Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips February 10, 2017

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch CBJ's John Tortorella confused by NHL concussion protocol in handling of Josh Anderson hit, says 'it makes zero sense' PAGE 04: Columbus Dispatch: Injured Blue Jackets' defenseman David Savard returns to practice PAGE 05: Columbus Dispatch: Canucks 3, Blue Jackets 0 | Homestand opens with a dud PAGE 07: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets need to snap out of Nationwide Arena funk PAGE 09: Columbus Dispatch: Sergei Bobrovsky can't do it all by himself PAGE 11: FOX Sports Ohio: Blue Jackets blanked by struggling Canucks, 3-0 PAGE 13: NHL.com: Ryan Miller, Canucks shut out Blue Jackets PAGE 15 ESPN: Blue Jackets adjust to being the hunted PAGE 18: The Hockey Writers: Recap: Ryan Miller’s Brilliance Bewilders Blue Jackets

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites PAGE 20: TSN.CA: Trade Deadline Playbook: Eastern Conference

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170209/cbjs-john-tortorella-confused-by-nhl-concussion-protocol- in-handling-of-josh-anderson-hit-says-it-makes-zero-sense

CBJ's John Tortorella confused by NHL concussion protocol in handling of Josh Anderson hit, says 'it makes zero sense'

By Tom Reed – February 10, 2017

John Tortorella said Josh Anderson is not concussed and the Blue Jackets coach remains confused as to why the NHL's new head-trauma protocol and medical personnel did not allow the winger to return to Tuesday's game in Detroit.

In fact, he said it "makes zero sense."

Anderson practiced this morning and was expected to play against the tonight. A league spotter had him removed from the game in the second period of the Blue Jackets' 3-2 win over the Red Wings, Tortorella said, after Anderson absorbed a hit to the head from Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith.

The second-year player said he was frustrated the Red Wings' doctor who examined him – the Blue Jackets' team physicians don't travel – would not let him return to the game.

"I told him, 'I think I'm ready to go and play' and he said he didn't think it was a good idea, 'let's just take precaution now,'" Anderson said.

Tortorella was told Tuesday night that Anderson had failed his concussion protocol test, the coach said, but when Blue Jackets' team doctors examined the player on Wednesday morning he did not show traces of a concussion.

"He's not concussed," Tortorella said. "That was the protocol – which makes no sense to me. Some doctor just pulls him out and says, 'You're concussed' and then we come back here and he isn't. It makes zero sense. And I lose a pretty important player.

"(Anderson) was checked the following morning by our doctor. The spotter pulled him out, out of the game, and called down and said, 'he's not playing.' We have diagnosed him not being concussed. Who diagnosed it (Tuesday night)? Was it their team doctor? I don't know how it all works. It doesn't make a whole helluva a lot of sense to me."

According to the league's new policy, "the home club physician shall fulfill this function for players on the visiting team if the visiting club does not a physician travelling with the club."

This season, the NHL followed the NFL's lead in putting independent spotters in arenas to look out for potential head injuries. There also are four certified athletic trainers or "central league spotters" who monitor telecasts of games from NHL offices and have the authority to directly contact teams and get players exhibiting signs of concussion removed from the ice.

Previously, there had been team-affiliated spotters in each arena, but they could only make recommendations to the medical staff.

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"(The doctor) just said maybe things are a little off, but everything went well," Anderson said. "I did a couple physical things in the room there and everything went well. He just said, 'We're taking a precaution right now and see how you feel tomorrow.'"

Blue Jackets forward Scott Hartnell, who attempted to fight Smith at the end of regulation, said he understands the league's intent.

"They are looking out for our safety," Hartnell said. "Sometimes, you might think you are alright and your brain tells you one thing and your body tells you another. They are just trying to take the questionable, gray area out of it."

There was no on the hit and Smith received no supplemental discipline from the league, which did review the play. Tortorella said he was surprised the NHL didn't take further action, but did not elaborate.

3 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170209/injured-blue-jackets-defenseman-david-savard-returns-to- practice

Injured Blue Jackets' defenseman David Savard returns to practice

By Tom Reed – February 10, 2017

Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard returned to practice Thursday morning, but isn't quite ready to resume playing.

He's missed seven of the past eight games with back spasms. Savard's next test is "battle drills" in practice. Thursday was just a morning skate with limited contact.

"I felt good today and it was nice to be back with the guys," the defenseman said. "It was good to skate around and do drills – passing, shooting, stuff like that. So we're heading in the right direction."

Savard has evolved into a key member of the Blue Jackets' defense corps, teaming up with Jack Johnson to give them a shutdown pair. He has registered two goals, 10 assists and a team-leading plus-19 rating.

The 26-year-old was unable to finish the Jan. 19 game at Nationwide Arena as he was spotted on the bench standing up, trying to get relief from the pain. Savard returned for the Jan. 26 game in Nashville, but labored through 16 minutes before being removed from the contest. The Jackets have allowed 3.66 goals per game dating to Jan. 19.

The club hopes the recent 15-day rest allows Savard to return this time without issue. He had been skating on his own for several days to test the back and for conditioning purposes.

"We'll see how it goes in the next couple days," Savard said. "I'll jump back into the battle drills and see how it reacts and go from there. Just trying to get back in shape a little bit.

"I can't wait to get back on the ice (and play) and make a push to get a good playoff spot.”

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170209/canucks-3-blue-jackets-0--homestand-opens-with-dud

Canucks 3, Blue Jackets 0 | Homestand opens with a dud

By Tom Reed – February 10, 2017

The Blue Jackets could not have handpicked a better opponent to start their longest homestand.

The Vancouver Canucks are the NHL road equivalent to opossums crossing four-lane traffic. They had gone splat at a 6-16-3 clip, entering Nationwide Arena with the fewest away points (15) and wins.

But when the Blue Jackets play with little emotional investment as they did again Thursday night, bottom-feeders can come in and steal two points. The Canucks were the latest example as they scored twice in the second period on the way to relatively easy 3-0 win before 13,979 fans.

It was a brutal beginning to a stretch of seven consecutive home games.

In the past week, the Blue Jackets have followed decent road showings in Pittsburgh and Detroit with losses to lowly New Jersey and Vancouver.

Coach John Tortorella said he doesn't have an answer as to why his team can't string solid performances a month after its 16-game winning streak ended. The Jackets (34-14-5) outshot the Canucks 33-24 but produced few scoring quality chances against goaltender Ryan Miller.

