News Clips November 8, 2017

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Panarin says he was pressing, glad to get second PAGE 04: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Atkinson activated, expected to play against Nashville PAGE 05: Columbus Dispatch: Predators 3 / Blue Jackets 1 | Jackets’ offense weak around the net in loss PAGE 07: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson glad to be back after injury, illness PAGE 08: Columbus Dispatch: Deal for Duchene just too pricey for Jackets PAGE 10: The Athletic: Cam Atkinson returns tonight, plus Scott Hartnell's first game back and more PAGE 12: The Athletic: Slowly and surely, Blue Jackets rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois is coming of age

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites PAGE 15: The Athletic: LeBrun Notebook: believes Samuel Girard key to Avs rebuild, Blue Jackets seeking centre PAGE 17: .ca: 31 Thoughts: Inside the -Kyle Turris blockbuster PAGE 26: Sportsnet.ca: Wojtek Wolski aims for Team Canada Olympic spot after career- threatening injury PAGE 28: USA Today: After blockbuster, here are six players who could be traded this season

1

http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171107/blue-jackets-panarin-says-he-was-pressing-glad-to-get- second-goal

Blue Jackets: Panarin says he was pressing, glad to get second goal By Steve Gorten – November 7, 2017

NEW YORK — Blue Jackets winger Artemi Panarin ended his 10-game goal drought Monday night and joked after the game that it wasn’t a coincidence both of his goals this season have come against the Rangers. “I have a deal with (Rangers goalie) Henrik Lundqvist — I score only when he plays in goal,” Panarin said in Russian in a postgame interview translated by Vika Bulakhava, a reporter for Russian Chicago magazine who covered Panarin on the Blackhawks. “I have to thank him for that.” Panarin, who fired in a from the slot 38 seconds into the second period Monday at Madison Square Garden, scored the game-winner against the Rangers on Oct. 13 at Nationwide Arena. He has six career goals against New York. Panarin said he was “lacking confidence” during his slump. “At first I was trying to pass more. ... I am the kind of player that when I see an open player, I will pass the puck to him and won’t try to shoot myself,” Panarin said. “It seemed at first my assists were on point, but the guys couldn’t score. Then I started feeling pressure that I can’t score myself. “Everybody started rushing me. I started rushing myself. Then my confidence disappeared because I hardly scored at all. I had many opportunities, but couldn’t score. Now, hopefully, I am back on the right track.” With 10 assists, Panarin entered Monday’s game as the Jackets’ co-leader in points (11), along with defenseman Seth Jones. He also led Columbus with 44 shots on goal but hadn’t converted as expected since being acquired from the Blackhawks in an offseason trade and being placed on the Jackets’ top line. “I am maturing more, though,” Panarin said. “I don’t pressure myself as much when I don’t score as I used to do before. I tried to have a more philosophical approach to that matter — sooner or later the no-scoring period would pass or end.” Panarin undoubtedly was happy to hear the news Tuesday that the Jackets had activated winger Cam Atkinson from injured reserve. Panarin said Atkinson’s hip injury, which has kept Panarin’s linemate out the past four games, has affected his own play. “Of course, it does matter when your teammate gets injured,” Panarin said. “No matter who it is. (Matt Calvert) got injured as well. ...As far as I know, Cam will be playing in the next game (Tuesday against Nashville), so everything will be all right.” Panarin noted that he’s been happy with the linemates he’s had in Atkinson’s absence. “The main focus for me is not to worry too much, and everything will be all right,” he said. “This season, I am trying to stay mentally and physically strong. There is not enough time to make any technical improvements or practice. All of that was done during the summer.”

2

Panarin said he’s enjoyed a quiet existence in Columbus, that’s included hours playing video games. He said he’s been able to communicate with teammates better in Columbus than in Chicago because his English has improved. He also has the benefit of having fellow Russian Sergei Bobrovsky as a teammate, which he said has helped him acclimate.

3

http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171107/blue-jackets-atkinson-activated-expected-to-play-against- nashville

Blue Jackets: Atkinson activated, expected to play against Nashville By Steve Gorten – November 7, 2017

Right wing Cam Atkinson is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday night when the Blue Jackets play the at Nationwide Arena.

Atkinson, who has missed the past four games because of a hip injury, was activated from injured reserve Tuesday morning. The Jackets had placed him there retroactive to Oct. 28, when he was knocked out of the game in St. Louis in the third period.

Atkinson’s return should spark a Jackets lineup that has dealt with a rash of injuries in recent weeks. Fourth-line center Lukas Sedlak has been out the past two weeks because of a high-ankle sprain, and the team placed winger Matt Calvert, the Jackets’ best overall player so far this season, according to coach John Tortorella, on IR because of an upper-body injury suffered Saturday at Tampa Bay.

Both Sedlak and Calvert are expected to be back between three to four weeks.

Atkinson was the team’s leading scorer last season with career highs in goals (35), assists (27) and points (62). He also had a plus-13 rating and was named an NHL All-Star. That followed a 2015-16 season in which he finished tied for first on the team in points (53) with Brandon Saad.

Atkinson has four goals and one assist with a plus-1 rating in 11 games this season.

4

http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171107/predators-3--blue-jackets-1--jackets-offense-weak-around- net-in-loss

Predators 3 / Blue Jackets 1 | Jackets’ offense weak around the net in loss By Steve Gorten – November 7, 2017

There were many good minutes for the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, including on special teams.

The kill that surrendered three power-play goals in the third period the night before was perfect against the Predators, and the first unit of the Jackets’ power play created several scoring chances.

But ultimately, it comes down to the Jackets finding ways to win games like this one, captain Nick Foligno said, and on this night, they couldn’t.

The Jackets pulled even in the third period on a spectacular steal and score by rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois, but gave up the go-ahead goal to Calle Jarnkrok with 5:35 left, and an empty-netter to Viktor Arvidsson in the final seconds of a 3-1 loss at Nationwide Arena.

“We got good chances, but I don’t think we generated enough around the net,” said Foligno, who was robbed by Predators goalie Pekka Rinne on a shot from the slot in the waning seconds of the first period.

“I don’t think we were dirty enough in those areas to score goals off rebounds. The second opportunities you need to have, like their second goal — a shot off the pads and he’s there to bang it in.”

Joonas Korpisalo stopped Miikka Salomaki’s hard shot, but the rebound went straight to the stick of Jarnkrok, all alone in the slot to score the deciding goal. The Jackets challenged the goal, claiming goaltender interference by Kevin Fiala.

Replays showed Fiala plowed into Korpisalo, but the goal was upheld with the referees ruling that Fiala lost his balance because of a check from Jackets defenseman David Savard.

That was enough for the Predators to hold off the Jackets on a night Rinne made 35 saves.

“Pekka played unbelievable tonight,” said defenseman Seth Jones, who had five shots on goal. “He made a lot of big saves late in the third period that kept the lead. That’s what he does best. We could have gotten more bodies in front of him, disrupted him a little more.”

The lack of traffic in front of the net was the Jackets’ biggest weakness Tuesday, coach John Tortorella said. Too many shots came from the outside. The Jackets had several chances on four power plays, but came up empty each time, including after Filip Forsberg was sent off for tripping with 5:10 left.

“We’re close, but we just couldn’t find a way to score a goal tonight when we needed it,” Tortorella said.

One night after allowing three power-play goals in a 5-3 loss to the , the Jackets’ penalty kill shut down all four opportunities for the Predators to keep the team within striking distance.

