Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips January 3, 2018

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Transcript of our latest Blue Jackets chat PAGE 05: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets 2, Stars 1 | Bjorkstrand has two goals to help Jackets snap three-game skid PAGE 07: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets notebook | Harrington earns praise in place of injured Murray

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects PAGE 08: Cleveland Plain Dealer: hold off Rockford IceHogs, 4-1

NHL/Websites PAGE 09: The Athletic: Meet Team USA's Olympic men's hockey team PAGE 14: The Athletic: Undersized Kailer Yamamoto has extra motivation at world juniors PAGE 16: TSN.ca: Laine on track to become NHL’s next premier sniper PAGE 18: USA Today: NHL power rankings 7.0: Golden Knights are the real deal

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180102/transcript-of-our-latest-blue-jackets-chat

Transcript of our latest Blue Jackets chat By George Richards – January 3, 2018

Good afternoon everyone. Was planning on hitting the golf course this afternoon but for some reason, it’s closed. So, we’ll do our weekly chat instead. How about that? Go ahead and send me your most pressing questions -- be it about the Blue Jackets or anything else -- and I’ll see if I can answer them! Here we go ..... Comment From T. Wright Do you have any observations on why the power play has been so terrible? It doesn’t seem to be specific players, because there have been different combinations. Is it the system they use? George Richards They have tried every single combination they can, right? It has looked good at times and absolutely brutal at others. But, that’s how it goes sometimes. They have PP goals in 6 of the past 8 games I believe so they’re starting to get something going at least. George Richards Word on the street is he should be joining them soon but I do not think he was on this trip. He had been skating on his own and joined the team for an early skate a few weeks ago but we have not seen him around since. Comment From CBJ! How many more blow out losses does Jarmo need to see before he decides to stop sitting on his hands? Injuries/long season aside, really feels like CBJ is about to squander the opportunity franchise best start provides. Metro is too competitive for complacency. George Richards I tend to agree with you, that perhaps a deal would help shake things up but they do not want to jeopardize their future plans just for a short-term fix. They feel that they can survive this recent run of injuries without having to go to the trade well. Also, there aren’t many teams out there who are in sell mode just yet. It’s a sellers market which means the Jackets are going to have to give up a lot to get something in return. We’ll see. Thanks for the question... Comment From Grandview fan Only 10 NHL teams have more points, so I should be happy. But watching recent CBJ games has made me grumpy. Do you think the team will be rising or falling in 2018? George Richards Well they may not be a whole lot of fun to watch right now, but if they win, I guess folks will be happy. They have to survive this spot they are in and have to play a certain style. That doesn’t work all the time against a team like the Lightning or even the Stars tonight. But I think they’ll be fine. There’s a lot of talent here and I think they’ll trend upward in 2018 when it’s all said and done. Comment From lama

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three items. 1) why can’t this team seem to hold a lead successfully. seems an awful lot of risky plays when they have the lead. the jackets seem to get themselves out of position even with leads; 2) what is the story on the underperforms. savard and johnson look slow. wennberg seems to be the center where wingers join to develop slumps. and folino is a problem - again looks slow. what gives ? George Richards Good questions all. The lead thing is a concern, no doubt about that. In Pittsburgh they folded up; I don’t think they ever looked good in Ottawa even being up 3-1 in the 2nd. They made plenty of mistakes in the d-zone against TB and the Bolts pounced. As for Savard and Johnson, yeah, they haven’t looked too good and they have been split up. They have seemed to be better apart, but we’ll see. Foligno has looked OK to me aside from his scoring. He has created some chances and just not been able to finish. It may be wearing on him a bit. Comment From TJ Hey George - the Blue Jackets seem like obvious buyers at the trade deadline. Any positional needs you think they should/will be targeting? And what do you think they might give up to get players? George Richards I do think they will be buying, but they are looking for what a lot of teams are and that’s a top-6, top-9 forward. They are pretty set at D although that could be upgraded but that would be more of a luxury due to the price tag that always comes with good defensemen. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Columbus go after a player with some term left on his deal, not trade assets for a rental. Again, will not be easy. Lot of buyers, fewer sellers. Comment From G-Fan Bobrovsky-just a mid-season mini-slump, or is there a health issue there? George Richards You always have to worry about an injury deal when a top-flight goalie like Bob starts pressing a bit. It’s real easy for goalies to get groin injuries and the like and they a lot of times will just try and fight through it. You have to hope it’s just a mini-slump - and I mean mini because even in losses in Pitt and Ottawa he made some fantastic saves Comment From G-Fan Thoughts on how Dubois looks? His stats look really good for a 19-year old, but do you see evidence he can become another “difference maker” the Jackets need and at the crucial undermanned center position? George Richards Like a high-end scorer? I don’t know. He plays a solid two-way game and that’s extremely impressive for a guy of his age. He comes from a long line of hockey coaches so he knows the game and is a very fundamental player. He is a very solid addition to this team. Comment From Eddie Vedder Does CBJ end the season with home ice in the first round of the playoffs? George Richards So you’re asking so they finish the season at least in 2nd place in the Metro....they definitely can, sure, but they can’t give up too much real estate over the next month or so

