around, took a couple of strides toward his merry Dallas teammates and then, as if a switch went on inside his head, immediately “I still think about the Chicago series. That series still tears me up reversed course and had something else on his mind. because I still think that was a year where we could have won, and we were right there. But now, you’re on the other side of it last night, when The puck. Get it. you beat a good Vegas team in five games which is not very easy to do. “It’s funny,” Perry told The Athletic on Tuesday in the aftermath of the … Hopefully, it keeps trending in the same direction and we keep doing Stars’ Game 5 overtime triumph in the Western Conference finals that what we’re doing.” sent them to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years. “I did it after Game Looking back, Perry thinks about the “tough, tough breaks in Anaheim.” 7 in the series before. I was on the ice when we scored. Went instantly The Game 7 defeats and even those Game 6 losses where they failed to and grabbed the puck. put away teams like Detroit (2013 first round), Los Angeles (2014 second “I thought, ‘Why not?’ and do it again.” round), Chicago (2015 West finals) and Nashville (2016 first round).

When you become one of the final two teams standing and, in this most “Heartbreakers,” he said. unusual of seasons, are traveling the road of the playoffs in one city It made him wonder if he’d ever get another opportunity to play for the within a bubble that only a few are permitted inside, you try to secure any Cup. It makes this journey alongside Cogliano something more memento of the journey that you can. Perry handed the puck to Rick meaningful to share. The two have locker rooms near each other at the Bowness, the likable Dallas coach that has had all sorts of journeys over Stars’ practice facility in suburban Frisco. a career that is into its fifth decade behind an NHL bench. “That made that transition from Anaheim to here a little bit easier,” Perry The winger then hugged Bowness and went off to celebrate with his said. “Having him here. Having somebody that I knew personally for a teammates. The achievement is just the same, even if the atmosphere of while, a teammate and a great teammate at that. And then going through an empty Rogers Place in Edmonton was dramatically different. this whole season, this whole bubble life, it hasn’t been easy with all the “It’s very different,” Perry said. “We were saying last night. It’s weird. You families at home. Your kids at home. have nobody in the stands. You score a huge goal and obviously you’re “He cares. He wants to win. You’ve seen it. People in Anaheim saw how celebrating but you didn’t feel that other emotion from the fans. There’s much he cares about winning, about playing the game and playing the obviously something missing. But at the same time, it’s still the same right way. It’s his first time. We’re both excited to do this together.” passion that we have for this game. And there’s one goal in mind. The two have seen their roles change with the Stars. Perry has played “It doesn’t matter if we’re in a bubble or playing in front of fans. We want from the first line to the fourth and no longer comes near the 20 minutes to get the job done.” a game he used to easily average. Cogliano is in the lineup most nights Perry knows what playing for the Cup is like. He is back after a 13-year but injuries have kept him from being the ironman that was dressing wait, when he lifted it with Anaheim in the spring of 2007 as a second- without fail every night. year winger on the rise. Tyler Seguin also knows the feeling. He was a The 33-year-old winger was also scratched for the first three games of rookie with Boston in 2011 after the Bruins defeated Vancouver. the conference final after an injury kept him out of Game 7 of the second Other Stars have come close. Joe Pavelski got to play for it in 2016 with round against Colorado. Ironically, it was rookie Joel Kiviranta who took San Jose after a nine-year wait. Ben Bishop was the man in net for his place in the lineup and had a stunning hat trick that included the Tampa Bay in its 2015 run that came up short. And some have their first overtime winner to eliminate the Avalanche. shot at it. The most notable is Jamie Benn, their sometimes-maligned Both are on the back end of their fine careers. Both combined for just captain and 11-year veteran that has had a resurgent postseason. eight goals and 35 points – for instance, Perry once had 19 goals and 30 Thirteen years in, Andrew Cogliano gets to play for the Cup. The points in the final month of his Hart Trophy-winning season – despite celebration was more muted than what it would ordinarily be, with his each playing in at least 57 games. Both had no issues with making wife, Allie, and their daughter, Lottie, unable to be with him and Cogliano sacrifices to fit into the Stars’ four-line methodology. not wanting to put them in a quarantine-type situation. There were beers “To have success in the NHL, you’ve got to have the right type of consumed in the team’s hotel inside the bubble the NHL has constructed. players,” Dallas general manager Jim Nill said. “The character, the guys But the feeling of winning something big. It never changes. that have gone through this. They’ve lived this. They came from an Anaheim team that was very successful. They’ve been in these battles. “Last night, I think the feeling of winning of that game was just – it’s really They’ve been in these wars. You can never have enough of those indescribable,” Cogliano said. “You’re not really putting it together in players in your dressing room. terms of what’s going to happen and where you are and what the next step is. I didn’t win in college (at Michigan). I didn’t play major junior and “You go through adversity. There’s going to be times the wheels are win a championship. When you’re out there and the trophy’s coming out, coming off the truck and you’ve got to get them back on. In the end, it’s it’s a new experience you know. those players that are the ones that keep things focused. They’re the ones that guide the players. You can never have enough of those guys. “It’s something in Anaheim we were close to but didn’t get to. Pretty They live and breathe the game the right way.” special. It was a special night. Really, it was.” Perry might play the fewest minutes at even strength since his second of This trip to the Cup is a noteworthy one for Perry and Cogliano. The two 14 seasons in Anaheim, but he still gets time on the power play. The reunited in Dallas last fall after Perry signed with the club last summer Stars use the greasy 35-year-old as a net-front presence. Perhaps it is and Cogliano was traded there a few months prior last season. The no coincidence that the winger was at the net for not only the Gurianov Ducks no longer wanted both, bringing their long associations with the rocket but the game-tying score by Kiviranta, where he popped in a rebound after Perry whacked at a loose puck left by Lehner. Disturbing the opposing goaltender. Just what he’s always done, what his out what next and talking to teams and going that way, that’s obviously fans have loved and his many detractors have despised over time. going to help, to figure out what’s next right away,” Perry said. “I really don’t know how long it took me. I just thought that’s the end of one “They’re power-play goals so you know I’m going to be around the net,” chapter and we’re starting a new one. And that’s kind of how I went about Perry said. “That’s where I have to live and that’s to be expected. It’s just it.” creating havoc. Getting a tip. Whatever it is. Last night, I was in front on both those goals. That’s just where you’ll find me.” Two longtime teammates are reveling in where their connecting roads have taken them. It is a long way from his salad days as one of the game’s top right wings. Those 30-goal seasons he used to rack up are now a memory. And that “Guys still don’t realize how hard it is,” Cogliano said. “You can look at is fine. Anaheim. We went to the conference finals, we lost four straight against San Jose and now you’re in a situation where you have younger guys “Later in your career, you don’t play those top high-end minutes that come in and older guys are gone. anymore,” he said. “I accepted that. I fill a role. When I’m on the ice, I play my game. We roll four lines here. The ice time is spread out so “Listen, this is hard to do. This is a hard place to get. And at the end of much that it doesn’t feel like you have a fourth line or you have a third the day, you have to take advantage and put your best foot forward. This line. Everybody rolls. Everybody just keeps jumping over the boards, is hard to do. That’s why it’s so exciting. You got to enjoy it.” continuing to do the same thing. The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 “I’ve personally accepted where I am. And I really like what we have going on.”

The greatest strength with the Stars may be how indistinguishable they’ve become from their first forward to their 12th and a defense that plays a suffocating game particularly when they gain the lead. What has elevated them into championship contenders is their offense waking up in the postseason, enabling them to dispose of Calgary, outlast a more wide-open Colorado team or go toe-to-toe and deliver clutch goals against what was a physical, favored Vegas squad. They’ve repeatedly erased deficits and are 4-0 in overtime games through three playoff rounds.

There is the emerging superstar in Miro Heiskanen who might be in competition with affable goalie Anton Khudobin for the Conn Smythe Trophy should they capture the Cup. They have the timely contributions that have come from youngsters like Gurianov, Kiviranta and Roope Hintz. And there have been the vets that have helped keep them chugging, from Pavelski to Andrej Sekera to Blake Comeau. Even though his offensive numbers have fallen the last two seasons, the 31-year-old Benn has responded in the return to play by turning back the clock with his inspired play.

The effective concoction of young and old that Nill put together has created an air of healthy accountability within their dressing room. Cogliano sees a group that is willing to do all the things beyond scoring goals to win games. He fits that definition and hopes it rubs off on teammates. He also tries to draw the energy that the youngsters give him and keep it flowing.

“We have accountability because we have older guys that I think have been around and when stuff’s not going to the right way and stuff’s going sideways, we can just say it,” Cogliano said. “They believe us is my point. When we step in and say something that we think needs to be said, you’re going to listen to Joe Pavelski. And they’re going to listen to guys that have been there and are working hard as well.

“I’m not saying other teams don’t have that. But in a league where I think people and the praise you get for scoring and playing offensively and having all the glory is sometimes the higher priority for some guys, I really do feel like you have a lot of guys that are willing to do a lot to help the team win and get where we are now. What we’ve done is kind of proof that what players on our team and the coaching staff are buying in is actual evidence that it works.”

Once he was bought out by the Ducks, Perry and his representatives talked with numerous teams seeking to add his edgy play and vast experience in important games. In Dallas, it helped that he knew Benn well from their days as linemates with Ryan Getzlaf centering them for Team Canada. Cogliano was there, too.

But what attracted him to the Stars was the mix Nill was creating. The addition of Pavelski. The fact that they were knocking on the door last season and would be a motivated band after losing Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals to eventual Cup champion St. Louis.

Moving on stung him. But the hurt soon subsided. Even his pocketbook is filling up, with $1.6 million of bonuses reached for games played, the Stars advancing to the playoffs and three playoff rounds won. Another $150,000 can be gained with a Cup win. A second Cup would add to his legacy as a player that has won at every level of hockey.

“Going right from hearing the news that they’re going to buy me out to going kind of right into switch your mind and turn your brain to figuring 1178844 Dallas Stars For a while now, all indications were that Bob Boughner would have his interim tag removed in San Jose and I’m told that’s finally going to happen over the next week or two.

LeBrun: Head coaching tidbits from Capitals, Flames, Sharks, Stars and With the Stars, meanwhile, the original plan was for Rick Bowness and Kraken Jim Nill to reconvene after the season to discuss his future. Bowness has one more year left on his assistant coach’s contract, which he continued to work on. By Pierre LeBrun Sep 16, 2020 It wasn’t just about whether Nill thought Bowness was a good fit after replacing Jim Montgomery in December, but also whether the 65-year- old Bowness himself wanted the gig past this season. The rigours of Brian MacLellan was on a mission and he didn’t deviate from his plan. being a head coach in the NHL have never been more demanding. But I On the day in late August when he fired head coach Todd Reirden, the would have to imagine the fun he’s had in return to play with a surprise Washington Capitals GM hinted strongly at wanting to bring in an run to the Cup Final will galvanize his desire to stay on. experienced replacement to hold his players accountable. Nill reiterated in a media call Tuesday that he would talk to Bowness after Which is why I speculated in a column on Aug. 24 that he would no doubt the season but that the coach had earned the right to stay on. So that’s interview Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette and Mike Babcock. good to hear.

Which is exactly what he did. And not only that, they’re the only three And Seattle? guys he interviewed. There’s also the NHL’s 32nd team, which still hasn’t hired a head coach. He took a chance on Reirden last time around, a longtime NHL assistant We reported a number of months ago (pre-COVID-19) that Seattle GM getting a chance to be a head coach for the first time, letting Barry Trotz Ron Francis had the green light from ownership to hire a coach as early walk in the process. as this summer if he saw fit. You may remember that Gallant was hired by Vegas in April 2017 before the team’s first game six months later. Trotz had to decide between accepting an extension paying $1.8 million a year with Washington, which was triggered in his deal when the team So hiring this summer in Seattle would have been a departure from what won the Cup, or head to free agency where he landed a deal worth $4 Vegas did. million a season from the New York Islanders. It created a bit of a PR But what I was told this week is that the new reality in the COVID-19 nightmare for the Caps, part of which was the notion that they don’t pay world and the uncertainty about what’s going on with the next NHL for coaches. season has given Francis enough reason to wait on the hire. Well, you can’t make that argument now, as MacLellan knew he needed First of all, who knows exactly when Seattle’s first game will be now. a more experienced hand to keep his competitive window open with an Which is to say the start of the 2021-22 season might be delayed aging core. Laviolette’s deal according to sources is worth just under $15 depending on how late next season goes. So the Kraken have lots of million in total over three years, so a salary in the high 4s (Laviolette was time to figure out who their first coach will be. owed $2.5 million on his Nashville deal but the Caps picked up the entirety of it so the Predators are now off the hook). I still think Gallant, for rather obvious reasons, would be the perfect fit for Seattle. I mean, he just lived the expansion experience and knocked it Laviolette is now the fifth-highest paid coach in the NHL behind Joel out of the park. And while nobody will confirm this, I believe Francis and Quenneville ($6 million), Claude Julien ($5 million), Alain Vigneault ($5 Gallant had a conversation at some point over the past few months, but million) and Todd McLellan ($5 million) and just ahead of Trotz. at this point it doesn’t appear like anything is on the front-burner with a By all accounts, MacLellan was impressed by his interviews with Gallant, coaching hire in Seattle. Laviolette and Babcock. Not easy picking between the three. Players go Gallant still has another year on his deal with Vegas so his impending through a wall for Gallant everywhere he goes. And Babcock really free agency in June 2021 might be the right timing for Seattle. Or maybe intrigued MacLellan, according to a source. But the Caps went with Seattle thinks outside the box and hires against the grain. That wouldn’t Laviolette, who has made three trips to the Stanley Cup Final with three surprise me, either. different teams and won it all with Carolina in 2006. For more news and rumblings about hirings and openings around the This is about squeezing out 2-3 more years out of this veteran core and NHL, check out The Athletic’s coaches and executives tracker. having a coach who will ensure it’s all business in that dressing room. The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 Flames and Ward

The Calgary Flames also confirmed their head coaching plans this week when GM Brad Treliving announced he was retaining Geoff Ward and removing the interim tag.

Colleague Eric Duhatschek did a thorough job of walking us through Treliving’s decision here.

What wasn’t made official but confirmed to me by sources was that Ward’s new contract is for two years. Which suggests that while Treliving has seen enough from Ward since taking over from Bill Peters in November to keep him as head coach, this is still a show-me period.

You have to hand it to Treliving, I remember he once also signed Bob Hartley to a two-year extension. You just don’t see it very often. Coaches normally get 3-5 year deals.

But I mean, what else is Ward going to do? Reject the offer? Where else is he going to be a head coach at this time? He had zero leverage. Ward made the right choice. He’s got a shot to run his own bench. And hey, if Ward helps the Flames get over the hump with a deep playoff run next year, his next extension will look different perhaps as soon as next summer, a year before his deal expires.

Which leaves San Jose and Dallas …

The Washington and Calgary coaching announcements leaves the interim situations with the Sharks and Stars as the only ones left to officially iron out. 1178845 Detroit Red Wings Svechnikov is no longer waiver exempt, so he’ll have a spot on the roster — but he needs to prove he should be in the lineup. Rasmussen’s situation depends on whether he can command a spot at the center position, as that’s where the Wings see him playing longterm. Same with Detroit Red Wings 2020-21 opening lineup: Our predictions for who'll be Joe Veleno, and again, the uncertainty regarding the AHL will be a factor. out there Night 1 Abdelkader doesn’t provide much offense any more (19 points in 71 games in 2018-19; three assists in 49 games last season) and he has three years left on his contract, making a buyout prohibitive. Under Helene St. James normal circumstances he’s vulnerable to being placed on waivers (clearing a roster spot and roughly one million in salary cap space), but the pandemic might not make that feasible. This is the time of year when a team’s lineup takes shape, as players compete for a roster spot and minutes. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.17.2020

That’s the subject of this Detroit Red Wings mailbag. Reader Marty H. wants to know, “When do you think next season will start and what’s the opening night lineup going to look like?”

[ The Free Press has started a digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Red Wings content. ]

The NHL is targeting a December first start to the 2020-21 season, but that’s a fluid situation because of the pandemic. The league no doubt will observe how the NFL does with limited-capacity attendance and evaluate whether it can do the same. Pushing the start date to Jan. 1 — which commissioner has said the league is willing to do — means the regular season would end July 5.

Training camps, for now, are slated to start in mid-November; the Wings will hold theirs at Little Caesars Arena, but plan to return to Traverse City in 2021. It will be an interesting time, as there are multiple openings — some of which general manager Steve Yzerman will need to address via free agency or trades.

Jonathan Bernier is the only NHL-caliber goaltender under contract, and he certainly earned the right to start the season as the No. 1 guy after his performance the past season. From Dec. 15 to the last game on March 10, Bernier posted a .915 save percentage in 25 games. He started 23 of those games, coming into to relieve Jimmy Howard in the last two games Howard started.

Yzerman signed during the 2019 offseason to have as a reserve in case of injury, but Pickard allowed 15 goals in the three appearances he made with the Wings, and Eric Comrie likewise wasn’t able to grab the backup job when he was afforded the opportunity last December.

On defense, I think Moritz Seider will be in the lineup on opening night. The 19-year-old defenseman is currently with his former team, in Germany, part of a group of Wings loaned to European teams until the NHL gives the go-ahead on camps. Seider did well playing for the Griffins last season, and would have been called up to play a few games had the pandemic not interfered. Danny DeKeyser or Patrik Nemeth can serve as his partner, with Filip Hronek completing the top four.

Gustav Lindstrom showed he can play a safe, dependable game. So did veteran Alex Biega, who Yzerman acquired last October in a trade with Vancouver, flipping underachieving prospect David Pope. Those are front-runners to form the third pair, though , if he is re- signed, should challenge for one of the spots.

Dennis Cholowski started last season with the Wings but he didn’t make a strong impression and finished in the minors. His fate may be partially determined by whether minor leagues are operational, which they aren’t likely to be without fan attendance.

Up front, Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi have excellent chemistry to man the top line. Robby Fabbri and Filip Zadina can provide offense on the second line, likely with Valtteri Filppula in the center.

Luke Glendening, Darren Helm and Adam Erne could form a good shutdown line — Glendening and Helm are two of the fastest skaters on the team, and Erne adds a dose of physicality.

[ Should the Wings pay Seattle Kraken to rid roster of underachiever? ]

That leaves Frans Nielsen, Evgeny Svechnikov, Dmytro Timashov, Justin Abdelkader, Michael Rasmussen, Christoffer Ehn, Givani Smith and Mathias Brome to battle for the fourth line and reserve spots. 1178846 Edmonton Oilers And it’s going to be par for the course with Euros while they wait to see when NHL camps open in mid-November or December. But the Oilers aren’t letting him play any games unless they officially loan him there, as they did with Gaetan Haas to his former team, Bern, and Joakim Nygard Georgiev is perfect goalie target for Oilers, even if out of reach to his old team, Farjestads. And that’s unlikely.

Why risk possible injury to Draisaitl while playing in Germany?

Jim Matheson Edmonton Journal This ’n’ that: The Oilers need a third-line with some offensive pop as we all know, but they aren’t breaking the bank for an addition because

there’s only so much ice to go around. “We’ve got two guys (Connor It’s hardly a secret that the Edmonton Oilers No. 1 priority is to upgrade McDavid and Draisaitl) who play 40-45 minutes of the game,” said GM their net presence. … As unrestricted free agents go, Erik Haula is best 3C alternative with his speed at just $2 million, if he can get over his injury They need better goaltending after Mikko Koskinen’s work against woes. Vegas’s Tomas Nosek is the best 4C with his size, plus he once Chicago in the qualification round, where he gave up 13 goals in 124 was in the Wings organization, so Holland knows him. On the wing, the shots over four games to raise red flags with management after a solid Rangers’ Jesper Fast would be ideal as a versatile guy with solid 38-game regular-season with a .917 save percentage. defensive work, with Dallas’s Mattias Janmark as fall-back on left-wing. He also played for Holland once … If Puljujarvi comes back on a one- The perfect trade target is Rangers’ Alexandar Georgiev to work with year deal at around $1 million (way more than he’s making in Finland), Koskinen, because he’s 24 with upside, he would be cheap to sign as a there’s no reason he can’t be like Dallas first-rounder Denis Gurianov if restricted free agent in the $1.5-2 million range. On top of that, he’s stuck he digs in. Same size, same right-wing, Gurianov is 23, Puljujarvi 22. in that three-headed monster goalie situation between No. 1 Igor Gurianov has 21 goals and 33 NHL points in 86 league games. Puljujarvi Shesterikin and future Hall-of-Famer , who might find has 17 goals and 39 points in 137 games. Gurianov shoots the puck a himself bought out at age 38. And with a .918 save percentage five-on- ton, Puljujarvi is a better passer … Tippett on unlikely heroes in the five in his three NHL years, Georgiev might have the chops to be a No. 1 playoffs, such as Finnish winger Joel Kiviranta, who’s scored four goals and, at worst, he’d push Koskinen. in eight Dallas games after just 12 in 48 on their AHL farm squad: “That’s The Rangers need at least a second-round draft pick for Georgiev, way out of the woodwork,” he laughed … Winger Adam Cracknell is because they don’t have one for the Oct. 6-7 draft, although they have getting a guaranteed $450,000 to play on the farm, huge money on his two firsts. But, alas, the Oilers gave their second-rounder to Detroit for two-way deal … Local product Ryan Stanton, only 31, is a good add for Andreas Athanasiou. With a deep defence, would they take a young Bakersfield on their back-end with an American Hockey League deal forward for Georgiev? Maybe, but short of Jesse Puljujarvi, whom do the after playing two years there prior to last season for Los Angeles’s farm Oilers have to trade? team in Ontario, Calif. He’s played 479 AHL games.

The thought that the Oilers can swing for the fences with meagre cap Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 09.17.2020 space and try to sign the likes of Vancouver’s Jacob Markstrom, 30, or Washington’s Braden Holtby, 31, who has a Cup ring but is coming off a very ordinary season, or maybe trade for Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper or Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray, is close to pie in the sky.

Unless they can move Koskinen’s $4.5 million for two more years. What are the chances of that in today’s NHL fiscal climate?

“You can’t have a six-million dollar goalie (Markstrom or Holtby) and a four-million dollar back-up,” said one long-time NHL management type. “And you can’t just trade for a $4.5 million goalie when you’ve already got one. That’s $9 million in goal-tending.”

What about trading Koskinen and eating some of his salary?

“Now you’re playing fantasy hockey. All these things are good to talk about, but …”

The Oilers probably see the likeable, hard-working Koskinen, 32, as a good platoon guy with his 83 games over two years, which is certainly fine. But not at $4.5 million for two more years on his three-year deal — one former general manager Peter Chiarelli gave him. Ideally, they need somebody who can play 50-55 games, but if they can’t find that at the right price, then maybe Devan Dubnyk, if bought out in Minnesota, could be a 1-A alongside Koskinen.

Unless they come up with a deal for Georgiev.

WHERE DOES YAMAMOTO STACK UP?

Kailer Yamamoto might seem to be Jordan Eberle Lite, because they’re two highly-skilled smaller right-wingers, but Oilers coach takes a different direction.

Tippett is looking at the dirt road with the youngster who had a tough first NHL playoff, much likeEberle in 2017, after a point-a-game run on right- wing with Leon Draisaitl following his recall from Bakersfield.

“I would like to get Yamo more into (Brendan) Gallagher mould,” said Tippett.

The Oilers love Yamamoto’s ability to dig pucks out for Draisaitl.

KEEPING FIT

It’s understandable if Draisaitl chooses to skate with his old Cologne club that was coached by his dad, Peter, until he was fired and is now in Slovakia. 1178847 Los Angeles Kings This year there seems to be a decent split among the scouts on who should be selected after consensus No. 1 pick Alexis Lafrenière. Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield held a 5-3 edge over the top-ranked European skater, Tim Stutzle, who already has a pro season under his belt with NHL Scouts Poll 2020: Byfield vs. Stutzle, video views and an Mannheim in the top German league. It’ll be interesting to see who LA ‘exceptional’ crop takes with the No. 2 pick and who is left for Ottawa at No. 3.

As always, The Athletic canvassed eight NHL scouts to get their thoughts on the 2020 draft class. In keeping with tradition, the scouts are based in By Sunaya Sapurji Sep 16, 2020 different territories covering Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, the U.S. and Europe. Also included in the group is an NHL director of amateur scouting. Their answers are published out of This has been an NHL season unlike any other. It makes sense, then, sequence and edited for style, length and clarity, and not every scout that the 2020 NHL Draft should serve as an outlier, too. Junior seasons addressed every question. across North America and Europe were cut short, with playoffs and championships cancelled. How has the pandemic impacted your work as a scout with so many leagues and tournaments cancelled? There were also several international tournaments cancelled, including the world under-18 championship and the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Those It has had more of an impact on the flow of the season. There will be two tournaments were particularly significant this year as both were being hockey this season, it will just be shifted into different time frames until it held in North America (Plymouth/Ann Arbor, Mich. and Edmonton/Red normalizes into a regular season again. Deer, Alta., respectively) which would have provided NHL general Travel is the main thing. Obviously, not seeing the players in person and managers easier access to first-hand viewings of the players involved. being at home so much driving my wife crazy! (or vice versa). The NHL Draft Combine — one of my favourite events of the year — was also nixed with many teams doing their interviews online. It has taken the work out of the rink and moved it on the phone and the computer. Lots of phone and Zoom calls, getting information and getting Instead of preparing for the regular June draft, many scouts were able to to know the prospects better. However, it just really lengthened and continue digging into this draft class with the new date — Oct. 6 — prolonged one aspect of the job while reducing the time for live views. On scheduled for the first round. the flip side, it has allowed for a lot more time at home with my family So how has the pandemic impacted the work of NHL scouts? It’s been which has been a bit of a blessing. tough. Outside of seasons being put on hold and events being cancelled, Where do you start? I think the biggest challenge is for the director of there have also been pay cuts and layoffs in departments across the scouting, they really have to trust the area guys. board for many NHL teams. The Buffalo Sabres gutted most of their scouting department on top of firing almost everyone in hockey ops from A lot more work is done over the phone or Zoom now than in the past. general manager Jason Botterill on down, as The Athletic’s John Vogl Missing the Hlinka hurt. noted: The big events definitely are a great opportunity to watch the high-end BECAUSE THERE ARE NAMES BEHIND THE NUMBERS, SABRES' players head to head. Most of the regional work was done but missing HOCKEY OPS LET GO INCLUDE: out on Hlinka this year definitely puts us behind. At this point last year I had almost 10 viewings of most of the first-round guys. JASON BOTTERILL It indeed impacted my work as a scout as I missed visiting games in the RANDY SEXTON arena but I compensated with more games via TV and computer, plus STEVE GREELEY more studies about analytics.

RYAN JANKOWSKI What kinds of things do you miss in terms of viewing when you aren’t able to watch games/players in person? JEFF CRISP Buffalo Wild Wings. CORY BANIKA The bigger picture. When you’re forced to watch on video, especially STEVE COCKER video from junior, college, etc., you’re following the puck more than you would be at a game in person. MARK FERNER Video is OK but (in person) you get to see what players are doing away MARCUS FINGAL from the puck. Most of the game is played away from having the puck on SCOTT HALPENNY your stick so the video scouts who think they can get the same read are wrong in my opinion. Video is good to confirm what you already know or RANDY HANSCH have seen live.

TEEMU NUMMINEN The level of play and pace of play. Plus how the plays develop.

TOM O'CONNOR You miss the nuance watching on TV or streaming versus a live game. RON PYETTE Things like body language on the ice and on the bench.

(CONTINUED) HTTPS://T.CO/VOCM4NQCOG Just being with the other scouts on a daily basis talking hockey etc., players’ body language during a game and of course the press room — JOHN VOGL (@BUFFALOVOGL) JUNE 17, 2020 meals!

This year, since there’s been so much turmoil for scouts in terms of their I miss the small attitude things of players, how they behave on the bench work, we decided to ask a couple of pandemic-related questions. Also after a bad shift, how they behave after his peers make mistakes, the cut from the questions this year was the obligatory Toronto Maple Leafs body language. I miss overall the possibility to watch things that can draft query which caused much grumbling from readers and scouts alike. (show) parts of the player’s personality. In the immortal words of one anonymous scout from last year: “Who cares!” Just not going to games and being in the rhythm of a normal year has been tough. I like to think we are pretty organized, so we had done a If you’re interested in seeing how NHL scouts have done in the past, you pretty good job in terms of in-person evaluations for this draft. Now next can check out the previous iterations of this exercise at The Athletic: year could be a whole different story. 2017, 2018 and 2019. Of course, I was pestering NHL scouts long before working here, so you can take a look at these going back to the Aaron With all the extra time you’ve had to prepare and get to know the Ekblad draft in 2014. Just keep in mind, the scouts participating aren’t prospects, do you feel as though you know this year’s crop better than always the same. others in the past, and should that help reduce the margin of error in making the best pick? Yes, because there has been more time to prepare but no because with How many defencemen do you think will go in the first round? European leagues starting up again, it will skew those players positively or negatively in comparison to North American players. 5

No. And no. I think it will be in the range of 6-8.

The draft is a snapshot in time of how the players are viewed, so the 6 delay of the draft by six months will be a factor. Like everything in the 6-7 world, there are a lot of unknowns that we will try to eliminate. However, how hard have the players been working since we have seen them last 7 and other things come into play. I really think the normal “success” Between 5 and 8. numbers will be the same. 8 Not necessarily because you also can over scout players or over- engineer the process of scouting. On the other hand, it’s definitely a I think the way Hughes, Makar and Heiskanen have impacted the small advantage that the draft is late into the year because it gives you playoffs could affect the draft. Jamie Drysdale (D, Erie, OHL) could go the chance to watch the players again in (exhibition) for the next season earlier than expected. I would guess 8-10 in the first round. and in the case of Lucas Raymond, it might be beneficial to him because he performed so well in the exhibition games, means he might get How high do you see goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (SKA, VHL) going? drafted a bit earlier compared to if the draft was held in June. Inside the top 10. Yes and no. We know them better by watching more video that you may I think he will go around 10 or so. not have seen throughout the season but at their age, you never know until they fully mature etc … that as you know is the draft. So, maybe just 13 add four more months of confusion. 13 I believe that the margin of error will be greater than ever this year. Losing the opportunity to watch the players compete in their respective 13 playoffs as well as the U18 world championship in April leaves a big hole 15 in evaluation. Top 10 talent but likely 10-15 range I don’t think it will make that much of a difference for us. 10-15 depending on team needs. I know there are a couple of teams that The extra time has provided more opportunity for video but our process is would like to add to their goalie depth. pretty thorough in getting to know the players. Not sure the extra time has changed that much for us. To be honest, without combine testing, Is there a player you think is rated lower in the NHL rankings than he there is less info and more research needed to be done. should be? I.e. Sleeper pick

This draft has been labelled as exceptional in terms of the depth of talent I like Vasili Ponomaryov (C, Shawinigan, QMJHL), he is ranked as a — do you agree? Where do you see the talent dropping off? second-rounder on most lists but I would take him late first round.

Yes, it’s one of the better ones over the last few years. Too early to tell if Ridly Greig (C, Brandon, WHL) — not that he is low but he is lower than I it matches the 2003 or the 2015 drafts. Around 20, the differences in think he should be. He is a fierce competitor. talent become more minute. Colby Ambrosio (C, Tri-City, USHL) It’s always tricky to label a draft as exceptional or not, but yes, I guess this draft has the chance to “produce” more high-end talent than an Luke Evangelista (RW, London, OHL) average draft, I think roughly the top-8 players are really very interesting Jan Mysak (C, Hamilton, OHL) and could become players to help their franchises move forward. I think Ozzy Wiesblatt (RW, Prince Albert, WHL) will surprise people Seems to be a pretty solid first round and given this year I think some when he makes it to the NHL. very good players will be drafted late on the first day. Zachary Uens (D, Merrimack, Hockey East) Yes, I think this is a very good draft. I see it dropping off around the fourth round in terms of our own list. Yevgeni Oksentyuk (LW, Flint, OHL)

Good draft in comparison to other years. Should be a very solid first Which player do you think has the greatest potential to end up as a bust? round. Dylan Holloway (C, Wisconsin, Big 10) I think the top 12-15 are really good and then the next 30 players will be quite the range difference on teams list. You will still have a chance to Antonio Stranges (LW, London, OHL) get a good player in the second and third rounds. Blake Biondi (C, Hermantown, Minn. High School)

They say that every year. Middle second round. Jeremie Poirier (D, Saint John, QMJHL)

Yes, excellent depth. Drops mid-third round. I think Askarov carries this tag only because he is a goalie. Although he This year’s draft class features a lot of high-end forwards after Lafrenière is an exceptional talent, you never know how goalies develop. — who would you take at No. 2? Still 17-year-old kids that many factors could lead to them not having a Quinton Byfield (C, Sudbury, OHL) hockey career.

Quinton Byfield (C, Sudbury, OHL) I have an idea but unfair to be printed.

Quinton Byfield (C, Sudbury, OHL) Every year someone expected to go high falls down the draft list – who’s that player for you this year? Quinton Byfield (C, Sudbury, OHL) Hendrix Lapierre (C, Chicoutimi, QMJHL), but only because of injury Big center for me, Byfield. concerns.

Tim Stutzle (LW, Mannheim, DEL) I think Lapierre drops down because of injury questions but is a top-10 talent. Tim Stutzle (LW, Mannheim, DEL) Lapierre because of the injuries he had over the season. This is not a risk-free choice, but I would go with Tim Stutzle, I love this player and he proved to be effective last season vs. the pros. His skills, Through no fault of his own, but because of injuries: Hendrix Lapierre. skating and vision are really spectacular. This could be Yaroslav Askarov but also maybe Anton Lundell (C, HIFK, ) could drop from an expected top-8 pick to maybe 15 at worst.

Tyler Kleven (D, U.S. U18, NTDP)

Justin Barron (D, Halifax, QMJHL)

In your estimation who is the most NHL-ready player outside of Lafrenière in the draft?

Quinton Byfield (C, Sudbury, OHL)

Quinton Byfield (C, Sudbury, OHL)

Tim Stutzle (LW, Mannheim, DEL)

Tim Stutzle (LW, Mannheim, DEL)

Jake Sanderson (D, U.S. U18, NTDP)

Jamie Drysdale (D, Erie, OHL)

I think this could be Marco Rossi (C, Ottawa, OHL), he isn’t the biggest or the strongest guy but he looks quite developed in a lot of aspects already.

I think Anton Lundell (C, HIFK, Liiga), Lucas Raymond (LW, Frolunda, SHL) or Alexander Holtz (RW, Djurgarden, SHL) having played with men already should make the jump relatively soon.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178848 Los Angeles Kings The currently un-named franchise will become Ontario’s closest geographic rival, when the team begins play. Initially expected to start alongside the Kraken in 2021-22, the team has been delayed by a season, with the organization currently in search of a temporary solution REIGN NOTEBOOK, SEPTEMBER 16 for their inaugural NHL season.

Gold Together

BY ZACH DOOLEY FOR LAKINGSINSIDER.COM SEPTEMBER 16, Lastly, a Reign community initiative throughout September is partnering 2020 with the American Cancer Society on a month-long initiative to raise funds and awareness for pediatric cancer awareness month.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 09.17.2020 Insiders!

How about a quick offseason notebook. First off, for those who didn’t know, I’ve been away for the last couple of weeks for my wedding in New York. For those that did, thank you to everyone who reached out, it was much appreciated!

Introducing The Dooleyweds

Thanks to everyone who reached out with congrats on our special day! pic.twitter.com/e6FkfFKlYS

— Zach Dooley (@ReignInsider) September 8, 2020

Now, it’s back to business……

Sean Walker Signs Four-Year Extension

Another Reign alum graduates from the AHL, earns time in the NHL and succeeds in the NHL. Now, he earns a four-year extension with the Kings. Congrats to Sean Walker, who I spoke with yesterday and wrote about here.

Walker was electric in the 22 games I watched him play with the Reign during the 2018-19 season, as he collected 17 points in that time and seemed to be a threat to create an odd-man opportunity every time he stepped on the ice. It was nice to start to see him use his skating ability to shine in the NHL as well this past season, as he grew in confidence from a rookie to a second-year player at that level.

Walker becomes the Kings’ second-highest paid defenseman, though relatively speaking his new deal is still a modest rate. His new deal places him in a group with Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe, as players who earned a more permanent second contract with the organization following the expiration of their entry-level deals.