5

Dubois then pulled them even at 4:37 of the third period when he stole the puck from Predators defenseman P.K. Subban in the neutral zone, outraced Subban and Alexei Emelin down the ice and beat Rinne top-shelf on the breakaway.

The Jackets couldn’t get the game to overtime, though, to salvage at least one point. It was their third consecutive loss.

“They’re the team that found that one at the end to give them the lead, and we didn’t,” Foligno said. “What I like is we have two days here (before the next game) and we always seem to regroup well and get ready for big ones like this weekend.”

6

http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171107/blue-jackets-cam-atkinson-glad-to-be-back-after-injury- illness

Blue Jackets’ Cam Atkinson glad to be back after injury, illness By Steve Gorten – November 7, 2017

Right wing Cam Atkinson returned to the Blue Jackets’ lineup Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators, skating with the same linemates he started the season with — Alexander Wennberg and Artemi Panarin.

“It’s never fun to be out,” Atkinson said before the Blue Jackets’ 3-1 loss. “I’m definitely excited to get going and battle with the boys.”

He had four shots on goal in 23 minutes and 45 seconds of playing time.

Atkinson, who was activated from injured reserve Tuesday, played for the first time in five games following a lower-body injury Oct. 28 at St. Louis and then flu-like symptoms that kept him from going on the three-game trip. Atkinson said his injury was “definitely minor,” but not the 102-degree fever he woke up with last Tuesday.

“I was literally in bed for three days — I couldn’t get out of bed,” said Atkinson, adding that he lost eight pounds.

Atkinson skated in pregame warmups Oct. 30 against the Bruins, but “thought it was probably for the best to hold myself out.” He said he would have played Thursday at Florida had he not gotten sick. While the team was gone, Atkinson skated with a skills coach a few times, including an hour Monday, during which “I felt back to my standards.”

Atkinson’s return couldn’t have come at a better time for the Jackets, who will be without center Lukas Sedlak (high-ankle sprain) and wing Matt Calvert (upper-body injury) for another three to four weeks. The team’s leading scorer last season with career highs in goals (35), assists (27) and points (62), Atkinson tallied four goals and one assist the first 11 games of this season. He said he’s at his best when he’s playing hard and with swagger.

“As long as I’m getting opportunities, I’m going to start burying them,” said Atkinson, who was on a line with Boone Jenner and center Brandon Dubinsky prior to getting hurt. “I thought before I got hurt and got the flu that I was getting opportunities. I’m excited to get back at it. I’m going to shoot the puck a lot.”

Quick hits

Joonas Korpisalo got his fourth start in goal and first action in five games Tuesday. ... Gabriel Carlsson saw his first action in 12 games as the Jackets went with seven defensemen. With Carlsson and Atkinson in the lineup, forwards Markus Hannikainen and Zac Dalpe were healthy scratches

7

http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171107/michael-arace--deal-for-duchene-just-too-pricey-for- jackets

Deal for Duchene just too pricey for Jackets By Michael Arace – November 7, 2017

Matt Duchene, on the trading block almost as long as the Crew, was finally moved out of Colorado in a weighty, three-team deal Sunday. Blue Jackets fans took note. Duchene would have looked good in Union Blue. He’s a top-line center, a position of need for the Jackets (and many other teams). Stick him on the roster, bump the other centers down a notch, and a lot of things make more sense. The Jackets’ brass made their pitch. Jarmo Kekalainen had his Colorado counterpart, Joe Sakic, on speed dial throughout the summer. So did GM . In the end, Sakic, Dorion and Nashville GM triangulated — and Sakic, who was criticized for demanding a steep price for Duchene, and for sitting on it, came away with a haul. Colorado got a first-, a second- and a third-round draft pick, a high-end prospect defenseman in Samuel Girard, a high-end prospect forward in Shane Bowers, a young center in and a serviceable NHL goaltender in Andrew Hammond. Ottawa got Duchene. Nashville got a solid, second-line center in Kyle Turris, who agreed to a six-year contract extension to facilitate the deal (after his negotiations with Ottawa stalled). The big trade fell apart at the start of the weekend and was resuscitated by two assistant GMs: old friend Chris MacFarland, now Sakic’s right-hand man in Colorado, and Ottawa’s Paul Fenton, who is one of those extremely bright former Hartford Whalers (they’re everywhere). The deal was made in Ohio. According to a report by TSN, MacFarland and Fenton ran into each other while scouting at Miami University on Friday night, and they ran into each other again while scouting at Ohio State on Saturday night. They talked, they called their bosses, Turris softened his contract demands and the thing came together. The Predators were the visitors at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday night. Turris, who is working out visa issues, was not with the team. But Scott Hartnell, who was bought out by the Jackets and signed with the Predators last summer, was on the visiting bench. Hartnell got a nice “Welcome back to Columbus” message on the Jumbotron during the first TV timeout and, when the in-house camera zoomed in him, he looked up and waved. That was a classy move by the Jackets. Sitting next to Hartnell was another former Jacket, Ryan Johansen, whose presence was not acknowledged when he returned to Columbus last year. That was a petty move by the Jackets. Life goes on, and Duchene is a Senator. I’ve had any number of conversations with Jackets management types about Duchene. Their stance is something like this: What Sakic was seeking in return — widely advertised as a prized young defenseman, another young player and at least two draft picks, including a first-rounder — would have dented their big-league roster in a way they felt would devalue their ride. It’d be like getting a shiny new grille and driving around with a big crease in the rear quarter panel, near the gas tank.

8

The Jackets are the youngest team in the league, they had a fine October and they’re not even humming yet. Management wants to see what this team can do. Duchene is due for a new contract in 2019 and there were no guarantees he would have signed with Columbus. The Jackets are conscious of long-range management of their salary cap. Sure, Duchene would have looked good in Union Blue, but at what price? Credit to Sakic, who got more than anyone imagined he would for a talented, but not upper-echelon, No. 1 center. The teams involved in the three-way trade are all very happy, but that does not mean there is sadness among the uninvolved.

9

https://theathletic.com/149025/2017/11/07/cam-atkinson-returns-tonight-plus-scott-hartnells-first- game-back-and-more/

Cam Atkinson returns tonight, plus Scott Hartnell's first game back and more By Aaron Portzline – November 7, 2017