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Comment From lama and what is the story on the vegas knights. how is this possible ?? i saw them on television the other night and they look awesome and William Karlsson is lights out ?? George Richards What a great story the Knights are, right? You keep waiting for them to go away and yet there they are. They have great management in McPhee and coaching in our old pal Gerard Gallant and have gotten surprisingly good goaltending. Every game of theirs I watch I’m just impressed how they go with the flow of the game. Nothing bothers them. Comment From G-Fan Is a Brassard trade a real possibility, or was it just speculation, given the CBJ’s needs at center? George Richards It’s always just speculation and he fits the story, right? A popular former player who fills a real positional need. But Jarmo isn’t looking at a good story, he’s looking to make the team better. If he feels like Brass is a guy who will do that, I’m sure he’ll kick those tires. But it’s almost too perfect a fit for it to actually happen.... Rachel (moderator): Thanks for joining in today! We have one more question. Comment From Trey How much longer until Torts gives in and splits up Jones and Werenski? I know he says he isn’t going to do it, but Jones-Nuti looked pretty good and I think splitting them might help boost the offense. George Richards I wrote about that the other day how good Jones and Nuti looked together...but Seth and Zach look really, really good together and bring a different dynamic when they are on the ice. But, again, Torts may be forced into spreading the wealth a little bit down the road. Well I guess that’s it for today’s chat. Thanks to all for stopping by and joining us. Lets do this again next week, shall we? How about Tuesday afternoon following the Jackets’ game in Toronto. Stay warm out there folks! See y’all next week.

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180102/blue-jackets-2-stars-1--bjorkstrand-has-two-goals-to-help- jackets-snap-three-game-skid

Blue Jackets 2, Stars 1 | Bjorkstrand has two goals to help Jackets snap three- game skid By Steve Gorten – January 3, 2018

DALLAS — Oliver Bjorkstrand came up big for the Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Not once, but twice.

Bjorkstrand scored two goals in a span of 78 seconds in the third period to lead the Jackets to a 2-1 come-from-behind win against the Dallas Stars that snapped a three-game losing streak. The Jackets’ first road triumph in their past six games seemed doubtful after they fell behind when the Stars’ Devin Shore broke a scoreless tie 44 seconds into the third period.

Sergei Bobrovsky appeared to have made the save, but John Klingberg’s redirected shot squeaked through to set up the Jackets to lose their sixth consecutive road game.

But Bjorkstrand pulled them even at 4:54 with his seventh of the season on assists from Matt Calvert and Lukas Sedlak. Bjorkstrand beat Stars goalie Ben Bishop again at 6:12 with Seth Jones and Sedlak getting the assists.

Bobrovsky, who came in 1-3-2 with 21 goals allowed in his previous six starts, notched his 200th career win.

Before Bjorkstrand’s first goal, which ended a nine-game goal drought, the Jackets had gone 105 minutes, 24 seconds since last scoring three games ago in a 5-4 loss to the Senators.

The Jackets lost to the Lightning 5-0 at home Sunday — their second shutout loss of the season and 16th time they scored one goal or fewer in regulation. They came in 1-2-2 in their past five games while surrendering 14 goals in the three consecutive losses.

That prompted coach John Tortorella to temporarily ditch the team’s “Safe is Death” motto in an effort to reduce the number of scoring chances against the Jackets.

“We have to be smarter,” Tortorella said before the game. “I hate even using the word ‘safer.’ We just have to be conscious defensively.”

Though the Jackets didn’t allow the Stars many scoring chances Tuesday, they also didn’t generate many themselves.

The teams combined for just 31 shots the first 40 minutes and started the third period scoreless — the first time the Stars were locked in a 0-0 tie after two periods since Dec. 15, 2016.

The Jackets didn’t record their first shot on goal in the game until Bjorkstrand fired a wrister from the circle at 8:12.

The lone penalty in the game resulted in a Blue Jackets power play with 3:56 left in the first period. Jamie Benn was sent off for hooking Sedlak. Still, the Stars came close to seizing the lead short-handed

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when Mattias Janmark blocked Zach Werenski’s shot and bolted the other way for a breakaway. Bobrovsky steered him wide, though.

Tortorella turned to Bobrovsky again Tuesday after choosing to start Joonas Korpisalo against the Lightning on Sunday. In 11 previous matchups against Dallas, Bobrovsky was 9-1-1 with a .944 save percentage and 1.80 goals-against average.

The Jackets entered Tuesday’s matchup 8-2-1 against the Stars since the 2012-13 season, including 5-1 in their past six games played in Dallas.