Stanton Moves On

Signed to be a veteran presence on the Ontario blueline a season ago, Ryan Stanton will not be back in the same role in 2020-21, though he won’t be far away. Stanton signed an AHL contract earlier this week with the , meaning he will remain in the Pacific Division when the coming season kicks off.

Stanton was the elder statesman on the Ontario blueline in 2019-20, along with Paul LaDue, on a group that otherwise consisted of first and second year professionals. Stanton was an alternate captain for the bulk of the season, and was a steady, defensive-zone first player for Ontario. He now returns to the Condors, this time on an AHL contract, where he spent two seasons from 2017 – 2019.

On a similar note, earlier this summer, Max Gottlieb and Stephen Baylis signed ECHL contracts with South Carolina and Florida respectively. Each was on an AHL contract with Ontario this past season, but spent the bulk of the campaign with ECHL-Fort Wayne.

Reigny Day Podcast

We’ve kept the Reigny Day Podcast rolling throughout the summer, and we’re looking to do a listener mailbag during this week’s edition! We would appreciate any questions submitted via either Twitter (@ReignInsider), in the comments here or via this form, if you prefer to be anonymous. They’ll all do! Looking forward to answering all of them on our upcoming episode.

Recently, we’ve had John Wroblewski, Matt Moulson and Derek Armstrong on as guests with some exciting new guests to come! Listen in to a couple of recent episodes below –

Palm Springs, Coming 2022

The Seattle Kraken posted an announcement earlier today with an update on their AHL-affiliate, which will be placed in Palm Springs. 1178849 Minnesota Wild future. He also said it’s unlikely impending free agent Alex Galchenyuk returns.

The Wild did open itself up to trade speculation after Jonas Brodin Wild trades center and fan favorite Eric Staal to Buffalo received a seven-year, $42 million extension Tuesday.

Productive scorer departs; hybrid forward Marcus Johansson arrives. Matt Dumba is at the heart of those whispers because he’s the only defenseman in the top four without a no-move clause, but Guerin described the chatter among GMs as normal.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 — 12:35AM “If I were to move Matt, I don’t have to rush,” said Guerin, who explained he hasn’t spoken to Dumba. “We can play all year with him. We like Matt

Dumba. He’s a heck of a player. He’s a great kid. We’re very happy with The search for a top center in an already busy offseason isn’t over for the him, and we think our top four will go up against anybody. I’m confident in Wild, but the team might end up relying on depth up the middle. that. But I don’t promise anybody anything.

That’s because the Wild made a surprising trade Wednesday, sending “I know the business well enough from a player side, and I wouldn’t want first-line center and six-time All-Star Eric Staal to the Buffalo Sabres for to make an empty promise. We’ll try to improve our team as much as we Marcus Johansson, a center/wing hybrid who will help the by-committee can when we can.” approach up the middle for which the Wild seems headed. That could certainly mean more moves are on the horizon after the Wild’s “It’s very hard to acquire true No. 1 centers, and we might have to do it early postseason exit. with all hands on deck,” said General Manager , who acquired “If I don’t make moves, nothing will happen,” Guerin said. “We’ll just stay center Nick Bjugstad from Pittsburgh on Friday. “But that doesn’t mean it the same, and that’s not the idea.” can’t work. I wouldn’t be making these moves just to make them. These are guys I have confidence in, and I like what they bring to our team.” Star Tribune LOADED: 09.17.2020 Staal and Johansson aren’t exactly equivalents.

Johansson, 29, didn’t make a splash at center with Buffalo, finishing last season with nine goals and 21 assists in 60 games and winning just 40% of faceoffs.

Only twice in his 10-season NHL career, which has also included stops in Washington, New Jersey and Boston, has he reached the 20-goal plateau after getting drafted 24th overall in 2009 by the Capitals.

But Guerin is confident the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Swedish Olympian can handle the position, and he’s keen on Johansson’s playmaking ability and power play skills.

The Wild also gets younger and adds speed, and coach is familiar with Johansson from when Evason was an assistant with the Capitals.

“They’ve got a pretty good No. 1 centerman there,” Guerin said, referring to Sabres superstar Jack Eichel, “and sometimes it’s just not a great fit. But I think Marcus fits well with us, and he’s going to get a lot of opportunity. Dean knows him very well from Washington and believes he can be an impactful centerman. He’s going to get that opportunity.”

Like Staal, Johansson has only one season remaining on his contract before becoming a free agent, but Johansson carries a steeper cap hit at $4.5 million compared with Staal’s $3.25 million.

Staal’s track record is also much longer than Johansson’s, an elite and rare career that included a meaningful chapter in Minnesota.

When the Wild signed Staal in 2016, the team brought in a member of the who won the 2006 Stanley Cup and gold medals with Canada at the 2007 IIHF World Championship and 2010 Olympics. Staal has played in two All-Star Games for the Wild and last season recorded his 1,000th point and exceeded 1,200 games.

His 436 goals rank fifth among active NHLers in goals, and he’s closing in on 600 assists. The 35-year-old tied the franchise record for goals in a season with 42 in 2017-18.

Staal was also a leader on the Wild, and his boisterous goal celebrations were a hit with fans.

“Sometimes we need to mix things up,” said Guerin, who said trade talks with the Sabres had been going on for some time. “We need to find a different pathway to success, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to build a better team, and sometimes you have to take some drastic measures.”

Aside from Johansson, the Wild has Joel Eriksson Ek at center along with Bjugstad, Victor Rask and Nico Sturm, once he’s re-signed.

Although Rask spent most of last season as an extra, Guerin called him a “very capable center” who needs to get more ice time.

Guerin did not mention Mikko Koivu’s name when sizing up his depth chart up the middle and again declined to comment on the captain’s 1178850 Minnesota Wild

NHL veteran Paul Martin rejoins Gophers, this time as a coach

Martin, an Elk River native who played 14 NHL seasons, will be an undergraduate assistant for his alma mater.

By Randy Johnson Star Tribune SEPTEMBER 16, 2020 — 7:21AM

Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko held a video conference call with media members Tuesday, and the subject of Minnesota’s glory days of back-to-back NCAA championships in 2002 and ’03 came up. The 2002 team had a defensive corps that featured Hobey Baker Award winner Jordan Leopold, sophomore standout Paul Martin and freshman phenom Keith Ballard.

“That first year with Leopold, Martin and Ballard, that was something to be around,” Motzko said.

Motzko and his Gophers will get a taste of that this season because Martin is joining the staff as undergraduate assistant coach. The Elk River native, collegiate All-America and 14-year NHL player will assist the Gophers on and off the ice while finishing his bachelor’s degree as part of the Gopher Grad program.

Motzko is excited to have Martin, 39, tutor a defensive group that features high-end sophomores Ryan Johnson and Jackson LaCombe, plus freshmen Brock Faber, Mike Koster and Carl Fish.

“He’s just got a cool, cool demeanor about him that’s really going to rub off on our players,” Motzko said of Martin, “and with he and Rabs [assistant coach Garrett Raboin, a former St. Cloud State defenseman] putting their hands on that young ‘D’ corps, there’s some magic there.”

Motzko, whose team began individual skills instruction sessions on Monday, said Martin is expected to join the team next week after COVID- 19 testing.

Martin retired in 2018 after a 14-year NHL career that saw him score 50 goals and assist on 270 over 870 regular-season games with New Jersey, Pittsburgh and San Jose.

Now, he’ll be back on campus, and Motzko couldn’t be happier.

“He made a promise with his mother that he’d go back and get his degree. He can get it done in a year,” Motzko said. “ … You can best be assured that came with open arms.’’

Star Tribune LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178851 Minnesota Wild passive. We are just going to try and improve our team, and when those deals come, it doesn’t matter what time it comes at, we will do it.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 09.17.2020 Wild trade Eric Staal to Sabres for Marcus Johansson

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: September 16, 2020 at 4:59 p.m. | UPDATED: September 16, 2020 at 9:17 p.m.

It looks like Wild general manager Bill Guerin wasn’t messing around when he said he wasn’t afraid to make a trade this offseason.

He executed a stunning one on Wednesday, flipping veteran center Eric Staal to the Buffalo Sabres for winger Marcus Johansson.

Johansson, 29, from Sweden, is entering the final year of a two-year, $9 million contract. He finished last season with 30 points (9 goals, 21 assists).

Staal, 35, is entering the final year of a two-year, $6.5 million contract. He finished last season with 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists).

While it might seem like a confusing move on the surface, especially considering Staal centered the top line for the Wild for much of the 2019- 20 season, he is getting older, and his value might never be higher than right now.

On the flip side, Johansson is younger, and despite being listed as a winger, he is more than capable of playing center. He did that last season with the Sabres and will fill that role with the Wild next season.

“I think Marcus fits well with us,” Guerin said. “He’s going to get a lot of opportunity. (Coach Dean Evason) knows him very well from (his time with the Washington Capitals) and believes he can be an impactful center man. He’s going to get that opportunity.”

This move certainly will get the rumors swirling as the Wild continue to look for more skill up the middle. That’s something Guerin mentioned as a top priority this offseason, and considering he so willingly traded a locker room favorite in Staal, it wouldn’t shock anyone if he made another move — specifically involving Matt Dumba, who has been at the epicenter of every trade rumor since Jonas Brodin inked his contract extension earlier this week.

Not that Guerin is looking to make a move immediately.

“We are happy with the D core,” Guerin said. “If I were to move Matt, I don’t have to rush. We can play all year with him. We like Matt Dumba. He’s a heck of a player. He’s a great kid. We are very happy with him, and we think our top-four will go up against anybody.”

“But I don’t promise anybody anything,” Guerin added. “I know the business well enough from a player side,. I wouldn’t want to make an empty promise. We will try to improve our team as much as we can when we can.”

Staal came to the Wild ahead of the 2016-17 season after 11 seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and one split between Carolina and the New York Rangers, with many doubters thinking the 32-year-old washed up. Not only did Staal emphatically proved them wrong with his solid play, he scored 42 goals during the 2017-18 season, the apex of his career renaissance.

While his production since has decreased, Staal was an invaluable locker room guy who had a knack for making a big play when the Wild needed it most. He has 436 goals and 585 assists in 1,240 career games, with 111 goals and 129 assists for the Wild.

“Sometimes change is good for us,” Guerin said. “This is part of it. Sometimes we need to mix things up and need to find a different pathway to success. That’s what we are trying to do. We are trying to build a better team and sometimes we have to take some drastic measures.”

As for any future moves, Guerin emphasized that he won’t be afraid to pull the trigger.

“If I don’t make moves, nothing will happen,” Guerin said. “We will just stay the same, and that’s not the idea. I’ll try to make the right moves at the right time. I’m not going to say I’ll be super aggressive or super 1178852 Minnesota Wild Guerin, of course, could always protect four defensemen by choosing to protect eight skaters as opposed to seven forwards and three defensemen. So Guerin doesn’t have to deal Dumba if he doesn’t get exactly what he wants in return. Wild stunner: Eric Staal dealt to Sabres, and the Matt Dumba rumors intensify But teams are surely calling.

Two teams believed to be hot after Dumba are the and , but the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay By Michael Russo Sep 16, 2020 Lightning also have right-shot defenseman needs.

There’s lots of chatter that the Jets are willing to trade Jack Roslovic (a wing who could play center), Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine this A month ago, Bill Guerin appeared on a podcast on The Athletic and offseason, while the Wild just hired former Canucks director of amateur didn’t mince words after the Wild’s latest playoff disappointment: “I’ve got scouting Judd Brackett for the same role in Minnesota. to figure out what’s the issue.” So Brackett knows the Canucks’ roster inside and out and one does “Why have we been falling short?” Guerin wondered aloud. “There’s wonder if Guerin would sacrifice flipping Dumba for a center if he could something rooted here that’s not working. … It’s something in the culture, get hold of right-shot sniper Brock Boeser. and we need to change it.” If Guerin’s a fan of Sean Monahan, the Calgary Flames’ No. 1 center On Wednesday, Guerin undoubtedly grabbed the attention of all of his who might be in play this offseason, maybe he gives Dumba’s hometown players in the midst of this very abnormal offseason by surprising one of team a shout. their most popular comrades and biggest leaders with an unexpected phone call. Matt Dumba (Brace Hemmelgarn / USA Today)

In a late-afternoon stunner, Eric Staal was traded in what could be This has got to be an uncomfortable time for Dumba, who’s going to hear deemed a shot across the bow of the Wild locker room and a sign that his name churning through the rumor mill indefinitely because of his lack Guerin is more than willing to shake up the roster. of contract protection until his modified no-trade clause kicks in before the 2021-22 season. The day before, Staal was on the golf course, finished playing 18 holes with a few teammates and sprinted home to get on the phone with his But Guerin doesn’t have to be in a hurry to trade him. agent so he could rework his annual 10-team no-trade list in time for Tuesday’s league deadline. “We’re happy with the D corps,” Guerin said. “Right now, if I were to move Matt, I don’t have to rush. We can play all year with him. We like When Staal ultimately submitted his list, the Buffalo Sabres weren’t on it. Matt Dumba. He’s a heck of a player. He’s a great kid. We’re very happy with him, and we think our top-four will go up against anybody. I’m Twenty-four hours later, Staal was on the Sabres. confident in that.” The 35-year-old center, the pro’s pro whose 111 goals over four But Guerin also isn’t about to call Dumba and promise him that he’s seasons with the Wild was more than any other player in that span and going nowhere. ranks sixth overall in team history, was traded straight up for soon-to-be- 30-year-old skilled forward Marcus Johansson, a smart, fast player who “I know the business well enough from a player side, and I wouldn’t want has been mostly successful in his career playing wing but floundered last to make an empty promise,” Guerin said. “We’ll try to improve our team season in Buffalo being force-fed at center. In Minnesota, he too will be as much as we can when we can.” tried at center. That’s what Guerin hopes he did with Wednesday’s trade. Marcus Johansson There’s no denying that the Wild got a little younger and a lot faster in the Marcus Johansson (Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today) Staal-for-Johansson swap. Johansson also can be feisty at times for being fairly undersized. “Eric’s always a positive influence on guys, but sometimes change is good for us. This is part of it,” Guerin said. “We need to mix things up, we And, this was no salary dump with the intention of adding that big-name need to find a different pathway to success. And that’s what we’re trying center later. to do. We’re trying to build a better team and sometimes you have to take some drastic measures. Staal is entering the last year of his contract with a $3 million salary and $3.25 million cap hit. Johansson, a native of Sweden, is entering the last “If I don’t make moves, nothing will happen. We’ll just stay the same, and year of his contract with a $4 million salary and $4.5 million cap hit. that’s not the idea.” The trade, on the surface, is peculiar from one fairly important standpoint. And, more moves could be in the works. The 5-foot-11 Johansson has played left wing for most of his career. In rapid-fire moves four days apart, Guerin first acquired forward Nick Guerin says he was acquired to play center. Bjugstad from the Pittsburgh Penguins, then signed defenseman Jonas Brodin to a seven-year, $42 million contract. It’s clear few Wild players But Johansson came to the Sabres after a solid four-goal, 11-point, 22- are untouchable, including veteran Zach Parise (he has no-move game playoff in 2019 as the Boston Bruins’ third-line left wing. Before protection), goalie Devan Dubnyk and even youngsters Jordan that, the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils each concluded Greenway, Luke Kunin and Ryan Donato. Johansson wasn’t a center and played him at left wing. But the Sabres tried to play him between Jeff Skinner and Vladimir Sobotka as their But it was the mammoth Brodin extension that signaled to 30 other teams second-line center for much of last season, and it went as poorly as that sharp-shooting, right-shot defenseman Matt Dumba may be in play if expected for a player who hadn’t played center in seven years. the return includes a top-six forward, preferably a center. Johansson scored nine goals and 30 points in 60 games in his first and Guerin admitted Wednesday night that teams are calling on Dumba in an only season with Buffalo. attempt to “gather information.” A *VERY* STRONG MOVE FOR BUFFALO. “Matt’s a heck of a player. Who wouldn’t want Matt Dumba?” Guerin said. “But we have him right now, and we’re happy with that. We’ll leave it at ERIC STAAL IS OLDER, YES, BUT HE IS ALSO $1.25M CHEAPER that.” AND WELL, A LOT BETTER THAN MARCUS JOHANSSON. HE'S STILL A TOP SIX CALIBRE PLAYER THAT CAN DRIVE PLAY WELL, Guerin didn’t shy away though from talking about Dumba during his WHILE JOHANSSON HAS DECLINED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE Wednesday night availability. Teams are assuming he’s going to trade PAST FEW SEASONS. PIC.TWITTER.COM/OJAIQDFRJQ him because Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon and Brodin must be protected in next year’s Seattle expansion draft because of no-move protection in — DOM LUSZCZYSZYN (@DOMLUSZCZYSZYN) SEPTEMBER 16, their contracts. 2020 Why will Johansson fare better in Minnesota? “Opportunity,” Guerin insisted. “(The Sabres) got a pretty good No. 1 “You guys all know the business. It’s very hard to acquire true No. 1 centerman there (in Jack Eichel), and sometimes it’s just not a great fit. centers,” Guerin said. “We might have to do it with all hands on deck, but But I think Marcus fits well with us, and he’s going to get a lot of that doesn’t mean it can’t work. I wouldn’t be making these moves just to opportunity.” make them. These are guys I have confidence in, and I like what they bring to our team and we’ll still continue to try and improve.” Guerin noted that coach Dean Evason, the Capitals’ former longtime assistant coach, knows Johansson well from their days there and The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 “believes he can be an impactful centerman. The thing that I like about him, and a lot like Nick Bjugstad, both players have the ability to play center and wing and to me that’s valuable. But we have (Johansson) slated in as a center, and that’s where he likes to play and we’ll see how he does, but I’m confident he’ll do well there.”

In 648 career games over 10 years, Johansson has scored 129 goals and 364 points.

The Wild already had a pressing need at center, so it’ll be interesting to watch what else Guerin has up his sleeves because there’s clearly more brewing.

The Athletic recently reported that Guerin has told Mikko Koivu that he will not be re-signed for a 16th season, but Guerin continues to decline any comment on Koivu’s situation. He did say Wednesday that he has told agent Pat Brisson that it’s unlikely Alex Galchenyuk will be re-signed.

Staal, the father of three boys, was said to be blindsided Wednesday when he found out about the trade. The man who traded for him was Kevyn Adams, the Sabres GM who was Staal’s Carolina Hurricanes teammate in 2006 when the two celebrated a Stanley Cup.

Staal signed with the Wild in 2016 to a bargain three-year, $10.5 million contract in an attempt to resurrect his career. He certainly found his game again, scoring 28 goals in his first season and matching the Wild franchise record with 42 goals in 2017-18 and taking two trips to the All- Star Game in 2018 and 2020.

He’ll be remembered in Minnesota for his true professionalism and fiery goal celebrations. Staal, who has scored 436 goals and 1,021 points in 1,240 career games, was wearing a Wild sweater when he played in his milestone 1,000th game and recorded his 1,000th point.

Eric Staal

His game though began to turn south in his third and final year of that contract. Near the trade deadline, multiple sources say former GM Paul Fenton could have dealt Staal to the Boston Bruins for a first-round pick and Sean Kuraly.

Instead, Staal was re-signed to a two-year, $6.5 million deal that seemed to be the antithesis of Fenton’s desire to get faster and younger up the middle.

Staal scored 19 goals and 47 points in 66 games in the first year of that deal this past season. He went through lapses of ineffectiveness in the second half after the worst start of his career (eight straight games to open the season without a goal). He scored a goal and four assists in four playoff games and in 14 playoff games in three postseasons with the Wild, Staal scored two goals.

Guerin has a lot of respect for Staal, but he wants to give more opportunity to guys like Joel Eriksson Ek, Nico Sturm and even Victor Rask, he said. The speed quotient was big, too. Guerin was clearly worried about Staal getting up and down the ice when he tired.

“I like the playmaking ability (of Johansson),” Guerin said. “I love him on the power play. I remember him very well from his days in Washington when I was in Pittsburgh. I always admired his skill set.

“We have some younger guys in our room that need to step up and take more of a leadership role. I think Eric was a guy that they relied on heavily for that. But he’s not going to be there. Who’s going to do it?”

Guerin said he feels good about the direction he has taken the team in the past week and may take some time to “reassess and see where we are.”

But even though Guerin acknowledged that the Wild may have to go with a by-committee approach at center next season — something it feels they’ve done for 20 years without ever acquiring or drafting and developing a true No. 1 center, there’s little doubt he’ll continue to look for that elusive top center.

And the price very well could be Dumba. 1178853 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens sign defenceman Joel Edmundson to 4-year, $14M deal

The 27-year-old rearguard, who is 6-foot-4 and weighs 216 pounds, played 68 games with Carolina last season, recording 7 goals and 13 assists.

Herb Zurkowsky Montreal Gazette

Only days after being acquired in a trade — and with unrestricted free agency looming on the horizon — Joel Edmundson decided against testing the market.

Canadiens general manager announced on Wednesday evening the team signed the defenceman to a four-year, US$14-million contract. The deal will carry a salary cap hit of US$3.5 million and means the team has approximately US$10 million of cap space remaining according to capfriendly.com.

According to Sportsnet, the deal also includes a 10-team no-trade clause.

At 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, the 27-year-old native of Brandon, Man., will add size to the Canadiens’ blue line and potentially leaves Bergeron with some options moving forward.

Although Brett Kulak has two years remaining on his contract, Edmundson’s arrival could make him expendable, especially since Montreal will probably want to find room for new Russian rearguard Alexander Romanov. As well, Victor Mete is eligible to become a restricted free agent.

With Ben Chiarot, Edmundson, Romanov, Kulak and Mete on the left side, Bergevin’s trading days might not be over.

Edmundson certainly will add some valuable depth to the blue-line corps. He was acquired last Saturday from the Carolina Hurricanes for a fifth- round draft choice in 2020 and could have become an unrestricted free agent next month.

Originally selected by St. Louis in the second-round (46th overall) in 2011, Edmundson was part of the Blues’ Stanley Cup championship team last season. He spent four seasons with St. Louis before being traded to the Hurricanes last summer as part of the Justin Faulk deal.

Edmundson was a top-four defenceman with Carolina and posted a career-high 20 points in 68 games. He was on a one-year, US$3.1 million deal with the Hurricanes.

Edmundson was considered expendable after Carolina acquired Brady Skjei from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline.

In five NHL seasons, Edmundson has produced 20 goals and 52 points over 337 regular-season games. He also has 320 penalty minutes.

Edmundson’s deal is similar to the three-year, US$10.5 million contract Chiarot was signed to by the Canadiens in July 2019, when he left Winnipeg as a free agent. That signing has certainly worked out for Montreal. Chiarot produced a career-high nine goals and 21 points in 69 games last season.

Bergevin has been busy since the Canadiens were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening-round series. Earlier this month he acquired goaltender Jake Allen and a 2022 seventh-round pick from St. Louis for third- and seventh-round selections this year.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178854 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens loan Jesse Ylönen to Finnish club

General manager Marc Bergevin announced Wednesday that Ylönen will join the Pelicans in the Finnish Liiga.

Pat Hickey • Montreal Gazette Publishing date:Sep 16, 2020

Jesse Ylönen signed his NHL entry-level contract with the Canadiens at the end of last season but still has not played in an AHL or NHL game.

Jesse Ylönen is the latest Canadiens prospect to be loaned to a European team for the start of the 2020-21 season.

General manager Marc Bergevin announced Wednesday that Ylönen will join the Lahti Pelicans in the Finnish Liiga. With the start of the NHL season delayed until at least early December, the loan will give Ylönen an opportunity to get into playing shape before reporting to the Canadiens training camp.

Ylönen, 20, signed his NHL entry-level contract with the Canadiens at the end of last season but still has not played in an AHL or NHL game. The 6-foot-1, 172-pound right-handed forward recorded 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) in 53 games with Lahti in 2019-20, his second season with the Finnish club.

Ylönen, a second-round pick by the Canadiens in the 2018 draft (35th overall), earned gold at the 2019 world junior championship with Finland.

The Canadiens previously announced that Lukas Vejdemo will start the season in his native Sweden while Hayden Verbeek will play in the Czech Republic.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178855 Montreal Canadiens no regrets over his contract today. So perhaps both Bergevin and Edmundson deserve some benefit of the doubt here. The annual cap hit is only $400,000 more than Edmundson made this season, which is a very mild raise for a first-time unrestricted free agent, with the trade off The priority of the Canadiens’ offseason is clearly to optimize Carey Price being the four-year term he received on the contract. The 10-team no- trade list he received is basically standard today for unrestricted free

agents and is not something that obligates the Canadiens to protect By Arpon Basu Sep 16, 2020 Edmundson in the Seattle expansion draft at the end of next season.

As for the Canadiens’ cap situation, Bergevin still has roughly $10.2 million available to sign Max Domi and Victor Mete, assuming they both A weary-looking Marc Bergevin walked out to meet the media in remain in Montreal, and that’s with Alzner’s salary on the books. But next Brossard year, Bergevin now has just short of $42.5 million committed to only 10 players. He will need to make decisions not only on the group of five on July 2, 2017. unrestricted free agents in Petry, Brendan Gallagher, Phillip Danault, One day earlier, he had signed free agent defenceman Karl Alzner to a Tomas Tatar and Joel Armia, but Bergevin will also need to sign Jesperi five-year contract worth $23.125 million, which is a contract both Kotkaniemi to his second NHL contract and will need to do the same with Bergevin and probably even Alzner would like to forget. But on this day, Nick Suzuki a year later. If the Edmundson contract does not work out, Bergevin signed the most important contract of his career as a general this is when it will be felt most, not now. manager, one that went against all conventional wisdom in hockey, but It is still difficult, however, not to see this as a case of Bergevin one he believed would make the Canadiens competitive for years. negotiating against himself before knowing what the market would be for This was the day Carey Price signed his franchise-record eight-year, $84 Edmundson. Would he have been a highly sought-after player when free million contract to make him the highest-paid goaltender in the NHL, a agency opens on Oct. 9? Hard to say, but a borderline second-pairing title he still holds today, three years later. defenceman who is probably best suited for a bottom pair role is not usually fielding dozens of calls as soon as free agency opens. Allocating that much money to a goalie wasn’t seen as all that wise then, and it still isn’t today. So maybe Bergevin should have waited and seen what this unprecedented market looked like before handing Edmundson this “Well, nobody has a goaltender like Carey Price in the league. So until contract. Maybe he could have gotten him for cheaper, or for fewer they do, they don’t know,” Bergevin said that day in 2017. “You know years. But with Bergevin’s experience chasing free agents and selling what? There’s a saying we use: Goalies are not important until you don’t them on playing in Montreal, it’s not all that surprising that Bergevin didn’t have one. Seeing what’s going on around the league with teams who are want to take that risk when all it cost him was a fifth-round pick. looking for a goaltender, it’s really hard to do. So it’s a position that’s hard to find, and we have in our opinion one of the best in the business, if not What it indicates is that Bergevin really wanted what Edmundson brings, the best, so we’re going to keep him and make sure he’s here for the rest a physical element in his own zone that is big and strong and relatively of his career.” mobile for his size. Basically Chiarot 2.0, and he didn’t see any better options than Edmundson available in free agency. Except from that point onward, the Canadiens have done little to ensure they get a full return on that sizeable investment because Price has been As the rest of the NHL trends toward using smaller defencemen who can overworked with no reliable backup goaltender behind him and a skate like the wind and contribute offensively, Bergevin has built one of patchwork defence playing in front of him. the biggest defences in the NHL. It should be obvious why he is going this way, why Bergevin is not only ignoring the leaguewide trend but Two years into that contract and after watching what a rested Price can moving entirely in the opposite direction. do in the 2020 playoffs, Bergevin has finally decided to double down on that investment. The intent is obvious, to see the Price that stymied the He is doing it to get the most out of his biggest investment. Pittsburgh Penguins and gave the Philadelphia Flyers fits in the playoffs The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 more often in the regular season.

First, Bergevin went and acquired Jake Allen from the St. Louis Blues to play behind Price for a year and form more of a tandem in goal, one that will count for nearly $15 million against the cap. Then he used a fifth- round pick to acquire Joel Edmundson from the Carolina Hurricanes and, on Wednesday, signed the impending unrestricted free agent to a four- year contract worth $3.5 million a season.

How often have we seen Price taking it upon himself to clear his own crease, combatting the waves of forwards trying to stand in his way with a slash to a leg or a blocker in the back? Price is actually quite good at it, and he’s a big boy, but in an ideal world he wouldn’t have to do that very often. He shouldn’t need to anymore.

Price’s net should be largely free of nuisance for the foreseeable future. A hypothetical top-four on defence of Ben Chiarot, Shea Weber, and Edmundson has an average height and weight of 6-foot-3, 218 pounds. It is a big group, and while Petry is not necessarily the most physical defenceman, all four of these players have the ability to move bodies away from areas of the ice that belong to their goaltender.

This is obviously not the only reason Bergevin went so aggressively after Edmundson. But it is a major one.

Edmundson’s advanced stats are quite poor. He is not someone who drives the play forward, though he is coming off the best offensive season of his career with 20 points in 68 games with Carolina and looked great in four playoff games that Bergevin would have seen up close in the Toronto bubble until Edmundson got injured. Edmundson regularly plays difficult minutes against top competition, starting a high percentage of his shifts in the defensive zone. Still, there is no assurance that this contract will look good in a year or two.

But many of the same things were said of Chiarot last summer, including a strong performance in the previous playoffs, and the Canadiens have 1178856 Nashville Predators sixth. But according to Micah Blake McCurdy, Laviolette has had a negative impact on his teams’ offense, albeit a slight one.

I wonder if the defense’s heavy involvement in the offense is partially Inside Peter Laviolette’s coaching tactics, contract and media approach responsible for that, at least during his time with the Predators. As one league source told me about the Predators, “The team is upside down. The team is run through the defense and not through the offense. I think that is a big problem. It was awful under Laviolette. … It’s great if your By Tarik El-Bashir and Adam Vingan Sep 16, 2020 defensemen can contribute offensively, but (the forwards) can’t just stand and watch the defensemen move ahead of them and then join afterwards. That’s just not how the game works.” The list of hockey writers who have covered both the Capitals and Peter Laviolette is a really short one. So, naturally, on the day the Caps hired El-Bashir: From what you’ve observed over the years, which players Laviolette to be their new head coach I reached out to a distinguished and/or position group stands to benefit the most from Laviolette’s member of that very exclusive club: our own Adam Vingan. tutelage?

Vingan got his start covering the Caps for NHL.com, The Washington Vingan: Carlson could have the puck on his stick more. In our previous Post Express and other Washington-area outlets. Since 2014, however, conversations about Carlson, Roman Josi and the Norris Trophy, I noted he’s been in Nashville covering the Predators, first for The Tennessean the differences in how they operate. Josi transports the puck from end to and now The Athletic. And, of course, Laviolette was the bench boss in end more than any defenseman in the league, and Carlson relies more Nashville for 5 1/2 of the last six seasons. on stretch passes. The Capitals forwards are more talented than their Predators counterparts, so Laviolette might not want to take the puck out I had a bunch of questions regarding what to expect from Laviolette in of their hands. But Carlson could be given more opportunities to make D.C. Fortunately for me (and now you), Vingan had lots of detailed plays. The same goes for Dmitry Orlov. answers. El-Bashir: Conversely, are there any Caps that you suspect will have a Here’s a recap of our correspondence Tuesday afternoon: tough time adapting to Laviolette’s direct, no-nonsense style, particularly early on? Two players that come to mind immediately for me are Evgeny Tarik El-Bashir: Caps GM Brian MacLellan said on the day Todd Reirden Kuznetsov and Jakub Vrana. was fired that he wanted a veteran coach who could “push buttons” on high-end players, preach structure, hold guys accountable and turn Vingan: Those are good choices. Laviolette developing a strong working around the good “culture” that had begun to “slip.” To me, it seems like relationship with Ovechkin is important, as it is for every Capitals coach. Laviolette checks all of those boxes. What are your thoughts? But Kuznetsov, who had a bad 2019-20 season by his standards, would be second on my list. Many of the Predators’ top players — Josi, Ryan Adam Vingan: I mostly agree with that. Laviolette is 16th in wins in NHL Ellis, Mattias Ekholm, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson — came of age history and one of four coaches to lead three franchises to the Stanley under Laviolette, so he can pull from that experience to get the most out Cup Final, so he must be doing something right. of Kuznetsov. Laviolette has developed a reputation as an intense coach with an ability El-Bashir: During the Ovechkin era, the Caps have been known for to turn around underachieving teams in short order. He does have a spending to the salary cap limit but being somewhat frugal when it comes limited shelf life; his tenure in Nashville was the longest of his career, and to coaches, as evidenced by six men who have proceeded Laviolette. it was clear to me around the time the Predators fired him that it was time Just one of them (Trotz) had previous head coaching experience. With for a change after five-plus years. Laviolette, though, owner opened his wallet, signing the 55- The Capitals, though, have a short window to win again with an aging year-old veteran of 18 NHL seasons to a reported three-year deal worth core, so the decision to hire Laviolette makes a lot of sense from that just under $15 million, according to our Pierre LeBrun. That’s nearly perspective. His teams tend to immediately respond to him. double what Laviolette reportedly earned in Nashville. It’s also interesting that the numbers got out as quickly as they did; the Caps typically keep El-Bashir: As you know, there are some big-time stars in the Caps’ room, details of coaching contracts close to the vest. Do you think there’s a including a nine-time Rocket Richard winner and a 2020 Norris Trophy message being sent? I do. finalist. You covered Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson and many other members of the core group. Do you think a taskmaster like Laviolette is Vingan: The pay raise caught my attention, too. It says to me that what they needed? Leonsis is serious about the Capitals getting their act together.

Vingan: I am curious to see how Laviolette’s style will go over in a El-Bashir: There will be plenty of time to explore this in the coming days, dressing room filled with veterans who recently won a Stanley Cup. but is there anyone out there you think we’ll see Laviolette bring to D.C. When he joined the Predators in 2014, he inherited a young group that as an assistant? was receptive to his rah-rah approach. Vingan: Kevin McCarthy is a name to watch. He and Laviolette began “Peter is a motivational speaker who is also a coach,” one Predators working together in Carolina, and Laviolette brought him to Philadelphia player who played for Laviolette and Barry Trotz told me recently. “Trotz and Nashville. (The Predators fired Laviolette and McCarthy on the same never yelled at you or screamed at you. Not that Laviolette was all about day.) that, but he was a little bit more stern.” McCarthy oversaw the defense and was in charge of the Predators’ From afar, it appeared that the structure instilled by Trotz slipped under league-worst power play in 2018-19 (12.9 percent). It was so horrible that Reirden. Laviolette should take a firmer hand with them, though his Laviolette eventually stripped McCarthy of that responsibility. approach can wear on players when things are not going well, as it Laviolette was noncommittal when asked about McCarthy on Tuesday, definitely seemed to be when the Predators struggled this season. but I would not be surprised to see him on the bench if he still wants to El-Bashir: From an X’s and O’s standpoint, what can be expected from a coach. Laviolette coached Caps team? A quick look at last year’s numbers El-Bashir: Reporters, and by extension fans, were spoiled a little by Todd reveal that offense (at least in the regular season) was not the problem. Reirden’s openness at the podium. While he didn’t tell us everything and Keeping the puck out of their own net? That was the biggest issue, he certainly could be overly protective of his players, he rarely turned particularly in the second half. In fact, from Feb. 1 until the stoppage in combative and was generally pleasant to deal with, win or lose. What can March, the Caps went 6-8-3 and allowed more goals (3.53 per game) we expect from Laviolette? than any team in the league. Vingan: Laviolette is not cut from the same cloth as Reirden, Trotz and Vingan: I do not claim to be an expert in X’s and O’s, but in simple terms, Bruce Boudreau. He will be the Capitals’ most tight-lipped coach since Laviolette encourages his teams to take risks and push the pace. . (Predators general manager cited Laviolette’s “aggressive offensive philosophy” as a reason for his hiring six years ago.) When it comes to dealing with reporters, Laviolette is ultra-protective of his players and game plan, so do not expect enlightening press The Predators averaged 2.94 goals per game in 451 games under conferences. Laviolette, eighth-most in the league, and their 905 5-on-5 goals were It can work against him, though. For example, his repeated refusal to explain why he scratched veteran center Kyle Turris for seven consecutive games early in the season other than to call it a “lineup decision” did him and the organization no favors by keeping it in the news cycle for almost a month.