Cam Atkinson, who missed four games with a hip injury and a nasty bout with the flu, will return to the Blue Jackets' lineup tonight when they host Nashville in Nationwide Arena. The Jackets activated Atkinson from injured reserve today. The Blue Jackets scored 17 goals and went 2-1-1 in Atkinson's absence, but he can bring stability to their top-two lines. It's unclear where he'll go into the lineup. Center Alexander Wennberg was back on a line with left winger Artemi Panarin in the 5-3 loss Monday in New York. Tyler Motte, who has played well since a recall from Cleveland, played on the right side, the spot previously filled by Atkinson. Atkinson was off to a slow start before the injury, with 4-1-5 and a plus-1 rating in 11 games. But he's been the Jackets' leading scorer in each of the past two seasons. NOTEBOOK • Scott Hartnell will play in Nationwide Arena for the first time since he had his contract bought out by the Blue Jackets during the summer. The Blue Jackets will have a “welcome back” message in the first period, the club said. Hartnell has 4-3-7 and a gaudy minus-8 rating in 14 games this season, his second stint with the Predators. • This is something that's bound to come up tonight in the minds of many in Nationwide Arena: Seated just down the Nashville bench from Hartnell will be former Blue Jackets center Ryan Johansen, who was miffed last February when the Jackets did nothing to mark his return to Nationwide. “I am a little disappointed they didn't put anything on the (scoreboard) and say ‘thank you’ or anything like that,” Johansen told reporters after that game. “I think we all know who made that call, but whatever.” No, Johansen has never said who he thinks made the call. But now he's going to sit and watch Hartnell get a local hug. • Johansen played 309 games for Columbus, putting up 79-114-193. Hartnell played in 234 games, putting up 64-82-146. Discuss amongst yourselves. • Panarin declined to speak with English-speaking reporters Monday after the game, but a translator — Chicago sportswriter Vika Bulakhava — translated his comments to Russian reporters for the Columbus media: • Here's Panarin, when asked how happy he is to play in Columbus: “Not sure how to answer. Should I use percentages? I am happy to be on this team 100 percent.” • On ending his 10-game goal drought: “I have a deal with (Henrik) Lundquist: I score only when he plays in the (net). I have to thank him for that. But seems that I am just lacking confidence. At first, I was trying to pass more. I am just the kind of player that when I see an open player, I will pass the puck to him, I won’t be trying to shoot myself. And it seemed at first my assists were on point, but the guys couldn’t score. Then I started feeling pressure that I can't score myself. Everybody started rushing me; I started rushing myself. Then confidence disappeared at all,

10

because I hardly scored at all. I had many opportunities, but couldn’t score. Now, hopefully, I am back on the right track. I am maturing more, though. I don’t pressure myself as much when I don’t score as I used to. I tried to have a more philosophical approach to that matter — sooner or later ‘no scoring’ period will end. The main thing is, I am not a lazy one … who doesn’t want to play hockey? Simply put, it is just not happening to score.” • On comparing Chicago with Columbus: “I have everything I need in Columbus. Of course, Columbus is much smaller than Chicago. But I am this kind of person, who doesn’t need too much in life. Everything I need, I have in Columbus. That city is calmer and cleaner. All my life consists of hockey practices, after that I come home for lunch, then I play Playstation a bit, take the dog out for a walk before the game … and then head to bed. Day in and day out is pretty much the same. I don’t have much time for entertainment.”

11 https://theathletic.com/149648/2017/11/07/slowly-and-sure-blue-jackets-rookie-pierre-luc-dubois-is- coming-of-age/

Slowly and surely, Blue Jackets rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois is coming of age By Aaron Portzline – November 7, 2017

There have been subtle signs over the past couple of weeks that Blue Jackets rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois is getting up to speed in the NHL. Mostly it's been the way he's used his large frame in the corners, the small, nifty plays he's made along the wall. On Tuesday, Dubois' progress could not be missed. He turned in the Blue Jackets' lone highlight in a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators, scoring a goal he'll probably remember for the rest of his life. At 4:31 of the third period, Dubois confronted Nashville's P.K. Subban, who was skating full speed through center ice. He reached wide with the stick in his right hand and poked the puck behind Subban, whose momentum kept carrying him forward. Dubois gathered the puck and headed the other direction, outskating Subban and two other Predators before beating goaltender Pekka Rinne with a soft backhand over his left pad. That's two perennial All-Stars he went through on one shift. “That goal was a pretty damn sweet goal,” Blue Jackets right winger Cam Atkinson said. “That's pretty damn special.” Dubois could only laugh after the game. Yes, he knew it was Subban he pick-pocketed. Yep, he was delighted to have beaten a goaltender of Rinne's caliber. But Dubois, as the first guy over the boards for the shift, was supposed to skate to the far side of the ice and check Nashville's Alexei Emelin. One of his linemates, Josh Anderson or Nick Foligno, would have taken Subban. “I didn't make the right play,” Dubois said. “Usually, the second and third (forward) coming will cut the middle. “But in hockey, you read plays and you see stuff and it all happens so quickly. I just decided to go on (Subban). Any other night, it could have been a mistake. I was happy I put it in.” It sounds silly, but Dubois' ability to interpret the play and his willingness to freelance and confront Subban could be seen, in some way, as him growing and getting more comfortable in the league. John Tortorella is always preaching “safe is death,” and he's been on Dubois since the start of training camp to keep moving his feet and stop being so rigid offensively. “Step by step, he's getting better and better,” Tortorella said. “He's feeling more confident. His legs are moving. He's won a lot of puck battles of late. We're beginning to see a little bit about who he is. “It's such a nice goal, but what I liked was his acceleration. I thought he was going to get caught. That's a pretty good goal. I wish it stood for something tonight.” For much of Dubois' childhood in Quebec, Subban was the ' star player. He was traded to Nashville two summers ago, but maintains a rockstar persona in the province. “The Habs weren't my favorite team,” Dubois said, “but I watched a lot of them growing up.

12

“Honestly, I didn't know who the player was when I made the decision to go. If it were any other defenseman, I would have done the same thing.” Dubois said the novelty of playing against star players — the guys he's watched on TV for years — has started to wear off now that he's moving deeper into his rookie year. “I'm surrounded by great guys on this team every day,” Dubois said. “You start to get used to it.” Dubois now has 2-2-4 in 16 games. The goal against Nashville was his first since a season-opening win against the . “We all know he has the ability,” Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. “We see it every day. He has the ability to be a great player.” NOTEBOOK • Atkinson returned to the lineup after missing four games with a hip injury and the flu, a bout so ugly he lost eight pounds. (Ewwwww!) So, of course, Tortorella watched Atkinson's ice time closely, right? Wrong. He set a career high with 23:45, more than any other forward in the game, either side. That's a career high for both regulation and overtime games, by the way. He finished with four shots on goal and two others that missed the mark. • The Blue Jackets appealed for goaltender interference on the Predators' go-ahead goal at 14:25 of the third. Nashville's Miikka Salomaki skated wide of Alexander Wennberg and tossed the puck on goal with his backhand. Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo kicked the rebound into the slot then took contact from Nashville forward Kevin Fiala as he and David Savard crashed into the right post. Calle Jarnkrok cleaned up the puck and scored from the slot, but the Jackets argued that Korpisalo was prevented from fully playing the puck. (At this point of the game, you might as well try.) • Here is the explanation from the NHL situation room: “After reviewing all available replays and consulting with NHL hockey operations staff, the referee confirmed no goaltender interference infractions occurred before the puck crossed the goal line.” • Here's the explanation Tortorella received from NHL referee T.J. Luxmore: “They told me that because Savvy had hooked the guy's stick (Fiala) in checking him, they said that had something to do with him losing his balance and going into the goalie. I don't totally agree with it, but that's the call. It wasn't 's call. Toronto let the ref make the call. He explained it to me. I thought he handled himself the right way. He said, 'I felt because of (Savvy) checking and getting under his stick and knocking him off-balance, that's what caused (Fiala) to go to the goalie.” • A night after they allowed three power-play goals in the third period, the Blue Jackets killed all four Nashville power plays. They got the first one out of the way early, when Savard was boxed for tripping only 10 seconds into the game. • Tortorella on the Blue Jackets' offensive approach: “I thought the weakest part of our game was, with such a good goalie (Rinne), not getting enough traffic there at times. But you have to give the opposing team a little credit, too. That's a pretty good back-end.” • Zach Werenski had a chance to tie the score at 2-2 with 3:31 remaining but fired wide on an open cage. Atkinson set up Foligno from behind the net, and Foligno fired across the goal mouth to Werenski, but he couldn't finish.