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180102/blue-jackets-notebook--harrington-earns-praise-in-place- of-injured-murray

Blue Jackets notebook | Harrington earns praise in place of injured Murray By Steve Gorten – January 3, 2018

DALLAS — Injured defenseman Ryan Murray traveled with the Blue Jackets to Dallas, but he didn’t skate Tuesday morning and there is no timetable for when he might return from an upper-body injury. Until Murray does, the Jackets will continue to rely on Scott Harrington, who played in his 17th consecutive game on Tuesday night after just two appearances the first 24 games. He started the night with one goal, one assist and a minus-1 rating. “We talk about Harry and how many games he sat out, that’s why we signed him to the contract, because we felt he was that valuable in these types of situations,” coach John Tortorella said of Harrington, who received a two-year, $1.35 million extension in March. “And it has certainly (has worked out) as far as the length of time (Murray) has been out. Harry has stepped in and done a great job.” Tortorella reiterated that there is no plan to split up the top defensive pair of Zach Werenski and Seth Jones. Markus Nutivaara and David Savard skated in the second pairing on Tuesday, and Harrington and Jack Johnson partnered for the third pair. Harrington will have a chance to remain in the rotation after Murray returns, Tortorella noted, adding, “When you’re giving up (scoring) chances and you’re having some struggles that we’ve had of late, everybody is up for evaluation in all situations.” Safe and sound Tortorella said the Jackets’ shift to playing safer is “a change of mindset” so the team can “get some traction as far as scoring chances going against us right now.” While he wants players to be more “conscious defensively,” he noted, “you need to have a swagger about yourself to play the game. “I don’t want to take that away from them, but I don’t want to be trading chances,” Tortorella continued. “We’ve gotten away from understanding how to play away from the puck.” New No. 1 line With the exception of Sergei Bobrovsky starting in goal, the Blue Jackets kept the same players in the lineup from Sunday’s 5-0 home loss to the Lightning. Tortorella did, however, shake up their top two lines. The coach stuck with the changes made at practice on Monday and started the game with Nick Foligno at right wing alongside center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Artemi Panarin. Josh Anderson dropped down to the second line with center Boone Jenner and left wing Sonny Milano. Dalpe, Kukan scratched Newly recalled center Zac Dalpe was a healthy scratch, along with defenseman Dean Kukan

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http://www.cleveland.com/monsters/index.ssf/2018/01/cleveland_monsters_rockford_ic_4.html

Cleveland Monsters hold off Rockford IceHogs, 4-1 By Staff – January 3, 2018

ROCKFORD, -- The Cleveland Monsters scored early and held on to defeat the Rockford IceHogs, 4-1, in an game Tuesday at BMO Harris Bank Center. The Monsters jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two periods. Rockford cut it to 2-1 midway through the third period, but Cleveland added two late goals to lock up the victory. The win was just the third in the Monsters last 16 games as they improved to 10-15-3-2, while Rockford fell to 18-14-1-1. The Monsters got on the board at 3:23 of the first period on Terry Broadhurst's second goal of the season, assisted by Cameron Gaunce and . They made it 2-0 at 11:14 of the second period when Paul Bittner scored on a power play, with assists from Alex Broadhurst and Andre Benoit. Bittner's goal was his sixth of the year and the Monsters are 6- 0-0-0 when he scores. Tomas Jurco's 11th goal of the season cut Cleveland's lead to 2-1 with 3:44 remaining in the game, but Terry Broadhurst scored his second goal into an empty net with 1:18 remaining and Alex Broadhurst added another 15 second remaining to cap the win. Mattis Kivlenieks stopped 35 of 36 shots to improve to 5-9-2 on the season. Rockford's Collin Delia stopped 21 of 23 shots. Roster update: The Columbus Blue Jackets added center Zac Dalpe on an emergency recall Sunday. ... The Monsters welcomed center Jordan Maletta back from the injury list on Tuesday. Up next: The Monsters road trip continues Wednesday against the at 8 p.m. ... The Monsters return to Rockford on Saturday at 7 p.m., then play at the Iowa Wild on Sunday at 6 p.m. ... The Monsters will play at the Milwaukee Admirals next Wednesday, then at the Grand Rapids Griffins on Jan. 12-13 before returning home to face Rockford on Jan. 17.

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https://www.theathletic.com/201350/2018/01/02/meet-team-usas-olympic-mens-hockey-team/

Meet Team USA's Olympic men's hockey team By Craig Custance – January 3, 2018

This call was why Jim Slater is still playing hockey. At 34 years old, he was content to move on to the next phase of his life after last season. He and his wife, Andria, were starting to put down roots in East Lansing, Michigan, and playing hockey in Switzerland with a young family back home in Michigan isn’t easy. So last season was supposed to be it. With nearly 600 NHL games on his resume with the Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets and another two seasons playing for Geneve in Switzerland, he’d had a fulfilling career as a 2002 first-round pick out of Michigan State. Then came the NHL’s decision not to participate in the Olympics and, well, that changed everything for the Slater family. “My wife said, ‘You have to do it,’” Slater told The Athletic on Monday afternoon. “I came over here for this reason.” He’s back in Switzerland now, where he has 25 points in 31 games for Fribourg-Gotteron HC as one of the assistant captains. He was there chasing his Olympic dream. Even without NHL players, there were never guarantees Slater was going to make it. Ryan Malone, for instance, has six 20-goal seasons on his resume and put in AHL time this season in an attempt to make the Olympics. He never got the call. But two days after Christmas, at home in East Lansing on a short break to see his family over the holidays, he woke up to a text on his phone from Team USA GM Jim Johannson. Johannson wanted to talk and hinted that it was going to be a conversation Slater would be eager to have. Slater quickly called back and the sacrifice of leaving the family behind, the will to push on for one more year was validated. He would be an Olympian. The Lapeer, Michigan, native was headed to South Korea to represent the U.S. in men’s hockey. Being named an Olympic athlete, it was an incredible feeling. “I mean, it really is,” Slater said. “You get to this stage in your career and you never really think it’s going to happen. … Coming over here and not knowing, being in that situation is pretty awesome, to be honest with you. I’m really excited and pumped up to get playing over there.” It’s an awesome phone call to get. It’s also an awesome phone call to make, a round of calls going out in mid-December to the first group of Olympians, another after Christmas. “I had two of the most fun days I’ve ever had at USA Hockey,” Johannson told The Athletic. “It was fun to hear those guys and get their reactions but also the genuine appreciating they got of, ‘I’ve made the Olympic team.’ It was really neat. It was fun.” We’ve spent time in this space lamenting the fact that Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel won’t get a shot to win Olympic gold, but this is the flip side: Americans playing for the love of the game and a shot at representing their country. It’s easy to root for.

