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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 7/14/2021 1190332 Ducks sign , , Vinni Lettieri to 1190360 More spending money for Wild doesn't mean bigger deals one-year extensions for Kaprizov and Fiala 1190361 Buying out Ryan Suter and — how it works for the Wild 1190333 Matty Beniers looks like the real deal 1190362 Wild's dynamic (departing) duo: Zach Parise and Ryan 1190334 Could Jake DeBrusk be this expansion draft's William Suter climbed franchise record books Karlsson? 1190363 Wild bosses wanted both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter 1190335 2021 NHL offseason: How Bruins should use their salary gone cap space 1190364 Nine years ago, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter put the state 1190336 BHN Puck Links: NHL Trade Rumors, Gaudreau And of hockey into ecstasy Bruins; Oilers 1190365 Cutting Zach Parise, Ryan Suter together needed 'to keep 1190337 Confirmed: Kampfer Leaving Boston Bruins For The KHL moving forward,' Wild's GM says 1190368 How do Zach Parise-Ryan Suter buyouts impact expansion draft? 1190338 Sabres’ former scouting staff left strong foundation for 1190369 Parise-Suter money was elite; the play was not those now tasked with filling prospect pipeline 1190370 Wild buying out veteran stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter 1190371 Wild’s stunning Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts could create salary-cap repercussions for years 1190339 Joel Quenneville offers to participate in Chicago 1190372 Wild buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter: Sources Blackhawks’ investigation into 2010 sexual assault 1190373 Untangling the Wild offseason: How the expansion draft allegatio impacts the rest of Minnesota’s moves 1190340 Blackhawks’ Caleb Jones excited for change of scenery, with or without brother Seth 1190341 Could Caleb Jones' brother also join Blackhawks? 1190374 Canadiens remove interim tag, sign head coach 1190342 Why Duncan Keith is the best Hawks defenseman ever Dominique Ducharme to a three-year extension 1190343 Lazerus: Duncan Keith trade leaves the Blackhawks’ 1190375 Ducharme added positivity, control behind Habs' bench, golden age a faded — but ineffable — memory goalie Allen says 1190376 Stu Cowan: Unflappable Ducharme reaps reward for Colorado Avalanche Canadiens' Cup run 1190344 Erik Johnson waives no-movement clause, giving 1190377 Habs fans aren't getting a parade, but they can still get Avalanche protection flexibility for Kraken draft free pizza 1190345 Erik Johnson waiving no-movement clause gives 1190378 He took over mid-season as interim coach and led the Avalanche options before Seattle expansion draft Habs to the final. 1190346 Would Ryan Suter make sense for the Avs? If they lose 1190379 After breaking our hearts (and the cap), Tampa broke the Ryan Graves and/or Erik Johnson, yes Stanley Cup 1190347 Is Gabe Landeskog a lock to be re-signed by Avs? Maybe 1190380 Dominique Ducharme overcame challenges to earn the not Canadiens coaching job, but his biggest are yet to come 1190348 Blue Jackets to hold memorial services for Matiss 1190381 Nashville Predators' goes out like he came in Kivlenieks Thursday — quietly, with class 1190349 Prosecutor reviewing police report of incident that killed 1190382 There won't be another Pekka Rinne, a 'man of the Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks people' and true Nashville treasure 1190350 The Kings and : What are the pros and cons of 1190383 Why retired Predators goalie Pekka Rinne will always be a possible trade with the Blue Jackets? on a first-name basis with Nashville 1190384 Retired Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne no good at goodbyes — and I'm thankful for that 1190351 When Detroit Red Wings pursued Ryan Suter and Zach 1190385 Nashville Predators' Pekka Rinne opens his heart in Parise: What might have been retirement letter: 'It just meant everything to me' 1190352 Michigan commit Luke Hughes ready to follow brothers, 1190386 Pekka Rinne retires as Nashville Predators goalie, ending make NHL Entry Draft history epic 15-season run 1190353 Red Wings could have shot at another Hughes brother -- 1190387 Five memorable moments Pekka Rinne had with the D-man Luke Nashville Predators 1190388 'Heck of a career': Pekka Rinne retirement announcement Oilers brings flood of memories, well wishes 1190354 OILERS NOTES: Keith will fill the big hole in Klefbom's 1190389 Pekka Rinne retires: The Predators goalie’s improbable continued absence legacy, and what losing him means for Nashville 1190355 Duncan Keith, by the numbers: What are the chances the 1190390 Rinne says retirement feels like ‘the right choice, and the former Norris winner bounces back with the Oilers? right time’ 1190356 Panthers’ Joel Quenneville offers to participate in 1190391 N.J.’s Ross Colton scores Stanley Cup-winning to Blackhawks’ review of sexual assault allegations by former cap rookie season 1190357 Florida Panthers 2021 Report Cards: The Defensemen 1190392 New York Islanders Actively Shopping Players to Free Up 1190358 The Kings and Seth Jones: What are the pros and cons of Cap Space a possible trade with the Blue Jackets? 1190393 Islanders Need More from Anthony Beauvillier & More 1190359 Prospect Profiles – Simon Edvinsson & William Eklund Websites 1190394 Flyers are willing to deal their first-round pick if it brings 1190422 The Athletic / From Sandy Hook to the NHL Draft, one them a player for the long run prospect’s enduring connection 1190395 Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher talks about the expansion draft 1190423 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: In which a simple and ‘some exciting additions’ he hopes to make question about NHL draft history goes wrong 1190396 NHL insider drops notable info on Voracek, Jones 1190424 .ca / NHL rumour roundup: Will Eichel be 1190397 With 1st big deal of NHL offseason done, sounds like it's Sabres' first domino to fall? time to buckle up 1190425 Sportsnet.ca / With Ducharme signed, new deal for 1190398 Flyers protection list? Trading the first-rounder? GM Danault among Canadiens' top priorities Chuck Fletcher talks offseason plans — and we translate 1190426 TSN.CA / Sopel: Former Blackhawks teammates should 1190399 Jakub Voracek remains a valuable scorer, but could he be 'telling the truth publicly' about assault allegations still become a casualty of the Flyers’ offseason? 1190427 TSN.CA / Culture could be key to Flames' off-season plans Penguins SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1190400 NHL buyout history: Biggest, longest deals — plus Penguins details 1190401 For ex-Penguins forward Troy Loney, joining an expansion team offered 'opportunity and excitement' 1190402 Penguins A to Z: Can Marcus Pettersson get back on track? 1190403 Recounting Awful Golden Knights Expansion Draft Trades, Penguins Included 1190404 Dan’s Daily: Blackhawks Chasing Marc-Andre Fleury, Stanley Cup Dented 1190405 San Jose Sharks re-sign young 1190406 Are Sharks’ Bob Boughner and Doug Wilson secure? Kevin Labanc’s trade value? Martin Jones buyout?: Mailbag 1190407 What Are Expansion Draft Implications of Re-Signing Kořenář? 1190408 Sheng’s Daily: Bruins Will “Go Hard” After Goodrow, Hawks “In Play” for Fleury 1190409 Cat Silverman on Who Should Be Sharks’ Next StarterPublished 17 hours ago on July 13, 2021By JD Young Seattle Kraken 1190410 Climate Pledge Arena renovation nearing final stages, easing concerns about Kraken’s debut 1190411 Who will each team lose in the Kraken expansion draft? Predicting the 30 players going to Seattle St Louis Blues 1190412 Starting with Tarasenko, Blues forward position is in flux 1190413 Lightning have the Stanley Cup again, but now they have a problem 1190414 Broken bones. Cracked ribs. Torn ligaments. Lightning played through it all en route to Cup. 1190420 Canucks top 10 prospects: Hard-rock Jett Woo’s got underrated offensive talents, too 1190421 NHL player agent poll: What will Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson’s second contracts look like? 1190415 TV analyst no longer part of Golden Knights broadcasts 1190416 Zach Parise and the Golden Knights: Would there be a fit with the former Wild star? 1190417 Rinne Retires; Does Nashville Need a Goalie? 1190418 Mike McKenna Shocker: Popular VGK Analyst Will Not Return 1190419 Stanley Cup Dented, NHL Trade Winds Swirling 1190332 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks sign Sam Carrick, Trevor Carrick, Vinni Lettieri to one-year extensions

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | [email protected] | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: July 13, 2021 at 2:33 p.m. | UPDATED: July 13, 2021 at 2:33 p.m.

The Ducks signed Sam Carrick, his brother, Trevor, and Vinni Lettieri to one-year contract extensions Tuesday, maintaining the depth on the roster of their AHL team, the . Sam Carrick’s deal is a one-way contract and Trevor Carrick and Lettieri signed two-way deals.

They could have become unrestricted free agents July 28, but will remain with the organization for 2021-22.

Sam Carrick, a center, had two goals and four assists in 13 games with the Ducks last season and also had 14 goals and 10 assists in 27 games with the Gulls. Trevor Carrick, a defenseman, had one goal and 11 assists in 39 games with San Diego. Lettieri, a right wing, had 14 goals and 12 assists in 22 games with the Gulls. He was scoreless in five appearances with the Ducks.

Sam Carrick’s deal is for $750,000. Trevor Carrick and Lettieri will make $750,000 if they play with the Ducks. Trevor Carrick will be paid $325,000 while with the Gulls, and Lettieri will make $425,000 with San Diego.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190333 Boston Bruins sprinting to your spots and that’s what Beniers does. Some guys like to glide. When you watch Beniers, he’s sprinting to the bench coming off the ice and he’s coming onto the ice from the bench like he’s shot out of a cannon. That seems like a little thing, but it’s a big thing.” Matty Beniers looks like the real deal While many have compared Beniers to Toews, it’s no surprise that a kid who was raised in the Boston area might have a different role model as a two-way centerman. By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald “I love (Patrice) Bergeron,” said Beniers. “Just the way he plays the July 13, 2021 at 5:11 a.m. game, plays it the right way and that was something my Dad stressed growing up, playing the right way, playing defense before offense, that kind of stuff. And Bergeron kind of embodied that. I grew up watching him When you hear hockey talent evaluators talk about Matty Beniers, one and my Dad loved him. Now I watch him all the time trying to pick up particular skill rarely jumps out at the top of the check list. Yes, Beniers’ things in his game and try to put them in mine. He’s such a good player, skating is always mentioned early in the conversation, but it is something such a good two-way center. It’s kind of funny how that turned out being more intangible that that has placed the Hingham native near the top of my style of play.” this year’s draft class. Beniers had hoped to come back home to play college hockey at “He’s a kid you win with,” said one Western Conference amateur scout. Harvard, but when the Ivy League canceled its season because of Covid, “He’s an April, May, June player.” he had little choice but to look elsewhere. Ann Arbor is not a bad Plan B.

Beniers, a 6-foot-1, 176-pound two-way centerman who was a -per- “I definitely wanted to play around Massachusetts and be around my game player in his freshman season at the University of Michigan (10-14- family and have them come to a bunch of games. I loved Harvard, I loved 24 in 24 games), is expected to be the highest selected prospect from the coaches and the players. I definitely wanted to go there,” said New England since Jack Eichel was taken second overall in 2015 in this Beniers. “There was a little bit of sadness in not going there. But when year’s draft on July 23. (the Ivy League canceled its season), I had to decide whether to stay or go to juniors or leaving (home) to continue my college career. It ended up Many prognosticators expect the Buffalo Sabres to take Beniers’ being a really good decision. I had a great year, not even stuff with Wolverine teammate, defenseman Owen Power, with the No. 1 overall hockey but all around. I met a lot of new friends. Michigan was great, pick but after that, Beniers could very well go in the second slot to the hockey was great, the school was great. It was a pretty good time. It expansion Seattle Kraken. Whatever team drafts Beniers is projected to stinks not being closer to home and playing near people that know you a be getting a building-block type of player who will one day compete for a lot and your family, but it was definitely a great alternative. You can’t Selke Award. really go wrong with either school.” Beniers comes from a family of high achievers. His parents, Robert and He had an excellent freshman season, won a gold medal with Team USA Christine, both went to Cornell, where Robert played football. Robert, at the World Junior Championships last winter and was invited to play who coached his son for many years with the South Shore Kings, now with and against pro players at the World Championships in the spring. owns a company while Christine became a lawyer after performing for a He did not feel out of place. time on Broadway, most notably in the long-running hit “A Chorus Line.” His brother Bobby played hockey and lacrosse at Williams while his “My teammates were great, they helped me along the way,” said Beniers, sister Gianna went to Cornell. Both siblings now work in finance. whose tourney was cut short by a lower body injury (he’s expected to be ready for NHL teams’ development camps in August). “I think the pace Matty was originally set to follow his big brother in a prep career at Milton wasn’t too much faster but it was definitely a little faster. Guys were hard Academy. He played his freshman season there and the potential was in the corners, but I think that’s what I expected, so there wasn’t anything obvious. that blew me away or something I wasn’t ready for.” “We could see his hockey IQ and the speed of his legs and his hands So now it’s just a waiting game for Beniers. Maybe the Buffalo Sabres and his mind were rare. Very rare,” said Milton Academy coach Paul will call his name as the first overall pick – no one’s exactly sure what Cannata. “It’s great to see that he took that potential and made himself that forever-in-flux franchise will do – or he gets picked by the Kraken into the type of player that he’s become.” with the second pick, or maybe it’s the Anaheim Ducks with the third. But His exploits as a freshman were enough to gain the attention of the don’t expect him to drop much lower. National Development Team Program in Michigan. Beniers would soon Then Beniers will have a decision to make – go pro or return to Ann find his own path, one that so many top American prospects have taken. Arbor. The selecting team will have a big say in that, but Beniers wouldn’t “For me, I think I got kind of blown away when I went out to the NTDP mind a much fuller college experience than the stripped-down Covid and saw everything they had to offer and I was pretty excited about that version he had last season, especially with the wagon the Wolverines route,” said Beniers. “It was a little easier for me than for my Mom, who could have returning. Michigan center Kent Johnson could be the third really didn’t want to send me away when I was that young. My Mom Wolverine taken in the top 10. actually moved out with me and we got a house. That was part of the “I’m definitely leaning towards going back,” said Beniers. “I think we’ll deal. She said ‘I’m not sending you out there alone. I’m coming with you.’ have a really good team next year, especially if Owen decides to come But that was great. It worked out well.” back. I think we’d have a real shot at a national title. That’s something I Beniers showed he was in the right spot at the national program. He want to go after. Also playing in (Yost Ice Arena) with fans. That would be quickly proved his mettle and, as a 16-year-old, played games with the really fun.” loaded U18 team that produced a bevy of first-rounders in 2019, For the team that drafts Beniers, more than few people believe he’d be including Jack Hughes (first overall), Alex Turcotte (fifth), Trevor Zegras worth the wait. (ninth), Matt Boldy (12th), Cole Caufield (15th) and the Bruins’ first-round pick that year, Johnny Beecher (30th).

Several scouts have compared Beniers’ game to that of Jonathan Toews, Boston Herald LOADED: 07.14.2021 with the combination of his two-way game and explosive skating ability. Toews is the first comp that came to the mind of Kirk Luedeke, who as assistant GM of the USHL’s Omaha Lancers saw plenty of Beniers. He loved Beniers’ skating, his playmaking, his intelligence. But it’s his will that stands out.

“He’s a classic, two-way three-zone guy who’s going to impact the game at both ends. He just works hard, man,” said Luedeke, who recently moved to the media side of the business at the New England Hockey Journal. “That’s one of the biggest things. His compete is off the charts. He’s always moving his feet, he’s always hustling. Coaches talk about 1190334 Boston Bruins So the Bruins should use DeBrusk as a chip to address a position of need — defense or middle-six wing, the latter of which he can’t be trusted to be in Boston, but might be somewhere else. Even if things have probably run their course for him with the B’s, just giving DeBrusk Could Jake DeBrusk be this expansion draft's William Karlsson? away would be unwise now and potentially embarrassing in the future.

BY DJ BEAN Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.14.2021 NBC SPORTS

DJ Bean

As next Wednesday’s expansion draft approaches, each team has one goal: Don’t be Columbus.

The Blue Jackets were the biggest goats of the Vegas expansion draft back in 2017. Hoping to shed a bad contract and worried about losing players they preferred, they swung a deal with the Knights. Draft picks and David Clarkson’s contract went to Vegas, and as part of the deal, the Golden Knights picked 24-year-old forward William Karlsson.

At the time, Karlsson was an underwhelming forward who’d been taken high in his draft (53rd overall) but hadn’t done much at the NHL level. With 47 points in 165 games for Columbus, he was an easy enough player for the Blue Jackets to bid adieu.

Bean: Does this hypothetical Tarasenko trade make sense for Bruins?

Karlsson got to Vegas and broke out, scoring 43 goals in the club’s first season, followed by 24 goals the next year. Leaving him exposed was a disaster for the Blue Jackets.

So in the days leading up to next Wednesday, every team should be taking a good look at their protected lists and make sure they aren’t leaving this expansion draft’s William Karlsson exposed.

The Bruins have perhaps two candidates to be the next William Karlsson: Jake DeBrusk and Ondrej Kase. The latter probably wouldn’t be picked in the first place, so the B’s could likely get away with leaving him exposed.

DeBrusk is a harder choice, but the short answer is that the Bruins should protect him. Take as long as you need to deal with how frustrated that might make you, but it’s the best course of action for the Bruins.

Think of it as more asset management than DeBrusk being a core member of the Bruins. They should absolutely look to move him this offseason; they just shouldn’t get rid of him for nothing.

The Bruins will likely protect seven forwards as part of the seven forward, three defensemen, one goalie option. Five of them should be set in stone (Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith). Trent Frederic also seems a decent bet to be protected.

The decision for the final spot could come down to DeBrusk and restricted free agent Nick Ritchie. DeBrusk scored 27 goals in just 68 games in the 2018-19 campaign. He scored only five in 41 games this past season. Ritchie, meanwhile, played at a 22-goal pace (15 goals in 56 games), albeit thanks to a career-high shooting percentage.

Both are first-round picks in their mid-20s. DeBrusk is the more talented player, even though he badly needs a change of scenery. That second part likely won’t mean much to Seattle, given that they’d be his new team. They’d probably be glad the Bruins left the more talented player with better career numbers exposed.

There’s a chance Seattle wouldn’t take Ritchie anyway. Depending on what other defensemen they’re able to pick up in the expansion draft, a young blueliner like Jeremy Lauzon or Connor Clifton might be more appetizing to the expansion franchise.

Back to DeBrusk and his future with the Bruins. He’s been streaky throughout his career and this past season was treacherous, but he should still be a decent trade piece. In addition to the aforementioned 27 goals a couple seasons ago, his 19 goals in the COVID-shortened 2019- 20 season represented a 22-goal pace.

With one year of a $3.67 million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent, DeBrusk can be viewed by other teams as a proven (though not dependable) scorer who could become a middle-six fixture. It’s why Seattle would probably be interested in taking him for free, but also why trade partners might view him as a useful buy-low piece. 1190335 Boston Bruins There are a couple players the Bruins should not bring back. One is fourth-line forward Sean Kuraly. The veteran center struggled

throughout the 2020-21 season, particularly offensively. He also went 2021 NHL offseason: How Bruins should use their salary cap space scoreless in the playoffs and took some bad penalties in the Islanders series. His role could be replaced by a younger and cheaper player, such as Trent Frederic, who the team re-signed last month.

BY NICK GOSS Ondrej Kase was acquired by the B's from the Ducks before the 2020 trade deadline but injuries have limited him to just nine games with

Boston, including only three this past season. Based on his injury history, BRUINS which was a concern in Anaheim as well, the Bruins would be wise not to re-sign him. Tying up valuable cap space on a player you can't trust to The 2021 NHL offseason could be a wild one with a couple star players remain healthy consistently makes little sense. rumored to be available via trade, as well as another expansion draft for the league's 32nd team, the Seattle Kraken. Kevan Miller showed tremendous determination by coming back from multiple knee surgeries and playing this season. However, it's finally time The Boston Bruins are among the teams to watch this summer for a to part ways with the veteran defenseman. A concussion kept him couple of reasons. One is they have several important players hitting free sidelined for most of the 2021 playoffs, and during the regular season he agency later this month. They also have to make an organizational played in just 28 of the team's 56 games. The B's need a more reliable decision on whether to run it back and make another aggressive run for a defenseman in regards to availability. Stanley Cup title, or take a step back and restock a cupboard that's bare of quality prospects. Tuukka Rask is 34 years old and expected to have hip surgery. He projected his return date could be sometime in January or February. Complete list of Bruins free agents ahead of pivotal offseason There's no need for the Bruins to re-sign Rask before getting an idea of how his post-surgery recovery is going. Rask said after the season that Bruins president Cam Neely said after his team's playoff exit to the New he only wants to play in Boston, so there shouldn't be too much fear from York Islanders that Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand would like the the Bruins about him signing elsewhere. team to make another run. That direction would be the smart play. It also would be unwise for the Bruins to go into the season with a young So, with that in mind, let's take a look at how Bruins general manager and inexperienced tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Dan Vladar. Signing Don Sweeney should spend the team's salary cap space this offseason. a veteran goalie to back up Swayman (or even start) is the best-case How much salary cap space? scenario in net. A trade with the Stars to bring back former B's backup Anton Khudobin would be an interesting play. A couple free agent goalie The salary cap for the 2021-22 NHL season is $81.5 million. The Bruins options include Chris Driedger, Devan Dubnyk and Jonathan Bernier, have about $30 million in cap space right now, per CapFriendly. This among others. sounds like a lot, and it is, but you also have to consider that 11 players on the Bruins' NHL roster are free agents. Jaroslav Halak was a very good backup goalie behind Rask for the last three seasons, but Swayman took over his job during the regular season Who should the Bruins prioritize? and into the playoffs. Does Halak want to return? Could he find a better The priority for the Bruins should be re-signing Taylor Hall and David opportunity on the open market? Krejci. What could contracts look like?

Hall was acquired by the B's before the trade deadline and the move The excellent website Evolving Hockey does contract projections based revitalized his career. He tallied 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 16 on stats (including analytics) and what comparable players have already regular season games for the Bruins after tallying just 19 points (two signed for. It's an interesting tool (a subscription is required). goals, 17 assists) in 37 games for the Sabres. Hall has made it clear several times since coming to Boston that he The need to re-sign Krejci is largely based on the team not having a wants to remain with the Bruins. We have seen a few instances already suitable replacement if he departs. Charlie Coyle likely would move up to this offseason where teams have given up term to get a better annual the No. 2 center role if Krejci leaves, but he's best suited in his current average value (AAV), with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in Edmonton being one role centering the third line. Top prospect Jack Studnicka could be a example. A five, six or seven-year deal with a cap hit around $6-7 million Krejci replacement but is still at least a year away from being ready for would be a good scenario for Boston. that job. The projected Krejci deal is pretty solid. He said after the season that he Another reason to bring back these two forwards is the chemistry and can't envision himself playing for another team, so maybe he'd take offensive production they showed together. somewhat of a hometown discount.

The Bruins' second line of Hall, David Krejci and Craig Smith was The Ritchie projected AAV is way too high. He was red-hot at the excellent. It gave the team much-needed scoring depth outside of the top beginning of the 2020-21 season but eventually cooled off and didn't line. In fact, the Bruins controlled 65 percent of shot attempts and shots make a huge offensive impact down the stretch or in the playoffs. on net, and also outscored opponents 13-1 during the 180 minutes of 5- on-5 action this line saw in the regular season, per Natural Stat Trick. The Carlo AAV might be a little bit low, but a two-year bridge deal for a young RFA defenseman is pretty standard around the league. Another priority for the Bruins needs to be re-signing Brandon Carlo. The 24-year-old is a steady, reliable defensive defenseman. His recent An AAV around $3.8 million is pretty solid for Reilly, and it also would be concussions are a concern, but the B's cannot afford to lose one of their a movable contract if the Bruins needed/wanted to trade him at some few legit top-four defensemen. Carlo also has the size and strength the point. Bruins lack on their blue line overall. If the Bruins re-sign these players for around $20.5 million, they'd have Carlo is a restricted free agent, so the B's have more leverage there than about $9.5 million to replace Rask, Kuraly, Miller and Halak. Jarred they would with a . Tinordi also wouldn't be brought back in this scenario.

The other defenseman definitely worth keeping - at the right price, though Several of those veterans could be replaced by internal options. Kuraly -- is Mike Reilly. He was another good trade deadline acquisition. Reilly could be replaced by Studnicka or Frederic. Miller could be replaced by provided a strong level of skating, playmaking and the ability to jumpstart Jakub Zboril or 2017 first-round pick Urho Vaakanainen. Halak replaced the transition game with a good first pass out of the defensive zone. He by Vladar or a veteran free agent. struggled in the Islanders series, but overall he was a nice fit. He's ideally If the Bruins needed additional cap space for a larger move, they could a No. 4 defenseman or a great third-pairing guy. The Bruins should bring trade left winger Jake DeBrusk and his $3.675 million cap hit. him back, but another team with more cap space and/or fewer of its own free agents to sign might offer Reilly more money than Boston. One of Bruins' primary needs this offseason is a top-four defenseman to play the left side. Saving some cap space to go after this kind of player Who should the Bruins not re-sign? via trade should be near the top of Sweeney's offseason agenda. Nashville Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who has a $3.75 million salary cap hit through next season, would be an ideal trade target.

Krejci, Hall, a left-side top-four defenseman, Carlo and Reilly should be the top five priorities for the Bruins this summer.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190336 Boston Bruins Finally, good luck to FOBHN (Friend Of Boston Hockey Now) Pierre McGuire in his new gig with the Senators! ()

BHN Puck Links: NHL Trade Rumors, Gaudreau And Bruins; Oilers Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021

Published 16 hours ago on July 13, 2021

By Jimmy Murphy

Will the Johnny Gaudreau to the Boston Bruins NHL Trade rumors finally come to fruition this summer?

The Boston Bruins have been linked to the winger and former Boston College star in NHL Trade rumors numerous times over the past few years. With the silly season kicking into full swing again, the 2014 Hobey Baker Award winner finds himself in the eye of the NHL Trade rumor storm but if the Bruins or any other team who may have interest better step up soon.

Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman recently confirmed that Gaudreau’s agent Lewis Gross and Flames General Manager Brad Treliving have begun discussions on extending Gaudreau’s past this coming season, the final in his six-year contract that carries a $6.7 million salary cap hit. However, after shooting down a rumor that forward Matthew Tkachuk asked for a trade, Treliving was still non-committal on Gaudreau and other underachieving Flames stars when asked about Friedman’s report and Gaudreau’s future in Calgary.

“I’m certainly open to exploring any avenue available to make our team better,” Treliving said in a recent radio interview. “We didn’t meet the expectations we had of our team, so we’ve got to look at how we can make it better.”

So should Boston Bruins Don Sweeney present an avenue for Treliving to explore when it comes to Gaudreau who has twice cracked the 30- goal plateau and scored 36 goals while falling one point shy of 100 in 2018-19? It could be now or never.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins have made it clear that they intend to remake their bottom-six forward group this offseason and it appears their top target for that project has Bruin written all over him. (Boston Hockey Now)

Are the Boston Bruins willing to trade forward Trent Frederic and a 2021 first round pick for Vladimir Tarasenko, who has played just 34 games in the last two seasons? (Boston Hockey Now)

My partner-in-crime, Joe Haggerty, has confirmed that defenseman Steven Kampfer is indeed headed to the KHL. (Boston Hockey Now)

National Hockey Now

Steve Yzerman has the cash to burn, and it looks like Detroit is waiting in the wings for UFA Zach Hyman. (Detroit Hockey Now)

From a Marc-Andre Fleury-Penguins trade to Jason Zucker going to Seattle. We examine the probability of eight Penguins’ offseason moves. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Why can’t we be friends? Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin are tight, and that bond fueled a lot of Capitals success and changed that franchise. (Washington Hockey Now)

Hello Anthony Beauvillier? The Islanders need a much more consistent Beauvillier to get over that Stanley Cup hump. (NYI Hockey Now)

Some cool history–How close were the San Jose Sharks to drafting crushing defenseman Scott Niedermayer instead of their famous pick of Pat Falloon? (San Jose Hockey Now)

NHL

The Tampa Bay Lightning need to put a dent in their immaturity not the Stanley Cup. (ESPN)

Unable to get the Chicago Blackhawks to retain any salary in the Duncan Keith trade, where will the go from here with such limited cap space? (TSN) 1190337 Boston Bruins

Confirmed: Kampfer Leaving Boston Bruins For The KHL

Published 16 hours ago on July 13, 2021

By Joe Haggerty

After rumors surfaced during the Stanley Cup playoffs that Boston Bruins defenseman Steven Kampfer was headed to the KHL, it’s been confirmed this week. The longtime reserve Bruins defenseman has signed a one-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan to play in the KHL next season, a signing confirmed to Boston Hockey Now by Kampfer’s agent Alec Schall.

“He did sign in the KHL. Simple reasoning: he’s going to be 33, it was an attractive offer, and it will be fun to play a key role on his new team,” said Schall, when asked why now was the proper time for Kampfer to head overseas to play in after logging 231 NHL games over the course of a 10-year professional hockey career.

Kampfer had an unfortunate end to his final season in Boston when hand surgery wiped out his availability for last spring’s playoff run for the Black and Gold. There were rumors he’d already decided to play in Russia while the postseason was still going on, but Kampfer said he hadn’t officially signed anything when the B’s season was over.

“It’s tough for any player because you don’t want to take yourself out of an equation. You don’t want to have surgery when you’re getting to that point of the season. It got to the point where we sat down with the trainers and the surgeon, and it was the best thing that we could do moving forward. It was extremely tough,” said Kampfer during the B’s season-ending zoom calls. “Obviously with Brandon and Kevan [injured] in the first round and then the second round where you’re essentially not available to play, it’s tough. You want to play. It’s the best time of year. I think that was the hard part. You want to be available. You want to help the team at any cost. When you can’t, it’s difficult.

“I’ve loved my time in Boston. If this is the end of it, I love the guys in the room, the staff, and we’ll go from there. I want to play hockey, obviously. Regardless of where that is, I want to play. I think I have a lot of hockey left in me. I think what happened this year, I guess I got hurt. It was unfortunate. I think the hardest part for me was I was playing, and I was playing well, then I had [to have] surgery.”

The writing was on the wall for Kampfer with the Bruins as the organization moved to push young defensemen like Jeremy Lauzon, Jakub Zboril and Connor Clifton into higher spots on the organizational depth chart last season. Clearly getting more playing time was a priority for Kampfer at this point in his career after bouncing between the NHL and AHL for the last decade but playing in Russia will also be a big adjustment for Kampfer and his young family.

The 33-year-old Kampfer finished with two goals and five points along with a plus-4 in 20 games and had spent the last three seasons serving as a reserve defenseman for the Boston Bruins in his second stint with the organization. Kampfer came to Boston ahead of the 2018-19 NHL season when the B’s dealt Adam McQuaid to the , and even suited up for a few playoff games including one where he scored a goal during Boston’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in the 2019 playoffs.

Kampfer leaves North America with 15 goals and 39 points in 231 career NHL games with the Bruins, Wild, Panthers and Rangers over a 10-year career spent almost entirely as a valuable, unsung spare defenseman at the NHL level.

Kampfer will be joining former Boston Bruins teammate Par Lindholm on Al Bars Kazan, who similarly exited the Boston Bruins for Sweden last season when he was unhappy with the reserve role he was going to be playing with the NHL organization.

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190338 Buffalo Sabres year, getting an education for the offseason on how to play in the big leagues.

Forward Matej Pekar built a reputation in junior as a pest with offensive Sabres’ former scouting staff left strong foundation for those now tasked ability, though his first year with the Amerks lacked similar results. with filling prospect pipeline It’s not yet clear if Linus Cronholm and William Worge-Kreu will graduate from the or Miska Kukkonen will advance past the Finnish league. The Sabres hold their rights until June 1, 2022, so the By John Vogl defensemen have one more year to develop in their homelands.

Jul 13, 2021 The Sabres’ scouting staff also landed undrafted free agent Lawrence Pilut. He was a two-time AHL All-Star and played in 46 games for Buffalo

before heading to the Kontinental Hockey League this season. The Whenever the Sabres talk about the future, which is pretty much every Sabres still hold his rights should he return to North America. opportunity, the names Dylan Cozens, Casey Mittelstadt and Rasmus It’d be a surprise if the last draft for Botterill and company failed to match Dahlin are thrust to the forefront. What do those players have in their first with five contracts from six picks. Cozens and Lukas Rousek common? have signed. Ryan Johnson, Erik Portillo and Aaron Huglen are There were drafted by the scouting staff that got fired. And they’re not progressing toward deals. alone. There were 217 selections in the 2019 draft, and Cozens is one of the 22 As the Sabres head to next week’s draft with another new scouting who’ve already reached the NHL. Despite COVID-19 and a concussion, hierarchy, it’s become easier to grade the prospects taken during the Cozens skated in 41 games with four goals and nine assists. The 20- Jason Botterill era. By extension, it’s easier to see if the Sabres’ staff year-old went into the offseason determined to improve after getting knew what it was doing from 2017 to 2019. blanked in his final eight games.

It sure looks like it. “I definitely wasn’t at my best there finishing off the season,” Cozens said. “I have high expectations for myself, and I want to come back next Of the 18 players drafted, six have played for the Sabres. Ten have year way better.” earned contracts, a number that’s expected to swell to 13. If it does, that would mean 72 percent of the players drafted in a three-year span were Fellow first-round pick Johnson is heading toward his junior season at the worthy of playing in Buffalo or Rochester. University of Minnesota. The defenseman helped the win gold at the World Junior Championship. By comparison, the previous three-year span under general manager Tim Murray is at 68 percent. The final four years under Darcy Regier Portillo is expected to be the sophomore starting goalie for Michigan, finished at 59 percent. which is a favorite to win the NCAA title.

So, there was improvement with Botterill’s crew, which included assistant Huglen is authoring a remarkable comeback story. After missing the GMs Randy Sexton and Steve Greeley, director of amateur scouting 2019-20 season with a back injury, he returned to the United States Ryan Jankowski, assistant director of amateur scouting Jeff Crisp and Hockey League and recorded 35 points in 39 games. The forward is head of collegiate scouting Jerry Forton. Forton is the only one remaining expected to join Johnson at Minnesota this fall. following the June 2020 purge. He is the Sabres’ new director of amateur Filip Cederqvist, who was skating in the SHL when drafted, has dropped scouting, taking over for Jeremiah Crowe, who ran the 2020 draft. to the country’s second division. The previous group started strong and has the potential to finish equally The Sabres signed Rousek in April after the forward recorded 38 points well. in 49 games in the Czech league. He’ll join the Amerks this fall. As recently as late March, this looked like a trouble spot. Then Mittelstadt Once again, the Sabres’ scouting staff found an undrafted contributor put up nine goals and 17 points in the final 22 games. During that span, with the signing of Arttu Ruotsalainen. The forward scored five goals in he ranked 28th in the NHL in goals, matching John Tavares, Mark Stone 17 games with the Sabres and added 13 points in 13 games in and Sebastian Aho, and his points tied for 50th with Patrick Kane, Rochester. Mathew Barzal and Phil Kessel. He’s certainly a building block along with Cozens, Dahlin, Mittelstadt, The Sabres are banking it’s just the start for the 22-year-old. Bryson, Samuelsson and others. “Just the confidence that he was playing with at the end of the year was “I’m comfortable and confident that we have a core of young players that awesome to see,” right winger Kyle Okposo said. “He’s only going to are just scratching the surface,” GM Kevyn Adams said. keep getting better.” The previous scouting department had a lot to do with it. The new crew Second-round pick Marcus Davidsson is the lone miss in the group after will attempt to do even better. failing to succeed in Sweden and falling to the country’s second division. Fellow second-rounder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is the Sabres’ goalie of the future and debuted this year. The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 Reporters and draftniks mocked the Sabres when they selected Oskari Laaksonen in the third round. The defenseman wasn’t even one of the 149 European skaters ranked by NHL Central Scouting. He weighed 154 pounds. This year, his first in North America, he led the Amerks with 15 assists in 28 games and paced defensemen with 17 points.

Jacob Bryson is a regular on the Sabres’ blue line and one of eight fourth-round picks from 2017 to reach the NHL so far.

The Sabres signed Linus Weissbach this spring after the forward put up 29 assists and 41 points in 31 games with the University of Wisconsin. His assists ranked second in the NCAA while his points were third.

The Sabres’ draft leaders planted their flag on the blue line and in Europe. Five of the six picks were defensemen and five hailed from overseas.

Every team in the league would have drafted Dahlin at No. 1. Doubling down on defensemen by selecting Mattias Samuelsson at No. 32 is starting to pay off. The 6-foot-4, 226-pounder played in 12 games this 1190339 Chicago Blackhawks The former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting filed a separate lawsuit against the Blackhawks on May 26, saying the team provided positive references to future employers of Aldrich despite allegations from at least one player and took no action to report the Joel Quenneville offers to participate in Chicago Blackhawks’ matter. investigation into 2010 sexual assault allegations That suit says the student was a hockey player at Houghton High School near Hancock in 2013 when Aldrich sexually assaulted him at an end-of- season gathering. By JAY COHEN Houghton police records say an investigator reached out to the Hawks ASSOCIATED PRESS about Aldrich, but human resources executive Marie Sutera would JUL 13, 2021 AT 9:33 PM confirm only that he was once an employee. She requested a search warrant or subpoena for any further information regarding Aldrich.

Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville has offered to participate in the Chicago Blackhawks’ review of allegations by a former player who says a Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 video coach sexually assaulted him in 2010.

Quenneville, 62, coached the Hawks to three Stanley Cup titles over 10- plus seasons before they fired him in November 2018. The Panthers hired him in April 2019.

The Hawks hired a former federal prosecutor to conduct what the team says is an independent investigative review of the allegations in a pair of lawsuits filed against the franchise. In an internal memo sent June 28, CEO Danny Wirtz said Reid Schar and Jenner & Block LLP “have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead.”

The first suit alleges sexual assault by former video coach Bradley Aldrich during the team’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, and the second was filed by a former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting in Michigan.

Making his first public comments since the suits were filed, Quenneville called the allegations “clearly serious.”

“I first learned of these allegations through the media earlier this summer,” Quenneville said Tuesday in a statement the Panthers provided. “I have contacted the Blackhawks organization to let them know I will support and participate in the independent review. Out of respect for all those involved, I won’t comment further while this matter is before the courts.”

A message was left Tuesday seeking comment from the Blackhawks. In his June 28 memo, Wirtz said the team would refrain from further comment until the independent review and legal proceedings had concluded.

In his lawsuit, filed May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court, the former player says Aldrich assaulted him and the team did nothing after he informed an employee. The suit also alleges Aldrich assaulted another unidentified Hawks player. The former player who sued and is seeking more than $150,000 in damages is referred to in the document as “John Doe.”