13

• Zac Dalpe and Markus Hannikainen were healthy scratches, meaning the Blue Jackets dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the second time this season. Gabriel Carlsson went in as the seventh D after missing the previous 11 games, 10 due to an upper-body injury. • Put another way: in the Blue Jackets' fourth game in six days, Tortorella rolled, essentially, two lines. Tyler Motte (nine shifts, 5:16) and Sonny Milano (nine shifts, 6:02) barely played. Carlsson drew in for just 5:52. • Former Blue Jackets forward Scott Hartnell was welcomed back to town early in the first period with a brief video message and his visage on the big board. The crowd roared. He looked up and saluted with his left hand. • Hartnell finished with 15:07 in ice time and no shots on goal. Former Blue Jackets center Ryan Johansen drew 14:12 and had one shot on goal.

14

https://theathletic.com/149282/2017/11/07/lebrun-notebook-joe-sakic-believes-samuel-girard-key-to- avs-rebuild-blue-jackets-seeking-centre/

LeBrun Notebook: Joe Sakic believes Samuel Girard key to Avs rebuild, Blue Jackets seeking centre By Pierre LeBrun – November 7, 2017

The hockey world continues to buzz over the weekend’s three-team trade and in particular, Colorado’s massive haul after the dust settled and Kyle Turris ended up in Nashville and Matt Duchene in Ottawa.

But despite all the criticism Avalanche GM Joe Sakic has taken over the past few months for seemingly dragging his feet on moving Duchene, vindication is not a word in the vocabulary of the Hall of Fame player.

“Well, I mean, we’ll see, it worked out,’’ a humble Sakic told The Athletic over the phone from Sweden on Monday night. “All three teams are happy with what we got. Ottawa, (GM) Pierre (Dorion) didn’t think he could sign Turris and he’s in a win-now mode. He saw the opportunity to get Matt who has another year on his deal and I’m sure they’re confident they’ll be able to work out an extension.

“(GM) David (Poile) in Nashville has got a second centreman there, they’ve got a really good team, too. They’re in win-now mode, too. We’re in the mode of trying to build this up and get to the level where we’re competing for the playoffs year in and year out and competing for a Cup. We’re a young team and by acquiring as many picks and prospects as we could, for us it’s a start to getting to where we want to be.’’

What only Sakic knows for sure is whether by waiting he got the best possible return as oppose to what he was offered before the trade deadline last season or the entire off-season, especially around the June draft. It seems hard to believe there was ever a better offer than this given the overall haul.

“The way it worked out, we got more pieces doing a deal with two teams than doing a deal with one team,’’ Sakic said. “For us, it was hard. I talked to Matt last Christmas and he was looking for a move. We’ve always had a good relationship. I said to him, `Just play hard and you’re going to get your wish at some point but it’s got to make sense for us.’ It took a long time, and even when all three teams were talking, it didn’t happen overnight. It took some time to have it come together.’’

When I chatted with Poile on Monday, he confirmed what I thought was fairly obvious — that giving up 19-year-old defenceman Samuel Girard was easily the toughest part of the deal for Nashville. And as you can imagine, he was a mighty key part to Colorado.

“Oh, that was very important for us,’’ Sakic said of Girard’s inclusion in the deal. “You’re trying to build with youth and with futures and prospects, and yes, he was a big key for us, we wanted a young defenceman in return for Matt. We’re excited to have him. He’s a dynamic, young player and he’s going to be a perfect fit with how we want to play. We’re excited to have him here in Sweden and get him on our club. He’s going to help the power play and the way he plays the game, how smart he is, he’s going to really help the forwards out.’’

15

One narrative that was popular throughout the dragged-out Duchene trade talks over the past year was that Sakic was nervous about making this deal after perhaps not getting back a decent return on the Ryan O’Reilly trade of June 2015. Or that perhaps the Avs rushed into that O’Reilly deal. That’s a notion, on both counts, the Avs GM refuted to me Monday.

“It’s a different situation because Ryan was entering the last year of his deal,’’ Sakic said. “You know, Matt still has another year after this season. At that time with Ryan, we felt we needed to move him at that time before the last year started. We felt it was our best deal for us at that time. No regrets on that. We like the pieces we got back in that deal.’’

And finally, it was hard not to notice the raw honesty in the Avs players’ comments Sunday after the Duchene trade. They clearly felt it was an awkward situation having a player on the team that has wanted out for so long. Sakic, however, felt his team handled it very well.

“I talked with our leadership group and with Matt (before the season),’’ Sakic said. “I didn’t see any issue in the dressing room. They all got along. Everybody knew what Matt was looking for and what we were trying to do, yes. But it’s a good group. The chemistry this year is so much better than what it was last year. Obviously you get off to a decent start and our team is fun to watch, that helps. But I think our group is a lot closer. And I’ve got a lot of respect for Matt. He came in and worked hard and was part of the group. He was a good teammate. I give him a lot of credit for doing that.’’

Other notes from around the league:

–The Columbus Blue Jackets had shown very serious interest in Duchene for many months and I don’t believe they were ever really notified that they were “out’’ of the race for the star centre. I’m sure they figured it out when the phones went quiet that something else was up. Regardless, it doesn’t change one important fact: they will covet a top-six centre and hope to acquire one before the Feb. 26 trade deadline.

–The Bruins keep losing players, notably up front. David Backes is out long term while David Krecji and Brad Marchand are also injured along with Ryan Spooner. A source said Tuesday that the B’s are taking a look at the market to see what’s out there in terms of a top-nine forward. Now, whether or not there’s a fit at the right price is another question.

–Kyle Turris’ six-year extension in Nashville does not include a no-trade clause. Don’t be surprised, Preds GM David Poile doesn’t like handing those out. Ryan Johansen’s eight-year, $64-million contract doesn’t have one, either. In fact, the only players on the Nashville roster with no-trade clauses are goalie Pekka Rinne (modified NTC) and Alexei Emelin, whose modified NTC was part of his original Montreal contract.

In an era where the salary cap and CBA rules make it more and more difficult to find flexibility, Nashville’s ability to counter the growing trend over the past several years of no-trade clauses is not insignificant.

–This is perhaps as obvious as it gets, but you better believe Ottawa’s plan is to try and get Duchene signed to an extension, one year out, as soon the July 1 window opens. I think GM Pierre Dorion feels good about his relationship with agent Pat Brisson and the ability to get it done.

16

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/31-thoughts-inside-matt-duchene-kyle-turris-blockbuster/

31 Thoughts: Inside the Matt Duchene-Kyle Turris blockbuster By Elliotte Friedman – November 7, 2017

You know what really stood out as the Duchene deal reached its conclusion? The stress. And then, the relief.

“The last 10 days were crazy,” one source said. “Everyone aged a decade.”

Monday morning, Senators GM Pierre Dorion couldn’t contain his smile as a relaxed Matt Duchene met Ottawa. Nashville’s David Poile showed a similar calm at his own briefing. On a conference call, Kyle Turris told reporters he was “real excited” to be a Predator.

What a change for all of them. Thirty six hours earlier, thinking this trade had fallen apart, a stunned Duchene could barely answer questions after a game where he scored and Colorado snared a huge shootout victory in Philadelphia. Turris, hurt and disappointed to realize his time in the nation’s capital was coming to an end, struggled in a loss to Vegas. Dorion seethed, angry Turris’s name went public. He also had to navigate the trickiest ownership situation of the three — by far — a wild card in the closing stages. Poile was tired from countless fruitless conversations, trying without success to bring either Duchene or Turris to Tennessee.