El-Bashir: Challenge accepted. Hahaha.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178857 New Jersey Devils Castron: The general manager. Q: Have you ever been overruled?

Castron: I don’t think so. Obviously, we’ve had two first overall picks in Devils scouting director Paul Castron talks prepping for draft in recent years, so Ray Shero had a big input in those. Some GMs more pandemic, 3 1st-rounders, career path | Q & A than others have scouting in their background, but most GMs let their scouts do their job. The two years we had the first pick, it wasn’t like we were getting Connor McDavid, so there was discussion before we picked By Randy Miller Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. Ray, rightfully so, was out there taking notice at some of those young kids.

Q: Does it come down to you and your staff ranking 200 or so draft- One of the most important NHL drafts for the Devils finally is approaching eligible players with some GM input at the top, then you pick whoever is after the pandemic pushed it back from June 26-27 to Oct. 6-7. They highest on your board when it’s the Devils' turn? didn’t win the lottery for the third time in four years, but instead own the seventh-overall pick and added No. 18 and 20 via trade. Castron: We have about five or six people voting to make up our list. I might break a tie here and there, but it’s really a collaborative effort by GM Tom Fitzgerald may trade one of their later firsts for immediate help, the group. We were shuffling some names around last week. It doesn’t but whether it’s two or three first rounders, the Devils' selections will be take long before you get a 3-2 split. It’s an enjoyable process. We always added to a growing group of talented young players that management have a final order and we’ll go by our board. If the guy we have at five is believes is setting up the franchise to be a perennial playoff team after there for us at seven, then he’s our guy. There’s no change at that point. seven misses in the last eight seasons. That’s why you deliberated and did all of the collaboration and due Sign up for Devils Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes diligence. observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers Q: How has it worked out preparing for this year’s draft with no games Paul Castron, the Devils' director of amateur scouting, is the man who after March, no scouting combine and no face-to-face interviews? will be making these important selections in a virtual draft that has had Castron: We got a pretty good handle on the guys before we got shut prep work like no other. Since March, he’s been home in suburban down, then from March on we had our scout meetings and met with Detroit reworking the Devils' draft board, interviewing potential picks in players on Zoom. Also, the video system has improved so much over the Zoom calls and watching a lot of game video while making time for his years that you can watch all of an individual player’s shifts for a game in wife Terri, a high school counselor in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the couple’s 12-to-15 minutes. It’s not the same as being there because the video 10-year-old twins, swimmer Madison and youth hockey player Kuper. misses some of the stuff that they do away from the puck, but it also Castron, 58, is a seasoned pro who has been helping to shape NHL doesn’t lie. The video has been a great tool for us. franchises for almost three decades, first as a scout with the Ottawa Q: What kind of things are you asking draft-eligible players in the Zoom Senators for seven years, then as a scout, player development director calls? How often are you talking to prospects? and scouting director with the Columbus Blue Jackets for 14 years before joining the Devils on July 31, 2015 to reunite with GM Ray Shero, a Castron: Certain guys that we’re keying on we’ve talked to two to three college teammate and close pal. times and our meetings last 20-to-30 minutes. We go over a whole load of questions. We have our sports psychologist in there, too. You’re Castron talked about the 2020 draft, his childhood and his life in hockey asking, ‘How do you see yourself as a player? When do you think you’ll for a Q & A with NJ Advance Media: be able to track into an NHL lineup? What’s your development path, Q: This is a big draft for the Devils. Are you already excited? career path, injury history?’ What will you bring to our organization?' It’s a little bit of everything. Castron: Definitely. It’s an opportunity to really set the franchise up if we could hit it big with these three picks. Trading a first is always a Q: How much has the Devils' draft board changed since the spring? possibility, but if we get a player that helps us right away and it’s a good Castron: We sat down in March and worked on our board every day fit for our team, then it’s a good move. It’s a luxury to have those picks. preparing the list for June, then when the draft was pushed back we got There are teams in a cap situation, so I’m sure we’ll get some interest in the luxury of watching more video. You don’t necessarily make huge there at 18 and 20. I can’t speak for Fitzy, but I don’t see us moving from changes to your board, but guys can improve their status. That’s what’s seven. going on this year with some leagues starting now. The Quebec (Major Q: This draft is being called deep at the top. Are you thinking this is a Junior Hockey) League is starting Oct. 1. They’re already in camp. The good year to be picking seventh? You could get a top-pair defenseman OHL and WHL aren’t starting until December, but they’ve started in by picking Jamie Drysdale or Jake Sanderson. You got get a top-six Sweden, Russia and Finland. This is bonus coverage and anything’s up sniper taking one of the Swedish right wings, Alexander Holtz or Lucas for grabs. I’ve been doing this going on for 30 years and there’s never Raymond. Cole Perfetti and Marco Rossi are highly touted forward been high-end guys playing when the draft is coming up. Every time we prospects who probably will go in the 4-to-10 range. go to camp in September, we’re always amazed with how much improvement these kids who we drafted in June made because kids Castron: We’re going to be very excited whoever we get at No. 7. All of make big strides from age 17 to 18. This summer we’re getting to see those guys are quality players. But somebody else four years from now some of that before we draft. It’s helping us, but it’s also bringing up be might be better. You don’t know. discussions because certain guys have not made strides. I don’t mean the top guys, but potential first rounders have made us look at our list Q: It’s easy to look back in four years and say, ‘How did everyone not and say, ‘Do we really want this guy in that spot because this guy’s gone know that Johnny Gaudreau should have been picked higher?’ Do you by him with some hard work the last six months?’ That has come into beat yourself up when you see somebody that everybody passed over, play, for sure. including you, turns out to be a star? Q: Do you expect to keep changing your draft board based on what you Castron: You can’t beat yourself up, but you can definitely learn from it. see from players in September? There are kids that go through the draft completely one year and get picked in the first or second round the next. You say, ‘We could have Castron: Definitely. Alexander Holtz will play games for his (Swedish taken this guy in the seventh round and be pretty damn happy!’ But Hockey League) team in Sweden before the draft. He could score six there’s always different circumstances that lead to that. When you get to goals in the first two games and people would be going, ‘Whoa, what’s the late rounds, often times you’re leaning towards your area scouts' going on with this guy?!’ That’s unprecedented. passion for a player and you might go by somebody for a particular reason. Sometimes you go with a kid going to college where you have Q: You’re living near Detroit. You’re not from Michigan and never worked three or four years to sign him versus a junior kid you’ve got to sign them for the Red Wings. How did you end up there? right away or one year out. Things like that factor into some of the picks Castron: It’s a great place to be for a hockey scout. The USA that you make. Development Program has been there for about 20 years. Michigan and Q: Who has the final call, the scouting director or GM? Michigan State have good college programs and they’re really close. There are juniors that are really close. And for traveling, most flights out of Detroit don’t have connections.

Q: You were born in Toronto and spent part of your childhood there. Were you a big Maple Leafs fan as a kid?

Castron: My dad was a Montreal fan, so I was, too. My dad grew up in before the Canucks were in Vancouver. Montreal and Toronto were the only NHL teams in Canada then and Montreal was winning Cups left and right, so I guess that’s why he was a Canadiens fan. But I was only in Toronto until I was 6, then we went to London (Ontario) for two years and then Sudbury (Ontario), which is four hours from Toronto. I started really following hockey going to () games as a kid. The attendance used to be 6,666 and we would sometimes sneak in and go to the standing-room area to watch them come down and blast slap shots. The Wolves had great junior teams then. Bruce Boudreau was a superstar.

Buy Jack Hughes Devils gear: Fanatics, NHL.com, Lids

Q: You had a pretty decent playing career for a 5-foot-9 center. You scored 136 points in 132 college games at St. Lawrence University with Shero as one of your teammates. Then you spent a couple seasons in the minors and four in Sweden before getting into scouting. How would you scout yourself as a player?

Castron: I thought I had pretty good hockey sense and playmaking ability. In college, I led the team in scoring as a freshman and senior, Ray led the other two. I was over a point a game, which I guess in today’s game might have made me some money, But back in those days I was too small. I wasn’t at the highest level in Sweden. My last year I was a player-coach. I did it for the experience and it was a great time.

Q: A year later, you were a scout for the expansion Ottawa Senators. How did you get into scouting?

Castron: I played with Randy Sexton in college and he was instrumental in the Senators getting the franchise. He was the Senators' first team president and he’s the one who started my scouting career. I wanted a job in the NHL, so what’s better than knowing somebody that’s in the game?

Q: Do you have a favorite story from being on the road scouting?

Castron: One year I was traveling with some scouts to a hotel in Regina, Saskatchewan after a game in Moose Jaw during a winter storm. The snow was blowing across the highway and our side of the road was so bad that we crossed to the other side of a median strip and drove on wrong side of the road. We had the doors open the whole time looking for lines on the road. It’s pitch black and cars were coming at us. I was in the backseat. Scary. We probably drove five miles like that before we could cross back over. The next day when we were back on that same highway in the daylight, there were cars and tractor trailers all through the ditches.

Q: How did you end up in Columbus?

Castron: To make a long story short, I scouted in Ottawa with Dan Boyd, who went to the Blues and then became the scouting director in Columbus. Dan and I had a pretty good relationship. He’s the one that brought me into Columbus.

Q: You had a long run in Columbus. You get promoted to player development director, then scouting director, then you leave to go work for your old buddy when Shero gets the Devils' GM job.

Castron: Ray and I had five years together in Ottawa, then he left for Nashville (in 1998) to be the assistant GM. When he got Jersey, he brought me with him.

Q: How did you handle it last winter when the Devils made a GM change?

Castron: It was a shock. It’s never easy when the guy that gave you an opportunity is relieved of his duties. Even more than that, Ray was in my wedding. We played together. We worked together in Ottawa, then we definitely stayed close the whole time he was in Nashville. We’re still close.

Star Ledger LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178858 New Jersey Devils Lindell. Klingberg was the No. 131 pick in the 2010 draft, while 73 players heard their names called before Esa Lindell in 2012. Finding defensemen after the first round who can log 22-plus minutes effectively in the playoffs creates a seismic advantage in roster-building. What the Devils can learn from every team in the NHL conference finals New York Islanders

The lesson: Patience can lead to success By Corey Masisak Sep 16, 2020 was just named NHL general manager of the year, but his oft-maligned predecessor Garth Snow deserves a significant amount of credit for this Islanders roster. Eight of the Islanders’ top nine scorers It’s been eight years since the Devils participated in the second half of during this postseason run were drafted or acquired by Snow. the , and they still have plenty of work to do to get back there. Josh Bailey was a first-round pick all the way back in 2008. He predates John Tavares, and he endured years of criticism for being a good-but- The organization has been through the post-Cup Final decline, the start not-great player. Bailey has rewarded the franchise’s faith in him with the of the first full-fledged rebuild since the franchise moved to New Jersey, a four best seasons of his career since turning 27 and a team-leading 20 false dawn two years ago and, finally, a reminder that this process points in the 2020 playoffs. At 22 years old, had played 16 doesn’t follow a smooth, linear path back to greatness. NHL games in four years after being a first-round pick, but now he’s 25 For them to get back there, the franchise “pillars,” Nico Hischier and Jack and the club’s best defenseman. Hughes, must develop into two of the best players in the league. Other The Islanders had a core built around Tavares. Instead of blowing it up young players, either currently in the system or about to join them in the when he left, they kept the group together. Players like Matthew Barzal, draft, must support them to form a formidable, homegrown core. New Anthony Beauvillier, Devon Toews and Pulock have joined them and general manager Tom Fitzgerald will need to supplement the roster with helped the Islanders reach the conference final for the first time since external players through trades and signings, while avoiding the bad 1993. contracts that can derail any contender from reaching its ceiling. The lesson: It’s not just the head coaching hire What can the Devils learn from the four NHL teams that have reached the conference finals in 2020? Let’s pick out some lessons that could be The obvious difference for the Islanders over the past two seasons meaningful for New Jersey in the coming weeks, months or even years. without Tavares is coach Barry Trotz. The Isles were a terrible defensive team before he arrived, and now they’re recognized as one of the most Dallas Stars formidable in the league. Trotz won the because of The lesson: Mackenzie Blackwood isn’t going to do this on his own the turnaround last season, but if there were an assistant coach of the year award, the combination of director of goaltending Mitch Korn and When Lindy Ruff coached the Stars to 109 points and a Central Division goaltending coach Piero Greco would have been a strong contender. title in 2015-16, the goaltending — an ongoing issue for much of his tenure — fell apart during the postseason. Dallas, even after losing star Korn has one of the best resumes of any goaltending guru in league Tyler Seguin following Game 1 of the opening round, reached Game 7 of history, while Greco won the with the Toronto Marlies two a second-round series despite the two goalies combining for an .890 years ago before joining the Islanders. Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss save percentage in 13 games. had the best seasons of their careers in 2018-19, and Greiss and Semyon Varlamov have been a solid tandem this year. The Islanders Dallas fired Ruff after the next season, and the solution in net finally have been willing to play both goaltenders during this run and were arrived. Ben Bishop has been one of the best goaltenders in the NHL confident enough in Korn and Greco to let Lehner leave despite his over the past three seasons. His .923 save percentage is third in that incredible 2019-20 season. span (min. 50 games played). The Devils would certainly be thrilled if Blackwood can reach that level of play. Tampa Bay Lightning

Now, the Stars will play in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since The lesson: Never overreact the Devils denied their repeat bid 20 years ago — because of Bishop. The Lightning made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Final in Bishop started Game 1 in the opening round against the Flames and 2011. Afterward, they did not get overzealous and give away key young lasted only 13 minutes in his second start (Game 5 against Colorado), players or draft picks, expecting to ride on the success. Instead, they missing most of Dallas’ run because of an injury. Backup goaltender continued to build and have amassed one of the best collections of talent Anton Khudobin has started 16 of the team’s 18 playoff games as a in the NHL this century. They reached the Cup Final in 2015 and the final result. four in 2016 and 2018. Khudobin has been one of the best backup/No. 1B goaltenders for much Then, even after one of the biggest flameouts in NHL history — 62 of the past eight seasons. Regardless of what the Devils decide to do regular-season wins, zero playoff victories — the Lightning still didn’t fall with Cory Schneider, who has two years left on his contract, they need to for the trap that so many clubs do after multiple playoff failures. Instead, find Blackwood a partner by late summer 2022. Other than Gilles Senn, they kept all of their key players and continued to add. Now, they’re one the goaltenders in the pipeline aren’t likely to be ready for 30-35 NHL victory away from returning to the Cup Final again, despite not having games by then. captain Steven Stamkos at all and losing Brayden Point and Ryan The big step is for Blackwood to prove his first 70 NHL games were a McDonagh to injuries. sign of things to come and to settle in as the club’s No. 1 goaltender. But The playoffs are often called a war of attrition, but the Lightning have it will be tough to consider the Devils true title contenders without a solid shown it is possible to build a roster in the salary-cap era that is deep sidekick for him. Many teams have shifted closer to an even split with enough to withstand injuries to star players. If there’s a theme with the their goaltenders’ regular-season workload, and the success of teams Lightning, who have had incredible success with four conference finals in like the Stars and Islanders could influence more teams to do the same. six years, but no title yet, it’s: If you have good players, keep them. And The lesson: Day two defensemen can work out you can never have enough of them.

The obvious solution for the Devils might be to find their own Miro The lesson: When you have the aces, go all in Heskainen, but there aren’t a lot of defensemen of that caliber to go How many times has an NHL team looked like a title contender and then, around. Most of the elite ones are selected near the top of the draft. On a at the trade deadline, nibbled a little to add someone on the edges of the related note, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler released his preseason roster or stood pat? The Lightning are clearly going to have salary-cap ranking of 2021 draft prospects, and five of the top 10 are defensemen issues in the near future because they have drafted, developed and he says have similar or better potential than Bryam Bowen, the first traded for too many good players in a system that eventually just won’t defenseman selected in 2019, and Jamie Drysdale, who could be the first allow them to keep everyone. in 2020. So, what could GM Julien BreisBois do to give his team one more boost? Beyond Heskainen, the Stars have a defense corps worthy of playing in He identified a need — gritty forward depth — and went hunting for the the second half of this tournament because of John Klingberg and Esa best players that fit that description who were also on cheap contracts. Enter Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, who each have an extra year left on their bargain deals, so the Lightning will get two chances to win with them.

The cost for each player was very steep — too steep for a lot of NHL GMs. But BreisBois knew he had a roster worthy of winning the Stanley Cup and it was time to push the chips in. If Point’s injury doesn’t linger for too much longer, the Lightning could win the Cup this month and be the overwhelming favorite to win again next year.

Would Fitzgerald consider bold moves like that in the future?

“Julien wants to win the Stanley Cup,” Fitzgerald told The Athletic recently. “This is their year. You can see it with the way they’re playing. What’s the value of winning a Cup? I don’t know. I’m not there yet. But I hope to get there, to where I can parlay a top prospect and a first-round pick because we are on the verge of winning a Cup. I tip my hat to Julien. He’s a good businessman and a passionate general manager who wants to win. I think he showed his fan base and his team that he’s all-in.”

Seems like this might be one lesson he’s already done some homework on.

Vegas Golden Knights

The lesson: No bad contracts

In a salary-cap league, bad contracts are a big problem. And yet, so many NHL teams can’t help themselves.

Sure, Las Vegas’ unprecedented start as an expansion franchise stems in large part from other NHL teams not valuing their players properly and gifting the wrong ones to the Golden Knights. But it can’t be understated how important it was that Vegas did not simply take a bunch of bad contracts from other teams. At the time, that was a popular theory about how Vegas might build a future winner.

The Golden Knights did not do that, and the result was not only a good team in Year One, but also the financial flexibility to sign and trade for Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty in Year Two. Now, it’s possible those contracts will end up hurting near the end of their term. But the Golden Knights opened a contention window right away and have been able to capitalize on it.

This approach could be particularly important for the Devils over the next couple of offseasons. New Jersey wants to get better and keep building toward winning big. The Devils can see a future in which their young players enter their primes and they have cap space to work with. Unless they spend unwisely between now and then.

The lesson: Call the Florida Panthers regularly

OK, that is mean. But the Panthers have received an incredible amount of (justified) criticism for gifting two-thirds of a top line to the Golden Knights by trading them Reilly Smith and leaving Jonathan Marchessault unprotected, in large part to keep Alex Petrovic and Mark Pysk in 2017. Woof.

The broader point here is that sometimes NHL teams make mistakes. Actually, a lot of NHL teams will make mistakes if you let them, and sometimes they will alter the fortunes of another franchise. We could see a lot of movement over the next two offseasons, with teams getting squeezed by a flat salary cap and concerned with another expansion draft.

Fitzgerald is one of the new kids on the GM block, so other general managers might seek him out in the hope of finding a bargain. Fitzgerald could use that to his advantage by being active and chatty with other GMs, and prepared when something shakes free that he didn’t expect.

That something might just turn into a core player who helps the Devils become a Cup contender in the future.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178859 New York Islanders

What Islanders’ mindset is heading into another must-win

By Greg Joyce September 16, 2020 | 9:07PM

The Islanders didn’t just stave off elimination Tuesday night. They did so in dramatic fashion.

Now, they will try to ride those emotions to being the latest team to come from behind against the Lightning in an Eastern Conference final.

“I think you just gotta try to maintain that momentum that we earned from [Tuesday] night and carry that into the next game,” captain Anders Lee said Wednesday, a day after the Islanders’ 2-1 double-overtime win in Game 5. “When you have a win like that, it definitely is easier to carry over.”

The Lightning still own the 3-2 advantage in the series, but recent history is not on their side. They held the same lead in the same round in both 2016 and 2018 before letting both series and trips to the Stanley Cup final slip away.

It was Barry Trotz’s Capitals who came back to beat the Lightning in the 2018 conference final, but the Islanders coach indicated the greater pressure still lies with his team.

“We have one life left. They have two,” Trotz said. “So I don’t know, you tell me which [team] has more pressure.”

Lightning coach said an argument could be made for either side facing more pressure, but insisted he is “at peace” with his team and where it currently stands — though he’d certainly have to feel more comfortable if Brayden Point is able to return after missing Game 5 with an injury.

Still, Cooper said he believes the Lightning played well enough to win Tuesday night and insisted he wouldn’t ride the highs and lows like he might have in the past in the same situation.

“[The Islanders] are probably sitting there saying, ‘Hey, we just won in overtime, we’ve got them thinking, and the ball’s in our court, and let’s just keep pushing,’ ” Cooper said. “And then you’re in our locker room saying, ‘Hey, we’re still up 3-2, and they were a lucky bounce away from the game still being going or us scoring.’ The players are going to decide it [Thursday] night one way or the other.”

In the first three rounds of the postseason, it was the Islanders who had missed out on their first shot at closing out a series, including the last round in which they blew a 3-1 lead over the Flyers and had to win it in seven games. Now, they’re on the other side, hoping their strong showing in Game 5 was more than just a one-game save.

“You still have to attack the game the same way that you would any other night,” Lee said. “We’re on our heels, or I guess our backs are against the wall a little bit, and we gotta come out flying.”

Jordan Eberle won Game 5 on a two-on-one in double overtime, but before that, the Islanders had turned in a stout defensive performance. They blocked 32 shots and remained committed to winning it the hard and gritty way — the same kind of effort it will take twice more for the Islanders to have a chance at completing the comeback.

“At this time of year, what you find out as you go along in the playoffs [is] the game is about all those commitment elements and less about the artistic part of the game,” Trotz said. “That sort of gets thrown out a little bit. Just because so many battles happen, there’s no space, there’s no time. It becomes a little bit less creative sometimes just because there’s no space. … You gotta manage the puck, you gotta will yourself, you gotta jump and execute on a moment, a missed play, whatever. That’s how you win in the playoffs.”

New York Post LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178860 New York Islanders

Islanders’ miracle sequence is all a blur to Barry Trotz

By Greg Joyce September 16, 2020 | 6:42PM

Forgive Barry Trotz if he can’t describe exactly how the Islanders were able to kill off a four-minute penalty, at the end of regulation and the start of the first overtime, with their season on the line Tuesday night.

“I’m blanking on it because I almost had a heart attack when we took a four-minute penalty at that time of the game,” Trotz said Wednesday. “But a lot of it was a lot of commitment.”

Trotz could smile about it a day later, after the Islanders had pulled out a 2-1 win in double overtime of Game 5 against the Lightning. But it was no laughing matter Tuesday night when Anthony Beauvillier went to the box for a high-sticking penalty with 1:23 left in the third period.

The Islanders were able to kill it off, though, allowing just two shots on goal during the four-minute penalty.

“It was just real good reads, the penalty killers being prepared and then huge sacrifice when we needed it,” said Trotz, who credited associate coach Lane Lambert with making a slight adjustment on the kill. “We took away a couple of their options. They still got some almost looks that could have been very dangerous. It’s just the preparation that went into it, the commitment that went into it, and you’re going to need a save or two and all that happened.

“You talk about pressure moments, big moments where you could be out of a series, guys rallied around that penalty, around Beau, because Beau is a big part of what we do, and got it done.”

Brayden Point’s status for Game 6 remains up in the air. The dangerous Lightning center missed Games 3 and 5 — both Islanders wins — with an injury, but coach Jon Cooper said his availability would not be determined by the status of the series.

“In this situation … I’m hoping it’s not the last time we’re going to see Pointer, and we might be able to see him as early as [Thursday] night,” Cooper said. “I don’t have the answer for that. We put the player first, and then we just go from there.”

Point has tallied three goals and four assists in three games this series.

Semyon Varlamov turned into a popular GIF on Tuesday night when he belly-flopped into the Islanders’ celebration, but Trotz said the goalie’s show of emotion was not uncharacteristic.

Semyon Varlamov celly!! pic.twitter.com/SFbFxdcBJu

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) September 16, 2020

“He’s a guy that loves to have fun,” Trotz said. “He’s a guy that takes his craft very seriously. It’s not out of character, that’s a man showing emotion.”

New York Post LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178861 New York Islanders Olczyk, a 1994 Ranger who played with a captain of some renown named Mark Messier, said he has followed Lee since Lee was a teenager and has been impressed with how he carries himself on and off the ice. He's not dynamic, but Anders Lee is just right for these Islanders About that off-ice leadership, Lee has had a busy summer helping the team navigate life in the COVID-19 bubbles and being the Islanders’ spokesman on social justice issues when the playoffs paused for two Staff days.

Mostly, the Islanders are an experienced, self-regulating team that has Anders Lee of the Islanders celebrates the game-winning Anders Lee of followed Lee and other veterans this far, and does not want to stop. the Islanders celebrates the game-winning "You just want to keep that going, the good vibes, the feelings, all those Scott Mayfield dropped his broken stick with 5:45 left in the first overtime things that let you go out there and play free," Lee said. "So I think all the Tuesday night, surely giving Islanders fans flashbacks to when the very leaders on our team, everyone in our room, is really good about that." same thing led to a double-overtime loss to the Flyers two weeks prior. Game 6 is Thursday. Six wins to go. But then Anders Lee started doing Anders Lee things. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.17.2020 First, he handed his lefty stick to the righthanded Mayfield, because defensemen get priority in such situations.

Then he began stalking the ice, stickless, doing what he could to disrupt the Lightning, first shoving defenseman Zach Bogosian over the blue line, later sliding to block a Bogosian slapshot with his left knee.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Finally, after an excruciating, season-threatening 90 seconds, the Islanders cleared the zone and Lee got to the bench.

Oh, and there was this, too: One overtime later, he did most of the work setting up Jordan Eberle’s game-winner 12:30 into double-OT, giving the Isles a 2-1 victory and shaving their Eastern Conference finals deficit to 3-2.

"He’s obviously our leader for a reason," Eberle said later. "He’s a big body, and a lot of the times you see him battling down low and taking on one, two, three guys and winning battles.

"It’s just the stuff you expect to see from him, and he does it a majority of the time. He does not get enough credit for the passion that he plays with and the work ethic. It’s definitely contagious through our lineup."

Before Game 5, the top-line trio of Lee, and Eberle had been slumping, and coach Barry Trotz said he needed more from them. He got it.

"You start with your captain, Anders Lee," Trotz said. "A good example is when he lost his stick, he gave it to our defenseman. He had that long shift. He’s blocking shots, he’s all in. He was exhausted and he still found a way."

On Wednesday, Lee said that after donating his stick to Mayfield, it was just a matter of "trying to hold on, try to find a way to get the puck out and live to see another day."

On the game-winner, he chipped the puck to himself after the Lightning’s Kevin Shattenkirk flubbed a shot from the point, then he sped down the ice and fed Eberle perfectly.

Even though he is a former 40-goal scorer, Lee lacks the dynamic skill set of his predecessor as captain, John Tavares, or the injured Tampa Bay captain, Steven Stamkos.

But he is just right for these Islanders, who are more apt to win with defense and grit than fancy stuff.

On the first goal on Tuesday, he disrupted Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on Ryan Pulock’s long shot.

"He’s as effective of a player in front of the net that there is in the league," NBC analyst Ed Olczyk told Newsday on Wednesday. "And I’m not just talking about making plays or redirections.

"I’m talking about the ability to play that role and hang around as long as you can and take away the eyes of the goaltender. He’s just very, very intelligent when it comes to playing that way . . . He plays to his strength. That’s leadership."

Olczyk later added, "A guy like that, he may be very predictable, but man oh man, it’s going to take its toll (on opponents), especially in a playoff series." 1178862 New York Islanders

Barry Trotz on Islanders' situation: 'We've got one life left'

The Islanders, still pumped up from defeating the Tampa

By Andrew Gross

Ultimately, Thursday night’s Game 6 between the Islanders and Lightning will stand on its own in terms of momentum swings and mounting pressure on either team to succeed in the Eastern Conference finals.

"We look at it as one game at a time," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said on Wednesday. "We have one life left. They have two. You tell me who has more pressure."

The Islanders staved off elimination with a 2-1 double overtime win in Tuesday night’s Game 5 at Rogers Place in Edmonton to cut their series deficit to 3-2.

"That was a big win, a gritty win," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "When you have a win like that, it’s easier to carry over and you want to maintain that, for sure."

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

But both teams believe their performance on Tuesday can help them on Thursday.

The Islanders because they won a low-scoring game, something they are very comfortable doing.

The Lightning, who played without top-line center Brayden Point and may be without him again for Game 6, because they liked the way they played and were within inches of a Nikita Kucherov overtime winner and an offside-review away from a go-ahead goal in the second period.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper did not provide an update on Point, who also missed the Islanders’ 5-3 win in Game 3. Cooper said he hoped the Lightning had not seen the last of Point in the playoffs and also left open the possibility he could play in Game 6.

Point’s status in Game 6 will not change how the Islanders will try to play. Trotz switched his lineup to 11 forwards and seven defensemen in Game 5, matching the Lightning’s series-long strategy.

"I don’t know if your approach changes," Lee said. "You still have to attack the game the same way you would any other night. I think we’ve just got to maintain the momentum earned from last night and carry that into the next game. Similarly, our backs are against the wall a little bit and we’ve got to come out flying."

The Islanders are trying to become the 30th team in NHL history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit.

But as far as whether trying to get that fourth win is tougher than trying to rally, neither coach was going to say for sure.

"I think you can stand in each team’s court and make a case because that’s what both coaches are doing," Cooper said. "They’re probably sitting there saying, ‘Hey, we just won in overtime, we’ve got them thinking and the ball’s in in our court, let’s just keep pushing.’ Then, you’re in our locker room saying, ‘Hey’ we’re still up 3-2 and they were a lucky bounce away from the game still going on or us scoring.’

"You can play the tennis match and volley back and forth on what you’re doing to your team," Cooper said. "It’s why we play the games. The players are going to decide it tomorrow night one way or the other. Pressure is what you make of it. If you want to succumb to it, you can. Or, if you want to thrive in it, you can. You’ve got to make a choice. You’ve got to embrace these moments. You don’t get them very often. So, enjoy them and don’t let that pressure get to you."

The Lightning are in the conference finals for the fourth time in six years but last advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, when they lost to Chicago. The Islanders, in the conference finals for the first time since 1993, are seeking their first berth in the Cup Final since 1984.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178863 New York Islanders

Semyon Varlamov's celebratory slide after Islanders' Game 5 win no surprise to Barry Trotz

By Colin Stephenson and Andrew Gross

Turns out, that happy, headfirst slide by Semyon Varlamov into the pile of teammates celebrating Jordan Eberle’s winning goal in Tuesday night’s 2-1 double overtime victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Lightning was not out of character for the 32-year-old goalie.

"That's a man showing emotion,’’ Islanders coach Barry Trotz said on Wednesday. "He loves to laugh, he loves to smile, loves to have fun. [There is] time to play and the time to work. He has those in really good order. And it's not a surprise that he'd do something like that at all.’’

VARLAMOV IS EVERYONE ON THE ISLAND!#Isles | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/R3NtPlDsnP

— #StanleyCup Playoffs on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) September 16, 2020

Varlamov (11-6, 2.17 goals-against average, .918 save percentage, two shutouts) will try to help the Islanders stave off elimination for a second straight time in Thursday night’s Game 6 at Rogers Place in Edmonton after making 36 saves on Tuesday.

Varlamov, typically fairly stoic in his public persona, said after the game, "I just jumped because I was so excited for us.’’

Trotz had already left the bench and didn’t see the dive live but it was replayed frequently after the game.

"I love the human element of the game," Trotz said. "You get a chance to make some moments that you’ll remember for a long, long time."

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Once an Islander…

Captain Anders Lee and defenseman Devon Toews both smiled when asked about former teammate Robin Lehner saying via Twitter he wanted to hear "YES YES YES" on television while predicting an Islanders’ win on Tuesday. The goalie’s season ended when Vegas was eliminated on Monday.

"We loved Lehnny when he was here and he was a big part of that team last year," Toews said. "It just shows the community we have in our locker room and in our organization. Even if you leave, you create lifelong friendships. We wish Lehnny all the best, we miss him and we appreciate his support."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178864 New York Rangers line center type, or a replacement for Fast if he leaves. Maybe he even trades restricted free agent Strome rather than signing him for one more year.

Reshaping the Rangers: Assessing the team’s options at forward in ’20- The Rangers have some options for bottom-six roles, such as freshly- 21 signed Morgan Barron, a big bodied two-way winger who can also skate comfortably at center.

If they don’t re-sign McKegg, they can slot Howden as the fourth-line By Rick Carpiniello Sep 16, 2020 83 center or promote free-agent signee Justin Richards from Hartford. Brendan Lemieux (another restricted free agent like Strome, defenseman

Tony DeAngelo and goalie Alexandar Georgiev) figures to be one of the As the Rangers look to improve their forward position, an immediate fourth-line wingers, with Gauthier, Di Giuseppe and a whole cast of question arises: candidates filling in there.

Will they re-sign unrestricted free agent Jesper Fast? As far as other prospects cracking the opening-night lineup, well, Vitali Kravtsov is playing in Russia, and has committed for the full season. The Because there is a dramatic ripple effect down the lineup if they don’t. Rangers can recall him. But they’re not bringing him back on a “maybe.” They’re not forcing him to come back and perhaps end up in Hartford. If And, no, I’m not arguing that Fast is their best forward or their most the team decides Kravtsov is NHL-ready, that’s the only reason to bring important forward. Hardly. But his understated consequence to the him back to North America. Rangers’ lineup was front and center in the first seconds of the first shift of the first period of the first play-in game against Carolina on the first day As for Lias Andersson, well, he isn’t coming. The Rangers will let him of August. continue to play in Sweden in hopes of him playing well enough to force a recall or, much more likely, increase his trade value. Hartford’s best Fast was, presumably, concussed by Brady Skjei seconds into the game, options are Vinni Lettieri, Tim Gettinger and Steven Fogarty. couldn’t gain his bearings on what would become a Carolina goal just 61 seconds into the series, and that was it for him. The Rangers’ other forward prospects are a year out, at best.

But as somebody in the organization said, “I didn’t know that when we So, yes, there are decisions to be made, but not a lot of roster holes to lost one player, we would lose three.” be filled – at least not likely this season. Lafreniere is the only certain addition at this point, and significant as that may be, he’s still a teenager The inference was that by removing Fast from the line with Hart Trophy and should not be expected to have a gigantic impact. If he turns out to finalists Artemi Panarin and , that line disappeared from the be one of those Auston Matthews types, the Rangers should celebrate series. Indeed, Panarin and Strome would combine for just a single point wildly. But that should not be the bar set for Lafreniere. – a secondary assist – at even strength in the three games. With nobody to go get the puck along the wall, nobody to force plays deep, nobody The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 willing to forecheck or do the dirty work in front – or to defend – the Rangers offense dried up. Carolina only had to worry about Mika Zibanejad’s line, and handled that threesome well.

The Rangers’ bottom six was an offensive non-factor, and all four lines couldn’t commit for any sustained pressure in the offensive zone. A bunch of Rangers forwards came up completely empty in the four-day play-in series, tied with zero points: Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, Brett Howden, Greg McKegg, Phil Di Giuseppe, Julien Gauthier and … yes, first-liner Pavel Buchnevich.

So we go back to Fast, who may or may not have made a huge difference in the series if he’d been healthy. The five-time Players’ Player award winner, without question, was terribly missed. Both Panarin and Strome had career years with Fast on their right side.

Now the Rangers, who chose not to trade Fast to a contender at the deadline, have to determine if they can re-sign him. But if they do, they also have to decide if he’s the answer on that second line. And they have to ask themselves if Strome slots in there, as well. If Fast departs, then the juggling really begins. But even if he stays, are the Rangers ready to roll with that line again?

Remember this. The one player, the single forward, that we know for sure will be added by opening night – whenever that is – is Alexis Lafreniere, the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft.

Does he slot right into the top six? Arguably he could. More likely, he starts out on the left side of a Kid Line with Chytil, who just turned 21, and Kakko, 19.

Another reason for starting him there would remove another decision. Lafreniere is a left winger. So is Panarin. So is first-liner Chris Kreider. Do you want to move Panarin to the right? Nope. Not after the season he just had, shooting and passing from his off-hand wing. Do you want to move Kreider to the right, where he too can shoot from his off-hand side? More likely. But if you do that, and if Fast is re-signed, then where does that leave Buchnevich?

Rangers coach David Quinn, who said after the series that he cannot unsee what he saw in the three games, can leave the Zibanejad line intact if Lafreniere starts on a third line – a least until he earns a promotion.