The eight-page lawsuit says Aldrich “turned on porn and began to masturbate in front of” the player without his consent. It says Aldrich also threatened to “physically, financially and emotionally” hurt the player if he “did not engage in sexual activity” with him.

Paul Vincent, then a skills coach with the team, said two players told him in May 2010 of inappropriate behavior by Aldrich. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

Vincent was called into a meeting with then-President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey executive Al MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said he asked the team to report the allegations to Chicago police, and the request was denied.

Vincent made his remarks in an interview with TSN, and he told The Associated Press in an email that he stands by everything he said. He said Monday in another email to the AP that Jenner & Block had not contacted him.

An attorney for Aldrich told WBEZ-FM that his client denies the allegations in the lawsuit. In a May statement to the radio station, the Hawks said the allegations directed at the team were groundless.

After leaving the Hawks, Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a high school student and is now on that state’s registry of sex offenders. 1190340 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks’ Caleb Jones excited for change of scenery, with or without brother Seth

By Ben Pope@BenPopeCST

Jul 13, 2021, 7:44pm CDT

Caleb Jones and older brother Seth Jones have been training together in Dallas for a month already this summer.

So when Caleb, 24, was acquired Monday by the Blackhawks — the news of which unexpectedly interrupted a friendly NBA 2K game — Seth, 26, surely knew immediately.

Seth also surely knows about the Hawks’ interest in him, being arguably the summer’s biggest trade target as the Blue Jackets try to recoup assets for their departing cornerstone. (With his contract expiring next summer, Seth has reportedly told Jackets management he doesn’t plan to re-sign.)

There’s some speculation Hawks general manager Stan Bowman — when negotiating the trade with Oilers GM — not only had the primary motivation of granting Duncan Keith’s Canadian trade request but also a secondary goal of landing Caleb specifically to lure Seth.

But Caleb, in his introductory Hawks interview Tuesday, kept calm about the Jones family’s interest in a reunion.

“I wouldn’t say it’s ever been a dream,” he said. “We both just wanted to play in the NHL, like a lot of kids growing up. Once we were fortunate enough — both of us — to get there, it [has] popped up a few times. I’ve actually never even played against him, so I’ve been looking for that day to come.

“He’s got his own situation going on over there, so we’ll see what happens throughout the summer with that. But if it ever did happen, it’d be really fun, and we’d both enjoy it.”

No matter how the Hawks’ offseason pursuit of an experienced No. 1 defenseman pans out, though, they view Caleb Jones as someone who could improve the retooling defense and improve himself with more ice time.

During his three seasons with the Oilers, Jones particularly excelled along the defensive blue line — an area where the Hawks particularly floundered — at executing zone exits and defending opponents’ zone entries, for example.

Jones’ overall play dipped in 2021, though. With an even-strength scoring-chance ratio of 44.4% (down from 54.2% and 47.0% in his first two seasons) and only four points in 33 games, the Oilers began considering him expendable. But he’s young enough that he believes he can learn from it.

“A lot of my struggles came from being inconsistent,” he said. “The biggest thing for me [is] mentally, if I make a mistake, flushing it away and getting back out there and continuing to play the same way I do. That’s a growing process I had to go through last year, but I’ll be better for it in the future.”

During his summer training — this being the fifth or sixth consecutive year during which he has done it with Seth, he estimated — he’s focusing on keeping his head up more. He hopes that’ll help him better see “what plays I can make [and] what’s going on,” giving him more opportunities to use the other two skills he’s prioritizing this summer: skating and shooting.

Come September training camp, the Hawks will discover where Jones — with or without his brother — fits into their rapidly evolving defense. Jones hopes they’ll like what they find.

“I believe I can be a really good player,” he said. “A fresh start will be good for me, and I believe there’s a good opportunity in Chicago.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190341 Chicago Blackhawks

Could Caleb Jones' brother also join Blackhawks?

John Dietz

Follow @johndietzdh

Updated 7/13/2021 8:27 PM

It's not very often that siblings have the opportunity to call each other teammates in the professional sports world.

It does happen on occasion, of course, with perhaps the best example being Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who played for the Vancouver Canucks for nearly 20 years.

Now, with the Blackhawks acquiring defenseman Caleb Jones from Edmonton in exchange for Duncan Keith and a third-round pick Monday, many are speculating that Seth Jones may be on his way to Chicago.

Asked about the possibility of playing with his older brother, Caleb said: "I wouldn't say it's ever been a dream. We both just wanted to play in the NHL like a lot of kids growing up. Once we were fortunate enough to get there, it's popped up a few times. ...

"Playing with him would be really fun. He's got his own situation going on over there, so we'll see what happens throughout the summer with that."

What exactly is the situation?

Well, Seth Jones, one of the top D-men in the league, has told the Columbus Blue Jackets that he will not sign a contract extension once his deal expires at the end of next season.

So instead of losing him for nothing, the Blue Jackets are trying to find a suitor. The asking price figures to be steep, however. A source indicated the Hawks would have to give up a D-man such as Ian Mitchell, Nicolas Beaudin or Adam Boqvist and their first-round pick in 2022. Kirby Dach's name also has been mentioned as a possibility.

But the Hawks aren't the only team trying to lure Jones and that source said Colorado is the front-runner right now, with Dallas being another contender.

Seth, who has 65 goals and 221 assists in 580 NHL games, will be 27 when next season begins and wants to sign a long-term deal.

Whether the Hawks land Seth Jones or not, Caleb wants to put his career back on track after a rough season with Edmonton.

"Last year didn't go as good as I wanted," said Caleb, who believes he's a good two-way player who can chip in offensively. "It was a weird year. I was a little bit inconsistent -- up and down in my play. I believe I can be a really good player. ...

"A fresh start will be good for me and I believe there's a good opportunity in Chicago to become a really good player for that team."

Competition will be stiff, though, as the Hawks are loaded with young players still trying to make their mark. In addition to Mitchell, Beaudin and Boqvist -- assuming they're all still around -- Jones figures to fight for playing time with Riley Stillman and Wyatt Kalynuk.

"It's going to be great," he said. "Anytime you can have a good, healthy competition, it makes you better and it'll make the team better.

"I'm looking forward to meeting all those guys and hopefully being able to grow with them, too. And possibly playing with one and growing into a good partnership."

Caleb Jones scored 4 goals and had 5 assists in 43 games in 2019-20, but had just 4 points (all assists) in 33 games last season. His average time on ice also dipped from 14:08 to 13:36.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190342 Chicago Blackhawks

Why Duncan Keith is the best Hawks defenseman ever

BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS

On Monday, the Blackhawks traded three-time Stanley Cup champion Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers, granting the 37-year-old defenseman's wish to finish his NHL career in a market that's closer to his son in Western Canada. He has two years left on his 13-year contract that carries a $5.538 million cap hit.

It's a bittersweet moment for the city of Chicago, which realizes a new era has arrived yet remains uncomfortable with the thought of Keith wearing a uniform that doesn't have a Blackhawks logo on it.

Keith was drafted by Chicago in the second round (No. 54 overall) of the 2002 NHL Draft and what he accomplished over that span makes him the greatest defenseman in the Original Six franchise's history.

Where Keith cemented his legacy, however, is in the postseason. No Blackhawk has logged more minutes (3,781:00) and no Blackhawk defenseman has registered more even-strength goals (16), game- winning goals (five), assists (68) and points (86) in the playoffs than Keith.

One of only 13 defensemen in NHL history to win the Norris Trophy multiple times, Keith's top career highlight came in 2015 when he was unanimously voted the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP after recording three goals and 18 assists for 21 points in 23 games.

The most impressive part? Keith averaged 31:07 of ice time during Chicago's 2015 Stanley Cup run, which is the second-highest average by any skater in a single postseason from a Stanley Cup champion since the league began tracking time on ice in 1997. Only Niklas Lidstrom (31:10) had a higher average for the 2002 Detroit Red Wings.

Keith has been the pillar of the Blackhawks' blue line for the last 16 seasons and finished as their time on ice leader in every single one of those years. Even last season, at age 37.

It's only a matter of time before Keith has his No. 2 sweater raised to the United Center rafters. The question is whether that will happen before or after his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190343 Chicago Blackhawks Brandon Saad — the man-child, the mini-Hossa, the next big thing — was traded for a second time.

Jonathan Toews — the , the indomitable face of the franchise — Lazerus: Duncan Keith trade leaves the Blackhawks’ golden age a faded missed the entire season with an illness, offering a glimpse into the — but ineffable — memory Blackhawks’ post-core future.

Brent Seabrook — the beating heart of the team, the beloved papa bear of the dressing room — retired because of all the injuries he had piled up By Mark Lazerus over the years, the ones he always played through, the ones he never complained about. Jul 13, 2021 Andrew Shaw — the irascible agitator, the scrappy, twice-undrafted,

twice-crowned underdog — stepped away from the game because of The weirdest thing about the Duncan Keith trade is how it doesn’t feel concussions. weird at all. Now Keith — the engine that made the Blackhawks go, the indefatigable, Think about what just went down Monday: The Blackhawks traded a inhuman robot who put together one of the great individual playoff runs of sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, a all time in 2015 — is an Edmonton Oiler. A few years ago, such a two-time Norris Trophy winner, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, the best sentence would have sent a cold shiver down the spine of the city. On defenseman in franchise history, arguably the most important player of Monday, it barely seemed to register. Too many losses, both on and off the team’s golden age, a Chicago institution, a man whose toothless grin the ice. Too many body blows to the fandom, both on and off the ice. stands as one of the most indelible Images in the city’s colorful sports Eventually, you cry yourself dry. history. A man who took a puck to the mouth — obliterating two teeth, Yeah, it’s just sports. Yeah, this is all probably a little melodramatic. We damaging four others and lodging one more in the back of his throat — all know that sports tears are different from real tears, that sports pain and missed maybe three shifts, later saying, “It’s just missing teeth. It’s a doesn’t linger like real pain. But for so many, sports and life become long way from the heart.” intertwined. For countless Chicagoans and fans around the world, the Duncan Keith is an Edmonton Oiler. Duncan Keith! name Duncan Keith triggers a rush of dopamine, unleashing a flood of joyous memories with friends and family and total strangers — the puck- It’s a seismic moment in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks. One that smashed smile in 2010, the Braveheart speech in 2013, the Cup-winner was unthinkable not too long ago. in 2015. The name Brent Seabrook instantly conjures up the -box pep talk and Game 7 overtime winner against Detroit in 2013. The name And it was met with a wistful sigh, a slumped shrug. Little more. Marian Hossa brings you right back to Game 5 against Nashville in 2010, Oh, there are reasons. There are the sexual assault lawsuits targeting to the pickpocketing duel with Pavel Datsyuk, to his daughter’s nose the Blackhawks that hang over the team and the fan base like a dark honk at his 1,000th-game celebration. cloud, making it difficult to get too worked up about anything as silly as These moments mean so much to so many. Therefore, these men mean hockey. There’s that Keith’s name has been coming at the trade deadline so much to so many. Their jerseys line the streets of Chicago, their every year since 2018. There’s that the trade comes as little surprise, as numbers and faces carved in so much skin before they’re even carved we’ve known for a while now that Keith wanted to be traded to western into stone outside the United Center. In an era of rooting for laundry, the Canada, to be closer to his little boy, whom he missed terribly during the Blackhawks’ core had a remarkable run — both in its success and its isolating pandemic. There’s even the fact that Keith is turning 38 this duration — together. When you have a run that good, that long, you seep week, his ghastly analytics underlining his precipitous decline in recent into a city’s bloodstream, into its soul. seasons. These guys mattered to Chicago. But more than anything, Chicago has just become numb to it all. You can only lose so many pieces of your soul before you stop feeling the pain. And now they’re almost all gone. Toews and Kane are all that’s left of the From 2009 to 2017, the Blackhawks brought so much joy to the city, giddy days of parades and rallies and Cup crawls and #barfcrydie playoff created so many lasting memories for fans and families, forged so many overtimes and beautiful, high-octane hockey played at a level few have bonds of friendship in the 300 level of the United Center and the less ever matched. That’s it. Two guys. Oh, and their contracts are both up in toxic corners of Twitter. For some, huge chunks of their childhood are two years, and who knows what the future holds? wrapped up in those teams. For others, their hard-drinking 20s. Overall, a fandom was reawakened by a brash group of skilled players who The Blackhawks will be great again someday. They’ll win the Stanley changed the game and the city’s sports landscape. Cup again someday. A new core with new faces will create new memories someday. Then those players started to leave, one by one. There were cap casualties after each Stanley Cup, but the first “core” player to go was But time marches on. Patrick Sharp in the summer of 2015. Sharp was somehow both a fan And so Duncan Keith is an Edmonton Oiler. Re-read that. Stare at it. Let favorite and overshadowed by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, and it sink in. Duncan Keith is an Edmonton Oiler. Hurts a little, doesn’t it? his departure felt different than, say, Andrew Ladd’s or Kris Versteeg’s or Even as numb as you are to it all? Go ahead, read it again. Find that Dave Bolland’s. By the time Sharp returned for a victory-lap final season pain. Feel it. in 2017-18, the core — and the Blackhawks’ glory days — were already crumbling. And let it remind you of all the joy that came before it.

In a three-day span in June 2017, 28 percent of the core disappeared. First, Marian Hossa — the consummate pro, the perfect player, the man who put the young Blackhawks over the top in 2010 — revealed a skin The Athletic LOADED: condition that ended his career prematurely. Then, on the same day the Blackhawks traded Artemi Panarin, they sent Niklas Hjalmarsson — the shot-blocking warrior, the defensive stalwart, the underrated gem — to Arizona for Connor Murphy and what Stan Bowman called “cost certainty.” Just like that, the Core Seven was a Core Four. Joel Quenneville was fired about 15 months later.

Then, after a couple years of wandering the wasteland of mediocrity, came 2020-21, a seemingly endless barrage of soul-crushing departures, each one a heel stomping on a finger clinging to a glorious past.

The Blackhawks let Corey Crawford — the backbone of the 2013 and 2015 championship teams — walk, and he retired mere days after putting on a New Jersey Devils jersey for the first time. 1190344 Colorado Avalanche

Erik Johnson waives no-movement clause, giving Avalanche protection flexibility for Kraken draft

By Peter Baugh

Jul 13, 2021

Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson has waived his no-movement clause, a league source told The Athletic on Tuesday, a move that means the team will not have to protect him for the upcoming Seattle Kraken expansion draft.

Johnson, 33, is the longest-tenured member of the Avalanche but played in only four games this past season due to an upper-body injury, so Seattle almost certainly will not select him in the expansion draft. The Avalanche can now protect defensemen Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard — and potentially Ryan Graves, too, depending on which protection scheme they choose.

Johnson, an alternate captain, has been with the Avalanche through multiple rebuilds after coming over in a 2011 trade with the Blues, who picked him first in the 2006 NHL Draft. He has 304 career points in 780 games, 577 of which he’s played in an Avalanche sweater. He resumed skating during the postseason but was not ready for game action before Colorado’s second-round exit against Vegas. Still, as a popular teammate, his presence around the team was welcomed.

“He’s a big guy in the locker room,” Girard said during the playoffs.

“His spirits are better,” forward Nathan MacKinnon said. “Just as a human being hopefully he gets healthy. It’s good to see him around.”

At 6-foot-4, Johnson and his physical presence could have helped Colorado in the playoffs, but he took a high hit from Minnesota’s Jordan Greenway in January, sustaining an upper-body injury that kept him out the rest of the season.

It had long been expected that Johnson would waive the no-movement clause. He still has a modified no-trade clause, in which he lists 19 teams he can be traded to, per CapFriendly. He has a $6 million cap hit for the next two seasons.

The Avalanche have two options for the expansion draft. They can protect eight total skaters and one goaltender, or they can protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goaltender. Had Johnson not waived his no-movement clause, the team would likely have had to go the eight- total-skater route to protect Makar, Toews and Girard. Now, without having to worry about protecting Johnson, they can secure Makar, Toews and Girard under either format.

Does that mean they’ll lock into the seven-skater format? Not necessarily. Protection lists are due Saturday, and the draft will take place on July 21. Here are a couple of scenarios:

This is the scenario The Athletic presented in last month’s projection. Though Landeskog and Grubauer are pending unrestricted free agents, the Avalanche can still protect them ahead of the expansion draft, which would prevent Seattle from having a bargaining window with them before free agency opens for all teams July 28. It would give Colorado more time to work out extensions without fear of another team swooping in.

If the Avalanche go the 7-3-1 route, they could look to trade Graves ahead of the expansion draft rather than risk losing him to Seattle for nothing. Of the players left unprotected in this scenario, Graves and forward Joonas Donskoi would likely be the most enticing options for Seattle.

This option would allow the Avalanche to keep Graves, but it would give Seattle a chance to pick a quality forward, as Jost, Nichushkin, J.T. Compher, Donskoi, Logan O’Connor and potentially Kadri would all be left unprotected. Plus, if Landeskog goes unprotected, the Kraken would have a window to make a free agency play for the Avalanche captain.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190345 Colorado Avalanche

Erik Johnson waiving no-movement clause gives Avalanche options before Seattle expansion draft

By Aarif Deen

July 13, 2021

The idea of asking Erik Johnson to waive his no-movement clause heading into the Seattle Kraken expansion draft has been juggled for months. It made too much sense for it to not happen.

Johnson, 33, has two years remaining on a contract that pays him $6 million per season. He also played just four games in 2021 after suffering an injury against the Minnesota Wild. And considering the hard miles on his body, it became more evident with each passing day that Seattle general manager would likely not select the Avalanche’s alternate captain.

Plus, the rapid growth and effectiveness of Avs defenseman Devon Toews, who was acquired last offseason, quickly made it more clear that this needed to be done.

Johnson waived his no-movement clause Tuesday, as reported by Peter Baugh of The Athletic, giving Avs general manager Joe Sakic the ability to protect his top three defensemen Cale Makar, Samuel Girard and Toews. And potentially Ryan Graves.

The protection lists around the NHL are due on Saturday. The league will also go into a trade freeze effective July 17 until the expansion draft on July 21. The lists will be revealed Sunday.

Johnson is just the first step in a number of questions Sakic faces before Saturday. The Avalanche have two options, they can protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie, or they can protect eight skaters and a goalie. The second option gives them the ability to protect a fourth defenseman, which would effectively lock up Ryan Graves from potentially being selected. But it comes at the cost of leaving three extra forwards unprotected.

Each team must expose at least two eligible forwards and one defenseman. This option would leave forwards Joonas Donskoi and J.T. Compher and Graves available for the Kraken. Colorado would also leave backup goalie Pavel Francouz unprotected, but given his injuries in 2021, it’s unlikely Seattle would select him.

By protecting Grubauer and Landeskog, the Avs would stop the Kraken from having the ability to negotiate with them before unrestricted free agency begins on July 28. Sakic would go this route if he feels he still has a chance to, and would like to re-sign one or both of them. Forward Brandon Saad, who is also a pending unrestricted free agent, would be available to Seattle for negotiations in this hypothetical.

Whichever way Sakic chooses to go, the Avalanche are likely to lose a valuable player. If it’s Donskoi, Compher or Graves, it will also shed more than $3 million in cap space — which in itself provides the team with value.

Regardless, Johnson waiving has answered at least one question for the Avalanche. Now it’s a matter of figuring out the rest of the equation for Sakic and the rest of his front office.

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Would Ryan Suter make sense for the Avs? If they lose Ryan Graves and/or Erik Johnson, yes

Published 12 hours ago on July 13, 2021

By Adrian Dater

Most serious hockey fans – and that includes all of you, my loyal and smart readers – already have heard the news that the Minnesota Wild will buy out the final four years of the contracts of veterans Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. The Wild will have nearly $15 million in dead cap space for the next four years. Ouch.

Each player will become unrestricted free agents on July 28. The Colorado Avalanche will be like any other team – free to make an offer for either player, at whatever terms they desire.

Parise almost certainly wouldn’t draw interest from the Avs, given his age and injury history. But what about Suter?

The fact is, despite being 36, Suter is still putting up very good numbers for a defenseman and he will draw heavy interest around the league as a free agent. So, what about a fit between him and the Avs?

I can see it, but only if the Avs lose Ryan Graves or Erik Johnson to Seattle in the expansion draft, or they’re traded away first (or, in Johnson’s case maybe, bought out too). Otherwise, I can’t see Suter being a great fit on a team that would have a top six of Makar-Toews- Girard-Graves-Johnson-Byram, and that’s not even mentioning Conor Timmins and Jacob MacDonald.

It’s been known for a while now that Johnson won’t have to be protected in the July 21 expansion draft, because he’ll waive his No-Move clause. Seattle has to get to a $60.24 million cap floor by opening night, so they need to take on some pricey contracts. But you have to still think it’s highly unlikely Seattle will take him with their Colorado pick.

That will leave Graves likely to be exposed, and he’d certainly be a reasonably good choice for the Kraken. That would create an opening in the current top six (assuming Johnson is back). Bo Byram should be the logical choice to take that spot. It makes the most sense that he’d take that spot in the lineup (and maybe Timmins too).

But if the Avs have any hesitation about playing Byram that much, a guy like Ryan Suter would be a hell of a fill-in. Of course, would Suter want to come to Colorado, knowing he won’t be the top guy on the power play anymore (that’s Cale Makar’s job) and unlikely to play as many minutes as he ever did in Minnesota? Maybe he wouldn’t, in which case this was all wasted breath here.

But maybe the Avs are just the kind of team Suter wouldn’t mind coming to and maybe this all could happen.

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190347 Colorado Avalanche November, he’s slowing down just a little I think we’d all agree and we just can’t give him the moon when we’ve got to sign Makar and Grubauer and a couple other guys (Tyson Jost, Conor Timmins) too. He’s gonna have to take a hometown discount. Maybe not a big one, but a little one.” Is Gabe Landeskog a lock to be re-signed by Avs? Maybe not It’s always about the money in the end, right? I mean, let’s be real. I remember being on the phone once with Don Meehan, the longtime agent who was representing goalie Jose Theodore at the time. Theodore Published 13 hours ago on July 13, 2021 wound up signing a deal with the that was $1 million By Adrian Dater more per year than what the Avs offered him when talks broke off.

Theodore had made a lot of money in his career by then, and I somewhat naively asked “well, why would he want to leave this great situation for First off, breathe deep and try to relax. I still think it’s a small chance that that situation in Washington” or something like that. And I’ll never forget Gabe Landeskog, the captain of the Colorado Avalanche, will NOT be what Meehan said: back. But that DOES mean that, yes, there is a chance he won’t be back. At least, that’s the indication I’ve gotten in my best attempts at getting the “Because it was $1 million more per year, that’s why.” latest information on what’s going on with contract talks between him and And so, yeah, I get it. I think it’s easy for us civilians to think, ‘Aw, what the Avs. difference does a million or two make to those guys anymore”, but a Without naming names of sources, this is information I have: Yes, million dollars is a million dollars. Their working careers are still relatively Landeskog and the Avs have held talks toward a new contract and the short. You get as much as you can and as much as you deserve when “process” is expected to continue. But – and maybe I’m reading too much you’re a pro athlete. into what I’ve been told, which is always possible because, hey, they’re Again, I just can’t see the Avs letting Landeskog walk for nothing. It’s not not giving me carte blanche on all the details and likely never will lol – like he’s 34 years old and the jig is almost up (a la in Minnesota, where this doesn’t appear to be the slam dunk that we might all have thought they just announced they’re buying out the final four years each of the originally. As you might guess, the economics of all this is the potential contracts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter). Landeskog would shoot to the problem. It almost always is, right? top of the UFA market as the biggest fish. He’d get a big offer from I’ve said all along that I don’t think we’ll see ANY major signings by the someone, including the St. Louis Blues, who haven’t been shy, Avs until they know who is departing the roster to become a member of apparently, in their coveting of him. the Seattle Kraken. That will happen on July 21, when the expansion It would be a PR disaster for the Avs, unless they followed up his loss draft happens. The Avs might lose a player like Logan O’Connor who with some kind of huge move of their own (Jack Eichel to the Avs would carry a minimal cap hit, of $725,000. Or, they might lose a Joonas maybe?). Landeskog is a proven commodity. Power forwards who score Donskoi ($3.9 million cap hit), J.T. Compher ($3.5 million), Ryan Graves 20 goals every year don’t grow on trees. ($3.16 million) or, maybe, even an Erik Johnson ($6 million). But maybe the Avs are saying, “Landeskog could become another Parise If the Avs lose any one of those last four guys I just mentioned, suddenly in a couple years – a big contract we wish we hadn’t given. What, there is at least $3.16 million back in the kitty to use elsewhere like, say, exactly, have we won with him by the way? Wasn’t it his disastrous on a new deal for a Landeskog or a Cale Makar or a Philipp Grubauer or turnover/bad pass to Ryan Graves that helped cost Game 5 against a Brandon Saad. Makar, we know, isn’t going anywhere. The only Vegas? Weren’t we playing Andre Burakovsky on the top line in the end, question is: how big will his next salary be, and what kind of term will he not Landy?” take/get? I think the Avs would be foolish to think that last thought, and I highly Landeskog, Grubauer and Saad are all potential UFAs two weeks from doubt they are thinking it. But does anything shock us in pro sports tomorrow. That potential extra minimum $3.16 million could make the anymore? It shouldn’t, if it still does. difference in signing one or all three of those potential UFAs. I mean, there are a lot of potential scenarios, but if we’re talking about Again, I somehow think this will have a happy ending, that Landeskog will Landeskog, Makar and Grubauer all getting comparable market value for be back. But is it a lock? their services, the Avs just may not have all the money necessary. Saad is, in my mind anyway, unlikely to come back. My information is that Doesn’t seem like it. there has been little, in any, contact between the Avs and his agent toward a new deal. Yeah, that might change, especially if, say, Seattle somehow takes EJ at his $6 million hit in the expansion draft (they have Colorado hockey now LOADED: 07.14.2021 to hit the salary cap floor of $60.24 million, don’t forget. They have to take on SOME big contracts). Suddenly, the Avs would have $6 million to play around with for their own potential UFAs, making a potential Saad re-signing much easier.

What is Landeskog worth on the open market? Well, I definitely think some team out there would give him at least $8 million per. Why not, for a guy who is still just 28 years old and has scored 20 or more goals in eight of his first 10 NHL seasons, not to mention a very good defensive player and strong locker-room presence?

If you’re Landeskog’s agent, whose name is Peter Wallen, why wouldn’t you demand $8 million per? Especially, when the Avs have already given a deal to Mikko Rantanen at $9.25 million per, when he was still three years away from being UFA.

Let me pretend to be Wallen here for a minute: “Look, I know Mikko is younger and put up more points, and I get it that you had to pay some premium for his deal to extend into his UFA years, but my client has delivered mostly full value for you guys for 10 years now, at salaries all under $6 million per. He’s a power forward who scores 20 or more goals most every year, including this past one, and he plays a two-way game. If you don’t pay the going rate, someone else sure as hell will. Oh, by the way, he’s your team’s captain.”

But let me play Joe Sakic here in a scenario I wouldn’t say is unthinkable: “Look, we want Gabe back, of course we do. But we just think a six-year, $48 million extension is a little steep for us. He’s gonna be 29 in 1190348 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets to hold memorial services for Matiss Kivlenieks Thursday

Brian Hedger

The Columbus Dispatch

Memorial services for Matiss Kivlenieks have been scheduled and a memorial fund has been established in honor of the late Blue Jackets' goalie, who died July 4 in a fireworks accident.

Kivlenieks, 24, will be memorialized 10 a.m. Thursday at Schoedinger Funeral Home in Upper Arlington with a private service to celebrate his life. Attendance will be limited to family, friends and invited guests.

His mother, Astrida, and younger sister, Madara, recently arrived in Columbus from Latvia, making a trip that surpassed 4,500 miles.

The Matiss Kivlenieks Memorial Fund will support youth hockey in Columbus and Latvia. The McConnell family, on behalf of the team of which they are majority owners, pledged to match up to $80,000 in donations. Those who have recently donated to the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation in Kivlenieks' name will have their contributions directed to the new fund.

Kivlenieks died as the result of a fireworks mishap at the home of Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace, who was hosting a wedding celebration for his daughter. A police report has not been released with details on how the accident occurred.

Blue Jackets coaches, players, staff and brass have mourned Kivlenieks' death since news of his passing broke early July 5. The team has also worked with the Latvian Federation and Kivlenieks’ family to make arrangements for the memorial service.

Blue Jackets fans have also mourned.

Many placed hockey sticks on their front porches as part of a #SticksOutForKivi movement online, and others created a makeshift memorial at Nationwide Arena with posters, balloons, flowers and handwritten notes.

Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins and his wife, Aleksandra, created a poster for the shrine that displayed a handwritten message to fans about Kivlenieks and his smile — which many have noted was an unforgettable part of knowing him.

Kivlenieks was living with the couple since returning to Columbus on June 23.

“To whoever passes by … know that he would want you to smile and not cry!” the Merzlikins poster said. “So, look up in the sky, say ‘Don’t worry about it,’ and give him the biggest smile!”

Kivlenieks came to the U.S. to play Tier III junior hockey at age 17 and made a lot of friends along his NHL path. He also taught himself English and overcame challenging odds to become a Blue Jackets goalie.

After spending parts of four years with the , the Jackets' affiliate in the , Kivlenieks was in position to log his first full NHL campaign next season. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen indicated he believed Kivlenieks would likely have been ready to handle the team’s backup role if one of the top two goalies — Merzlikins or Joonas Korpisalo — is traded this offseason.

Hockey isn't on the minds of Kivlenieks' family and friends, though. Memories are what matter most, and "Kivi" left many of those to comfort those now grieving him.

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Prosecutor reviewing police report of incident that killed Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks

Brian Hedger

The Columbus Dispatch

A prosecutor is reviewing a police report about the death of Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks, who was killed July 4 in Novi, Michigan, during an apparent fireworks accident.

Novi Police Lt. Jason Meier said no criminal charges have been requested in the incident, which took place a little after 10 p.m. at the home of Blue Jackets goalie coach Manny Legace. It's unknown when the report will be made public.

According to police, Kivlenieks tried to escape from a hot tub after a fireworks device sent an explosive shell over the tub. He was struck by a second shell, fired seconds later, and an autopsy conducted July 5 by Oakland County chief medical examiner Dr. Ljubisa Dragovic showed it hit him in the left side of the chest.

Kivlenieks sustained extensive damage externally and fatal damage to his heart and lungs.

Early in the investigation, police thought Kivlenieks may have died from head trauma due to a slip-and-fall accident while trying to flee. Three 911 calls were made from Legace’s home in less than a span of two minutes.

None of the callers mentioned a fall or head injury, all three cited a fireworks accident and two said a person had been struck by fireworks.

A source told The Dispatch on July 5 that Kivlenieks' death was caused by a firework that struck him. Reports of him being struck in the chest by a fireworks shell were reported earlier the same day by Latvian media. The autopsy confirmed those reports.

The Novi Fire Department 's report of the incident shows that an EMS unit arrived four minutes, 38 seconds after 911 operators were alerted. The ambulance departed with Kivlenieks inside seven minutes, seven seconds later.

According one of the 911 calls, Kivlenieks was still breathing when emergency operators were alerted to the situation around 10:13 p.m. There are conflicting reports about whether he was conscious. Kivlenieks was pronounced dead at nearby Ascension Providence Hospital in Novi.

No other injuries occurred during the incident, which happened at a wedding celebration for Legace’s daughter. Kivlenieks and Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who were visiting Legace for the weekend, attended.

No other Blue Jackets were there, a team source told The Dispatch.

Merzlikins and Kivlenieks are Latvian. Kivlenieks had returned to Columbus from Latvia on June 23. He was staying with Merzlikins and Merzlikins' wife, Aleksandra.

Police said no illegalities were discovered in their investigation and that Kivlenieks' death is considered a tragic accident. The 3-inch mortar shells in question are the largest allowed in Michigan for consumer use. Larger shells are considered professional or military grade and not legal for non- licensed individuals to launch.

The device itself was a commercial "cake style" nine-shot rack that contained three rows of three mortar tubes. All nine shells were launched. Police have not released the distance between the device and hot tub.

The Blue Jackets confirmed the incident took place at Legace’s offseason residence in Novi, but police have not revealed that information. Police have also not released the identities of the homeowner or person operating the fireworks, whom they didn't suspect of consuming alcohol.

Legace has been part of the Blue Jackets' organization for nine years and has served as the NHL goalie coach the past three seasons. He has not replied to text messages or a voicemail message from The Dispatch. 1190350 Columbus Blue Jackets who could be out there against fourth lines and maybe some PK here and there.

Portzline: Earlier, I referenced Jones’ all-around excellence. That’s the The Kings and Seth Jones: What are the pros and cons of a possible reason he’s able to play with so many different types of players on his trade with the Blue Jackets? pair. He carries the pair, really, allowing his partner to amplify aspects of their own game. When he partnered with Werenski, it was Werenski who roamed and roved. When he paired with David Savard, it allowed Savard to really lean on his physical play. Doughty on one pair and Jones on By Lisa Dillman and Aaron Portzline another is truly frightening. That’s 50 minutes in a game with one of those Jul 13, 2021 pairs on the ice. Doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.

Con

Weighing the pros and cons of the Los Angeles Kings pursuing a trade Dillman: Are there enough minutes for both Jones and Doughty? I for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones is a bit more remember when Doughty, who was (mostly) kidding, told me after Erik complicated an exercise than some of our previous examinations. Karlsson joined Brent Burns in San Jose in 2018: “They both want the puck all the time. They both want all the touches on the power play. You Why so? might see some turmoil there, you never know.”

There two ways to go. Door No. 1: The Kings trade for Jones without the Portzline: Well, you likely wouldn’t hear a complaint from Jones about it, assurance of a contract extension, meaning they would only be prepared but he does love chowing the big minutes. This is a guy who played to go to a certain point but no further. Door No. 2: If L.A. feels confident in 65:06 — no, really — in the Blue Jackets’ five-overtime playoff thriller vs. its ability to secure a contract extension, the Blue Jackets can get a bit Tampa Bay in 2020. He reported no ill effects the following day. For more for Jones. coaches, he’s a hard guy to keep off the ice, because the play is so calm and controlled when he’s a part of it. I could see it breaking this way. In May, Aaron reported that Jones has made it clear to the Blue Jackets When the Kings play with the lead, Jones plays 25 to 28 minutes per that he plans to go the free-agent route in 2022, unwilling to sign a night. When the Kings fall behind early, Doughty’s numbers climb. contract extension to stay in Columbus. The Blackhawks, Avalanche, Kings and Flyers have been listed among the front-runners in the Seth Pro Sweepstakes. Dillman: Jones turns 27 in October. Doughty will be 32 in December. (For what it’s worth, the Blackhawks may have moved into the lead on Maybe, in the beginning, they’d play an equal number of minutes but at Monday when they acquired Caleb Jones, the younger brother of Seth, some point, if you have to start cutting Doughty’s minutes to make him from the Edmonton Oilers in the Duncan Keith trade.) more effective, you can probably start ramping up Jones’ minutes. Basically, you have the right side taken care of for the foreseeable future. Does Jones make sense for the Kings at this point in their rebuild? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of trading for 26-year-old Jones, Portzline: Jones is in exceptional physical shape. I know this is a young who is essentially entering the prime of his career. man’s game — now more than ever — but he looks to me like a guy who has another six to eight seasons without much drop-off. It’s been gradual Pro but noticeable in his time with Columbus how much more composed and Dillman: If you think about the kind of defenseman you want on your wise Jones is than when he arrived from Nashville. He doesn’t “wade into team, he checks all the boxes. In the Columbus system, under coach games” anymore, as Tortorella would say, but he also never chases the John Tortorella, he wasn’t activated the same way other teams activate play. His anticipation is remarkable, which rarely leaves him scrambling defensemen. But when he jumps into the play, he’s an effective player. I or out of place. also think there’s more for him to give offensively from what we’ve seen. Con Portzline: Jones has played in Columbus the last four seasons on a pair Dillman: The salary cost has to be able to fit in a flat-cap era – even for with Zach Werenski, who was given the green light to be the “rover” since the Kings, who, right now, are in a good place. But Anze Kopitar and the beginning of his rookie season. Jones has adopted a more Doughty have big numbers and plenty of term remaining. If you have too conservative game, and he’s become one of the league’s best two-way many $10 million-plus players, it’s hard enough to find enough money to defensemen, while most of the blue-liners in the Norris Trophy pay everybody else. If Jones is looking to hit a massive financial home conversation excel with the puck on their sticks, as opposed to truly run, then the Kings might not be the team that can do that. defending, Jones’ highlight plays are often a relentless back-check or an incredible sprint along the blue line to keep the puck in the zone. Truth be Down the road, they might have to pay some of the young players told, he probably has B-grade offensive talent — he’s doesn’t possess a coming through the system. If they develop and mature, at some point big shot or consistently make eye-popping passes. It’s his all-around they’re going to be wanting their payday, too. game and his ever-increasing physicality that earn respect around the league. Portzline: Jones is criminally underpaid with his current contract. His $5.4 million cap hit puts him 43rd among NHL defensemen, according to Cap Con Friendly. That’s quite obviously going to change. In this flat-cap world, I’m not sure Jones hits eight figures with his next deal. But something tells Dillman: Jones plays the right side. That’s not necessarily a negative and me that if he actually hits the UFA market in 2022 that he’d get those we will discuss that. And, yes, everyone knows the Kings have long offers. needed more help on the left side, a fact that hasn’t magically changed this offseason. Pro

Portzline: I’m not saying Jones couldn’t play on the left side, but it’s not Dillman: Let’s move on to the heart of the matter: the acquisition cost. something he’s done much, if at all, in Columbus. If Los Angeles needs a The Kings are well-positioned to put together an attractive package for left-side D, this may not be a fit. I suspect the Kings would be moving Jones with a combination of future considerations, prospects and an NHL somebody else from right to left if they acquired Jones. roster player or two. A deal of this magnitude would take a first-round draft choice to get the conversation started. Colleague Corey Pronman of Pro The Athletic suggested that a first-round pick in 2022 would be lottery- Dillman: It’s not the worst idea in the world to be loaded on the right side. protected. Also, it’s conceivable that an NHL defenseman – either Sean At one point, the Jets were loaded there with three Walker or Matt Roy – would have to go the Blue Jackets’ way. I could defensemen who offered different skills – Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba see the Kings throwing out the names – Adrian Kempe, Alex Iafallo, Alex and Tyler Myers – and that side was among the best in the game. What Turcotte and Gabriel Vilardi — and asking: Who do you like among this you need in the NHL is somebody to anchor each D pair. If you had both group? Jones and Drew Doughty, you would have anchors on the top two pairs. For now, let’s ask GM Portzline. Who does he take to make this deal? Most likely, your third defenseman on the right side isn’t going to be playing big minutes anyway. The third D on the right side is someone Portzline: This is for the scenario in which Jones is willing to sign an extension with the Kings, yes? For sure there’s a first-round pick coming from Los Angeles to Columbus. I have no problem lottery protecting it for 2022, but here’s my idea — if the Kings hold on to that (2022) pick with a “lottery” finish, it pushes the first-round pick to 2023 (not lottery protected) and also sends a third-round pick to Columbus in 2022 or 2023. I have to get two prospects, and I’m guessing neither of them will have the last name Byfield, so I let my scouts pick. Turcotte and Vilardi, or somebody else in the good-not-great prospect realm? And since my demand this summer, if I’m Jarmo Kekalainen, is “centers and defensemen!” I’d take Roy and/or Kempe and call it a day.