For much of the night, the arena was as quiet as a Memorial Tournament tee box with golfers in mid- swing.

"There was zero emotion within the game, and for what reason I don't know," Tortorella said. "Nothing happens right if you don't play with emotion. We've got to get that figured out.

"We have to solve a problem here as far as where our consistency is with an attachment to a game. (In) all pro sports, if you are not attached emotionally, you are going to flip-flop as we've have been going on here."

The Blue Jackets are 7-9-1 since Jan. 5. They have won two consecutive games only once.

They need to start stacking victories during this homestand if they want to gain home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"We're pretty much here the whole month of February," said Cam Atkinson, who had the club's best chance on a breakaway early in the third period when the Canucks led 2-0. "We have to make it hard on teams coming in here and we haven't done that lately. We've got to get back to working hard and getting a little arrogance in our game."

Daniel Sedin, Loui Eriksson and Jayson Megna scored for the Canucks (24-24-6), who snapped a four- game losing streak.

It was the Blue Jackets' worst home loss since, well, Saturday night. They were dozy in a 5-1 loss to the , a night after playing so hard and well in Pittsburgh in a 4-3 overtime loss.

Tortorella spoke Thursday morning of the need for a quick start, which was a club staple earlier in the season when it overwhelmed opponents at Nationwide Arena. The coach got it — for all of three shifts. 5

But as the first period unfurled, the Blue Jackets slowly got worse. They weren't physical. They played with no pace. They seemed content to swap icing calls with the Canucks.

The Blue Jackets started the season 15-3-1 at home, but have gone 3-4-0 since Jan. 7.

After a scoreless first period, Sedin beat Seth Jones to a juicy rebound for the game's first at 44 seconds of the second. The Canucks made it 2-0 on the power play as Eriksson had a tap-in at 8:53. Megna got behind defenseman Ryan Murray to beat Sergei Bobrovsky for the final goal midway through the third period.

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170210/blue-jackets-need-to-snap-out-of-nationwide-arena-funk

Blue Jackets need to snap out of Nationwide Arena funk

By Tom Reed – February 10, 2017

Minutes into Thursday's night game, Blue Jackets' winger Boone Jenner gave towering Vancouver defenseman Nikita Tryamkin a hard shove along the boards after the whistle. It was the kind of tone- setting act home fans and teammates appreciate.

The 6-foot-7, 265-pound Russian, however, went right back at Jenner and toppled him unexpectedly. Such is life for the Blue Jackets nowadays at Nationwide Arena.

After three months of splendid home play, they aren't dealing with the pushback from opponents who see the gaudy record and come ready to compete. The Canucks arrived in Columbus riding a four-game losing streak and owning the NHL's fewest road points. They left town with a decisive 3-0 victory before 13,979 fans, who found little reason to cheer save for T-shirt tosses and various other giveaways.

"This is our building," defenseman Ryan Murray said. "It doesn't matter how they play. We want to focus on how we play and outplay anybody. If they come in and are playing well, we have to top them in our building."

Remember the team that hung 10 on the Canadiens, eight on the Blues and seven on the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins? It's the same team that's scored one goal in the past six home periods against the Devils and Canucks. There's not a lot of passion or pace in their game right now.

Enduring a 3-4-1 slide on the road isn't as worrisome, especially for a young team. The Jackets are 3-4-0 in Nationwide Arena since Jan. 7, however, after starting the season 15-3-1 at home. That needs to change quickly for a club that opened a seven-game homestand Thursday night. The Blue Jackets (34-14- 5) have spent months working to regain the trust of fans and could lose it with a few more dispirited performances.

"We're pretty much here the whole month of February," leading goal scorer Cam Atkinson said. "We have to make it hard on teams coming in here and we haven't done that lately . . . We've got to get back to working hard and getting a little arrogance in our game."

The Jackets are 7-9-1 since their historic win streak ended at 16 games. They have managed to win two straight only once in the past five weeks.

The league-best power play, which failed on both chances against the Canucks, doesn't have a goal since Jan. 22, a span of seven games. Several key individuals also are mired in slumps. Brandon Saad has three goals in 19 games. Alexander Wennberg has two goals in 19 games. Sam Gagner is goalless in the last 21 games.

"I don't see a team that is nervous," coach John Tortorella said. "I see a team that is flat. I would feel better about the team if it was nervous. I'd like to see us a little nervous and maybe a little emotion would come out of that."

The loss to the Canucks ranks among their worst the season. Vancouver hadn't posted a road shutout since Oct. 13, 2015 and it's not as though goaltender Ryan Miller was spectacular. He denied Brandon 7

Dubinsky on a nifty first-period individual effort and stopped Atkinson on a third-period breakaway. But Miller dealt with little traffic and few second-chance opportunities in making 33 saves.

What's concerning to Tortorella is how the Blue Jackets can't string consistent efforts. In the past week, they have followed decent road showings in Pittsburgh and Detroit with bad losses to lowly New Jersey and Vancouver.

Not long ago they overwhelmed opponents with their tenacity early in home games. That's rarely been the case lately. There hasn't been much urgency, and it shouldn't take matchups with the Penguins and Rangers to summon it.

The Blue Jackets get another chance Saturday night against the Red Wings, an opponent they have beaten twice this season. The home team had better brace itself for a pushback.

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20170209/rob-oller--sergei-bobrovsky-cant-do-it-all-by-himself

Sergei Bobrovsky can't do it all by himself

By Rob Oller – February 10, 2017

Bob is the guy. That much is understood. If the Blue Jackets are going to make hay the rest of the way, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky must continue being his All-Star self.

A goalie who stands on his head has the power to put the kibosh on his teammates' golf games until mid-June. Jonathan Quick for Los Angeles in 2011-12 (1.95 goals-against-average; .929 save percentage; 10 shutouts) and Tim Thomas for Boston in 2010-11 (2.00; .938; nine) are just two.

But after Bob, who? Quick's Kings also had Anze Kopitar (76 points) and Thomas' Bruins had Milan Lucic (62). Do the Blue Jackets have a similar player or players to make more than a perfunctory playoff push?

None emerged Thursday night in a 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Actually, they all submerged as the Blue Jackets drowned in one of their weakest home games of the season. No wonder the 13,979 at Nationwide Arena sounded more like 13, plus maybe another 979. The Jackets gave the faithful nothing to fire up about. And this against a team with the worst road record in the NHL.

I asked Scott Hartnell earlier in the day what it will take for the Blue Jackets to race, not limp, to the playoffs.

"You need your best players to be the best players," he said.