This, of course, precludes the possibility that Rangers GM Jeff Gorton will go out this offseason and use some of his assets (the first-round pick via Carolina and the Skjei trade, for instance) to procure a young second- 1178865 NHL players are not allowed to play NCAA hockey because the NCAA feels their entitlements make them professionals.

“The general thing is that junior hockey has created a system to make a Lawsuit alleges hockey league conspiracy handful of millionaire [owners] richer at the expense of these young players,” Michaud said.

Paul Krotz, the director of communications for the CHL, said the league Marty Klinkenberg has not yet been served with a statement of claim.

“At such time as we receive one, we will thoroughly review it and if appropriate we will provide further comment,” Krotz said. The NHL logo is seen on a goal at a Nashville Predators practice rink in Nashville, Tenn. on Sept. 17, 2012. Jason Chaimovitch, the vice-president of communications for the AHL, said the league had no comment. The Canadian Press Neither the NHL nor the ECHL responded to a request for comment. A pending lawsuit alleges that tens of thousands of aspiring hockey players are owed $825-million or more after being conspired against by Attempts were made to reach Mohr – who played in 265 games in the the very leagues in which they played over the past 10 years. WHL and had 35 goals and 101 points – but were unsuccessful.

The proposed class-action proceeding dated Sept. 14 and filed in federal Michaud said that the proposed class action needs first to be certified by court in Montreal names the , American Hockey the federal court. League, East Coast Hockey League, , Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey “It’s a long run,” he said. League and Hockey Canada all as defendants. Globe And Mail LOADED: 09.17.2020 Once served with the document they have 30 days in which to respond if they are in Canada and 40 days in the . The claim, which cites possible breaches of the federal Competition Act, requests the case be heard in Montreal.

It was filed by Kobe Mohr, a former player in the WHL, on behalf of himself and others. The 21-year-old from played for four teams over parts of six seasons at the major-junior level. Major-junior players are mostly between 16 and 20 and are still considered amateurs in Canada. They are paid only nominally but get travel expenses covered and receive free room and board and scholarship money should they choose to pursue a college education afterward.

The players don’t receive the scholarship money if he signs a professional contract, however.

A majority of players in the NHL begin at the major-junior level, which has 60 teams spread across Canada and the U.S. under the umbrella of the CHL.

The proposed suit alleges the defendants created a system of leagues through which the overwhelming majority of players never reach the elite professional level and instead spend years playing for nominal sums much to the financial benefit of their teams.

It further says CHL players are not represented by a players' association and as such are unable to negotiate a collective agreement, which violates Section 1 of the Canadian Bill of Rights.

It also alleges the defendants are imposing unreasonable terms and conditions upon players once they are drafted by a major-junior club. CHL players must be between 18 and 20 to be eligible for the NHL draft, but restrictions limit their ability to play in other professional leagues. The restrictions include fees as high as $500,000 for a player to leave their major-junior club and move to a team in the AHL or the ECHL, the proposed class proceeding says.

None of the charges have been proved.

“It [the current system] makes it impossible,” says Félix-Antoine Michaud, the Quebec lawyer who filed the case. “The whole idea is to break hockey players who want to play somewhere else. You have no choice but the NHL or the CHL and that is not legal under the laws of Canada."

The NHL is named in the pending action because it compensates CHL teams when one of their players is selected in the NHL draft.

The lawsuit requests $50,000 a season for loss of income for each player who competed in one of the three major-junior leagues that comprise the CHL; $2,500 a player for the loss of rights to market their image, sponsorship and endorsement opportunities; and, $2,500 a player for moral damages and for breaches of the players' fundamental rights of freedom.

Over all, the claim says, Canadian players in the CHL have substantially fewer choices and freedom, if any, than European-born players, who have the opportunity to play in the AHL or ECHL before reaching the age of 20 and are paid a salary negotiated by a players' association. CHL 1178866 Ottawa Senators Poulin said. “He can get guys like Chris Tierney. He’s a good 25-year-old pro who can contribute.”

Dorion has his own restricted free agent to deal with and so he has to GARRIOCH: As the NHL draft draws closer, expect the level of trade see where everybody fits. chatter to increase Down the road, one way or another, RFA’s Anthony Duclair, Connor Brown, Filip Chlapik, Rudolfs Balcers, , Christian Jaros, Joey Daccord and the aforementioned Tierney will all be signed. Some have Bruce Garrioch rights to arbitration but all will be in camp. Decisions have to be made on Andreas Englund and Jayce Hawryluk.,

It’s like the NHL calendar has moved from June to September. As we get closer to the draft and the Cup final gets completed, the With the Stanley Cup final set to get under way as early as Saturday amount of gossip will increase. A lot has changed in the world, but area night if the Tampa Bay Lightning can send the New York Islanders that won’t is the time around the draft being used by teams to set the packing Thursday night in Game 6 in Edmonton with the winner taking on table for next year and you can expect Dorion will have no shortage of the Dallas Stars, the level of trade chatter around the NHL has increased options to consider. over the course of the last week or so. FILIP CHLAPIK MAY START OVERSEAS That’s because with the virtual NHL draft is set for Oct. 6-7 and the salary cap remaining flat at $81.5 million, the NHL’s 31 general managers are Centre Filip Chlapik is studying his options. trying to put pieces in place for whenever 2020-21 season begins. The threat of the novel coronavirus has left a ton of uncertainly with the The 23-year-old centre, a restricted free agent, has held talks with HC landscape of where the league is headed and several teams are looking Sparta Praha in the Czech league, but he’d have to get a deal in place to cut salary instead of adding to their payroll. with the Ottawa Senators before signing overseas.

With nine picks in the first three rounds and 13 in total, Ottawa Senators’ Chlapik, who suited up for 31 games with Ottawa last season and was a general manager can expect his phone to ring a lot in the solid in a fourth-line role, would have to sign a deal with Sparta Praha next three weeks. Teams will be looking to move contracts in exchange (located in Prague) that contained an out clause when the season gets for picks and the Senators can use some of those assets they’ve got to under way over here. There have been talks between the Senators and shore up places that need immediate attention. Chlapik’s representatives about this possibility but there’s nothing in place,. As pointed out by a league executive Wednesday, don’t expect anything to happen quickly. Teams usually get things done when there’s deadline Ottawa Sun LOADED: 09.17.2020 attached and that’s why there’s a chance it may take until the actual week of the draft before a lot deals take place. The Minnesota Wild did deal Eric Staal to Buffalo for Marcus Johansson.

The good news after what’s been months of inactivity the talk is heating up again and, at the least, you can expect Dorion and the Senators to be in the middle of those discussions. Qualifying offers are due for restricted free agents on Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. EST and that’s going to play a role.

“(The flat cap) is paralyzing and a propellent at the same time,” said TSN analyst Dave Poulin, a former NHL executive and player, Wednesday from Toronto. “Teams know they have to do stuff. You’re going to see (GM’s) try to slide players through qualifying offer (period) and then come back to offer them something else.

“That’s a critical date because teams are going to be watching those lists. And, the sense I’m getting, is there’s more teams aren’t looking to make change, they have to make change.”

There’s several teams that will be trying to cut payroll. That doesn’t mean the Senators will have to take on bad contracts by any stretch of the imagination, but it does mean maybe they can bolster some areas on their roster.

“I do think, depending on the industry (the owner is in), there are going to be teams that are going to say, ‘We’re not going to go the cap. We’re just simply not.’ We’re going to be a budget team,” Poulin said. “And, who knows what we’re talking about for next season?

“Are we going to see full stands? Are we talking about a Jan. 1 start. We’re not going to have that information when these decisions are being made by teams and that’s the problem. Teams are going to be airing on the conservative side (when it comes to making moves).”

That could make for attractive options for the Senators if they decide to go that route. It’s believed the club is involved in talks for a veteran goaltender, including Pittsburgh’s Matt Murray, and it’s possible one of those selections could be used to help stabilize the net. Columbus and Arizona are also dangling goaltending options on the NHL trade market.

Of course, there’s also going to be possibilities at forward and defence which is why Dorion will be considering all the options that are put in front of him in the coming weeks before the draft. The Senators are going to cash in by getting two high-end prospects with the No. 3 and No. 5 selections, but they may not be ready next season.

“He’s going to be able get players (through trades), he should be able to get them cheap and that doesn’t mean he’ll have to take bad contracts,” 1178867 Ottawa Senators In the two years that followed, Senators players were filmed belittling their coaches in an Uber, owner Eugene Melnyk questioned his fans’ loyalty and threatened to move the team on the eve of their outdoor game, fans commissioned billboards demanding his exit, beloved captain Wheeler: Remembering the 2017 playoff magic of Erik Karlsson questioned ownership, plans for a new downtown arena began to crumble, the team finished 30th in the league, their

assistant general manager Randy Lee was charged with the sexual By Scott Wheeler Sep 16, 2020 harassment of a bus driver at a league event, Karlsson’s wife Melinda filed for protection against Hoffman’s partner Monika over allegations of cyberbullying, and Karlsson was traded.

I’ll never forget the 43 days when Erik Karlsson reminded me of the And yet there’s something about his moment in Boston and the playoff magic of hockey. performance that followed that still persists. When I look back on that NHL season, I don’t think of the Penguins as Cup champions, or of It started, in earnest, at 12:52 of the first period in Game 3 of his Ottawa Sidney Crosby as the Conn Smythe winner as the playoffs’ most valuable Senators’ first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins, on April 17, player. 2017. Even as I watched the Penguins hoist their back-to-back Stanley Cup, I Karlsson looks to his left as he circles behind his net, stops up to change was thinking of Karlsson’s magic. directions, and identifies Mike Hoffman streaking up ice. We get magic in professional sports when the reality of what we think we If Karlsson is any other Senators defenceman — Dion Phaneuf, Marc know is shattered by the abstract of something we can’t imagine. Methot, Cody Ceci, Chris Wideman or Ben Harpur — the options are limited. To his left, forward Zack Smith has tracked the play low and a The reality is the familiarity of “I’ve done that.” The kicking of the soccer pass to him means trying to make a play through the front of the crease. ball, the squeak of sneakers on a court, the feel of a In front of him, two Bruins players have collapsed in to cover Mark Stone glove, or the sound of skates cutting into ice. The reality is convincing at the blue line. To anyone else, there are just two choices left: Clear the yourself of “I know that.” The speaking with pomp and bravado about a puck off of the glass or attempt a stretch pass along the ice that risks game played by others. being intercepted. The abstract is the awe that follows when they show us that we haven’t But Karlsson isn’t anyone else. What he is, is about to make the play that really “done that” or that we don’t really “know that.” The abstract is when will begin to stamp one of the greatest individual playoff performances in they become alien to us, when their otherness crescendos to accomplish the history of a 100-year-old league. The series is tied 1-1, the game is things we’d never thought possible. We build cathedrals to mythologize scoreless, and Karlsson doesn’t just see something that few else would, that abstract. We build theatres for them to recreate it. he’s capable of pulling off something that even those who could see it wouldn’t dare try. So he looks off Option 1 and Option 2 and he invents But it’s fleeting. Option 3, a high flip pass that must carry over all the players in front of It’s fleeting for them. The Achilles surgery that followed made Karlsson’s him, timed perfectly to land in front of Hoffman and sent with just enough status as the game’s best player fleeting. oomph to stay flat as it cuts through the air and travels the 114 feet that separate an NHL goal line from its opposing blue line. And it’s fleeting for us. I’ll never know what it’s like to do what Karlsson did from April 12 to May 25 of 2017, dragging a team on the brink of In the span of the seven seconds that pass from when Karlsson looks left collapse to the brink of glory. None of us will. and Hoffman slides the puck into the Bruins net with one hand on his stick, Karlsson has issued a warning shot. But I’ll remember it.

The message? You can’t stop me. Because for 43 days, Karlsson bent my reality more than any other hockey player ever has. He didn’t just show us how far we are from them, His Senators were flawed, fresh off a defiant, expectation-shattering he showed them how far they were from him. season in a weak Atlantic Division — and the only team in a 16-team playoffs with a negative goal differential. The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 But they had him and he was, for the spring of 2017, the best player in the world. For the six weeks that followed that pass, hockey belonged to him.

A couple of hours after it, he sent another, along the ice this time, to assist the overtime-winning goal that gave the Senators a 2-1 series lead. A week later, when the Senators defeated the Bruins in six games, Karlsson had played 183 minutes and 23 seconds (nearly 31 minutes a game). He’d done so, he revealed between rounds, while playing with two hairline fractures in his heel — which required injections before every game — for nearly four weeks.

In the second round, against a New York Rangers team with a better regular-season record, who’d just knocked off the Atlantic Division’s top- seeded Montreal Canadiens, Karlsson didn’t just continue to play, he continued to play with swagger, creating five goals in the series’ final two games.

It took the would-be 2017 Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins, with two of the three best forwards of a generation and a third, Phil Kessel, playing the best hockey of his life, to take down a one-footed Karlsson. In Game 7, Karlsson set up both of the Senators’ goals to force those Penguins to beat him in double overtime.

When Karlsson was on the ice at 5-on-5 in those playoffs, the Senators outscored their opponents 23-11. Those 23 goals for were three more than any other player in the playoffs, even though he didn’t play in the final round. Among those 23 goals, Karlsson contributed directly to 13 of them, effectively out-producing the opposition.

When he was off the ice, the Senators were outscored 25-12 by their opponents. And when it was over, so too was the illusion of success he’d single-handedly created for his team. 1178868 Philadelphia Flyers As for this year’s playoffs, Hart wasn’t perfect. After a superb series in which he outplayed his idol, Carey Price, and compiled a 1.95 goals- against average and a .936 save percentage against Montreal, he was good — but not great — against the Islanders, who outplayed the Flyers Flyers goalie Carter Hart talks about his first playoffs, his hope that Brian in most games. He had a 2.83 GAA and a .905 save percentage against Elliott returns, and his good vibes for the future the Isles, though those numbers are inflated because of numerous defensive breakdowns in front of him.

“The Islanders come really hard and try to get bodies in front," Hart said. by Sam Carchidi, Posted: September 16, 2020- 4:43 PM “I think they play a really hard forecheck ... and they’re tough to defend against. I think they came a lot harder than we expected.”

He’s called Hartsy. And Cah-tah Haht. And Kid Goalie. In his first full NHL season, Hart went 24-13-3 with a 2.42 GAA and a .914 save percentage. He was much stronger at home (1.63 GAA, .943 But you can call Carter Hart something else: the No. 1 reason the Flyers save percentage than on the road (3.81, .857). figure to be a Stanley Cup contender for the foreseeable future. “He performed well all year,” general manager said last If there were any questions about Hart, he answered them in the first week. " I think at the beginning of the year, he struggled a little bit on the playoff performance of his young NHL career. road, which I think is more of a fluke. Do I think there will be regression next year? No. He’ll probably have a more normal record on the road. Including the round-robin tournament, Hart had a 9-5 record with a 2.23 He’s always played really well on the road at every level." goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in 14 postseason games. As for the future, “Carter’s going to be a big part of it, as are a lot of our other young players,” Fletcher said. "I think on the whole, you look back Not bad for someone who, when the postseason started, was 21 years at Ivan Provorov and the way he improved. Phil Myers and Travis old. Among postseason teams, he was the youngest goalie to have Sanheim, I thought, gave us some tremendous performances during the appeared in more than 20 games during the regular season. season and during the playoffs. [Travis] Konecny, Oskar Lindblom, “Obviously, playoff hockey is different,” Hart said in a conference call with hopefully Nolan Patrick, Joel Farabee, there’s a lot of very good young reporters Wednesday from near Edmonton. “You’re playing almost every hockey players here that are only going to get better. As they continue to second day, and it’s a little different in the sense that we were in the grow, our team will continue to grow. " bubble [in Toronto] and I think the NHL was trying to get done quicker, so Hart will be at the center of that growth. there was a couple back-to-backs. I think recovery and rest was really important.” Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 09.17.2020 Hart said the Flyers (41-21-7) “made a lot of right steps” this season. “I think we have the right group here and can really do some damage. We just have to believe in each other. I think this experience we just had in the bubble and in the playoffs is only going to help this group moving forward next year.”

Noting that there are ups and downs in the playoffs, Hart said he tried to stay as “even-keel as possible.”

His numbers compared favorably to the first career playoff performances of this season’s three Vezina finalists: Boston’s Tuukka Rask (2.61 GAA, .912 save percentage in 2010), Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (3.19, .895 in 2015), and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (2.36, .922 in 2018).

It was a postseason in which Hart:

Blanked Montreal in consecutive games, becoming the third goalie in franchise history to register back-to-back playoff shutouts. Hart joined Bernie Parent in 1975 and Michael Leighton in 2010.

Became the second-youngest goalie in NHL history to collect back-to- back playoff shutouts. Hart had just turned 22 when he twice blanked the Canadiens.

Stopped 49 of 53 shots in a thrilling 5-4 double-overtime win over the Islanders in Game 6 of the conference semifinals, the fifth-highest saves total in the franchise’s playoff history.

"It’s a good thing he’s a little too oblivious to some things [like] being a goalie in Philadelphia,” right winger Jake Voracek cracked after Hart’s 1- 0 Game 3 win over the Canadiens, rebounding from a 5-0 loss in the previous matchup. “He’s very strong mentally. He’s pretty impressive the way he bounces back. That’s what good goalies do.”

After the playoffs ended, Hart took a week off and began working out Tuesday “because I felt kind of lazy sitting around the house all the time and needed to do something.”

The NHL has not set a date for the start of the 2020-21 season. It originally said it would begin Dec. 1 but later said it will probably start at a later date.

When it does begin, Hart is hopeful that Brian “Moose” Elliott, an unrestricted free agent, returns as his backup.

“He’s been a great mentor to me,” Hart said. “... He’s taught me a lot and I love playing alongside him. I really hope he’s back and I think he definitely wants to come back as well.” 1178869 Philadelphia Flyers Facing down tough situations like the Islander series can be filed away for future use.

“You’re going to run into some speed bumps in the regular season and Playoffs show Flyers’ Carter Hart the importance of staying even-keeled the playoffs," he said. “The Isles were the better team but going forward, I think we made a lot of right steps."

“I think we have the right group here. We can really do some damage. Wayne Fish We just have to believe in each other. I think this experience that we just had is only going to help our group moving forward next year."

Burlington County Times LOADED: 09.17.2020 Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, left, and Canadiens goalie Carey Price shake hands after the teams' playoff series.

Like the quarterback position in football and pitching in baseball, your team is only as good as your goaltender in .

That’s why the Flyers believe they will be serious contenders for years to come based on what they have in Carter Hart.

Having just turned 22, Hart would appear to have a bright future. He’s already taken his team to within one win of reaching the Eastern Conference finals and his record down the stretch of the regular season was nothing short of spectacular.

After a one-week respite to relax a bit, Hart is already gearing up for next season, whenever that might start.

The goal it would seem includes carrying over the momentum of the 2019-20 campaign, where the Flyers finished with a rush to nearly take the Metro Division title, then captured the East’s No. 1 seed in the round- robin tournament.

Hart showed his best wares at various points in the two postseason series, shutting out Montreal in back-to-back games to become the youngest goalie in the modern era to do so, then standing tall in multiple overtime victories during the New York Islanders series.

All that playoff experience should prove invaluable moving forward.

“Playoff hockey is different," Hart said during a media conference call on Wednesday. “You’re playing almost every second day. I think it was a little different in the sense that there we were in the bubble and the NHL was trying to get things done quicker."

“I think rest and recovery are really important. In playoff hockey, you can find yourself down or find yourself up. There are always a lot of those ups and downs. You just have to find a way to stay even-keeled, stay as consistent as possible."

While the NHL schedule has been thrown out of whack by the global health crisis, Hart says he will approach this offseason pretty much like any other.

He maintains an off-ice program which includes yoga, stretching and weightlifting.

“Just a normal offseason, I guess," he said. “I took a week off from training but started back up yesterday because I felt so lazy sitting around the house ... I needed to do something."

“I’ll probably take a little time off the ice to give my body some rest."

It practically goes without saying Hart would like to see potential unrestricted veteran goaltender Brian Elliott come back for another season.

Elliott has served as a valuable mentor/backup the past two seasons and given his 16-7-4 mark, there appears to be no reason not to welcome him back into the fold again.

“We get along really well," Hart said. “I love playing with him. He’s been a great mentor to me. He has a lot of experience. I really hope he’s back and he definitely wants to come back as well. He’s taught me so many things. I’m grateful to have played alongside him this year."

Hart believes he’s on the right track with his own career. As mentioned, staying even-keeled is important and just learning the day-to-day grind can prove invaluable down the road.

“As I said, you just have to find that consistency," he said. “You find that through practice and all your off-ice habits."

“I think we did a good job this season. We had some adversity as well (including Oskar Lindblom’s battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer). We battled through it and came on really hot at the end." 1178870 Philadelphia Flyers goalie in the NHL and has a lot of experience. He’s taught me a lot. We have a lot of fun playing together.

"I really hope he’s back. I think he definitely wants to come back as well." First playoff season over, Flyers' Hart eager for more Delaware County Times LOADED: 09.17.2020

By Rob Parent

Carter Hart is no different from any other professional athlete, learning how to cope with a virtual world while playing sports in the coronavirus age.

Daunting task, that.

For Hart, however, it was all the more difficult, since the pandemic interrupted his sophomore season, and played a starring role in his first foray into the postseason.

"Obviously playoff hockey is different," Hart said Wednesday on a Zoom session. "You are playing almost every second day. I think it was a little different in the sense that we were in the bubble. I think the NHL was trying to get things done quicker so we had a couple back to backs.

"There was always a lot of those ups and downs. I think we just have to find a way to stay even-keeled and try to stay consistent as possible."

Hart was as consistent as he could be through two rounds of playoffs, but it was far from enough primarily because the offense in mostly played below par, the power play was non-existent and the defense eventually broke down from taking too many chances in a desperate effort to create scoring chances.

Yet Hart won nine of his 14 starts (include two round-robin preliminary games), posting a 2.23 goals-against average and .926 saves percentage.

Score at least once on a given power play day and those kind of numbers will win a lot of games in the playoffs. As it happened, it was good enough to get through a six-game first round against the Montreal Canadiens and somehow take the New York Islanders seven games deep in an Eastern semifinal.

All the Flyers wins in that series came in overtime, with Hart in net.

"I think obviously in the season, there’s ups and downs. You really just have to find a way to find that consistency," Hart said. "You find that through practice and all your off-ice habits. In the playoffs, I felt good. I think we did a good job here this season. Obviously we had some adversity as well and we battled through it.

"Obviously you’re going to run into some speed bumps in the regular season and the playoffs. The Isles were just the better team. Going forward, I made a lot of right steps. I think we have the right group here that can really do some damage."

Overall, despite his club's inconsistent offense, and the fact that this first playoff chance was the weirdest of all time – playoff series literally played in a "bubble" in Toronto? – Hart thinks he and his team fared pretty well.

"I think this experience that we just had in the bubble, in the playoffs and in the season is only going to help our group moving forward into next year," Hart said.

Not that thoughts of the virus can go away so easily, like magic. The virus doesn't do that, nor do thoughts of it.

So training camp for an alleged full 2020-21 season isn't as yet planned. No one knows when or even if a normal training camp will happen.

But Hart will prepare nonetheless.

"I took a week off from training and started back up (Tuesday), because I just felt so lazy sitting around the house the whole time," Hart said. "I needed to be doing something."

When the time to return comes for real, Hart is hoping that his supportive veteran backup goalie comes with it. But Brian Elliott is 35. He again is an unrestricted free agent and the Flyers have a bit of a goaltending backup going in the organizational ranks.

"Me and Moose (Elliott), we get along really well. I love playing with him," Hart said. "He’s been a great mentor to me. He’s obviously a veteran 1178871 Philadelphia Flyers accounting for the fact that the 2017 second-overall pick just missed a full season. Nor does it make much sense for Patrick to lock himself into a low-cost, long-term deal if he believes in himself and his ability to return from the migraine disorder. Most likely, his next contract will be a one- Analyzing the Flyers’ cap picture and 3 scenarios ahead of an unusual year, “prove-it” deal at a low cost. Let’s give him a $1.5 million cap hit as offseason a logical placeholder.

Evolving-Wild’s model also does not project goalies. Elliott’s current contract had a $2 million cap hit; let’s assume if the Flyers bring him By Charlie O'Connor Sep 16, 2020 back, he’ll be signed to a similar price tag, perhaps a bit lower considering his age (35): $1.75 million seems like a fair guess.

It wasn’t all that long ago when the only restrictions on the Philadelphia Then, there’s Pitlick, whom the model projects to receive a three-year Flyers’ ability to spend money was an enormous internal budget powered contract with a $2.35 million yearly cap hit. That most likely would be too by Ed Snider’s relentless desire to to bring a Stanley Cup back to the City rich for the Flyers’ blood. If Philadelphia does end up bringing back of Brotherly Love — and whether the front office could convince whatever Pitlick, it almost certainly would be driven by his willingness to take a big-name free agent it targeted in a given year that the Flyers were more team-friendly deal — say, the $1.5 million cap hit Evolving-Hockey indeed the best fit. projects him to receive on a two-year term contract. Any scenarios involving a Pitlick return will use that price instead. With the dawn of the NHL’s salary cap era in 2005, those days are long gone. But at least the Flyers — and every other team — could Unlike Pitlick, there’s little doubt pending RFA Philippe Myers will be in reasonably expect the cap ceiling to rise each year, giving them new Flyers’ orange at the start of next season. But right now, it’s unclear opportunities to improve their clubs without losing players in the process. whether the front office and Myers’ camp will agree to a short-term But, as in so many ways, 2020 has been a very different year. (model projection: $1.5 to $1.7 million cap-hit range on a one- or two- year contract) or long-term ($3 to $4 million on a three- to seven-year Because of the economic impact of the global pandemic, the NHL salary deal) contract. Both options will be accounted for in all scenarios. cap ceiling will remain at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 season, the same level as this past season. The Flyers under general manager Chuck Finally, there’s Samuel Morin, who is working his way back from a Fletcher, like most teams, had expected the cap to steadily increase over second ACL tear. Head coach Alain Vigneault said Monday that he felt the next few seasons, not anticipating the once-in-a-lifetime fallout from Morin would need “50 or 60 games” in the AHL before being ready to the coronavirus. As a result, Fletcher’s team-building strategies will have play with the big club next season, simply due to all the time he’s missed. to adapt to the new normal, with the active portion of the offseason Because the Flyers can bury his entire $700,000 cap hit in the minors to rapidly approaching, starting with the NHL Draft on Oct. 6-7 and the first start next season (assuming he clears waivers) with no cap charge, day of unrestricted free agency on Oct. 9. there’s no reason to include him in this exercise. He won’t be on the NHL books — at least to start the year. On Monday, I broke down the Flyers’ roster player by player, evaluating who was most likely to return and who might be on the way out. Consider Scenario No. 1: Run it back, without the skater UFAs this Part 2 of a multi-part series on the Flyers’ offseason, with today’s It’s not quite fair to call this the “easiest” scenario, as will soon become focus on the impact of the stagnant cap on Fletcher’s planning and his obvious. But it likely qualifies as the most straightforward. Basically, the viable roster-building strategies for 2020-21. Flyers keep all of their big-name players under contract, re-sign all of The current cap situation their RFAs, let Pitlick and Braun leave, and bring back Elliott as the backup goalie. Before we move on to plausible scenarios for the Flyers’ offseason and their impact on the 2020-21 cap picture, it helps to fully understand The above “cap space” number should make it obvious why the Flyers where Philadelphia stands in the here and now — before Fletcher’s real will likely look to clear at least some room this fall. work begins. Now, they are close enough to being compliant here that they might be The restricted free agency situations of Philippe Myers, Robert Hägg, able to make a version of this work. Maybe they squeeze Hägg and have Nolan Patrick and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel need to be addressed. Decisions him down closer to the $1.3 million qualifying offer required for the Flyers must be made on pending unrestricted free agents such as Justin Braun, to retain his rights. Maybe Patrick isn’t ready for the season and Morgan Tyler Pitlick, Brian Elliott, Derek Grant and . And Fletcher Frost (cap hit: $863,333) is instead in the lineup at third-line center, while hasn’t made a trade since the February deadline halted the market in its Patrick is stashed on long term injured reserve. Maybe Elliott takes an tracks. Expect action on all fronts in short order for the Flyers. even bigger pay cut than the $250,000 in this projection.

But what is the Flyers’ cap situation on the eve of the pivot toward daily But the Flyers would still be left slammed up against the cap ceiling with activity? Here’s a quick look at the current roster for 2020-21 that just 22 players — one under the max. They’d risk significant bonus includes only roster locks and players under contract. overages for 2021-22 when lucrative extensions for Carter Hart and Travis Sanheim will kick in and they’ll need all the cap space they can A full opening-night roster usually includes 22 or 23 players, so the Flyers get. And they’d basically be forced to go with a short-term deal for Myers have a little less than $10 million to fill seven or eight spots, assuming no this summer, rather than consider the possibility of paying a bit more now subtractions. Their buyouts of Andrew MacDonald and David Schlemko for a potential bargain later. last summer added about $2.5 million in cap commitments to the 2020- 21 ledger, and about $66,000 worth of bonus overages from 2019-20 — This scenario is an option. But it’s not a particularly attractive one, for as reported by CapFriendly and TSN’s Frank Seravalli — bump that short-term and long-term cap flexibility. number up to around $2.58 million. Add that to the $69.3 million in player Scenario No. 2: Following the ‘Who stays, who goes?’ roadmap commitments, and it leaves the Flyers with $71.89 million pledged toward the $81.5 million cap ceiling for 2020-21 — at least for now. There’s a reason we published the player-by-player roster breakdown of whom the Flyers are likely to keep this offseason before releasing this Some assumptions for this exercise cap-centric analysis: The former provides a roadmap for the latter. Next, some general assumptions must be made about key Flyers players The Flyers’ cap realities this offseason will go a long way toward and their contract situations for 2020-21. determining who stays and who goes — it’s not like Fletcher actively Evolving-Hockey’s Contract Projections model gives us a solid dislikes any of the players under contract in 2019-20. In a cap-less, framework to estimate what most of Philadelphia’s pending restricted free pandemic-less world, he’d likely prefer to bring back all of them. With a agents (RFAs) and unrestricted free agents (UFAs) might cost. But some stagnant cap ceiling, however, and players such as Hart, Sanheim and educated guesses and common sense adjustments are still required. even Sean Couturier needing new contracts in the coming years, tough choices will have to be made. Due to Patrick’s unique situation, Evolving-Hockey’s model didn’t project his next contract. But with Patrick lacking arbitration rights and the ability Here’s what those tough choices could create, if the Flyers’ offseason to sign an offer sheet (he doesn’t meet the games played requirement), moves mirror our “stay or go” projections from Monday’s column. his camp doesn’t have a ton of negotiating leverage, before even In this scenario, Shayne Gostisbehere is given a fresh start elsewhere, be superior to van Riemsdyk, who scored like a first-liner (2.25 points/60 traded away for futures. Pitlick and Elliott return, while Braun and the minutes) and drove play as well as any Flyers forward not named Sean trade-deadline rental forwards (Derek Grant, Nate Thompson) search for Couturier at even strength last season. Maybe you fail to upgrade on greener pastures. Mark Friedman — whom the organization viewed as Elliott at the No. 2 goalie spot and are left standing in the game of backup close-to-NHL-ready last season, but didn’t have a full-time roster spot netminder musical chairs. Maybe losing Gostisbehere, Braun and Hägg available for him — jumps into the opening night roster. And the Flyers is too much bottom-of-the-lineup-blueliner turnover to adequately bring back all of their notable RFAs. address via the open market, even in an especially strange year like this one. First, the good news: the Flyers are no longer slammed up against the cap! In this scenario, additions are actually possible, even if they wouldn’t My guess, for both practical and strategic reasons, is that Fletcher and be at the top of the market. Perhaps Fletcher unearths a buy-low middle- the Flyers ultimately lean closer to Scenario No. 2 than No. 3. It fits far six center in case Patrick isn’t ready for Game 1 and Frost needs a bit more with Fletcher’s stated goals, and requires far fewer leaps of faith in more time in the minors. Maybe he signs a useful third-pair defenseman terms of necessary moves. But it’s the possibility, however small, of who fits in the lineup better than Gostisbehere did, or gets one back in dramatic roster changes that will make Philadelphia an intriguing team to the Ghost trade to hold down the fort until Egor Zamula might be ready. watch over the next few weeks, even if the conservative path remains its Perhaps he uses the extra space to go long term with Myers. Maybe he most likely one. makes a player-for-player trade, shipping out someone on the roster for a slightly more expensive, but also superior, option. Or perhaps he just sits The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 on the cap space, putting the Flyers in position to be aggressive in the midseason rental market, but also knowing that a much tougher 2021 cap-related summer is on the horizon. There’s flexibility here, both in terms of offseason moves and in-season call-ups and cap-space banking.

The bad news? First, moving out Gostisbehere alone doesn’t clear enough space for a “big” acquisition. This scenario still largely bets on further development of the under-24 crew and the return of Oskar Lindblom and Patrick (or the emergence of Frost) to drive improvements. Second, they’d lose Gostisbehere (potentially for an underwhelming return, considering the likely “cap dump” nature of the move), which absolutely comes with the risk of regret, even if he provided very little positive value last season.

This scenario isn’t going to drive a ton of excitement or inspire big headlines. But it’s certainly in line with Fletcher’s messaging last week in his news conference and the opinions of key players after the Islanders series loss that the team is close to contending for a Cup and big changes are not necessary to get there.

Considering Gostisbehere’s lack of impact in the playoffs, this is more or less the closest thing to a true realistic “run it back” option. It also feel like the chalk guess for how the Flyers’ offseason might go.

Scenario No. 3: Clear out space and go shopping

No one is saying this is what the Flyers should do — or even that it’s something they would be able to do. But just for a second, let’s imagine where the Flyers would stand if they let every UFA leave, washed their hands of Hägg by not qualifying him, and moved Gostisbehere and James van Riemsdyk with the sole goal of clearing as much cap space as possible.

In other words, this is the “busy offseason” scenario.

Suddenly, the Flyers would be flush with cap space — almost $15.6 million of it — with only five roster spots to fill. In theory, Fletcher could grab a replacement top-nine forward for van Riemsdyk, a souped-up third-pair replacement for Gostisbehere and Hägg, and a backup goalie upgrade over Elliott. Nab a couple of passable depth guys — or just promote some prospects to fill out the roster — and boom: Exciting and eventful offseason complete.

The best argument for attempting a path like this is simple: With the stagnant cap ceiling, it really should be a buyer’s market. With less money in play across the league, it’s fair to assume there will be cheaper-than-expected UFA bargains to be had — the big names should still get their money, but the middle and lower class will probably get squeezed — with teams trying to dump good players for pennies on the dollar, even retaining salary in the process. If space can be opened up, this is the perfect time to pounce.

But that also explains why it’s such an unlikely scenario for Philadelphia. To open up that much space, Fletcher has to find two teams willing to take on the contracts of van Riemsdyk and Gostisbehere, while not retaining salary or taking back any assets in the process. It would be far from an easy feat, especially given that most teams are trying to do the exact same thing.

Also, it’s not a path lacking risk. There’s no guarantee your new defenseman is an upgrade over Gostisbehere’s true talent level (it wouldn’t be difficult to upgrade over the value Ghost provided in 2019-20, but that’s likely his floor), nor that the shiny new top-nine forward would 1178872 Pittsburgh Penguins

Former Penguins president Jack Kelley dies

TRIBUNE-REVIEW | Wednesday, September 16, 2020 4:40 p.m.

Former Penguins president Jack Kelley, who coached Boston University to two national titles and was the first coach and general manager of the New England Whalers, died Tuesday, USA Hockey announced. He was 93.

Kelley was president of the Penguins from 1993-98. His grandson is Andy Saucier, the team’s video coach.

Kelley coached Boston University to NCAA titles in 1971-72. After the second championship, he was named head coach and general manager of the WHA’s New England Whalers. He also worked in the Detroit Red Wings organization.

He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993 and the WHA Hall of Fame in 2010.

Tribune Review LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178873 Pittsburgh Penguins Golden Knights during their recent Finals run. His career high for points in a season is 17. But he’s big, threw 91 hits last season and won 62.1% of his faceoffs in 2018-19.