Poile, involved in three of the biggest moves of the past 24 months, was asked a good question at his availability: does he get a rush from these moments?

“Rush? Rush?” He smiled and paused as he searched for the proper words. “It’s hard, we’ve traded Seth Jones. Deep down you don’t want to do that because you know what you have. Sammy Girard looks like he’s going to be a really good player, you don’t want to do that…You want to have relationships with players, but you can’t get too close…You’ve got to be able to see the full picture for your team, what you need…To say everything’s a slam dunk when you make a trade? It’s not that way.”

He then recounted his first move as a GM, a 1982 blockbuster that saw him send Rick Green and Ryan Walter from Washington to Montreal for Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis, Rod Langway and Craig Laughlin.

“My owner said to me, ‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’” Thirty five years later, Poile asked himself the same question.

One of the most interesting things about the post-trade conversation was all the praise given to their aides. Good leaders always share the applause, but this was more than normal. Dorion credited Colorado assistant GM Chris MacFarland and Nashville counterpart Paul Fenton for reviving talks when the two saw each other at a Miami/Ohio State NCAA game. Another source said Randy Lee, in the same role for Ottawa, was similarly important.

Even the agents, battling to manage their clients’ emotions during this rollercoaster, got into the act. Kurt Overhardt, who represents Turris, said Monday that one of his partners, Joe Oliver, played a pivotal role in getting them through it. Pat Brisson, who relentlessly pushed on Duchene’s behalf, credited his team, including Judd Moldaver.

17

Make no mistake, the guys at the top of the food chain make the final decision and do the heaviest lifting. But, in this long, twisting journey, each needed that “sober second thought” to trust the process.

Nowhere were the stakes higher than in Colorado. As a player, Joe Sakic was the ultimate poker face, not revealing much to reporters or opponents. It’s hard to get a read on him, mostly because he likes it the way. He’s probably the lowest-profile GM in the NHL.

The Avalanche are showing life. Behind talented young players and prideful veterans, they are competitive, in a playoff position after 14 games. In some ways, that made the Duchene situation harder, because every day he remained, frustration grew in him and his teammates, all wanting closure. Sakic also faced public criticism from media and private grumbling from other clubs frustrated at his seeming lack of urgency.

No one is criticizing him anymore. He pulled in two teams to get the assets he craved.

“Well,” one GM laughed, “he wasn’t getting that from us.”

“We were just waiting for the right deal for our team,” Sakic said Sunday evening in Brooklyn. “Doesn’t happen overnight.”

In an unrelated story, on Colorado’s flight to Sweden, he probably had his best sleep in months.

I’m betting he wasn’t the only one. This trade has a chance to work out for everyone. Three franchises are taking that bet, hoping the stresses on the way there are dwarfed by the rewards at the end.

31 THOUGHTS

1. Dorion said on Hockey Central at Noon that he had a deal done with Colorado for 10 days, but had to wait for the Avalanche and Predators to sort out their side. Poile told reporters that it was important to keep his first-round draft pick, which all but confirms suspicions that he was not willing to include that selection if Girard was in the deal. Since he was key for Colorado, the two teams had to massage their exchange.

That process began with Fenton and MacFarland’s chance meeting. Once they sorted that out, the Predators got permission to negotiate with Turris. I never thought that was going to be a problem. Overhardt’s agency has four other clients there: Viktor Arvidsson, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Johansen and Craig Smith. They range from Johansen’s eight-year, $64-million deal to Ekholm’s six-year, $3.75-million AAV — one of the best values in the league. They were going to get it done.

2. One of Canada’s most difficult international tournaments is the world under-18 championships, usually held in April — during playoffs. For that reason, many of this country’s top players can’t go. Canada’s won three golds since its inception in 1999, tied for second with Finland and Russia behind the USA’s 10. But, on the overall medal table, Canada is fifth with seven (USA 15, Finland and Russia 10, Sweden 8).

One of the victories was 2008, with Pat Quinn coaching. On that team: Matt Duchene. On Quinn’s staff: Guy Boucher. Boucher ran the power play, and Duchene had a power play hat trick during a round-robin game against . He led the team in that tournament with five goals, the last one coming 37 seconds after Sweden took a 1-0 lead in the semifinals. Canada came back to win that game 3-2 and blew out Russia 8-0 for the gold. Boucher’s been a fan since.

18

3. The most honest answer may have come from Turris, who paused, stumbled and sighed when a reporter asked why a six-year term worked in Nashville, but not Ottawa.

“To be honest,” he eventually said, “a six-year deal was never put on the table. It was very apparent things weren’t going to work out in Ottawa.”

When he asked for a trade from Arizona, a lot of people around the NHL didn’t believe he’d be a success. But all he did was work, stand face-to-face with everyone’s best centres (many of whom are bigger than he is) and earn the league’s respect. I was there last week for Ottawa’s 3-1 win over Detroit, and talked with Alex Burrows about comparisons between these Senators and the 2009-12 Canucks. One of the things we discussed was who were the comparables to Burrows, Kevin Bieksa and Ryan Kesler — edgy, prideful guys who created the necessary attitude. Burrows mentioned Turris.

There’s this theory that you can’t let a guy walk away for nothing, but there are times you have to take your chances (see Tampa Bay, Nikolai Khabibulin and 2004). I would have liked to see what Ottawa could do with both. Turris would stay at centre, Duchene could be creatively worked through the lineup. The Senators would have been a very tough out. But, Nashville wasn’t going to be involved without getting a centre and, under , Duchene wasn’t coming in if dollars weren’t going out.

4. No doubt the Senators will do everything to re-sign Duchene before free agency in 2019. That was made clear as he arrived Monday. There a lot of big decisions to make. Cody Ceci and Mark Stone are restricted this July. Ceci does the dirty work on the blue line, while Stone is quietly turning into a franchise cornerstone. Then come Duchene, Derick Brassard and some guy who wears 65. As one of my favourite GMs always laughs and says, “Having to sign players like that is a good problem. But it’s still a problem.”

5. For all of the creative offensive talents on then and Ottawa now, Burrows sees a similarity between Alain Vigneault and Boucher.

“AV would come to us and say, ‘If you want to win, it’s got to be this way.’ There was always a right way to play. It’s the same here. Once the playoffs start, there’s no more space. No one gives you anything. So, if you’re not prepared for that, you’re not going to win.”

At the time, the rest of the league hated the Canucks, who revelled in it. There isn’t the same dislike for Ottawa, but both dressing rooms had/have an “everyone’s against us” attitude that served them incredibly well. When I asked Burrows who epitomized that for the Senators like he, Bieksa and Kesler did for Vancouver, he paused to look around the room. As mentioned, he picked Turris in the Kesler role. For Bieksa, he went with Mark Borowiecki. Borowiecki’s teammates were ecstatic to see him get the two-year, $2.4-million extension. He earned it the hard way.

6. Check out Colorado’s cap situation. By my count, the Avalanche will have more than $25 million of space for next season with 17 players already signed. There are only three commitments past 2019-20 — Erik Johnson, Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon.

7. In one move, two of the biggest trade possibilities were removed from the NHL chessboard. As one exec was saying Monday, “What happens if Vegas stays in the race and the owner decides he wants to make the playoffs?”

19

Something always shakes loose, but it means there’s nothing obvious right now for the likes of Columbus (which may have been in on both players) and Pittsburgh (hovering around Duchene). I still think Edmonton may be the next team to try something, but not as earth shattering as we just saw.