Dillman: If they ask for Quinton Byfield, you draw the line, but you’re willing to listen to about anything else.

Portzline: Kekalainen has to at least ask for Byfield. You ask, right? Is there a larger deal to be had here? The Blue Jackets could be open to trading Patrik Laine, too, and they have a goaltender (likely Joonas Korpisalo) to trade this summer. How bold are these two teams willing to get? Tell me the NHL couldn’t use an old-school blockbuster right now.

Con

Dillman: What if they come away with the understanding from his agent (Pat Brisson) that Jones isn’t prepared to sign an extension in Los Angeles? If he wants to give the Kings a test run for a season, you are basically auditioning the organization for a year. They have one season to win him over. For that, would you pay a rental price, and how much of one?

Portzline: That changes things immensely. You’re still getting a first- round pick, and the Kings would want it to be lottery-protected. You’re probably getting one of those prospects, but not both, and you’re likely getting Roy or Kempe, but not both. It’s vitally important that the Blue Jackets figure out which NHL team(s) might convince Jones into forgoing free agency and making a trade work with them. The difference in the return is dramatic.

Pro

Dillman: If the Kings get a clear idea from the Jones camp that he would be prepared to sign an extension, then they would prepare a different package than if he wanted to give the Kings a trial drive for one season. Additionally, they need to find out precisely why Jones wants out of Columbus and why he is in play this summer. The Kings would have to sell him that they are not that far away and are about to turn the corner. They’ve won in the past – two Stanley Cup championships in the last nine years – and the goal is to win again. The sales pitch: To convince him that the next act of his career should unfold in Los Angeles.

Portzline: Jones hasn’t said why he won’t sign an extension in Columbus, but one can surmise that he’s coming into the prime of his career just as the Blue Jackets are staring at a roster rebuild. The Kings, most likely, are a couple of years ahead of Columbus, having committed to a rebuild a couple of seasons ago. Are they ready to return to glory? This is the question Jones would have to weigh. He does seem to love the idea of living in Los Angeles, but he’s going to want it all with this next deal: the right contract, the right franchise in the right city, and a really good chance to win the Stanley Cup, not necessarily in that order. Can he truly have it all in Los Angeles?

The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190351 Detroit Red Wings

When Detroit Red Wings pursued Ryan Suter and Zach Parise: What might have been

Helene St. James

Detroit Free Press

Tuesday’s news out of Minnesota prompted a little trip down Detroit Red Wings memory lane.

In the summer of 2012, the Wings were trying to ameliorate the retirement of Nicklas Lidstrom. Their top target was defenseman Ryan Suter. General manager Ken Holland, owner Mike Ilitch, coach Mike Babcock and executive advisor Chris Chelios met with Suter at his farm in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 3, offering $90 million over 13 years to the 27-year-old.

The Wings also pursued Zach Parise, considered the top free-agent forward available that summer. The Wings, four years removed from their last Stanley Cup championship, still saw themselves as contenders, and adding Suter and Parise would have stoked those hopes.

It wasn’t to be.

On July 4, Suter spurned the Wings, opting instead to sign with the Minnesota Wild. He and Parise agreed to 13-year, $98-million contracts with the Wild. For Suter, it was a chance to play closest to his family. Suter had been sold on the Wings until Parise called.

“I feel real disappointment that we weren’t able to land either or both,” Holland said at the time. “We were down to the short strokes. We lost out to family.”

On Tuesday, Wild general manager announced the team’s intentions to buy out the final four years of both players’ contracts — a decision that will cost the Wild dead cap space for the next eight seasons. Three years will be particularly costly: According to Capfriendly, it will cost the Wild $12.8 million in salary cap space in 2022-23 and $14.8 million in 2023-24 and 2024-25. For each player, the charge is about $833,000 for each of the last four seasons, 2025-26 to 2028-29.

The decision opens up roster spaces, and facilitates the Wild's decisions on who to protect in the Seattle

Since Suter and Parise joined Minnesota, the Wild only missed the playoffs once but have won just two of eight series. They have not won a round since 2015.

In 2012, Suter and Parise would have joined a Wings squad that included Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula and , all in the prime of their careers. Jimmy Howard was the No. 1 goalie; he had a 35-17-4 record with a 2.12 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in 57 games in 2011-12.

Had they been able to add players of Suter’s and Parise’s caliber — or even Suter alone — the Wings might have celebrated another championship. They made the playoffs in 2013, losing in overtime in Game 7 in the second round to eventual Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. From there they went into a decline, losing in the first round in 2014, 2015 and 2016, when the playoff streak ended.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190352 Detroit Red Wings Hughes is among a draft class of defensemen who may not have the pure star power of some recent drafts, but one that most scouts believe will have an impact eventually.

Michigan commit Luke Hughes ready to follow brothers, make NHL Entry Power is the likely No. 1 overall pick going to Buffalo. He projects to be Draft history an all-around defenseman who will anchor a team's defense for a decade.

Hughes, Brandt Clarke, Simon Edvinsson, Corson Ceulemans, Daniil TED KULFAN | The Detroit News Chayka and Carson Lambos are other defensemen who could go somewhere in the first round.

Here is a sampling of those defensemen in this class: Detroit — History is about to be made next week in the NHL Entry Draft, thanks to the Hughes brothers. ► Power: He dominated as a freshman at Michigan and was impressive for gold medal-winning Team Canada at the recent men's world Quinn (No. 7 overall by Vancouver in 2018) and Jack (No. 1 overall by championship. Power may not be a generational talent, but he's going to New Jersey in 2019) Hughes were both first-round picks in recent be real good for someone (likely Buffalo) for quite a long time. seasons, but no American-born family has had three brothers go in the first round. ► Clarke: He went to Slovakia to play games and was exceptional. His skating ability and offensive ability make him the type of electric Luke Hughes will change that on July 23, likely being selected within the defenseman general managers are craving. Some mock drafts have first few picks and becoming the third member from Hughes clan to be Clarke going second behind Power in this draft. drafted on the first day. ► Edvinsson: Because of his size (6-5, 207) and skating ability, The defenseman, who is committed to Michigan (Quinn played one Edvinsson gets compared to Tampa's Victor Hedman and that's likely season at Michigan; Jack committed but went straight to the pros), has unfair. But Edvinsson has improved his stock over the course of the year received ample feedback from his brothers on what to expect graduating and could be a Wings target if he falls to six. to the NHL. ► Ceulemans: A defenseman whose stock has risen in some circles, “They kind of taught me going into the year that you got to be ready for Ceulemans has all the physical attributes but his decision-making and everything,” Luke Hughes said during a recent media teleconference with defensive deficiencies probably make him someone who falls outside of top prospects. “You’ve got to stay level-minded and you can’t get too the top 10. high or low all through the year. And that really applies to me this year with all the COVID implications and getting shut down and quarantined at ► Chayka: At 6-3 and 185 pounds, there's room to grow for Chayka, who numerous times throughout the year. So, that was one big piece of didn't have an exceptional season playing in Russia this past winter. But advice they gave me. if nothing else, he projects to be a tough-minded, defensive defenseman and should be there if the Wings are interested at No. 22 overall. “You can ask them anything. I’ve watched most of my brothers’ games, every time they’re playing and I’m not. We talk a lot, talk about plays and ► Lambos: He went to Finland this season to play, but his season was little areas of what you can do and can’t do. That’s huge for me and that’s cut short by injuries. Scouts love the physical aspect Lambos brings to a really good tool I use a lot.” the ice and he's a talented skater, though his defensive game right now is ahead of his offense. You do wonder if Lambos could slip to the Wings at At 6-foot-2 and 184 pounds, Luke is taller than his brothers, and has No. 22. room to become much more bulky and stronger physically than his siblings.

But like his brothers, Luke is an elite skater, and that mobility with the Detroit News LOADED: 07.14.2021 puck and his ability to recognize plays makes him an intriguing prospect. There's also a sense that his best hockey is ahead of him.

"To me, the runway (for Luke) is there and the upside is almost limitless," David Gregory, NHL Central Scouting senior manager, said. "When you put together the whole package of his size, skill and IQ, there's potential that he'll be the best of the Hughes brothers.

"But he could be the best of this draft, too. He has that kind of ability and upside."

The Red Wings passed on Quinn (they took Filip Zadina at No. 6) and never had an opportunity at Jack, having dropped in the draft lottery.

They may not have a chance at Luke, either. The Devils pick fourth, two spots ahead of the Wings, and likely wouldn't pass on the chance to pair the two Hughes brothers together.

The Devils need a young defenseman of his quality in the organization.

"It would be unbelievable to go to the Devils," said Luke, who happens to be fourth in NHL Central Scouting's rankings of North American skaters. "My brother clearly wants me to be there. That'd be super cool to play with him, and I'd love that. But at the same time, there's 32 great teams out there and I'd be happy to go to any one of those teams."

There's a likelihood that wherever Hughes is drafted, he'll go play at Michigan, at least for one year, for development and maturing purposes.

Given the returning talent at Michigan, including fellow high first-round picks Owen Power, Matt Beniers and Kent Johnson, Hughes is excited about playing in Ann Arbor.

“You guys know we’re going to be a really good team next year and hopefully we can go pretty far and try to win it all," Hughes said. "I’m super excited for my time, and watching my brother Quinn go through it and how much he grew up as a player, as a person, I’m really excited for that.” 1190353 Detroit Red Wings far and try to win it all. Watching Quinn go through it, how much he grew as a player but more as a person … meet really smart people there, long- time friends. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Red Wings could have shot at another Hughes brother -- D-man Luke Hughes grew up a fan of and Patrick Kane, but as a defenseman, there are two others he emulates.

“I like to watch are Miro Heiskanen (of Dallas), the way he skates, and Posted Jul 09, 2021 his size and he uses his stick to his advantage,” Hughes said. “The other is Shea Theodore (of Vegas), how deceptive he is on the blue line. Both By Ansar Khan | [email protected] guys can play left side and right side.”

Hughes said he will attend the World Junior Summer Showcase, July 24- The Detroit Red Wings passed up the opportunity to draft Quinn Hughes 31 in Plymouth, after recovering from a toe injury. in 2018, and he has since emerged as one of the top, young defensemen “I’m trying to work on all aspects of my game so I can dominate at the in the NHL. next level and just try to get better every day -- get bigger, stronger, The Red Wings might have a chance to select his brother, Luke, on July faster,” Hughes said. “One area I’m trying to focus on is my scoring. If I 23 during the first round of the draft. can score more goals, I can impact more games. I had a ton of chances to score this year.” Luke is a 6-2, 184-pound left-shooting defenseman who played for the U.S. National Team Development Program in Plymouth and is the third Hughes brother who likely will be drafted in the top 10. Quinn was Michigan Live LOADED: 07.14.2021 selected No. 7 by Vancouver, a year before Jack, a center, went No. 1 overall to New Jersey.

“(Luke) Hughes is a dynamic defenseman who takes control of the play with his exceptional skating and smarts,” Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting, said. “He has a quick read-and-react game and moves ultra-quick to gain the advantage and be on top of plays. Competes with his size and contributes responsibly in any situation. Capable of being a difference-maker.”

The Red Wings are selecting sixth, like they did three years ago when they took forward Filip Zadina, who many analysts had projected to be drafted higher.

They might not have to decide on Hughes. Might the Devils, with the fourth pick, unite brothers Jack and Luke?

“I’ve been to the rink; I know the franchise pretty well,” Luke said. “Jack loves it in New Jersey. Really cool rink, really cool fanbase.

“It would be unbelievable to go to the Devils. My brother clearly wants me to be there. It would be super-cool to play with him. At the same time, there’s 32 great teams and I’d be happy to go to any one of those teams.”

Luke is not a clone of Quinn, who is 5-10, 180.

“I can play in all situations, the power play, the PK. I can defend the cycle, defend the rush, defend net-front,” Luke said. “I’m really poised with the puck in my transition game. A big part of my game is my exits out of the D-zone and entries into the offensive zone. In the offensive zone, I think I’m pretty deceptive with the puck, I try to make things happen. My three biggest strengths are my hockey sense, my skating and my compete level.”

All three brothers are close, spending time together training in the offseason. Luke has gleaned valuable advice from his two older siblings.

“(Quinn) told me it’s a man’s league, you got to be super-strong and ready to play in the league,” Luke said. “Him and Jack showed me.

“They kind of taught me going into the year that you got to be ready for anything, stay level-minded, can’t get too high or too low through the year. That really applies to me this year with all the COVID implications and getting shut down and quarantining at numerous times throughout the year.”

It helps having family who has experienced it.

“You can ask them anything,” Luke said. “I’ve watched most of my brothers’ games, every time they’re playing and I’m not. We talk a lot, talk about plays and little areas of what you can do and can’t do. I think that’s huge for me and that’s a really good tool I use a lot.”

Luke will follow in Quinn’s footsteps by attending the University of Michigan in the fall. U-M has three players projected as top-10 picks: defenseman Owen Power, the consensus No. 1 choice, and forwards Matthew Beniers and Kent Johnson. Even if Power turns pro, the Wolverines will be loaded.

“I’m super-excited to be going to Michigan,” Hughes said. “I think we’re going to have a really good team next year. Hopefully, we can go pretty 1190354 Edmonton Oilers “Caleb did a lot of things right. He’s got some bite to his game. But his game wavered. It’s a maturity thing. He’s gone through some trials and tribulations and, hopefully, he goes to Chicago and blossoms,” said Tippett. “He’s a very nice, young man and he’s got the ability to be an OILERS NOTES: Keith will fill the big hole in Klefbom's continued NHL regular for a long time.” absence This ‘n’ that: With Jones traded, Tyler Benson, Jujhar Khaira, Lagesson or goalie Alex Stalock, are the top four Seattle expansion targets … Tim Soderland, the 163-pound Blackhawks winger who is coming to Jim Matheson • Edmonton Journal Edmonton as an add-on to the Keith trade, was once a bright Chicago Publishing date: Jul 13, 2021 prospect after being a fourth-round 2017 draft pick. He played on the 2018 Swedish world junior team with Elias Pettersson, Alex Nylander and Rasmus Dahlin. “He was great in that tournament and I know the Hawks were really high on him. He looked like he could be the next Viktor Without for a second straight year, gives the Arvidsson, speedy and ferocious, but it hasn’t worked out very well for Duncan Keith trade a resounding two-thumbs up. him,” said ace Swedish scribe Uffe Bodin. Soderland has played 52 “We have a huge hole in our line-up without Klef” said the Edmonton games in Rockford of the American Hockey League over two seasons Oilers head coach, who watched left-side guys in and out to play with with one goal and eight points … While Seattle gets first crack to Adam Larsson in the second pair last season with middling success. convince unrestricted free agent Larsson to sign there, Philadelphia is hot to trot, trying to get a right-shot D to play with Ivan Provorov after “We used a variety of guys with Adam. Kris Russell, (Dmitry) Kulikov, Matt Niskanen retired … Jones isn’t a slam-dunk to be one of three Caleb (Jones), (William) Lagesson, (Slater) Koekkoek. We need a strong Chicago defencemen protected in the Seattle expansion draft. It’ll be player in our second pairing, it’s an impact position, matchup-wise. between him and Cory Stillman’s son, Riley. Darnell (Nurse) has developed into a top-notch player and he’ll get his icetime but we need Keith,” said Tippett.

“We’re getting a guy who wants to be in Edmonton. He’s still a good Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 07.14.2021 player, why wouldn’t we take a chance on him? He’s in phenomenal shape, age is just a number with him. I talked to Duncan after the trade and he’s incredibly motivated. We’ve seen it many times where veteran players get moved and they get invigorated. They know they have to come into a new place and earn their keep, it’s not reputation. Duncan has accepted the challenge every year to be a very good player.”

How will Keith help Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl?

“He’s won three Cups and there’s wisdom and knowledge that comes with that. He can pass that on at a critical time in a game. Maybe he can stand up and say, ‘This is the way we have to approach this.’ When you’ve been through a lot of wars, you recognize what it takes. We need more players who know how to read and react in critical situations, the ability to stay in games and not crack,” said Tippett.

Added Keith: “No team wins the Stanley Cup smooth sailing. It’s being able to ride those ups and downs more smoothly, and if I can bring more of a calming presence, then that’s what I want to do. But it’s something you need to go through as a team to know what it takes.”.

“Whatever little bit of experience I can bring to the team, I’m going to bring that. But my work ethic on the ice is what I’m going to have to bring.”

Apart from Edmonton being close to Penticton, B.C., to see his boy Colton more often, how much bearing did No. 97 and 29 help Keith waive his no-trade clause?

“Those guys are front and centre. They’re two of the best players in the world. When you get into playoffs, you need elite players to be able to put the puck in the net in tight games and it’s certainly a nice thing, an added bonus. But I look up and down the roster and I see a lot of good players, a lot of effective players,” said Keith.

“Zack Kassian’s a guy you can look at when physicality starts. He’s a good guy to have on the team. He’s got skill as well. (Ryan) Nugent- Hopkins, they’ve got a good mix.”

GETTING A LITTLE TESTY

Oilers general manager Ken Holland wasn’t out to squeeze Stan Bowman. He knows that there’s give and take with GMs and you’ll eventually be back at their door trying to make other deals.

“Did you want me to get him for free?” Holland asked. “You wanted a lesser price? You didn’t want Caleb Jones (included in the trade)? You didn’t want the draft pick? You want them to retain 50 per cent? Which would you like me to do?”

THE BOOK ON JONES

Caleb Jones’ game stalled here. He wasn’t going to be protected and they have Philip Broberg and Dmitry Samorukov developing on the left side. Both will likely start on the farm in Bakersfield. William Lagesson ($725,000) can take Jones’ role for now as the sixth or seventh . 1190355 Edmonton Oilers rebounded as he split time with Djoos and Nick Jensen. He’s an argument for the power of a reduction in responsibility.

Chris Tanev is the most encouraging name on this list. His overall career Duncan Keith, by the numbers: What are the chances the former Norris trend was down for several seasons, culminating in him bottoming out in winner bounces back with the Oilers? 2018-19. He played mostly with Alex Edler and Derrick Pouliot in brutal situations that year, but the next season found himself attached to Quinn Hughes — to the benefit of both players. A year later he went to Calgary and had instant chemistry with both Noah Hanifin and Mark Giordano. By Jonathan Willis He’s the youngest player in this group — just 30 during our sampling Jul 13, 2021 window — but his career arc shows that a player in the back nine of his career can successfully flip the script.

Alex Goligoski is interesting, too, because four years after bottoming out There’s a contradiction in Duncan Keith’s recent NHL stat line, a in terms of expected goals he’s still going strong. One big reason for that contradiction best explained by citing two statistics. First, Keith averaged is a successful partnership with Jakob Chychrun, one which has seen the 23:25 per game last season as the most-used skater and No. 1 duo deliver quality results for three years — and which culminated this defenceman on the Chicago Blackhawks. season in Chychrun’s breakout campaign. It would have been possible to write him off at 32. Instead, he’s still going strong at 35. The key number there is the red “1” at the top of the page. According to Evolving-Hockey’s expected goals model, Keith was in the bottom one Is there reason to believe Keith could have a similar resurgence? percent both defensively and overall among NHL defencemen last year. By these charts, he’s a riverboat gambler who gives up way more than Let’s start with his partner. Much has been made of Keith being he creates and a liability in shorthanded situations. hampered by partnerships with young defencemen like Ian Mitchell and Adam Boqvist, and that’s fair. The last time he had a reliable high-end In other words, there’s a mammoth gap between statistical performance partner was 2016-17, when he finished fourth in Norris voting skating and usage. Put simply, either the numbers are very wrong or his coach next to Hjalmarsson. was. Since then, Keith has played almost exclusively with kids. He’s had some At this point, we can pick sides and throw produce at each other, or try to time next to Brent Seabrook during Seabrook’s steep decline; that’s not navigate the difference. Something that would help is if we could go back ideal. A rookie Jordan Oesterle playing on his off-side was Chicago’s and look at how previous players with A) brutal expected goal totals and Hjalmarsson replacement. He was succeeded by Erik Gustafsson, also B) abnormally high amounts of ice-time fared going forward. on his off-side. Then came Boqvist and Mitchell.

Between 2015-16 and 2019-20, there were 38 NHL defencemen who: What isn’t clear is that he’ll have a better partner in Edmonton. Ethan Bear’s the best right-shot defenceman under contract to the Oilers, but • Played at least 400 minutes at five-on-five. he’ll probably play with Nurse. Adam Larsson would be a natural fit in the • Averaged at least 15 minutes per game at five-on-five Hjalmarsson mold, but as Ken Holland revealed Monday, it’s far from certain that he’ll be re-signing with Edmonton. • Had an on-ice expected goal share of 43.9 percent or worse “I’m not pretty confident (that it will get done),” Holland said. “But I’m not Those 38 are a good match for the “awful numbers/lots of ice time” not confident. … If I was confident, we probably would have been done situation that Keith found himself in during 2020-21. So what happened by now. I’ve been talking to Adam, or (his agent) J.P. Barry, since next? For eight of the players (21 percent), nothing good; they were out February or March. We’ll see.” of the league a year later. One, Gustav Forsling, subsequently returned to the NHL after a year in the minors, and enjoyed a very successful After that, the options start looking like they did in Chicago: Evan season in increased minutes with the Panthers. Bouchard and his 21 games of NHL experience, William Lagesson (playing his weak side!) and his 27 games of NHL experience. Maybe Keith still has two years left on his contract and every intention of playing Kris Russell slides in on his off-side, though it’s hard to imagine the next season, so it’s instructive to look at the 30 players who stayed in the Oilers dressing a second pair with an average weight of 181 pounds, majors. On average, they played 17 minutes per game at five-on-five and given how frequently Holland has cited the importance of size on the blue had a 42 percent on-ice expected goal share, which makes the group a line. good match for Keith: He too played 17 minutes per game and had a 42 percent on-ice expected goal share. If it isn’t Larsson, the Oilers will probably have to go find a replacement on the open market. Either that, or hope that Bouchard’s so much better Of those 30 players, roughly three-quarters played fewer minutes the than Boqvist/Mitchell that it makes the difference. next season. That’s not a surprise, and Keith is penciled in for a smaller role in Edmonton than he had in Chicago. There’s also the sheer quantity of his minutes. Keith topped 20 minutes per game 51 times last year; 15 times he went over 25 minutes per “He’s going to have a lesser role in Edmonton than he did in Chicago,” game. That shouldn’t happen playing behind Nurse. Oilers GM Ken Holland said Monday. “Obviously Darnell Nurse is going to take up the matchups against other teams’ first-line players.” Situationally, Keith isn’t likely to be much better off in Edmonton than Chicago. He had a greater percentage of offensive zone starts than did What might be a surprise is that 28 of the 30 saw their on-ice numbers Jones, who was handled carefully in his limited minutes. His quality-of- improve after that tough season. The average player in the group played competition profile actually resembles that of Slater Koekkoek: lots of 16 minutes per game at five-on-five and had a 47 percent on-ice time against middle-of-the-pack opponents, not much against top-end or expected goal share. Eight of the 30 posted a number of 50 percent or bottom-end guys. more. One place the Oilers could give Keith a break is on special teams. He’s By itself, that doesn’t tell us much. Someone like Adam Pelech getting lit had lousy scoring results on the power play in four of the past five up at 22 and emerging at 23 doesn’t tell us about Keith, though perhaps seasons, and this season was the first time in five years that Chicago’s it says something about the wisdom of giving up on a young defenceman power play topped 6.0 goals per hour while he was quarterbacking it. like Caleb Jones. Meanwhile, he ranks 98th of 107 defencemen in terms of goals against The best-case scenario by these numbers is Keith’s old Chicago per hour on the penalty kill over the last three seasons. teammate Niklas Hjalmarsson, but I debated whether to even include On a more encouraging note, there are signs that Keith still has serious him. He broke his left leg in the fourth game of 2019-20 and was limited offensive game. He’s been much better than the average NHL to just 27 contests. You’d expect a guy coming back from a broken leg at defenceman at driving scoring chances off defensive-zone starts the past midseason to have some problems. three years. One of the things I tend to believe is that a good Brooks Orpik is the only other defenceman on this list to break the 50 defenceman can drive offense largely by himself, but not that he can lock percent barrier; he got lit up next to either John Carlson or Madison things down defensively if he’s saddled with a weak partner. In Keith’s Bowey in the regular season, but was much more effective in a reduced shoes, I’d probably be texting Larsson to let him know how much I hope role with Christian Djoos in the playoffs. The following year, his numbers to play together over the next two years. None of this firmly resolves the question of whether the coach was right on Keith or the numbers are. Edmonton’s hoping to have a better partner for him, and that in a lesser role he’ll be more successful. In all likelihood, he’ll improve significantly on the numbers he posted last season in Chicago, but given how bad they were mere improvement isn’t enough.

The Oilers are betting he’ll do much more. On Monday they gambled $11 million in cap space that Keith is still a bona fide top-four defenceman, the kind of player who can more than hold his own on the ice. He’s 38 and it’s been three years since he was on the ice for more goals for than against at five-on-five; six years since his expected goal share was above 50 percent.

Holland is okay with the gamble, with betting on the view of the coach and his own long experience over the numbers on the page.

“My experience is that the players that (have) Norris trophies and they’re at a high level for a long time, they appear to be able to back off Father Time longer than other people,” he said. “He played 23-plus minutes a night last year. It’s not like he played 14 minutes a night. … You look and say at 37 that he’s on the decline. Nobody knows. Nobody knows.

“We’re going to go to training camp and we’re going to go through training camp and play games, and the games are going to decide.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190356 Florida Panthers After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich was convicted in 2013 in Michigan of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a high school student and is now on that state’s registry of sex offenders.

Panthers’ Joel Quenneville offers to participate in Blackhawks’ review of The former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting filed a sexual assault allegations by former player separate lawsuit against the Blackhawks on May 26, saying the team provided positive references to future employers of Aldrich despite allegations from at least one player and took no action to report the matter. By JAY COHEN That suit says the student was a hockey player at Houghton High School ASSOCIATED PRESS near Hancock in 2013 when Aldrich sexually assaulted him at an end-of- JUL 13, 2021 AT 10:32 PM season gathering.

Houghton police records say an investigator reached out to the Blackhawks about Aldrich, but human resources executive Marie Sutera CHICAGO — Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville has offered to would confirm only that he was once an employee. She requested a participate in the Chicago Blackhawks’ review of allegations by a former search warrant or subpoena for any further information regarding Aldrich. player who says he was sexually assaulted by a then-assistant coach in 2010.

Quenneville, 62, coached Chicago to three Stanley Cup titles over 10- Sun Sentinel LOADED: 07.14.2021 plus seasons before he was fired by the team in November 2018. He was hired by Florida in April 2019.

A former federal prosecutor has been hired by the Blackhawks to conduct what the team says is an independent investigative review of the allegations in a pair of lawsuits filed against the franchise. In an internal memo sent on June 28, CEO Danny Wirtz said Reid Schar and Jenner & Block LLP “have been directed to follow the facts wherever they lead.”

The first suit alleges sexual assault by former assistant coach Bradley Aldrich during the team’s run to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, and the second was filed by a former student whom Aldrich was convicted of assaulting in Michigan.

Making his first public comments since the suits were filed, Quenneville called the allegations “clearly serious.”

“I first learned of these allegations through the media earlier this summer,” Quenneville said Tuesday in a statement provided by the Panthers. “I have contacted the Blackhawks organization to let them know I will support and participate in the independent review. Out of respect for all those involved, I won’t comment further while this matter is before the courts.”

A message was left Tuesday seeking comment from the Blackhawks. In his June 28 memo, Wirtz said the team would refrain from further comment until the independent review and legal proceedings had concluded.

In his lawsuit, filed on May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court, the former player says Aldrich assaulted him, and that the team did nothing after he informed an employee. The suit also alleges Aldrich assaulted another unidentified Blackhawks player. The former player who sued and is seeking more than $150,000 in damages is referred in the document as “John Doe.”

The eight-page lawsuit says Aldrich, then a video coach for the Blackhawks, “turned on porn and began to masturbate in front of” the player without his consent. It says Aldrich also threatened to “physically, financially and emotionally” hurt the player if he “did not engage in sexual activity” with him.

Paul Vincent, then a skills coach with the team, said he was told by two players in May 2010 of inappropriate behavior by Aldrich. Vincent said he asked mental skills coach James Gary to follow up with the players and management.

Vincent was called into a meeting with then-team President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, hockey executive Al MacIsaac and Gary the next day. He said he asked the team to report the allegations to Chicago police, and the request was denied.

Vincent made his remarks in an interview with TSN, and he told The Associated Press in an email that he stands by everything he said. He said Monday in another email to the AP that he had not been contacted by Jenner & Block.

An attorney for Aldrich told Chicago public radio station WBEZ that his client denies the allegations in the lawsuit. In a May statement to the radio station, the Blackhawks said the allegations directed at the team were groundless. 1190357 Florida Panthers Brady Keeper (1; 0-0, 0): Spent most of the season with AHL Syracuse although he did not play at the start due to injury. Keeper, now two years into his professional career, is a free agent and his status with the Panthers will be known in the coming weeks. Final grade: Inc. Florida Panthers 2021 Report Cards: The Defensemen Matt Kiersted (7; 0-0): One of the most highly sought after collegiate free agents out of North Dakota, Kiersted made his NHL debut a few days after signing with Florida. Kiersted did not look out of place playing in the Published 20 hours ago on July 13, 2021 NHL although he did not play much in the final weeks and did not appear By George Richards in any playoff games. This is a big summer for Kiersted. Final grade: B.

Brandon Montour (12; 2-2, 4): The Panthers acquired Montour at the trade deadline from Buffalo and, with Ekblad hurt, he stepped in and The Florida Panthers season wrapped up a little over a month ago, but played some big minutes. Montour didn’t seem to be having too much fun report cards for the 2021 campaign are now being mailed home. playing with the Sabres but his game appeared to get a boost with something on the line. Now a free agent, Zito has said the Panthers Today, we look at Florida’s defensemen and how they graded out. would like to bring Montour back for a return engagement. Final grade: B. Due to the pandemic and how things rolled with a taxi squad, the Markus Nutivaara (30; 0-10, 10): After missing the start of training camp Panthers had an abundance of defensemen and playing time did not because of Covid, Nutivaara had an up-and-down season with the come easy for a lot of them. Panthers. Florida picked him up in a trade with Columbus before free For instance, a handful played in seven games or less. agency and did not get as much as they had hoped. Nutivaara had his moments, however, and it would not be surprising to see him have a The Panthers got some fantastic performances out of two of their best bigger role with the Panthers next season. Final grade: C-minus. young d-men (Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar) although Ekblad’s season-ending injury in March was a hit the Panthers never really Riley Stillman (8; 0-0, 0): With all the depth the Panthers had on the recovered from. blueline this season, Stillman got lost in the shuffle and only played in eight games before he was traded to Chicago in the Brett Connolly Florida also may have found itself a gem on the blueline off the waiver contract dump near the deadline. Stillman signed a new contract with the wire when it picked up Gus Forsling during training camp. Blackhawks so he in their future plans. Final grade: C.

Who makes it back for next season is a story for another day although Anton Stralman (38; 3-6, 9): The veteran defenseman found playing time with the Seattle Expansion Draft coming up in a few weeks, we should to be hard to come by at times, but in the playoffs, Stralman was back in have some clarity on things soon enough. the lineup for Game 2 and logged some big minutes as the Panthers Kevin Connauton (7 games; 0 goals-1 assist, 1 point): The Panthers came to rely on his game once again. At age 34, Stralman isn’t as fleet of brought Connauton into camp as a free agent tryout and he stuck around foot as he was but who is? The Panthers know if Stralman gets in, he throughout the season although most of it was as a member of the taxi can be relied on to add a steady hand. Final grade: C. squad. Connauton did not see much action but the Panthers were MacKenzie Weegar (54; 6-30, 36): Weegar’s star continues to rise as he impressed with what he brought off the ice and signed him to another showed he could handle heavy duty when pressed into action after two-way deal for next season. He will probably spend much of the year in Ekblad’s injury. Weegar, who finally started to get some power play time Charlotte, but the Panthers are confident if they need him, he can play. as the season rolled along, ended up being Florida’s highest-scoring Final grade: C. defenseman and finished tied for third on the team. The Panthers locked Aaron Ekblad (35; 11-11, 22): One of the biggest disappointments for the Weegar down with a three-year deal during the offseason which looked Panthers this season came in March when Ekblad was lost for the like a bargain at the time — and really looked good as the season went season with a leg injury during a game in Dallas. It not only shutdown along. Weegar was played in all sorts of situations this season as his perhaps Ekblad’s best NHL season but left the Panthers with an game went to another level. Final grade: A-plus. enormous hole to fill — and one they could not. Ekblad was having the Keith Yandle (56; 3-24, 27): It was a strange season for Yandle. After it kind of season which may have brought him the team’s first Norris appeared the Panthers were not going to play him in the opener and Trophy and even if it didn’t, he would definitely have been in the thereby end his NHL-leading Ironman streak, Yandle not only played but conversation. Ekblad broke out as one of the top d-men in the entire scored on Opening Night and ended up playing in all 56 games. That ran league. Ekblad will be ready to go when training camp starts in his streak to 922 consecutive games which means if he is going to break September. Final grade: A-plus. the record, it will happen this season. Yandle, who also played in his And the NHL award goes to … the Florida Panthers? 1,000th game, was scratched for Game 3 of the playoffs as well as the final two. Yandle was not brought to Florida for his defense but for his Gus Forsling (43; 5-12, 17): When training camp started, Forsling was ability to move the puck out of the zone and put up some points. He not even part of Florida’s plans. That’s because he started with Carolina. continues to do just that. But his defensive play was hard to hide and in But when he was placed on waivers, the Panthers snapped him up and the playoffs, the Panthers only played him in three of their six games. Forsling certainly did not disappoint. Florida loved the way he moved the Final grade: C. puck and he was responsible defensively. When Ekblad got hurt, he moved up to the top pairing with MacKenzie Weegar. We will see what happens in the upcoming Seattle Expansion Draft, but the Panthers Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 certainly would like to keep Forsling around. Final grade: A.

Radko Gudas (54; 2-9, 11): The first free agent signed by general manager Bill Zito, Gudas — known affectionately as ‘The Butcher’ — made an impact from the start. Gudas not only hit anything that moved (his 250 hits led all NHL players) but he was solid defensively and used his heavy shot to get pucks through to the net. Gudas has two years left on his contract and could be a expansion draft casualty especially after the season he just had. Gudas was one of the pieces which made the Panthers a little tougher to play against and they would love to see him return. Final grade: B-plus.

Noah Juulsen (4; 0-0, 0): One of two defensemen the Panthers claimed off waivers in training camp, Juulsen did not work out — at least not this season — the way Forsling did. Juulsen only appeared in four games but even that was a bit of a victory for him after he has been held back by injury the past few years. Juulsen spent a lot of time on the injured list but was practicing in the final months of the season. This one should be an incomplete. Final grade: C. 1190358 Los Angeles Kings who could be out there against fourth lines and maybe some PK here and there.

Portzline: Earlier, I referenced Jones’ all-around excellence. That’s the The Kings and Seth Jones: What are the pros and cons of a possible reason he’s able to play with so many different types of players on his trade with the Blue Jackets? pair. He carries the pair, really, allowing his partner to amplify aspects of their own game. When he partnered with Werenski, it was Werenski who roamed and roved. When he paired with David Savard, it allowed Savard to really lean on his physical play. Doughty on one pair and Jones on By Lisa Dillman and Aaron Portzline another is truly frightening. That’s 50 minutes in a game with one of those Jul 13, 2021 pairs on the ice. Doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.

Con

Weighing the pros and cons of the Los Angeles Kings pursuing a trade Dillman: Are there enough minutes for both Jones and Doughty? I for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones is a bit more remember when Doughty, who was (mostly) kidding, told me after Erik complicated an exercise than some of our previous examinations. Karlsson joined Brent Burns in San Jose in 2018: “They both want the puck all the time. They both want all the touches on the power play. You Why so? might see some turmoil there, you never know.”