I posed the same question to coach John Tortorella, who won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004 with Nikolai Khabibulin in goal and with a potent offense led by Martin St. Louis (94 points), Cory Stillman (80), (79) and Vincent Lecavalier (66).

"The goaltender always has to be the guy, but our team is built to where we're not counting on one guy," Tortorella said. "It's not the way we play or are built, but it's always good when a guy gets to a level he hasn't been at during the first three quarters of the year."

Forward Cam Atkinson has been the offensive motor for the Blue Jackets. Should the All-Star be expected to take it up another notch?

"I think there's another gear to reach," Atkinson said.

Against the Canucks, however, he and pretty much everyone but Bobrovsky downshifted. Bob let one in through the five-hole off a bad rebound, but never had a chance on the other two goals.

"It was a team (Vancouver) that's desperate and a team (Columbus) that couldn't find it," team captain Nick Foligno said of a game that for stretches looked more like electric football — with Blue Jackets dancing circles with each other — than hockey.

Does Foligno think one player, stepping up his game, can help avoid clunkers like this?

"Everyone has to jump on board," he said. "Teams are too good to rely on one guy."

Probably true, at least for these Blue Jackets, but one guy could at least spark something. Seth Jones could be that guy. Or Atkinson. 9

"To (play exceptionally) on a regular basis is why the best players in the world are the best players in the world," Atkinson said. "It's all about being consistent. That's why the Sidney Crosbys are the best players in the world. They do it day in, day out. This is the time when the best players need to rev it up, because the games get harder."

Thursday's game looked really for the home team. Without that one Crosby-type player to lead the way, the Blue Jackets need a different guy to step up every night. Better yet, every guy needs to step up a little bit every time. It needs to be a collective effort. Bob can't do it alone.

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http://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story/columbus-blue-jackets-vancouver-canucks-nhl-daniel-sedin-ryan- miller-sergei-bobrovsky-john-tortorella-020917

Blue Jackets blanked by struggling Canucks, 3-0

By AP FOX Sports Ohio – February 10, 2017

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets talked about gaining some ground in the playoff push in a seven-game homestand that began Thursday night.

Instead, they ran into a hot goalie and were shut out by a team with nothing to lose.

Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Miller stopped 33 shots as the Vancouver Canucks beat the Blue Jackets 3-0 in a game that had Columbus coach John Tortorella questioning his team’s emotion.

Loui Eriksson and Jayson Megna also scored for the Canucks, who are far out of the playoff hunt in the Pacific Division. It was the third shutout this season for the Canucks and Miller, and the first on the road.

“We needed to turn this thing around, and to do that I think you need your goalie to be good, and I think he was great,” Sedin said. “Good for him and good for our team.”

Sergei Bobrovsky had 21 saves for the Blue Jackets, who had plenty of offensive opportunities but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Columbus is in playoff contention in the tough Metropolitan Division, but has been plagued by inconsistent play since a 16-game winning streak earlier this season.

“We didn’t play well,” Tortorella said. “It was zero emotion in the game, for what reason I don’t know. We’re going to try to find out. Nothing happens right if you don’t play the game with emotion, so we’ve got to get that figured out.”

The game was scoreless after a blase first period in which both teams struggled for momentum. The teams had nine shots apiece, and Columbus squandered the only power play of the period, unable to get off even one shot with the man advantage.

Sedin put the Canucks up 44 seconds into the second period when he beat Seth Jones to a rebound and slammed it past Bobrovsky for his 12th goal of the season and his first since Jan. 12.

The Canucks got another one during a power play when Sedin fed Eriksson at the doorstep to make it 2- 0 with 8:56 remaining in the second.

Megna capped the scoring with 9:18 left in the game when he deked Bobrovsky on a breakaway.

The Blue Jackets, with the league’s best power play, got another chance with a man advantage in the final period, but the best they could do was a shot off the post by Jones.

“Offensively, I thought we had a lot of good looks, just couldn’t bury it,” Columbus captain Foligno said.

Cam Atkinson, the Blue Jackets’ leading scorer, said the team “might have been a little flat at times,” but needs to turn it around as Detroit comes to Nationwide Arena on Saturday to try to avenge a chippy 3-2 overtime loss on Tuesday night.

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“We’re pretty much here the whole month of February, and we have to make it hard for teams coming into this building,” Atkinson said. “And we haven’t done that of late.”

NOTES: The Blue Jackets were shut out at home for the third time this season. … Vancouver LW Sven Baertschi was out after taking a blindside hit from Nashville’s Cody McLeod on Tuesday. The league ruled the hit was the result of an accidental collision. … Columbus RW Oliver Bjorkstrand was an emergency recall from Cleveland of the in case Josh Anderson had to sit out after undergoing concussion protocol from a hit Tuesday night. The 21-year-old Bjorkstrand, the Monsters’ leading scorer, was scratched when Anderson was cleared to play. … The game was the first of seven straight at home for the Blue Jackets. It was the second of a six-game road trip for the Canucks.

UP NEXT:

Vancouver: Plays at Boston on Saturday in the second game of a six-game road trip.

Columbus: Play Detroit Saturday in the second of a seven-game home stand.

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https://www.nhl.com/news/vancouver-canucks-columbus-blue-jackets-game-recap/c-286608462

Ryan Miller, Canucks shut out Blue Jackets

By Craig Merz – February 10, 2017

COLUMBUS -- Ryan Miller made 33 saves for his third shutout of the season and 39th of his NHL career when the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 at Nationwide Arena on Thursday.

Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist, Loui Eriksson and Jayson Megna scored and had two assists for the Canucks (24-24-6), who ended a four-game losing streak.

"We needed to turn this thing around," Daniel Sedin said. "To do that, you need your goalie to be good. He was great."

Miller didn't allow many second chances and his defense played well in front of him.

"Everyone was engaged tonight," he said. "I thought we played the right way in the neutral zone and our third man was a lot better. They really didn't have many odd-mans."

Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves for the Blue Jackets (34-14-5), who played the first of seven straight at home, where they are 3-4-0 in the past seven games.

"This is our building. It doesn't matter how they play. We only focus on how we play," Columbus defenseman Ryan Murray said. "We want to outplay anybody. If they come in and are playing well, we have to top that in our building."

Daniel Sedin gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead 44 seconds into the second period for his 12th goal. It was his first in 10 games. Bobrovsky could not control a shot by Markus Granlund and Sedin beat defenseman Seth Jones to the rebound.