8. Like most teams, the New York Rangers blast music in the dressing room as they prepare for their pre- game warmup. About a minute before they hit the ice last Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, Henrik Lundqvist turned down the music. Three hours earlier, a terrorist attack killed eight people near his residence in Tribeca.

“For me, it was very emotional,” he said Sunday. “On game days, I keep my phone in airplane mode. (When I heard about the attack), I didn’t know where my kids were, if they were safe. All the buildings are in lockdown. It’s frightening.” His children, aged five and two, were safe. (Lundqvist says his eldest’s favourite building is the Freedom Tower.)

A couple other Rangers spoke too, but he did not want to name them. “We turned off the music and we talked. I just felt it was important to express my feelings. It was an important game, more than the two points. Anyone who knows the history of New York understands what happened in the past. I wanted to reinforce to the younger players that we had to come together as a group. We had to show New York that we cared for them and we were going to play for them. I was proud the way we answered that game.”

Trailing 4-2 after two, the Rangers scored four unanswered in the third to win 6-4. It was the first victory of a current four-game win streak.

9. One of the great things about being an NHL sideline reporter is going on-ice at Madison Square Garden to interview a Ranger after a big win. There’s something about being in the middle of “The World’s Most Famous Arena” with a delirious crowd celebrating the person standing next to you. It’s very powerful.

What was it like that night to salute the crowd after New York came back to win? “It’s hard to know what to say,” Lundqvist answered. “You want to be respectful but supportive. Give the people some good energy.” He, and his teammates, were successful.

10. On another subject, I asked Lundqvist if he’d ever reach out to Carey Price, as his Canadiens’ counterpart goes through a tough time.

“No,” he answered. “But he knows that the cream always comes back to the top. He’s so skilled and experienced, he will come back strong. I’ve been there before. There’s a lot of speed and skill, and if you’re not on top of your game, you will pay the price. (Goalies) understand what each other goes through. You can’t always be on top. How you deal with it determines how quickly you come back up.”

11. As Nick Kypreos reported last weekend, Price and the Canadiens agreed to extend the full no-move clause contained in his eight-year extension into this, the final season of his current contract. This can be done if the player is eligible for such protection and both sides agree in writing. Previously, Price had to submit a 15-team trade list every June. That is no longer in effect.

12. There were approximately 20 scouts at last week’s Detroit-Ottawa game. The Senators played Thursday, their AHL team (Belleville) followed Friday, and both competed in a driving-distance day-night doubleheader Saturday. Another interested observer was Paul MacLean, who coached Ottawa from

20

2011-14, then spent two seasons as an assistant in Anaheim after being fired. His deal with the Ducks was set up to run concurrently with the remainder of his Senators contract. Both expired last June. MacLean lives in Antigonish, N.S., but has two grandchildren in Ottawa and is more than happy to visit. He’s contributing to NHL.com’s “Coaching Room” blog, and doing some “personal” scouting.

“I’m watching, seeing what I can learn, keeping an eye on how the games are being played.” What does he see? “That the pace and speed of the game are always getting faster.”

He plans on travelling between Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and occasionally Buffalo.

13. MacLean will go to Winnipeg next week for onetime linemate Dale Hawerchuk’s induction into the Jets’ Hall of Fame. He’s also planned a trip to Europe to get the lay of the land for coaching in that continent. MacLean wants another chance to be a bench boss, and he’s willing to listen to all options. Were there any opportunities after Anaheim?

“I was asked about being an assistant, yes. But there were no interviews for any of the NHL jobs. I understand that…there are different racehorses for different racecourses. I’m going to see what is out there: Europe, American League, NHL.”

MacLean won the Jack Adams Award in 2013, and it’s rare for someone who wins that trophy not to get another chance. Has he asked why it hasn’t happened in his case? “Yes,” he answered, carefully choosing his words. “I’ve been told I have a reputation for being…too grumpy.” MacLean added his final media conference in Ottawa, a testy exchange with the local media, was brought up to him.

14. I always worry how people interpret this kind of an interview through the written word. There’s no camera to accurately convey tone, so I’d like to stress the conversation with MacLean was honest and not contentious. I enjoyed it. The questions weren’t always easy, but he wasn’t ducking them.

He asked what I’d heard, and I told him word is that he “changed” after winning the Jack Adams. “That’s true,” he answered. “I did.” Then, he paused. “All I ask is people remember that left after that season, and we agreed we had to change our approach to get the best out of our group.” After that, MacLean concluded with, “I understand how it goes in hockey. Sometimes you’re on the wheel, sometimes you aren’t. I’m going to look to get back on.”

15. Speaking of Anaheim, the Ducks made a legitimate attempt to work out a trade for Vadim Shipachyov, but the bonus repayment issue got in the way. When this is finally resolved, he will retire from the NHL, with the Golden Knights retaining his rights until he’s 35 (similar to Ilya Kovalchuk). He’ll repay most of his $2-million signing bonus and go back overseas. It might be the first time someone’s ever had to do that, but there is pretty clear language about returning money in case of retirement. The price of a potential return was in the neighbourhood of a fifth-rounder.

16. One of the conversations that stuck with me over the years was with Wade Redden. After the Rangers sent him to AHL Hartford, Redden planned to retire. But Curtis Leschyshyn told him to continue, basically saying, “You’ve given your life to hockey, you can’t retire angry. Go, have fun and leave it on good terms.”

Last summer, David Booth was in the Vancouver airport, returning from a charity event in the Yukon with Mike Smith and Eric Gryba. Booth was thinking of quitting after two unfulfilling years in the KHL. He ran into Ray Ferraro, who told him not to do it, play as long as he can. So, Booth emailed .

21

How long did it take for Holland to reply? “He got back to me in less than two hours. I was really impressed.” He signed a one-year, $700,000 deal with Detroit. He didn’t dress in Ottawa, but came off the ice with a huge smile, simply glad to be part of it — even though he cleared waivers while skating.

17. Booth was wearing a large digital watch when he peeled off his gloves. It was wirelessly connected to a band across the chest similar to the Catapult systems teams like Philadelphia and Toronto use. This one, Booth explained, was made by Garmin, better known for its GPS technology. He uses it to monitor his heart rate, to make sure he’s at peak effectiveness when pushing himself. He said that his ideal number is 175-6, so that’s the target when working out or skating hard. Teams collect this data, but Booth is the first player I’ve seen monitoring it on his own.

18. After a two-game experiment, Detroit moved away from an Andreas Athanasiou–Dylan Larkin– Anthony Mantha line. Too bad, I enjoyed watching it. Mantha pointed out that while they hadn’t played much as a trio, the three of them had experience together in pairs. Larkin said he and Athanasiou didn’t worry about speeding into the same areas. “I’m the centre,” he responded, “so (Andreas) is usually up the ice ahead of me when we break out.”

19. Vegas has 19 points in 14 games. Only St. Louis and Tampa Bay have more regulation and overtime wins (10) than the Knights (9). It’s an incredible story.

“They’re the only team playing like it’s the playoffs now,” one executive said last weekend. “Their intensity is higher than everyone else’s.”

“Everyone here has something to prove,” Brayden McNabb said Monday.

Other players threw out different theories. For the defencemen, you know you have to play well, because there are extra bodies longing to get into the lineup. The majority of the roster is on one-year contracts. And, they know with the injuries in net, they have to play a great team game to be successful. It will be interesting when Marc-Andre Fleury comes back. Do they stick to what’s been working, or do they relax?