There two ways to go. Door No. 1: The Kings trade for Jones without the Portzline: Well, you likely wouldn’t hear a complaint from Jones about it, assurance of a contract extension, meaning they would only be prepared but he does love chowing the big minutes. This is a guy who played to go to a certain point but no further. Door No. 2: If L.A. feels confident in 65:06 — no, really — in the Blue Jackets’ five-overtime playoff thriller vs. its ability to secure a contract extension, the Blue Jackets can get a bit Tampa Bay in 2020. He reported no ill effects the following day. For more for Jones. coaches, he’s a hard guy to keep off the ice, because the play is so calm and controlled when he’s a part of it. I could see it breaking this way. In May, Aaron reported that Jones has made it clear to the Blue Jackets When the Kings play with the lead, Jones plays 25 to 28 minutes per that he plans to go the free-agent route in 2022, unwilling to sign a night. When the Kings fall behind early, Doughty’s numbers climb. contract extension to stay in Columbus. The Blackhawks, Avalanche, Kings and Flyers have been listed among the front-runners in the Seth Pro Sweepstakes. Dillman: Jones turns 27 in October. Doughty will be 32 in December. (For what it’s worth, the Blackhawks may have moved into the lead on Maybe, in the beginning, they’d play an equal number of minutes but at Monday when they acquired Caleb Jones, the younger brother of Seth, some point, if you have to start cutting Doughty’s minutes to make him from the Edmonton Oilers in the Duncan Keith trade.) more effective, you can probably start ramping up Jones’ minutes. Basically, you have the right side taken care of for the foreseeable future. Does Jones make sense for the Kings at this point in their rebuild? Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of trading for 26-year-old Jones, Portzline: Jones is in exceptional physical shape. I know this is a young who is essentially entering the prime of his career. man’s game — now more than ever — but he looks to me like a guy who has another six to eight seasons without much drop-off. It’s been gradual Pro but noticeable in his time with Columbus how much more composed and Dillman: If you think about the kind of defenseman you want on your wise Jones is than when he arrived from Nashville. He doesn’t “wade into team, he checks all the boxes. In the Columbus system, under coach games” anymore, as Tortorella would say, but he also never chases the John Tortorella, he wasn’t activated the same way other teams activate play. His anticipation is remarkable, which rarely leaves him scrambling defensemen. But when he jumps into the play, he’s an effective player. I or out of place. also think there’s more for him to give offensively from what we’ve seen. Con Portzline: Jones has played in Columbus the last four seasons on a pair Dillman: The salary cost has to be able to fit in a flat-cap era – even for with Zach Werenski, who was given the green light to be the “rover” since the Kings, who, right now, are in a good place. But Anze Kopitar and the beginning of his rookie season. Jones has adopted a more Doughty have big numbers and plenty of term remaining. If you have too conservative game, and he’s become one of the league’s best two-way many $10 million-plus players, it’s hard enough to find enough money to defensemen, while most of the blue-liners in the Norris Trophy pay everybody else. If Jones is looking to hit a massive financial home conversation excel with the puck on their sticks, as opposed to truly run, then the Kings might not be the team that can do that. defending, Jones’ highlight plays are often a relentless back-check or an incredible sprint along the blue line to keep the puck in the zone. Truth be Down the road, they might have to pay some of the young players told, he probably has B-grade offensive talent — he’s doesn’t possess a coming through the system. If they develop and mature, at some point big shot or consistently make eye-popping passes. It’s his all-around they’re going to be wanting their payday, too. game and his ever-increasing physicality that earn respect around the league. Portzline: Jones is criminally underpaid with his current contract. His $5.4 million cap hit puts him 43rd among NHL defensemen, according to Cap Con Friendly. That’s quite obviously going to change. In this flat-cap world, I’m not sure Jones hits eight figures with his next deal. But something tells Dillman: Jones plays the right side. That’s not necessarily a negative and me that if he actually hits the UFA market in 2022 that he’d get those we will discuss that. And, yes, everyone knows the Kings have long offers. needed more help on the left side, a fact that hasn’t magically changed this offseason. Pro

Portzline: I’m not saying Jones couldn’t play on the left side, but it’s not Dillman: Let’s move on to the heart of the matter: the acquisition cost. something he’s done much, if at all, in Columbus. If Los Angeles needs a The Kings are well-positioned to put together an attractive package for left-side D, this may not be a fit. I suspect the Kings would be moving Jones with a combination of future considerations, prospects and an NHL somebody else from right to left if they acquired Jones. roster player or two. A deal of this magnitude would take a first-round draft choice to get the conversation started. Colleague Corey Pronman of Pro The Athletic suggested that a first-round pick in 2022 would be lottery- Dillman: It’s not the worst idea in the world to be loaded on the right side. protected. Also, it’s conceivable that an NHL defenseman – either Sean At one point, the Winnipeg Jets were loaded there with three Walker or Matt Roy – would have to go the Blue Jackets’ way. I could defensemen who offered different skills – Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba see the Kings throwing out the names – Adrian Kempe, Alex Iafallo, Alex and Tyler Myers – and that side was among the best in the game. What Turcotte and Gabriel Vilardi — and asking: Who do you like among this you need in the NHL is somebody to anchor each D pair. If you had both group? Jones and Drew Doughty, you would have anchors on the top two pairs. For now, let’s ask GM Portzline. Who does he take to make this deal? Most likely, your third defenseman on the right side isn’t going to be playing big minutes anyway. The third D on the right side is someone Portzline: This is for the scenario in which Jones is willing to sign an extension with the Kings, yes? For sure there’s a first-round pick coming from Los Angeles to Columbus. I have no problem lottery protecting it for 2022, but here’s my idea — if the Kings hold on to that (2022) pick with a “lottery” finish, it pushes the first-round pick to 2023 (not lottery protected) and also sends a third-round pick to Columbus in 2022 or 2023. I have to get two prospects, and I’m guessing neither of them will have the last name Byfield, so I let my scouts pick. Turcotte and Vilardi, or somebody else in the good-not-great prospect realm? And since my demand this summer, if I’m Jarmo Kekalainen, is “centers and defensemen!” I’d take Roy and/or Kempe and call it a day.

Dillman: If they ask for Quinton Byfield, you draw the line, but you’re willing to listen to about anything else.

Portzline: Kekalainen has to at least ask for Byfield. You ask, right? Is there a larger deal to be had here? The Blue Jackets could be open to trading Patrik Laine, too, and they have a goaltender (likely Joonas Korpisalo) to trade this summer. How bold are these two teams willing to get? Tell me the NHL couldn’t use an old-school blockbuster right now.

Con

Dillman: What if they come away with the understanding from his agent (Pat Brisson) that Jones isn’t prepared to sign an extension in Los Angeles? If he wants to give the Kings a test run for a season, you are basically auditioning the organization for a year. They have one season to win him over. For that, would you pay a rental price, and how much of one?

Portzline: That changes things immensely. You’re still getting a first- round pick, and the Kings would want it to be lottery-protected. You’re probably getting one of those prospects, but not both, and you’re likely getting Roy or Kempe, but not both. It’s vitally important that the Blue Jackets figure out which NHL team(s) might convince Jones into forgoing free agency and making a trade work with them. The difference in the return is dramatic.

Pro

Dillman: If the Kings get a clear idea from the Jones camp that he would be prepared to sign an extension, then they would prepare a different package than if he wanted to give the Kings a trial drive for one season. Additionally, they need to find out precisely why Jones wants out of Columbus and why he is in play this summer. The Kings would have to sell him that they are not that far away and are about to turn the corner. They’ve won in the past – two Stanley Cup championships in the last nine years – and the goal is to win again. The sales pitch: To convince him that the next act of his career should unfold in Los Angeles.

Portzline: Jones hasn’t said why he won’t sign an extension in Columbus, but one can surmise that he’s coming into the prime of his career just as the Blue Jackets are staring at a roster rebuild. The Kings, most likely, are a couple of years ahead of Columbus, having committed to a rebuild a couple of seasons ago. Are they ready to return to glory? This is the question Jones would have to weigh. He does seem to love the idea of living in Los Angeles, but he’s going to want it all with this next deal: the right contract, the right franchise in the right city, and a really good chance to win the Stanley Cup, not necessarily in that order. Can he truly have it all in Los Angeles?

The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190359 Los Angeles Kings Chris Peters, Hockey Sense The thing about Edvinsson is that whoever is drafting him is drafting the

potential. He’s still pretty raw, hasn’t really figured out how to use his size Prospect Profiles – Simon Edvinsson & William Eklund yet and certainly hasn’t learned how to take charge. I think he’s going to get there with time and development.

Potential Fit By Zach Dooley Edvinsson is considered by many to be in that group of four highly- ranked defensemen, along with Owen Power, Brandt Clarke and Luke Hughes. We’ve typically seen Power ranked highest, with no consensus With the NHL Draft coming up quickly, on July 23-24, LAKI takes a deep on the three behind him, depending on which set of rankings you’d prefer dive into the possible options for the Kings at their No. 8 draft position in to use. Edvinsson has been ranked as the draft’s second-best prospect, the first round. and he’s been ranked outside of the Top 10, as seems to be the case in Simon Edvinsson this season’s draft. Edvinsson’s upside could be among the highest in the draft, but he’s also thought to need a bit of patience in development. The Vitals Kings recently graduated two left-shot defenseman prospects to the NHL level in Mikey Anderson and Tobias Bjornfot and could certainly give Height – 6’4” Edvinsson the time he needs to develop. Weight – 200 Lbs. William Eklund From – Sweden Vitals DOB – February 5, 2003 Height – 5’10” 2020-21 Season – Frolunda HC (SHL – 10 games, 0-1=1) / Vasteras IK Weight – 176 Lbs. (Swe-1 – 14 games, 0-5=5) / Frolunda U20 (J20 – 14 games, 1-5=6) From – Haninge, Sweden Position – Defenseman DOB – October 12, 2002 Summary 2021-22 Season – Djurgardens IF (SHL – 40 games, 11-12=23) Simon Edvinsson played double-digit games in three leagues this season, including the top two divisions in Sweden. The young Position – Left Wing defenseman played with Frolunda HC at both the senior and U-20 levels, including 10 regular-season games in the Swedish top flight, as well as Summary with Vasteras IK in the second division. After bouncing between the U-18, U-20 and senior levels in the 2019-20 The consensus on Edvinsson is that teams are drafting for the tools and season, Eklund spent the entirety of his draft year in the SHL, playing in looking to develop the toolbox. In terms of raw talents, many have lauded the highest division in Sweden. A teammate of Tobias Bjornfot with the abilities that Edvinsson has, with his combination of size and mobility Djurgardens, Eklund produced at an impressive rate for a 17-year-old an incredibly attractive package for many who are looking and forward, as he scored at over a half-point-per-game rate, with 23 points evaluating. At six feet, four inches tall, Edvinsson can do things that in total from 40 games played. Eklund outscored 2020 Top-10 selections many others at his size can’t, in terms of moving the puck, breaking out Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond and ranked second in the league of his zone, skating and offensive ability. The physical tools make amongst “junior” aged players. Edvinsson a high-upside player, potentially for a team patient enough to While he endured a few setbacks this season, Eklund impressed when let him grow into those abilities. he was on the ice. Eklund has been described as a player who skates What They’ve Said with a purpose, both with and without the puck. His movements in the offensive zone create opportunities for both himself and his teammates, Edvinsson on his plans for next season and he’s considered to be one of the draft’s most well-rounded forwards. When factored in with his production levels, Eklund is an interesting The plan right now is to play for Frolunda and play for them for the whole prospect who could add talent to whatever pool he enters. season. I don’t know what the team that will draft me will say, so I’m pretty open. I want to play in Frolunda right now, and that’s what I’m What They’ve Said going to [plan] to do, but we will see. Eklund on his playing style On his own game, and his plans to come to North America I want to be a Top 6 forward for the team [that drafts me]. Maybe not the I try to be as good as possible at both ends [of the ice]. I try to be really first year, but I want to work myself into that spot. I think I’m a player that good on both defense and offense, I try to build up as much as I can, brings energy to the team and I want to be an offensive threat every time before I go over, and when I feel ready, I will come over to play [in North I touch the puck. I want to be a guy that you can count on in different America]. situations.

On his and Sweden’s performance at the U-18 Worlds On the areas he’d like to improve

I feel like the team, and me, didn’t play as well as we can in the group. I think I have to improve my shooting, I have to get my shot faster, Especially for me, it was different, playing on the smaller rink and it was burying in tight areas. I also have to have better top speed, I think I’m for the whole team. To play on the smaller rink, how to play over there, is more of a quick player than fast, there’s two things I’d like to improve. very different. When we started to play, in the playoffs, we really found each other and used the rink to our systems. It went better at the On his breakout season this past year playoffs, but the group was, not bad, but not as good as we can play. I think I improved my game around the net, and how I can stay there for a Reviews longer time. I scored some goals that I was just in the right spot, and that’s one thing that I improved on this past year, being in the right spots Craig Button, TSN to score goals

Edvinsson is an outstanding skater. He has the brains and competitive Reviews spirit necessary to be a top-pair, big-minutes defenseman at the pro level. Dan Marr, NHL Central Scouting

Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet Eklund played a big role on Djurgardens, contributing offensively and competed consistently with his skills and attributes as both playmaker Plays the game with ease, defends well with good reach and active stick. and scorer … he always plays with a will to win. During the 2020-21 Projects as a massive minute eater in an NHL top pairing. season he continued to display his high level of play, athleticism and character despite setbacks from an emergency appendectomy, a positive COVID-19 test that prevented him from representing his country at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship and an injury during an exhibition game that prevented him from participating at the IIHF World Championship.

Tomas Monten, Sweden National Junior Team Coach

William is a good skater, can move the puck, make plays. He has an OK shot but can play center or wing. He’s strong on the puck, good at the boards and can carry the puck. What I like most is his work ethic; he’ll always go full speed. He’ll block shots with his head if he had to, so you can us him in a top-six role, the fourth line, penalty kill and the power play.

McKeen’s Hockey

[Eklund] is a great playmaker with a quick thought process and is finding plays that no one else on the ice sees. He is a good shooter and has the ability to pick out spots in the net and put the puck there on a consistent basis. He is a main play driver on his line when he is on the ice and that is a rare thing when it comes to 18-year-old players in their draft year in the SHL.

Potential Fit

Eklund seems to check a lot of the right boxes when it comes to the Kings prospect pool. My personal drafting philosophy is to select the best available player, regardless of position, but at eighth overall, Eklund could potentially check both boxes. As a shifty, skilled winger, Eklund has already shown he can produce offensively in one of the world’s top leagues. Adding that type of player to the left-wing position in the organization wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

The 2021 NHL Draft is scheduled for July 23 and 24. Following the addition of Victor Arvidsson in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick and 2022 third-round pick, the Kings now have seven picks in this year’s draft. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be showcasing several draft-eligible prospects here on LAKI, beginning with those selected by the NHL for media participation last week.

For more draft-eligible prospect content, you can find that on All The Kings Men as Jack Jablonski is joined by draft experts to break down the 2021 Draft class in segmented groups.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190360 Minnesota Wild

More spending money for Wild doesn't mean bigger deals for Kaprizov and Fiala

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune

JULY 13, 2021 — 9:25PM

The Wild has more flexibility this offseason after shaking up the franchise on Tuesday when it bought out the contracts for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

But General Manager Bill Guerin said the extra room in the Wild's budget won't be shifted to new contracts for forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala.

"This doesn't mean there's just oodles of cap space to spend carelessly and we're going to get whoever we want to get," Guerin said. "That's not the case. We need to try to retain some of the players that we have, and we're going to have to hit the free agent market and try to fill in that way."

Re-signing Kaprizov, Fiala and Joel Eriksson Ek was a priority for the Wild this summer, but so far only Eriksson Ek is under contract — agreeing to an eight-year, $42 million deal earlier this month.

Talks have started for both Kaprizov and Fiala; Guerin began the process with Fiala's camp about 10 days ago and spoke to Kaprizov's agent last week, saying the two had "good conversations" and the dialogue is open.

"We're not afraid of going back and forth or taking our time," Guerin said. "This is how it goes."

Still, the Wild has other work to do to round out its lineup.

Only four NHL defensemen are currently signed for next season after Suter's buyout, and the team will have to expose a defenseman to Seattle in the upcoming expansion draft — a situation that could potentially yield another hole on the blue line.

While the trade market is an option, the Wild can start to restock in free agency when the signing period opens July 28 and the team will be looking for short-term commitments.

Although the Wild has approximately $26 million in salary cap space this offseason after buying out Parise and Suter, the additional cap space created from the buyouts decreases the following two seasons.

"We'll definitely get some cap relief this summer," Guerin said. "After that, it'll be a little bit more difficult."

Goodbye time

Parise and Suter were two of the longest-tenured players on the Wild before their exits, a transition that Guerin called difficult for teammates.

"But they're supportive," he said. "Everybody's been happy with the progress that we've made here. They're looking forward to new opportunity. But at the same time, two of their buddies are not going to be back and that's always tough."

Leadership openings

The departure of Parise and Suter also means the Wild will need to restructure its leadership.

Parise and Suter were alternate captains since their arrival in 2012.

Candidates to replace them could be the players who wore an 'A' on their jerseys when Parise was out of the lineup last season, a group that included Marcus Foligno, Eriksson Ek, Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba.

Star Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190361 Minnesota Wild

Buying out Ryan Suter and Zach Parise — how it works for the Wild

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune

JULY 13, 2021 — 7:35PM

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter signed matching 13-year, $98 million contracts with the Wild on July 4, 2012. Players over age 26 whose contracts are bought out receive two-thirds of their remaining contract value. So Parise/Suter will receive two-thirds of the $10 million salary left on their deals, or $6,666,667.

The buyout is spread over twice the remaining length of the contract, so in this case, eight years. That breaks down to $833,333 per season for the next eight years.

Salary cap impact

The amount owed to Parise/Suter is different than the salary cap hit the Wild will carry for the next eight years. This cap hit is determined by subtracting the salary savings from the average annual value of the contract, which is $7,538,461. This is for each player, so these totals will be doubled:

2021-22: The salary savings is $5,166,667, so the cap hit is $2,371,794.

2022-23: The salary savings is $1,166,667, so the cap hit is $6,371,794.

2023-24/2024-25: The salary savings is $166,667 so the cap hit is $7,371,794.

For the last four seasons, the cap hit is $833,333.

Star Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190362 Minnesota Wild

Wild's dynamic (departing) duo: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter climbed franchise record books

By Star Tribune staff Star Tribune

JULY 13, 2021 — 6:45PM

Zach Parise

Parise leaves the Wild as one of the most prolific scorers in franchise history, but also a player who showcased a tremendous level of competitiveness while battling several injuries. Maybe the only lingering question around his tenure with the Wild is what would have happened if he had suffered slightly fewer of them. In six of his seven seasons in New Jersey, Parise played either 81 or 82 regular season games, but with the Wild those numbers dipped, as he averaged 62 games per season.

Stats (franchise rank)

Points: 400 (third)

Goals: 199 (third)

Power play goals: 69 (first)

Assists: 201 (eighth)

Time on ice: 10,247 minutes (sixth)

Ryan Suter

One of the top scoring defensemen in the NHL during his time with the Wild, Suter was one of the most dependable presences on the ice in franchise history, as his eight consecutive All-Star Game appearances from 2012 to 2020 can attest. Maybe the clearest mark of Suter's stability is his 656 games played over the past nine seasons, the third-highest number among NHL defensemen over that stretch.

Stats (franchise rank)

Points: 369 (fourth)

Assists: 314 (second)

Plus/minus: 62 (second)

Games: 656 (fourth)

Time on ice: 17,731 (second)

Star Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190363 Minnesota Wild each other, but they can't be worried about someone running to the owner to complain about playing time.

"There was no one big reason," Guerin said. "It was pretty much Wild bosses wanted both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter gone everything together as a whole."

Guerin remained diplomatic throughout his news conference. He would gain nothing from complaining publicly about players after releasing JULY 13, 2021 — 5:17PM them. Sometimes, you have to listen to what is not said.

Jim Souhan @SOUHANSTRIB Guerin praised their "contributions" and their careers.

He never praised their character or leadership.

The Wild dumped Zach Parise and Ryan Suter so two other players He never said he would miss them. could be protected in the expansion draft? True. Guerin was known as a terrific NHL teammate. The Wild dumped the former franchise players because the team wanted to clear salary cap space for the upcoming season? Sure. He knows one when he doesn't see one.

The Wild cut two players with four years remaining on their contracts because the players' performances had declined? OK. Star Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 Wild General Manager Bill Guerin wants to build a team led by the players he most values, and not those with the longest contracts? Sounds about right.

Guerin admitted or hinted at all of the above on Tuesday afternoon. He even praised Suter and Parise for their contributions. But let's not make this the State of Hokey.

For the Wild to make this move, to ditch two still-valuable players while the team's stated intention is to win as much and as soon as possible, team management really got sick of these guys.

Guerin probably offered to pack their bags, then drive them over the state line. Any state line. Even Alaska's.

Yes, Guerin thanking Parise and Suter was justified. As bad as their contracts look at the moment, let's remember that the Wild was going nowhere or worse before the two signed, and they elevated the Wild to relevance, the playoffs, a couple of playoff victories and a lot of ticket and suite sales.

At their best, Parise was an inspirational player and Suter was an indefatigable force. There's no need to pretend the Wild made a colossal mistake on July 4, 2012. We all knew there would come a time when the contracts would become onerous. We just didn't know that by the end Parise and Suter would have team management wanting to shoot them directly into the sun.

What happened with Parise and Suter is commonplace in professional team sports.

When they performed like stars, the Diva Duo was tolerated.

When they declined, they became competing migraine headaches.

Remember when the Vikings traded Randy Moss in his prime? That wasn't a football decision. The Vikings believed they couldn't function as an organization with Moss around. They were never going to win that trade in terms of personnel. They just wanted to be able to get through a meeting or two.

What happened on Tuesday in St. Paul is similar. Guerin damaged his roster while believing that his team, nevertheless, will be better without Parise, who was one of the Wild's best players in this year's playoffs, and Suter, who was one of the team's best players from the day he arrived until the last game of the Vegas series.

We knew from the team's handling of Parise last season that he might be out. The surprise is the departure of Suter. Even solid play, remarkable durability and kissing up to owner Craig Leipold couldn't save him.

Let this be a lesson to all those ambitious young hockey players in Minnesota: Your career will last longer if you're good in the room.

In their first few years with the Wild, Parise was known for asking for the team to practice in Minneapolis, closer to his home, which drove the coaching staff crazy, and Suter was known for lobbying Leipold, a move that would backfire in any company.

Former Wild coach Bruce Boudreau would roll his eyes and mutter when reporters relayed Parise's latest complaint.

What Guerin did Tuesday was remove the two primary obstacles to locker room harmony. The players on your team don't have to all love 1190364 Minnesota Wild Maybe it was a heat-induced hallucination, but I could swear there was a woman that looked like a young Sally Field running down University Avenue shouting, "They like us. They really like us."

Nine years ago, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter put the state of hockey into And Chip Scoggins said the return of Parise was about hockey history in ecstasy the state as much as contracts:

Zach was born here, raised here and makes his offseason home in Orono. He will wear the same jersey number — 11 — that his dad [J.P. By Jeff Day Star Tribune Parise] wore as a member of the North Stars.

JULY 13, 2021 — 2:06PM Zach's bloodlines, talent and hometown ties left Wild fans hyperventilating with excitement and anticipation. J.P. said he tried to

remain a neutral party throughout the process because he understood The response was as ecstatic as the signings were unexpected. Zach's loyalty to the New Jersey Devils.

The Wild had pulled off one of the greatest surprises in NHL free agent "Of course we're happy, but it's not about me or his mother," he said. "It's history when it brought in two generational talents on identical 13-year, about him getting himself set for life and settling down in Minnesota. He's $98 million contracts on July 4, 2012. the one who made the decision. He's really excited about the decision and, for me, that's what it's about. To watch my son be happy. That's a Winger Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter were both 27-years-old fatherly feeling. and had made multiple All-Star games when they hit the free agent market at the same time. They were, unquestionably, the two biggest Even the Star Tribune editorial board got caught up in the signings, names available — with rumors of $100 million-plus deals being floated writing that bringing in Suter and Parise brought legitimacy to the state's — when Wild owner Craig Leipold and the front office worked behind the passionate hockey fans in the middle of a summer heatwave: scenes magic to get both players to forgo larger contracts and instead The oppressive heat that's hung over much of Minnesota the past week join forces in Minnesota. or so made it especially appealing to think about the upcoming hockey When the deals were completed, Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan season as the hometown Wild courted Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. wrote that Leipold had shown what it took to lead a front office with Even though it initially seemed unlikely that the team could land the two ecstatic risk taking. And Leipold shared what it felt like behind the scenes free-agent stars, the fantasy was a nice in the burgeoning era of the super team dictated by star power, not just distraction for dedicated Wild fans and winning-starved State of Hockey front office moxie: residents who would like to jump on a bandwagon — any bandwagon — On Wednesday, Leipold became the Alpha Male of Minnesota sports with a legitimate shot of winning. owners, funding the signing of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to 13-year Prepare to take that leap, sports fans. The July 4th signings of both contracts worth $98 million each. He wrote a check for $20 million to Parise and Suter to $98 million, 13-year deals touched off a celebration cover their signing bonuses, then made plans to bring a very special that could last for years if the two players stay healthy and continue to be bottle of wine to a friend's house for a celebratory dinner. among the NHL's best at their positions. Parise alone would have become the most stunning and lucrative free- And while Parise and Suter never quite reached the summit of hockey, agent acquisition in Twin Cities history. Beating elite franchises New failing to advance past the second round of the playoffs in their nine Jersey, Pittsburgh and Detroit in the chase for Parise and Suter made seasons with the Wild, there's no question that their signings remain a this the most important day in franchise history. high point for free-agency surprises in Minnesota sports history. Speaking from his office in Racine, Wis., Leipold called himself a

''madman.'' He also revealed how unpredictable the pursuit became. Star Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 ''We're all so worn out,'' he said. ''At the end, we felt like everything was coming together. Ryan and Zach were communicating with each other and were almost in control of the whole process, and it was at that point you really felt like this was going to happen.

''That was the high point. Monday night was the low point. We weren't making enough progress with either side, and we weren't hearing or getting enough information that was encouraging. Then you look at the blogs and people are saying they saw Zach in Pittsburgh, or Detroit is flying in to see Ryan, and you feel like, 'Oh, boy, we worked so hard and we planned so much and we have such a good story to tell and we're not going to get either one of them.'

''Then, 24 hours later it's the opposite.''

Patrick Reusse noted that, for once, star players in power positions had chosen — not been drafted or traded or redeemed, but chosen — to play in Minnesota:

On July 4, 2012, on a steamy day to celebrate our nation's 236th birthday, the thoughts of Minnesota's sports fans were turned to winter nights and frozen surfaces and well-placed passes of a hockey puck.

The Wild pulled off the shocking exacta of signing the NHL's premier free agents, forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, on Wednesday, and our long sports nightmare was instantly transformed into runaway giddiness.

Even those Minnesotans who can take hockey or leave it were blown away by the idea that two athletes with options to play in New York or Chicago, or to play with established stars in Pittsburgh or Detroit, decided they wanted to be here.

Wanted to play in the Twin Cities. 1190365 Minnesota Wild Guerin called buying out the veteran players together "the proper step" and said he didn't consider trading the 36-year-old alternate captains, who could have vetoed any proposal with their no-movement clauses.

Cutting Zach Parise, Ryan Suter together needed 'to keep moving "I felt this was the cleanest way," Guerin said. forward,' Wild's GM says Both players were informed of the Wild's decision Tuesday morning. Neither responded to a request for comment from the Star Tribune.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune "It's a tough conversation," Guerin said. "I'll just leave it at that. They're both good. They're both professional. It's just a tough day." JULY 13, 2021 — 2:10PM Former franchise faces

This ends a memorable era in Wild history, a rebirth fronted by Parise Zach Parise and Ryan Suter joined the Wild at the same time in a and Suter that solidified the team's competitiveness. landmark twist for an organization seeking a breakthrough. The two were the most-coveted free agents in 2012, and they both chose That's also how they exited. the Wild — signing on July 4, a fitting arrival since their addition was as explosive as the fireworks on Independence Day. After signing matching contracts nine years ago as the splashiest free- agent pickups in franchise history, Parise and Suter were "You can pretty much put them up as the faces of the franchise when unceremoniously let go Tuesday when the Wild decided to buy out the they first got here," Marcus Foligno said. remaining four years of their deals. Immediately, the Wild improved, making the playoffs after missing out the Both players are expected to become free agents, eligible to sign with previous four seasons. Overall, the Wild advanced to the postseason any NHL team except the Wild. eight times in the next nine seasons and Parise and Suter were catalysts.

"These are two guys who gave their heart and soul to this organization," Through 558 games, Parise racked up the third-most goals (199) and General Manager Bill Guerin said Tuesday afternoon at the team's points (400) in Wild history during his homecoming after debuting with headquarters in St. Paul. "But we have to make tough decisions and New Jersey. The son of former North Star J.P. Parise who grew up in keep trying to turn the page, keep trying to get better and reach our Bloomington is also the franchise leader in playoff goals (16) and points ultimate goal and long-term goal of winning a Stanley Cup." (37).

Parise and Suter helped turn the Wild into a playoff team, but one that fell Another Midwest product, Suter is tops in assists (314) and points (369) short of a championship. They had four seasons to go on their 13-year, among Wild defensemen after his 656 regular-season games following a $98 million contracts and will receive approximately $6.7 million of the stint with Nashville. $10 million in salary they were still owed. "Zach and Ryan brought a lot to our team, the Wild organization and city While the team freed up about $10 million in salary cap space for next overall," captain Jared Spurgeon said in a text message. "I learned a lot season, that wiggle room drops to roughly $2 million for 2022-23 and is from their professionalism and work ethic and wish them both all the best even more miniscule from 2023-25. moving forward."

"Those years will be tough," Guerin said, referring to 2023-25. "But we're Their window with the Wild closed without a Stanley Cup, and now it's up going to have to do a very good job of drafting players and a very good to the new core Guerin has assembled around the likes of Spurgeon, job of developing players and injecting some younger, cheaper players Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek to lead the pursuit. into our lineup." Re-signing Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala are still on the team's to-do list, Salary-cap relief, however, wasn't the only motivator for the Wild. These and the Wild must fill out its defense. The team has approximately $26 subtractions will affect how it handles next Wednesday's expansion draft. million in cap space for the rest of the offseason after the boost from the buyouts and will target short-term contracts in free agency. Trades are Since Parise and Suter both had no-movement clauses in their deals, another option. they were required to be protected from Seattle. Now, the Wild has two spots available to shield players who were likely to be on the outs — like "We know what we're in for," Guerin said. "We know it's going to be defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Nico Sturm. The Wild has until difficult, but we're going to try and keep progressing." Saturday to submit its protection list. Bringing in Parise and Suter was the last monumental crossroads in the "We have to continue to change," Guerin said. "This team has to evolve." Wild's journey to claim a championship. Moving on from them is the next.

No easy split

Guerin described a six-to-eight month process to reach this decision. He Star Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 said owner Craig Leipold, who was thrilled to acquire Parise and Suter in 2012, supported the moves.

"There wasn't one big reason," Guerin said. "It was pretty much everything together as a whole. A tough decision to make, but one that I feel that we need to make."

Hints of a potential divorce with Parise popped up last season when the winger's role was diminished. He had his ice time scaled back, was demoted to the fourth line and became a healthy scratch, including for the start of the playoffs.

"We saw what happened with Zach this year," Guerin said, "and we weren't going to be able to give him the opportunity that maybe we thought we were."

As for Suter, he was still a top-pairing defenseman for the Wild who played among the most minutes on the team.

"Ryan was a contributing player, as well," Guerin said. "But moving forward with four years left on his deal, we just decided it was something that was better done now." 1190366 Minnesota Wild Guerin called buying out the veteran players together "the proper step" and said he didn't consider trading the 36-year-old alternate captains, who could have vetoed any proposal with their no-movement clauses.

Cutting Zach Parise, Ryan Suter together needed 'to keep moving "I felt this was the cleanest way," Guerin said. forward,' Wild's GM says Both players were informed of the Wild's decision Tuesday morning. Neither responded to a request for comment from the Star Tribune.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune "It's a tough conversation," Guerin said. "I'll just leave it at that. They're both good. They're both professional. It's just a tough day." JULY 13, 2021 — 2:10PM Former franchise faces

This ends a memorable era in Wild history, a rebirth fronted by Parise Zach Parise and Ryan Suter joined the Wild at the same time in a and Suter that solidified the team's competitiveness. landmark twist for an organization seeking a breakthrough. The two were the most-coveted free agents in 2012, and they both chose That's also how they exited. the Wild — signing on July 4, a fitting arrival since their addition was as explosive as the fireworks on Independence Day. After signing matching contracts nine years ago as the splashiest free- agent pickups in franchise history, Parise and Suter were "You can pretty much put them up as the faces of the franchise when unceremoniously let go Tuesday when the Wild decided to buy out the they first got here," Marcus Foligno said. remaining four years of their deals. Immediately, the Wild improved, making the playoffs after missing out the Both players are expected to become free agents, eligible to sign with previous four seasons. Overall, the Wild advanced to the postseason any NHL team except the Wild. eight times in the next nine seasons and Parise and Suter were catalysts.

"These are two guys who gave their heart and soul to this organization," Through 558 games, Parise racked up the third-most goals (199) and General Manager Bill Guerin said Tuesday afternoon at the team's points (400) in Wild history during his homecoming after debuting with headquarters in St. Paul. "But we have to make tough decisions and New Jersey. The son of former North Star J.P. Parise who grew up in keep trying to turn the page, keep trying to get better and reach our Bloomington is also the franchise leader in playoff goals (16) and points ultimate goal and long-term goal of winning a Stanley Cup." (37).

Parise and Suter helped turn the Wild into a playoff team, but one that fell Another Midwest product, Suter is tops in assists (314) and points (369) short of a championship. They had four seasons to go on their 13-year, among Wild defensemen after his 656 regular-season games following a $98 million contracts and will receive approximately $6.7 million of the stint with Nashville. $10 million in salary they were still owed. "Zach and Ryan brought a lot to our team, the Wild organization and city While the team freed up about $10 million in salary cap space for next overall," captain Jared Spurgeon said in a text message. "I learned a lot season, that wiggle room drops to roughly $2 million for 2022-23 and is from their professionalism and work ethic and wish them both all the best even more miniscule from 2023-25. moving forward."

"Those years will be tough," Guerin said, referring to 2023-25. "But we're Their window with the Wild closed without a Stanley Cup, and now it's up going to have to do a very good job of drafting players and a very good to the new core Guerin has assembled around the likes of Spurgeon, job of developing players and injecting some younger, cheaper players Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek to lead the pursuit. into our lineup." Re-signing Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala are still on the team's to-do list, Salary-cap relief, however, wasn't the only motivator for the Wild. These and the Wild must fill out its defense. The team has approximately $26 subtractions will affect how it handles next Wednesday's expansion draft. million in cap space for the rest of the offseason after the boost from the buyouts and will target short-term contracts in free agency. Trades are Since Parise and Suter both had no-movement clauses in their deals, another option. they were required to be protected from Seattle. Now, the Wild has two spots available to shield players who were likely to be on the outs — like "We know what we're in for," Guerin said. "We know it's going to be defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Nico Sturm. The Wild has until difficult, but we're going to try and keep progressing." Saturday to submit its protection list. Bringing in Parise and Suter was the last monumental crossroads in the "We have to continue to change," Guerin said. "This team has to evolve." Wild's journey to claim a championship. Moving on from them is the next.

No easy split

Guerin described a six-to-eight month process to reach this decision. He Star Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 said owner Craig Leipold, who was thrilled to acquire Parise and Suter in 2012, supported the moves.

"There wasn't one big reason," Guerin said. "It was pretty much everything together as a whole. A tough decision to make, but one that I feel that we need to make."

Hints of a potential divorce with Parise popped up last season when the winger's role was diminished. He had his ice time scaled back, was demoted to the fourth line and became a healthy scratch, including for the start of the playoffs.

"We saw what happened with Zach this year," Guerin said, "and we weren't going to be able to give him the opportunity that maybe we thought we were."

As for Suter, he was still a top-pairing defenseman for the Wild who played among the most minutes on the team.

"Ryan was a contributing player, as well," Guerin said. "But moving forward with four years left on his deal, we just decided it was something that was better done now." 1190367 Minnesota Wild Guerin called buying out the veteran players together "the proper step" and said he didn't consider trading the 36-year-old alternate captains, who could have vetoed any proposal with their no-movement clauses.

Cutting Zach Parise, Ryan Suter together needed 'to keep moving "I felt this was the cleanest way," Guerin said. forward,' Wild's GM says Both players were informed of the Wild's decision Tuesday morning. Neither responded to a request for comment from the Star Tribune.

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune "It's a tough conversation," Guerin said. "I'll just leave it at that. They're both good. They're both professional. It's just a tough day." JULY 13, 2021 — 2:10PM Former franchise faces

This ends a memorable era in Wild history, a rebirth fronted by Parise Zach Parise and Ryan Suter joined the Wild at the same time in a and Suter that solidified the team's competitiveness. landmark twist for an organization seeking a breakthrough. The two were the most-coveted free agents in 2012, and they both chose That's also how they exited. the Wild — signing on July 4, a fitting arrival since their addition was as explosive as the fireworks on Independence Day. After signing matching contracts nine years ago as the splashiest free- agent pickups in franchise history, Parise and Suter were "You can pretty much put them up as the faces of the franchise when unceremoniously let go Tuesday when the Wild decided to buy out the they first got here," Marcus Foligno said. remaining four years of their deals. Immediately, the Wild improved, making the playoffs after missing out the Both players are expected to become free agents, eligible to sign with previous four seasons. Overall, the Wild advanced to the postseason any NHL team except the Wild. eight times in the next nine seasons and Parise and Suter were catalysts.

"These are two guys who gave their heart and soul to this organization," Through 558 games, Parise racked up the third-most goals (199) and General Manager Bill Guerin said Tuesday afternoon at the team's points (400) in Wild history during his homecoming after debuting with headquarters in St. Paul. "But we have to make tough decisions and New Jersey. The son of former North Star J.P. Parise who grew up in keep trying to turn the page, keep trying to get better and reach our Bloomington is also the franchise leader in playoff goals (16) and points ultimate goal and long-term goal of winning a Stanley Cup." (37).

Parise and Suter helped turn the Wild into a playoff team, but one that fell Another Midwest product, Suter is tops in assists (314) and points (369) short of a championship. They had four seasons to go on their 13-year, among Wild defensemen after his 656 regular-season games following a $98 million contracts and will receive approximately $6.7 million of the stint with Nashville. $10 million in salary they were still owed. "Zach and Ryan brought a lot to our team, the Wild organization and city While the team freed up about $10 million in salary cap space for next overall," captain Jared Spurgeon said in a text message. "I learned a lot season, that wiggle room drops to roughly $2 million for 2022-23 and is from their professionalism and work ethic and wish them both all the best even more miniscule from 2023-25. moving forward."

"Those years will be tough," Guerin said, referring to 2023-25. "But we're Their window with the Wild closed without a Stanley Cup, and now it's up going to have to do a very good job of drafting players and a very good to the new core Guerin has assembled around the likes of Spurgeon, job of developing players and injecting some younger, cheaper players Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek to lead the pursuit. into our lineup." Re-signing Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala are still on the team's to-do list, Salary-cap relief, however, wasn't the only motivator for the Wild. These and the Wild must fill out its defense. The team has approximately $26 subtractions will affect how it handles next Wednesday's expansion draft. million in cap space for the rest of the offseason after the boost from the buyouts and will target short-term contracts in free agency. Trades are Since Parise and Suter both had no-movement clauses in their deals, another option. they were required to be protected from Seattle. Now, the Wild has two spots available to shield players who were likely to be on the outs — like "We know what we're in for," Guerin said. "We know it's going to be defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Nico Sturm. The Wild has until difficult, but we're going to try and keep progressing." Saturday to submit its protection list. Bringing in Parise and Suter was the last monumental crossroads in the "We have to continue to change," Guerin said. "This team has to evolve." Wild's journey to claim a championship. Moving on from them is the next.

No easy split

Guerin described a six-to-eight month process to reach this decision. He Star Tribune LOADED: 07.14.2021 said owner Craig Leipold, who was thrilled to acquire Parise and Suter in 2012, supported the moves.

"There wasn't one big reason," Guerin said. "It was pretty much everything together as a whole. A tough decision to make, but one that I feel that we need to make."