10 center possibilities — internal and external — as the Penguins shake CHRIS TIERNEY: An RFA who could be targeted via trade, he was up bottom six overextended in a leading role for a woeful Ottawa Senators team. Slotted into the bottom six on what should be a playoff team, Tierney should be OK. He won more faceoffs than he lost and scored 1.60 points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 last season. MATT VENSEL : You may be thinking, “He’s still in the league?” Yup.

He’s 37 but played with jump for Toronto in the playoffs. Again, the When the 2020-21 season starts in December or January or later, the Penguins aren’t looking to get older. But Spezza intrigues because he’d Penguins for the fourth straight year will enter a new season with a new give Mike Sullivan a righty for critical faceoffs and would be an option in third-line center. the left circle on the power play.

In the 2017-18 opener, it was Gregg McKegg, who soon made way for Post Gazette LOADED: 09.17.2020 trade pick-up Riley Sheahan. A year later, it was Derick Brassard. Last year, Nick Bjugstad.

Bjugstad, like the rest of those guys, is a goner after the Penguins shed his salary in a trade with the Minnesota Wild on Friday. He did some good things in the middle of the third line down the stretch in 2018-19. But after injuries wrecked his second season in Pittsburgh, the Penguins decided to move on.

The team has a few internal candidates to step into that role. But whether it’s via another trade or free agency, general manager Jim Rutherford should add at least one center to a bottom-six mix that will be reshuffled this fall.

Penguins trade Nick Bjugstad to Wild; Jim Rutherford believes forward can get 'back on track'

Here are 10 names to keep in mind, starting with options already in- house:

TEDDY BLUEGER: The 26-year-old Latvian will center one of their lines next season. The Penguins are ready to put more on his plate, and he already played close to 16 minutes per game in 2019-20. To be the long- term answer on the third line, he needs to get better at the dot and provide a little more offensively.

JARED MCCANN: The restricted free agent is the subject of trade speculation after flopping as the third-line center in the playoffs. Still, despite a long scoring drought, he had 35 points and a plus-6 rating in 66 games. He is a better fit at wing but can play center in a pinch. The team should be reluctant to give him away.

SAM LAFFERTY: Rutherford on Friday mentioned both McCann and Lafferty as internal options to play center next season. Lafferty made strides as a rookie and at 25 may have more room to grow as a player. If he does, he should stick in the bottom six. But, like McCann, he might be a better fit on a wing.

PHILLIP DANAULT: The Canadiens are reportedly open to dealing Danault, who was a strong Selke Trophy candidate and has one year left on his contract, to free up more ice time for their young centers. He would be a great get, but don’t get your hopes up. The Penguins don’t have much left to offer in a trade.

MAX DOMI: The more attainable Montreal center may be Domi, who opened the playoffs on the fourth line and had zero goals and was a minus-2 in 10 games. The son of former NHL brawler Tie Domi would bring serious skill to the third line. The pending RFA put up 28 goals and 72 points just two seasons ago.

CARL SODERBERG: The journeyman center turns 35 next month, so he wouldn’t help Rutherford in his stated goal of making the Penguins younger. But in Arizona last season the unrestricted free agent showed he can still play. A solid two-way center with size and decent wheels, he had 35 points and a plus-6 rating in 70 games.

Penguins stay within organization with new hires in Wilkes- Barre/Scranton

BRAD RICHARDSON: If the Penguins plan to open 2020-21 with Blueger centering a more defensive-oriented third line, this is another veteran UFA who may make sense. His possession metrics may make you cringe. But he is a responsible center whom the Coyotes counted on for defensive zone starts and the penalty kill.

TOMAS NOSEK: The 28-year-old UFA has been a bottom-six regular in Vegas the last three seasons and scored a couple of big goals for the 1178874 Pittsburgh Penguins Well, this would get everyone’s attention. Letang makes $7.25 million per season and eliminating the final two years of his contract would give the Penguins more flexibility financially. Rutherford has never stated that a Letang trade is off-limits. That’s because it isn’t. But it’s still quite unlikely. Yohe: Analyzing Jim Rutherford’s cost-cutting options as free agency looms Analysis: Barring a stunning return package, I wouldn’t do it. And I don’t think the Penguins will. Their stated goal is to win another championship as soon as possible. While there might well be a hint of autumn in Letang’s game, his trade value isn’t such that a return would help the By Josh Yohe Sep 16, 2020 Penguins win immediately. It would almost certainly hurt that cause. Having Letang and John Marino on the right side for the next two years is a luxury worth keeping. If money is the root of all evil, then the salary cap is the root of all general manager anxiety. In 2020 more than ever. Ask Patric Hornqvist to wave no-trade clause

NHL teams are concerned about current and future revenues while Following the 2020-21 season, the Penguins are free to deal Hornqvist. subsequently still attempting to field Stanley Cup contenders. This And I think they will at that time. He’s a franchise folk hero if ever there’s requires a balancing act in the best of times and perhaps a Houdini act in been one, the kind of warrior who doesn’t need to be shown the door. this climate. They don’t win the Cup in 2016 and ’17 without him.

The Penguins are a microcosm of this new NHL reality. They might be But Hornqvist is going to be 34 in January and still has three years the ultimate microcosm. The Penguins make a lot of money, they’ve lost remaining on a contract that pays him $5.3 million annually. Hornqvist a lot of money in the past six months — they furloughed many possesses no-trade rights through the 2020-21 season. Would he say no employees in May, something that was a dark but necessary day for one if the Penguins asked to trade him right now? Tough to say. of the NHL’s model franchises — and their singular, on-ice goal is to win Analysis: I hold Hornqvist in the highest regard. Competitors like him the Stanley Cup every spring. come around very infrequently. Also, he had a very good 2019-20 “Everyone wants to get rid of salary right now,” Jim Rutherford said. “But season. Still, this is something the Penguins should consider. He doesn’t everyone still wants to win. It’s why so many teams are talking with one fit into their top-six plans. He’s still good on the power play, but the power another right now. It’s just a tough spot for a lot of teams.” play needs to be fixed with or without him. Plus, I’m sure there are teams that haven’t gotten over the hump yet that would love dearly to add him Here’s the Penguins’ current situation. to their lineups. Moving him right now is worth considering.

• Rutherford recently stated that he would like to make a dent when the Trade Marcus Pettersson NHL’s unrestricted free agency period opens on Oct. 9. To do so, he’ll need to clear significantly more salary. Woah, really? Trade a 24-year-old defenseman who has already moved into your top four? Well, maybe. Consider that the Penguins are crowded • Rutherford’s roster is currently about $9 million under the $81.5 million on the left side. Brian Dumoulin isn’t going anywhere. Juuso Riikola was salary cap, though the precise number is difficult to identify. just re-signed to a two-year deal. Jack Johnson’s contract probably isn’t movable, not if the Penguins were forced to eat half of Nick Bjugstad’s • The Penguins currently have 19 players under contract for next season, salary. Pierre-Olivier Joseph should be ready for NHL action this season. including 10 forwards, eight defensemen and one goalie (Casey DeSmith, the presumed backup). That’s too many players on the left side. Pettersson makes $4.03 million and would fetch a good prospect or draft pick in return. Or, perhaps he • The Penguins have a list of fairly accomplished unrestricted free agents could help land the No. 3 center they’ve been looking for since Nick who won’t be coming back. Justin Schultz received some verbal barbs Bonino departed. from Rutherford in August and absolutely won’t be returning. Neither will , who looked very much like a guy who was about to turn Analysis: This is something the Penguins should consider. Oh, I like 41 during his brief stint with the Penguins. There’s an outside chance Pettersson. He’s a nice player. But he’s never going to be a star and I Conor Sheary will be back, but that seems unlikely. He didn’t embarrass find it unlikely that he’ll ever get to Dumoulin’s level because, honestly, himself during his second stint in a Penguins uniform, but the top-six how many NHL defensemen ever develop to Dumoulin’s level? If you doesn’t have a slot open and they have other, cheaper options for the could land real quality for him and save that much money, it might be bottom-six. worth a look.

• They have a handful of restricted free agents they’d like to sign, namely Trade/buyout Jack Johnson Tristan Jarry, Jared McCann and Sam Lafferty. Two other restricted free agents — Dominik Simon and Anthony Angello — are also candidates to We couldn’t write this article without mentioning Johnson. I don’t expect be signed. Matt Murray is also a restricted free agent, though it’s to see a buyout. The Penguins don’t like doing this, and he’d still be on expected that Rutherford will deal him at some point in the next couple of their books for many years if they were to do this. months. So, a trade? Well, on the surface, I don’t think they could. Perhaps the • Unhappy with his team’s postseason performances in 2019 and ’20, real question is, could the Penguins include Johnson in a package — Rutherford is on record saying that he wants to make significant changes maybe with Murray — and find a way to execute said trade. Would they to his team before the 2020-21 season beings. be willing to take less in return for Murray if another team is willing to absorb Johnson’s deal? So, now what? Analysis: The only way Johnson is traded is if he is packaged. It’s Let’s take a look at some of Rutherford’s options. something the Penguins should consider. Their blue line would be fine — perhaps better — without him and they’d have $3.25 million to save for a Trade Murray rainy day or to invest toward a free agent. This is about as inevitable as the leaves changing colors in a few weeks. Trade Jared McCann The problem with this, however, is that it doesn’t do much to help the Penguins’ current salary situation. Sure, he’d be off the books. But There’s a real chance this will happen. The Penguins have inquired with technically, he isn’t on the books right now and, if they trade Murray for other teams about McCann. It’s not that they don’t like him, but rather, an NHL player, the Penguins’ cap crunch becomes more daunting. they don’t know where he fits into their plans. He could fetch them a decent return. Analysis: This needs to happen, for a lot of reasons, and it will. Look for the Penguins to deal him for a high draft pick or a prospect. Murray badly Analysis: This is fine and well, and it may happen. But since he’s not needs a change of scenery, the Penguins seem to have their goaltender currently on the books, his departure wouldn’t necessarily help the salary in Jarry, and an extra draft pick or prospect wouldn’t hurt. Still, the salary cap situation all that much. situation isn’t relieved by such a move. Start believing in the young guys Trade Kris Letang The Penguins have players and prospects who could make a real difference this season. Lafferty. Samuel Poulin. Nathan Legare. Drew O’Connor. Joseph. All of them will potentially be ready to see NHL action.

Analysis: Is there any other choice? They need to see if some of these guys are NHL-ready. Lafferty should be in the bottom-six this season. Joseph should be on the blue line. If Poulin is ready, he’s ready. No matter what Rutherford decides to do, it’s time for a youth movement, something that will help the Penguins in the short and long term.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178875 San Jose Sharks

Sharks will soon make Bob Boughner their full-time coach, per report

By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: September 16, 2020 at 9:58 a.m. | UPDATED: September 16, 2020 at 3:50 p.m.

The Sharks will make Bob Boughner their full-time head coach in the near future, according to a published report.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote Wednesday that Boughner would have the interim tag removed from his title in “the next week or two.”

A Sharks spokesman said Wednesday morning that nothing is official. For months, though, all indications have been that Boughner, 49, would be named the ninth full-time head coach in Sharks history at some point.

Boughner, who took over the job on an interim basis partway through the 2019-2020 season, was labeled by general manager in the spring as having the “upper hand” for the Sharks’ full-time head coaching position. Wilson felt Boughner’s knowledge of the Sharks roster and his past experience as Florida’s bench boss from 2017-2019 would serve him well going forward.

In July, reports indicated that Boughner was believed to have earned a contract extension with the Sharks and that Rocky Thompson would join his staff. Wilson, in a statement to this newspaper, denied anything had been finalized and said he was still in the “process of identifying candidates to fill out our staff.”

After Boughner replaced Pete DeBoer as San Jose’s head coach Dec. 11, the Sharks, beset by injury, went 14-20-3 over the next three months before the NHL paused its season on March 12. The Sharks played with more structure under Boughner, but finished the season with a 29-36-5 record and 63 points, third-fewest in the league.

Boughner would be the latest NHL coach to have the interim tag removed from his title.

Dean Evason, who took over for the fired Bruce Boudreau in February, was named the Minnesota Wild’s full-time coach in July.

Geoff Ward, who took over as Calgary’s coach after the disgraced Bill Peters left the organization in November, was named the Flames’ full time coach on Monday. It is also apparent that Rick Bowness will remain the Dallas Stars head coach. Bowness, who took over for the fired Jim Montgomery in December, has the Stars in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Sharks are surely looking forward to erasing the memory of last season. What’s unclear now, though, is when Boughner and his team will be able to start training camp.

Earlier this summer, per an NHL memorandum of understanding, the league was looking at starting training camp for next season on Nov. 17, and beginning games Dec. 1. Those dates could be in jeopardy as teams have no way of knowing right now if fans will be allowed into arenas by that time.

For complete Sharks coverage

Boughner first came to the Sharks in July 2015 when he and Johan Hedberg were added to DeBoer’s staff. Under Boughner, the Sharks defense became more active, and Brent Burns went on to record 151 points over two seasons. He won the Norris Trophy in 2017 as the NHL’s best defenseman.

Boughner was hired by the Florida Panthers to be their head coach in 2017 and his teams went 80-62-22 over two years but did not make the playoffs. He was fired by Florida in April 2019 but returned to the Sharks organization more a month later to be an assistant on DeBoer’s staff.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178876 San Jose Sharks following a slow start. He’s an honest player and a hard worker off the ice, so I expect him to be much better next season, the first of his four- year contract extension. The Sharks need him to replace some of the physicality that was lost with . As Sharks attempt a quick turnaround, here are 9 reasons for hope 3. Logan Couture will be in his second year as captain

There’s no doubt at this point that many of the Sharks’ problems from last By Kevin Kurz Sep 16, 2020 season stemmed from having a disjointed dressing room. No, that’s not all Couture’s fault as replacing Joe Pavelski as the team captain was

going to be impossible for anyone, particularly with this cast of Even before the pandemic, 2020 wasn’t a very enjoyable year for the characters. As the captain, though, he’s going to have to make sure the Sharks. Just five days into the New Year, they blew a late two-goal lead team is a closer-knit group off the ice from the first day of training camp, in Washington on Jan. 5 in what was their most disheartening defeat of which is still scheduled for Nov. 17. Perhaps that means he’ll have to the season. And a little more than three months later a loss to Chicago step out of his comfort zone of simply leading by example. on March 11 dropped them to last in the Western Conference. That’s Couture wants to win as much as anyone on the roster, or perhaps even where they would stay, as the league shut down the next day. in the league. His fiery demeanor on the ice and his sometimes honest- Still, with the dawn of every new season, there is hope, regardless of to-a-fault disposition off the ice is evidence of that — as is his ability to what happened the season prior. raise his game in the playoffs. You can be certain that he’s thought long and hard in recent months about what he can do as the captain to return You only have to flip the calendar back two years, in fact, to find the last the Sharks to respectability, particularly as he has seven years remaining time a team that finished last in its conference made the playoffs the on his contract and likely wants to play out the rest of his career in teal. following season. The Colorado Avalanche managed just 48 points in 2016-17, but they snagged the eighth seed in the 2018 Stanley Cup 4. The cap situation could be manageable, with a move or two playoffs with a 95-point campaign. There are obviously some long, concerning deals here for aging players The Sharks won’t likely acquire a Nathan MacKinnon-like talent to help that may well be past their primes. That’s not breaking news. spark such a remarkable turnaround, but they can still be much better if a But this piece isn’t about how screwed the Sharks might be in a couple of few things fall into place and the right moves are made. years — particularly with a flat cap for the next several seasons. It’s Will it be simple? No. about trying to fix this roster now, while many of these players can still contribute. In that regard, their salary-cap situation might not be as dire Is it likely? Also no. as many seem to think.

But, it’s not incomprehensible. The NHL Draft is set for Oct. 6-7, while The Sharks have approximately $65 million committed to 13 players, with free agency begins Oct. 9. The Sharks will have to make some headlines a few key free agents yet to be signed, like Kevin Labanc (RFA) and on those days if they’re going to be taken seriously next season. potentially Stefan Noesen and Melker Karlsson. But, move out a big salary — like, a Burns ($8 million) or a Marc-Edouard Vlasic ($7 million) Here are nine reasons for hope that the Sharks could make a quick — and they suddenly have much more breathing room, and an ability to return to the postseason in 2020-21. add a player or two via free agency. 1. Erik Karlsson could conceivably be much better There also remains the possibility that the Sharks could buy someone There is simply nothing more important to the Sharks’ 2020-21 season out, like, say, Martin Jones. If they were to do that, they would gain than having a fully healthy, elite-level Karlsson in the lineup. another $2.875 in salary cap space. I still tend to think this is unlikely because the Sharks would carry dead weight on the cap through 2027- Only Karlsson knows how much his groin surgery in the 2019 offseason 28, but it’s still a possibility. negatively affected his play last season. Add to that the fact that he welcomed a new baby into the world on opening night, when he had to The NHL’s buyout period begins with the start of the Stanley Cup Final. depart Las Vegas at the last minute to rush home to be with his wife, who 5. Indications are the goaltending tandem will be upgraded went into labor early. Perhaps not being in ideal shape for training camp, along with the added stresses off the ice, contributed to him never Assuming that Jones isn’t bought out, the Sharks will have to hope that looking quite right in 2019-20. Those breathtaking plays that Karlsson the player they saw in the final month before the season shut down is the was good for about once a night were missing. one that is ready to go from the start of the season. After Aaron Dell supplanted him as the No. 1 for about six weeks, Jones stepped in again Sharks fans have already witnessed how Karlsson playing at his best can in mid-February and registered a .927 save percentage and 2.02 goals- completely alter the face of the team, when he posted 27 points in 16 against average in his final eight games. games during a six-week stretch in 2018-19, after he had settled into his new surroundings but before the groin problems. Can Karlsson return to The Sharks inquired about Jake Allen, according to a source, before the that form this season, at age 30? Who knows. Most hockey people figure goalie was dealt to Montreal from St. Louis. Allen carries a $4.35 million that his best days are behind him, particularly because of the serious salary cap hit and the Blues were trying to shed some dollars, so it’s injuries he’s endured. It’s worth noting, though, that 35-year-old Mark likely the money didn’t work for the Sharks and the conversations didn’t Giordano won the Norris Trophy in 2019, while Brent Burns’ best get far. Still, it at least shows that the team is actively looking for another seasons came after the age of 30, too. goalie to pair with Jones or perhaps even take over the bulk of the workload. If Karlsson can play the way he did midway through his first season with the Sharks, it changes everything. Perhaps there will be extra motivation It makes little sense to bring back Dell, and if Jones is staying, it makes for Karlsson, who will have to prove to an abundance of doubters that he absolutely zero sense. The Jones/Dell tandem has been the NHL’s worst can still play the way he still believes he’s capable. in the regular season at even strength for the last two seasons. Bringing in someone else with NHL experience can only be viewed as a positive. 2. Tomas Hertl and Radim Simek should be in better shape, too 6. Wilson has pulled off franchise-altering deals in the past It can take upwards of a full calendar year to completely recover from torn knee ligaments. If the NHL season begins Dec. 1, that will be It’s easy to forget that Wilson was universally praised when he made the approximately 10 months since Hertl tore the ACL and MCL in his left Karlsson trade, primarily because he didn’t have to give up any of his knee, so the late start should help. Hertl is probably the second-most true high-end forwards like Hertl or Timo Meier. The Sharks needed important skater on the team, after Karlsson. The Sharks will need him at another difference-maker in their lineup, and Karlsson was the guy that full health, and the later the season begins the better it should be for the was available. team’s lone 2020 All-Star. Remember, too, that the only way Wilson was able to make that trade Simek tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus on March 12, 2019, and that’s was an earlier deal with Ottawa for Mike Hoffman, in which the Sharks likely one reason his level of play in 2019-20 dipped from his impressive general manager was able to shed the $4 million annual salary of the rookie campaign when he was a key part of the Sharks’ turnaround ineffective Mikkel Boedker. He then shipped Hoffman to Florida and added a couple of draft picks in return.

In other words, Wilson has shown an ability to think a few moves ahead when it comes to roster building. He’ll have to put those skills to work this offseason, as moving large salaries will be more difficult now that the salary cap is to remain flat. But, if anyone can do it, it’s probably Wilson, who is surely working the phones extensively already.

7. The prospect pool is deeper and more experienced

Credit Doug Wilson Jr. for admitting a few months ago that the organization probably expected too much from its young players in 2019- 20, particularly those that were going to have to fill the void left by Joe Pavelski, Gus Nyquist and Joonas Donskoi up front.

“It’s our responsibility as scouts to decide when they’re ready, and maybe we said it was a year or two early,” Wilson Jr. said on Feb. 14.

There was a heavy rotation of forwards from the Barracuda to the Sharks, and by the end of the season, the only two that really seemed to show any consistency at the NHL level were Joel Kellman (who signed a two-year contract extension on Aug. 31), and Noah Gregor.

The jury is still out on others like Sasha Chmelevski, Joachim Blichfeld, Alex True, Lean Bergmann and Ivan Chekhovich. Chmelevski could offer the most hope after he finished the AHL season strong, with 26 points in his final 36 games after some early injuries. He is still a player that our Corey Pronman lists as a potential “legit NHL player.”

Two other players who might be able to contribute next season, and perhaps right away, are defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk and forward John Leonard. Both signed entry-level deals this offseason; Pasichnuk out of Arizona State and Leonard out of UMass.

Ryan Merkley, the Sharks’ top prospect, is probably a long shot to make the NHL roster unless Karlsson or Burns are not options. Still, he’ll join the organization on a full-time basis and I would guess he gets in at least a handful of games with the Sharks next season.

Something to keep in mind — the 2017 draft is really the first that Wilson Jr. is responsible for as scouting director. So far, that draft class looks pretty good. First-round pick Josh Norris was the AHL rookie of the year (albeit for Ottawa’s affiliate), while second-round pick Mario Ferraro looks like he’ll be an NHL player for a long time. Chmelevski and Chekhovich were the sixth- and seventh-round picks, respectively, that year.

8. The Sharks probably still have an owner willing to spend to the cap

It’s highly unlikely NHL arenas will be full when the regular season begins, so revenues are going to be down across the league.

It remains to be seen how that will affect the Sharks from a hockey operations standpoint, but owner Hasso Plattner — worth about $17.9 billion, according to Forbes — has never let money get in the way of trying to field a competitive team. There’s no reason to think that the reduced income at the gate will prevent the organization from making the kinds of moves that Wilson deems necessary for a quick rebound, even if that compounds the short-term fiscal pain. The same can’t be said for every other team in the league.

9. Bob Boughner will have time to prepare with his new staff

We still believe it’s only a matter of time before the Sharks officially name Boughner as their head coach. They are also expected to bring in Rocky Thompson as an assistant. Thompson was most recently the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate, the , and was once hired by Boughner to coach the OHL Windsor Spitfires.

Just like it sometimes takes a team to jell, the same can be true of a coaching staff — something Boughner alluded to on Jan. 15.

“At the end of the day, I’m overseeing a lot more than I was before, or even in Florida (as head coach), for that matter, because it was a staff that was put together halfway (through) the season and it’s not easy to put a staff together that time of year,” he said. “We’ve all tried to work together and create that identity that we want to have.”

Boughner and his staff will have plenty of time to get on the same page for the 2020-21 season.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178877 Seattle Kraken attendees,” OVG co-founder and music promoter Irving Azoff said in a release.

Tod Leiweke said that while he’s disappointed the downtown location The Seattle Kraken’s AHL farm team won’t debut in Palm Springs as didn’t work out, the more regionally centralized site could allow easier planned access and parking for residents throughout the Coachella Valley.

“It turns out to be a heck of a site,” he said. “A number of people believe it’s actually better sited and that more people in the totality of the valley By Geoff Baker will be able to get there.”

Seattle Times LOADED: 09.17.2020 A shift in planned arena locations means the Kraken’s American Hockey League farm team won’t launch in Palm Springs, California, next year as initially intended.

The team will likely play elsewhere in California, or neighboring Arizona, for a season, or share players with an existing AHL franchise before relocating for 2022-23 to the new 10,000-seat arena planned for a site about a 15-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs. The preliminary agreement to build on downtown land owned by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians stalled earlier this year amid community and tribal concerns about the project — leading to a new deal last week to build on unincorporated land just north of neighboring Palm Desert.

“This was all about trying to find a really good long-term fit,’’ Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said Wednesday. “We went down to Palm Springs and said, ‘Wow.’ It was a really good market, on the (AHL) circuit, a place that players will love. And so, when we hit that bump in the road, we hung in there … and this other site became available.’’

It’s not yet known whether “Palm Springs” will remain a part of the future team’s name.

Agua Caliente is no longer involved in the project after pulling back from a deal struck last summer and re-evaluating its economic priorities once the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced several tribal businesses to close. The tribe let the Oak View Group — the project’s developer — know in April that it couldn’t commit to the deal at that time and was focusing on operating a new casino and cultural center nearby.

There had previously been some significant community pushback over a lack of nearby parking adjacent the arena site expressed during a hearings held by the Palm Springs City Council last December.

OVG’s president of business development Francesca Bodie, whose father, , is the company’s co-founder, spearheaded the search for a different partner and found The H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, which supports educational and charitable projects. The foundation is leasing the land to be used for the 300,000 square-foot arena and an adjacent training facility to serve as a year-round community gathering space.

Groundbreaking and construction are to begin next year and finish by the fourth quarter of 2022.

Kraken general manager Ron Francis said Wednesday he and assistant GM Ricky Olczyk will quickly begin seeking a temporary home for the team. Francis said potential locations could include relatively nearby venues in San Diego and Ontario, California, and Tucson, Arizona, already home to other teams’ AHL affiliates.

“The first year, it’s not going to be that big a deal for us,’’ Francis said of the farm team. “We’re going to draft guys for the most part that — unless they make our team — are going to have to be returned back to their junior teams.’’

Francis noted that the Vegas Golden Knights didn’t own an AHL team for their first three seasons after launching in 2017, reaching an agreement with the Chicago Wolves, an existing AHL team that has changed affiliates multiple times. It’s possible, he said, that the Kraken could similarly partner with an existing AHL squad for a season and use it to accommodate the Kraken’s smaller number of expected minor leaguers.

“So, we’ll explore that and check into a decision sooner rather than later on that,’’ he said.

Music and concerts will remain a key feature for the newly-planned venue. Live Nation Entertainment remains partnered on the project and pledged in the release to supply the future venue with top touring artists and live events to generate revenue when hockey isn’t being played.

“The venue will be a major must-play destination for top talent and be the ultimate fan-friendly showcase for both valley’s sports and entertainment 1178878 Seattle Kraken The Washington and Calgary coaching announcements leaves the interim situations with the Sharks and Stars as the only ones left to officially iron out.

LeBrun: Head coaching tidbits from Capitals, Flames, Sharks, Stars and For a while now, all indications were that Bob Boughner would have his Kraken interim tag removed in San Jose and I’m told that’s finally going to happen over the next week or two.

With the Stars, meanwhile, the original plan was for Rick Bowness and By Pierre LeBrun Sep 16, 2020 Jim Nill to reconvene after the season to discuss his future. Bowness has one more year left on his assistant coach’s contract, which he continued

to work on. Brian MacLellan was on a mission and he didn’t deviate from his plan. It wasn’t just about whether Nill thought Bowness was a good fit after On the day in late August when he fired head coach Todd Reirden, the replacing Jim Montgomery in December, but also whether the 65-year- Washington Capitals GM hinted strongly at wanting to bring in an old Bowness himself wanted the gig past this season. The rigours of experienced replacement to hold his players accountable. being a head coach in the NHL have never been more demanding. But I would have to imagine the fun he’s had in return to play with a surprise Which is why I speculated in a column on Aug. 24 that he would no doubt run to the Cup Final will galvanize his desire to stay on. interview Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette and Mike Babcock. Nill reiterated in a media call Tuesday that he would talk to Bowness after Which is exactly what he did. And not only that, they’re the only three the season but that the coach had earned the right to stay on. So that’s guys he interviewed. good to hear.

He took a chance on Reirden last time around, a longtime NHL assistant And Seattle? getting a chance to be a head coach for the first time, letting Barry Trotz walk in the process. There’s also the NHL’s 32nd team, which still hasn’t hired a head coach. We reported a number of months ago (pre-COVID-19) that Seattle GM Trotz had to decide between accepting an extension paying $1.8 million Ron Francis had the green light from ownership to hire a coach as early a year with Washington, which was triggered in his deal when the team as this summer if he saw fit. You may remember that Gallant was hired won the Cup, or head to free agency where he landed a deal worth $4 by Vegas in April 2017 before the team’s first game six months later. million a season from the New York Islanders. It created a bit of a PR nightmare for the Caps, part of which was the notion that they don’t pay So hiring this summer in Seattle would have been a departure from what for coaches. Vegas did.

Well, you can’t make that argument now, as MacLellan knew he needed But what I was told this week is that the new reality in the COVID-19 a more experienced hand to keep his competitive window open with an world and the uncertainty about what’s going on with the next NHL aging core. Laviolette’s deal according to sources is worth just under $15 season has given Francis enough reason to wait on the hire. million in total over three years, so a salary in the high 4s (Laviolette was First of all, who knows exactly when Seattle’s first game will be now. owed $2.5 million on his Nashville deal but the Caps picked up the Which is to say the start of the 2021-22 season might be delayed entirety of it so the Predators are now off the hook). depending on how late next season goes. So the Kraken have lots of Laviolette is now the fifth-highest paid coach in the NHL behind Joel time to figure out who their first coach will be. Quenneville ($6 million), Claude Julien ($5 million), Alain Vigneault ($5 I still think Gallant, for rather obvious reasons, would be the perfect fit for million) and Todd McLellan ($5 million) and just ahead of Trotz. Seattle. I mean, he just lived the expansion experience and knocked it By all accounts, MacLellan was impressed by his interviews with Gallant, out of the park. And while nobody will confirm this, I believe Francis and Laviolette and Babcock. Not easy picking between the three. Players go Gallant had a conversation at some point over the past few months, but through a wall for Gallant everywhere he goes. And Babcock really at this point it doesn’t appear like anything is on the front-burner with a intrigued MacLellan, according to a source. But the Caps went with coaching hire in Seattle. Laviolette, who has made three trips to the Stanley Cup Final with three Gallant still has another year on his deal with Vegas so his impending different teams and won it all with Carolina in 2006. free agency in June 2021 might be the right timing for Seattle. Or maybe This is about squeezing out 2-3 more years out of this veteran core and Seattle thinks outside the box and hires against the grain. That wouldn’t having a coach who will ensure it’s all business in that dressing room. surprise me, either.

Flames and Ward The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020

The Calgary Flames also confirmed their head coaching plans this week when GM Brad Treliving announced he was retaining Geoff Ward and removing the interim tag.

Colleague Eric Duhatschek did a thorough job of walking us through Treliving’s decision here.

What wasn’t made official but confirmed to me by sources was that Ward’s new contract is for two years. Which suggests that while Treliving has seen enough from Ward since taking over from Bill Peters in November to keep him as head coach, this is still a show-me period.

You have to hand it to Treliving, I remember he once also signed Bob Hartley to a two-year extension. You just don’t see it very often. Coaches normally get 3-5 year deals.

But I mean, what else is Ward going to do? Reject the offer? Where else is he going to be a head coach at this time? He had zero leverage. Ward made the right choice. He’s got a shot to run his own bench. And hey, if Ward helps the Flames get over the hump with a deep playoff run next year, his next extension will look different perhaps as soon as next summer, a year before his deal expires.

Which leaves San Jose and Dallas … 1178879 St Louis Blues

Blues add ex-Stars coach Montgomery to coaching staff

Tom Timmermann

The Dallas Stars have reached the Stanley Cup Final and the man who was their coach at the start of the season, Jim Montgomery, is joining the Blues staff as an assistant coach.

The Blues announced Wednesday that Montgomery will join ’s staff. Though specifics on his coaching responsibilities haven’t been stated, he likely will be moving into the power play spot vacated by Marc Savard, who chose to stay with his family in Canada.

It’s been a turbulent season for Montgomery. He was fired by Dallas on Dec. 10 for what the team termed “unprofessional conduct” and Montgomery later said it was because of a drinking problem. “I’m not with them because of my own action,” he said Wednesday in an interview with Blues broadcaster Chris Kerber.

“Sometimes it takes an unbearable consequence in your life to happen to have an unbelievable breakthrough,” Montgomery told Kerber. “I didn’t know I was heading down the wrong path. Once I found out and you realize you do have a problem, it’s time to get to work and try and fix it. Now, for over nine months, I’m sober and I’m very thankful for what happened. Now I’m a much better person every day, a better husband, father, son, to the people who mean most in my life.”

“That firing was deserved. I wasn’t doing the right things,” Montgomery told TSN in May. “I felt I was being a hypocrite. I was asking my players to do the right thing and yet I wasn’t.”

Montgomery, whose wife is from St. Louis and who had moved here earlier in the summer before the job with the Blues was even a possibility, has been getting treatment. “I’ve sought that help,” he told TSN, “and that’s why I talk about that daily conditioning allows me to have a sober life and my life is much better. I tell you that a lot of people have told me that your life is going to get better and now that I’m coming up on six months, it does get better.

“I’m just thankful for all those reasons for the Stars letting me go.”

Montgomery, 51, signed a two-year contract with the Blues and is coming back to where his NHL career began. He was signed by the Blues as a college free agent in 1993 and played one season with St. Louis before bouncing around the NHL with four teams over the next five seasons. He then went into coaching, working his way up from college to juniors back to college, guiding Denver to a national championship, and then with the Stars. He was their coach in 2018-19 when they lost to the Blues in the second round of the playoffs. He had a 60-43-10 record with the Stars.

“My family and I are very grateful to Mr. (Tom) Stillman, Doug (Armstrong) and Craig for this opportunity to be part of the Blues organization,” Montgomery said in a statement released by the team.

While the Blues are adding an assistant coach, it looks like they’re about to lose an assistant general manager. Reports say that Bill Armstrong has agreed to, but not signed, an agreement to become general manager of the Arizona Coyotes. Armstrong, no relation to Doug Armstrong, is also the Blues’ director of amateur scouting.

Armstrong had also interviewed for the vacant Florida GM’s position. He had been in charge of the team’s draft since 2010, during which time the team picked up players including Colton Parayko and Robert Thomas while never picking higher than 20th in the draft in that span.

This year’s NHL draft is Oct. 6 and 7.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178880 St Louis Blues — (@SARAMPAGE) MARCH 4, 2020 The AHL season was put on pause in mid-March because of the

pandemic. There was significant doubt it would resume, so a majority of Blues goalie prospect Ville Husso ready to prove himself after Jake Allen the players left town in a hurry. But not Husso, who is from , trade Finland.

“When the pandemic struck, everybody was figuring out how to get on a plane and get back with their family as quick as possible,” McDonald By Jeremy Rutherford Sep 16, 2020 said. “Ville stayed in San Antonio the whole time. He never left, and part of that was he wanted to make sure he stayed in the United States. He

knew there was a possibility of governmental restrictions if he left the If Ville Husso were to open the 2020-21 season in the American Hockey country. League, it would be the fourth St. Louis Blues minor-league affiliate he “But on top of that, he was in the gym almost every single day with our has played for without making his NHL debut. strength coach (Abe Edson). He had our trainers shooting on him on the “Yeah, I know, it’s funny to think about it that way,” Husso said from his ice, putting his time to good use, and that’s with nobody looking over his home in Finland this week. shoulder and pushing him. To keep working out the rest of March, all of April (through) June, I think it said a lot about Ville’s professionalism.” The 25-year-old goalie prospect has already suited up for the Mavericks of the ECHL and the Chicago Wolves and San Antonio That extra effort developed from the Blues’ continued faith in Husso, Rampage of the AHL. The Blues have left San Antonio, and their new even though he missed most of the 2018-19 season with injuries; the AHL affiliate will be the Springfield (Mass.) Thunderbirds, so it would miraculous story of Binnington, even though there could have been some have meant another stop. disappointment when he was passed up on the depth chart; and what he gleaned from prior call-ups to St. Louis, even though they never resulted But with Husso signing a one-way NHL contract in January and the Blues in playing a game. trading Jake Allen to Montreal earlier this month, the plan is for him to be part of the Blues’ tandem with Jordan Binnington next season. The year the Blues won the Stanley Cup, a pair of ankle injuries limited Husso to just 27 games in the AHL, including just four starts after The decision was made, in part, because the club needed to clear salary- Christmas. But the organization stuck by his side. cap space — Husso’s $750,000 salary saves $3.6 million after the trade of Allen — but also because it wanted to provide an opportunity for the “They have believed in me every single time, even last year when I was 2014 fourth-round draft pick. injured,” Husso said. “They still gave me a chance to play in the AHL and play a lot of games. I feel like the team has believed in me, and that’s a The arrangement is a little concerning because Binnington, 27, has great thing.” played in just 83 NHL regular-season games himself, and the league could play a condensed schedule next season, requiring two capable Before Husso’s injuries derailed his season, he was being outplayed by goalies. Binnington, who was called up in January 2019 and proceeded to make history. Will Husso be able to push Binnington like Allen did? Is he ready? “I was happy for Binner, how he played in the NHL and how he showed Those are questions Blues general manager Doug Armstrong asked his that if you just trust yourself, you can do this,” Husso said. “Everybody staff. goes a different way, but it was nice to see you can do a story like that. That gave me a lot of energy and a boost for practice and workouts. I “We had a conference call,” Armstrong said earlier this month. “I talked to knew that anything could happen.” the American Hockey League general manager (Kevin McDonald), development coaches … and everyone feels that he’s ready for the (Geoff Burke / USA Today) opportunity.” And while Husso has yet to make his official debut with the Blues, he did This week, The Athletic reached out to McDonald and asked why he suit up for 15 games as the backup during the 2017-18 season and gave Husso a thumbs-up, and the Blues’ assistant GM since 2009 said, against Dallas in the round-robin tournament this year. That opened his simply, “his readiness.” eyes to life as a pro.