Eriksson ended an eight-game drought without a goal at 8:53 of the second when he scored on a power play to make it 2-0. The crisp passing play saw Henrik Sedin send a cross-ice pass to his brother in the left circle. Daniel Sedin immediately sent the puck to Eriksson near the crease for the score.

The closest the Blue Jackets came to scoring was when Jones hit the post during a power play with 12 minutes left.

Megna made it 3-0 at 10:47 for his fourth goal.

Goal of the game Megna took advantage of a turnover by Murray, got around him and entered the attacking zone. He then put on the brakes, faked Bobrovsky and scored. "He's got lots of speed," Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said. "He made a good play at the line to step around that guy. He made a great move once he got in there."

Save of the game Miller stopped Blue Jackets leading scorer Cam Atkinson's breakaway 65 seconds into the third period to preserve a 2-0 lead. He stopped a backhand shot with his right pad, then gloved the rebound try. "I was 13

lucky to stay with it there," Miller said of the first shot. "I got a good stretch, but he was still able to get it up a bit."

Unsung performance of the game

Shortly after Jones' shot hit the post during a third-period power play, Blue Jackets forward Brandon Saad went off for tripping Luca Sbisa, making it 4-on-4 for 56 seconds. The Canucks then got a 64-second power play. They didn't score with the man-advantage, but Megna did two seconds after Saad's penalty expired.

Highlight of the game

Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin had a give-and-go before the latter sent a pass from the left side to just in front of crease, where Eriksson quickly one-timed it past Bobrovsky.

They said it "We had three good shifts. Then we … I don't know, we didn't play well. Zero emotion in the game, for what reason, I don't know. Nothing happens right if you don't play the game with emotion." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella

"It was nice to win the game and be able to score. Daniel made a nice pass there. It was an easy one. I needed one of those." -- Canucks forward Loui Eriksson

"We're here pretty much here the whole month of February. We have to make it hard on teams coming into this building. We haven't done that of late." -- Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson

Need to know Daniel Sedin has 51 points (17 goals, 34 assists) in 55 games against Columbus and Henrik Sedin has 49 (15 goals, 34 assists) in 54 games. … Canucks center Michael Chaput played his 100th career NHL game. The first 58 came with the Blue Jackets, the past 42 with Vancouver. … The Blue Jackets are 7-9-1 in the past 17 games since a 16-game winning streak. … Columbus has been outscored 8-1 in losing its past two home games. … The Blue Jackets have been shut out at home three times this season, all by Canadian teams. They lost 2-0 to the on Nov. 23 and 2-0 to the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 19.

What's next

Canucks: At the on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; SN, NESN, NHL.TV)

Blue Jackets: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday (5 p.m., ET; FS-O, FS-D)

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http://www.espn.com/blog/craig-custance/insider/post?id=8734

Blue Jackets adjust to being the hunted

By Craig Custance – February 10, 2017

The game had been over long enough that his teammates were all completely showered, dressed and leaving the building with coats and hats, walking toward the team bus.

Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella was done for the night, too. He’d put in a lengthy media session, packed his stuff and was leaving Joe Louis Arena when he passed Sergei Bobrovsky, still in shorts and a sweat-soaked shirt, lying on his back on a mat, doing extra core work. Tortorella smiled and shook his head.

Bobrovsky had a giant green exercise ball he was lifting up and down with his legs and didn’t look to be stopping anytime soon, putting in a long workout after making 24 saves in a big overtime win for the Blue Jackets.

When it was suggested to one observer, a former goalie hanging out in the hallway, that Bobrovsky might miss the team bus, he laughed.

“No way. You always wait for the goalie,” he answered.

The Blue Jackets weren’t going anywhere without Bobrovsky. And based on what we’ve seen since their winning streak, the same can be said for their playoff aspirations.

It’s been a bit of a tough go for the Blue Jackets since the Capitals put an end to their near-historic winning streak, one that ended in early January at 16 games. They’re treading water, with a 7-8-1 record since the streak ended, but they have managed just four regulation wins in those 16 games. This from a team that couldn’t lose for over a month.

Bobrovsky’s return to earth is a big part of it. His save percentage dropped from .939 in December to .908 in January. In three February starts, he’s at .886.

The Blue Jackets' inconsistency has been alarming enough that Tortorella has met with his team multiple times in the past week, with a consistent message that it’s time for this group to discover just how they have to play to win games during the time of year in which it’s the toughest to do so.

“We have to reinvent ourselves a little bit and get that chip on our shoulder again, because the league is running away from us a little bit as far as how hard you play this time of year,” Tortorella said. “We haven’t joined in.”

It’s time they join in.

This Blue Jackets team has just about mastered winning games when it’s a little easier. Really, late November and December is the perfect time to pile up points, when the excitement of the start of the season is gone and the playoff push hasn’t begun. And historically, these Blue Jackets always seemed to find a way to end the season strong when they’ve been eliminated from playoff contention and all the pressure is off. They’ve got those wins down pat.

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Now, they’re being chased during the playoff drive. It’s a spot very few players in the Blue Jackets dressing room have been in. They’ve earned a fairly comfortable spot in the standings, and are playing teams on a nightly basis fighting like crazy to get in.

After beating the Red Wings, Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones looked around the dressing room to try to figure out which of the players had been in this position before, with their team as near the top of the standings at this time of the season.

“I had one year in Nashville. There’s Duby, Saader, Hartsy -- that’s it, though,” he said, in pointing out Brandon Dubinsky, Brandon Saad and Scott Hartnell. “We still have a lot to learn.”

Captain Nick Foligno has had a taste of it too, while playing for the Ottawa Senators early on in his career.

“I could just tell when you would walk into a game, you felt like you were going to win,” he said. “Then you start missing pieces, things change, and by the end the culture changed.”

The key for Foligno for teams in that spot?

“You have to find your own emotional attachment to each game,” Foligno said. “When you’re the hunter, every game is so huge and is so important because you’re trying to chase. You automatically have that attachment. Whereas, when you’re the hunted, sometimes you get caught up in 'Oh, this team is lower than us,' or 'we’re not playing a division rival.' You have to find it within yourself and we’ve never really been in that position to find it within ourselves.”

It’s a new hurdle for this team to cross.

Because of the veterans on the roster, it’s easy to forget how young the Blue Jackets are. Their most important defenseman, Zach Werenski, is a teenager. Seth Jones is the veteran of that pair, and he’s just 22. Boone Jenner feels like he’s been around forever, and he’s 23. Alexander Wennberg is 22, so is Josh Anderson. These are the kids that helped put the Blue Jackets in this spot. They’re going to be the ones who determine if the success earlier this season will have an impact in the spring.