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So who are these guys? Here’s an early scouting report on the group Team USA is betting can win its first men’s Olympic hockey gold since 1980. FORWARDS Mark Arcobello: He has a well-traveled 139 games on his NHL resume, splitting time with the , Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes and Toronto Maple Leafs along with a track record of scoring in the AHL. He’s lit up the Swiss league since leaving the NHL and has 37 points in 33 games this season for Bern. “He’s a good player, a very skilled guy,” said one longtime assistant NHL coach. “You have to be a good player to produce points over there. There’s a lot of heat on imports to produce in that environment. He has skill and speed.” Slater has competed against him in Switzerland and sees him as a main cog in the U.S. offense. “He’s really good here in the Swiss league,” Slater said. “He’s going to be counted on to provide a lot of scoring for us. He’s a heck of a player.” Chris Bourque: The son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, he’s the classic tweener. He’s produced throughout his career in the AHL, mostly with the Hershey Bears, but hasn’t found a consistent top six spot in the NHL. He has 39 points in 35 AHL games this season with Hershey. “He’s a really, really smart player. Very intelligent,” said the coach. “He’s very instinctive, very smart. He can score and has a heavy shot. I think he’s a good pick, he has experience and should be good in an Olympic environment.” Bobby Butler: He’s been good for Milwaukee in the AHL this season, with 13 goals in 32 games. His best NHL shot came from 2010-12 when he played a combined 92 games with the , putting up 16 goals. “He’s always been a goal-scorer,” said the coach. “He’s got a great knack for the net. He had success over in Europe. Just a natural goal-scorer.” Ryan Donato: Donato was one of four current college players part of Monday’s announcement, as the U.S. Olympic brain trust opted to lean on experience for this tournament. Donato, a second-round pick by the Bruins in 2014, is averaging a goal per game for Harvard this season. “He’s a versatile forward,” said Corey Pronman, The Athletic’s hockey prospect guru. “Good work ethic, IQ, shot, skill. He’ll be able to make plays on either special teams unit if needed and can play all three forward positions.” Brian Gionta: He’s the biggest name on the roster, with over 1,000 NHL games under his belt, including a 48-goal season with the in 2005-06. You know who Brian Gionta is. What we don’t know is how much hockey the 38-year-old has left. Slater played with him in the Deutschland Cup in November, which served as a bit of a trial for many of these players on the roster. It didn’t go well for the Americans (0-3), but Slater was impressed with Gionta. “He was good,” Slater said. “For a guy who hadn’t played a game, he looked really good. He’s one of those guys, he could have played in the NHL this year and decided not to and instead take this way. He’s a great captain.”

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Jordan Greenway: Greenway, the first African-American to play for the U.S. men’s hockey team, is a great story. He’s also one of the few players on this roster with size. It’s an undersized group, with the U.S. opting to go with speed and skill on the big ice, so Greenway, at 6-foot-5, provides balance. “He’s a big, strong forward who has shown he can play center or wing this season,” Pronman said. “Skates and handles the puck well for his size. Likely more of a physical/edgy player for this team who chips in offense.” Chad Kolarik: An alumni of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Kolarik played for four years at Michigan, where he scored 30 goals his senior year. He got a taste of the NHL with games for the Blue Jackets and Rangers (six in all) and has spent the past two years in Germany, where he leads the Mannheim Eagles with 19 goals in 32 games, playing on a roster that also includes Carlo Colaiacovo, Devin Setoguchi and Marcel Goc. “My best way of describing him is he’s a guy you win hockey games with,” Johannson said. “He’s a versatile guy. He’s a solid player who is going to chip in offensively. The coaches are going to feel comfortable playing him.” Broc Little: Asked to pick out a player hockey fans in the States may not know but could end up really liking as the tournament progresses, Johannson thought a moment. Then he highlighted Little, the former Yale standout and Arizona native who has 19 goals for Davos in Switzerland this year. “He’s a guy who quietly leads most leagues he plays in in scoring,” Johannson said. “I think he could go to the Olympics and all of a sudden score and the conversation will be, ‘Can this guy play in the league?’ I think guys like that will show how close the separation is to having an NHL career and being a guy who plays in Europe.” John McCarthy: Part of assembling an international roster is projecting players who can help in very specific roles. McCarthy, who is playing for San Jose in the AHL, likely isn’t going to score a ton, but he can be a regular on the penalty kill if needed. He’s an energy guy who had 19 goals last season for the Barracuda. Brian O’Neill: O’Neill is one of three former Yale players on the roster, trailing Boston University (four) as the most represented college. At 5-foot-9, he’s a good example of the Americans bypassing size to go with skill. He has 23 points in 32 games this year for in the KHL. O’Neill is one of seven players standing 5-foot-9 or smaller on the Team USA roster. “In most of those cases, there’s pretty good speed that comes with it,” Johannson said. “You have to be fast and make teams back off. It doesn’t matter if you’re big — if you’re not fast, they’re not going to back off. There’s enough speed in the lineup that can help some other parts of the game.” Garrett Roe: Another Swiss-league standout, Roe has 37 points in 31 games for Zug. Roe has bounced around Europe since playing two seasons in the AHL (Adirondack), including stints in Germany and Austria. “He’s fast, he can really go,” Johannson said. “He plays really hard, in the end at the Deutschland Cup, he showed the type of pace we needed. And every place he’s gone, he’s scored.” Jim Slater: Jets fans know what Slater brings to the lineup. He has NHL experience, plays a physical brand of hockey and has never been afraid to drop the gloves if needed. He’s also been very productive in Switzerland, with 25 points in 31 games. It was that production that earned him a spot on the roster. “He’s had a hell of a year,” Johannson said. “We know the intangibles and the character and the leadership capabilities. He can be a hard player. We need some bite and some pushback.”