Hints of a potential divorce with Parise popped up last season when the winger's role was diminished. He had his ice time scaled back, was demoted to the fourth line and became a healthy scratch, including for the start of the playoffs.

"We saw what happened with Zach this year," Guerin said, "and we weren't going to be able to give him the opportunity that maybe we thought we were."

As for Suter, he was still a top-pairing defenseman for the Wild who played among the most minutes on the team.

"Ryan was a contributing player, as well," Guerin said. "But moving forward with four years left on his deal, we just decided it was something that was better done now." 1190368 Minnesota Wild

How do Zach Parise-Ryan Suter buyouts impact expansion draft?

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

July 13, 2021 at 6:26 p.m.

On Saturday afternoon, Wild general manager Bill Guerin will have to submit his protection list ahead of the July 21 expansion draft. He made that part of his job much easier on Tuesday morning by making the hard decision to buy out veteran stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

While the aftermath of that decision will likely be debated for the foreseeable future, there’s likely very little debate about which players will be on Guerin’s protection list now that Parise and Suter are no longer a part of the roster.

It’s almost a guarantee that the Wild choose the option that allows them to protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender from the Seattle Kraken. Asked if he made the decision to buy out Parise and Suter solely based on the expansion draft, Guerin said, “It was a contributing part of the decision.”

It raises the question: Who are the Wild going to protect? Let’s take a guess. (Remember, star rookie Kirill Kaprizov does not need to be protected.)

SEVEN FORWARDS

Joel Eriksson Ek: This is a no-brainer. He just signed an eight-year deal. He isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Kevin Fiala: He still doesn’t have a contract. But he will undoubtedly be protected. He’s a legitimate sniper to build around.

Marcus Foligno: He’s the heart and soul of the locker room. He has also taken the next step as a scoring threat. No chance he’s left exposed.

Jordan Greenway: He took a gigantic leap last season. Though he still needs to improve his consistency, he’s on the right track for the future.

Ryan Hartman: He’s a gritty player that can wear many hats. There’s a good chance he would be plucked if he were exposed.

Nico Sturm: He was at risk of being exposed before. Not anymore.

Mats Zuccarello: He has a no-movement clause. He has to be protected by rule.

WHO IS LEFT EXPOSED?

If the protection list actually plays out like this, that would notably leave defenseman Carson Soucy and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen exposed.

While there are a lot of other players the Wild would have to leave exposed, it’s likely the Kraken would select Soucy or Kahkonen. Both players have proven capable of making an impact at the NHL level early in their respective careers and could grow into a much more prominent role if given the opportunity.

There’s also a chance Guerin could try to work out a side deal with Kraken general manager Ron Francis at some point in the next week.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190369 Minnesota Wild a quarterback away from getting back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1977.

Surprise! Now Cousins is due to make $21 million this season and $35 Parise-Suter money was elite; the play was not million in 2022 with cap hits of $31 million and $45 million. Unless he is belted by a gamma ray this fall and becomes John Elway, that deal will live in infamy as the stupidest of stupid money thrown at a local athlete. But don’t sell the Parise/Suter deal short. By JOHN SHIPLEY | [email protected] | Pioneer Press In the second Parise/Suter season, the Wild finished with 98 points and PUBLISHED: July 13, 2021 at 5:04 p.m. | UPDATED: July 13, 2021 at won two games against eventual champion Chicago in the second round 5:45 p.m. of the Western Conference playoffs.

It was a bad matchup draw, but the reality is the Wild never won another It was July 4, 2012, and Minnesota sports fans were feeling good about second-round game (0-4) and were bounced in the first round in their themselves. Finally, a local professional sports team outbid everyone next five postseasons with Parise and Suter on the roster, if not the ice. else for some big-time talent. Were they usually among the Wild’s best players. Yes. Finally, Minnesota had a real player on the national sports scene. Were they elite? Well, the money was. That was the primary takeaway when, at the behest of then-general manager Chuck Fletcher, Wild owner Craig Leipold opened the vault and threw crazy and identical 13-year, $98 million contracts at the best Pioneer Press LOADED: 07.14.2021 available free NHL agents, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

The Twins had somewhat notoriously made Kirby Puckett baseball’s first $3 million-a-year player in November, 1989, but the Parise/Suter signing was the most profligate use of personnel resources in Twin Cities sports history. It was a great victory for the bearers of chatroom torches and pitchforks. The days of the cheapskate Minnesota sports team owners, it seemed, were ending.

Parise was a gritty left wing with a knack for scoring at the crease and had just led the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Final. Suter was a slick, responsible defenseman who had averaged 36.2 assists in his previous four seasons in Nashville. Despite their big-time track records, they were each still only 27 years old.

Minnesotans could almost taste the delightful metal after tones of cold Grain Belt served in a Stanley Cup.

Well, it didn’t work, and we didn’t have to wait this long to find out it wouldn’t, but it was on Tuesday that Bill Guerin announced he was cutting the cord on Parise and Suter. The Wild GM is buying out the rest of their deals four years early after 19 playoff victories and zero Stanley Cups.

The move comes at a significant cost to the Wild’s next several seasons. Because both players had no-trade clauses, Guerin gains two protected slots for the upcoming NHL expansion draft and as cleared about $10 million in 2021-22 salary cap space to help sign Calder Trophy-winner Kirill Kaprizov and young wing Kevin Fiala to long-term deals. But the decision wasn’t a no-brainer because it comes at a significant cost.

NHL contract buyouts are prohibitive. The Parise and Suter contracts were guaranteed, so the team is on the hook for $10 million apiece. Further, the Wild will take “dead” cap hits on each player for the next six seasons, including identical hits of $6.3 million, $7.4 million and $7.4 million from 2022-23 to 2024-25.

Yet paying them and saving two roster spots and a little early cap space was more palatable to Guerin than paying Parise and Suter to actually play hockey.

“I didn’t just wake up this morning and try to decide to do it,” Guerin said Tuesday. “It’s been a process, probably about six or eight months.”

There are many reasons for this. For one, the expansion draft is much harder on existing teams than the one the Wild and Blue Jackets got in 2000. And the timing on Kaprizov’s arrival, and Fiala’s contract situation, are important, as well.

Then there’s the fact that, in the end, throwing stupid money at Parise and Suter just didn’t work and wasn’t going to work. Not for the team.

Of course, we’ve seen some bad deals since, most notably Glen Taylor’s decision to throw a max contract at Andrew Wiggins. But no contract will burn as hot, stinky and long as the Kirk Cousins deal, destined to be one of those eternally burning garbage piles, and not just because the Vikings are and always will be the kings of Minnesota pro sports.

When Cousins signed a three-year, fully guaranteed $84 million contract in 2018 it was the biggest in NFL history, and the Vikings really did seem 1190370 Minnesota Wild Both players stuffed the stat sheet throughout their time with the Wild, with Parise scoring 400 points (199 goals and 201 assists) in 558 regular-season games, and Suter scoring 369 points (55 goals, 314 assists) in 656 regular-season games. Wild buying out veteran stars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter “I want to thank Zach and Ryan for everything they did for our organization over the past nine seasons, both on and off the ice,” Wild owner Craig Leipold said in a statement. “They were tremendous By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press ambassadors for our team and helped us win a lot of games. I wish them PUBLISHED: July 13, 2021 at 11:06 a.m. | UPDATED: July 13, 2021 at nothing but the best going forward.” 5:56 p.m. It’s no secret that Leipold is heavily involved in big decisions such as this, and thus, Guerin knew he had to present a detailed plan of how this would impact the franchise moving forward. That’s what many of the In a blockbuster move that truly signals a changing of the guard in conversations over the past six to eight months were about, and Minnesota sports, the Wild are buying out the contracts of veteran stars ultimately, Leipold gave Guerin the green light. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. “He’s in support of this and he’s been aware of what’s going on every The team announced the shocking news Tuesday morning, nine years step of the way,” Guerin said. “This wouldn’t happen without his blessing after Parise and Suter signed matching 13-year, $98 million contracts to and without him standing right next to me.” join the team on July 4, 2012. As for Guerin, he understands a decision of this magnitude puts him The expectations at the time were that Parise and Suter would help bring under a microscope moving forward. And he’s fine with that. a Stanley Cup to the Twin Cities. That never happened, and now the marriage is over. Both players are 36 years old and will become free “When I first got this job, I needed that first year to kind of assess what’s agents on July 28. going on and to kind of move slowly and methodically,” Guerin said. “You have to try to get better. We are trying to win and we have to try to Talking to reporters in person Tuesday, Wild general manager Bill Guerin improve all the time, and sometimes it takes very difficult decisions to do stressed how much thought went into this decision. He said he that. It’s not OK to be where we are right now. We saw great signs this understands the impact Parise and Suter have had on the franchise, not year. But we are not there yet. We have to continue to try to get better to mention the state as a whole, and that isn’t something he takes lightly. and try to build a Stanley Cup-winning team.”

In the end, though, Guerin felt jettisoning Parise and Suter put the Wild on a better trajectory toward success. Pioneer Press LOADED: 07.14.2021 “We have to keep moving forward,” Guerin said. “These are two guys who gave their heart and soul to this organization. But we have to make tough decisions to keep trying to turn the page and keep trying to get better to reach our ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup.”

Asked how long he has been considering this move, Guerin said it has been on his mind for the past six to eight months. In other words, while this probably comes as a shock to most sports fans throughout Minnesota — and maybe even to Parise and Suter — within the front office it has been a topic of discussion at length since last offseason.

“I didn’t just wake up this morning and decide to do it,” Guerin said. “We can’t just do a knee-jerk reaction with something like this. You have to spend time on it. In the end, I do feel that this is the right decision for us, and it will work out for them.”

Though the writing appeared to be on the wall for Parise after he felt out of the rotation last season, the decision to buy out Suter, too, left some people confused since he still played big minutes in the 2020-21 season. Asked about why he decided to buy out both players at the same time, Guerin responded, “It seemed like just the cleanest way to go.”

Logistically, the Wild will save some money in the short term, then will have to jump through some financial hoops in the long term. They will be charged $2.371 million against the cap for both players in the 2021-22 season, $6.371 million against the cap in 2022-23, $7.371 million against the cap in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and then $833,333 against the cap in 2025-26, 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29.

The buyouts give the Wild a little more than $10 million in extra cap space for this summer as they attempt to sign young stars Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala to long-term deals. That said, Guerin made it clear that this move doesn’t mean Kaprizov and Fiala will fetch more money than before.

Maybe the most important thing to come out of the decision is the Wild now have a couple of extra spots on their protection list for the upcoming NHL expansion draft. That should allow them to protect players like star defenseman Matt Dumba and up-and-coming forward Nico Sturm, both of whom would have been exposed in the expansion draft otherwise.

“Not the main reason for this,” Guerin said. “But it was a contributing part of the decision. There were a lot of things that went into it.”

Looking back at the Parise-Suter era as a whole, the Wild went 354-237- 74 and advanced to the playoffs eight times since they joined the team. While the presence of Parise and Suter helped the franchise re-establish relevance across the league, the Wild never got close to a Stanley Cup in that span, bowing out in the first round six times. 1190371 Minnesota Wild “He’s in support of this, and he’s been aware of what’s going on every step of the way and this wouldn’t happen without his blessing and without him standing right next to me.”

Wild’s stunning Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts could create salary- In Guerin’s eyes, it was now or never with Suter because the way both cap repercussions for years contracts were structured, the Wild were only able to get $5.16 million worth of cap relief this summer in a buyout — or $10.33 million by buying out both.

By Michael Russo There would be no real benefit to buying out either in future years.

Jul 13, 2021 The issue the buyouts create, however, is that relief dips to $1.16 million apiece in 2022-23, then only $167,000 apiece in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The Wild will then carry $1.67 million ($833,333 apiece) of dead cap Bill Guerin called Ryan Suter first, and it went to voicemail. charges in 2025-26, 2026-27, 2027-28 and 2028-29.

So, the Wild general manager called Zach Parise, naturally in the middle All of this means, in Year 2, the Wild will be charged $12.74 million for of a Tuesday morning workout, next. Parise and Suter to not play for them, then $14.74 million in Years 3 and 4. “I was caught off guard,” the now-former face of the Wild franchise said. “I had a feeling something was gonna happen, but when it does happen, That could create a serious cap crunch that may inhibit the Wild’s ability you’re still shocked.” to swing for the fences on any player that carries a hefty cap hit during those seasons. Parise actually had a pleasant conversation with Guerin. “We got a big savings this year and it slowly, well not slowly, quickly goes Deep down, the veteran forward was relieved. down,” Guerin said. “Look, we’ve planned out for all that stuff. We know what we’re in for, we know it’s going to be difficult, but we’re going to try He had just completed the lowest point of his career where he received and keep progressing.” fourth-line minutes, was removed from the power play and ultimately began last spring’s playoffs humiliated as a healthy scratch. So as It’s almost humorous now to think potential cap recapture penalties if disappointed as Parise was to get that phone call, he didn’t see his role either player ever retired prematurely had been such a terrorizing changing in Minnesota and was excited that in a few weeks, on July 28 to concept in the Twin Cities the past nine years. Instead, it turned out that be exact, he would be given a new lease on his hockey life and the ability the Wild themselves created their own lack of cap flexibility in 2022-23, to start fresh by signing with another team. 2023-24 and 2024-25.

“In my mind, I don’t think anything was going to be any different next “I didn’t think it would do any good just to wait,” Guerin said when asked year,” Parise told The Athletic. “From the way the season started to if he thought about maybe hanging on to Suter for another year or two where it ended up, it just kind of felt like this is where it was going to go. I and then trying to trade him if he’d waive his no-move then. “Look, those didn’t really envision anything changing. It was a difficult season. I don’t years will be tough, but we’re going to have to do a very good job of really know how else to put it. I’ve never felt lower in my career.” drafting players, and a very good job of developing players, and injecting some younger, cheaper players into our lineup.” Parise, the all-time leading goal scorer among Minnesotans in NHL history, hung up and immediately called his longtime comrade in arms, Parise couldn’t believe when Suter called him back with the news that he, Suter, to inform his 2012 free-agent tag-team partner and fellow nine- too, was being bought out. year alternate captain that the Wild were buying out the final four years of his contract. “That, I did not see coming at all,” Parise said. “I thought Ryan played really well this year. I did. I thought Ryan had a great season and played Suter tried to lift Parise’s spirits. He even told him that funny enough he well for us like he always has. He’s a top-four D-man in this league. Very himself had a missed call from Guerin. surprised.”

That’s when Guerin suddenly called again. The veteran defenseman It sounds like in the Guerin’s mind, Parise’s role was already diminishing, answered and was blindsided with the exact same news that he, too, was and Suter, who’s also 36 years old, would likely follow. So if the Wild being bought out of the final four years of his contract. were going to hold $15-plus million of cap hits for the two of them anyway in the next four years, at least clearing the players out now would open That call with Guerin wasn’t as lengthy … or as friendly. up spots for younger or different players and bring on at least temporary Suter, never, ever envisioning that the Wild would actually buy out both cap relief. contracts at the same time, hung up on the GM. “I felt this was the cleanest way,” Guerin said. “This way gives them more “These calls are not fun to make,” Guerin said a few hours later at a of an opportunity to go out and do what they can do. I know they both news conference. “In this position, the chair I’m sitting in, you have to do have game left and they’re going to help another team. But for us, right difficult things.” now, where we are, we saw what happened with Zach this year and we weren’t going to be able to give him the opportunity that maybe we Nine years after that 101-degree July 4 scorcher in the Twin Cities when thought we were. This will be better for them.” Parise and Suter signed identical 13-year, $98 million contracts, the Parise-Suter era came to an abrupt and unexpected end when Guerin For this offseason, the Wild went from having $15.9 million in cap space made the stunning and bold decision to move on from both franchise to $26.2 million with 14 players signed. A team can carry up to 23 icons. players.

Many figured something had to give with the Wild’s salary-cap situation A large chunk of that money should go to restricted free agents Kirill and that Guerin may have had no choice but to buy out Parise so he Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala, although Guerin made clear that the buyouts could gain an extra $5-plus million in cap space this offseason. do not mean extra money will be thrown their way.

Nobody – nobody! – ever imagined the Wild would get rid of both, “Nuh-uh,” Guerin said with a grin. especially Suter, who was still playing a top-four role on the Wild blue line The Wild continue to have ongoing conversations with the agents for and came to Minnesota in part because of his tight relationship with Kaprizov and Fiala. He characterized his talks with Kaprizov’s agent last owner Craig Leipold from their days with the Nashville Predators. week as “good conversations,” but, “it doesn’t mean we’re getting a deal “Craig and I have had I don’t know how many conversations about it,” done tonight. But just the fact that the dialogue’s open, we’re not afraid of said Guerin, who said the front office had been discussing this possibility going back and forth or taking our time. This is how it goes. With Kevin, for six to eight months. “I think the important thing is that when you go to we started 10 days ago roughly. Early in the process, but we’re starting.” your boss with something this big, you better have a plan. I worked very Although the Wild now can protect one extra forward and one extra hard with my entire hockey ops group and we do, we have a plan and defenseman in the July 21 expansion draft, the decision to buy out Parise presented it to Craig and over time we talked about it many, many times. and Suter was not made for expansion reasons. Guerin simply could have asked either to waive their no-move clause for the purpose of He has no idea yet what teams will come knocking on his door July 28, expansion. But neither Parise nor Suter were approached to waive their but you can bet he hopes to sign with a contender and could be no-moves for Seattle so the team could protect others. eyeballing the Vegas Golden Knights, who are coached by one of his favorites, Pete DeBoer. The two were together in New Jersey when Assuming the Wild protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one Parise captained the Devils to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. goalie, the likely scenario would be to protect forwards Fiala, Joel Eriksson Ek, , Marcus Foligno, Jordan Greenway, Ryan “I think that part’s really exciting,” Parise said of free agency “I’m really Hartman and now Nico Sturm, defensemen Jared Spurgeon, Jonas looking forward to that. I guess we’ll see what the marketplace brings, but Brodin and now Matt Dumba and goaltender Cam Talbot. I’m looking forward to that. I have no idea where I’m going to go, but that’s an exciting time.” If that’s accurate, forward Victor Rask, defenseman Carson Soucy and goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, among others, would be exposed. The Wild As for now, Parise and Suter’s lives suddenly are uprooted. need to submit their list Saturday by 4 p.m. The hope is Suter will talk publicly at some point, but he decided to digest Guerin, obviously, was coy when asked if he could possibly still make a Tuesday’s news before speaking. Parise has three children — a twin boy deal with Seattle to dictate which player the Kraken select. and girl who are 7 years old and a son who is 3. He had to explain to his son, Jaxson, that he would no longer play for the Wild. If the Kraken take Soucy, the Wild would suddenly have to add three defensemen to their top six next season from either internal or external “That part sucks,” Parise said. “I had to tell Jax, ‘I’m not going to play options. here anymore,’ and he didn’t really understand.”

Calen Addison, 21, acquired in the Jason Zucker deal with the Penguins, Parise added with a laugh, “He said, ‘They don’t want you to play here got a six-game regular-season and postseason taste last year and will anymore?’ And I had to tell him, ‘No, they don’t.’ That’s a hard vie for a spot out of camp. Brennan Menell may also rejoin the conversation to have with your kid. They’re sad right now, but they’re all organization after playing last season in the KHL — the Wild made him a going to be OK. contract offer Monday or Tuesday, sources say. “As for me, so will I. It was awesome playing here. The community was But the Wild will likely dive into free agency and could even look to re- great. For our family, it was fantastic. Today, it’s really tough to look back sign pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Ian Cole. on everything from a hockey standpoint, but I’m not gonna sit here and say, ‘I didn’t enjoy it,’ because I did. It’s just unfortunate this is where we Up front, this could open the door for youngsters like Marco Rossi, Matt are today. Boldy, Connor Dewar and Brandon Duhaime, or Guerin similarly could dip into free agency. “This wasn’t part of the plan when Ryan and I signed here, I didn’t think.”

We’ll have a lot clearer picture after we discover who Seattle takes from the Wild next week, but Guerin made clear that in his eyes Tuesday’s decision was all about continuing to build a product that’s going to The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 perennially contend for a championship.

“We want to win the Stanley Cup. And that doesn’t change,” he said. “No matter what, that doesn’t change. With the freed up cap space, we’re going to do what we can do to put the best team on the ice, and we then have to take it from there. We’re coached very well, we have great character guys, they competed like crazy this year.

“We could have won that series (against Vegas). We didn’t, but we could have I felt, and if we continue to build off what we did this year, then we’re heading in the right direction.”

Tuesday’s news is the latest example of Guerin overhauling the culture inside the Wild locker room and on the ice.

Since he became GM 23 months ago, Guerin has traded Zucker, Eric Staal and Devan Dubnyk, didn’t bring back captain Mikko Koivu and now has cut ties with Parise and Suter.

“Even though those guys are both very good players, it opens the door for other guys. It creates opportunity,” Guerin said. “Even going back to the Jason Zucker trade, Jason was a very good player here, and it wasn’t a very popular move, but it opened the door for Kevin Fiala, and that’s really what allowed him to start being the player you see now.

“It’s a tough day for everybody, but there are some guys that are going to jump on this opportunity, and that’s what we expect, that’s what we hope for.”

Guerin gets this may not be a popular decision with some in the fan base.

He praised the impact both made on the organization, helping turn the franchise into a consistent playoff outside into one that made the playoffs eight times in the past nine years.

“I know I’m not making everybody happy,” Guerin said. “Every decision I make there are a lot of people not happy with me. That’s part of it. There are some people that are happy. I just have to do what I feel is right. I can tell you this I don’t make these decisions lightly. I have been a player. I have been traded. I have been bought out. I have been through a lot, and I know how it affects these guys so I do not take it lightly.

“But when I got traded or when I got bought out, I took it one way but then years down the road now I know what that GM was thinking and what that situation meant.”

Parise was already looking ahead Tuesday. 1190372 Minnesota Wild

Wild buying out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter: Sources

By Michael Russo

Jul 13, 2021

A little more than nine years after fireworks erupted in the Twin Cities with the Fourth of July tag-team signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter in 2012, the Parise-Suter era has come to an end.

According to sources, Wild general manager Bill Guerin called both Parise and Suter to inform each of them that the team is buying out the remaining four years of each of their contracts.

Both players will become free agents on July 28.

The Wild will pay each $6.7 million over the next eight years and be charged with $2.371 million, $6.371 million, $7.371 million and $7.371 million cap hits in the next four years, respectively, for each, then $833,333 cap hits the four years after that for each.

This gives the Wild another $10.33 million in cap space to play with this summer where Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala have to be re-signed and the team could be pursuing a No. 1 center.

The buyouts also open up two spots in the July 21 expansion draft. The team will likely now protect forwards Mats Zuccarello, Fiala, Joel Eriksson Ek, Marcus Foligno, Jordan Greenway, Ryan Hartman and Nico Sturm; defensemen Jared Spurgeon, Jonas Brodin and Matt Dumba; and goalie Cam Talbot. Assuming that is how it plays out, Victor Rask, Carson Soucy, Kaapo Kahkonen, Brennan Menell and others will be exposed.

Minnesota went 354-237-74 (.588) and was tied for eighth in the NHL in team points (782) during their nine seasons. The Wild advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs eight times.

Parise, 36, scored 199 goals and 400 points in 558 games over nine seasons with the Wild. He ranks third in Wild history in goals and points, and is first in points per game.

Suter, 36, had 55 goals and 369 points in 656 games with the Wild over the same nine seasons. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in scoring and assists among defensemen.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190373 Minnesota Wild 29 and the Wild buy two of his unrestricted years), Kaprizov could come in at between $7.6 million and $8.2 million annually.

How are we guessing that range? A three-year bridge deal probably Untangling the Wild offseason: How the expansion draft impacts the rest would come in around $7 million, so if you “overpay” him in years 4 and 5 of Minnesota’s moves like he’s a $10 million player, that gets you to $41 million divided by five years.

Let’s call it $8 million for the sake of making the arithmetic easier. By Michael Russo As for Fiala, if Guerin could get him signed for four or five years at $6 Jul 13, 2021 million per (which is Fiala’s comparable), I bet he’d do that in a nanosecond.

If Fiala’s going to play hardball and seek $7 million or $8 million on a One of the difficult tasks — actually, headache-inducing chores — of this super-long deal, or if Guerin feels Fiala’s an asset that could lasso a top- challenging offseason for the Minnesota Wild is trying to untangle the six center, he’ll be in danger of being traded to a different area code. web. But, if the Wild can get the two of them signed for $14 million, that’s $1.9 There are multiple directions the Wild can go, every decision alters million of cap space left with only 18 players signed. another, potentially creates another pickle … and all the scenarios can turn your brain into a knot. Remember, teams can carry up to 23 players and always must leave cap space available for injuries and call-ups. The biggest priority is to re-sign Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala, but neither contract negotiation is easy. Then, you add in the expansion So, that’s why something must give and cap flexibility will have to be wrinkle next week, and all of this only further complicates the Wild’s created to conduct all the business the Wild need to this offseason. desire to get better this offseason. Expansion challenge The path the organization takes this summer should — or, will hopefully — become clearer these next few weeks, so buckle up for an eventful On Tuesday, NHL teams have until 4 p.m. to ask players with no-move offseason as the jigsaw puzzle gets put together. clauses whether they’d be willing to waive for the purpose of expansion. Five Wild players have such clauses and must be protected unless they Let’s start with the key dates you should know as a Wild fan: waive: forwards Zach Parise and Mats Zuccarello, and defensemen Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin. Tuesday: Deadline to ask players with no-move clauses to waive for the purpose of expansion only, 4 p.m. Guerin hasn’t indicated he’ll go this route.

Friday: Deadline for players to agree or decline to waive no-move In fact, at his season-ending news conference, Guerin said, “I don’t know clauses, 4 p.m. if we’ll do that, to be honest with you. We could, but I don’t know if we’re going to have to.” Saturday: Trade freeze goes into effect, 2 p.m. As of midday Monday, Guerin hadn’t yet reached out to Suter or Parise Saturday: Expansion protected lists must be submitted to NHL, 4 p.m. to ask whether they’d waive. Sunday: Expansion protected and exposed lists revealed publicly Protecting seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie instead of Sunday: Seattle can begin interviewing pending unrestricted and eight skaters and one goalie seems the most prudent thing to do. restricted free agents Up front, the forwards would likely be Parise, Zuccarello, Fiala, Eriksson July 21: Expansion draft, 7 p.m. Ek, Jordan Greenway, Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman. That would leave Bjugstad, Victor Rask and Nico Sturm exposed, as well as a July 22: Trade freeze ends, 12 p.m. handful of minor leaguers and pending unrestricted free agents from Minnesota and Iowa like Nick Bonino and Marcus Johansson. Asking July 23: First round of NHL Draft, 7 p.m. Parise to waive would allow the Wild to protect probably Sturm, a July 24: Rounds 2-7 of NHL Draft, 10 a.m. potential unrestricted free agent next summer.

July 27: First buyout window closes, 4 p.m. (teams that have a restricted On defense, Suter, Spurgeon and Brodin must be protected, leaving Matt free agent file for arbitration get a second buyout window next month; Dumba, Carson Soucy and Brennan Menell (the Wild continue to have Fiala and Brandon Duhaime are Minnesota’s only arbitration-eligible contract talks with him) exposed, as well as a number of pending restricted free agents). unrestricted free agents from Minnesota and Iowa like Ian Cole and Brad Hunt. July 28: Free agency begins, 11 a.m. If Guerin doesn’t ask Suter to waive, it means 1) He probably has a deal Kaprizov, Fiala contract updates and how it affects the salary cap in place or in the works with Seattle to take a specific player; 2) He’s The Wild have 16 players signed for next season and currently $15.9 trading Dumba somewhere by Saturday’s trade freeze; or 3) He’s going million in cap space with Kaprizov and Fiala still needing to be re-signed. to roll the dice and let Seattle take whoever it wants.

You don’t need a calculator or an economics degree to realize something It’s no guarantee Seattle takes Dumba if exposed. He’s only got two has to give. years left on his contract and makes $7.4 million in real cash next season. Cap space will need to be freed up — whether that comes via a lost salary in expansion, trade(s) or a buyout — to re-sign those two key Soucy, at $2.75 million per, could be more appetizing, as well as Sturm players plus have enough money left over to fill out the rest of the roster. or Kaapo Kahkonen (assuming he’s left unprotected in lieu of veteran Cam Talbot) at $725,000 AAV. Contract talks for both players continued last week. If the Kraken do take Dumba, sure, it’d stink to lose him for nothing if As for Kaprizov, it sounded like Wild general manager Bill Guerin that’s the route Seattle goes, but that would be two offseasons in a row understood that a compromise was in order and he’d have to come off Guerin was unable to trade Dumba, so obviously his trade value either his desire of signing Kaprizov for seven or eight years if Kaprizov’s agent isn’t high or perhaps teams are just unable to take him on now because was willing to come up from his short-term wish. of their own expansion dilemmas, which adding Dumba would compound. As of now, make no mistake, Kaprizov is entrusting his agent to make all decisions on his behalf. He’s going to listen to his well-experienced Guerin doesn’t want to lose Dumba. Guerin’s 31 counterparts know that, agent. which is making a difficult situation even more complicated.

Let’s just say the two sides do end up settling on a five-year deal If the Wild lose Dumba, they’d at least gain $6 million in cap space to (Kaprizov could still hit his home run contract here or elsewhere at age bank for the rest of the offseason or the future. But unless something has changed, Guerin doesn’t want to lose Dumba. When you consider all of the challenges this offseason, you can see So if he doesn’t go to Suter to waive, it likely means there’s something up where all the math and moving parts can really turn your mind into a his sleeve. pretzel.

What’s interesting is Dumba has two years left on his contract and for the But it has been way too quiet for a team that’s got a busy offseason first time has a 10-team no-trade clause that kicks in July 28. So if Guerin ahead. plans to trade Dumba before he’s an unrestricted free agent in 2023, his wrists will be further handcuffed once Dumba gets that contract That should all change very, very soon. protection.

Remember, Suter, Spurgeon, Brodin and Dumba already eat up 33.3 The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 percent of the Wild’s $81.5 million cap ceiling. Even though Suter will be off the books in four years, Dumba may command a raise on his $6 million per in two years.

So, trading Dumba in advance of the modified no-trade clause may make the most sense if Guerin can find a fit.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Guerin can figure out a way to get Seattle general manager Ron Francis to take Rask over Dumba, Soucy or Kahkonen. It would clear $4 million off the books, but it could be costly — like a high draft pick and a prospect or maybe an appealing inexpensive young player like Sturm or Menell.

For instance, would a second-round pick and Menell get it done?

It keeps the top-five defensemen intact, creates $4 million of cap space, and the Wild don’t have to consider buying out Parise.

Parise buyout options

Though expansion could be painful for the Wild, the team really could use Seattle to take a significant salary off their hands.

If the Wild skate through expansion and lose Sturm or Kahkonen over Dumba, Soucy or Rask, they’ll be back to a cap crunch, having $16.7 million of space to get Kaprizov and Fiala re-signed and fill out the rest of their roster.

That’s where Parise comes in.

The Wild don’t want to buy out Parise, but they may have no choice if they don’t find another way to free up cap space.

The Wild would at least get $5.1 million in extra cap space to spend this offseason, but then they’d get charged $6.371 million in 2022-23, $7.371 million in 2023-24 and 2024-25 and $833,333 cap hits from 2025 to 2029.

One other option that is complicated?

Find a team that’s willing to acquire Parise, trade a significant asset to take him and then have that team buy him out.

Parise gets to start fresh elsewhere as a free agent and the Wild at least get out of his $7.538 million cap hit.

However, a league source said that would not get the Wild out of potential cap recapture penalties if he retires before the end of 2024-25. The cap recapture would be applicable in the context of any trade for any reason, the source said.

Another option?

Trade Parise for another team to buy him out but retain a portion of his $7.538 million cap hit.

Say the Wild retain 20 percent of Parise’s salary and cap hit, they would be obligated to pay 20 percent of the buyout and the other team only 80 percent.

None of this is simple but could be a mechanism to create salary-cap room and an open roster spot for another player since Parise’s role continues to become less and less in Minnesota.

Trading for a center

Oh, and with all that said, the Wild would like to upgrade up the middle this offseason.

Here are some center options from a recent story, but the Wild continue to talk to the Buffalo Sabres about Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart, and they’re believed to have talked to the about Christian Dvorak (not sure why Arizona would want to move a 25-year-old center with four years left at a reasonable $4.45 million). 1190374 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens remove interim tag, sign head coach Dominique Ducharme to a three-year extension

Staff Report

7/13/2021

The Montreal Canadiens announced that head coach Dominique Ducharme has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season.

Dominique Ducharme was officially named the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday after leading the club on an electric playoff run all the way to the Stanley Cup final.

The Habs announced that Ducharme has agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season, removing the “interim” qualifier that’s been attached to his title since he took over from the fired Claude Julien on Feb. 24.

“I always believe that when you do good things, good things happen to you,” Ducharme, 48, said in a news conference Tuesday after the team’s announcement.

“I have that belief that if we do things right – if we live the right way, if we commit like we should commit – at one point, you’ll get rewarded.”

Montreal managed a 15-16-7 record under Ducharme to finish the regular season and were the lowest-ranked team to qualify for the playoffs. They couldn’t get any traction under the interim coach thanks to a combination of new systems, inconsistent play, a COVID-19 shutdown, key injuries and a condensed calendar.

Then, the Canadiens caught fire in the post-season.

They came from 3-1 down to beat the favoured Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, then swept Winnipeg in the North Division final.

They then knocked off the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the semi-final before losing in five to defending champion Tampa Bay in the Cup final.

Ducharme watched much of the final two rounds from isolation at home after contracting COVID-19 in June, but returned to the bench in the final.

“Even though we had some hard times and it was not easy, I still remain confident in the group,” he said Tuesday.

Ducharme joined the Canadiens’ coaching staff on April 27, 2018. The native of Joliette, Que., previously spent 10 seasons coaching in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

He led the to QMJHL and titles in 2012-13, earning the ’s Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award in the process.

He coached Canada to a gold medal at the 2018 world junior championship, and a silver the year prior.

Ducharme must now turn his attention to the future as the Canadiens look to carry their momentum over an uncharacteristically short postseason into the 2021-22 campaign.

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Ducharme added positivity, control behind Habs' bench, goalie Allen says

Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 13, 2021

As the backup goalie, Jake Allen got a close look at how head coach Dominique Ducharme runs the Canadiens bench.

“Dom’s very controlled, the bench is very under control,” Allen said Friday when the Canadiens held their exit interviews after losing the Stanley Cup final to the Tampa Bay Lightning. “Just the atmosphere that he brings to the bench … some benches on teams that I’ve played for are loud … it takes away from your game a little bit.

“But I think the way Dom runs our bench and the positivity that’s on our bench … yeah, there’s times where you get frustrated, a bad call, things like that. That happens to every team. But the positivity and just the feel around the bench is always that feel of confidence. Even when I was sitting there and I had no control over anything that happened on the ice, I could just feel the positivity, that confidence building and building through the playoffs. Didn’t end the way we wanted, but it was truly a pleasure to be there first-hand, up-close-and-personal to watch it.”

On Tuesday, Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin rewarded Ducharme with a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season and took the interim tag off his job title.

Like Allen, veteran forward Corey Perry was impressed with the job Ducharme did.

“He’s to the point,” Perry said. “He gets his point across and he’s definitely, definitely detailed and structured and that’s everything you want from a head coach. He’ll talk to you and let you know where you stand and I can’t say enough about him. He did a tremendous job for us.”

Ducharme described his relationship with his players as respectful.

“Having success as a team is a partnership,” he said. “We’re not there against the players … we’re all here for the same reason. I want every one of them, individually, to have success, but mostly that’s our job collectively having success. At the same time, we all have our job to do. We talked about that with the players. We’re putting in the plan, we’re adjusting the plan, we show the direction, what we want to do. Their job is to get into that and bring their own individual skills, their personality as a player within our team structure.

“Working daily with them, I said all along that it was a great group. I like things to be really clear and to communicate with them and making sure that we’re all on the same page. So I think the relation with the group was very good.”

Ducharme said he expects to have coaches Luke Richardson and Alex Burrows back behind the bench with him next season and he wants to add a third assistant coach.

Ducharme added that it’s uncertain what role director of goaltending Sean Burke will have next season.

“Sean’s going to be with us, but is he going to be daily every day with us, moving his family here, or he’s going to keep working with the team, the organization from Arizona,” Ducharme said. “Then from there we might have to look at a goalie coach in that situation.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190376 Montreal Canadiens confident in the group and in the way that we were building things and what we wanted to achieve. I think on the personal side, when you look I’ve been through every level. I always believed that when you do good things, good things happen to you. I think at one point, the game is fair Stu Cowan: Unflappable Ducharme reaps reward for Canadiens' Cup run and that’s why when you see me calm like this. Maybe I have that belief that if we do things right, if we work the right way, if we commit like we

should commit, at one point you’ll get rewarded.” Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette Ducharme was rewarded with a new contract on Tuesday that he Publishing date: Jul 13, 2021 definitely deserved.

When asked what his late father would think about him officially becoming head coach of the Canadiens, Ducharme said: “Really proud, Calm, cool and confident. for sure. He was a great sports guy, great competitor. I’m sure right now there’s a party up there somewhere.” Those are the three things that impressed me the most about Dominique Ducharme from the first day he took over as interim head coach of the Canadiens on Feb. 25, replacing Claude Julien when the team had a 9-5- 4 record. Associate coach Kirk Muller was fired at the same time. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.14.2021

“If I had written a script, maybe it would have been different today,” Ducharme said during his first video conference with the media after getting the job. “But I’m losing two colleagues and two great people. Claude is a great man and I got to know Kirk. To see them leave, obviously, it’s a mixed feeling. Yes, I’m proud to be here. It was a long road for me. I didn’t take the highway … I went on the side roads. But I’m proud of that and I think it made me grow as a coach and today I feel ready for it.

“I feel prepared,” Ducharme added. “When you’re prepared, you sit down at school, you get your exam, you don’t care what the questions are going to be. You’re ready to answer. You’re pretty nervous when you’re not ready, when you didn’t study. So I feel comfortable. I feel ready. I’m confident in the group, I’m confident in the guys I’m working with and I’m ready to go.”

Ducharme would have also written a different script after getting the job. It would have included more practice time for his team and it wouldn’t have included Joel Armia testing positive for COVID-19, resulting in the Canadiens having to play their last 25 regular-season games in 44 days. It wouldn’t have included injuries to key players , Shea Weber and Brendan Gallagher near the end of the regular season, or leaving the team for personal reasons. It definitely wouldn’t have included Ducharme himself testing positive for COVID-19 and having to quarantine at home for 14 days while his team was competing in the playoffs.