“It’s attrition through this part of the schedule. To me, it’s mental toughness. That’s where we’re going to have more lessons,” Tortorella said. “They have to understand how difficult it is. ... They have to experience it and accept the challenge. They have to raise their level.”

GM Jarmo Kekalainen is watching it all very closely. He has no time for the excuse that the Blue Jackets have trouble getting up for games this time of year, cushion in the standings or not.

“I don’t understand the logic -- we should never, ever accept anything where we can’t get up for an opponent,” he said when we chatted Thursday morning. “That should never enter our thoughts for our team.”

He’s been active on the phones to get a sense of the trade market right now. Most of the conversations have been short ones, since the prices are high, but the anticipation is that more sellers will enter the market and the options will increase.

The Blue Jackets are an interesting team heading into the deadline because they’re one of the few playoff teams with all kinds of cap space. With David Clarkson on long-term injured reserve, Columbus could add around $9 million in salary at the deadline. They can pretty much add anybody, especially with a strong commitment from ownership.

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“Our ownership has been great all the time, if we see an opportunity to make our team stronger,” Kekalainen said.

They are also one of the teams most likely to lose a good player in the expansion draft, in part because of the depth the team has accumulated, and also because of a couple key no-movement clauses. That could all factor in how the Blue Jackets will address the trade deadline. But the biggest factor may just be how this team plays in the next few weeks, loaded up with home games.

“We’ve got this month to determine every position on our team,” Kekalainen said. “We’re evaluating our team, just like we are every day. That goes to every position.”

Columbus could use another center, with most of its young forward depth on the wing. They could especially use a center who is strong in the faceoff circle. And as good as the power play has been this season in Columbus, it wouldn’t hurt to give the second power-play unit a boost via the trade market. The Blue Jackets like their young goalies behind Bobrovsky, but it might make sense to bring in a veteran in that spot.

They have the cap space and the ammunition to make the moves to address these areas. A return to how the team played during the winning streak might make a bigger trade easier to justify.

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http://thehockeywriters.com/recap-ryan-millers-brilliance-bewilders-blue-jackets/

Recap: Ryan Miller’s Brilliance Bewilders Blue Jackets

By Mark Scheig – February 10, 2017

The Columbus Blue Jackets needed a better start on Thursday. Instead, the Vancouver Canucks crashed the cannon party at Nationwide Arena and left with a 3-0 victory over the Blue Jackets. The loss is the Blue Jackets’ second straight at home, and they have been outscored 8-1 over the two games. The Canucks have split their first two games of their road trip.

Daniel Sedin opened the scoring and added an assist, while brother Henrik got two assists of his own. Loui Eriksson and Jayson Megna each scored goals for the Canucks, who ensured a split of the season series with the Blue Jackets for the fourth straight season.

First Period The Blue Jackets talked before the game about starting fast. Although it was a good plan going on, the execution of the plan was not successful. The early portion of the game was dominated by numerous icing calls. Both teams tried getting their feet under them. After the first 10 minutes, both teams started getting chances.

Late in the period, the Blue Jackets’ top-ranked power play got a chance after Troy Stecher held Sam Gagner. But the Blue Jackets couldn’t even get a shot on their power play. It gave the Canucks confidence going into the locker room. Both teams finished the period with nine shots.

Second Period The Blue Jackets got the worst possible start just 44 seconds into the second. Markus Granlund sent a shot to Sergei Bobrovsky, on which the goalie left a juicy rebound. A crashing Daniel Sedin beat Seth Jones to the puck and made the score 1-0. From there, the air went out of the building. There was no energy found anywhere.

Just over eight minutes later, Loui Eriksson scored about as easy a power-play goal as anyone can get. Daniel Sedin found Eriksson wide open across the crease. All Eriksson had to do was direct the puck into the open side. It was 2-0. It felt more like 5-0.

The Blue Jackets were able to get shots, but not many of the high-quality variety. Ryan Miller saw everything. There also wasn’t much traffic in his crease. The second period finished 2-0. The shots were 14-8 Jackets in the period and 23-17 Jackets for the game.

Third Period The Blue Jackets had 20 minutes to make a game of it. But they just couldn’t get any momentum on this night. A sign of the night was when the Blue Jackets got a power play thanks to a delay of game penalty, only to have Brandon Saad end it on a tripping penalty.

Just two seconds after Saad left the box, Jayson Megna raced past Ryan Murray and made it 3-0 on a breakaway goal. That was the final blow on this Thursday.

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The Blue Jackets had a 10-7 shots advantage in the third, but Miller continued his dominance at Nationwide Arena. He has now stopped 128 of the last 131 shots the Blue Jackets have thrown at him in Columbus. Miller was the story, but the Blue Jackets did themselves no favors. The final shot count was 33-24 Blue Jackets.

Scoring Summary

FIRST PERIOD

No scoring.

SECOND PERIOD VAN – Daniel Sedin (12) assisted by Markus Granlund and Henrik Sedin

VAN – Loui Eriksson (11) assisted by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin

THIRD PERIOD

VAN – Jayson Megna (4) assisted by Troy Stecher and Alexander Edler

THW Three Stars First: Ryan Miller (33-save shutout)

Second: Daniel Sedin (goal, assist)

Third: Henrik Sedin (2 assists)

NEXT UP:

Detroit Red Wings at Columbus Blue Jackets

Nationwide Arena, 5:00 PM EST on Saturday, Feb. 11

TV Broadcast Channels: Fox Sports Ohio/Fox Sports Go and Fox Sports Detroit

2016-17 Meeting: Blue Jackets defeated Red Wings 4-1 on Dec. 9 and 3-2 (OT) on Feb. 7

Vancouver Canucks at Boston Bruins TD Garden, 10:00 AM PST on Saturday, Feb. 11

TV Broadcast Channels: Sportsnet Pacific and NESN

2016-17 Meeting: First meeting of the season.

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http://www.tsn.ca/trade-deadline-playbook-eastern-conference-1.668098

Trade Deadline Playbook: Eastern Conference

By Scott Cullen – February 10, 2017

The balance of power has suddenly tilted towards the Eastern Conference, where the and are the two likely favourites, and that leaves the rest of the conference chasing those teams.

At the same time, there aren’t too many teams that are clearly out of the playoff hunt, which means that there aren’t necessarily a lot of sellers this far ahead of the trade deadline.