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Ryan Stoa: The Bloomington native was a second-round pick by the Avalanche in 2005, and earned 40 NHL games with the Avalanche and later the Capitals. He’s settled into a regular spot in the KHL, where he has spent five season, scoring 22 goals last year for Moscow Spartak. “He’s a legit power forward in the KHL,” Johannson said. “He gives you size and a net presence. We didn’t have a lot of that.” Troy Terry: Terry is the best candidate to have a T.J. Oshie shootout moment in these Olympics. He had three shootout goals for Team USA against Russia in the semifinals of the 2017 world junior championship. “He’s a highly-skilled, tenacious and versatile forward,” Pronman said. “Could play on the power play or check for this team. Also a shootout specialist, if needed.” DEFENSEMEN Chad Billins: Like many players on this team, he played four years of college hockey as a defenseman for Ferris State. The Marysville, Michigan, native has played 10 NHL games with the and has bounced back and forth between the AHL and the , where he has 16 points in 31 games for Linkopings this season. Jonathon Blum: The former Predators defenseman has some pedigree. He was the No. 23 overall pick in 2007 for Nashville and spent part of three seasons with the Predators before moving on to the Wild organization. He’s now a KHL regular, where he has spent three seasons with Vladivostok. “He’s a good player,” said the longtime coach. “Another good veteran defenseman. They’re going to need steadiness back there and he’s played a long time.” Will Borgen: The Sabres prospect is going to be the young player on a defense that is relatively experienced. He’s in his third season at St. Cloud State, where he has eight points in 17 games. “Not a high-offense guy but a big, reasonably mobile defenseman who works his butt off,” Pronman said. “Really good PKer and strong from his blueline down.” Matt Gilroy: Another familiar name on the roster, Gilroy played 225 NHL games with the Rangers, Lightning, Senators and Panthers before leaving for the KHL in 2014. This will be a defense-by- committee, but Gilroy could emerge as the No. 1 option for head coach Tony Granato. “Gilly has had some really good years in the KHL,” Slater said. “He’s right up there in the top of the points among defensemen. He’s an offensive defenseman, just a smooth-skating, really good on the power play.” Ryan Gunderson: The 32-year-old Pennsylvania native is a small (5-foot-9) defenseman who has put up points everywhere he’s played. After two seasons in the KHL, he’s played the last two in Sweden where he currently has 25 points in 31 games. He had one assist in three games for the U.S. in the Deutschland Cup. Bobby Sanguinetti: A first-round pick by the Rangers in 2006, Sanguinetti has spent the past two seasons in Switzerland. He’s got a big shot, scoring one goal in two games during the Deutschland Cup. He scored 23 goals his final season in Owen Sound before embarking on his professional career that included 277 AHL games with 170 points. “He’s a good player, I like their group,” said the coach of the American defense. Noah Welch: The former Harvard captain brings leadership and size to the American defense. He’s 6- foot-4 and has 75 games of NHL experience on his resume, with stints in Pittsburgh, Florida, Tampa and