The Canadiens had a 15-16-7 regular-season record under Ducharme and fell behind 3-1 to Toronto in their first-round playoff series before the new system the coach worked so hard to put into place really started to work. The Canadiens won seven straight games to eliminate the Leafs and then sweep the Winnipeg Jets before beating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games, advancing to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since winning their last championship in 1993. The Tampa Bay Lightning were simply too good for the Canadiens in the Cup final, but Ducharme led his team farther than anyone could have predicted when he took over the job.

On Tuesday, the 48-year-old Joliette native signed a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season and the interim tag was taken off. He is officially the 31st head coach in Canadiens history.

Ducharme said the fact he signed his new contract on July 13 had special significance because it’s the same date that his parents were married and also, sadly, the same date that his father was buried five years ago.

“It seems like destiny,” Ducharme said.

When Marc Bergevin hired Ducharme as an assistant coach three years ago, his destiny was to become the next head coach of the Canadiens. The GM wanted to make sure he had a qualified bilingual coach ready to replace Julien when the time would come for a coaching change and Ducharme was the best candidate out there after having won a Memorial Cup as head coach of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads and silver and gold medals as head coach of Team Canada at the world junior championship.

“I think growing as a coach, I’m pretty confident in what we do that if we stick with that at one point we’ll be rewarded,” Ducharme said Tuesday when asked about being so unflappable. “So I think that’s something that going through experiences you can feel … so even though we had some hard times and, obviously, times that it was not easy, I still remained 1190377 Montreal Canadiens

Habs fans aren't getting a parade, but they can still get free pizza

Staff Report

Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 13, 2021

It’s not the Stanley Cup final celebration Habs fans wanted, but it is perhaps the one we deserve.

Pizza Pizza is giving out free slices of pizza at its Montreal locations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday in recognition of the Montreal Canadiens’ playoff run.

Phillip Danault, who made a habit of eating pizza at press conferences each time the Habs eliminated an opponent, does not appear to be involved in the promotion.

“I did get some offers for pizza deals. But it wasn’t the time during the playoffs,” he said after the season ended. “So I rejected.”

Still, if you’re working from home, there are worse things you could do than pull a Danault and eat your free slice while on Zoom.

To be eligible for the free slice (cheese or pepperoni only), people must present themselves in-store at a Montreal location between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Wednesday and show the Pizza Pizza app installed on their smartphones. The offer cannot be combined with any other.

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He took over mid-season as interim coach and led the Habs to the Stanley Cup final.

Staff Report

Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 13, 2021

The Canadiens announced Tuesday that Dominique Ducharme has agreed to a three-year contract extension as head coach that runs through the 2023-24 season.

This season, the 48-year-old Joliette native became the first head coach to lead the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup final since 1993, when they won their last championship with Jacques Demers behind the bench. Ducharme took over as interim head coach on Feb. 24 after Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin fired Claude Julien when the team had a 9-5-4 record.

The Canadiens had a 15-16-7 record during the regular season with Ducharme behind the bench before advancing to the Stanley Cup final by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights in the playoffs. The Canadiens lost the Stanley Cup final to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ducharme missed two weeks of the playoff run after testing positive for COVID-19 before Game 3 of the semifinal series against Vegas Golden. He returned for Game 3 of the final against Tampa.

“Dominique has managed to set his system in place and establish himself as a head coach in a very unusual season with challenging circumstances,” Bergevin said in announcing the contract extension for Ducharme. “While our team has gone through its fair share of adversity, he has shown a lot of control over the situation as well as showing calm and great leadership. These are important qualities that we look for in a head coach and he fully deserves the chance to lead our team and take it to the next level.”

Ducharme officially becomes the 31st head coach in Canadiens history.

The Canadiens hired Ducharme as an assistant coach before the start of the 2018-19 season after he spent 10 seasons coaching in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads and Drummondville Voltigeurs. He won the President’s Cup and the Memorial Cup with the Moosheads in 2013. Ducharme also coached Team Canada twice at the world junior championship, winning a silver medal in 2017 and gold in 2018.

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After breaking our hearts (and the cap), Tampa broke the Stanley Cup

Montreal Gazette

Publishing date: Jul 13, 2021

Things got a little out of hand at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cup celebration — perhaps literally so.

Fresh off their five-game Stanley Cup final victory over the Montreal Canadiens, the Lightning took to the water on Monday to celebrate with fans and the best trophy in sports.

At day’s end, back on dry land, the Cup was photographed looking quite banged up. Half the bowl at its summit had been flattened.

Where, you can almost hear Habs fans asking, was this clumsiness last week?

Adding insult to injury, The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports the Cup will “be sent to Montreal for repairs and be back to resume Cup celebrations with the Tampa Bay Lightning next weekend.”

Montreal: We don’t get to lift the Cup, but we get to fix it for the doofuses who defeated us.

This is not the first time this year a Tampa team has engaged in some trophy hijinks.

Former Montreal Expos draftee Tom Brady tossed the Lombardi trophy to teammates on another boat in February as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrated their Super Bowl victory.

No damage to the trophy was sustained in that incident.

Perhaps the Stanley Cup is more fragile because its bowl — unlike the NHL — has no cap.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190380 Montreal Canadiens Caufield and Alexander Romanov out of the lineup toward the end. Ducharme always explained his decisions publicly and defended them vehemently. Because he believed in them.

Dominique Ducharme overcame challenges to earn the Canadiens But that belief means nothing if the players don’t believe along with you. coaching job, but his biggest are yet to come And that never seemed to be an issue for the Canadiens.

“Respectful, a partnership,” Ducharme said to describe his relationship with the players. “Having success as a team is a partnership. We’re not By Arpon Basu there against the players, we’re all here for the same reason. I want every one of them individually to have success, but mostly — and that’s Jul 13, 2021 our job — collectively having success.”

At one point during his media availability Tuesday, Ducharme noted that The circumstances under which Dominique Ducharme realized his dream he was sitting in a room alone (except for Canadiens senior VP of public were less than ideal. He was approached in his Ottawa hotel room by affairs and communications, Paul Wilson) staring at a camera while general manager Marc Bergevin and informed that the man who brought answering the media’s questions, and that sometimes in such a situation, him to the NHL as an assistant coach, Claude Julien, had been fired things can be misinterpreted. Lacking that human connection, being in because the elevated expectations that were placed on these Canadiens the same room as someone while answering a question creates a were not being met. different dynamic. There is a distance there that is difficult to bridge.

It would be on Ducharme to meet them. But just as so many of the conditions of this season were unfavourable for Ducharme to succeed, the lack of practice time, the demanding He boarded a flight to Winnipeg shortly afterward and held his first media schedule, the injuries piling up, this may have been one factor that availability once he landed. Ducharme spoke of how he wanted the worked in his favour. Canadiens to play, the changes he would like to implement, his hockey philosophy, his ability and desire to communicate with his players. But Yes, Ducharme had to face the media every day, but he didn’t have to Ducharme did not know that day just how challenging it would be. He did face the media every day. Yes, he and his players missed having 21,000 not know Joel Armia would contract a COVID-19 variant a few weeks people in the Bell Centre every game, but he also hasn’t coached in front later, sending the Canadiens into a one-week lockdown and turning the of a crowd that was booing the home team, either. Not all of Ducharme’s second half of their season into a track meet, with four games a week, decisions over the course of the season were met with unanimous cross-country travel and those same expectations that still needed to be approval among the fan base, far from it, but Ducharme was somewhat met. sheltered from that because of that distance he described.

It was Ducharme’s ability to navigate all those challenges and not only In fact, at one point just prior to the start of the playoffs, Ducharme was get the Canadiens into the playoffs, but all the way to the Stanley Cup informed that he was taking a lot of heat for his decision not to dress Final that convinced Bergevin of something he says he knew the day he Kotkaniemi, Caufield and Romanov for Game 1 of the first round, and first appointed Ducharme as interim coach in Ottawa on Feb. 24, that Ducharme chuckled a little. He said thank you for letting him know, Ducharme would one day shed that interim tag for good. because he wasn’t aware of the heat he was under.

On his way to the Cup Final, Ducharme himself tested positive for That risks being different next season. COVID-19 and was forced to be isolated for 14 days in the middle of the Corey Perry mentioned how he would like to come back to Montreal for Stanley Cup semifinal. He had to sit at home with his girlfriend and watch 2021-22 so he can get the full Canadiens experience. Well, the full his team on television, limited to quick phone calls at intermissions and Canadiens experience is not always pleasant, and Ducharme and some zoom calls with his team. But it was then that Ducharme became of the new players are likely (hopefully) going to learn that next season. convinced that his team had turned a corner, that it had become the team Unless, of course, the Canadiens pick up where they left off and get off to he envisioned in late February. a good start and never look back. “What I liked the most was when I was out with COVID, even if I was still “If we don’t take anything for granted and we keep working and start back in contact, was to watch the team from the outside and see that those from where we finished and keep working on that then we’re going to be things remained in place,” Ducharme said Tuesday after coming to terms a better team,” Ducharme said. “Obviously Marc, like every year and on a three-year contract extension with the Canadiens. every day, he’s looking to make the team better. I’m confident we’re That is also what has Ducharme convinced that the Canadiens will going to be ready when the season starts and we’re going to have a benefit from their unexpected run to the Cup Final. No one knows yet good year.” how many members of this Canadiens team will be back in training camp But Ducharme also doesn’t seem to be someone who the full Montreal in September, but the majority of the team should be there. And what experience will bother a whole lot, and perhaps that is why he is such a watching his team perform against the Vegas Golden Knights in his good fit for this job. His confidence in his decisions, his ability to explain absence showed Ducharme was that a foundation was laid, and now he and defend them and then stick to them bodes well for Ducharme’s ability will have the luxury of a full training camp and a regular schedule to start to survive the full extent of the job. building on that foundation. You need a thick skin to be coach of the Canadiens, and you need “Well, playing together,” Ducharme said when asked how the Canadiens confidence to thicken your skin. can improve internally next season. “Yes, you look at it and you can say older and younger guys and things like that, but also if you look at it, we “When Marc gave me this opportunity, I never intended to only be here were a fairly new group with the number of new guys coming in. Those for a few months,” Ducharme said. “As the playoffs moved along, it might guys that went through different things … but learning to win together have removed some of the questions that existed on the outside. But and play together and the way we want to be playing and so on, it takes from my point of view, I never intended to just be passing through.” time. So if we take the experience we had in the playoffs and use it the right way I think it’s going to make us better.” Confidence does not appear to be a problem for Ducharme.

One aspect of Ducharme’s coaching that stood out in his rookie season was how confidently he stood by his decisions, his philosophies and the The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 way he asked his players to play. That shone through from his players as well. They would regularly mention something Ducharme likes to tell them or that he strongly believes in as a hockey principle. The support from the players was clear, because while no player will get up in front of the media and openly bash his coach, he also won’t go out of his way to reinforce the coach’s message publicly if he doesn’t believe in it.

We saw it often from Ducharme himself, whether it was his headstrong insistence on his three-on-three overtime strategy near the very beginning or the fact he began the playoffs with Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Cole 1190381 Nashville Predators Johansen said he and Rinne and a few other players still in town had a golf day not long ago, to celebrate.

"I'm sure there's going to be a couple of celebrations going on and Nashville Predators' Pekka Rinne goes out like he came in — quietly, probably next year the jersey retirement. That's when the whole hockey with class world that was close to him will be coming."

Rinne was at a cabin party with friends in Finland when he learned he'd been selected by the Predators. Soon after, he dug out his father's atlas PAUL SKRBINA | Nashville Tennessean to see where Nashville was.

Now, 18 years later, Rinne owns the town.

The words came out of Pekka Rinne's mouth in a place called "The "Who's not going to miss Pekka?" Poile asked, already very well knowing Honky Tonk Room" on Tuesday inside Bridgestone Arena, the goalie's the answer. home away from home, a relationship that began 18 years earlier while he was at a cabin party with friends and learned he'd been drafted. Less than an hour after he entered the room, Rinne exited, without so much as a look back. Instead, looking forward to stepping back from Wearing a simple white T-shirt, jeans a dark navy ballcap, white gym hockey "for a minute," and going home to Finland so his family can meet shoes and what appeared to be a wedding ring, Rinne took his seat his son for the first time. behind a table on a raised stage, a black curtain draped behind him as he officially drew the curtain on his career. The next time he's in Bridgestone, he won't be in uniform.

The 38-year-old "quiet, shy guy" from Finland made his exit from the NHL "Hopefully I can use my suite," he joked. almost as quietly as his entrance as an eighth-round pick 18 years ago after being passed over in the two previous drafts. Tennessean LOADED: 07.14.2021 "I guess we all know why we're here," he began. "To announce my retirement. One word that comes to mind is 'thank you.' "

It was the first of an endless stream of thank yous, the same words that headlined his announcement a couple of hours earlier in a story he penned for The Players' Tribune.

Ryan Johansen, who requested to be in attendance, was the only teammate there, though many have scattered home all over the globe for the summer. Fine with Rinne, who prefers the dimmer switch turned to low on the spotlight.

Team employees and executives were sprinkled throughout the room. Photo cameras clicked. Television cameras hung on his every word.

"In my head there were two options," Rinne said, "either retire or continue playing with the Predators."

Rinne could have returned for another season. He stayed in Nashville longer than normal this summer to be sure he was making the right decision.

A decision he said he's at peace with, one he said he shared first with his parents.

One that had a lot to do with a couple of things: his 7-month-old son Paulus and his competitive nature.

Being a new father has changed his perspective. Being a backup goalie, for a man who had started 89 consecutive playoff games, weighed on him.

"I don't think he is the reason why I'm sitting here today," Rinne said of his son. "But for sure it was a big part of the decision. ... It's not an overnight thing. I've thought about it for a long time. Everything with the pandemic, my son being born. My role has changed on the team. All those things together, it made this decision easier and I accept it."

General manager David Poile didn't want to accept it when Rinne told him a couple of weeks ago. But Poile soon understood Rinne's reasoning and said he never "begged" him to come back, much as he wanted to.

That was out of respect.

The goodbye tour didn't end Tuesday in the Honky Tonk Room. That merely was the beginning.

Sometime in the no-too-distant future, Rinne's number no doubt will be the first to hang from the rafters in Bridgestone Arena. There very well could a sculpted statue of his likeness outside the building, or in it.

On Tuesday, he mingled with those in the room. Swapped numbers, hugs and I love yous, with the promise of a lunch, with a fan. Then they took a selfie.

"I don't even really think about his career and his abilities," Johansen said. "I got to be around one of the best human beings I've ever met. For five years in a row, the amount that I learned from him just as a human being ... that's what I'm most proud of." 1190382 Nashville Predators Had Rinne wanted to keep playing for the Predators, he could have. Poile told him that he would re-sign him for next season.

Rinne thought hard about that, too. But he’d have turned 39 as Juuse There won't be another Pekka Rinne, a 'man of the people' and true Saros’ backup and with his newborn son at home. In the end, Rinne’s Nashville treasure decision made sense. Poile wanted him to return, but even he admitted that, “It feels like the right time.”

“So often, unfortunately, it never ends in a good way with players,” Poile GENTRY ESTES | Nashville Tennessean said. “‘They should have had one more year' or 'An organization didn't treat them correctly.' I guess what I'm saying is they didn't go out on their

own terms, and Pekka is going out on his own terms. A blue ball cap, white T-shirt, jeans. The greatest Nashville Predators “This is fantastic. He wrote the script, and he signed off.” player ever showed up for his retirement press conference at Bridgestone Arena as if he’d just remembered it was today. Rinne’s final headline as a playing member of the Predators — even after that wonderfully emotional sendoff in the regular-season finale — To anyone wondering why Pekka Rinne is so special, so deeply beloved: was somehow even more fitting. He won the 2021 King Clancy Trophy, That’s why. basically the NHL’s equivalent of the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the It’s not that Rinne declined to dress for the occasion. It’s that it didn’t Year Award, as a result of his work in the community. That has gone even occur to him that this was such an occasion. back years.

He answered questions Tuesday for about 30 minutes on camera. Then Man of the people. he just hung out off camera, shaking hands, taking pictures, greeting We knew that, but the longer Rinne stuck around that press conference staffers and whoever else was there. Rinne couldn’t have known all room Tuesday — seriously, do we even know if he’s left yet?— the more these people. Sure treated them as if he did, though, that they were the it became obvious: only thing that mattered. This was special. For them, for you, Rinne has all the time in the world. This day was no different. Would have been the same last Tuesday or the one before it. And Nashville got the best of it, man. The stuff that most didn’t see, the parts in jeans and a white T-shirt. That's just Pekka, same as ever. So long and a tip of the ball cap, Pekka Rinne. “Off the ice, just an everyday man. Just a man of the people,” he said. “I feel like that's who I am.” It has been a pleasure.

His “man of the people” line received chuckles in the room as soon as Rinne said it. The goaltender sheepishly realized he’d uttered the equivalent of a corny campaign slogan. Tennessean LOADED: 07.14.2021

But hey, everyone understood what he meant.

Because it was true, and perfectly so. Ask anyone. While you never can truly know what someone is like, Rinne opened that door without seemingly knowing he was doing it. He never put on airs. He never acted as if he was famous, even as he undeniably became so. The ideal teammate and person, not just a great goaltender, but someone who'd keep you on the phone just to talk, just because he's enjoying the conversation.

Here in Nashville, we’ve been fortunate enough to know this — and to know it long before Rinne’s inevitable exit Tuesday. Anyone who follows hockey was able to grasp the significance of his career and accomplishments. But here, this inevitable day was always going to be a lot more than just that.

Man of the people.

“Who's not going to miss Pekka?” general manager David Poile said.

Rinne might have been born in Finland, but the athlete who stepped down Tuesday was — and will continue to be — celebrated like no Predators player before him. Middle Tennessee is beside itself — for the first time, really — over a hockey player’s retirement.

The proverbial Mount Rushmore of sports figures in Nashville, debatable as it’ll continue to be, has not included the Predators until now.

Our relatively young NHL franchise — for all the jokes about its excessive love of banners — hasn’t retired a jersey number. Because no one has been close. That obviously changes now that Rinne and his No. 35 are stepping down after 15 years, 683 games, 369 wins, a Vezina Trophy, multiple All-Star appearances and a run to the Stanley Cup Final.

On hockey achievements alone, Rinne would be a Predators legend.

But everything in addition to that is what makes him a Nashville legend.

“He's the most important athlete in Nashville in the time period that he's been here,” Poile said. “The influence that he's had on the franchise. ... The selling of hockey as a sport in Nashville. Combine that with what he does in the community, there's nobody that matches that combination for what Pekka has meant and has done for the Nashville Predators and the city.” 1190383 Nashville Predators

Why retired Predators goalie Pekka Rinne will always be on a first-name basis with Nashville

ANDY HUMBLES | Nashville Tennessean

I remember being at Pekka Rinne’s first game in December 2005, a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

I don’t remember how Rinne’s name was announced during the starting lineup introductions.

But the classic introduction of that name is seared in my memory as a longtime partial season ticketholder and Nashville Predators fan.

“AND IN GOOAAL. NUMBER THIRTY-FIVE. PEKKAH. REENNNAYYY."

How Nashville Predators public address announcer Paul McCann would embellish the name with all his might just leading up to the anthem and puck drop before home games at Bridgestone Arena.

And how McCann's introduction would still be drowned out as 17,000- plus fans would join in and and cheer.

After Rinne announced his retirement Tuesday, hockey nerds like me who have seen hundreds of games will long remember his play in net.

We'll argue his place in history, whether he's a Hall-of-Famer and if Rinne's successor for the Predators Juuse Saros measures up.

But Nashville and Middle Tennessee will remember Pekka Rinne's name.

On a first-name basis.

Pekka Rinne's retirement letter: Nashville Predators' Pekka Rinne opens his heart in retirement letter: 'It just meant everything to me'

Pekka Rinne announces retirement: Retired Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne no good at goodbyes — and I'm thankful for that

Pekka pretty much became a one-word moniker after he established himself as an elite NHL goalie a few years after his debut.

But getting to know Rinne as Pekka wasn't about his celebrity or status as an All-Star goalie. He wasn't Michael. Nor Tiger. Nor LeBron.

Pekka connected to fans and the community beyond his play.

It was how Pekka constantly deflected praise to his teammates in his more than 400 career wins and 65 .

How Pekka conducted himself during interviews after wins and losses. How he included the fans as almost part of the team. What people heard about the goaltender's interactions with fans away from the ice and off camera.

'Heck of a career': Pekka Rinne retirement announcement brings flood of memories, well wishes

Watch the replay: Predators goalie Pekka Rinne retirement press conference

It was how Pekka used his celebrity for Middle Tennessee's greater good through philanthropy work that included the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, Best Buddies, Make-A-Wish and the Peterson Foundation for Parkinson's.

Pekka leaves a mark on the Nashville Predators and the NHL.

And Pekka leaves a good name.

Tennessean LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190384 Nashville Predators I'd heard "nicest guy in the league" stuff before I arrived in Nashville. Even saw a brief glimpse of it when I was covering the Chicago Blackhawks.

Retired Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne no good at goodbyes — He also was "one of the guys" and THE guy at the same time, not an and I'm thankful for that easy feat in a locker room. Imagine my surprise — and relief — the first time I heard him say a curse word beyond damn or hell.

One of his teammates once told me that when Rinne talks, people shut PAUL SKRBINA | Nashville Tennessean up and listen.

We both listened that day on the phone.

An unfamiliar area code — 414 — scrolled across the screen. A call that began with silly introduction ended with Rinne seemingly not wanting to hang up. Little did he know how much it meant that he listened I was expecting a call from a Nashville sports legend, not a Milwaukee to me. Really listened. I was going through some personal issues. Wasn't number. in a great place in my life. He didn't judge me. "Hello," I answered, somewhat concerned I'd miss the call I was waiting Just lent me an ear at just the right time. for while taking this one. "It was great talking with you," he said as we prepared to hang up. "I "Hey, Paul," the familiar voice on the other end said. "This is Pekka really hope to see you soon." Rinne, giving you a call." And what about the Milwaukee number? Rinne never bothered to change [ Pekka Rinne's retirement announcement brings a flood of memories ] it. Had it since he played with the Admirals. He introduced himself. First and last name. On Tuesday, after 15-plus months, we finally saw each other again, in Of course, I gave him a hard time about that. He did the same first and person, like we had so many times before. This time I was able to thank last name thing when I first met him almost three years ago during him properly, in person, for that talk that day. Able to shake his hand and training camp. share one more laugh. He remembered our talk. I'll never forget that it came at a time when I didn't know I needed it. He immediately apologized for his call being a half-hour tardy. Saying goodbye, this time to being an NHL player, wasn't easy for Rinne. His dog and girlfriend napping nearby, we talked for nearly an hour that April afternoon, in the middle of lockdown, the world on pause and the The headline on his retirement announcement was two words: "Thank future uncertain because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He asked as many you, Nashville." questions about me as I asked about him. I can safely assume I speak for many when I say, right back at you, We talked about speeches, such as the one he'd give if he ever won a Pekka. Stanley Cup, or the one he'd give when he retired. Thank you. We spent more time talking about things that had nothing to do with hockey. We talked about his sisters and his childhood and his parents and him one day wanting children with Erika. His dog, Pabla. Tennessean LOADED: 07.14.2021 He told me about the place he bought on a small island a few years ago in Finland, the one that overlooks his hometown. The one where he gets no cell service and can "go back in time." The one where he like to go fishing.

There's no going back in time, really. Rinne knows that.

That's a big reason he decided to retire after 15 seasons with the Nashville Predators. He's a dad now, just like we'd talked about so many times — on the phone that day, in the locker room after practices, on the road after morning skates.

"Every time I looked at my son, at Erika — I just felt like a different person, almost, if that makes sense. My priorities had changed, and my mind knew that, even if my body didn’t," Rinne wrote in a Players' Tribune story announcing his retirement Tuesday.

Rinne easily could have returned had he chosen to. The Predators would have gladly signed him to another contract.

But he's a 38-year-old father and husband now. For the first time in longer than he can remember, hockey is not No. 1 on his list of priorities.

We talked a lot, Pekka and I, during the three seasons I have covered the team.

Oftentimes about hockey. Oftentimes not.

Often, he'd offer me a seat next to his stall while he peeled off his pads and taper. He'd ask about my kids, then listen when I answered.

A small gesture on its surface but one with so much depth.

Then again, Rinne understood the importance of being kind. He embraced the responsibility of being the "face of the franchise."

He was one of the first players to say hello when I was the new guy in town. Called me by my name before I'd had a chance to introduce myself.

He was like that with most everyone he met — kids after games, fans on the street. He knew nary a stranger. 1190385 Nashville Predators Though Rinne won't be goalie for Nashville any longer, he says he's leaving the goal in good hands with his predecessor Juuse Saros.

He said he'll miss the fans and believes he could continue playing Nashville Predators' Pekka Rinne opens his heart in retirement letter: 'It physically, but mentally and emotionally he was ready to move on. With just meant everything to me' his fiancée, Erika, and his 6-month-old son, Paulus, Rinne plans to stay around the city for the long-term.

"It’s the right time," he wrote. "All I can say is thank you, and I’ll see you VICTOR PRIETO | Nashville Tennessean again."

In a dark Bridgestone Arena, there was just one spotlight. Tennessean LOADED: 07.14.2021 Surrounded by cheering fans and teammates, an emotional Pekka Rinneskated across his home ice for what would be the final time in pads.

Rinne announced early Tuesday morning via an open letter with The Players' Tribune that he is retiring from the NHL after an epic 15-year career with the Nashville Predators.

The long-time goalie opened up about his career in Nashville, looked back on some memorable stories and his decision to retire.

He alluded to that night in May 2021, not knowing in the moment when he took the ice against the whether that game would be his last. It was, and it was a "movie-like" ending for a career that brought a boy from Finland to Nashville and made it his home.

"Skating around and hearing the fans' cheers for me," Rinne wrote. "It just meant everything to me."

'One big family'

Rinne was born in Kempele, Finland, before coming to North America to play hockey in the NHL. The Predators selected him in the eighth round of the 2004 NHL Draft, never letting him leave Nashville.

The goalie referred to the organization as "one big family," recalling a story about how much time and effort Nashville's scouts spent with him. Their belief in an "over-age, potential late-round pick" motivated and drove him, and he remembers how strong it really was.

"There’s so much more to it than trades and picks and signings," Rinne wrote. "It’s about building a family. And that’s what’s happened here in Nashville."

'We turned Nashville into a hockey town'

Rinne said he has no regrets, he still thinks about the 2017 Stanley Cup run. The franchise's first trip to the Stanley Cup Final in the franchise's 19-year history, the Predators fell two games short of lifting the Cup against the .

That postseason, he had a 14-8 record, a 1.96 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. Even though the franchise had never been there and was considered underdogs, Rinne learned a lot about Nashville that year. Especially in its series sweep over the Chicago Blackhawks, a series that, according to Rinne, put Nashville on the hockey map.

'It means as much to me as any banner'

Rinne retires with a Vezina Trophy, awarded to the NHL's best goalie, and a King Clancy Memorial Trophy, given to a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made noteworthy contributions in his community.

In 2018, Rinne finished 42-13-4 with a 2.31 GAA, .927 save percentage and eight shutouts, making way for his first Vezina Trophy after finishing runner-up in 2011 and 2015.

Among Rinne's humanitarian contributions in Nashville, he partnered with former teammate and captain Shea Weber with the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, raising money and awareness for cancer research. Since its conception in 2012-13, the fund has donated more than $3 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

"The impact the Predators organization helped us make in the community," he wrote. "It means as much to me as any banner hanging in the rafters at Bridgestone."

'Nashville, I will remember that feeling for the rest of my life' 1190386 Nashville Predators "I'll always be a Nashville Predator," he said again Tuesday. "Every day I feel loved."

Rinne called Nashville, a place he had to look up in his father's atlas after Pekka Rinne retires as Nashville Predators goalie, ending epic 15- he was drafted, home and said repeatedly he'd like to retire a Predator. season run Now he has.

After years of mentoring fellow Fin Juuse Saros, Rinne settled into a PAUL SKRBINA | Nashville Tennessean backup role during the 2019-20 season. After starting 89 consecutive postseason games, Rinne did not play in the playoffs the last two years.

His legacy was something Rinne wasn't ready to discuss right after last A legend said goodbye to Nashville on Tuesday — and vice versa. season.

After 15 seasons, 772 games, 414 victories, 44,713 minutes spent "I don't want to give my (retirement) speech yet," he said. "I'm so proud wearing a Nashville Predators uniform and 19,978 pucks stopped, Pekka that I've been in one organization all of my career. ... It has changed my Rinne has retired from the NHL. life."

There were no tears from Rinne. There wasn't much pomp or Not to mention a franchise. circumstance. Rinne said "thank you" about 19,978 times.

For now, he plans to return to Finland with his wife Erika and their six- month-old son Paulus, who will meet his grandparent for the first time. Tennessean LOADED: 07.14.2021

"I guess we all know why we're here," Rinne began Tuesday, flashing a wry smile.

For 31 minutes, 52 seconds, it was to hear the man who helped put hockey on the map in Nashville explain why he was retiring. Family had a lot do to with it.

He shared memories, of which there were many.

The 38-year-old left quite a legacy — on the ice and off. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2018 as the league's best goalie, helped lead the franchise to its only Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017, was a three- time All-Star and even scored a goal.

He said he wanted to be remembered as a "hard worker" and a "man of the people."

None of the above was expected when general manager David Poile, on the advice of his Helsinki-based scout Janne Kekalainen, took a flyer on Rinne by taking him with the last pick of the eighth round — 258th overall — of the 2004 NHL Draft. This after he was passed over in four previous drafts. This after he was pulled after allowing five goals in front of another Predators scout, who was seeing him for the first time. This was after 28 goalies were picked ahead of him in the same draft.

Seventeen years later, the day David Poile knew would one day come finally did.

"I was pretty close to crying," Poile said of his reaction when Rinne delivered him the news a couple of weeks ago. "I guess I didn't believe it at first, or want to accept it."

Poile made it clear to Rinne after last season he was more than welcome to return, but he was careful to not put any pressure on him.

"I didn't want to go there," Poile said. "He is very well thought-out."

The more Rinne talked, the more Poile realized it was very real.

Off the ice, Rinne has been involved in many charities, including the Pediatric Cancer Fund, which has raised more than $3 million, and won the 2021 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, an award that goes to the player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."

On the ice he is the franchise record-holder for goalies in just about every statistical category — single season, postseason and career.

He has more wins, has played more minutes, has made more saves, has more shutouts (65) and likely more fans than anyone to play for the team.

He was the first — and still one of the only — players given a full no- movement clause in his contract by Poile, a rarity.

Rinne not only minded net for the Predators for his entire career — he also minded his manners till the very end.

When asked about his plans after the 2021 season, Rinne, who became a free agent for the first time, politely declined to discuss whether he would consider signing with another team.

Really, though, that never was going to happen. 1190387 Nashville Predators First of all On Dec. 15, 2005, Rinne, fittingly, made 35 saves against the Chicago

Blackhawks in his first appearance in a Predators uniform. It was the first Five memorable moments Pekka Rinne had with the Nashville Predators of 369 regular-season victories for Rinne, whose only other appearance that season was in relief four months later against the Hawks.

Almost another year passed before he played for Nashville again, also PAUL SKRBINA | Nashville Tennessean against the Blackhawks. He started 49 games in 2008-09. And the rest became history while Rinne made Predators history in just about every

statistical category. Officially, Pekka Rinne played 44,713 minutes in a Nashville Predators Farewell uniform. Rinne's goodbye happened to happen May 10, 2021, in the regular- That accounts for his entire 15-year career, which officially ended when season finale. Fittingly, he shut out the Carolina Hurricanes, then took a Rinne announced his retirement Tuesday. victory lap that felt like a curtain call after a 5-0 triumph against the During those 2,682,780 seconds — or 745 hours — Rinne cemented his Central Division champions. place on the Mt. Rushmore of Nashville professional sports. Rinne, the He made 30 saves in his 60th career shutout. The crowd didn't want to 258th pick of the 2004 NHL draft, the face of a franchise born in 1998, leave the arena, Rinne didn't want to leave the ice. announced his retirement from the NHL after 6,225 days with the team. Turns out, it was the last time he'd start for the Nashville Predators. The time he spent — and smiles he created — off the ice during his time with the Predators, with various charities and public appearances and Rinne, who didn't play in the postseason, said he would take some time behind-the-scenes meet-and-greets after games far exceeds what he to consider his future, which could include playing hockey in his spent in pads and skates. hometown in Finland or could consist of spending as much time as possible being a first-time father. Choosing five moments from the so many memorable ones he had wearing No. 35 isn't easy. It certainly can be debated for the guy from the Finland countryside. Tennessean LOADED: 07.14.2021 Good to goal

His job was to prevent goals, which he did 19,978 times in his career. His goal was to score one. On Jan. 9, 2020, in Chicago, Rinne did.

His 185-foot prayer, answered inside an empty net at the United Center against the Blackhawks, was followed by a trademark smile and embraces from teammates when Rinne became the 12th goalie in league history to score.

"I'm not going to lie, it might be a once-in-a-lifetime thing so I really enjoyed it," Rinne said of the goal, which occurred with 22 seconds remaining in a 5-2 victory. "It was an awesome feeling seeing the puck go in."

Miracles on ice

Twice he'd finished second, once third, but in 2018 Rinne was recognized as the best goalie the NHL in the best regular season in Predators history when he was awarded the Vezina Trophy.

He had a league-best eight shutouts that season, 27.5 goals saved above average, also tops, and he was 42-13 to help the Predators to their first Presidents' Trophy and first division title in franchise history.

Rinne didn't go to Vegas in the summer of 2018 to gamble. He went there to collect his winnings during the NHL awards ceremony at the Hard Rock in Sin City, making him the first Predator to win a major award in franchise history.

"This year, I felt that I had a good chance to win it," Rinne said then. "You don't want to admit that, but it's in the back of your head and you're thinking about it. It's a special time and a special award."

He struggled in the postseason that year, one removed from the team's first and only Stanley Cup Final appearance.

'Pekka Rinne is the backbone' of the Predators

Defenseman P.K. Subban has some choices words for anyone who talks poorly about Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne after Game 7 loss.

Final, finally

It took 11 seasons to get there. But in 2017, against all odds, the Predators reached their first Cup Final, in large part because of Rinne. They were the last to qualify for the postseason. And the last team most people expected to be among the last two playing.

In the end the Pittsburgh Penguins proved to be the better team. Rinne had a 1.96 goals-against average that postseason, and a .930 save percentage. He also played the most games (22), had the most wins (14), the most shot against (599) and the most saves (557) of any goalie during those playoffs. 1190388 Nashville Predators

'Heck of a career': Pekka Rinne retirement announcement brings flood of memories, well wishes

DANIELLA MEDINA | Nashville Tennessean

Fifteen years of memories, wins and shutouts make a storied career that could only belong to Pekka Rinne.

The Nashville Predators goalie announced his retirement from the NHL on Tuesday, but he said his farewell to the ice long before. Rinne took a victory lap following a Carolina Hurricanes shutout on May 10. That was the last time he would wear navy, gold and white. Pinne didn't play in the postseason.

Rinne, the No. 258 overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, finished his career with 369 wins and 60 shutouts. His No. 35 jersey will be retired, the first retired jersey in Nashville Predators history.

NHL media are reminiscing on moments they shared with Rinne while covering the Predators and fans are looking back on their favorite goals scored by the three-time All-Star.

Tennessean LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190389 Nashville Predators

Pekka Rinne retires: The Predators goalie’s improbable legacy, and what losing him means for Nashville

By Adam Vingan

Jul 13, 2021

Two hundred and fifty-seven players, including 29 , went ahead of Pekka Rinne in the 2004 NHL Draft. He was a total unknown with hardly any professional experience, serving as a backup in the top league in his native Finland.

The Predators took a chance on him with the final pick of the eighth round, which ceased to exist after that draft.

It was the origin of a long and celebrated career, made even more special because of its improbability.

On Tuesday morning, that career came to a close. Rinne, who ascended to become the face of the franchise, announced his retirement after 15 seasons.

A 38-year-old unrestricted free agent and new father, Rinne finishes his career with 369 wins, tied for 19th in league history and the most among Finnish goaltenders. He won the Vezina Trophy on his fourth try after the 2017-18 season and received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy last month for his philanthropy. The 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund he co-created with ex-Predators captain Shea Weber has raised more than $3 million for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

As the Predators transformed from a small-budget team at risk of being relocated into a perennial playoff contender, Rinne was the constant. He took great pride in playing for only one organization, which has become increasingly rare in sports.

In his prime, Rinne was among the most reliable workhorses in the league, starting a career-high 72 games in 2011-12. Despite missing most of the 2013-14 season while recovering from hip surgery and subsequent infection, Rinne’s 610 starts between 2008 and 2019 were third-most behind Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury.

The transition from Rinne to 26-year-old mentee Juuse Saros began in 2020 when Saros started the Predators’ four qualifying-round games in the Edmonton bubble. It was the first time in 10 years that Rinne did not start in the playoffs.

This past season, Saros carried the Predators into the postseason, placing 11th in Hart Trophy voting in recognition of his effort. Rinne, whose affable demeanor disguises his ultracompetitiveness, was Saros’ biggest cheerleader.

Rinne’s final start on May 10 was straight out of a Disney movie. In front of an adoring sellout crowd that began chanting his name during pregame warmups, Rinne recorded his 60th shutout, then took a lap around the rink at Bridgestone Arena, fighting back tears as he soaked in the atmosphere.

“I don’t know if I can find the right word (to describe) how much I appreciate our fans,” Rinne said that night. “My relationship with the fans, this city, it means the world to me. … If this is it, I’m pretty happy.”

It is only a matter of time before Rinne’s No. 35 hangs from the rafters as the first retired number in Predators history.

In terms of his importance to the franchise, Rinne is irreplaceable. The Predators, however, will have to try. They need to find a backup for Saros, a restricted free agent who is in line for a raise from his $1.5 million salary.

As the active part of the offseason approaches, the Predators have around $23 million in projected salary-cap space, according to CapFriendly. It should not be difficult to find a serviceable veteran goaltender to pair with Saros next season.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190390 Nashville Predators

Rinne says retirement feels like ‘the right choice, and the right time’

MICHAEL GALLAGHER

JUL 13, 2021

Twenty-nine teams passed on a hungry, 6-foot-5, 22-year-old Finnish goaltender for eight rounds of the 2004 NHL draft.

But with pick No. 258, the final selection of the eighth round, Nashville Predators General Manager David Poile was drafting the cornerstone of his franchise and he didn’t even know it. For 15 years, Pekka Rinne has embodied not only what it means to be an elite goalie in the most competitive hockey league in the world. He personified what it means to be an elite human being as well.