Included in this Trade Deadline Playbook is a look at each team’s pending free agents, players with no- trade clauses, top prospects in the system and more.

*Contract and no-trade status via Cap Friendly.

BOSTON BRUINS UFA in 2017: C Dominic Moore, D John-Michael Liles

RFA in 2017: RW David Pastrnak, RW Ryan Spooner, C Austin Czarnik, LW Tim Schaller, D

Others of Interest: RW Jimmy Hayes, D Adam McQuaid, D Kevan Miller, D Brandon Carlo

No-Trade Clauses: C David Kreci, C Patrice Bergeron, LW Brad Marchand (modified), RW David Backes, LW Matt Beleskey (modified), D Zdeno Chara, G Tuukka Rask

Top Prospects: D Charlie McAvoy, D Jakub Zboril, LW Jake DeBrusk, RW Zach Senyshyn, C Trent Frederic, G Malcolm Subban, C Alexander Khokhlachev, C Danton Heinen, D Jeremy Lauzon, C Jakob Forsbacka- Karlsson, LW Anders Bjork, D Matt Grzelcyk, C Ryan Fitzgerald, C Ryan Donato, RW Peter Cehlarik

The Plan: The Bruins have been disappointing, sure, and it cost Claude Julien his job as head coach. They are on the playoff bubble at the moment, and have missed the postseason in the past two seasons already. If they fall off the pace, they could sell some pieces, but they are likely to get some better percentages down the stretch so it would seem more likely that Boston makes some effort to improve, at least a little, to make a playoff push.

BUFFALO SABRES UFA in 2017: RW Brian Gionta, D Dmitry Kulikov, D Cody Franson, D Taylor Fedun, G Anders Nilsson

RFA in 2017: LW Marcus Foligno, C/RW Zemgus Girgensons, C Johan Larsson

Others of Interest: LW Tyler Ennis

No-Trade Clauses: RW Kyle Okposo, LW Matt Moulson (modified), RW Brian Gionta (modified), D Josh Gorges (modified)

Top Prospects:

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RW Alexander Nylander, D Brendan Guhle, RW Cliff Pu, C Rasmus Asplund, RW Justin Bailey, RW Nick Baptiste, RW Hudson Fasching, G Linus Ullmark, G Cal Petersen, LW William Carrier, D Casey Fitzgerald, C Eric Cornel, D Will Borgen, RW Vaclav Karabacek, C Giorgio Estephan

The Plan: Improved play in 2017 does have the Sabres nibbling on the edges of the playoff hunt. They’re still not in a reasonable position to start making short-term additions, and if they decide that they are selling, pending free agent defencemen Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson should have some appeal in the marketplace.

CAROLINA HURRICANES UFA in 2017: LW Bryan Bickell, LW Viktor Stalberg, C Jay McClement, C Derek Ryan, D Ron Hainsey, D Matt Tennyson

RFA in 2017: C Teuvo Teravainen, LW Brock McGinn, RW Ty Rattie, RW Andrej Nestrasil, D Klas Dahlbeck

No-Trade Clauses: C Jordan Staal, D Ron Hainsey (modified), G Cam Ward (modified)

Others of Interest: RW Lee Stempniak, D Ryan Murphy

Top Prospects: RW Julien Gauthier, D Jake Bean, D Haydn Fleury, C Lucas Wallmark, LW Janne Kuokkanen, LW Phil Di Giuseppe, C Nicolas Roy, D Roland McKeown, RW Valentin Zykov, G Alex Nedeljkovic, LW Aleksi Saarela, D Trevor Carrick, LW Sergei Tolchinsky, LW Warren Foegele, C Hudson Elynuik

The Plan: Despite subpar goaltending, they aren’t far out of the playoff picture, so the Hurricanes ought to keep pushing to see if they can sneak into the postseason. If they aren’t close enough by the time the deadline rolls around, veteran defenceman Ron Hainsey would be a steady addition for many teams.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

UFA in 2017: RW Sam Gagner

RFA in 2017: C Alexander Wennberg, RW Josh Anderson, C Lukas Sedlak

No-Trade Clauses: C Brandon Dubinsky, RW Nick Foligno, RW David Clarkson, LW Scott Hartnell

Others of Interest: LW Matt Calvert, C William Karlsson, D Jack Johnson, D Markus Nutivaara, G Joonas Korpisalo

Top Prospects: LW Pierre-Luc Dubois, LW Sonny Milano, D Gabriel Carlsson, RW Oliver Bjorkstrand, G Anton Forsberg, RW Vitaly Abramov, D Dean Kukan, D Scott Harrington, RW Daniel Zaar, LW Calvin Thurkauf, LW Paul Bittner, D Ryan Collins, RW Keegan Kolesar, RW Kole Sherwood, D Dillon Heatherington

The Plan: One of the major surprises this season, the Blue Jackets have stumbled since their 16-game winning streak, yet they are solidly in playoff position. Just making the playoffs a win for the franchise, but if they want to do something in the daunting Metropolitan Division in the playoffs, then they would probably need to add some quality defensive players, both up front and on the blueline, in order to compete with the division’s high-powered offences.

DETROIT RED WINGS

UFA in 2017: LW Thomas Vanek, LW Drew Miller, LW Steve Ott, D Brendan Smith

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RFA in 2017: LW Tomas Tatar, RW Tomas Jurco, LW Andreas Athanasiou, D Xavier Ouellet, D Nick Jensen

No-Trade Clauses: C Frans Nielsen, RW Justin Abdelkader, C Darren Helm, D Mike Green, D Niklas Kronwall, D Jonathan Ericsson (modified), G Jimmy Howard (modified)

Others of Interest: RW Gustav Nyquist, C Riley Sheahan

Top Prospects: LW Evgeny Svechnikov, D Joe Hicketts, D Dennis Cholowski, D Vili Saarijarvi, LW Tyler Bertuzzi, D Filip Hronek, D Robbie Russo, RW Givani Smith, C Tomas Nosek, C Dominic Turgeon, D Daniel Renouf, LW Axel Holmstrom, LW Dylan Sadowy, RW Martin Frk, D Jordan Sambrook

The Plan: It wouldn’t be impossible for the Red Wings to sneak into the playoffs, keeping their streak alive, but the most likely scenario is that they are going to be on the outside looking in. If they come to that decision, Thomas Vanek has been very productive this season and would likely have some value for teams needing a little more finish around the net.