“I just think his entire body of work has been leading to this,” McDonald “I’ve learned how they lose one game and the next game they play their said. “Ville came up (with the Chicago Wolves) and played in a three- best game and win — just how they do their jobs every day,” Husso said. goalie system with Binnington and (Pheonix Copley). Then we had a “Everybody is a pro athlete, so they know what to do.” share in San Antonio with (Spencer Martin). He’s been in Chicago and San Antonio long enough. If you look, he’s had good numbers every Husso went straight from San Antonio to St. Louis in late June for Phase year, except 2018-19 when he wasn’t healthy, so he’s given us a 2 of the NHL’s “Return to Play,” and his commitment in the months consistent body of work. He’s paid his dues, and he’s ready to show that leading up to that was evident. The 6-foot-3 goaltender showed up he can play at the next level.” weighing 200 pounds, about 15 pounds less than he was a few years ago. This appeared to be the direction the Blues were heading when they agreed to a two-year, $1.5 million extension with Husso, who would have “When he came to St. Louis (for Phase 2), we saw a lot of the things we remained a restricted free agent. normally see out of Ville,” Blues goalie coach David Alexander said. “He’s a pretty hard-working kid, but his fitness has been a huge “For me, yeah, when the contract happened, I was happy for that,” he improvement. I’m not saying it was bad, but what I’m saying is over time, said. “But at the same time, I was still playing games (in San Antonio). I you hope to see growth in that area, and we’ve seen growth there.” didn’t really think about that too much.” Alexander, who has been with the organization since 2017, has seen a Husso’s statistics in San Antonio said otherwise. In 30 appearances with lot of improvement in Husso, in one area in particular. the Rampage before signing the deal with the Blues that increases his chances of being in St. Louis in 2020-21, he had a pedestrian .900 save “His positional game has improved quite a bit,” Alexander said. “I think percentage. In 12 appearances afterward, he put together a .944 save overall that allows him to play a little bit calmer and in more control. percentage. (Blues goalie development coach) Dave Rogalski has done a really good job with him on that in San Antonio.” “I would say his numbers got a good boost from that point on, and gave him a shot in the arm,” McDonald said. “I think the confidence level Another area has been Husso’s footwork, which Allen helped with before certainly raised his play.” his departure.

VILLE HUSSO ROCKING A CAREER-HIGH 16 WINS THIS SEASON, “I can move better, like standing up,” Husso said. “Jake is a really good GOING 7-3-0 IN HIS LAST 10 STARTS WITH A GAA OF 1.62 AND A goalie and has really good technique, so there were some little things .940 SV% that he showed me, like how he plays on the post. It’s hard to explain, but

CC: @SEAWORLDTEXAS PIC.TWITTER.COM/072R6HDXVH it’s just like when you go post to post. I need to get better on those, and I “The NHL, in some ways, has been a performance league for a long got (tips) from Jake.” time, but you’re starting to see a little bit of a trend where we’re developing players at our level, too,” Alexander said. “There are a lot of Alexander encouraged Husso to watch Allen. young guys starting to come in, and with that, there’s a little bit more, I “Lateral movement is a big part of today’s game,” Alexander said. “If you don’t know if ‘comfort’ is the right word, but a little bit more patience.” can’t move laterally, you can’t play in this league — you can’t. The Martin Brodeur, the winningest goalie in NHL history who worked in league is too skilled, both on the passing side and pass reception and Blues management for three years before leaving in 2018, once said that shooting off the release. So lateral movement is really important, and that young goalies like Husso need to play 150 games in the AHL, if possible, was certainly helpful for Husso to have someone to look at going through to best enhance their development. To date, Husso has played 129 that stage.” regular-season games and 10 playoff games in that league.

Just as important was being able to adjust to the shots, especially for a “So he came close,” McDonald said. “You throw in the years that he European goalie who was getting acclimated to the smaller ice surface. played in the men’s league in Helsinki and he’s certainly put in his time “The shots here, especially in the NHL, everybody can shoot the puck on the development side.” pretty well,” Husso said. “And the angles, they come from everywhere in Husso would’ve reached that level if not for the injuries, as well as the the U.S., so you need to be ready. There are little things that you need to pause. But he did prove last season that he could handle a significant fix coming from Europe, but now when I’m here in Finland, the ice is workload by tying for the most games played by a goalie (42) and leading Olympic ice, so I feel weird here. The U.S. rinks are normal for me now.” the league in minutes played (2,437:37) at the position.

Allen recently joined my podcast at The Athletic, “We Went Blues,” and I “We went from having a prospect who wasn’t healthy to it being another asked him about Husso’s progression. important year for Ville, showing his health and having an excellent “It takes time, it really does,” Allen said. “You look at Binner, it takes time. season for us,” McDonald said. “Sometimes people look at his stats and Ville has got a really high-end skill set. He’s a natural in the position, it don’t realize he did have a strong statistical year, especially for a team seems like, just from watching him and understanding his game a little that was No. 25 overall in the league in goals for.” bit. Obviously he hasn’t played yet, and there’s a lot of things he’s going If the NHL plays an 82-game schedule, the Blues believe that 25 starts to have to learn, and it’s not going to be easy. isn’t out of the question for Husso. But with the number of games “I was in his shoes before. There’s going to be ups and downs, but he’s uncertain, they’re going into it with the idea of a split — say, 70-30 going to be a good NHL goalie for a long time. Him and Binner will be a percent in favor of Binnington — instead of a number of games. And the great tandem; they’re both relatively young and could be there for a while games Husso does play will likely be carefully scheduled around how the together. They know each other, (and) they’ve played together already, club is playing, the opponent, etc. so that’s definitely a bonus. It’ll be good for Huss. He’s paid his dues and As long as it’s with the Blues, Husso is fine with it. you need an opportunity, and this is his chance.” “I would like to play as much as I can,” Husso said. “(But) I just hope WE WENT BLUES WITH @JPRUTHERFORD WELCOMES NEW whenever the (season) starts, I will be in St. Louis and show what I have. @CANADIENSMTL GOALTENDER JAKE ALLEN (@34JALLEN) WHO I will prepare as good as I can and try to not think about it too much … LOOKS BACK FONDLY ON HIS #STLBLUES CAREER BUT IS just enjoy the game. It’s the same hockey, and I’ve been playing hockey PUMPED TO PLAY WITH @CP0031 & #GOHABSGO for 20 years. It’s totally on (me), and I will show what I have.” @THEATHLETICSTL & @THEATHLETICMTL: HTTPS://T.CO/00GIKPNB6K The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020

HTTPS://T.CO/H1JJY80VVN PIC.TWITTER.COM/WHDLCWGEBC

— THE ATHLETIC ST. LOUIS (@THEATHLETICSTL) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Husso was in Finland when he found out that Allen had been traded to Montreal.

“I saw it on Twitter,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, is it my turn now?’ I didn’t really think too much, but like, it was the feeling that you’re in a good spot. I’m moving forward.”

He doesn’t consider the Blues’ backup job his yet, knowing that he’ll have to continue working hard this offseason and then have a solid training camp, whenever that is.

“Usually it’s the summer time when I’m in the offseason, but now it’s September, so it’s kind of getting cold here,” Husso said. “There’s not much to do other than practice and play some tennis maybe inside. We have (Tali Tennis Center), and there’s like 20 courts. I’ve been playing eight, nine years. It’s good for goalies because of the side-to-side and the hand-eye.”

He plans to go on the ice soon with fellow Finnish NHLers, including Dallas’ , Winnipeg’s Kristian Vesalainen and Carolina’s Teuvo Teravainen.

“There’s lots of guys who play in Europe, too, and they don’t have a team right now,” Husso said. “There’s going to be a lot of guys to skate with, so hopefully get in there next week. It’s going to be good.”

Many skaters get their shot in the NHL at a younger age, and lately goalies are, too. In recent years, the list includes Philadelphia’s Carter Hart (22), New Jersey’s MacKenzie Blackwood (23), Washington’s Ilya Samsonov (23), Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko (24), Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry (24) and Columbus’ Elvis Merzlikins (26).

Of the 87 goalies who played in the NHL in the regular season this year, 28 of them (32 percent) started the season age 25 or under. 1178881 St Louis Blues “I think it hurt us in the long run.” How exactly did the momentum swing so dramatically that night? It was

4-1 after two periods and the Flames had the game well in hand. Duhatschek: What it’s like being on the losing end of a ‘miracle’ Wickenheiser and Mullen traded goals about a minute apart. The Blues comeback got a goal from Brian Sutter at 8:08 and the building suddenly came alive.

Greg Paslawski made it closer still at 15:49 and then with 1:08 to go, By Eric Duhatschek Sep 16, 2020 Paslawski pickpocketed a Flames defenceman in tight, and swung the puck into the net, past Mike Vernon, from a bad angle. Reeling, the

Flames had the overtime to regroup and had their share of chances but Al MacInnis is one of the central figures in St. Louis Blues history. There ultimately Wickenheiser scored the winner, on the rebound off a shot by is a bronze statue of him outside the arena, poised to take his trademark Hunter. Even now, MacInnis can remember how the momentum just slapshot, a nod to the 613 games he played as a defensive mainstay for slipped away. the team, which also included a Norris Trophy in 1999. “It’s hard to put it into words, but you feel it happening,” MacInnis said. Soon after his 23-year NHL career ended, MacInnis was elected to the “You feel the ice tilting against you. You feel like you’re skating uphill. Hockey Hall of Fame. His life after hockey involved joining the Blues’ You’re tentative. You know the other team has the energy and the crowd front-office, where he is the senior advisor to the general manager and behind them. It’s hard to explain, but it’s real. You feel it. The fans feel it. where he had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup last summer, after “A team gets life and all of a sudden, they take control of the pace of the the Blues’ victory over the Boston Bruins. game. You hear it all the time from coaches: ‘We don’t want to sit back.’ Until the Blues actually won the Cup, however, the most memorable Well, nobody wants to sit back and try and protect a one-goal lead. But it moment in franchise history occurred on May 12, 1986, in what is known just happens. It gets in your brain and it just takes over. You try to fight it locally as the Monday Night Miracle. It occurred in Game 6 of the 1986 – but sometimes you just can’t. Stanley Cup semifinals, a night when the Blues were down 3-2 in the Life on the losing side of a miracle isn’t much fun, MacInnis ruefully series and 5-2 in the potentially deciding game, with 12 minutes to go in conceded. regulation. “But that’s what makes sports so entertaining, right? It’s why we watch.” But that night, the Blues completed the greatest comeback in team history, scoring three third-period goals to force overtime, before Doug The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 Wickenheiser scored the game-winner at 7:30 of the extra period, a win that sent the capacity crowd of 17,801 into an absolute frenzy.

In author Bob Broeg’s book on the 100 greatest moments in St. Louis sports history, the Monday Night Miracle made the grade. But here’s the thing. For as much as MacInnis is now known for his connection to the Blues, that night, he was playing for the opposition Flames, who were playing for a chance to advance to the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, after having upset the defending champion Edmonton Oilers in the previous round.

In professional sports, one man’s miracle can be another man’s nightmare.

And because MacInnis’s career was divided almost equally between the Flames and the Blues, it took him a while to reconcile the two completely separate narratives of the same essential event.

“When I first came to St. Louis, probably the first couple of years I played there, people kept talking about this Monday Night Miracle, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah.’ I didn’t even know what they were talking about,” MacInnis said. “Finally, one time, I had to ask: ‘What the heck is this Monday Night Miracle?’ And they said, ‘That’s when we beat the Calgary Flames, with a big comeback in the third.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Really? That’s your miracle?’

“The second part of that is, when I first started to come to practice … sometimes you’d come in through the main entrance of the building, where they had a huge picture of the winning goal – and the celebration – right on the wall there. I’d have to walk by, with my eyes down, so I didn’t have to look at it.”

That year, Calgary and St. Louis were tied together by a major trade. The Flames had acquired Joe Mullen, Rik Wilson and Terry Johnson from St. Louis for Eddy Beers, Gino Cavallini and Charlie Bourgeois. For the next half-dozen years, the two teams kept making massive trades with each other. Doug Gilmour, Mark Hunter, Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley – all of whom were with St. Louis for the Monday Night Miracle – later joined MacInnis on Calgary’s 1989 Stanley Cup championship team. But the Blues did OK in the deals that went the other way, landing future Hall of Famer Brett Hull, and 50-goal scorer Mike Bullard in separate trades with the Flames. So, there were a lot of friends who eventually became opponents and opponents who eventually became friends.

But that night…

“It was devastating obviously,” said MacInnis. “We ended up winning Game 7, but who knows, if we’d won in Game 6, if we might have done better against Montreal in the final because we would have had extra time to prepare and rest. Instead, you’re going back to Calgary and you win, but you go right into Game 1 of the final with no rest or recovery. 1178882 Tampa Bay Lightning showed off skilled hands to score. But he has just two goals in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.17.2020 If the Lightning don’t have Brayden Point, who might help fill the net?

Tampa Bay’s best players have performed, but they’re looking a little haggard. Where’s the depth scoring?

By Diana C. Nearhos

Running down the list of playoff goal scorers, the same names keep popping up for the Lightning. To some extent, that’s to be expected. But when those players start to look haggard, it’s time for some backup.

Center Brayden Point has missed two of the last three games, both Lightning losses, in the Eastern Conference final against the Islanders at Edmonton. Right wing Nikita Kucherov was banged up and sat out for five minutes of Tuesday’s Game 5 loss. He finished the game, but him skating off the ice in pain was a reminder of a delicate situation for a team that already has been without injured Steven Stamkos for the postseason.

Coach Jon Cooper didn’t share an update on anyone Wednesday. He did say he didn’t think he’d seen the last of Point in the playoffs and the forward could be back for tonight’s Game 6, in which the Lightning, with a 3-2 series lead, can earn a trip to the Stanley Cup final.

The adage says your best players need to be your best players. The Lightning’s have been, but if Point and-or Kucherov play tonight, they might not be at full capacity and could use support.

“We have to find more ways to create more goals,” defenseman said after the 2-1 double-overtime loss in Game 5.

Already stepping up

Is it fair to call a top-line wing or one of the league’s top offensively minded defensemen depth scoring? Not really.

But neither left wing Ondrej Palat nor Hedman are known for scoring, and they’ve done a lot of that in the playoffs. At least one of them has scored in each game since the start of the conference semifinal against Boston.

Hedman is scoring at double his previous career-high rate. Palat has as many goals in this playoffs, eight, as he did in the 2018-19 regular season.

Gone quiet

Left wing Alex Killorn had a great regular season as he passed 20 goals for the first time, and he might have flirted with 30 if the season hadn’t been interrupted because of the coronavirus. But he has been largely missing from the playoffs.

Killorn has four goals in 17 games, a quarter of the rate at which he scored in the regular season. He has often been criticized for being streaky. This is a tough time to prove those critics right.

Forward Tyler Johnson earned his playoff reputation with big performances in the Lightning’s 2015 and ’16 runs. He opened up the round-robin part of this year’s playoffs with two goals in three games, but Johnson has scored only twice in the 15 games since.

AForward Anthony Cirelli has stepped into a bigger offensive role on the second line this season. He was on pace for his first 20-goal season in his second full NHL year. But that kind of production has been lacking in the playoffs. He has two goals in 18 games, none in this series.

The third line of Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde and Barclay Goodrow was the Lightning’s best against the Bruins. But it hasn’t had that same spark against the Islanders.

The line stepped up to Cooper’s challenge in Game 4 against the Islanders. Coleman scored 15 seconds after a bad play had led to the Islanders getting on the board first. The Lightning could use more of that.

Mikhail Sergachev has settled into a stronger presence as a two-way defenseman this year, but he didn’t lose his scoring touch. Hedman has said Sergachev tries things he hasn’t even thought of. One of those came in Game 3 against the Islanders: Sergachev cut across the slot and 1178883 Tampa Bay Lightning Verhaeghe finished the regular season with nine goals and 13 points, and he’s recorded two assists in five playoff games as a rookie.

“It’s been pretty special to watch his progression,” said Cooper. “Now, in Lightning’s Carter Verhaeghe has had to battle every step of the way some of the biggest times in our organization’s history, he’s being slotted in to play a role for us. Good on him, and he’s deserved everything that’s Though he didn’t make his NHL debut until age 25, he has been called come to him.” upon to play a role in a potential Stanley Cup run. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.17.2020

By By Jason Hills, Times Correspondent

EDMONTON — When you watch Carter Verhaeghe on the ice with the Lightning, he’s a player who battles every shift — and that’s a perfect way to describe his road to the National Hockey League.

He’s had to battle every step of the way.

At 25, many players who don’t reach their dreams may look at going to Europe as an option. Others may just hang up their skates all together — but Verhaeghe didn’t give up.

He made his NHL debut with the Lightning this season and is now been called upon to play a role in a potential Stanley Cup run.

“Carter’s come a long way,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “I watched him in the Calder Cup playoffs last year, and if there was a guy that stood out to me, it was him. He’s not afraid to go into dirty areas, and he’s got sneaky good skill."

Growing up in Toronto, Verhaeghe was selected by his hometown Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2013 draft.

But his time in the organization was short-lived as he played just two games in the American Hockey League and was dealt along with a crop of prospects to the New York Islanders for .

He spent two seasons in the Isles organization bouncing back and forth between the AHL and the East Coast Hockey League before being traded again — this time to the Lightning for goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis in 2017.

Verhaeghe scored 17 goals in his first season with the Lightning’s farm team in Syracuse and last year led the entire AHL in scoring with 34 goals and 82 points in 76 games.

“The (AHL) is such a beneficial league, not only for people like myself and other coaches, but for players to play in it and develop,” said Cooper. “He’s really worked on his skating, and it’s great to see what Carter’s done to put himself in a position to play in the NHL.”

After leading the AHL in scoring last year, for some prospects it may secure a spot to make the jump to the NHL, but it wasn’t just given to Verhaeghe. He cracked the Lightning’s opening-night roster and earned his first NHL point in his second game against the Florida Panthers.

But it took awhile for him to notch his first NHL goal — 17 games in fact. It came Dec. 7 in a 7-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. It also marked his first multi-point game of his career. Exactly one month later, he scored his first-career hat trick.

Verhaeghe hasn’t become a regular in the deep Lightning lineup, but when called upon, he’s found a role and his confidence grew over the course of the year.

He drew back into the lineup in Tampa Bay’s 2-1, double-overtime loss in Game 5 and played on a line with Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn. He logged a career-high 20:24 of ice time and looked to score his first-ever playoff goal in the second period, but it was overturned on an offside call.

“It felt good when it went in, but I kind of had an idea when we got in the huddle,” said Verhaeghe. “Cedi (Cedric Paquette) told me it was offside right away. He was the one who was offside, so he knew. I tried to sell it a little bit, and it was a good feeling, but too bad it didn’t count."

Verhaeghe may have been denied his first playoff goal, but if history shows anything, he’ll keep battling and do whatever he needs to help the Lightning in these playoffs.

“It’s been a great year, and I’m lucky to be on such a great team,” said Verhaeghe. “We’ve had a great run so far, and we have a lot of guys who know what it takes (to win). It’s been a fun experience.” 1178884 Tampa Bay Lightning Each coach acknowledged the mental gymnastics that come with figuring out which team feels the most under the gun. Trotz put it simply: “We have one life left. They have two. You tell me which has more pressure.”

Tampa Bay Lightning face adversity and New York Islanders in Game 6 That doesn’t mean the Lightning don’t have more of it now, with the of NHL Conference Final Dallas Stars already waiting in the final and the conference championship trophy in the building once again.

“Pressure is what you make of it, so if you want to succumb to it, you can By Stephen Whyno The Associated Press or if you want to thrive in it, you can,” Cooper said. “You’ve got to make a choice. You’ve got to embrace these moments. You don’t get them that

often, so enjoy them and don’t let that pressure get to you. Jon Cooper might have reacted differently five years ago to losing in “Do your best on Thursday night and see what happens.” double overtime in Tampa Bay’s first chance to move on to the Stanley Cup Final, sulking with his head down and kicking the nearest soda can. LOADED: 09.17.2020 That’s not his or his team’s reaction now.

Sure, the Lightning didn’t close out the New York Islanders in five games in the Eastern Conference final like they did against their previous two opponents. But a year after taking the best record in hockey into a first- round sweep at the hands of Columbus, this group seems far more apt to handle adversity: The Lightning won a five OT marathon earlier this playoffs and beat the hard-working Islanders in Game 2 with only nine forwards.

“Adversity’s kicked us in the butt a ton of times in these playoffs,” Cooper said Wednesday. “Adversity hits different ways. This is just another one. This year, I’m really at peace with the way this team is playing.

Story continues below

“They’ve got this quiet calm about them, and they’ll be all ready.”

Tampa Bay still leads the East final 3-2 going into Game 6 Thursday night but could again be without injured leading scorer Brayden Point. New York’s two victories this series have come with Point out.

No on expects to know if Point will return until game time, but the Lightning would likely have him on the ice if he was ready.

“In my history, when guys have been hurt, they don’t play the same way,” Cooper said.

Sometimes you have to protect them from themselves. But in this situation, I’m hoping it’s not the last time we’re going to see Pointer, and we might be able to see him as early as [Thursday] night.”

Point’s absence makes this the Lightning’s toughest adversity yet. They have plenty of talent, but it’s impossible to replicate Point’s play that has him tied for the post-season scoring lead with nine goals and 16 assists.

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“He’s been so good for us in these playoffs,” forward Alex Killorn said.

“He’s a huge part of our team. He drives our team in a lot of sense: the way we play, the energy we play with.”

Top winger Ondrej Palat said the energy is still up around the team after the double OT loss in Game 5 Tuesday night, and there is good reason for confidence. From goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to defenceman Victor Hedman, Palat, reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov and even Cooper, most of Tampa Bay’s core remains from the 2015 run to the final.

“We’ve been through this before, a lot of us in that room,” Hedman said. “It’s how you respond to this that’s going to define you as a team.

“I’m not worried about how our group’s going to respond to this.”

The same can be said across the bubble for the Islanders, whom coach Barry Trotz told before Game 5, “Let’s have fun with this.” The 2018 Cup- winning coach got a hearty response from his team facing elimination, no more noticeably than when captain Anders Lee blocked a shot in overtime with his body because he didn’t have a stick.

The Islanders woke up the next morning with a little extra jump and now feel they got a boost.

You’ve just got to try to maintain that momentum that we earned from [Tuesday] night and carry that into the next game,” Lee said.

Story continues below

“Similarly, we’re on our heels — I guess our backs are against the wall a little bit — and got to come out flying.” 1178885 Toronto Maple Leafs choice. You’ve got to embrace these moments. You don’t get them that often, so enjoy them and don’t let that pressure get to you. Do your best on Thursday night and see what happens.”

Lightning face adversity and Islanders in Game 6 of Eastern Conference Globe And Mail LOADED: 09.17.2020 final

Stephen Whyno

Jon Cooper might have reacted differently five years ago to losing in double overtime in Tampa Bay’s first chance to move on to the Stanley Cup Final, sulking with his head down and kicking the nearest soda can.

That’s not his or his team’s reaction now.

Sure, the Lightning didn’t close out the New York Islanders in five games in the Eastern Conference final like they did against their previous two opponents. But a year after taking the best record in hockey into a first- round sweep at the hands of Columbus, this group seems far more apt to handle adversity: The Lightning won a five OT marathon earlier this playoffs and beat the hard-working Islanders in Game 2 with only nine forwards.

“Adversity’s kicked us in the butt a tonne of times in these playoffs,” Cooper said Wednesday. “Adversity hits different ways. This is just another one. This year, I’m really at peace with the way this team is playing. They’ve got this quiet calm about them, and they’ll be all ready.”

Tampa Bay still leads the East final 3-2 going into Game 6 Thursday night but could again be without injured leading scorer Brayden Point. New York’s two victories this series have come with Point.

No on expects to know if Point will return until game time, but the Lightning would likely have him on the ice if he was ready.

“In my history, when guys have been hurt, they don’t play the same way,” Cooper said. “Sometimes you have to protect them from themselves. But in this situation, I’m hoping it’s not the last time we’re going to see Pointer, and we might be able to see him as early as [Thursday] night.”

Point’s absence makes this the Lightning’s toughest adversity yet. They have plenty of talent, but it’s impossible to replicate Point’s play that has him tied for the postseason scoring lead with nine goals and 16 assists.

“He’s been so good for us in these playoffs,” forward Alex Killorn said. “He’s a huge part of our team. He drives our team in a lot of sense: the way we play, the energy we play with.”

Top winger Ondrej Palat said the energy is still up around the team after the double OT loss in Game 5 Tuesday night, and there is good reason for confidence. From goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to defenceman Victor Hedman, Palat, reigning NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov and even Cooper, most of Tampa Bay’s core remains from the 2015 run to the final.

“We’ve been through this before, a lot of us in that room,” Hedman said. “It’s how you respond to this that’s going to define you as a team. I’m not worried about how our group’s going to respond to this.”

The same can be said across the bubble for the Islanders, whom coach Barry Trotz told before Game 5, “Let’s have fun with this.” The 2018 Cup- winning coach got a hearty response from his team facing elimination, no more noticeably than when captain Anders Lee blocked a shot in overtime with his body because he didn’t have a stick.

The Islanders woke up the next morning with a little extra jump and now feel they got a boost.

“You’ve just got to try to maintain that momentum that we earned from [Tuesday] night and carry that into the next game,” Lee said. “Similarly, we’re on our heels – I guess our backs are against the wall a little bit – and got to come out flying.”

Each coach acknowledged the mental gymnastics that come with figuring out which team feels the most under the gun. Trotz put it simply: “We have one life left. They have two. You tell me which has more pressure.”

That doesn’t mean the Lightning don’t have more of it now, with the Dallas Stars already waiting in the final and the conference championship trophy in the building once again.

“Pressure is what you make of it, so if you want to succumb to it, you can or if you want to thrive in it, you can,” Cooper said. “You’ve got to make a 1178886 Toronto Maple Leafs Interviews in the documentary, available on iTunes, included members of Clune’s family, Dubas, Barry Trotz, who coached Clune in Nashville, and sponsor Sean Madigan.

After brief time with Leafs, Clifford headed for the open market: Agent “There are a lot of messages out there where people choose to blame hockey culture and their external environments and I just feel I would have zero opportunity to have any sort of life if I was blaming anybody else other than myself for my issues,” Clune said. “I would never change Terry Koshan one thing that has happened. It has put me here. I really like the person I am. I still make mistakes, but I don’t lie and I don’t waste any days.”

Kyle Clifford’s tenure with the Maple Leafs appears to be done. What’s next for Clune? His two-year contract with the Toronto Marlies is done, but the desire for the 33-year-old to keep playing hasn’t waned. The rugged winger, acquired from the Los Angeles Kings with goaltender Jack Campbell in February, will be hitting the market once the National “I want to continue to play at the highest level I can,” Clune said. “Moving Hockey League’s free-agency doors open on Oct. 9. forward, I have no idea what’s in store. I think there will be an opportunity to work with players at the NHL level and the AHL level and OHL level as “He’s headed for free agency,” Todd Reynolds, Clifford’s agent, told The far as development on and off the ice (once he is done playing). We’ll Toronto Sun on Wednesday. “That’s what is going to happen and the see.” Leafs are aware of that.” MLSE HIRES DIVERSITY VP Reynolds acknowledged that the Leafs’ salary cap situation hampered the sides from getting into serious talks. Another factor potentially came Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has hired Teri Dennis-Davies to be into play: Had the Leafs re-signed Clifford, a second-round pick would the organization’s senior vice president, equity, diversity and inclusion. have been on its way to Los Angeles. If Clifford does not re-sign in “MLSE and our teams are continually focused on bringing people Toronto, the Kings will get a third-round pick from the Leafs. together and representing the best of our community,” Michael Friisdahl, Clifford had a salary-cap hit of $1.6-million US in each of the past five president and CEO of MLSE, said in a statement. “The social issues that seasons. As much as Clifford enjoyed his time with the Leafs, there is not have been brought to the forefront over the past several months, much of an appetite for taking a financial haircut to stay in Toronto. including efforts to combat systemic anti-black racism and highlight the need for social justice, diversity and inclusion are priorities that we must In 16 games with the Leafs before the coronavirus pandemic halted play help address as civic leaders. Teri’s breadth of experience and in March, Clifford had one goal and two assists and added an element of perspective will help further cement our equity, diversity and inclusion physicality on the fourth line that the Leafs lacked otherwise. With the 29- efforts as an organization.” year-old on his way out, it’s something Leafs general manager is going to have to address. The name of Wayne Simmonds, who Dennis-Davies, who has more than 20 years experience in senior is headed for unrestricted free agency, is fresh in speculation. leadership roles in human resources, most recently with the Royal Bank of Canada, will start with MLSE on Oct. 19. In the five-game qualifying round loss against Columbus in August, Clifford didn’t record a point and averaged eight minutes 13 seconds of Toronto Sun LOADED: 09.17.2020 ice time.

With a flat salary cap of $81.5-million for the 2020-21 season, the Leafs have $75.4-million committed to salaries. Re-signing restricted free agents Ilya Mikheyev and Travis Dermott are among the several items on Dubas’ to-do list, and the club needs to find a way to upgrade the defence corps.

Forward Kasperi Kapanen already has been dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins to free up cash, and similar Leafs moves are expected, possibly involving wingers Andreas Johnsson and/or Alex Kerfoot.

CLUNE’S DOC A MUST-SEE

Give yourself an hour and watch Rich Clune’s documentary Hi, My Name is Dicky.

Produced by Upper Canada Films and released in July, the docfurther delves into Clune’s battle with, and on-going recovery from, addiction to alcohol and drugs. He celebrated his 10th year of sobriety on May 5.

We watched the emotional and revealing film on Wednesday morning.

“The response has been overwhelming,” Clune said. “The messages I have got are really heartfelt. The only reason I chose to pursue this film was so that I could pass along the help I was given and carry the message of hope. (Reaction) has been more than I anticipated.

“If someone is going to give you an hour of their time, no matter what it is, you want to feel like you leave them feeling like it was worth their while. A lot of people commented on the fact that they didn’t get lost and they weren’t disinterested.”

Clune has discussed his struggles and triumphs openly, whether it has been through interviews with media or in a piece he wrote for the Players’ Tribune, called The Battle, in 2015. Putting his story on film was a different experience.

“It was one of those things where you get on a roller-coaster and once you get on, you start to get scared,” Clune said. “You can’t get off, though. But as I was going, things started coming up and it was really therapeutic.” 1178887 Vegas Golden Knights By the end of the pandemic playoffs, the day to chat with the media was subdued, anti-climatic and quiet. The team made leaders like Reilly Smith and Mark Stone and regulars like William Karlsson and Alec Martinez available to the media through Zoom. But Lehner and Fleury VGK Season 3 Closed With Three Straight Losses To Dallas, Quiet were not available. Wrap-up Day With Media Via Zoom Wednesday Karlsson took 32 seconds to explain why the Golden Knights didn’t score enough against Dallas.

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com The Knights won the number one seed in the West Bubble thanks to round-robin wins against Dallas, Colorado and St. Louis. Then it was a

five-game first round win against Chicago and then the seven full games There was magical Season 1 that took the underdog Vegas Golden against Vancouver in the second round to advance to meet Dallas in the Knights on a captivating ride to the Stanley Cup Final. West Finals. The Golden Knights up-tempo style of hockey yielded a mere eight goals in five games against the Stars as the Knights lost each The loss to the Washington Capitals in June 2018 stung. But it didn’t feel of the four games by a single goal. heartbreaking to the Las Vegas market, which, in the end, rejoiced in a fairy tale-like inaugural Golden Knights season. After it was over, VGK The playoffs lacked a giant presence — the crazed Golden Knights fans players had final chat sessions with the media and conversations lasted who pack T-Mobile Arena to the tune of 19,000 a night during playoff a while because there was so much to unpack from a miracle season. games. The pandemic playoffs were a TV event as the Knights and NHL lost tens of millions of dollars of ticket revenue from not having fans at Season two ended with anger in 2019, as the Golden Knights lost a crazy the rinks. Game 7 to the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs’ opening round in April 2019 because of a highly controversial major five-minute penalty that A season that began in September with William Marchessault wearing saw a VGK 3-0 lead in period three transform into a 4-3 deficit in the outfits like this ended with a thud and a subdued final media day. deciding game. When it was over and the Knights players and Here were some final thoughts from GM McCrimmon: management met the media, there was also a lot to unpack. After that painful Game 7 loss, VGK owner Bill Foley was still clearly ticked off at “What a strange year it’s been,” he said. “A good year in many respects. the official’s call on the Knights. At the same time, we had high expectations. It’s disappointing to not reach the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup.” But today as some Golden Knights players and VGK General Manager Kelly McCrimmon talked to the media through Zoom with the franchise’s LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 09.17.2020 third year in the book, there was a flatness in tone to most of the day’s comments. Most of all, no answers on whether Marc-Andre Fleury — we’re told he’s the “Face of the Franchise” — will be back for Season 4.

The Golden Knights had just lost in five games to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals after spending two months in a controlled environment in downtown Edmonton where there were away from family and friends.

The novel coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed the lives of nearly 200,000 Americans, prompted the NHL to stage is postseason without fans at two arenas in Canada — one for the Western teams in Edmonton and the other for the East clubs in Toronto. Layered on top of this bubble environment were racial injustice issues scarring America, which prompted the players to not play for two days in the middle of the playoffs as a protest and time of reflection about the treatment of Blacks in the U.S.

On the ice, there was also a major controversy about who should play goalie for the Knights. The franchise had Fleury, the Hall-of-Famer who was already beloved by Las Vegas after two seasons. But the Knights coach, Peter DeBoer, the man who took over for fired Gerard Gallant in January, decided to choose Robin Lehner as his starting netminder in the playoffs after rotating each for starting assignments every other game during the regular season before the COVID-19 pause in March.

During the playoffs, the goalie situation that caused more off-ice controversy for the Golden Knights when Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, tweeted a provocative picture of Fleury with a sword through his back with DeBoer’s name on it.

McCrimmon said he has a good relationship Fleury, but it’s unclear whether Fleury will return for a season during which he will be paid $7 million when Lehner and the VGK have reportedly agreed to a five-year $25 million.

During today’s Zoom session, I was prepared to ask McCrimmon point- blank whether he expected Fleury to return but I was never called and given a chance to ask the GM that question.

McCrimmon called Fleury “the face of the franchise” (everyone likes that phrase) and praised his play as a goalie, mentioning that he was even a better person than player.

The GM acknowledged there will be distractions during the playoffs such as the Walsh Tweet, but said it did not affect the Knights’ performance in the games.

Marc-Andre Fleury when he was playing before 18,000 fans at the Big Ice House by the Strip. 1178888 Washington Capitals The Washington and Calgary coaching announcements leaves the interim situations with the Sharks and Stars as the only ones left to officially iron out.