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with the Atlanta Thrashers. Since leaving the Thrash in 2011, he’s spent the past seven seasons playing in Sweden. James Wisniewski: He may be the most recognizable name outside of Gionta, only a couple seasons removed from being a 20-minute per night defenseman in the NHL. You probably know what Wisniewski brings to the table — a good offensive defenseman who will be a regular on the American power play. “I always liked him as a player,” said the coach. “Especially in his prime. He has skill, he can shoot it and he has experience. He had some good years in the NHL.” Those good years include two 50-point seasons in the NHL, the most recent coming with the Blue Jackets in 2013-14. He’s now playing in Germany to keep his skills honed for the Olympics. “We’ve watched him a lot on tape,” Johannson said. “He’s got the unique part where he can help us on the power play. That was the separator for him. He’s playing in Germany in the second league but he’s still James Wisniewski.” GOALIE Ryan Zapolski: This is where things get interesting for the Americans. If they’re going to win gold, history suggests it’s going to take a hot goalie to make it happen. Their biggest Olympic successes came on the shoulders of guys like Jim Craig and Ryan Miller. Team USA very consciously named just one goalie to their roster to keep options open moving forward. Zapolski was the lock, with him turning in a strong season for Jokerit in the KHL where he has posted a .935 save percentage. “He’s tearing up the KHL right now,” Slater said. “He’s super athletic. I played with him two years ago and I was like, ‘Wow, this guy is pretty damn good.’” There is a group of five goalies who USA Hockey has already communicated with about the other spots on the roster. The most tantalizing options may be the goalies playing in the World Junior championship, including Jake Oettinger, the 6-foot-4 Boston University goalie selected by the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2017 draft. He remains an option for the Olympic roster, as does Joseph Woll, the Boston College goalie and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect splitting time with Oettinger.

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https://theathletic.com/201086/2018/01/02/undersized-kailer-yamamoto-has-extra-motivation-at- world-juniors/

Undersized Kailer Yamamoto has extra motivation at world juniors By Julie Robenhymer – January 3, 2018

Kailer Yamamoto realized at a very young age that he would never be the biggest guy on his hockey team, but he's turned what might be his biggest weakness into his biggest strength and now finds himself – at 5-foot-8, 152 pounds – standing on the NHL's doorstep ready to knock it down. Too young to start lifting weights, an 8-year-old Yamamoto knew he needed to do something to differentiate himself as a hockey player. He also knew that he needed to be able to get around the other bigger, stronger players. That's when he was introduced to Berkley Villard, a former figure skater who now teaches her craft to aspiring figure skaters and hockey players in Spokane, . “I started working with her when I was 8, and I'd meet with her two or three times a week,” the now 19- year-old said. “She's the real deal and helped me work on my edges and gain that extra bit of speed and explosiveness.” That speed and footwork in tight areas is part of what separated him from the pack and a big reason why the Edmonton Oilers selected him 22nd overall this past June at the NHL draft. Although he is quicker than most at this point in his development, Yamamoto still works to improve his skating and is always in search of another gear. He doesn't want to just make it to the NHL, and he doesn't want to just stick around. He wants to be an impact player that contributes offensively every night, and he doesn't have to look far for inspiration. “You can see that the game is just getting faster and faster,” he said. “You watch Connor McDavid, and he skates so fast and puts the defensemen back on their heels and that's what I want to do. I want to be that fast and put defensemen back on their heels like that.” Heading into Oilers training camp this past September, Yamamoto didn't think he'd even make it into a pre-season game, but six games, five goals and two assists later, he found himself on Edmonton's opening night roster. In the three weeks and nine games he spent with the Oilers to start the regular season, he notched three assists and learned quite a bit about what it means to be an NHL player. “You have to be fast, but you also have to think fast, too. You get the puck and it seems like you have no time to make a play,” said Yamamoto, who is now in his fourth season playing for his hometown of the WHL. “I also got to see how mature those guys are and what they do on the ice and off the ice to get better. They're always doing something extra to improve, so it showed me, going back to Spokane, that I needed to be really dedicated and make sure I'm always working on my game and getting better and trying to get bigger and be in that much better shape off the ice.” His speed – along with his crafty stickhandling and ability to put up monster points – is also what helped him earn roster spots on several national teams for USA Hockey, including the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship going on right now in Buffalo. “Sure he's a small player, but he's very elusive even though he plays in high traffic areas. That's a talent and a separator of those types of players,” said Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey and general manager of Team USA. “I think he's shown significant signs of

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consistency with that. He's not just getting lucky. He knows how to do that and that's what makes him so hard to play against both with and without the puck.” Being left off last year's world juniors roster lit a fire in Yamamoto to earn a spot this year, and Johannson said you can see that passion and motivation every time he steps on the ice. With a goal and an assist in four preliminary games as USA heads into their quarterfinal match against Russia on Tuesday night, Yamamoto said playing on this team has challenged him to get better every day and find new ways to make plays and score goals against the highly concentrated level of talent the World Junior Championship provides. “It's been a lot of fun, but it's also an opportunity to see where your game is at because these are the best players in your age group and you see where you are and what you need to do to get better,” Yamamoto said. “I always want to work on my speed and my skating and my stick handling, but I also want to work on my shot and I want to play with pace.” For Team USA head coach Bob Motzko, Yamamoto's real value is in the intangibles he brings to the game. “People like to talk about his speed, but what I like most about Kailer is his tenacity. He is a go-getter, and he's going to make an impact in every game,” Motzko said. “He's got talents at a high-end level, but his pursuit of pucks and ability to win battles is incredible.” So while Yamamoto will never be the biggest guy on his team, he uses his speed, skill and strength to win battles and create offensive opportunities for himself and his teammates. “He's one of those rare players where size is no matter because he's able to play right through it. He's not the one getting knocked off pucks. He's the one knocking guys off the puck and then creating something out of the opportunity,” Motzko said. “He might be smaller than everyone else, but he can skate faster than most of them, his skills are next level, he goes to high-traffic areas and he plays with grit. It's surprising how tough he is and how strong he is. He thinks he's 6-foot-2, and he plays like it. His size is a non-issue.”