On Tuesday — 369 wins, 60 shutouts, 17,627 saves, eight playoff appearances and one Vezina Trophy later — Rinne announced he has decided it is time to walk away from the game he has at several times dominated since taking over the full-time starting job in 2008.

“This decision wasn’t easy,” Rinne wrote in the Players’ Tribune. “I spent the summer in Nashville with my fiancée, Erika, and our 6-month-old son, Paulus. My body still feels like it could compete at the highest level … but my decision was about a lot more than that. Every time I looked at my son, at Erika — I just felt like a different person, almost, if that makes sense.

“My priorities had changed, and my mind knew that, even if my body didn’t. And when I really thought about what it would mean to not come back to the rink at the end of the summer, it just felt like the right choice, and the right time.”

Rinne’s leaves behind a legacy that is second to none. His 369 wins are the most for a Finnish-born goaltender and rank 19th all-time in NHL history. He became the first Predators player to win an individual NHL performance award with his Vezina win in 2017, and his King Clancy Memorial Trophy win in June — honoring how much Rinne truly gave back to the community — was the perfect tribute for exactly what the 38- year-old goalie has meant to the Nashville fan base.

“The impact the Predators organization helped (myself and Shea Weber) make in the community (through the 36 Pediatric Fund) … It means as much to me as any banner hanging in the rafters at Bridgestone,” Rinne added.

Sure, Rinne was always ranked at or near the top of most major statistical goalie categories every year, but you would never know by the way he carried himself in the locker room and off the ice.

Rarely did any player earn a more thunderous roar of support at Bridgestone Arena during pre-game player introductions or the post- game awarding of the “three stars of the game” than Rinne did. Now, it’s strange to think that a 5-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on May 10 was the final time we’d hear both.

Nashville Post LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190391 New Jersey Devils

N.J.’s Ross Colton scores Stanley Cup-winning goal to cap rookie season

Updated Jul 08, 2021; Posted Jul 08, 2021

By James Kratch

Ross Colton literally put his name on the Stanley Cup.

The rookie and Robbinsville native’s second-period goal was decisive as the Tampa Bay Lightning dispatched the Montreal Canadiens with a 1-0 win in Game 5 on Wednesday night to win their second straight championship.

“This entire season has been something special and something I couldn’t have ever dreamed of happening,” Colton told The Trentonian before the start of the Cup finals. “I’m so thankful to be a part of it and contributing and I’m excited for Game 1 and to come out flying.”

The former Princeton Day star is the first rookie to score a Stanley Cup- deciding goal since did it in 2003 for the Devils. The Lightning are just the second team to repeat as champions in the NHL’s salary cap era -- and the first to win the Cup twice in 10 months with little break between seasons amid a pandemic.

“You’re watching history,” former NHL GM Craig Button told The Athletic. “Back-to-back puts you in a group that makes it special. It hasn’t been done very often. But considering the circumstances, this is unique. No one else has had to do it ever.”

Added former Ranger Eddie Olczyk, also to The Athletic: “You look back at this back-to-back and go, ‘That’s as good a run as we’ve seen. ‘No disrespect to the Penguins and Red Wings (other recent repeat winners), but this is as good as it gets.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190392 New York Islanders

New York Islanders Actively Shopping Players to Free Up Cap Space

Published 9 hours ago on July 13, 2021

By Christian Arnold

The New York Islanders need all the salary cap space they can get and general manager Lou Lamoriello appears to be working to free up space.

Both The Athletic and The Fourth Period reported that Lamoriello was actively trying to shop Jordan Eberle, Leo Komarov, Nick Leddy and Thomas Hickey. Andrew Ladd was also mentioned in The Athletic report.

The New York Islanders have roughly $5 million in cap space and will get another $6 million freed up once Johnny Boychuk is placed on LTIR. They’ll need as much room as possible with new deals for restricted free agents Adam Pelech, Anthony Beauvillier and Ilya Sorokin needed. Casey Cizikas will lead the pack of unrestricted free agents that Lamoriello will likely try to keep as well.

There appeared to be some urgency to move Leddy before the July 21 expansion draft with Seattle appearing to show interest in Leddy if he is left unprotected by the Islanders. Moving Leddy would help the team shed his $5.5 million cap hit and any deal would be easier to complete since the defenseman doesn’t have any trade protection in his contract.

Leddy is in the final year of his deal and would be a UFA following the 2021-22 season. Hickey also does not have any trade protection in his contract and moving him would free up another $2.5 million.

Trading Eberle or Komarov would be a bit more complicated for the New York Islanders, with both players having a say in where they would end up. Both have modified no-trade clauses with Eberle having a 16-team no-trade list and Komarov having a seven-team list.

A resolution, at least in the short term, with the Leddy situation will come at some point this week. Teams have to submit their protected players list on Saturday and then the league will place a trade freeze until the expansion draft next week.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190393 New York Islanders conditions. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on Monday briefed general managers on the guidelines for next season and a variety of other topics in a video conference called by senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell. Islanders Need More from Anthony Beauvillier & More (NHL)

Duncan Keith was traded to the Edmonton Oilers by the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday for Caleb Jones and a conditional pick in the Published 22 hours ago on July 13, 2021 2022 NHL Draft. Edmonton will also receive minor league forward Tim By Stefen Rosner Soderlund. Keith, who turns 38 on Friday, has two seasons remaining on a 13-year, $72 million contract ($5.5 million average annual value) he signed Dec. 3, 2009. (NHL)

The New York Islanders are in need of more offensive production to get Pierre McGuire said he felt the time and the opportunity aligned perfectly over the hump and win a Stanley Cup. Anthony Beauvillier, a streaky for him to go back to working for an NHL team after more than two player, needs to give more of a consistent effort if the Islanders want to decades in broadcasting. McGuire was hired as senior vice president of reach the top. This story and more in today’s daily links! player development for the Ottawa Senators on Monday. The 59-year-old will work with Senators general manager Pierre Dorion and owner The talk around the New York Islanders this offseason is one we have all Eugene Melnyk. He was an analyst for NBC Sports since 2006 and last heard before. General manager Lou Lamoriello needs to bring in a pure worked in the NHL as an assistant coach for Ottawa in 1995-96. (NHL) goal scorer to bolster the offense. However, the current salary cap situation for the Islanders will not allow for that, as the offensive answers will need to come internally, which is where Anthony Beauvillier comes in. The 24-year old forward needs to be one of the solutions if the NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 Islanders want to achieve the ultimate goal of hoisting a Stanley Cup soon. (NYI Hockey Now)

The Islanders’ season ended just over two weeks ago. But the busy season is already underway. Here’s what we’re hearing about the Isles — who, as we all know, prefer not to be seen or heard this time of year — as we edge closer to a big stretch for the organization. (The Athletic)

Lou Lamoriello is going to be busy over the coming weeks. Between the expansion draft, entry draft, trades and free agency, the Islanders general manager has plenty of work on his plate to try to build the Isles’ roster for 2021-22 and beyond. Yes, there’s plenty of intrigue, and you must have plenty of questions. Join Arthur Staple at noon Tuesday for a live Q&A, where he’ll answer your Islanders questions in real time. (The Athletic)

Are the Boston Bruins set to go after forward Barclay Goodrow again? They tried to get him at the 2020 Trade Deadline, but he made his way to Tampa and won a Stanley Cup. Time to try again. (Boston Hockey Now)

There are a few moves everyone is discussing. There are a few conversations on the NHL trade front that we’ve hinted. And there are most certainly a few moves that Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall has contemplated or is working that have escaped everyone’s radar. Who will Seattle select?Will the Penguins trade Jake Guentzel? Or Marcus Pettersson? (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

The NHL Draft is fastly approaching. Here is the Detroit Hockey Now’s Mock Draft. (Detroit Hockey Now)

For the last 15 years, one of the NHL’s most famous “bromances” has changed the Washington Capitals for the better. Ever since Alex Ovechkin announced Nicklas Backstrom‘s name for the Washington Capitals at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, the two have shared a strong dynamic both on and off the ice. Their bond has not only helped turn D.C. into a hockey town but has also fueled their successful careers. (Washington Hockey Now)

What was dead rose from the NHL trade graveyard. What we thought was off was back on as the Chicago Blackhawks finally dealt defenseman Duncan Keith the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for young defenseman Caleb Jones and a draft pick. That part won’t too much worry Vegas Golden Knights fans, but what followed might affect Marc- Andre Fleury and a Golden Knights trade. Scott Powers of The Athletic, as part of his trade follow-up and analysis, reported the Chicago Blackhawks are now in on everyone’s favorite smiling goalie, Fleury. (Vegas Hockey Now)

How close were the San Jose Sharks to drafting Scott Niedermayer over Pat Falloon? “It was split,” then-San Jose GM Jack Ferreira recalled to San Jose Hockey Now. “There was a good portion that wanted Pat and the other guys were interested in Scott.” Let’s go back 30 years. It was the 1991 NHL Draft, held in Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium. Eric Lindros was the undisputed first-overall, a generational talent in the vein of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. But the expansion Sharks, slotted at No. 2, never had a chance at the “Big E.” (San Jose Hockey Now)

The NHL is hoping and planning for a 2021-22 season with a full 82- game schedule and fully vaccinated players returning to pre-COVID-19 1190394 Philadelphia Flyers Fletcher said signing restricted free agents Carter Hart, Travis Sanheim, and Nolan Patrick is “not a front-burner issue. There’s plenty of time to get to those. We have to make the qualifying offers by the Monday after the draft, and we’ll make those between now and then. And then, Flyers are willing to deal their first-round pick if it brings them a player for typically, the ball gets rolling from there.” … The GM wouldn’t comment the long run on his interest in resigning UFAs Samuel Morin, Brian Elliott, and Alex Lyon.

Sam Carchidi Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.14.2021

The Flyers have lots of needs and may decide to trade their first-round pick, 13th overall, in next week’s NHL draft.

But if they keep it, they should get a quality player to add to their solid farm system.

Put the if in italics.

In a Zoom call with the media Tuesday, general manager Chuck Fletcher — usually the most guarded, secretive person in a gathering — admitted he would deal the No. 1 pick in the right situation.

Fletcher, while chuckling that assistant general manager/draft guru Brent Flahr wants to hold onto the pick, said he was keeping his options open.

Should they keep the pick, they would “obviously” get a “high-quality player who will help us but yet, because it’s a high-asset value, I think we have to explore what we can do with it,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher said you “likely end up keeping your first-round pick, but I think this offseason in particular I’m more willing to look at moving it. If there’s some way we can help our team, not just in the short term but more over several years, and it costs me the first-round pick, if I can get that type of asset, I’d certainly look at doing it.”

He said the player(s) in return didn’t necessarily have to fill a specific position, but it’s no secret the Flyers are searching for a top-pairing defenseman who shoots right-handed, such as Columbus’ Seth Jones. The Flyers would have to give up more than a first-rounder to acquire Jones, who reportedly is high on Chicago’s list. The Blackhawks acquired his brother, Caleb Jones, on Monday.

The first-rounder could also be used as part of a deal for Calgary’s shifty left winger, Johnny Gaudreau, 27, a South Jersey native and five-time All-Star who played at Boston College with Flyers center Kevin Hayes.

In the past, Gaudreau has said it would be “sweet” to some day play for the hometown Flyers. He has one year left on a deal that carries a $6.75 million cap hit.

The Flyers have six picks in the seven-round draft. Round 1 (ESPN2) will be held on July 23 starting at 8 p.m., with Rounds 2-7 (NHL Network) on July 24 beginning at 11 a.m.

Based on a consensus of scouting services and draft experts, the players who could be available when the Flyers select include center Chaz Lucius (6-foot-1, 180), a Minnesota native; center/left winger Mason McTavish (6-1, 207); center Cole Sillinger (6-0, 195); center Aatu Raty (6-1, 181); and left-handed defenseman Carson Lambos (6-1, 201).

Flahr said there were no generational players in the draft but lots of quality in the first round and plenty of depth “through the second and third rounds and even beyond.”

If they keep their pick, Flahr said the Flyers would select the best player available in the first round regardless of position. He didn’t dismiss selecting one of the two goalies — Jesper Wallstedt, who will probably be gone by the 13th pick, or Sebastian Cossa — who are expected to go in the first round.

Due to the pandemic, some prospects didn’t play this season because some junior leagues did not have games. “Some players haven’t played at all this year, which is unique for us and for everybody,” Flahr said. “So you’re going to see some variances” in the way teams have prospects ranked.

Breakaways

Owen Power, a 6-6, 213-pound defenseman from the University of Michigan, is widely expected to be selected No. 1 overall by Buffalo. … Fletcher said he will soon reveal his selection of a Flyers assistant (Nick Schultz?) to replace Ian Laperriere, who is now the Phantoms head coach. Laperriere’s assistants at Lehigh Valley will also be named. … 1190395 Philadelphia Flyers Among the players who could be on their radar: right-handed defensemen Dougie Hamilton, Seth Jones, Adam Larsson, and David Savard; center Jack Eichel; wingers Brandon Saad, Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine, and Gabriel Landeskog; and goalies Linus Ullmark and Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher talks about the expansion draft and ‘some Jonathan Bernier. exciting additions’ he hopes to make Chicago’s acquisition Monday of defenseman Caleb Jones (Seth’s brother) from Edmonton might make the Blackhawks the favorite to acquire Seth Jones from Columbus. Sam Carchidi The Flyers have $68.4 million committed to 17 players and $13.1 million

in cap space, according to capfriendly.com. They must still sign restricted As the Flyers prepare to submit their protected list by Saturday’s 5 p.m. free agents Hart, Sanheim, and Patrick to a roster that will have a deadline, there are some intriguing questions that will be answered when minimum of 22 players. Seattle holds its expansion draft and fills out its inaugural roster on July Minnesota is buying out left winger Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan 21 (ESPN2), starting at 8 p.m. Suter. Both were signed by Fletcher when he was in Minnesota, and it In that expansion draft, Fletcher was in a tough spot numbers-wise when will be interesting to see if he pursues one of them for their veteran he traded young right winger Alex Tuch to Vegas so the Golden Knights leadership. Both will become unrestricted free agents July 28. would select Erik Haula over unprotected players such as Matt Dumba Parise, who turns 37 on July 28, had 25 goals two years ago but dipped and Eric Staal, among others. to seven goals in 45 games this season. Suter, 36, is a top-pairing left- Tuch has become a big part of Vegas’ success, and Haula erupted for 29 hander who had 19 points and a plus-9 rating in 56 games this season. goals and helped the Golden Knights stunningly reach the Stanley Cup

Final in their inaugural season. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.14.2021 In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Fletcher was asked if he learned anything from the 2017 draft and if it will affect how he operates this time around.

“Not necessarily,” he said. “Every situation is different. Our team in Minnesota was a lot different than the team here in terms of the makeup and the composition of the players. Your goal is always to do the best thing for the organization, and in our case here I think in our decisions, we had pretty good unanimity in what we wanted to do when we had our pro scouts in town. It think our list is pretty straightforward.”

Barring a trade, Fletcher said his protected list has been put together, and he hinted that because of a flat salary cap, it made it easier not to protect expensive players. Gaining cap space if Seattle takes one of those players would help the Flyers restructure their roster.

Fletcher didn’t name players, but Voracek ($8.25 million annual cap hit for three more years), van Riemsdyk ($7 million annual cap hit for two more years), and Gostisbehere ($4.5 million cap hit for two more years) have significant cap hits and probably won’t be protected. It should be noted, however, that Gostisbehere is owed only $3.25 million per year in “real” money over those two seasons. That, and his relatively strong season (nine goals in 41 games), might make him attractive to the Kraken.

In the expansion draft, teams can protect either 11 players (must be seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goalie), or eight skaters (any combination of forwards and defensemen) and one goalie.

The Flyers figure to use option No. 1, and they will have some difficult choices. It appears these will be the players they protect if they aren’t traded before the expansion draft:

Joel Farabee, who led the Flyers with 20 goals last season, Cam York, Wade Allison, and Morgan Frost are among those who don’t have to be protected because first- and second-year NHL players are exempt.

“For this expansion draft, we’ve had more time [to prepare], vs. the Vegas expansion draft,” Fletcher said. “From that standpoint, it’s been a little simpler.”

Flecther said he has had “several conversations” with Seattle general manager Ron Francis about a potential trade, but “we’re certainly comfortable in submitting the list and having them select a player. I just indicated to him that if they had ideas on something else they wanted to accomplish to let us know.”

The Flyers, coming off a disappointing 25-23-8 season in which they missed the playoffs and finished last in the NHL in goals allowed per game (3.52), are expected to be active in the trade and free-agent markets. Fletcher said his phones have been extremely busy, but he doesn’t expect many teams to make moves until after the expansion draft.

“There will hopefully be some exciting additions to our club over the next couple months, and probably a few moves around the league that your normally wouldn’t see because of expansion and the flat cap,” Fletcher said. 1190396 Philadelphia Flyers

NHL insider drops notable info on Voracek, Jones

BY JORDAN HALL

FLYERS

For whatever reason, Jakub Voracek did not speak at clean-out day, so we didn't get his thoughts on the Flyers' disappointing 2020-21 season and the club's future next season.

Voracek is as honest and transparent as they get, which us reporters appreciate. The forthrightness helps us do our jobs and gives us compelling copy for stories.

While Voracek, a decade Flyer, went quietly into the offseason, his name is starting to pop up as a busy July picks up. The Kraken expansion draft on July 21 has Voracek's name near the forefront of discussion because there's a good chance the winger won't be protected from Seattle. We looked at the reasons why right here.

On Saturday in his 31 Thoughts column, always a must-read piece for hockey folks, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that, while the situation has been described as "not acrimonious," the Flyers and Voracek "have discussed that it might be time for a change, as well." Per Friedman's report, if Voracek is not taken by the Kraken, "Philly will look elsewhere. ... Both sides are also prepared for the possibility a trade won’t occur, so he stays put. But there will be a legit attempt to move him."

The above is not terribly surprising, but it's the first time there has been a report that the Flyers will try to move Voracek, who turns 32 years old in August. Voracek is under contract for the next three seasons at an annual $8.25 million cap hit. He's a productive player but getting older with term and a hefty cap hit in a flat-cap world. The Flyers have holes and in order to fill them, they'll need cap relief this season and seasons down the line.

The Flyers are in a spot where they should and will be open-minded to just about anything. But, as we noted and Friedman reported, the Flyers won't be disgruntled with a player like Voracek on their roster to open next season. He is valuable and impactful. In 2020-21, Voracek was tied for the team scoring lead with 43 points. In 2019-20, he had a team-best 44 assists and a career-best plus-14 rating.

But time has been ticking, it's a huge offseason and the fact is general manager Chuck Fletcher did not acquire or sign Voracek. Ties naturally weaken when a new regime takes over. They're not as strong as before, while Alain Vigneault is Voracek's fifth head coach with the Flyers and has challenged him to change his playoff narrative in Philadelphia.

The results of the July 21 expansion draft will be the offseason's starting point of what might change for Voracek or what might stay the same come September training camp: another run in Philadelphia.

The Jones trade front

In his 31 Thoughts, Friedman also reported the latest on the Flyers-Seth Jones trade talks.

Per Friedman's report, the "discussions appear off, for now. The Flyers can’t get the commitment they want from Jones. That’s his right, to wait unless he’s certain, but Philly won’t make the deal without it."

The caveat to a Jones trade is that the 26-year-old defenseman's contract expires after the 2021-22 season, which would set him up to hit unrestricted free agency next summer. Teams will be apprehensive to give up a haul to have Jones for only one season and then the potential of losing him on the market.

The offseason is very young, though, and sometimes it's about leverage early on. We'll see where it goes.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190397 Philadelphia Flyers

With 1st big deal of NHL offseason done, sounds like it's time to buckle up

BY JOE FORDYCE

FLYERS

The NHL offseason takes a little while to get revved up, but teams are stepping up to the starting line this week.

The first big deal of the offseason occurred on Monday when the Chicago Blackhawks traded legendary defenseman and three-time Stanley Cup winner Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers. This trade could have an impact on the Flyers' offseason plans, not because of Keith directly, but rather because of what opportunities may be in play for Chicago after unloading the veteran Keith and acquiring young defenseman Caleb Jones, younger brother of Seth Jones, as part of the trade.

Since both the Flyers and Blue Jackets’ seasons ended, there have been several reports of trade talks between the two teams regarding Seth Jones. The Flyers' top priority is likely a No. 1 defenseman. It would appear Chicago is now in search of a No. 1 on the blue line, as well, and with the Blackhawks having younger brother Caleb now in their system, this could make Chicago an attractive destination for the elder Jones.

The offseason has been a quiet one and the Keith trade may be the move that gets the ball rolling, especially given where we are on the NHL calendar.

“We have all the events that may involve player movement really happening literally within a 10- or 12-day period,” Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said at a press conference Tuesday. “Once you get past the first day of free agency, the amount of players that are available and the amount of cap space available will be much more limited. So I guess there’s pressure in the sense that if you have moves you want to make, this is when you have to try to make them.”

Fletcher acknowledged that a lot of conversations in this flat-cap climate across the league have been dollar-for-dollar discussions, and that there aren’t a lot of teams able to take on a lot of money, which makes things more complicated.

With the expansion draft and free agency looming, Fletcher predicted that the majority of player movement will take place over the next two weeks. Buckle up.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190398 Philadelphia Flyers Seattle in a specific direction, my guess is that he wouldn’t have hedged so much in his answer. The Flyers, of course, need cap space if they want to truly shake up their roster this summer, and one path to securing that space is if Seattle takes a high-priced player off their hands. There’s Flyers protection list? Trading the first-rounder? GM Chuck Fletcher talks a chance that could cost the Flyers a little extra. offseason plans — and we translate Don’t rule out the possibility of Fletcher getting creative when it comes to the expansion draft, in other words.

By Charlie O'Connor What might the Flyers’ offseason look like?

Jul 14, 2021 Fletcher: The goal is to try and be as competitive as we can next year, and yet, we want to make sure that we keep a large quantity of future

assets that can continue to help us get better as we move forward. It was never particularly likely that Philadelphia Flyers general manager I think we just want to be a little bit careful here. We’ve worked hard as Chuck Fletcher and assistant GM Brent Flahr were going to be especially an organization for the last seven, eight years to patiently add and draft revealing at Tuesday morning’s video news conference. and develop a lot of young players. It’s kinda been the focus of the With the active portion of the offseason — one that looms as pivotal for franchise, going back to 2014 probably. You’ve got to be a little bit careful the future of the organization — set to begin in the coming days with the that you don’t change course, and start moving by good young players expansion draft, there was little incentive on the part of Fletcher and that maybe struggled for a little bit last year. Flahr to offer any specifics regarding the nature of their plans for the next Translation: They’ll try to be aggressive, but don’t expect them to trade all three weeks. It’s no secret that the Flyers front office wants to be active, of their draft picks, move most of their young NHLers and burn down the but letting slip the exact nature of their preferred activity runs the risk of farm system to do so. cutting down on leverage in negotiations. They were never going to do that. That Fletcher made a point to reference the organization’s long-term draft and develop plan — and even specifically referenced the start of Ron Still, there were morsels of useful information that Philadelphia’s top Hextall’s retooling process by year, if not name — was notable, in that it decision-makers dropped amidst the cliches and platitudes. So let’s hints that Fletcher isn’t planning to take a complete “burn the future, the perform some informed translation to navigate to the important details. present is all that matters” approach to the summer. Sure, they may trade When will the Flyers truly kick off their offseason? their first-round pick, some prospects and flip a young player or two. But don’t expect them to trade everything and everyone, either. They’re not Fletcher: Every team’s in a little bit different spot. For some teams, they about to empty out the farm and fire all of their bullets in a swashbuckling can acquire a player now and it doesn’t impact their list that much. attempt to win a Stanley Cup at all costs in the next one or two seasons. There’s other teams that would much rather wait until after the expansion They’re looking to shake things up, but not to the degree that it draft to make a trade to upgrade their club. I think everybody’s different. It completely sacrifices the future health of the organization. seems like more teams would prefer to wait until after Seattle makes their decisions. Are the Flyers truly interested in being aggressive?

Translation: This very much played as a warning to Flyers fans that the Fletcher: So there’s gonna be hopefully some exciting additions to our next few days might be quiet. club over the next couple months. Probably a few moves around the league that you normally wouldn’t see, because of expansion and Here’s a brief rundown of the looming expansion draft schedule. All because of the flat cap. teams need to have their expansion draft protection lists into the league by Saturday at 5 p.m. ET, and they’ll be released publicly (if not leaked Translation: Yeah, we want to make some eye-catching adds. beforehand) Sunday by the league. The expansion draft occurs July 21. This was a throwaway line that felt anything but. In the midst of talking up Fletcher, with the above statement, sure seemed to be trying to prepare the value of the 13th selection, Fletcher quickly pivoted to expressing a fans for the possibility that any big Flyers moves will have to wait until at hope that they’ll be making some exciting additions this offseason. That least July 22 — the day after the expansion draft. doesn’t read to me merely that they’re going to add a high-end prospect Part of this is strategic on the part of the teams, as he hinted. Executing a with pick No. 13. It played like a statement of intent that he’d ideally like trade now would run the risk of complicating a team’s protection plan, to bring in multiple pieces that qualify as “exciting.” Whether he can pull it and potentially result in them losing a player a front office doesn’t want to off is another story entirely, but there’s a real hope that it can be done. lose. But it goes beyond that, due to the trade freezes. Starting on How might they go about being aggressive? Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, a trade freeze takes effect, lasting through July 22 at 1 p.m. So aside from side deals with the Seattle Kraken, no trades can Fletcher: I think some of our young players, at least in my opinion, are be made from early Saturday afternoon through early Thursday afternoon better than how they performed this year. I think you need to be a little bit between the other clubs. Time is running out to get moves done before careful overreacting to one year, particularly one year as crazy as last the freeze takes effect, and Fletcher straight up said Tuesday that there year was. wasn’t any major Flyers activity looming. Translation: Are some of their other young players who struggled in “A lot of chatter, but from our standpoint, we certainly aren’t going to be 2020-21 not better than how they performed this past season? making a trade today or tomorrow unless something unexpected breaks right now,” Fletcher acknowledged. OK, so this one might be a bit of a stretch on my part. But in 2020-21, it wasn’t some of the Flyers’ young players who struggled — it was pretty In other words, next week might be when the bell actually rings to kick off much all of them not named Joel Farabee. Fletcher dropping the “some” the rush. qualifier when discussing how 2020-21 isn’t representative of the true talent level of Philadelphia’s youngsters was intriguing because it implies Will the Flyers make any side deals with Seattle? that for some of the group, it might actually have been representative. Fletcher: I’m open to either (making a side deal or just letting Seattle pick And if that’s the case, those are the ones more likely to be moved — a player). I’ve had several conversations with (Kraken GM) Ron (Francis) before leaguewide sentiment fully catches up with the Flyers’ current going back a few months now. We’ll probably take guidance from them, if internal evaluation of them. Just an interesting word choice that could there’s something that they think would make sense for them and would mean nothing or could be very telling. make sense for us. But my expectation is that we’ll submit the list and Who might be exposed in expansion? whether there’ll be conversations after we submit the list or not, time will tell. Fletcher: I think you’re always trying to make decisions where you’re protecting the players you feel you need to protect for the short- and Translation: Yes, a side deal is possible. long-term good of your franchise. But I think generally speaking, in this Of course, Fletcher wasn’t going to show all of his cards. But if he was environment, it goes without saying that it’s difficult to move money right wedded to the idea of simply submitting his list and letting Francis pick now. Cheaper contracts are probably more valuable in that sense. whoever he wanted because of an unwillingness to lose assets to steer Translation: Yes, players with big cap hits are going to be exposed by the even both) could still be available at No. 13. There’s also ways to justify Flyers. such a pick — Hart did have an exceptionally poor season in 2020-21, after all, and as Flahr notes, it’s difficult to know what the team’s This doesn’t come as a major surprise, as we’ve been speculating for goaltending situation will be in a few seasons when the newly drafted months that all of Jakub Voracek, James van Riemsdyk and Shayne netminder is ready for the NHL. There’s even the option of rolling with a Gostisbehere would be left unprotected for the expansion draft. But in a super-powered tandem in net if Hart rebounded and their draft pick pans very diplomatic way, Fletcher essentially acknowledged that is the likely out. It worked for the Islanders in the playoffs with Semyon Varlamov and plan. Ilya Sorokin, after all.

Given the stagnant cap environment, large cap hits essentially serve as That said, the Flyers aren’t going to be unaware of the message such a their own form of protection. In addition (truly elite players excepted), lots pick would send throughout the hockey world, and I do believe they still of teams are trying to unload their big contracts in order to regain cap have faith in Hart; drafting a potential successor in the wake of this past flexibility, so if Seattle were to nab one of those players, it might even be season certainly would play as a lack of faith, right or wrong. And there’s welcomed. Players such as Voracek and JvR might be (OK, are) better no upside to Flahr flat-out stating that they won’t pick a goalie, as that right now than Oskar Lindblom and Nolan Patrick, but due to the relative knowledge being public could hurt their leverage in trade-down or trade- cheapness of their respective cap hits, they’d be more likely to be up scenarios. So this set of comments probably didn’t mean much. poached, so they’ll also be more likely to be protected. Maybe.

Are the Flyers willing to trade the 13th pick in this draft? Wait, changes to the front office?

Fletcher: If we use our first-round pick to select a player, we’re obviously Fletcher: We’ll probably get into this later on in the summer, but we spent going to be able to draft a high-quality player that will help us, but yet, an awful lot of time this summer looking at our staff, our structure. And I because it’s of high asset value, I think we have to explore what we can think we’ve made some really meaningful changes and improvements to do with it. how we do things. Not just from a coaching standpoint, but from a So the likelihood is, you normally end up keeping your first-round picks, development standpoint, a scouting standpoint, a data standpoint. We’ve but I think this offseason, in particular, I think I’m more willing to look at put a lot of time and effort this summer into fixing some things off the ice moving it. that we think will lead to better on-ice results. Again, we’ve looked at everything. Last year was unacceptable. It’s been a busy offseason Translation: Yep. behind the scenes. I’m really happy with some of the moves we’ve made.

Fletcher left the door open to making the 13th selection but his We’ve made a lot of personnel moves that we’ll announce in short order. acknowledgment that he’s more willing to move it this offseason We’ve spent two months doing this stuff, so we’ll have a lot of changes to compared to others was as telling as it gets. Pick No. 13 is very much in announce here in the near future. play. Translation: Hmm, that’s interesting. What would they be willing to trade it for? Very little of what Fletcher and Flahr said Tuesday was a surprise. But Fletcher: If there’s some way that we can help our team – not just in the this reference to organizational changes was unexpected, especially short term but more over several years, over the longer term, and it costs because few announcements have been made regarding internal me the first-round pick, if I can get that type of asset, I’ll certainly look at adjustments this summer, beyond Ian Laperriere replacing Scott Gordon doing it. as Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach. So what did Fletcher mean by it? Translation: We’re not trading it for a rental. There are quite a few open positions that could be filled in the near This comment screamed the Seth Jones situation, especially given the future, for starters. The Flyers do plan to hire a replacement assistant recent report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that Jones has yet to coach for Laperriere at the NHL level, and they also need AHL assistants provide a guarantee to the Flyers that he would agree to an immediate as well with Kerry Huffman gone. Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh extension with them if they did acquire him via trade. Presumably, any Penguins announced that Huffman and Brett Hextall — who remained as Jones deal would include a high draft pick — likely No. 13. But if Jones a Flyers player development coach even after his father was relieved of isn’t willing to commit long term to the Flyers right away, there’s a real his duties as GM — had followed Ron to the Steel City, highlighting more risk that Fletcher only acquires Jones for a single season. Based on the vacancies. Also, the Flyers did recently hire former above comment, he doesn’t appear willing to do so, or at least wouldn’t GM Matt Bardsley as an amateur scout, likely in response to the passing be open to including the 13th selection in such a deal or any similar deals of longtime scout Jack McIlhargey in 2020. A source confirmed that for valuable players in the final years of their contracts. Bardsley will focus primarily on the WHL and BCHL in his scouting If they keep the pick, would they use it to take a top-tier goalie prospect duties. despite Carter Hart’s presence? As for the internal restructurings beyond looming new hires? That Flahr: No, if he’s the next-best player on our board, we’ll certainly remains to be seen. consider it and take him. But at the same time, we have a number of different players and positions that we’ll look at as well. But no, we’re not opposed if it’s clearly the next best player on our draft board, we’ll take The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 (him).

As far as position, we don’t really draft by position, especially in the first round. We go by our list, the best player available. Realistically, as you’ve seen in the NHL, a lot of these players don’t play next year. So sometimes our needs right now are changed by two years down the road. That’s just the reality that we’re in.

Translation: Yes, we would consider taking Jesper Wallstedt or Sebastian Cossa at No. 13. Maybe. Possibly.

This question was asked mostly to give Flahr the opportunity to completely rule out the possibility of adding another wrinkle into Hart’s attempt to rebound from the worst season of his professional career — a highly touted first-round netminder being added to the pipeline. The parallels of such a situation to the one that helped to hasten Carson Wentz’s exit from Philadelphia this past season are obvious since, just like with the quarterback position, only one person can play it at once.

Both Wallstedt and Cossa are considered by scouts to be high-end goalie prospects, and it’s at least in the realm of possibility that one (or 1190399 Philadelphia Flyers shorthanded minutes, Voracek should have been on the ice for far more Flyers goals than goals scored by the opposition. Instead, he was out there for just two more — good for a 50.85 percent on-ice goals share that was easily the worst of his Flyers career. Jakub Voracek remains a valuable scorer, but could he still become a casualty of the Flyers’ offseason? When a team’s first-line winger/top-unit power play offensive weapon is basically just breaking even from a goal differential standpoint, that team isn’t going to have a very good season. And those kinds of results are surely going to weigh heavily on a proud player like Voracek. By Charlie O'Connor Voracek’s strengths as a player Jul 13, 2021 Jakub Voracek brings more than a few strengths to the table as an NHL

winger: his vision, passing ability, puck protection capabilities. Ten years ago, Jakub Voracek joined the Philadelphia Flyers. But his value as a top-six forward really boils down to two main attributes: Okay, that’s not quite accurate. his reliability and his durability.

The blockbuster trades of Mike Richards and Jeff Carter — the latter of In the end, Voracek is going to get his points. Like all forwards, No. 93 which sent Voracek’s unsigned restricted free agent rights to the City of might slump for a week or two. But Voracek has a nine-year track record Brotherly Love — happened on June 23 of 2011, so it’s about three of always clearing the 60-point mark, even in “down” seasons. He may weeks over the true 10-year anniversary at this point. Voracek didn’t sign not be at his peak anymore, but 60+ point campaigns don’t grow on his first contract with the team until July 26 of that year, and his first trees, and Voracek just keeps pumping them out like clockwork. game (and first goal) came later that fall, on October 6 against the Then, there’s Voracek’s underrated ability to avoid injury-driven Boston Bruins. But for all practical purposes, Voracek is right at the absences. Over the course of his 13-year NHL career, he’s missed three decade mark with the Flyers, a tenure that saw him quickly emerge into games or more just four times — and he only cleared the threshold the one of the team’s highest-profile players — a status that he still holds. last two times (2018-19 and 2020-21) because of a two-game Will he retain that status — and his place on the Philadelphia roster — for suspension and a COVID-19 positive test. He’s played in a whopping Year 11? The pivotal next three weeks will decide that for Voracek and 97.48 percent of all possible regular season games in his career. the Flyers. Voracek surely gets hurt — he just plays through the pain and has a knack for avoiding the kinds of truly serious ailments that make an It’s no secret that general manager Chuck Fletcher is looking to make extended absence the only possible outcome. Even as Voracek enters adjustments in wake of a dismal 2020-21 campaign. And according to his mid-30s, his durability remains fully intact. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Voracek could be one of those adjustments. In his most recent 31 Thoughts column, Friedman reported That combination of consistent offensive production plus the knowledge not only that Voracek would be left available in the expansion draft but that he’ll always be in the lineup allows Voracek to consistently add that the Flyers would explore trade avenues elsewhere for the soon-to-be significant value to his teams. No, Voracek may not be the advanced stat 32-year old winger if Seattle lacked interest in selecting him. monster that he once was — we’ll get to that shortly — but it’s not like public stat models view him as a poor player now. In fact, by Evolving- Friedman noted that a divorce between the two sides was not imminent Hockey’s Goals Above Replacement model, Voracek provided 10.2 and that both are prepared for the possibility that Voracek remains with worth of GAR in 2019-20 (57th among NHL forwards) and 8.3 GAR in the club. But the possibility that Voracek might be on his way out of 2020-21 (54th). In other words, over the past two seasons, the most Philadelphia can’t be ruled out, either, especially given Fletcher’s desire widely-cited public model evaluated Voracek as providing mid-tier first- to be active and the need to clear up salary cap space to do so. line forward value.

Why might the Flyers be pondering life without Voracek? After all, he He is still a good hockey player. remained a productive player in 2020-21, even as the club as a whole faltered. How does a core player with three years left on his contract, The problem: he’s not what he once was who tied for the team lead in points this past season, end up in trade The debate over Voracek’s value and quality as a player has been rumors in the first place? And what are the chances that those rumors ongoing since his very first season in Philadelphia within corners of the become reality? fanbase, but it reached a fever pitch after Voracek signed his eight-year, In the wake of a Flyers season as disappointing as 2020-21, it’s tough to $66 million extension in the summer of 2015. That’s what happens in say that anyone on the club truly impressed. But Voracek — at least on professional sports, after all — when the salary gets higher, the the scoresheet — basically lived up to reasonable expectations. microscope zooms in further.