LeBrun: Head coaching tidbits from Capitals, Flames, Sharks, Stars and For a while now, all indications were that Bob Boughner would have his Kraken interim tag removed in San Jose and I’m told that’s finally going to happen over the next week or two.

With the Stars, meanwhile, the original plan was for Rick Bowness and By Pierre LeBrun Sep 16, 2020 Jim Nill to reconvene after the season to discuss his future. Bowness has one more year left on his assistant coach’s contract, which he continued

to work on. Brian MacLellan was on a mission and he didn’t deviate from his plan. It wasn’t just about whether Nill thought Bowness was a good fit after On the day in late August when he fired head coach Todd Reirden, the replacing Jim Montgomery in December, but also whether the 65-year- Washington Capitals GM hinted strongly at wanting to bring in an old Bowness himself wanted the gig past this season. The rigours of experienced replacement to hold his players accountable. being a head coach in the NHL have never been more demanding. But I would have to imagine the fun he’s had in return to play with a surprise Which is why I speculated in a column on Aug. 24 that he would no doubt run to the Cup Final will galvanize his desire to stay on. interview Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette and Mike Babcock. Nill reiterated in a media call Tuesday that he would talk to Bowness after Which is exactly what he did. And not only that, they’re the only three the season but that the coach had earned the right to stay on. So that’s guys he interviewed. good to hear.

He took a chance on Reirden last time around, a longtime NHL assistant And Seattle? getting a chance to be a head coach for the first time, letting Barry Trotz walk in the process. There’s also the NHL’s 32nd team, which still hasn’t hired a head coach. We reported a number of months ago (pre-COVID-19) that Seattle GM Trotz had to decide between accepting an extension paying $1.8 million Ron Francis had the green light from ownership to hire a coach as early a year with Washington, which was triggered in his deal when the team as this summer if he saw fit. You may remember that Gallant was hired won the Cup, or head to free agency where he landed a deal worth $4 by Vegas in April 2017 before the team’s first game six months later. million a season from the New York Islanders. It created a bit of a PR nightmare for the Caps, part of which was the notion that they don’t pay So hiring this summer in Seattle would have been a departure from what for coaches. Vegas did.

Well, you can’t make that argument now, as MacLellan knew he needed But what I was told this week is that the new reality in the COVID-19 a more experienced hand to keep his competitive window open with an world and the uncertainty about what’s going on with the next NHL aging core. Laviolette’s deal according to sources is worth just under $15 season has given Francis enough reason to wait on the hire. million in total over three years, so a salary in the high 4s (Laviolette was First of all, who knows exactly when Seattle’s first game will be now. owed $2.5 million on his Nashville deal but the Caps picked up the Which is to say the start of the 2021-22 season might be delayed entirety of it so the Predators are now off the hook). depending on how late next season goes. So the Kraken have lots of Laviolette is now the fifth-highest paid coach in the NHL behind Joel time to figure out who their first coach will be. Quenneville ($6 million), Claude Julien ($5 million), Alain Vigneault ($5 I still think Gallant, for rather obvious reasons, would be the perfect fit for million) and Todd McLellan ($5 million) and just ahead of Trotz. Seattle. I mean, he just lived the expansion experience and knocked it By all accounts, MacLellan was impressed by his interviews with Gallant, out of the park. And while nobody will confirm this, I believe Francis and Laviolette and Babcock. Not easy picking between the three. Players go Gallant had a conversation at some point over the past few months, but through a wall for Gallant everywhere he goes. And Babcock really at this point it doesn’t appear like anything is on the front-burner with a intrigued MacLellan, according to a source. But the Caps went with coaching hire in Seattle. Laviolette, who has made three trips to the Stanley Cup Final with three Gallant still has another year on his deal with Vegas so his impending different teams and won it all with Carolina in 2006. free agency in June 2021 might be the right timing for Seattle. Or maybe This is about squeezing out 2-3 more years out of this veteran core and Seattle thinks outside the box and hires against the grain. That wouldn’t having a coach who will ensure it’s all business in that dressing room. surprise me, either.

Flames and Ward The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020

The Calgary Flames also confirmed their head coaching plans this week when GM Brad Treliving announced he was retaining Geoff Ward and removing the interim tag.

Colleague Eric Duhatschek did a thorough job of walking us through Treliving’s decision here.

What wasn’t made official but confirmed to me by sources was that Ward’s new contract is for two years. Which suggests that while Treliving has seen enough from Ward since taking over from Bill Peters in November to keep him as head coach, this is still a show-me period.

You have to hand it to Treliving, I remember he once also signed Bob Hartley to a two-year extension. You just don’t see it very often. Coaches normally get 3-5 year deals.

But I mean, what else is Ward going to do? Reject the offer? Where else is he going to be a head coach at this time? He had zero leverage. Ward made the right choice. He’s got a shot to run his own bench. And hey, if Ward helps the Flames get over the hump with a deep playoff run next year, his next extension will look different perhaps as soon as next summer, a year before his deal expires.

Which leaves San Jose and Dallas … 1178889 Winnipeg Jets 4) Coaching matters: We’re getting a reminder of how what happens behind the bench can really make a difference, especially when it comes to making adjustments for the group you have and finding a way to get them to peak at the right time. Jets can turn to still-active teams for answers Just look at what Barry Trotz has done with an Islanders team many left for dead after star centre John Tavares bolted in free agency for Toronto. Or the work Jon Cooper has done in getting a Lightning team back on Mike McIntyre track after winning the Presidents’ Trophy last season, only to crash and burn in the playoffs. Or genuine good guy Rick Bowness, who took over for exiled coach Jim Montgomery mid-season and has the Stars back to EDMONTON — Who, exactly, are the Winnipeg Jets? the big dance for the first time in two decades.

It’s a question worth asking as they look to retool following an all-too- I believe Maurice did a fine job this season, but just like his players he early exit from playoff action this summer. needs to find a way to raise his game to another level.

General manager and head coach 5) Build up the middle: Seguin and Joe Pavelski form a terrific one-two have their work cut out trying to get the Jets back into the realm of punch at centre for the Stars. Tampa and New York go even deeper, with heavyweights after falling far short of their goal the past two seasons. Point, the injured Steven Stamkos, Anthony Cirelli and Tyler Johnson all available for top-line roles with the Lightning, and Barzal, Nelson and They’re no longer a big, physical club. They’re relatively young, sure, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau doing the same for the Islanders. not inexperienced. They’re not an offensive juggernaut that can simply outscore their problems most nights. Nor will they be confused for Not to keep beating this drum, but the Jets do not. After Scheifele, there defensive specialists. Special teams are spotty. And while the try level is are plenty of question marks for the second-line role, with a rotating cast almost always there, the results are not. of internal (Wheeler, Andrew Copp, the injured Bryan Little and Jack Roslovic) and external (stopgap trade-deadline additions in Paul Stastny, Add it up and you get a team that is, not surprisingly, on the outside Kevin Hayes and Cody Eakin) temporary fixes. looking in as the most important games of the season are going down. This is a problem that needs to finally be addressed in a big way, As they gear up for what should be an eventful few weeks, with both the whether via trade or free agency. NHL draft and free agency on deck, Winnipeg’s brain trust would be wise to look at what’s going on here in the hub for both inspiration and ideas 6) Timely scoring is key: The Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden when it comes to the identity crisis they appear to be suffering from. Knights could score in spades, but both teams have been bounced from the Edmonton bubble. Same with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Specifically, what are the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning and New Washington Capitals in the East. York Islanders all doing that they aren’t? As the Stars have proven with an astonishing negative goal differential, With that in mind, here’s a half-dozen things teams such as the Jets can it’s not always about how many times you light the lamp but when you do glean from the trio of teams still playing bubble hockey as the leaves start it. Ditto for the Islanders, who practise a defence-first mentality under to turn. Trotz but can fill the net when needed. 1) Stars need to shine: Sure, it would be terrific to have a Nikita Kucherov Both clubs have proven that taking care of your own end doesn’t mean or a Brayden Point, a Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson or a Miro sacrificing offence in the other, a lesson the Jets would be wise to heed Heiskanen and Tyler Seguin in the lineup, but none of them are being given the tire fire they often were in front of Hellebuyck this season. shipped to River City. That alone is hardly the problem. The sooner Winnipeg can take a page from teams still playing hockey The Jets already have plenty of talented players, including a Vezina and address the above issues, the sooner they’ll be on their way to Trophy finalist in Connor Hellebuyck, an elite centre in Mark Scheifele, reinventing themselves and carving out an identity as a Stanley Cup skilled scoring wingers in Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler and contender. Nikolaj Ehlers, and a legitimate top-pairing defenceman in . Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 09.17.2020 Laine and Scheifele were injured in the first game of the qualifying-round series against the Calgary Flames, and the Jets simply didn’t get what they needed from the others, save for Ehlers. Which brings us to...

2) Go deep: Tampa, New York and Dallas can all roll three, and at times four, lines that can put the puck in the net, helping to pick up the slack if one or two players get injured or go cold. Players such as Denis Gurianov, Joel Kiviranta, Josh Bailey, Anthony Beauvillier, Blake Coleman and Yanni Gourde have all stepped up for their respective teams in big ways.

The Jets need to surround their core with the these type of difference- makers, especially when the stakes are highest. Fringe NHLers such as Nick Shore, Logan Shaw and Gabriel Bourque simply won’t cut it.

3) Size matters: Just look at the way Winnipeg got bullied by Calgary in that series. The Jets lost tons of beef on the blue-line last off-season, and getting some back is essential.

The remaining Cup contenders have an impressive mix of strength and skill that makes them a lot harder to play against, especially in the playoffs.

The Lightning acquired Barclay Goodrow and Patrick Maroon to make life more miserable for opponents, while the Stars did the same by bringing in Corey Perry. Other than Adam Lowry and Nathan Beaulieu, the Jets were often the 98-pound weaklings without the likes of big defencemen Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Ben Chiarot and the towering Tyler Myers.

Travis Hamonic, believed to be on Winnipeg’s UFA radar, would be one such target. Dylan Samberg, who will come to camp as a promising rookie prospect, could also help in that regard. 1178890 Winnipeg Jets A player like Nick Bjugstad would not be enough to make the Jets much better, but you see where we’re going.

There are decent, veteran players available and a lot of them. Jets have chance to take advantage of NHL salary cap crunch, without In free agency, the Jets should have a chance to land Manitoban Travis trading away young stars Hamonic, Brenden Dillon or T.J. Brodie on defence, Mikhail Granlund, Derick Brassard or Alex Galchenyuk at centre.

Ted Wyman The Jets don’t need to trade away a Laine or Ehlers unless they are going to get that home run return — a star player (without a no-trade clause) or a minute-munching defenceman and a two-way centre who can play in the top-6. Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff does not have the most enviable job in the world right now. They should be able to fill one or both of those spots by dangling their first-round draft pick (10th overall), and young players like Jack Roslovic, As evidenced by their quick departure from the NHL’s summer playoff Sami Niku and Kristian Vesalainen. If that doesn’t work, then go for some tournament, the Jets need to get better in several areas in order to stay of the aforementioned free agents. in the realm of contention. Maybe you won’t be getting absolute top-end talent but you could get It’s obvious they need a top-pairing defenceman, a strong top-six centre, something pretty good. For instance, the Minnesota Wild are reportedly more grit and more toughness. Is that all? dangling defenceman Matt Dumba, who is better offensively than The good news is, with the flat salary cap there are expected to be many defensively, but would be an asset to any team. good players available through trades and free agency. Surely there will be plenty of teams happy to shed salary and get And the Jets have money to spend under the cap, thanks to Dustin inexpensive assets in return. Bufuglien’s departure, Bryan Little’s uncertain status following his serious This is a chance for the Jets to take advantage of the situation. injury from last season, and the $4.3 million they were paying to pending free agent Dmitry Kulikov coming off the books. It’s a chance for them to get back into contention while 34-year-old captain Blake Wheeler is still playing at a high-level and while goalie It all sounds like the Jets should be able to go out and get the players Connor Hellebuyck is in Vezina-trophy form. they need by spending money and making trades. It’s not the time to trade away high-end young talent that you can keep There has been rampant speculation in papers, on the web and on the under contract for several years. airwaves, some of it realistic, some of it the stuff of fantasy. The opportunity to add pieces and get this team back close to its 2018 One thing just about everyone agrees upon is the fact the Jets have a Western Conference final form is there. chance to do something significant before the puck drops on another season. One way or another, Cheveldayoff has to get it done.

Of course, that’s much more easily said than done. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 09.17.2020 You can’t just snap your fingers, lay out tens of millions of dollars and land , the best free agent on the market and the perfect defenceman for the Jets’ needs.

Everyone wants him and he’s going to have options that go far beyond money.

The Jets are at a distinct disadvantage because of where they play, in a city with abominable winters and oppressive taxes.

While Cheveldayoff does have many trade chips on his table, including draft picks, prospects, young players and even young stars like Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, there are only so many players he can possibly land in that fashion.

Many players have no-trade clauses and we all know many of them have the Jets on their no-fly list.

No doubt, Cheveldayoff is going to have to get creative and it’s been suggested by some that he could prepare an offer sheet, particularly for Tampa Bay Lightning centre Anthony Cirelli, who is a pending restricted free agent and ticks all the boxes for the Jets.

Of course, the last time an offer sheet was successful in the NHL was in 2007, when the Edmonton Oilers overspent big-time to get Dustin Penner away from the Anaheim Ducks.

So it doesn’t seem likely an offer sheet will work, although these are very different times and there are many teams, including the Lightning, feeling the cap crunch.

No matter what Cheveldayoff winds up doing, there’s a good chance it’s not going to be his first choice. That’s just the reality of being a GM in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg hockey fans deserve a swing for the fences — a legit attempt to sign Pietrangelo or trade for the centre the Jets so desperately need — but that might be all they get.

Cheveldayoff can only do so much in that area.

On the bright side, there should be opportunities to land useful players at reasonably low cost. The Minnesota Wild got centre Nick Bjugstad from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional draft pick, for instance. 1178891 Winnipeg Jets “I was very fortunate to be able to afford hockey my whole life … and look at where it’s brought me. I couldn’t even imagine my parents coming up to me and saying, ‘You can’t play hockey this year. We can’t afford it.’ But that’s a reality: hockey is a very expensive sport and there are some How Neal Pionk is doing his small part to address hockey’s lack of kids who can’t afford it.” diversity That’s how he met Brayden Howard, the 12-year old from Buffalo with whom he has very much — and very little — in common.

By Murat Ates Sep 16, 2020 Brayden Howard is a defenceman with the Buffalo Junior Sabres, a competitive hockey program whose players often go on to play in the

NCAA. He likes to watch Henry Danger — a cartoon show about a When the killing of George Floyd brought racism to the international teenaged superhero — and play Fortnite with his friends. forefront in May, Neal Pionk didn’t know what to do. He is a shy, straight-A student who volunteers at a local bingo hall, He is not an outspoken political or social advocate. He rarely posts on calling out the numbers to senior citizens. He spent his summer working social media; he made three Instagram posts during the 2019-20 season for his dad’s landscaping business to help the family make ends meet. — one for Hockey Fights Cancer, one for a donation the Jets players Brayden is also a very good athlete. made to Winnipeg Harvest and a thank you to frontline medical workers responding to COVID-19. He started skating at three years old but didn’t know how fast he could go until he was five. That’s when he saw another boy wheeling around his But he felt strongly that he needed to take action, big or small, in a way outdoor rink without pushing around a prop for support. His dad, Pierre, that felt true to his values. remembers watching as Brayden realized he didn’t need his skating “The George Floyd incident happened and then everybody was posting trainer: He just threw it into the corner and started to skate like a hockey on social media and speaking their opinions,” Pionk recently told The player. Athletic. “I just kind of sat back for a few weeks. I just said I’m going to Brayden has no recollection of this. His first hockey memory is his first take it all in. And then once I saw, ‘OK, there is an inequality and there’s goal, which he scored at seven years old. one in my sport that I play.’ That’s when I decided to take action.” “I remember skating the puck and I think it was just a low shot, bottom The more Pionk thought about inequality, the more he began to root the right,” Brayden says. “And then I just remember everyone cheering.” idea in hockey’s immense — and rising — cost to play. He saw the lack of diverse representation in the NHL and thought about how hockey’s With 13 goals in three NHL seasons, plus 11 more in college and one in financial toll can disproportionately affect athletes of colour. the AHL, Pionk can relate. He also knows what it’s like to shut down a two-on-one rush — Brayden’s favourite feeling when playing hockey — “It can affect minorities and it may prevent them from playing a sport they or to be a 12-year-old doing a bit of volunteer work. love. Hockey should be for everyone, no matter their background,” he says. Although in Pionk’s case, he was dragged kicking and screaming by his mom. As the NHL’s pandemic pause rolled along, Pionk became convinced he wanted to do something to make hockey more accessible to people of “I remember it like it was yesterday. My mom brought us to the mall. And colour. you know the Salvation Army bell ringers — do you have those in Canada? They needed volunteers. I think I was 11, maybe 12 years old But he didn’t know what his options were. — old enough to understand what was going on and old enough to From the moment he broke into the NHL with the New York Rangers, the understand what I was missing out on with my friends,” he says. 25-year-old Pionk has been able to focus on playing hockey above all “So my mom grabbed all of us one day, me and my brothers, and said else. Six goals, 39 assists for a career high 45 points this season convey we’re going to ring bells. And I’m sure I gave an eye roll and folded my Pionk’s level of hockey expertise. arms and all that stuff. But we went and we sat in the mall for an hour But like most white athletes, he has no training or first-hand experiences and we rang bells. We had to ring bells and make sure people put their with racial justice — just the conviction that more diversity would be spare change in the Salvation Army can. I remember as a kid being, ‘Do better for the sport. When it came to turning his recognition of racial we seriously have to go ring bells again?’ But that’s the basis of our inequality within his sport into action, he needed help. childhood — you’re going to have to be a better person than you are a hockey player.” “I called my agent. I just said, ‘Hey, I want to do something but I don’t necessarily want to post on social media. He gave me a great idea: He Brayden’s family values are similar — Pierre and his partner, Kelly, talk a said, Call my partner, Brett Peterson. He’s on the board of NextGen and lot about giving back — but his experience as a volunteer has gone a they help out low-income, diverse families and they help them afford little more smoothly. hockey.’ I said perfect. I called Brett, I got in touch with Dee Dee Ricks, NextGen requires its athletes to perform 25 community service hours who’s the head of NextGen, and we got to work,” Pionk says. each year in addition to keeping good grades. Most choose to volunteer Peterson is a former AHL defenceman and current player agent who’s on within the context of their sport; perhaps they’ll coach or volunteer at an the board of the NextGen AAA Foundation. NextGen is a nonprofit athletic facility. organization that provides mentoring, education and hockey programs to Brayden chose to read bingo. diverse, low-income and/or at-risk youth throughout the United States. “The first time, I was nervous,” he admits. “But I got more comfortable. I “Our mission is to keep these kids that show promise in the sport of still get kind of nervous sometimes.” hockey and we use hockey as the conduit to help them get a better education,” says Ricks, NextGen’s founder. “We’ve given out over $1 “He doesn’t shy away when somebody asks him to do something,” says million in scholarships since launching the foundation in 2017.” Pierre. “There’s kids who would be like, I’m not doing that.”

High school hockey can thus become a young athlete’s focus, even if NextGen recruits program participants based on their academic and they never make it to the NHL. By helping athletes afford elite American athletic potential, their financial need and their proclivity for success. prep schools like Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, where tuition for boarding students costs upwards of $60,000, NextGen wants For two years, NextGen has paid for Brayden’s travel tuition with the to change lives. Buffalo Junior Sabres, where coach Craig Rivet, the 923-game former NHL player, calls him “the silent assassin.” His work ethic and humility Those high schools become routes for young athletes to get into college have made him a program favourite. while playing the game they love. “The hope is that, when he gets ready to go to prep, we can work to get And when Ricks explained this process to Pionk, he knew immediately him a full ride,” says Ricks. “Or, if not a full ride, we can come in and that he wanted to help. supplement him to go to these prep schools. Because mark my words: This kid will make it.” Pierre sees the same opportunity for Brayden that Ricks does. And that’s exactly how the two connected.

“For me, making it would be a good degree and you get a chance to go “Brayden was nervous on the phone but Neal made it easy,” says Pierre. to school playing a game that you love. Making it would be having a four- “It was just like talking to your neighbour next door. We could relate on year degree playing a sport he loves, and if anything comes from that it the same levels with his dad having a landscaping company. He’s asking would be the icing on the cake,” he says. Brayden what he likes more, mowing or weed whacking, and they’re having their own conversation on the side about landscaping. They could For two years, everything had gone according to plan. Brayden’s relate there and then they could relate to hockey. It was a nice transition excellent academics kept him in the program and his play on the ice and Neal was great: He told him, ‘Hey bud, this phone call doesn’t stop impressed his coaches. here. You can reach out to me.’”

Then COVID-19 swept through the United States and Ricks watched as Ricks says that the 45-minute call felt particularly meaningful after all of NextGen’s operating budget dropped by $300,000. the financial uncertainty of the spring.

She spent the spring unsure as to whether she could continue to fund all “It’s been a hard year for our families and our kids and it was really such of NextGen’s most promising participants. a beautiful moment. Neal was just so engaged with him. And it was just “Dee Dee let us know that the funding would probably be unavailable,” so cool that Brayden had gone through that much detail to research Neal Pierre says, “but she was going to try.” and read so much about him. He’s just 12 years old,” she says.

For Brayden, losing his spot on the Junior Sabres would mean less Pionk says the conversation he had reminded him why he wanted to take coaching and access to state of the art facilities and the possibility of action in the first place. missing out on the prep school route to college. There was no number of Toward the end of the call, after Brayden and Pionk had gotten to know extra shifts at Pierre’s landscaping business that Brayden could work to each other a little bit, Pierre spoke up. He started by thanking Pionk, cover the program costs. Ricks and Brett Peterson.

“The Junior Sabres organization in Buffalo is probably the team to play Then the gravity of the moment caught him and he started to cry. for at his age. You’re trying to keep your kid at that level but not lose your house doing it,” Pierre says. “He gets emotional and you can tell how much it means to him and how much it means to Brayden to still play hockey — for him to have his kid Summer tryouts were cancelled due to COVID-19 and the Junior Sabres do something that he loves,” says Pionk. “You can tell because of how decided to return the same roster from last season. But without emotional he got and the fact that he had to pick up a second job just for NextGen’s funding, Pierre was at a loss. He began to face the prospect his kid to be able to afford hockey. It almost makes you get choked up. It of telling his son he could no longer play the sport that he loved so much. makes everybody feel good that we’re doing something right.”

“Next thing you know, she emails me and says ‘I think I’ve got Pionk says this is a feeling that no social media post could ever replace. something.’ I’m like … an NHL player? To tell you the truth, I freakin’ cried on the phone call. I cried on the phone call when I talked to him. He also knows that one Zoom call was only the beginning. Because you don’t expect things like that. People don’t just come up and do stuff for you. You always think that you’re going to have to work or When Brayden reached out to congratulate him on Winnipeg’s first win of sacrifice or not let your kid do something,” he says. “That’s the last thing the postseason, Pionk responded to say thanks. Pierre remembers the you want to do is tell your kid that he can’t do something.” “Dad! He wrote back!” he got from Brayden and the way it brightened his son’s day. In May, Pionk told Ricks the same thing that he had told his agent: He wanted to help and he didn’t want to just cut a cheque and take off. The More than this, Pionk says he wants to build an ongoing relationship and idea of sponsoring a young athlete at NextGen felt right but if it was hopes to meet Brayden and Pierre in Buffalo the next time the Jets are in possible, Pionk wanted to build an ongoing relationship with that player. town. Brayden’s hockey season starts soon and Pionk plans to reach out again when it does. His willingness to put in time, as well as money, gave Ricks hope. “What I’m hoping for is if Brayden is struggling within the game of “Brayden is such a special kid,” Ricks says. “He was the only one that I hockey, he reaches out to me and says ‘Hey, what can I do here?’ Or presented to Neal. We really try to understand the player and what kind maybe he had a really good game and he tells me about that. I think that of involvement they need. Some people just want to give money and would be awesome too. But more than that, if there’s something and he don’t want the kid to know. But I felt that Brayden, because he is a little wants to reach out to somebody other than family and friends, he can bit shy and is exceptionally talented, really could benefit from that extra reach out to me,” Pionk says. mentoring.” “I’m very thankful for it,” says Brayden. “He’s just a good guy. I want him Pionk was moved by Ricks’ description of Brayden’s work ethic and his to be my mentor as I grow in hockey.” commitment to school. He also clocked the fact that Brayden was helping his dad with his landscaping business — the same family business that Pierre gets emotional when reflecting on the impact Pionk and NextGen Pionk and his brothers grew up working on with their dad, Scott. have already had on Brayden. The idea that Pierre has gotten close to having to tell his son that he can’t play the game he loves is hard for him. This led Pionk to his second major unknown. He’s too well versed in parking lot legends. Peterson and Ricks had helped him decide what he wanted to do. Now he needed to teach himself how to be a good role model. To Pierre, a parking lot legend is someone who grew up playing a sport and did it so well that everyone in their neighbourhood knew how great He has coached at hockey camps and held leadership roles in his life but they were. he has never been such a direct, one-on-one mentor. Heading into his first meeting with Brayden, he thought he might be able to help talk him It could be any sport; football like he played or hockey like Brayden is through on-ice situations but also wanted to make himself available for playing. A parking lot legend is that player who could have been great in any questions Brayden might have. leagues far beyond that parking lot but never got the chance.

Ricks set up an introductory Zoom call for Brayden, Pierre and Pionk to “You can have an athlete who’s the greatest in the world but doesn’t get to know each other. In doing so, she asked Brayden what he knew have the means or the connections to do things. All he becomes is a about Pionk. parking lot legend. Kids will talk about, ‘Do you remember so-and-so?’ And it will be, ‘Yeah, but what did he do after that?’ And nobody knows,” She expected him to rattle off stats — they’re both right-handed he says. defencemen — or that he scored 45 points or plays for the Jets. Pierre hopes that Brayden will never be mentioned in those terms. He told her, “He helped his father by mowing grass and I’ve been helping my dad all summer long.” “He’s going to be successful at something if he’s put in the right spots and we continue to educate him and grow him. You learn your life “It was everything to compose myself and not start bawling. This kid is lessons, you’re educated, you’ve played sports, you can be successful at just as unassuming as Neal and as down to earth as Neal is,” she says. something,” he says. “If he stays on this path, I really do think Brayden could be successful at something just because of his mindset.” For Ricks, who says prep schools will be lining up to pay Brayden’s way into their programs, giving him that shot is exactly the goal.

On a grander scale, she hopes that more professional athletes will take Pionk’s approach, combining donations with commitments of their time. This would allow NextGen to fund the dreams of even more kids as hardworking and gifted as Brayden.

“He has no idea how far his dollars are going to go,” she says. “Because there is a huge need to diversify the sport. Until these younger kids can look up and see more players of colour at the AAA, at the highest levels of prep school hockey, they’re not going to have anyone to look up to.”

Pierre hopes that this is how change can become generational.

“If he’s ever in a position to give back, he knows how he made it,” Pierre says. “And he can give back.”

Pionk didn’t begin this process with all of the answers and doesn’t believe he has them now.

He does feel vindicated in his decision to stay off social media and to instead take direct action to stand up for his values. He says the emotional connection he’s forming is more important than any social media post. Like a lot of NHL athletes, he’s not comfortable being an outspoken advocate for social change, even if he believes in it.

“I don’t have to go on social media and defend myself or get on one side or the other,” he says. “I know what’s right and I get reassured by that when I get on a Zoom call with somebody like Pierre and Brayden. When Pierre, who’s a grown man with a kid, starts crying on the Zoom call, that’s when you know. That’s why it’s more important to me to do something rather than to post on social media.”

Critics will argue that the NHL hasn’t done enough to address systemic racism — and that the league needs to join the NBA, WNBA and other sports leagues in standing up against racism.

They will also argue that players like Pionk should be more publicly vocal in keeping with their private values.

Pionk is wise enough to know that his action is small — and it is just a start. While his commitment to NextGen is technically year to year, he plans on working with them for a long time.

“This isn’t going to solve the world’s problems tomorrow but it is a step in the right direction. I say that for myself, too. It’s a step in the right direction in helping out other people. And that’s something I was taught from a very young age by my parents,” he says. “No matter who you are, how much money you make, it doesn’t matter. There’s always someone hurting more than you are. So help.”

The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178892 Vancouver Canucks How Green handles players can also be seen when his players speak directly about him.

Just as Horvat’s eyes lit up talking about Green, so did Chris Tanev’s. Patrick Johnston: Players praise Green as bench boss, hope Canucks The veteran defenceman is on his fourth Canucks coach, having played reward him for Green’s predecessors , John Tortorella and Alain Vigneault. He also played for Claude Noel in his first pro season with the The Canucks' bench boss is heading into the final year of a four-year Manitoba Moose, then Craig MacTavish and Scott Arniel for the Chicago deal he signed in 2017. Wolves.

“He wants to win just as bad as us. He understands the locker-room,” Tanev said. “He knows how to talk to young guys and older guys … it’s a Patrick Johnston good blend between young and old on our team. He wants to play the right way … by doing all the little things that matter.”

Jim Benning has been pretty clear all along — he wants to sign Travis While Horvat and Tanev have had Green since he was first hired as Green to a new contract. Canucks coach, Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli joined Green’s Canucks over the past 18 months. Count two more fans of his player- Benning told reporters last week he’s going to look around the NHL to centric management style. see what comparable coaches to Green are earning and then speak with the Aquilini family about making their head coach a new offer. Tyler Toffoli joined the Canucks from the Los Angeles Kings in a trade this year. In the NHL, he’s played for , John Stevens, Green, the Vancouver Canucks’ bench boss since 2017, is heading into Desjardins and Todd McLellan. the final year of the four-year deal he signed when he was appointed to the job. It’s believed he’s making about $1 million per season, one of the The veteran winger said he noticed right away how Green is personable lower figures around the league but a number that made sense given he in his approach: the coach was asking him about how the room felt was a rookie NHL coach when he first signed. almost from Day 1.

The NHL’s most experienced coaches earn between US$4 million and $5 “Greener is really good,” said Toffoli. “He listens to what the players are million per season, according to CapFriendly. saying, he spends a lot of time trying to read the room, especially the younger guys.” In his three seasons as head coach, Green has proven to be the right leader for Benning’s group, connecting with both young and old players, Toffoli said that Green really looks to the veterans to set a tone. and commanding respect of the room. Tanner Pearson joined the Canucks late in the 2018-19 season. A Former Canuck Chris Higgins once said for a coach to hold sway in the teammate of Toffoli’s in Los Angeles, he also played during the 2018-19 dressing room the players have to believe about 90 per cent of what the season for Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh and agreed with Toffoli’s coach is saying. assessment of Green.

Current captain Bo Horvat spoke in similar terms last week when asked “He’s definitely a player’s guy,” he said. “It’s not just his way, he’s seeing about Green’s best qualities. how guys are feeling and getting their opinions, too.”

“Passionate. He wants to win so bad. And so do we. He wants to take the Green is excited about getting a new contract. It seems his players will team to the next level,” Horvat said. “He pushes us to be better. He holds be just as thrilled when it happens. guys accountable. You want to play for a coach like that.” Vancouver Province: LOADED: 09.17.2020 Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green, right, talks to goalie Jacob Markstrom, back left, and Elias Pettersson, both of Sweden, during the NHL hockey team's training camp, in Vancouver, on Monday, July 13, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck ORG XMIT: VCRD107

A great deal of a team’s success comes down to the players in the lineup and there’s little doubt the additions of Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes, combined with netminder Jacob Markstrom finally aligning technique with talent, go a long way to explain why the Canucks became a playoff team.

But a coach also has to know how to guide his team, and to motivate.

Modern athletes have been wired from a young age to be involved in their own development. It’s a wiring that mainly comes from the shift in education toward student-centred learning. Being able to build relationships with players requires emotional intelligence and something that seems to come to Green instinctually.

He’s been asked in the past about where his coaching philosophy comes from and his response always is, essentially, everywhere.

“I didn’t want to forget, ever, what it was like to be a player,” Green told Postmedia News in December.

That mentality is reflected in how he’s constantly talking with players, gauging their mood, looking to see what approaches he should be using daily.

He asked his players to make the most of their time off during the COVID-19 pause this spring. The high level of buy-in to that request — a statement on how much trust and belief the players have in their coach — was obvious in the July return-to-play training camp and again in the post-season bubble, just from how often the players themselves referenced the amount of work they’d put into their off-ice training.

They also put in work in training camp to make themselves better defensively, which paid off in their playoff run in Edmonton. 1178893 Websites When they returned, they found the equipment was stolen. Palat was crushed.

But Palat always remembered the time, five years later, when former The Athletic / Discovering Ondrej Palat: How the Lightning landed playoff Lightning defenseman Pavel Kubina, who is from his same hometown, star in seventh round donated equipment back to local kids. Kubina was the first player from Frydek-Mistek to make it to the NHL, and he brought the Cup back home after Tampa Bay won in 2004. So last year, Palat connected with friend Jakub Mikulik, now executive manager of HC Fryek-Mistek, to see if he Joe Smith Sep 17, 2020 could help him similarly give back through the NHLPA Goals and Dreams fund that aided grassroots hockey programs for economically- disadvantaged children. Later this month, the first batch of Bauer What Andre Ruel remembers the most about the first time he saw Ondrej equipment will be distributed to 25 players in an intermission ceremony Palat was how damn cold he was. that will include Palat’s parents.

Ruel, 70, has been scouting or coaching in the Quebec Major Junior “It’s incredible,” Mikulik said by phone from Czech Republic. “This is a Hockey League since 1975, with his travels taking him to all kinds of Lightning town. People root for Ondrej not just from this town, but from strange places across the globe. On this April afternoon, Ruel was in the region. Torun, Poland, for the Division I part of the World Under-18 tournament. “He’s the local hero.” Ruel, then a scout for Drummondville, was there to see Tomas Kubalik, older brother of Blackhawks star rookie Dominik, play for a Czech One of Palat’s early heroes/idols was Marian Hossa, a Slovak winger, Republic team that didn’t qualify for the main draw of the tournament. Hall of Famer and one of the best 200-foot players of this generation. It Ruel, not knowing the language, carried a dictionary around the central won’t put you on many highlight reels, but Palat’s penchant for dutiful Poland town. When he asked a cab driver to take him to the arena, Ruel back-checking, relentless forechecking and near-perfect positional play was brought to a soccer stadium. Ruel said, “No, it’s hockey.” made his impact immeasurable on any team he’s played on.

“What kind of sport is that?” the cabbie quipped. “He’s worked for every inch in his career,” said Mario Duhamel, Palat’s coach in Drummondville. “Nothing has been given to him. He’s been Ruel finally arrived at the arena, Tor-Tor, a 50-year-old barn that was working his nuts off since day one.” next to a cemetery. There were maybe three scouts there, he estimated, and all of them were freezing. Between periods, they’d sprint from the Ruel tried to talk Palat into coming over to North America for the season stands to the dressing room area to warm their hands on the hot water after he saw him in Poland. But Palat said his parents wanted him to pipes so they’d be able to write their reports. finish high school. If he was going to make the jump, they wanted him to at least have a diploma first. So when Palat was taken in the import draft The name Ruel wrote down that day was Palat, now the Lightning star by the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), Ruel wasn’t worried because he winger who was then a 13-year-old. knew Palat wouldn’t report.