20. Team the Golden Knights said is actually performing with playoff-level intensity: New Jersey. That’s fair, but some people really hate taking a compliment.

21. On expansion teams, there are a lot of guys who meet each other for the first time. So, Nate Schmidt, is there someone you didn’t like playing against who you really enjoy sharing a dressing room with?

“You know what? David Perron,” he answered with a laugh. “Hard to play against, and while he doesn’t say much, he’s got this sly way of talking at you. Couldn’t stand it before, great guy now.”

22. Watch Mark Scheifele, entering Tuesday’s games seventh in scoring with 18 points. A major step he’s taking: turning his head to survey the play before he gets the puck. That anticipation separates the good from the great.

23. One coach on Toronto: “I know there’s a lot of concern about Tyler Bozak’s and Mitch Marner’s confidence, but the guy they really have to fix is Nikita Zaitsev.”

That’s true. Zaitsev was a rookie revelation in 2016-17, becoming a critical piece. No Maple Leaf played more than Zaitsev, who was also the only defenceman to play at least 1:30 per game on both the power

22

play and penalty kill. He’s actually up a minute per game so far this season, but is really fighting it as Toronto goes through its first bad stretch. They need him — badly.

The one pairing Toronto kept together is Ron Hainsey–Morgan Rielly. One Pacific Division coach compared it to Los Angeles putting Sean O’Donnell and then Willie Mitchell with Drew Doughty. (He stressed he was not comparing Rielly to Doughty, but using the situation itself.) “You can tell Rielly trusts Hainsey just like Doughty trusted those guys. Made him a better player.”

24. What a great piece by producer George Skoutakis on Evgeni Malkin. You can be the best interviewer in the world, but if the subject isn’t co-operative, you’re stuck. Malkin was there to entertain, showing more than those of us outside Pittsburgh have ever seen.

Most revealing: that, yes, he is bothered by not being selected as one of the NHL’s Top 100 players, and, yes, he considered leaving Pittsburgh to be The Guy somewhere else.

“I (thought) about that…a lot maybe five years ago, when my (last) contract was over, I change teams, and…be number one. It’s better if I stay and play with Sid. And I think I’m right. We won three Stanley Cups and I think we’re not done.”

25. A ton of interest in Andrei Svechnikov, who will be a very, very high selection in June’s NHL draft. After 58 points in 48 games for USHL Muskegon last season, OHL Barrie took him first overall in the CHL import draft. He had 10 goals in his first 10 games, then went down with an injury, reportedly a broken hand. Dr. Herb von Schroeder, who performed surgery on Svechnikov on Oct. 24, clarified the exact problem in a statement. He called it a “sagittal band tendon injury on his right long finger,” adding the talented forward “did not have any fractures or a broken hand.” Svechnikov is expected to return to full play within the next four weeks. His brother, Evgeny, was a Detroit first-rounder in 2015 and now plays in AHL Grand Rapids.

26. Couple of weeks ago, we briefly discussed goalie Parker Gahagen, who graduated from NCAA Army after the 2016-17 season, readying for a pro career. A , Gahagen said the choice was between two West Coast teams, deciding on San Jose.

“I liked that the (AHL) Barracuda and the Sharks are based at the same rink. It promotes player development. You can talk to both goalie coaches, bounce ideas off one another. That was probably the biggest thing.”

But there was a hitch. On May 1, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis rescinded a policy that allowed service academy athletes to immediately turn professional. The change meant they would have to serve active-duty requirements (a minimum of two years) beforehand.

“In previous years, you could do recruiting, or other things (during your downtime),” Gahagen said Monday. “His intention, since we essentially go there for free, was for taxpayers to get their money’s worth. We all understood that.”

He also wanted to give back to a place that was very good for him. Born in Buffalo, Gahagen said Army began to recruit him during his second year of junior hockey.

23

“There’s no military history in my family, but I liked the challenge. Go where you’re most wanted. I thought it was better to be there, playing almost every game, than going somewhere and sitting on the bench.”

27. Gahagen’s first West Point team went 5-22. “That was the toughest year of hockey I’ve ever experienced. To battle through that, bring a winning attitude…what you want to do is leave a place better off than when you got there. It’s a proud accomplishment not just for me, but everyone in my class.”

When did you know NHL teams were looking at you? “At the end of my junior year, assistant coach Zach McKelvie told me Boston asked about me. It’s funny how things unfolded. The NHL was nowhere on the radar and now that I look back, if I signed a two-way contract (with San Jose) last March, I wouldn’t have the Olympic option.”

That’s true, since players on two-way contracts are not eligible. Because Mattis’s decision loomed over the process, Gahagen and the Sharks waited before signing anything. Agent Michael Wulkan looked to another option: the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, which supports nationally or internationally ranked soldiers for the Olympic Team. Generally, though, it was for individual athletes. “This is the first time anyone tried it for hockey,” Gahagen said.

28. The Army let him go to San Jose’s rookie camp, and he played one game, making 32 saves in a 7-4 win over Colorado. Other than that, he had to wait, spending some time in Fort Carson, Colo., instead of with his AHL teammates.

“It was a bit of a bumpy ride, but I was okay with the uncertainty. I’m pretty easygoing and trusted it would work out. My wife (Kaitlyn), she likes to plan. So it was harder for her,” he laughed.

Was he worried the Sharks would walk away? “It’s always in the back of your mind. I would have completely understood, but they stuck with me. I earned a lot of respect for them and want to reward them for that support. I will do what I can to help this organization be successful.”

USA Hockey put him on the “long list” for the Olympics with approximately eight other goalies. That made a difference and Gahagen was approved. Now, he’s back with the Barracuda, hoping to make his professional debut soon. Number one Troy Grosenick is on maternity watch, which could create an opportunity soon. “When I get the chance, I just have to play well.” Good luck.

29. Regular readers of this blog know I keep a Nov. 1 stat. Since 2005-06, six of 48 teams that were at least four points out after games played on that date came back to make the playoffs (This excludes lockout-shortened 2012-13). There were no contenders last season, as the late start from the World Cup put nobody in that position. This year, six will try and beat the odds: Arizona, Buffalo, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota and Montreal.

30. Those who cover hockey know the nicest people we come across are generally those who work at the arenas. Whether ushers, security people, support staff, name a job, they are (99 times out of 100) friendly and accommodating. Nowhere is that more true than Ottawa. During Hockey Fights Cancer Month, it was great to see Jeff Johnston at . You look great, Jeff.

31. The American Collegiate Hockey Association runs the sport at the U.S. college club level. In 2015, Liberty University won its first-ever championship, beating Miami (OH) 4-1 in the title game. Their

24

second-leading scorer was Aurora, Ont., native Sarah Stevenson, who would soon become the first player from that conference to be drafted by the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Stevenson, who graduated with a degree in criminal justice, joined the Toronto Furies, delaying her eventual career as a police officer to play as long as she could. Last Monday, Stevenson came down with a sudden illness that turned out to be Neisseria Meningitidis. Emergency staff at Southlake Hospital tried to save her, but Stevenson died the next day, at age 24. Condolences to Ian and Janet Stevenson, the rest of their family and friends. Sarah had already accomplished so much, and there was a lot more to come.