FLORIDA PANTHERS UFA in 2017: RW Jaromir Jagr, LW , D Jakub Kindl, G Reto Berra

RFA in 2017: LW Greg McKegg, C Michael Sgarbossa, D Mark Pysyk, D Alex Petrovic, D Dylan McIlrath

No-Trade Clauses: LW Jussi Jokinen (modified), D Keith Yandle, D Jason Demers (modified), G Roberto Luongo

Others of Interest: C Vincent Trocheck, D Steven Kampfer

Top Prospects: C Henrik Borgstrom, C Denis Malgin, LW Adam Mascherin, D Ian McCoshen, C Jayce Hawryluk, D Michael Downing, D MacKenzie Weegar, LW Dryden Hunt, D Linus Hultstrom, D Thomas Schemitsch, C Juho Lammikko, C Jonathan Ang, D Josh Brown, RW Maxim Mamin, LW Kyle Rau

The Plan: For all the turmoil that the franchise has gone through this season, they are still on the playoff bubble and are as healthy as they have been all year. They may not be prepared to load up at the deadline as they did last season, but they don’t seem likely to be sellers either.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

UFA in 2017: RW Alexander Radulov, C David Desharnais, RW Brian Flynn, D Andrei Markov

RFA in 2017: C Alex Galchenyuk, LW Jacob De La Rose, RW Sven Andrighetto, D Nathan Beaulieu, D Nikita Nesterov

No-Trade Clauses: D Andrei Markov (modified), D Jeff Petry, D Alexei Emelin (modified)

Others of Interest: LW Daniel Carr, D Greg Pateryn, D Mark Barberio

Top Prospects: D Mikhail Sergachev, C Michael McCarron, D Noah Juulsen, RW Nikita Scherbak, LW Charles Hudon, C Daniel Audette, LW Martin Reway, G Charlie Lindgren, D Brett Lernout, C William Bitten, D Victor Mete, D Ryan Johnston, D Tom Parisi, G Michael McNiven, C Matt Bradley

The Plan: The Habs have been rather mediocre after starting the season 13-1-1, but they are in good position in the Atlantic Division, and have to operate as though they are in their window as contenders. They could use a boost of firepower up front and will need Carey Price to be better than the merely above average that he’s been thus far, but the Habs ought to be buyers leading to up to the deadline.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS 22

UFA in 2017: RW P.A. Parenteau, LW Luke Gazdic, D Kyle Quincey, G Keith Kinkaid

RFA in 2017: C Jacob Josefson, RW Sergei Kalinin, RW Beau Bennett, RW Stefan Noesen, D Damon Severson, D Seth Helgeson, D Yohann Auvitu

No-Trade Clauses: C Travis Zajac, LW Mike Cammalleri, D Andy Greene, G Cory Schneider

Others of Interest: RW Devante Smith-Pelly, D John Moore

Top Prospects: C Michael McLeod, D Steve Santini, C John Quenneville, C Blake Speers, LW Joseph Blandisi, RW Joey Anderson, RW Nathan Bastian, C Brandon Gignac, G Mackenzie Blackwood, RW Nick Lappin, LW Blake Pietila, D Joshua Jacobs, D Colton White, D Reece Scarlett, LW Blake Coleman

The Plan: It’s unlikely that the Devils are going to be playoff contenders, but if goaltender Cory Schneider is at his best, they might be able to sneak into contention. Because their underlying numbers do not offer a promising forecast, though, it wouldn’t make any sense to sacrifice any of the future for short-term improvement.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS UFA in 2017: RW Stephen Gionta, D Dennis Seidenberg

RFA in 2017: D Calvin de Haan, D Adam Pelech

No-Trade Clauses: C John Tavares (modified), LW Andrew Ladd, D Johnny Boychuk

Others of Interest: LW Josh Bailey, C Brock Nelson, LW Shane Prince, C Alan Quine, G Jaroslav Halak

Top Prospects: C Mathew Barzal, D Ryan Pulock, LW Michael Dal Colle, G Ilya Sorokin, RW Josh Ho-Sang, LW Kieffer Bellows, D Mitchell Vande Sompel, D Parker Wotherspoon, D Devon Toews, LW Otto Koivula, G Linus Soderstrom, G Jean-Francois Berube, D David Quenneville, D Scott Mayfield, LW Otto Koivula

The Plan: Not so long ago, the Islanders’ season appeared to be dead in the water, but they have been better under new head coach Doug Weight and that puts them back into the playoff picture. They could add some help up front, and they would probably like to find a taker for veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who is currently in the AHL.

NEW YORK RANGERS UFA in 2017: LW Tanner Glass

RFA in 2017: C Mika Zibanejad, C Brandon Pirri, RW Jesper Fast, LW Matt Puempel, C Oscar Lindberg, D Adam Clendening

No-Trade Clauses: LW Rick Nash, D Marc Staal, D Dan Girardi, D Ryan McDonagh (modified), G Henrik Lundqvist

Others of Interest: C Kevin Hayes, D Kevin Klein, D Nick Holden

Top Prospects: G Igor Shesterkin, D Ryan Graves, LW Ryan Gropp, D Sergey Zborovskiy, RW Nicklas Jensen, C Adam Tambellini, D Sean Day, LW Cristoval Nieves, D Michael Paliotta, G Magnus Hellberg, C Brad Morrison, G Brandon Halverson, LW Tim Gettinger, C Gabriel Fontaine, G Tyler Wall

The Plan: Unusually, the Rangers have been a low-scoring team that leaned heavily on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, but this year Lundqvist has struggled behind a high-scoring team. However, the

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Rangers are formidable and could be something if Lundqvist gets on track so, to that end, they could very well seek some defensive help for a playoff run.