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https://www.tsn.ca/laine-on-track-to-become-nhl-s-next-premier-sniper-1.956848

Laine on track to become NHL’s next premier sniper By Travis Yost – January 3, 2018

Last January I wrote a piece on Winnipeg Jets rookie Patrik Laine explaining why I expected him to sustain his reputation as one of the league’s preeminent shooting talents.

A lot of the discussion around Laine last season was whether or not he could be one of those rare NHL snipers – guys like Steven Stamkos and Ilya Kovalchuk who spent years piling up shots and scoring goals at a ridiculous percentage.

Stamkos and Kovalchuk types are hard to find because it requires an incredible mix of talents. They generate a high volume of shots (which sometimes is counterintuitive to sustaining a high shooting percentage) and score on a large percentage of those attempts. Another way of saying this: There are plenty of volume shooters and there are plenty of high shooting percentage guys. But players who can do both simultaneously are increasingly rare and incredibly valuable.

To that end, last year for Laine was particularly interesting. Everyone has long conceded he’s a star in the making, if not one already. But there was plenty of discussion about what his true shooting talent was. After all, guys don’t just come into the league as rookies and score 36 goals on 17.8 per cent shooting very often. And of the handful who has done it, some experienced immediate regression in future periods.

For Laine, the rookie year debate was never been about whether or not he’d remain a quality goal scorer. Rather, it was whether or not we were actually witnessing the development of the league’s next premier sniper.

One year later, I think we have more evidence that the answer to the above question is yes. Laine is having another electric season. He has 18 goals, which puts him on pace for 38 by end of the year. And he’s shooting 16.7 per cent – a shade under where he was one season ago, but still double the average conversion rate in 2017-18.

It’s a great sophomore season, no question. But the key here is that he is reemphasizing everything we thought about him during his rookie year – that few guys can really wire the puck like he can, and those handful of comparable names are guys who’ve had incredible longevity as established snipers.

To illustrate this, I took out every forward since the 2007-08 season who had productive rookie and sophomore goal-scoring seasons – the list is subset down to forwards who played at least 112 games (Laine’s current number) with 20+ goals and 100+ shots. I’ve plotted them below – the horizontal axis showing shot generation rates (per game), and the vertical axis showing shooting percentage over that interval.

The guys in the top-right quadrant of this graph are your truly elite shooters. And not surprisingly, Laine is really at the top of the class. It is worth noting here that Laine’s rookie and sophomore seasons are on

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pace to be a bit more impressive than Stamkos and his 74 goals over that two-year stretch. That, in and of itself, is ridiculous.

Also ridiculous: If Laine stays at his current shooting percentage pace, he’ll likely end up with the best shooting percentage of any established forward over his first two seasons. Considering how frequently he is in the offensive zone and how regularly his playmaking teammates find him in his sweet spots, you start to feel for opposing goaltenders.

The other interesting piece here – not Laine related – is that there are a couple of other names establishing themselves as high-end shooters right now (if they haven’t already). Artemi Panarin in Columbus and Sean Monahan in Calgary had fantastic rookie/sophomore seasons, and have continued playing well since then.

Finishing up with Laine – I think we have long since established that he’s an elite offensive player. But I think we are at the point now where we can also start seriously considering him as a rule exception of sorts on the shooting talent front. More than a 100 games into his career, Laine continues to shoot near 17 per cent on a high volume of attempts.

His final test will be keeping the streak alive with superstar centre Mark Scheifele out. Laine and Scheifele haven’t played together much lately at 5-on-5, but Scheifele is Laine’s key setup guy on the power play. A great shooter is even greater when playmakers find them in dangerous scoring areas, no different than the Alex Ovechkin/Nicklas Backstrom duo in Washington.

It will be interesting to see if Laine is just as threatening in Scheifele’s absence, or if his goal scoring fades a bit as Winnipeg tries to find a new first power-play unit.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/columnist/allen/2018/01/02/nhl-power-rankings-7-0- golden-knights-lightning/996394001/

NHL power rankings 7.0: Golden Knights are the real deal By Kevin Allen – January 3, 2018

William Karlsson boasts 20 goals. Marc-Andre Fleury owns a 1.96 goals-against average and .938 save percentage. Defenseman Nate Schmidt is playing 22:41 quality minutes per night. The Vegas Golden Knights lead the NHL with a 16-2-1 home record.

A variety of factors are contributing to Vegas being on a path to becoming the most celebrated expansion team in the NHL’s 100-year history.

The Golden Knights have won 11 of their past 12 games and have moved into second place in offense at 3.51 goals per game. They have also moved into second place in USA TODAY Sports' NHL power rankings.

Here is our ranking:

1. Tampa Bay Lightning: The Lightning would love to start the playoffs today. They hold the NHL's best record at 28-8-2. Since Dec. 2, they are 11-2-0 and have outscored opponents 54-28.

2. Vegas Golden Knights: Jonathan Marchessault, David Perron and James Neal are three of the Golden Knights’ top five scorers and each of them will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. For general manager George McPhee, that's a concern, but not a worry. Can’t imagine any of those players want to leave Vegas.