25

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/wojtek-wolski-aims-team-canada-olympic-spot-career- threatening-injury/

Wojtek Wolski aims for Team Canada Olympic spot after career-threatening injury By Shi Davidi – November 7, 2017

Some of the doctors Wojtek Wolski spoke to advised him to leave well enough alone, avoid tempting fate and give up hockey for good. Months earlier, during the third period of an Oct. 13, 2016 game in the Kontinental Hockey League, the Polish-born, Toronto-raised forward dove for a loose puck, had an opponent fall on top of him, and crashed head-first into the sideboards, breaking his neck in two spots.

The recovery was brutal, the rehabilitation excruciating and his body wasn’t responding the way he needed to get back into the Magnitogorsk Metallurg lineup and resume his career.

“I’m not going to try to sugar-coat it, there were days when I thought it just wasn’t going to happen and maybe it was the end,” says Wolski. “I was blessed that I could walk and lead a normal life. There was a lot of that going through my mind.”

At the same time, other doctors gave the former first-round pick hope by telling him that they believed it was safe for him to keep playing, that in time his strength and speed and endurance would return. Wolski listened, and persisted, and worked, and now, nearly 13 months out from the accident that nearly forced him from the ice for good, the 31-year-old is very much back in the game, sitting 13th in the KHL with 25 points in 25 games for Kunlun Red Star in Shanghai, and in the mix for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team.

He’ll continue to press his case for Pyeongchang this week at the Karjala Cup, which Canada opens Wednesday against Switzerland. The six-team tournament is an important signpost for , which is seeking to hone in on the group that will play for a third straight gold medal.

“The Olympics is definitely something I thought wouldn’t happen as long as the NHL players were going,” says Wolski. “Then when they did state that they weren’t going, it was a thing that really kept me focused during my rehab and my physiotherapy. It was always in my mind, keeping me motivated to try and get back and get ready and try to be as prepared as possible to compete for a spot on the team.”

Understandably, Wolski takes nothing for granted these days on the ice, or off it.

A junior star with the Hockey League’s before the Avalanche selected him 21st overall in 2004, his NHL career began auspiciously with 22 goals and 28 assists as a rookie in 2006- 07. But his production plateaued from there, he was traded from Colorado to Phoenix to the Rangers to Florida, and then spent a season in Washington before heading overseas.

In the KHL he found himself as a player, spending two seasons with the Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo before helping Magnitogorsk with the in 2015-16. Then came the freak accident last October against Barys Astana which left him worried about far more than hockey.

26

Fractures to the fourth and seventh cervical vertebrae left him in a neck brace for 2½ months and eventually surgery was needed to fully correct the injury. Four months after the accident, he was back on the ice recreationally with his son Weston and by April he started feeling like a corner had been turned, with progress picking up from there.

“Physically, it was hard at the beginning because there are things that I remembered being able to do, a certain play, and you couldn’t do them or do them at the speed of the game,” says Wolski. “That took a lot of time to work towards, to build muscle, to get back in the gym and to work on shooting, passing, skating and get it all back over the last four, five, six months.”

Beyond the physical challenges, there were also mental ones to overcome for Wolski as he rebuilt trust that his body would not only be able to perform, but also to sustain the punishment of competition.

“Once I started being able to practice every day, then go through two practices a day, then take hits – that was the biggest thing,” he says. “Once I started getting hit hard and you had a really competitive game where you played big minutes and were really physical and the next day you felt OK, those were things where it was like, OK, I’m starting to feel like normal. The first couple of months when I would get hit, it would be two, three, four days where I was really sore and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to continually go through that.

“At this point I’m feeling better and better, hoping to keep it going and to keep improving.”

In June, Wolski signed a two-year contract with Kunlun Red Star, taking a bit less money than Magnitogorsk eventually offered to settle into a better family situation. His wife Jesse, nearly three- year-old son Weston and eight-month old daughter Lennon are with him in Shanghai, making the next part of his hockey adventure far more enjoyable.

“It’s really incredible being able to see China and that part of the world is something special, everything about Shanghai is pretty incredible,” he says. “Being able to wake up and play with my kids instead of Face-Timing them every day is a big plus. So it’s a lot of fun.”

Representing Canada in Pyeongchang is the next goal, one that wasn’t within reach at the beginning of last season and nearly pushed out of reach by an injury that could have taken far more than hockey.

“It’s been pretty exciting the last couple of years, winning the Gagarin Cup,” says Wolski. “Of course the goal growing up is always the NHL and I had that opportunity. Once that passed, I’ve just been trying to play as well as I can, enjoy the game. The chance to be play in the Olympics is something incredible. What happened last year really made me realize that it could be taken away at any point in time and we’re really lucky. I’m just trying to have fun and enjoy my career as much as I can for as long as I can.”

27

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/columnist/allen/2017/11/07/six-players-who-could-be- traded-green-kane-neal-nash/841382001/

After blockbuster, here are six players who could be traded this season By Kevin Allen – November 7, 2017

The ’ inability to re-sign potential unrestricted free agent Kyle Turris was the impetus for Sunday's three-team blockbuster deal that involved Turris, Matt Duchene, plus four other players and three draft picks.

The Senators didn’t want the risk of having Turris leave without landing anything in return.

Here are six other players, also free agents this offseason, who might be moved before Feb. 26:

Defenseman Mike Green (): The Red Wings are trying to rebuild on the fly, and it’s unlikely they will re-sign Green.

He is playing impressively, posting 13 points in 16 games. His plus-minus is plus-5.

With several teams looking for a skilled defenseman, Green could command at least a draft pick and a quality prospect on the open market.

Left wing (): The Sabres’ disappointing start further strengthens the likelihood that Kane will be shipped out before the trade deadline.

Kane has bite to go with his scoring touch and that makes him desirable. He scored 28 times last season and has 13 points in 14 games now.

One fact undermining his value is that he has no playoff experience. His team has missed the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons.

Left wing James Neal (): Entering the season, it seemed likely that Neal would be moved for a handsome reward.

But the Golden Knights’ record-setting start for an expansion team, Neal’s connection to the fan base and the players’ enjoyment of the Vegas area might have improved the odds of him being re-signed.

This team is more competitive than expected, and Neal, a nine-time 20-plus goal scorer, is 30. Neal's salary demands, coupled with what general manager George McPhee deems his trade value, will determine if he is moved.

Right wing Rick Nash (New York Rangers): The romance with Nash’s ability isn’t what it once was. Two weeks ago, when the Rangers were struggling, you could see Nash being moved if the Rangers would pick up a piece of his $8.2 million salary ($7.8 million cap hit).

Now that the Rangers have won four in a row, it still seems possible, although it will depend on where the Rangers are in the standings. They probably would get less in return than you expect.

Center John Tavares (New York Islanders): He’s the best potential free agent out there.

28

But the decision to part with the face of their franchise would not come unless Tavares won’t re-sign with the Islanders. The big question: Why hasn't he signed already?

The Islanders know it would be a public relations nightmare if they can’t re-sign him. But wouldn't it be worse if he were to leave without the Islanders receiving anything in return?

The Islanders are in a difficult position unless they can lock him into an extension before the trade deadline. If they do deal him, they could expect a significant return. He has 12 goals in 14 games.

Left wing (): He’s been rumored to be a trade candidate for as long as has been general manager (June 2015).

If the Maple Leafs do deal van Riemsdyk, it would likely be for a player who could help them this season, such as an upgrade on defense. It's hard to see him being moved as a rental elsewhere.

But the Maple Leafs are a contender, and they might need his scoring enough that it’s worth the probability that he will leave the team next summer through free agency. He was a 29-goal scorer last season.

29