OTTAWA SENATORS

UFA in 2017: RW Tommy Wingels, RW Chris Neil, C Chris Kelly, LW Tom Pyatt, G Mike Condon

RFA in 2017: C Jean-Gabriel Pageau, RW Curtis Lazar, LW Ryan Dzingel, D Fredrik Claesson

No-Trade Clauses: RW Bobby Ryan (modified), Clarke MacArthur (modified), C Derick Brassard (modified), RW Chris Neil, D Dion Phaneuf (modified), D Marc Methot (modified)

Others of Interest: D Cody Ceci, D Mark Borowiecki, D Chris Wideman, G Andrew Hammond

Top Prospects: D Thomas Chabot, C Logan Brown, C Colin White, C Filip Chlapik, C Jonathan Dahlen, LW Francis Perron, D Mikael Wikstrand, LW Nick Paul, D Andreas Englund, D Christian Wolanin, D Max Lajoie, LW Filip Ahl, G Marcus Hogberg, C Max McCormick, D Christian Jaros

The Plan: Ottawa has been a bit of a surprise, particularly considering that goaltender Craig Anderson has been away from the team for a good chunk of the season. But, given that they currently sit in a playoff spot, it will come as no surprise if the Senators take some shots at improvement, both up front and on the blueline. The challenge will be to improve this season’s chances without sacrificing a top prospect like defenceman Thomas Chabot.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

UFA in 2017: C Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, LW Chris Vande Velde, C Boyd Gordon, D Mark Streit, D Michael Del Zotto, D Nick Schultz, G Steve Mason, G Michal Neuvirth

RFA in 2017: LW Roman Lyubimov, C Nick Cousins, D Shayne Gostisbehere

No-Trade Clauses: C Claude Giroux, RW Wayne Simmonds (modified), D Mark Streit (modified)

Others of Interest: RW Matt Read, RW Dale Weise, LW Michael Raffl, D Brandon Manning

Top Prospects: D Travis Sanheim, C German Rubtsov, G Anthony Stolarz, D Philippe Myers, LW Oskar Lindblom, G Carter Hart, D Samuel Morin, RW Wade Allison, RW Nicolas Aube-Kubel, LW Taylor Leier, LW Scott Laughton, D Robert Hagg, D Mark Friedman, LW Danick Martel, C Radel Fazleev

The Plan: Slumping since mid-December, the Flyers are still in a playoff spot, and they are a middling possession team with a good power play, but need defensive and goaltending stability if they are going to make a legitimate push down the stretch. Would they deal for help or just hope that Steve Mason or Michal Neuvirth get it together.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS UFA in 2017: LW Chris Kunitz, C Nick Bonino, C Matt Cullen, D Trevor Daley

RFA in 2017: LW Conor Sheary, D Justin Schultz, D Brian Dumoulin

No-Trade Clauses: C Evgeni Malkin, C Sidney Crosby, RW Phil Kessel (modified), RW Patric Hornqvist (modified), LW Chris Kunitz (modified), D Kris Letang (modified), D Trevor Daley (modified), G Marc- Andre Fleury (modified)

Others of Interest: RW Eric Fehr, RW Tom Kuhnhackl, LW Scott Wilson

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Top Prospects: C Jake Guentzel, RW Daniel Sprong, C Oskar Sundqvist, D Derrick Pouliot, C Dominik Simon, G Tristan Jarry, C Teddy Blueger, G Filip Gustavsson, C Jean-Sebastien Dea, D Stuart Percy, D Ethan Prow, D Lukas Bengtsson, RW Sam Lafferty, C Blaine Byron, D Jeff Taylor

The Plan: Last year’s Stanley Cup champs have the horses to make another run this year and they have many assets, in the form of young, inexpensive players, that they could deal, if necessary. The biggest move may involve veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who has been overtaken by Matt Murray for the starting job, but that’s also a deal that could come in the offseason.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING UFA in 2017: C Brian Boyle, D Luke Witkowski, G Ben Bishop

RFA in 2017: C Tyler Johnson, LW Ondrej Palat, RW Jonathan Drouin, LW Michael Bournival, RW Gabriel Dumont, D Andrej Sustr

No-Trade Clauses: C Steven Stamkos, RW Ryan Callahan, C Valtteri Filppula (modified), D , D Braydon Coburn, D Anton Stralman, D Victor Hedman, G Ben Bishop

Others of Interest: RW Erik Condra

Top Prospects: C Brett Howden, LW Nikita Gusev, RW Taylor Raddysh, C Mitchell Stephens, C Anthony Cirelli, G Connor Ingram, LW Dennis Yan, D Slater Koekkoek, RW Mathieu Joseph, LW Adam Erne, D Dominik Masin, D Matthew Spencer, D Libor Hajek, LW Tanner Richard, D Jake Dotchin

The Plan: In a stunning development, the Lightning have fallen away from playoff contention. They’re close enough that they could get back into contention with a winning streak, but the way the season has been going, it will come as no surprise if the Lightning are in position to deal pending unrestricted free agents Ben Bishop and Brian Boyle.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS UFA in 2017: C Ben Smith, D Roman Polak, D Matt Hunwick, G Curtis McElhinney

RFA in 2017: LW Zach Hyman, RW Connor Brown, D Nikita Zaitsev, D Frank Corrado

No-Trade Clauses: LW James van Riemsdyk (modified), C Tyler Bozak (modified)

Others of Interest: RW Leo Komarov, RW Nikita Soshnikov, LW Josh Leivo, D Martin Marincin, D Connor Carrick

Top Prospects: RW Kasperi Kapanen, RW Jeremy Bracco, D Andrew Nielsen, D Travis Dermott, LW Brendan Leipsic, LW Kerby Rychel, RW Seth Griffith, RW Andreas Johnson, G Garret Sparks, G Joseph Woll, D Rinat Valiev, RW Tobias Lindberg, LW Trevor Moore, RW Yegor Korshikov, RW Martins Dzierkals

The Plan: Toronto’s influx of rookies has turned them into a playoff-calibre team perhaps a little sooner than expected, but the team has a sound foundation. Ideally, they might be able to find an upgrade on the blueline, but patience is still a virtue for a team built around young talent, so they aren’t likely to do anything that sacrifices long-term development for a rental this year because they can address those defensive issues in the summer.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

UFA in 2017: RW T.J. Oshie, RW Justin Williams, LW Daniel Winnik, D Karl Alzner

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RFA in 2017: C Evgeny Kuznetsov, LW Andre Burakovsky, RW Brett Connolly, D Dmitry Orlov, D Nate Schmidt, G Philipp Grubauer

No-Trade Clauses: LW Alex Ovechkin (limited), C Nicklas Backstrom, LW Brooks Laich (limited), D Matt Niskanen (modified)

Others of Interest: D Nate Schmidt, G Philipp Grubauer

Top Prospects: RW Jakub Vrana, G Ilya Samsonov, D Madison Bowey, D Lucas Johansen, RW Riley Barber, D Jonas Siegenthaler, D Christian Djoos, D Connor Hobbs, LW Zach Sanford, RW Stanislav Galiev, C Chandler Stephenson, D Tyler Lewington, C Garrett Pilon, RW Travis Boyd, LW Nathan Walker

The Plan: The Capitals are steam-rolling the league right about now, which has them in a Stanley Cup-or- bust mode. They also don’t have any glaring needs, so they may only need some minor tweaks to improve their overall depth.

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