3. Winnipeg Jets: Kyle Conner and Blake Wheeler have combined for four goals and seven points in the two games since Mark Scheifele, their center, was injured. The Jets won both games.

4. Nashville Predators: The Preds are 16-5-3 since acquiring center Kyle Turris from the Ottawa. He has five goals and 18 points in 23 games as a Nashville player.

5. New Jersey Devils: Story of the season? Brian Boyle, diagnosed with cancer before training camp, is having one of the best seasons of his career. He has 10 goals and six assists for 16 points. He’s on a pace to have his top production since netting 21 goals for the Rangers in 2010-11.

6. Washington Capitals: The Capitals are the only top 10 NHL team to have a road record (8-8-3) that isn’t above .500.

7. Los Angeles Kings: The Kings rank first in GAA (2.33 per game), but their improvement has come on the offensive side of the game. Their scoring average has improved from 2.45 (25th overall) to 2.90 (15th) this season.

8. : Don’t forget about Bruce Cassidy on your coach of the year ballot. The Bruins have the fourth-best record in the East. How many people saw that coming?

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9. St. Louis Blues: Injuries have taken a toll. GM Doug Armstrong is said to be aggressively considering his trade options. The Ottawa Sun was the first to report the Blues were interested in acquiring scorer Mike Hoffman.

10. New York Rangers: After shaking off a miserable start, the Rangers have gone 18-6-3 in their last 27 games. That puts them in step with the Lightning for that period.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs: Center Nazem Kadri is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury and he’s also been in a dreadful slump. He’s gone 11 games without a point.

12. Dallas Stars: Defenseman John Klingberg is having the best season of his young career. He leads NHL defensemen with 34 points in 40 games. Overlooked: He’s a plus-35 in 261 NHL games.

13. San Jose Sharks: Defenseman Brent Burns has five points in his past five games, but he’s also minus- 6. He’s minus-11 in his past 12 games and hasn’t registered a plus game since Dec. 1.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets: Coach John Tortorella’s pesky team has been poor to mediocre since the beginning of December. They are 5-7-2 in their past 14 games. They have scored two or fewer goals eight times in that span.

15. New York Islanders: Linemates Anders Lee, John Tavares and Josh Bailey have combined for 57 goals in the Islanders’ first 39 games. That’s a primary reason why the Islanders have the third-highest scoring offense.

16. Anaheim Ducks: With Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler both back, the Ducks are showing signs of being a force again. They have won four of their last five. Corey Perry (leg) is expected to be back within two weeks.

17. Carolina Hurricanes: The ‘Canes have won seven of their last nine after losing six of their previous seven. Their power play is an issue: they are in a 4-for-31 slump, and all two of those goals came in the same game. They rank 28th overall at 15.4%.

18. : The Blackhawks are ranked 29th on the power play (15%), but they have scored three power-play goals over their past three games.

19. Minnesota Wild: Tonight’s return of Zach Parise from injury should boost a Wild offense that ranks 19th at 2.77 goals per game.

20. Colorado Avalanche: With six points in his past two games, center Nathan MacKinnon has put himself on a pace to flirt with a 100-point season. He has 46 points in 38 games, good for a 99-point pace.

21. Calgary Flames: Why aren’t the Flames in a playoff position? They rank 23rd in scoring (2.72), 16th in goals-against (2.85), 19th on the power play (18.6%) and 25th in penalty killing (78%).

22. Philadelphia Flyers: Since losing 10 in a row, the Flyers are 8-3-1. Meanwhile, the Flyers will be watching Canada at the world junior championships because Canadian goalie Carter Hart is considered one of their top prospects.

23. Pittsburgh Penguins: It’s January and the Penguins aren’t in a playoff position. Guarantee general manager Jim Rutherford is working the phones today.

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24. Florida Panthers: While no one is paying attention to the Panthers, they have run off a five-game winning streak. Goalie James Reimer has given up six goals, with two shutouts, during the winning streak. He has stopped 173 of 179 shots (.966 save percentage).

25. Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin has shown that he is the rebuilding centerpiece the Red Wings hoped he would be. With his speedy and dashing style, he has been presence in every game he has played. He has eight points in his past six games and leads the Red Wings in shots on goal (103).

26. Edmonton Oilers: If you are looking for encouragement, they had netted three or more goals in seven out of eight games before being shut out by Winnipeg.

27. Montreal Canadiens: With one goal in 21 games, Max Pacioretty’s frustrating season has become a symbol of Montreal’s disappointing season.

28. Vancouver Canucks: Too many key injuries have caused this slide. It’s that simple. Meanwhile, sensational rookie Brock Boeser has 16 goals in his past 21 games.

29. Ottawa Senators: Considering the Senators have given up four or more goals in five of their past six games, it’s easy to see why they are struggling. They have surrendered five or more seven times in their past 17 games.

30. Buffalo Sabres: Any Buffalo fan watching the WJC has to be encouraged by the prospect of having a Jack Eichel-Casey Mittelstadt one-two center combination, possibly next season. Mittelstadt, Buffalo’s first-round pick last June, has been dominant, dynamic and productive.

31. Arizona Coyotes: Rookie Clayton Keller is hot again with nine points in an eight-game point streak. But the Coyotes are 2-9-1 in their past 12 games.

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