“Right away I fell in love with Ondrej and his qualities,” Ruel said by The next year’s World Under-18 tournament in Fargo, North Dakota, phone Monday night. “Great IQ, skill, especially his competitiveness. I would have been a major showcase for Palat. But a bout with mono saw him jump in front of a point shot when his team was up 7-0. I was knocked him out. He still wanted to play, though, and accepted the role like, ‘Wow.'” as the 13th forward, and the Czech primarily played him on the penalty kill. The hockey world has seen those same qualities during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where Palat has been one of Tampa Bay’s best players, scoring “It was not a great tournament for him,” Ruel said. eight goals in his past eight games. Palat, 29, has always been the under-the-radar engine on his line, from the 2015 “Triplets” with Nikita But Ruel wasn’t worried. He had seen the real Palat in Torun, the two- Kucherov and Tyler Johnson, to this year’s version with Kucherov and way “stud.” When Seattle released Palat’s rights, Drummondville took Conn Smythe favorite Brayden Point. It was the same way in juniors with Palat with the 10th pick in the import draft. Drummondville, where he formed a dynamic one-two punch with Sean “I remember the Red Line Report said he was the worst pick ever in the Couturier, this year’s Selke Trophy winner from the Flyers. import draft,” Ruel recalled, laughing. “Because they never saw him in But had Ruel not seen Palat that chilly April in Torun, eventually Poland. They had nobody there. They just saw him in Fargo, playing as recruiting him to North America to play for Drummondville, who knows 13th forward. It happens a lot with these types of guys, coming from the where he might have ended up? Palat suffered from mononucleosis Czech Republic. Everyone that saw him in Fargo said, ‘This guy cannot during the next year’s Under-18 world championship, a loss in exposure play.’ Fortunately, I saw him the year before.” that led him to nearly go undrafted for the second straight year. It was the Palat had a relatively slow start his first year in Drummondville, playing Drummondville staff that pushed and pleaded with the Lightning to take a on the third line and racking up 40 points (17 goals) in 59 games. For the chance and pick him in the seventh round in 2011. Palat was the third to first part of it, he was still recovering from mono. But he had a seemingly last pick, 208th overall. endless motor. But Palat ranks 10th in the 2011 class in points, 15th in goals and 14th in “He was so passionate and gave everything he had, it seems like he was games played. Among the few players ahead of him in points? His dying after every practice – how exhausted he was,” Duhamel said. linemate, Hart Trophy-winner Kucherov, Gabriel Landeskog, Mark “During 45-second shifts in games, he’d almost die, but then he’d be Scheifele, Johnny Gaudreau and his Drummondville linemate, Couturier. always ready for the next one.” “It might be the best seventh-round pick ever,” Ruel said. “Ondrej is a Palat put on 15 pounds of muscle before the next season, when coaches great story. He had the skills. He had the will. His competitiveness is off put him on the top line with Couturier. Palat racked up 39 goals and 96 the charts. In my 25 years coaching in junior, I’ve never seen anyone points in 61 games. Couturier also had 96 points (36 goals), but he was compete like him. He can do everything on the ice to help a team. The selected eighth in the same NHL Draft where Ondrej Palat was 208th. ultimate team player.” “Ondrej is not a flashy kid,” Duhamel said. “He’s doing a lot of good (Courtesy the Palat family) things, but people don’t see. His capacity to adjust to his teammates and Palat grew up in Frydek-Mistek in the Czech Republic. linemates, that’s why he’s able to play with great players. He’s not afraid to dig, he’s going to every area to make sure his team recovers the puck. It’s an industrial town of around 70,000, with the residents a blue-collar You’ll see him in corners, screening goalies, and the talented players blend of coal miners and steelworkers. Palat’s mother was a school love that. He’ll do a lot of their dirty work, but he’s also smart, a complete teacher, his father Pavel a soccer coach who now runs a youth academy player.” for HC Frydek-Mistek. Palat has credited his parents with their support, helping him borrow or buy used hockey equipment in his early years. Ruel remembered talking with Ben Groulx, who was then the coach in When Palat was 10, they finally were able to afford to buy him Nike Gatineau but is now the Lightning’s AHL Syracuse coach. He told Ruel skates he had begged for. But a couple weeks later, the family left the “I’m not worried about Couturier. I was worried about what Palat was bag with the skates in the car while they went to the grocery store. doing. We can’t stop him.” Asked about that conversation this week, Groulx replied: “Well, he was “I feel so much better on the ice,” Palat said back in camp. “Last year, I one of the best players on a very good team!” was always in the gym, I was three kilos heavier. But on the ice, I was there for 15 seconds and then was gassed. I couldn’t move. Now it’s the The Lightning had already completed quite a haul in the 2011 NHL Draft opposite.” in St. Paul, Minnesota, by the time it got to the later rounds. Palat talked about how the league is getting faster and younger, and he While some other teams were slow to take Russians or Czechs, second- wants to “keep up.” year GM Steve Yzerman had opened the world to Tampa Bay scouts, having learned from his experience with the “Russian Five” with the Red “I just want to be better,” he said. “I want to be more productive, more Wings. The Lightning took Russian Vladislav Namestnikov with the first- dangerous. Sometimes I look to pass too much, but I want to be a threat rounder, Kucherov in the second round (58th), Nikita Nesterov in the fifth too. I want to be more dangerous.” and Adam Wilcox in the sixth. All of them have played in the NHL. Palat delivered on that promise during the regular season, tallying 17 They had one seventh-rounder left (208), and one more player on their goals while being a staple in the top-six. And with captain Steven board that they wanted (forward Matthew Peca). Stamkos sidelined since late February, Palat was elevated to the top line with Point and Kucherov, with the trio becoming a dominant factor in The Drummondville staff, including Duhamel and Ruel, were at the draft these playoffs. They’ve combined for 63 points in just 17 games heading and spoke to Lightning scouting director Al Murray on Palat. Tampa Bay into Tuesday’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. had talked to Palat’s agent about offering him an invite to their development camp. But several other teams were going to offer Palat scored the overtime game-winner in Game 5 to seal the series something similar. against the Bruins, pouncing on a puck in front of the net. Palat scored one goal and set up another in Sunday’s 4-1 victory, with Point’s goal a “There were lots of teams interested, but they weren’t sure – would he be perfect example of how he fits so well with the group. an NHLer, or an AHLer?” Duhamel said. “That goal is everything Palat is,” Cooper said. “He stayed above pucks The Lightning’s coach Guy Boucher used to work in Drummondville, so here. Lot of guys might have skated by. He just does all the things that Ruel and Duhamel did their full-court press. are unnoticed but a line doesn’t survive without him. I’ve just watched “You have to draft Palat,” Ruel said. him every year. He doesn’t get the attention that some of the other guys he plays with, but you need a Palat on your line. I’m sure guys like Kuch “I’ll see if he’s on our list” Boucher replied. and Point will be the first to tell you, ‘We need a Palat on our line.’ That’s the ultimate compliment.” “Do something to put that guy on your list,” Ruel deadpanned. “You cannot miss him.” THE FULL PLAY OF THE POINT GOAL IS FILTHY #GOBOLTS

Murray has always said that his staff will take any extra picks they can, PALAT KICKS THE PUCK TO KUCHEROV noting how many great finds they’ve landed in the mid-to-late rounds, including Point and Anthony Cirelli. Then assistant GM Julien BriseBois KUCHEROV KICKS THE PUCK UP TO HIS SKATE came to the team’s table late in the draft and said they had a couple PALAT GETS THE PUCK AND FINDS POINT THROUGH PULOCK'S options to add an extra seventh-rounder. They ended up training Marc- LEGS Antoine Pouliot to the Coyotes for the 201st pick, which they used on Peca. GOAL PIC.TWITTER.COM/SIVFP0MR8P

And with the 208th pick, they snagged Palat. — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) SEPTEMBER 13, 2020

“They took a chance,” Duhamel said. “And I don’t think they ever Kucherov said he loves to play with Palat because of how smart he is, regretted it.” how he’s willing to go into the dirty areas and “get us the puck.” “He’s a confident player, super reliable for us,” Point said. “He’s always in the From left, Ondrej Palat, Andre Ruel, trainer Drew Buchkoski and Tyler right spot, he’s got tons of skill, sees the ice well and he’s got a heck of a Johnson (Courtesy of Ruel) shot.”

Duhamel thought Palat would be back in Drummondville the next season. Palat said he’s learned after playing with guys like Stamkos and Palat was scheduled to go to camp with the Lightning’s AHL affiliate in Kucherov that he doesn’t always have to defer. It’s important to create Norfolk, then return for his overage year in junior. It went from a 25-game space for his linemates, but he still has to be a threat. tryout to another one. By the second half of the season, Palat was a “We’re playing with confidence,” Palat said. “We don’t cheat on the ice. force on a line with Tyler Johnson, helping fuel the Admirals record 29- We’re doing it the right way. We’re staying on the right side of the puck. game winning streak and Calder Cup title. We try to not turn the puck over, and I think all four lines are playing good There were some growing pains, but then-Norfolk coach Jon Cooper and hockey, and it’s huge.” his staff stuck with it. Duhamel still keeps in touch with Palat. Duhamel will text Palat on his “One thing he never lets me forget, he says I healthy scratched him early birthday (March 28), or congratulate him when he became a first-time on in Norfolk,” Cooper said. “It just came to that point where we weighed father twp years ago when Adela was born. Palat likely misses his the option of sending him back to junior as an overage or keeping him favorite father moments, the mornings, when Adela, who turns two in with us. We didn’t want to send him to the ECHL. We felt with his December, wakes up and smiles. He’ll make some coffee, change her compete and intangibles, he had some of the things you can’t teach, and diaper and watch some cartoons. we felt we could teach him the rest. We won the Calder Cup in 2012, he “It’s just the best,” Palat said. “Life is in a different perspective.” was a monster part of that. In 2015, we don’t get to the finals without him. And we don’t get to where we are in any of our conference finals or this Ruel, who now works with agent Pat Brisson for CAA, said he’s watched one without Ondrej Palat. He’s one of the guys leading the way.” most of the Lightning playoff games, and is proud of Palat. He laughs re- telling the story about how he found Palat in Poland, how he was trying to As big a part of the core as Palat has been over the years, he appeared do anything to stay warm and write his reports. It’s any scout’s dream at a crossroads last summer. and greatest thrill to unearth a gem of a player that others overlooked.

Palat was coming off a tough season in which he scored a career-low And Palat is a prime example. eight goals, limited to 68 games due to a broken foot. “If he didn’t go to Drummondville for two years, and if we don’t push for In exit meetings following the Lightning’s stunning first-round sweep, him at the draft, who knows?” Ruel said.”Everything led to another. But coaches challenged Palat to get a step faster over the summer. So Palat Ondrej has earned everything. He was fortunate to get drafted third from made a change in his workouts, going from a weight-and-strength-based last, but it was the best third-from-last player to ever get drafted into the program to one dedicated to speed. Just jumps, sprints and core body NHL.” weight related exercises, no heavy weights. When Palat reported to camp in September, everyone could see the difference. He was flying. The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 He looked like the engine of the 2015 Triplets. 1178894 Websites Many times, mid-game interviews with players seconds after they’ve left the ice can be perfunctory and cliché-ridden and provide little in the way of insight to a TV audience.

The Athletic / The rise of Kevin Bieksa, the breakout media star of the Corte saw Bieksa was different and willing to go beyond the boilerplate 2020 NHL playoffs answers the majority of players rely on.

“You saw something there, right?” said Corte. “A tremendous personality, very confident – but also someone with a pretty good handle on the By Lisa Dillman Sep 16, 2020 game. It was a couple years ago, where I started talking to Kevin about doing a couple appearances, rinkside, where he did small little hits with

our hosts. And they were great.” On the ice, the breakout star of the 2020 NHL playoffs could be Miro At that point, Corte wanted to gauge Bieksa’s interest in stepping up his Heiskanen or or Brayden Point. A case could be made role. Bieksa was dug in, living in Southern California and helping to run a for any or all of them. hockey academy for young players in Irvine. But he would also visit the But off the ice, there’s been little debate over who has stolen the show. Toronto area occasionally, so when he was in town and available, Corte got him on the show. It’s been Kevin Bieksa, the former Ducks and Canucks defenseman, who has made a splash as a between-periods analyst on the “Hockey Night in “We tried him out and right away, you could see he had something,” said Canada” intermission panel. Corte. “Even last year, he did a game as part of a three-man booth and he did a great job there as well. There are just certain people who are Bieksa is a rarity – an athlete that’s made a smooth, seamless transition naturals. He’s got a very natural charisma. He’s got wit to him. And he’s to television. Bieksa’s ability to break down a complex play goes far able to articulate parts of the game in a way that’s easy for the viewer to deeper than many of his contemporaries and peers, and his delivery digest.” includes a winning mixture of charm and wit. Corte believes part of the reason Bieksa has succeeded is that he has a In fact, because he’s been such an overnight sensation, he’s drawn teaching role in his hockey academy, where there’s a need to simplify the favorable comparisons to another former athlete who took broadcasting message when instructing young players. by storm – former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who quickly became his network’s No. 1 NFL color commentator. “The other night, he made a great point about how the Golden Knights were missing the net on so many of their shots,” said Corte. “And Kevin Many quotable and articulate athletes have struggled to make that said, at his Academy, what he teaches the kids is, if you’re going to miss transition from the playing arena to the broadcast booth or studio. But your target, miss within the net, just the outside corner, aim inside, even though Romo and Bieksa work in different roles in different sports, because maybe if you miss your target, then you’re going to hit the net Sportsnet VP Rob Corte can see similarities between the two athletes and you might score. It’s just little things like that seem very common but with the great gift of TV gab. make a lot of sense.”

“As far as the delivery and that kind of confidence – they both have it and According to longtime “” producer Brian Spear, they’re likable personalities,” said Corte, the VP of Live Events and NHL one of the keys to any successful panel is its chemistry and how the Production. “When you watch them, it’s like, ‘It’d be kind of cool to hang various personalities interact and play off each other. In the current out with them.’ You would learn something, but you also get the sense iteration, Spear says it’s clear they’re all enjoying the back-and-forth you’d have a lot of fun doing it. sparring that’s been going on.

“They’re the type of guys you’d like to hang out with or have a beer with “Cassie and Kelly have been in Calgary and the guys in Toronto are all in them.” different parts of the studio, separated,” said Spear. “They haven’t had the advantage of spending a lot of time in the same room together, it’s Bieksa played 808 NHL games over 13 seasons, divided between the been remarkable how well they’ve jelled quickly.” Canucks and Ducks, but has not officially retired since playing in 2017- 18. He was living in Newport Beach, Calif., before temporarily relocating Spear has worked for decades with athletes trying to make the jump from to Toronto for the postseason – and the long playoff run that began back the ice to the broadcast booth and says it’s impossible to predict which on Aug. 1. He hasn’t been doing any outside media during the playoffs ones will succeed. Some have winning personalities in personal and also declined an interview request from The Athletic. interactions, but it doesn’t always translate in front of a camera.

In his playing days, Bieksa gave as good as he got, and that extended to “There’s a lot of guys who you’ll talk to and think they’ll do great on TV or verbal feinting and jabbing with reporters. Bieksa liked sparring and if you in media. But they get on there, they realize it’s different, and a little more happened to get the best of him, which was rare, he would give you the challenging,” Spear said. bullet points and try to get you the next day. “Then there are others I see – when you talk to them off-camera they can But appearing nightly on a television panel is a far different experience. really explain things well. They really understand the game. But then Bieksa, host Ron MacLean and insider Elliotte Friedman work out of the when they get on camera, they’re not able to explain it to a viewer in a studio in Toronto. Two frequent panelists, and Cassie way that makes it simple or easy to understand, which is kind of the key Campbell-Pascall, have been appearing from their homes in Calgary. to the whole thing.” Working separately in another part of the Toronto studio are host David Amber and analyst Brian Burke. Burke was general manager of the According to Campbell-Pascall, the same qualities that made Bieksa a Canucks when they drafted Bieksa in the fifth round (No. 151) in the popular teammate during his playing days are also helping him make the 2001 NHL Draft. transition to broadcasting.

“I’m not surprised that he’s really good at this,” said Burke. “He’s very “You can tell he’s just one of those glue guys that walks into a dressing smart and very articulate and he’s got a great, irreverent delivery. He’s a room and makes everyone feel comfortable,” said Campbell-Pascall. “At star. the same time, he’s not afraid to pick on people, which in the hockey culture, means you’re accepted. It’s a weird thing in hockey. You’re “Kevin was a smart player and paid a lot of attention to the coaching, so accepted when you’re made fun of. That’s where all the jokes and fun his technical breakdowns are excellent and his delivery is good. and laughter comes from.”

“He can dissect the play way better than anyone on television right now. I Burke learned a lot about Bieksa soon after he joined the Manitoba try to do it but I don’t do it as well as he does – or explain how it Moose, then the Canucks AHL affiliate. Before playing even a single happened. He does it in terms that a fan can understand. If you’re game for Manitoba, Bieksa got into a fight with a teammate in the parking watching him talk about a breakout or a power play, you find yourself lot of an Earls restaurant in Winnipeg, much to his GM’s delight. nodding your head in agreement with him.” The next morning, Burke received a phone call from Steve Tambellini, Corte recruited Bieksa in part because he saw some of his personality the Canucks’ director of player personnel. bubble to the surface during his playing days, especially on the “After Hours” segment with host . “Steve finally said to me, ‘two of our guys fought in a parking lot.’ I’m like, ‘teammates?’ I thought he meant a fight with the visiting team because they all go to Earls in Winnipeg after the game,” Burke said.

Tambellini told him Bieksa had gotten into an altercation with Fedor Fedorov after a disagreement in the bar.

Dallas Eakins was Manitoba’s captain at the time and Bieksa expressed his concern to Eakins after Fedorov challenged him.

“Kevin says to Dallas, ‘I can’t get in a fight, because they’ll send me home tomorrow,'” Burke said. “And Dallas says to him, ‘You don’t know our boss. Go fight him.’”

Bieksa knocked out Fedorov with one punch.

“Dallas doesn’t even get up from the bar to watch the fight. He stays there with his glass of red wine,” Burke recalled. “The kid comes back in and Dallas says to him, ‘How did it go?’ Kevin’s worried. He says, ‘I knocked him out with one punch. Christ, they’re gonna send me home tomorrow.’

“But Dallas says, “Don’t worry. Again, you don’t know our boss. They’re gonna sign you tomorrow.’

“And that’s what we did. We signed him. That day.”

Just where this all goes in the future remains to be seen. “Hockey Night in Canada” executives believe Bieksa has a great future as a broadcaster.

Often, Spear has found that ex-coaches, who may have a strong technical knowledge of the game, are sometimes guilty of “talking over the viewer” – and that doesn’t work either.

“As far as players go, it’s rare to find someone who adapted that quickly – someone who to come on and just finished playing, and be that good.”

But Bieksa also still has strong ties to Orange County, where his NHL career ended with Anaheim.

Much like anything in 2020, it isn’t clear what will happen down the road.

But it begs the question: If Bieksa sticks with it, could he be hockey’s answer to Romo? Or maybe even the next Don Cherry?

“They’re totally different roles,” answered Spear. “Tony is in the booth. He’s calling the game and everyone talks about how he predicts the plays. Kevin’s reacting after the fact.

“But with Kevin, he has a real great combination of the technical side and the personality side. That’s rare to have someone who can do both.”

The Athletic LOADED: 09.17.2020 1178895 Websites “It helps each line going on the ice. Sometimes you get different guys out there. If we all look the same, it just helps to have that confidence in each other that we aren’t going to break. And we can score goals.

Sportsnet.ca / Fuelled by commitment to sacrifice, Stars are the picture “It’s a real confident group right now. They believe in each other, they’re of winning playing for each other.”

It defines team concept, what Dallas is doing. And we’d challenge you to name a Cup winner that didn’t lay claim to the same qualities that Mark Spector | September 16, 2020, 5:51 PM Bowness just listed.

It is why, when I hear an NHL player say, “Once we’re out, I never watch any other teams play,” I think to myself, “Then how are you going to EDMONTON — Can you picture your team winning games the way figure out what it takes to be one of the guys playing, not one of the guys Dallas wins them? Have you seen, in your team, what you see every who is not watching?” night from these Dallas Stars? You can only hope, Canadian fan, that your team’s players are watching The Stars have four lines that look identical when they don’t have the this. puck, and 18 skaters who approach every puck battle with a ferocity that had one NHL voice tell me this on Wednesday: This is what winning looks like. It’s right there in black and green.

“Dallas does not play like they want to win. They play like they need to Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.17.2020 win.”

Could Auston Matthews play without the puck the way Jamie Benn is playing when he doesn’t have it? If Connor McDavid was playing with one hand, the way the injured Tyler Seguin is, would he be able to make the same impact defensively that Seguin has for the Stars?

This, hockey fan is what winning looks like.

The way Dallas plays, like it or not, is the way St. Louis played last year, and Washington the year before that.

They don’t want to win. Like Ovechkin, like Pietrangelo, like Ray Bourque and back in the day, they need to win.

“When you have guys who have been in the league for so long — and a lot of us haven’t won a Stanley Cup — you realize how hard it is,” said Stars’ Blake Comeau, a 34-year-old journeyman winger. “I’ve been in the league for 14 years. I’ve never been to a Final.”

Comeau has played 852 NHL games for six different organizations, missing the playoffs more often than he’s made them. A second-round pick of the Islanders back in 2004, he has only been past Round 1 twice in his career.

“Our approach is, we may never be in another Final or have another chance to win a Stanley Cup,” he said. “You just never know.

“There are a lot of us who aren’t taking anything for granted. We’ve been around a long time. We know how hard it is.”

So perhaps Elias Pettersson simply cannot grasp that scale of desire, at age 21. Maybe Quinn Hughes, no matter how skilled, will not be able to match Jamie Oleksiak’s battle level until he has more time in the league.

As a team, what Dallas has is what Dave Tippett is trying to find in Edmonton, or Geoff Ward in Calgary. That they have not yet found it is clear, observed by their respective playoff flame-outs this year.

There is a commitment to sacrifice the Stars have. A realization that wining the hundreds of little battles within the game will result in winning the larger battle on the scoreboard.

There is a physicality that saw the Vegas forwards spending an inordinate amount of time on their backsides around Anton Khudobin, and the Golden Knights defencemen knocked on the seats of their pants in front of Robin Lehner. Vegas head coach Peter DeBoer admitted after the series that Dallas owned the net-fronts at both ends of the rink, not a small admission for a losing coach.

Has anyone ever said that about Ottawa? About Montreal?

That Benn’s line knows Roope Hintz’ line or Joe Pavelski’s line can be counted on to chip in some offence takes the pressure off the top line to cheat for goals. So they can defend first, and remain patient that their chances will come.

The result is, all four lines look a lot like each other.

“Without the puck we want every line to be the same (and) committed to keeping that puck out of our zone,” said head coach Rick Bowness, the ultimate hockey lifer who has never been this close to a Cup as a head coach. “When we get possession of it, different skills and speeds take over … but without the puck you have to be on the same page. 1178896 Websites Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning Age: 23

Height: Six-foot Sportsnet.ca / 7 centres Jets could pursue to fill opening on second line Weight: 193 pounds

2019-20 stats: 63 GP, 16 G, 28 A, 44 P, 113 SOG, 18:28 TOI Ken Wiebe |. September 16, 2020, 9:53 AM Career NHL totals: 168 GP, 40 G, 54 A, 94 P, 262 SOG, 16:08 TOI

Contract status: Pending RFA ($935,833 AAV last season in final year of WINNIPEG — The internal candidates have been debated and entry-level deal) discussed, but what if the Winnipeg Jets decide to look outside the organization to fill the need at second-line centre? The skinny: We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the prospect of Cheveldayoff swinging for the fences and the pursuit of Cirelli would With roughly three weeks to go before free agency opens and a trickle of certainly qualify — especially if it came in the form of an offer sheet. The trades already being made, you can be sure the Jets plan to be active in Lightning are going to be in a salary cap bind, with new deals required for exploring both markets as general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff looks to Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev and Barclay Goodrow, among others. With improve his roster. Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos occupying the top two spots on the Whether the Jets end up window shopping and banking on their own depth chart, Cirelli is a bit of a luxury item as the third-line centre. He’s an guys — a group that includes Andrew Copp, Blake Wheeler or even Jack excellent two-way player who is already on the radar for the Selke Roslovic — there will also be an area of tire kicking that occurs. Trophy and has been used at times with Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat when Point has dealt with an injury. Just last week, a Central Division rival made a deal to improve its depth down the middle, as the Minnesota Wild swung a deal with the Pittsburgh Unless Cirelli chooses to take a below-market bridge deal with the Penguins for Nick Bjugstad. Lightning, he would be the type of player many GMs could view as an offer sheet target. Of course, offer sheets have been a rarity but these It’s a low-risk deal for Wild GM Bill Guerin, who sacrificed only a are different times, so everything is on the table. For the sake of context, conditional seventh-round pick for a player who starred for the University prior to Sebastian Aho signing one with the Montreal Canadiens last of Minnesota Golden Gophers, was a first-round pick in 2010 (chosen summer, the last one before that was given to Ryan O’Reilly, then of the 19th overall by the Florida Panthers) and has accumulated 97 goals Colorado Avalanche, by the Calgary Flames in 2013. The last successful (including a career-high 24 in 2014-15) and 207 points in 437 NHL offer sheet occurred in 2007 when the Edmonton Oilers signed Dustin games. Penner to a five-year deal worth $21.5 million and the Anaheim Ducks chose not to match. Sure, his production dipped dramatically during the past two seasons but some of that was related to injuries. No matter how things turn out, the If an offer sheet isn’t the road Cheveldayoff is interested in going down, Wild are getting a pivot with size and skill at a minimal cost. The given the number of picks the organization would have to give up, the Penguins needed some salary cap relief and even though they’re Jets could also pursue a trade for Cirelli. retaining some of Bjugstad’s salary, every dollar is going to count for them. Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning

From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream Age: 30 every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Height: Five-foot-eight Sportsnet NOW. Weight: 183 pounds The Jets are one of the few NHL teams that enter the off-season frenzy with cap space and it won’t be long before we see how Cheveldayoff 2019-20 totals: 65 GP, 14 G, 17 A, 31 P, 113 SOG, 14:33 TOI plans to use it. Career NHL totals: 534 GP, 153 G, 186 A, 339 P, 1,154 SOG, 16:59 GOI Since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg in 2011, the Jets looked to upgrade their depth at centre on two occasions. Contract status: $5 million AAV through 2023-24

Back in 2012, Olli Jokinen was inked to a two-year deal worth $9 million The skinny: Should Lightning GM Julien BriseBois choose to commit to to slot in behind Bryan Little. Cirelli (which would surprise no one), he’s probably going to have to move one of his versatile guys and Johnson could be a candidate — Although Jokinen wasn’t quite as productive as expected (25 goals and though he has a full no-movement clause this summer and would have to 57 points in 127 games), his arrival on the scene ensured the Jets didn’t sign off on any trade. have to rush Mark Scheifele to the NHL. What he could be on the Jets is a skilled forward with excellent vision Plus, Jokinen was able to serve as a mentor for Scheifele when he did who can also generate shots for himself. Johnson would complement the make the team to stay during the 2013-14 season. likes of Patrik Laine, Nikolaj Ehlers or whoever he was used with. He can play all three forward positions and plays a tenacious game even though Then in 2014, the Jets were able to land Mathieu Perreault on a three- he’s not big in stature. His ice time and production was down this season, year deal for $9 million after the Anaheim Ducks chose not to provide him so perhaps he would welcome a chance to play top-six minutes again. with a qualifying offer. Johnson would also bring cost certainty as he’s under contract for $5 Perreault was a third-line centre at the time, but the Ducks were in a cap million for the next four seasons. crunch and didn’t want to risk going to arbitration, so they let him walk. Phillip Danault, Montreal Canadiens It could be argued that Perreault has been one of the best free-agent Age: 27 signings the Jets have made under Cheveldayoff’s watch. Height: Six-foot-one His time at centre ended up being limited — partially related to a back injury but also because Perreault proved to be more effective on the wing Weight: 185 pounds — but he’s produced 79 goals and 211 points in 399 games since joining the Jets. 2019-20 totals: 71 GP, 13 G, 34 A, 47 P, 131 SOG, 18:51 TOI

Cheveldayoff hinted during his season-ending availability that there could Career NHL totals: 339 GP, 50 G, 125 A, 175 P, 564 SOG, 16:29 GOI be players like that available because of similar circumstances this off- Contract status: $3.08 million through 2020-21, then a pending UFA season, but only time will tell who might fall into that category. The skinny: There’s plenty of intrigue surrounding the Canadiens and With all of that in mind, here’s a look at seven centre’s who could be on what they might do this summer. GM Marc Bergevin is armed with plenty the Jets’ radar when it comes to exploring the marketplace for a second- of draft picks and the team is feeling good about its showing in the line pivot: qualifier against the Penguins and playoff round against the Philadelphia Flyers. But with the emergence of Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, once and perhaps he would do it one more time. The Jets haven’t been Danault could find himself in a third-line, checking role and that’s able to fully replace Stastny since his departure after the 2018 deadline something he isn’t interested in — not after anchoring the top line for deal, so this could be worth a shot. Stastny’s familiar with the system, the much of the past two-plus seasons. coaching staff and many of the players and is determined to capture a Stanley Cup. He’s up to 96 games of playoff experience (25 goals, eight Danault isn’t a big point producer (his career-highs are 13 goals and 53 game-winners and 66 points), which would be welcome for a group points), but he’s a play driver and makes his linemates better while also looking to regroup after two early exits since he left for Vegas. contributing as a responsible defensive player. What’s the cost of acquisition and what will Danault’s next contract look like? Those are the Derick Brassard, New York Islanders only two impediments for the Jets right now. But given his age and skill set, Danault is worth pursuing — as long as the deal comes with a Age: 32 window to get an extension taken care of. Height: Six-foot-one

Erik Haula, Florida Panthers Weight: 202 pounds

Age: 29 2019-20 totals: 66 GP, 10 G, 22 A, 32 P, 110 SOG, 13:42 TOI

Height: Six-foot Career NHL totals: 852 GP, 186 G, 297 A, 483 P, 1,714 SOG, 16:10 TOI

Weight: 193 pounds Contract status: Pending UFA ($1.2 million AAV last season)

2019-20 totals: 48 GP, 12 G, 12 A, 24 P, 92 SOG, 15:50 TOI The skinny: Brassard was actually the initial target for the Jets at the Career NHL totals: 405 GP, 85 G, 90 A, 175 P, 674 SOG, 13:54 TOI 2018 NHL trade deadline before Stastny became available and was acquired. That year Brassard went to the Penguins instead, with the Contract status: Pending UFA ($2.75 AAV last season) Golden Knights providing a bit of salary-cap relief while also getting Ryan Reaves in the deal. The skinny: The Jets are familiar with the speedy Finnish forward from his time in the Central Division with the Wild and also with the Golden Brassard has been used in more of a complementary role since that time, Knights. Though he’s known more for his checking ability, he has some but still possesses the vision and skill set to be considered — even if his offensive upside — as shown by the career-high 29 goals and 55 points production has dropped along with his ice time. Chemistry can do he produced for Vegas during the 2017-18 campaign. He would provide wonders for production and even if it doesn’t work out in a top-six role, a big boost to the penalty kill and has the ability to be effective while Brassard has shown he can chip in for Barry Trotz’s Islanders in a playing up and down the lineup. Could be a cost-conscious move that checking role. A one-year deal would be worth investigating. allows the Jets to use a bit more money to bolster the defence corps. The sixth overall selection in the 2006 NHL Draft is also known for having Nolan Patrick, Philadelphia Flyers big games when it matters most, delivering 25 goals (including five game-winners) and 68 points in 116 career playoff games while going to Age: 21 (22 on Sept. 19) the conference final four times and the Stanley Cup Final once — so far.

Height: Six-foot-two Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.17.2020 Weight: 198 pounds

2019-20 totals: Did not play

Career NHL totals: 145 GP, 26 G, 35 A, 61 P, 242 SOG, 14:24 TOI

Contract status: Restricted free agent ($925,000 cap hit and $3.575 AAV with bonuses last season)

The skinny: The Winnipegger and former standout sat out the entire season with a migraine disorder and he’s also dealt with concussions in his young career. Things have not gone smoothly for the second overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, but when healthy, he has the ability to be a key contributor.

He could certainly be rejuvenated by the opportunity to skate alongside two of the talented wingers on the Jets, in his hometown no less. The Flyers have Sean Couturier and Kevin Hayes occupying the top two centre spots, so maybe a change of scenery would benefit both parties. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher didn’t draft Patrick and he would be familiar with the Jets roster from his time with the Wild. So, perhaps there’s a deal to be made.

Paul Stastny, Vegas Golden Knights

Age: 34 (35 on Dec. 27)

Height: Six-foot

Weight: 193 pounds

2019-20 totals: 71 GP, 17 G, 21 A, 38 P, 136 SOG, 17:08 TOI

Career NHL totals: 945 GP, 250 G, 476 A, 726 P, 2,004 SOG, 19:04 TOI

Contract status: $6.5 million AAV through 2020-21, then pending UFA

The skinny: Speaking of cap crunches, the Golden Knights figure to have one of their own, especially if Robin Lehner sticks around. And with top prospect Cody Glass likely ready for the second-line centre role, it might be tough for Vegas to have Stastny on the third unit.

Should a deal be worked out with the Jets, Stastny could either be reunited with Laine and Ehlers or used with captain Blake Wheeler, as the two played together in Germany during the lockout in 2013. Stastny has a modified no-trade clause, but he’s agreed to be traded to the Jets 1178897 Websites Even after losing the series opener 8-2 on tired legs after a quick turnaround. Or when they had a defensive meltdown that allowed Kucherov to win Game 2 with just 8.8 seconds left in regulation.

Sportsnet.ca / Islanders' belief unwavering despite label of Game 6 New York has continued to push and get on the forecheck and finish underdog every available bodycheck. It’s a difficult way to play, especially more than seven weeks into this gruelling playoff tournament.

“What you find out as you go along in the playoffs, the game is about all Chris Johnston | September 16, 2020, 4:28 PM of those commitment elements and less about the artistic part of the game,” said Trotz. “That sort of gets thrown out a little bit just because so

many battles happen, there’s no space. There’s no time. EDMONTON — Barry Trotz stopped putting his New York Islanders “You’ve got to manage the puck, you’ve got to will yourself, you’ve got to through practice weeks ago. jump on and execute on a moment. A missed play, whatever, that’s how They’re a team that needs to “red line” in order to have any sort of you win in the playoffs.” success, according to the veteran head coach, and that requires the time They’ve travelled the long road to get here. It included a training camp spent inside the NHL bubble not playing to be devoted solely to rest and that opened Sept. 12, 2019, a winless road trip through Nashville, Vegas, recovery. Arizona and Colorado in February and seven straight losses before the The Islanders are 369 days into this season and still fighting. It says COVID-19 pause came into effect in March. something about the soul of this group that they found a way to extend Heck, the Islanders dropped three overtime games to the Flyers last the Eastern Conference Final to a sixth game. And they’re not shying round and still found a way to take the series. away from the fact that there’s considerable duress to be found in trying to climb out from the hole the Tampa Bay Lightning have put them in. They were resting their bodies and minds on Wednesday because there’s at least one more game to play. From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.17.2020 Sportsnet NOW.

“We have one life left, they have two. So you tell me which has more pressure,” Trotz said Wednesday.

At least they’ve got experience with the hard way. They had to come through Florida, Washington and Philadelphia just to reach the NHL’s Final Three. They did so by accumulating welts, bruises and injuries to be named later.

No one better embodies that spirit than Johnny Boychuk, who dressed Tuesday for the first time since getting injured in their Aug. 1 playoff opener.

Boychuk is 36 and nearing the end of a career that’s already earned him a Stanley Cup ring and nearly $50-million. And there he was with the Islanders season on the line, jumping in front of a 106-mile per hour blast from Nikita Kucherov.

“I know he’s feeling it today,” said teammate Devon Toews.

Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it.

These Islanders are a reminder that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. They aren’t a group that puts themselves on the highlight reel as much as some of the teams that left the bubble weeks ago, but they have a plan and they stick to it.

It’s an approach that requires mental toughness and discipline.

They’ve created a brotherhood that’s recognizable from safe social distance inside Rogers Place. You saw it when multiple teammates went directly to Anthony Beauvillier as he exited the penalty box at the end of regulation on Tuesday after taking a four-minute high-sticking penalty.

That required the Islanders to play 4-on-5 for the first 2:37 of overtime with their season hanging in the balance — Trotz said he blacked out on the bench when the double-minor was assessed — and yet important members of the group still had the forethought to pick up Beauvillier.

They killed the penalty and eventually won the game on Jordan Eberle’s double-overtime strike. They lived to fight another day despite blocking more shots (32) than they managed to put on goal (24).

“That was a big win. A gritty win,” said captain Anders Lee. “Up and down our lineup, from [goaltender Semyon Varlamov] on out, we had everyone going and everyone was pivotal in us winning that game.

“I think when you have a win like that I think it’s definitely easier to carry over.”

They remain underdogs to the Lightning with Game 6 looming Thursday, but their belief in themselves hasn’t wavered.