That’s not to say it was a perfect year for Voracek. His seasons tend to And even at his peak, Voracek had qualities that frustrated some. He has grade out as either fantastic (2012-13, 2014-15, 2017-18) or merely always been a pass-first forward, and his tendency to rack up the bulk of good, and 2020-21 was the latter for Voracek, as he scored at a 66.53 his point totals via assists rubbed those the wrong way who wished he point pace over an 82-game slate. The goals were down for the second was more of a goal scorer. Plus, players who carry the puck as often as straight year — in a full season, he’d have potted about 14 given his Voracek does are going to turn it over sometimes, and those “big pace, which matched what he delivered in 2019-20 as well — but the mistakes” tend to be memorable ones that stick in the minds of those points were right where they usually are for a “normal” Jakub Voracek already negatively predisposed towards a specific player. But during the season. More on that later. first half of Voracek’s time in Philadelphia, those critiques played more as nitpicks than truly valid criticisms, considering the quality of Voracek’s Also, unlike many of his teammates, Voracek’s point production actually track record. didn’t collapse during the awful months of March and April. In fact, over the course of those two months, no Flyers player scored more points It’s a bit different now. than Voracek and his 27 in 32 games. It may have been an assist-heavy Voracek’s most vehement defenders understandably hold that he total (only six goals) but those 21 helpers by definition helped the Flyers remains a solid point producer, and while it’s been four seasons since score 21 goals in a month when little was going right for them. Voracek Voracek has delivered one of his point-per-game “big” years, it’s a deserves credit for actually slightly improving his offensive pace when the reasonable point. Voracek has basically replicated his point production team needed it most (0.84 points per game in March/April, 0.76 in the from his first four seasons in Philadelphia (pre-contract signing) over the other three), even if it proved insufficient to pull Philadelphia out of its past six (post-signing). Fewer goals and more assists, but in terms of season-killing swoon. total points — basically identical. That said, Voracek didn’t help the Flyers to outscore the opposition in Now, in fairness, the Flyers probably thought they were getting post- 2020-21. At even strength, Voracek was on the ice for 45 goals against 2012-13 breakout Voracek (26 goals, 47 assists, 73 point season) and 39 goals for, a minus-six differential. The all-situations metrics average, but it’s still a reasonable defense of him — Voracek’s numbers weren’t much better — yes, the Flyers outscored opponents 60-58 in all since putting pen to paper haven’t dipped much at all. of Voracek’s minutes, but don’t forget that Voracek is a power play-only special teams contributor. Without the differential-deflating impact of The problem is that the Flyers weren’t merely signing Voracek to an Or, to put it this way — a player in the top five percent at his position is $8.25 million cap hit for his “counting stats.” They were expecting him to worth an $8+ million cap hit. A player merely in the top 20 percent isn’t. remain a dominant even strength winger. And now, the Flyers find themselves in need of cap space. Voracek’s on-ice dominance in his early-to-mid twenties was obvious by the eye test. He was a puck possession beast, nearly impossible to stop This offseason, Chuck Fletcher wants to address his blueline. He wants as he flew through the neutral zone and around the perimeter, before to upgrade the No. 2 netminder position behind Carter Hart. And ideally, I using his passing ability to set up teammates for dangerous scoring believe he’d like to make an addition or two up front. But at the moment chances. The numbers backed it up as well. He consistently ranked — assuming that both Hart and Travis Sanheim are re-signed (both are among the league leaders in zone entry metrics (both raw totals and RFAs) — they won’t have the cap space to make those additions. Unless percent that came with control of the puck). And as for his impact on shot they move out an existing player or two on the roster to clear that space, and chance differentials — he wasn’t the best in the league in that of course. And that’s where Voracek comes in. regard, but he was in the conversation. From 2012-13 through 2014-15, Friedman’s report that the Flyers were looking to have teams — Seattle, Voracek had the ninth-best impact among regular NHL forwards on his and other clubs — take Voracek off their hands came as an initial team’s expected goal differential (per Evolving-Hockey’s RAPM model) surprise, but it does make sense. After all, the two prime candidates to and the 18th-best impact on shot attempt differential. jettison if Philadelphia wants to clear cap space to make moves are So when the Flyers made the decision to lock up Voracek to his Voracek and James Van Riemsdyk, and to be blunt, JvR had a better all- mammoth contract, they were looking at a very good scorer and an elite around 2020-21 season than Voracek. Van Riemsdyk brings the same play-driver. Thus, they chose to take the plunge with him. year-over-year offensive consistency as Voracek, but without the same play-driving issues. In addition, JvR’s contract counts $1.25 million less What happened next? Well, the scoring held. The play-driving… didn’t. against the cap and has one fewer year remaining on it. It makes logical And the result was that the Flyers ended up with a less valuable overall sense that the Flyers would (and should) prefer to move the soon-to-be player over the length of the contract than they thought they were getting. 32-year old Voracek over the just-turned-32 van Riemsdyk given a choice between the two. It’s important to note that Voracek’s dip in play-driving results didn’t suddenly make him a useless liability of a player — a faulty conclusion That said, it will presumably be more difficult to move Voracek vs. JvR for that some advanced stat-centric observers can fall into at times. Ranking those same reasons. in the top 20 percent of all NHL forwards in terms of value added over the past six seasons is very good. But it’s a far cry from the top five percent, My expectation has long been that both players will be exposed to where he ranked back when he was scoring and controlling play at even Seattle — Friedman reported that Voracek has already been told by the strength. Voracek still has the talent and offensive creativity to rack up Flyers that he won’t be protected, and I’ve heard the same. In my points — he just doesn’t dominate games like he previously could. estimation, it’s far more likely that Seattle would be willing to take van Riemsdyk with no sweetener attached, even if it might require posturing So why did Voracek’s underlying metrics collapse? It’s one of those on both sides to get to that point. Voracek, on the other hand, seems questions that might be impossible to truly answer. Detractors might more likely to require one. Then, it simply comes down to how big of a argue that Voracek “lost his edge” once he got paid, but I don’t personally sweetener the Flyers should be willing to include. buy that. Perhaps his body wore down just enough to cut into what allowed him to control play to an elite degree. Maybe the coaching Again — and this bears repeating — Voracek is still a good hockey change from to Dave Hakstol in 2015 sparked some sort of player. Because he’s not the all-around force he once was, his on-ice stylistic adjustment for Voracek, and he never quite found the same ideal value isn’t commensurate with his cap hit anymore, and the remaining fit for his game again. Or maybe it was a lot of small reasons that simply three seasons on his contract are concerning because of the possibility added up. But the results are tough to deny. of a continued decline. But we’re not talking about a liability here, which is why it’s difficult on a philosophical level to pay a team a king’s ransom There was a legitimate reason for optimism in the wake of 2019-20 that just to move him out. If Voracek is traded for nothing, the Flyers will Voracek, under Alain Vigneault and the Flyers’ revamped coaching staff, undoubtedly miss his production, regardless of the underlying strategic had potentially found a way to arrest his slide by underlying numbers. goals behind such a move. With Vigneault preaching an increased commitment to two-way play and not shying away from challenging the veterans on the team in particular, And there’s surely a point where the cost of paying to excise a clearly Voracek rose to said challenge and delivered his best play-driving still-good player from your roster becomes so high that it’s no longer season in four years — almost entirely by improving his defensive prudent. If that proves to be the case with Voracek, expect him back for results. Was he the same dominant force from his prime? Not quite. But his 11th season in orange & black. But if he garners real interest from a he appeared to have made real progress, particularly on the defensive team looking for a veteran infusion of offensive prowess, whether it be end. Seattle or another club? Stay tuned.

But in 2020-21, it was back to the same old (new) defensive struggles at even strength. (Note: Being in the plus column in terms of defensive The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 impact is a bad thing because it means opponents are creating more offense when a particular skater hits the ice.)

Suddenly, 2019-20 looks like a one-year aberration to a long-standing trend, a trend that resulted in one of Voracek’s biggest strengths as a player turning into a weakness. Voracek the scorer remains, but Voracek the play-driver doesn’t appear to be coming back.

Where does Voracek stand, and what comes next?

At this point, Voracek is what he is. And it’s not what he once was.

The production remains undeniable. Every year, Voracek can be counted upon to crack the 60-point pace plateau, and assuming the season isn’t shortened, in terms of raw production as well, since he rarely misses any games. It’s that durability plus offensive prowess that allows him to still grade out as a valuable scoring winger as he enters the heart of his 30s, in addition to his ability to draw and avoid penalties.

But when it comes to his all-around play, Voracek isn’t nearly as dominant as he once was — specifically at even strength. And that’s where Philadelphia runs into an issue. A 60+ point, play-driving beast of a winger is worth an $8.25 million cap hit. A 60+ point winger lacking that ability to control play at even strength can’t justify quite that high of a cap commitment, even if he’s far from a negative-value hockey player on the whole. 1190400 Pittsburgh Penguins Jussi Jokinen, Florida, 2017 Georges Laraque, Montreal, 2010

Ryan Malone, Tampa Bay, 2014 NHL buyout history: Biggest, longest deals — plus Penguins details Paul Martin, San Jose, 2018

Shawn McEachern, Boston, 2006 MIKE PALM Glen Murray, Boston, 2008 Tuesday, July 13, 2021 2:51 p.m. Brooks Orpik, Colorado, 2018

Four players were bought out earlier in their careers before joining the New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro skates onto the ice during team Penguins: Christian Ehrhoff, Bill Guerin, Patrick Marleau and Jay McKee. introductions before the start of the home opener against the New Jersey Devils in Uniondale, N.Y., on Jan. 19, 2013.

The Minnesota Wild bought out the final four years of the mega contracts Tribune Review LOADED: 07.14.2021 of defenseman Ryan Suter and forward Zach Parise on Tuesday, bringing the NHL’s buyout process into the spotlight.

The two contracts had cap hits of more than $7.5 million apiece, which means the Wild will have plenty of dead cap space for the next eight years.

Here’s a look at some of the more notable cap casualties:

Biggest buyout

Vincent Lecavalier had the most money paid out in buyout money, with $32,666,667 due over 14 years from the Tampa Bay Lightning, according to Cap Friendly. Lecavalier had signed an 11-year, $85 million contract before the 2008-09 season and had the final seven years of the deal bought out.

Longest buyout

New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro had the final eight years of his contract bought out, stretched out over 16 years. The Islanders made the call on July 3, 2013, meaning DiPietro will be paid $1.5 million a year through the end of the 2028-29 season.

First buyout

Forward Curtis Brown holds the distinction of being the first player with his contract bought out, by the Chicago Blackhawks on June 26, 2006. Four players — Shawn McEachern and of the Boston Bruins, Bill Guerin of the and Tie Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs — followed four days later.

Most buyouts

The New Jersey Devils have bought out the most contracts in the NHL, with 11, starting with Andrew Peters and Jay Pandolfo on June 30, 2010, and most recently Cory Schneider on Oct. 8, 2020. Not far behind are Nashville and Florida with nine apiece, and four teams with eight: Carolina, Minnesota, Montreal and Toronto.

Fewest buyouts

Not counting the Las Vegas Golden Knights, who only joined the league four years ago, two teams have only had one contract buyout apiece: the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Winnipeg Jets.

Penguins buyout

The Pittsburgh Penguins have only bought out one contract: Jack Johnson on Oct. 5, 2020. Johnson, the much-maligned defenseman, will be on the team’s books at $916,667 per year through the 2025-26 season.

Former Penguins buyouts

The list of players who spent time with the Penguins to later be bought out is lengthy:

Colby Armstrong, bought out by Toronto, 2012

Matt Cooke, Minnesota, 2015

Simon Despres, Anaheim, 2017

Hal Gill, Nashville, 2013

Eric Godard, Dallas, 2012

Johan Hedberg, New Jersey, 2013 1190401 Pittsburgh Penguins (coach Ron Wilson’s office) and I said, ‘Hey Ron, this is the only time in my NHL career that I can say this, but I should still be on the power play.’ … Opportunity and excitement to do something that you haven’t done.”

For ex-Penguins forward Troy Loney, joining an expansion team offered As a two-time Stanley Cup champion, Loney also claimed the distinction 'opportunity and excitement' of being that franchise’s first captain.

“Oh, it was really cool,” Loney said. “Number one, being part of a group of guys who were good, really salt-of-the earth players. … It wasn’t like SETH RORABAUGH we got top goal-scorers (or) prima donnas from somewhere, we didn’t have any of that. Being able to be considered as the captain of that team Tuesday, July 13, 2021 1:45 p.m. was a big honor for me.”

Every expansion team is unique by some measure. The Kraken is named New York Rangers forward Mark Messier battles Mighty Ducks of after a mystical sea monster. The Mighty Ducks were owned by Disney Anaheim forward Troy Loney for a puck during a game at Madison and named after a wildly popular children’s movie from the early 1990s. Square Garden on Oct. 19, 1993. The Mighty Ducks selected Loney from “It was Disney, basically their second foray into sports,” Loney said. the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1993 expansion draft. “They owned (MLB’s California) Angels at the time. … After we were Troy Loney can sympathize with at least one member of the Pittsburgh drafted, they brought us all out there. They brought all the players that Penguins’ current roster. were drafted out to (Disneyland) and had a big press conference. Michael Eisner was the CEO of Disney at the time. He was a big hockey The New York Islanders also brought his time with the Penguins to an fan. He brought us all out in one group and said, “Hey guys, what do you end. think of the name?’

Back in 1993, the Penguins were the NHL’s best team in the regular “Guys were kind of mumbling, bumbling around because you had ‘The season, having won the Presidents’ Trophy. They were a clear favorite to Mighty Ducks’ movie in your mind. … I just came from somewhere where win the Stanley Cup. I was a Penguin for 10 years. I’m a Duck now. I’m staying in the same family, it felt like.” But those Islanders pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NHL history, beating the Penguins in seven games during the Patrick Division Final. Any apprehension about the name quickly dissipated. As a result, Loney went from wearing black and gold to … plum and jade? “(Eisner) said, ‘Listen guys, the marketing success behind this team will be phenomenal,’ ” Loney said. “And it was. They really marketed the In the 1993 offseason, the NHL staged an expansion draft for the team well. And they treated us first class from the second that we were incoming Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. there. They really treated the players well, they treated our families well. I didn’t have any questions as far as the organization and how we would Loney, a physical left winger with the Penguins who helped the franchise be treated as players. Your apprehension is always (that) you’re going to win its first two Stanley Cup titles in 1991 and ’92, wound up with the a new organization, you’ve got new players, new coaches, new Mighty Ducks. everything, new trainers, new arena. The question really in mind was “It was obvious that was going to happen, that I wasn’t going to be more of how competitive were we going to be?” protected,” Loney said of the expansion draft. “Once we didn’t win three The Mighty Ducks finished their inaugural season with a 33-46-5 record in a row … it was pretty obvious. As other teams do the same thing, and 71 points, good for fourth place of the six-team Pacific Division. Their they’ll go a little bit younger, a little bit less dollars. That’s just part of the cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Kings, finished in fifth place (27-45-12 business. When the Islanders scored (in overtime of Game 7), I knew I and 66 points). was going to be gone. Put it this way, I knew I would be unprotected. … That expansion draft, there were two teams, Florida and Anaheim. You “I knew we weren’t going to be last,” Loney said. “(The Mighty Ducks) knew there were two opportunities for someone to pick you up in the had some players that were third-line guys, second-line guys with other expansion draft.” organizations. It really thrived once we got together. Ron Wilson, the coach, had a very good, simple defense-first system. And we had two Almost three decades later, the Penguins are reeling from a first-round good goaltenders in (Guy) Hebert and (Ron) Tugnutt. But you don’t know postseason loss to the Islanders and are facing another expansion draft, until you get into it. But I was excited with the challenge of it.” this time for the Seattle Kraken. Some member of that team, which was good enough to win the NHL’s East Division during the regular season, Regardless of the rules, team colors, nicknames or other factors, the will be wearing … ice blue and deep sea blue … next season. biggest challenge for an expansion team? Becoming just that.

Even if the rules are wildly different and are geared toward the Kraken A team and not just a collection of castaway players. being more competitive than most expansion teams, Loney says one attribute of joining an expansion team remains universal. “I knew no one there (with Anaheim),” Loney said. “Usually, you know somebody. I had no personal, even causal meetings. We had quite a few “Any time you go to a new organization, you have a chance to remove easterners and quite a few (Americans). Most of my junior career was in any premonitions about what you are,” Loney said. “You do have a the west. And not many players from the Patrick Division (the Penguins’ chance to kind of start new. It’s, ‘Hey, he’s only a defensive player but former division). … It’s a mindset. You have a mindset that you’re the gosh, he’s actually scoring quite a few goals.’ Or ‘he’s an OK offensive island of misfit toys. We all left teams where you were not wanted player that turns into a tremendous offensive player’ because now, you’re anymore. ‘Wanted’ meaning a whole bunch of things. put into those roles. And some guys thrive in that increased role, and some guys don’t thrive in those roles. … A lot of times, people just need “So that team bond started right away with that. You’re going to prove to a chance.” yourself because you think you can take on a bigger role. You’re going to prove to the team that let you go, and you’re going to prove to your new Loney got a chance in Anaheim in 1993. Primarily delegated on the third employer that we’re going to be a good, successful team.” or fourth lines with deep Penguins teams, he was one of the Mighty Ducks’ more accomplished players. With the benefit of more playing time, he scored a career-best 13 goals in 64 games in 1993-94. Tribune Review LOADED: 07.14.2021 “With the Penguins, I had a pretty specific role with them,” Loney said. “I was charged to be an aggressive defensive player, used in defensive situations late in a game, checking some of (the opposition’s) top line. … The Penguins (had) other people that were better goal-scorers than me. So why would I be on the power play?

“(With the Mighty Ducks), I started the year on the power play and I had pretty good success on the power play doing some net-front stuff, tipping in some goals. They took me off the power play. I remember going into 1190402 Pittsburgh Penguins Teddy Blueger. And were Pettersson to be selected, that would open an avenue for high-end prospect P.O Joseph to claim a regular spot in the NHL lineup.

Penguins A to Z: Can Marcus Pettersson get back on track? If Pettersson does indeed remain a member of the Penguins, he could use something of a rebound after regressing a bit in 2020-21. While he wasn’t the only culprit, too often he was on the wrong end of one-on-one battles. SETH RORABAUGH Former general manager Jim Rutherford once suggested Pettersson and Tuesday, July 13, 2021 9:31 a.m. Marino could be this team’s top pairing for a decade. Last season, they couldn’t even hang on to the second pairing gig.

In 47 games last season, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson had For Pettersson specifically, a greater level of consistency would go a long nine points (two goals, seven assists). way toward getting him back on track.

With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 48 players currently under NHL contracts to the Tribune Review LOADED: 07.14.2021 organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.

Marcus Pettersson

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Left

Age: 25

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 177 pounds

2020-21 NHL statistics: 47 games, nine points (two goals, seven assists)

Contract: First year of a five-year contract with a salary cap hit of $4,025,175. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2025

(Note: According to Cap Friendly, Pettersson’s contract contains a modified no-trade clause that allows him to submit an eight-team no- trade list beginning with the 2023-24 season.)

Acquired: Trade, Dec. 3, 2018

2020-21 season: Pettersson’s season appeared to get off to a solid start. He opened the campaign on the second pairing with regular partner John Marino and even scored a pretty impressive game-tying goal by the third game of the season, a 4-3 comeback home shootout win against the Washington Capitals on Jan. 17.

But by the fourth game on Jan. 19, a 5-4 home overtime win against the Capitals, things went sideways for Pettersson when he appeared to suffer a left shoulder injury on a violent check by Capitals forward T.J. Oshie.

Pettersson was sidelined the next nine games — the first contests he missed since joining the Penguins in 2018 — and returned to the lineup by Feb. 16. From that point on, Pettersson was a mostly inert entity as he and Marino were eventually replaced as the second pairing by offseason acquisitions Cody Ceci and Mike Matheson.

In terms of deployment, Pettersson’s ice time dropped by nearly three minutes a game. In 2019-20, he averaged 19:24 of ice time per contest. During the 2020-21 campaign, that figure was at 16:29.

While never an overly prolific point producer, Pettersson’s offensive production took a dip from a career-best 0.32 points per game in 2019-20 to 0.19 in 2020-21.

The high point of his season in that regard came during a 7-3 road win against the Philadelphia Flyers when he collected a goal and an assist.

In the postseason, Pettersson appeared in six games and recorded one assist as the Penguins fell to the New York Islanders in the first round.

The future: Pettersson is one of the biggest question marks for the Penguins as it pertains to next week’s expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken franchise. Will Pettersson be one of the three defensemen the Penguins can protect? And if not, would a young defenseman who has yet to reach his ceiling and is under contract control for four more seasons be an enticing selection for the Kraken?

Just from the financial side of things, the Penguins probably wouldn’t mind freeing themselves of Pettersson’s cap hit and devote that money to other parts of their roster such as adding another goaltender, a forward with some toughness or a pending restricted free agent like forward 1190403 Pittsburgh Penguins

Recounting Awful Golden Knights Expansion Draft Trades, Penguins Included

Published 13 hours ago on July 13, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

The 2017 NHL expansion draft to stock the Vegas Golden Knights was a stark departure from previous expansions, including Columbus, Nashville, Ottawa, and San Jose. In those earlier drats, teams were allowed to keep their good players and heave castoffs towards the newbies, but that changed in 2017, and the Pittsburgh Penguins were one of the prime suckers.

Teams were allowed to make side deals. Because teams could protect so few of their players (typically seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie, or eight skaters and a goalie), many GMs opted to pay a premium such as a second-round pick.

For a tribute, Vegas GM George McPhee, formerly the Washington Capitals GM, would select the player the opposing GM wanted to lose. McPhee absolutely fleeced the NHL.

It was wonderfully fitting that a city built by mobsters later built an NHL team through extortion.

Some genuinely awful trades look even worse in hindsight. Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford buckled when he got his call, too.

The league vowed to learn their lesson, which has hampered the current NHL trade market and Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis. He will not be able to fleece the NHL general managers as McPhee did.

But look at some of these deals, which have GMs still kicking themselves.

5. Marc-Andre Fleury for a 2nd rounder.

The Pittsburgh Penguins knew they had to shed one of their two goalies. The crease and salary cap weren’t big enough for Matt Murray and Fleury. Somehow, someway, McPhee convinced former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford to cough up a valuable second-rounder to ensure Vegas selected the player who would become the face of the Vegas Golden Knights franchise.

Was there anyone else close to Fleury’s value available? No. And the Penguins paid the tribute with a 2020 second-round pick. In case you’re wondering, Vegas selected goalie Drew Commesso, who just finished his sophomore season at Boston U.

4. Shea Theodore in exchange for selecting Clayton Stoner

“Wait, you’ll give us a top-four defenseman, so we don’t select, who?”

McPhee probably had to hide a smile. Only two of the unprotected players on Anaheim’s list ever significantly impacted the Ducks or the NHL. Josh Manson and Jonathan Bernier. And that’s stretching it.

Here’s the Anaheim list–who would you have picked?

Spencer Abbott, Jared Boll, Sam Carrick, Patrick Eaves, Emerson Etem, Ryan Garbutt, Max Gortz, Nicolas Kerdiles, Andre Petersson, Logan Shaw, Nick Sorensen, Nate Thompson, , Chris Wagner.

Nate Guenin, Korbinian Holzer, Josh Manson, Jaycob Megna, Jeff Schultz, Clayton Stoner, Sami Vatanen.

Jonathan Bernier, Jhonas Enroth, Ryan Faragher, Matt Hackett, .

So, Anaheim unloaded Shea Theodore instead. Oops.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190404 Pittsburgh Penguins

Dan’s Daily: Blackhawks Chasing Marc-Andre Fleury, Stanley Cup Dented

Published 21 hours ago on July 13, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

What an interesting day in the NHL. Pierre McGuire started the first Twitter condescension parade. It was followed by gobs of hate for the Edmonton Oilers finally finishing the trade for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith. Then came the report that Chicago is pursuing Marc-Andre Fleury on the NHL trade market. Oh, Steve Stamkos may be available, and we examine the probabilities of eight Pittsburgh Penguins offseason moves.

The Twitter snarkiness was off the charts.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: From a Marc-Andre Fleury-Penguins trade to Jason Zucker going to Seattle. We examine the probability of eight Penguins offseason moves.

Are Sam Poulin and Nathan Legare ready? What about Frederick Gaudreau? Some good questions from readers in the PHN Penguins Q&A.

And, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall made five hockey ops hires on Monday, including his son and four scouts. Interestingly, he had a past relationship with three of the hires. Full story on the Penguins hires here.

NHL Trade Chatter, News & National Hockey Now

Vegas: I could hear Penguins fans tighten up. As part of trading Duncan Keith trade, the report dropped that the Chicago Blackhawks are now “in play” on the NHL trade front for Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Oh, by the way…

Sportsnet: The NHL trade winds howled–Chicago finally traded Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers for young defenseman Caleb Jones and a third-rounder. And Twitter erupted with derision. Here’s a solid bit of actual trade analysis from Mark Spector.

ESPN: Those Lightning also did a number on the Stanley Cup–check out , his poor liver, and the dent during their boat parade.

Ottawa Sun: Pierre McGuire is now a player development executive with the Ottawa Senators. And fans on Twitter couldn’t bash him enough. That part was sad. He’s a great guy who truly has encyclopedic knowledge. Perhaps more people should have been open to it instead of feeling threatened, eh? Ottawa is happy to have him…

Boston: Sources told Jimmy Murphy that Boston has a firm free-agent target–The Boston Bruins will “go hard after Barclay Goodrow.”

Detroit: Steve Yzerman has the cash to burn, and it looks like Detroit is waiting in the wings for Toronto Maple Leafs UFA Zach Hyman.

You see what I did there?

Washington: Why can’t we be friends? Nick Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin are tight, and that bond fueled a lot of Capitals success and changed that franchise.

NYI: Hello Anthony Beauvillier? The Islanders need a much more consistent Beauvillier to get over that Stanley Cup hump.

San Jose: Some cool history–How close were the San Jose Sharks to drafting crushing defenseman Scott Niedermayer instead of their famous pick of Pat Falloon?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190405 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks re-sign young goaltender Korenar, 23, was a restricted free agent after making 10 appearances as a rookie last season

By EVAN WEBECK |PUBLISHED: July 13, 2021 at 2:47 p.m. | UPDATED: July 13, 2021 at 3:07 p.m.

The San Jose Sharks re-signed goaltender Josef Korenar on a one-year contract, the club announced Tuesday. The move was anticipated as Korenar, 23, was a restricted free agent. Korenar’s new deal is a two-way contract worth $750,000 in the NHL and $85,000 at the AHL, according to a source with knowledge of the contract. He is guaranteed $125,000. “Josef took a big step in his development last season, showing his athleticism and awareness in net while appearing in the NHL for the first time,” general manager Doug Wilson said in a news release. “He also delivered a strong performance in the AHL’s Pacific Division playoffs, leading AHL goaltenders in goals-against average and helped the Barracuda to the semifinals.” Korenar made 10 appearances in net as a rookie last season behind No. 1 goalie Martin Jones. He debuted in goal for the Sharks against the Kings on April 10 but split his 2021 season between the Sharks and their minor-league affiliate, the AHL’s . Korenar was forced to start the season in his native Czech Republic because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After reaching the NHL, Korenar posted a 3-5-0 record with a 3.17 goals- against average and a .899 save percentage. Jones, 31, is entering the fourth year of a six-year, $34.5 million contract. In 34 games last season, Jones averaged 3.28 goals against with a .896 save percentage. Last month, the Sharks announced the signings of three more of their restricted free agents: forward Jonathan Dahlen, defenseman Nicolas Meloche and forward Jeffrey Viel. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 07.14.2021 San Jose Sharks A common talking point from the “keep Wilson” Sharks fans is that there 1190406 are no other good GM candidates to run the Sharks, or that any good GM wouldn’t want to come here. What are your thoughts? And, do you have a short list of candidates with experience or who are up-and-coming who Are Sharks’ Bob Boughner and Doug Wilson secure? Kevin Labanc’s Hasso could target if/when Wilson moves on? — Barrett R. trade value? Martin Jones buyout?: Mailbag Well, I certainly would push back on the “wouldn’t want to come here” notion. General manager jobs in the NHL are incredibly rare. If there was ever an opening here for a new general manager, there would be no By Kevin Kurz Jul 13, 2021 shortage of interest, even with a roster that appears broken at the moment. The NHL offseason calendar has a ton crammed in over the next couple As far as names, one that gets tossed around pretty frequently these of weeks, so let’s get right to the mailbag questions before any of them days is John Ferguson Jr., the former general manager of the Maple become irrelevant… Leafs and current assistant general manager in Boston. Ferguson Jr., 54, worked for the Sharks as a scout from 2008 to 2014, so he already What do you think is a feasible return for Kevin Labanc this offseason, knows the area and many people in the organization. Others who could assuming that Doug Wilson wants to acquire established talent? — Collin end up as general managers at some point soon include Colorado J. assistant general manager Chris MacFarland, Canadiens general manager Scott Mellanby, Canadiens goaltending director Sean Burke, At this point, I figure that Labanc is being dangled for a goalie, or as part former Kings assistant general manager Mike Futa and former Canucks of a package for a goalie. What’s Labanc worth? Hard to say. Three GM Mike Gillis. But there also are others. sources on three different teams told me they weren’t all that impressed with the players that the Sharks have made available, and we now know Although Tomas Hertl is very popular with the fan base, he appears to be that list includes guys like Labanc, Radim Simek and Dylan Gambrell. one of the few players that the Sharks could trade and receive multiple Just because some teams aren’t intrigued, though, doesn’t mean that quality players and/or picks in exchange. Do you think the Sharks would others won’t be. Labanc is still a guy who should reach at least 50 points only trade Hertl if they receive an offer that is too good to pass up? Or in a full season, and they don’t grow on trees. I tend to think there would are the Sharks committed to sticking with Hertl regardless of any offers be at least some interest in his services, perhaps in exchange for a received? — Jose G. goalie or centerman who a team won’t want to risk losing for nothing in the expansion draft. Those lists are due on Saturday and will be To be clear, all of the Hertl trade speculation has come from the media. announced on Sunday. There is a trade freeze from July 17-22, with only There are no indications at all at this point, at least that I’ve heard, that Seattle permitted to make deals. the team is looking to move him. In fact, it’s just the opposite — Wilson saying that the team is searching for a third-line center means that Hertl One possibility is the Sharks trading Labanc, or others, to Seattle for a and Logan Couture will be the top two centers on opening night. player that the Kraken select in the expansion draft. That all said, you’re correct — he’s far and away the Sharks’ biggest Could Kevin Labanc be used as a trade piece in sending away a large trade chip if the’ front office decides that this reset needs an influx of contract, like (Brent) Burns, to Seattle? — Klara C. younger talent and draft picks. What if a team like, say, the Minnesota Wild, who appear to be on the rise but could use another centerman or That’s a fair question, but it’s been relayed to me pretty definitively that two, offer up a top prospect like Marco Rossi or Matthew Boldy and a the Sharks are not going to make any side deals with the Kraken before first-round pick for Hertl? Don’t you have to at least think about that if the expansion draft. They’re going to lose a player, and are probably not you’re the Sharks, who won’t be in a position to compete for the Stanley going to lose any sleep over whoever it is, whether that’s Ryan Donato, Cup for at least a couple more years? I certainly would. Gambrell, Simek or someone else. On the other hand, it’s pretty obvious that Hertl is currently the Sharks’ I’ve heard a lot about buying out Martin Jones. Does it make sense to most popular player among the fan base. Dealing the beloved Czech spend on the buyout and shake up the goaltending? What do you think Republic native might lead to some fan backlash, and season-ticket sales the net situation will end up like over the next couple of seasons if you are already down. had to predict? — Jonathan S. I don’t believe the Sharks and Hertl have had any extensive discussions Well, since it’s not my money or yours, yes, I’d argue it does make sense yet about an extension. Perhaps the best approach here is to wait and in the immediate term because a Jones buyout saves the team see where the team is in January and then determine the best course of approximately $3.8 million in salary-cap space next season, $3.3 million action. If the Sharks are again near the bottom of the standings, it might in 2022-23 and $2.8 million in 2023-24. By the time the team gets dinged be time for something drastic, like dealing Hertl. There would be plenty of with a $1.67 million penalty in 2024-25 through 2026-27, the salary cap interest, so long as he stays healthy. probably will be higher. Tomas Hertl. (Stan Szeto / USA Today) Of course, what also would save the Sharks money is a trade. Might there be a team that would take a chance on Jones if the Sharks retained How realistic is it (Barclay) Goodrow will sign with the Sharks again this half of his salary, the maximum permitted under the CBA? That’s a long offseason? I bet there are many suitors for Goodrow’s services. — shot, but it would be the preferable option from a Sharks perspective. Teemu V. (Jones has a three-team limited no-trade clause, but I have to think he would waive that if the other option is getting bought out.) We touched on Goodrow in our last mailbag, but I’ve seen this pop up again now that he played a key role in a second straight Stanley Cup Also, the suggestion that the Sharks should keep Jones around in order championship. I would still consider the odds very slim. For one thing, to tank and get higher draft picks just isn’t based in reality. That’s no way Goodrow is better off on the wing than at center, and a third-line center is to run a team unless you want a full-blown mutiny among the coaching what Wilson is seeking. Further, you’re right — Goodrow will likely have a staff and in the dressing room. (I’m not saying you’re making that handful of teams coming after him. So, salary-wise, I just don’t think it suggestion, but I’ve seen it elsewhere.) makes sense for the Sharks, either. My best guess right now is that Jones gets bought out and we see two Do you think many people are underestimating the influence that the new goalies on opening night — one of whom will be a veteran on a one- business side has on the organization’s decision to reset vs. rebuild? Do year deal — James Reimer, perhaps? — allowing one of the two AHL you think that SJ’s brass believes the negative impact to the franchise is goalies to emerge for 2022-23. too great by announcing, and going through, a full multi-year rebuild? — Scott S. It’s July 12 and there’s been no word from Hasso (Plattner) regarding Doug Wilson. Since it’s already mid-July, is it safe to assume Wilson is I’ve always thought that’s the case not just in San Jose, but just about returning for another season? — David W. everywhere. Maybe that’s because I actually worked in a team’s front office in Philadelphia for several years, but in every organization, the Yes, that is safe to assume. If something was going to happen, it almost head of hockey operations and the leader of the front office are in certainly would have been done with plenty of time to spare before the frequent communication or are at least sitting in the same meetings from draft on July 23-24 and the beginning of free agency on July 28. time to time. That may sound obvious, but I think it sometimes gets overlooked by the everyday fan. That said, I share your frustration that we haven’t gotten any sort of statement from the owner. Just a simple paragraph or two on Wilson’s Teams like the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks can get status should be the bare-minimum requirement after two consecutive away with making public their rebuild plans, as they have in recent years. poor seasons. Hopefully, we get something soon in that regard. And yes, They are in big enough markets and are popular enough in their I’ve asked. respective cities that they can afford to do that. But they also are in the minority. When it comes to the Sharks, team president Jonathan Becher recently said out loud what we’ve always assumed — that the team has no interest in a lengthy rebuild because it would be tough to sell that to the fans who show up every season. At the same time, we all know that a rebuild here is virtually impossible given the number of expensive, unmovable contracts on the books. A “reset” is really the only option right now. What are the realistic expectations for Jonathan Dahlen making the jump from the (second-tier Swedish league) Allsvenskan to the NHL? He led the league with 71 points in 45 games, which causes reason for excitement, but reading scout projections, that does not mean he will have a high level of success in the NHL. Is he another (Marcus) Sorensen type player right off the bat or will he take a few years to find his game, similar to Goodrow? — Josh E. I’m not going to make any career projections for the 23-year-old Dahlen, having never watched him play before. After signing a one-way contract with the team, though, I’m certainly interested to see how he looks in training camp. He will be one of the players to watch when that gets underway. I’m also not going to compare him to Sorensen, who played well in that league while he was there, too, but didn’t seem interested in competing all that hard in the NHL in either of the last two seasons. One player who had some NHL success after playing in the Allsvenskan in his early 20s is Carl Soderberg, who spent four seasons with the Malmo Redhawks from 2007-11 and essentially was a point-per-game player over that span before joining the Bruins and beginning a solid career. When the NHL was still shut down last fall and winter, Dahlen played on a line with the Ducks’ Isac Lundestrom and Devils’ Jesper Boqvist, both of whom are a couple of years younger and have NHL upside. At what point do we decide to move on from the (Bob) Boughner system? It seems like the team could benefit immensely from a stronger, more experienced bench boss. — Sonny H. Boughner’s job isn’t in jeopardy at the moment, and unless the team completely bottoms out early next season, I think he’s safe for at least the 2021-22 season, too. He has two years left on his contract, and last season was more about resetting the team culture and integrating more young players into the lineup. Boughner had moderate success at doing both — perhaps not as much as the organization or fans would have liked — but he does deserve a chance under more normal circumstances to help right the ship. I think we need to wait until at least Christmastime to give him and his staff a fair evaluation. Do you believe the Sharks will do anything besides re-sign Gambrell, Balcers or perhaps even Donato before the expansion draft starts? — Christopher R. I could see them re-signing Gambrell before Saturday, because right now, if they protect all their regulars, they are still one forward short of exposure requirements. Balcers will be re-signed at some point, but regardless, he’ll be protected. Donato won’t be re-signed and won’t be here next season. Obviously, each player’s development is different but in your estimation, what is the likelihood of seeing some of the Sharks’ first-round picks (Merkley, Wiesblatt, 2021 first-round pick) make their NHL debut this year? — Andrew J. Ryan Merkley might, but he’s going to have to come into training camp ready to go. Wilson Jr. mentioned that the defenseman’s body fat percentage was a bit higher than they would have liked at the start of last season, so you can be sure the message to the soon-to-be 21-year-old was to make sure he follows a strict off-season training regimen. Wiesblatt and whomever the Sharks take in this year’s draft will almost certainly need more time to develop before they make the jump. What has been your favorite beer/drink this summer? — Chris A. Finally made it to New Orleans for the first time in late June. Those hurricanes are dangerous. The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190407 San Jose Sharks

What Are Expansion Draft Implications of Re-Signing Kořenář?

By Sheng Peng

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed RFA Josef Korenar. Per Curtis Pashelka, Korenar’s one-year contract is a two-way deal, worth $750,000 at the NHL level and $85,000 at the AHL level, $125,000 guaranteed. This was expected: The 23-year-old performed competently in his debut NHL season, going 3-5-0 record with an .899 Save %. “Josef took a big step in his development last season, showing his athleticism and awareness in net while appearing in the NHL for the first time,” San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson said in a press release. “He also delivered a strong performance in the AHL’s Pacific Division playoffs, leading AHL goaltenders in goals-against average and helped the Barracuda to the semifinals.” What are the expansion draft implications? Maybe nothing. The San Jose Sharks have to expose just one goalie under contract in 2021-22, or an RFA, like Korenar, with an expiring contract. Before re-signing Korenar, Martin Jones was already eligible for exposure. Clubs aren’t required to protect a netminder. Bringing Korenar back now, however, opens up the door for the San Jose Sharks to buy Jones out immediately, instead of waiting until after the expansion draft on July 21st. This off-season’s buyout period ends on July 27th at 2 PM PT. This would also mean exposing Korenar to the Seattle Kraken, but it’s unlikely the Kraken would select him. That said, it probably makes sense to expose Jones to Seattle, protect Korenar just in case, then buy out Jones after the expansion side passes on Jones’s three years at $5.75 million per remaining on his contract. As for the rest of the San Jose Sharks’ expansion draft protected list, they probably still need to re-sign one more qualified forward to meet exposure requirements. All franchises except for the Vegas Golden Knights have to expose at least two qualified forwards, one defensemen, and one goalie. Eligible forwards and defensemen must be under contract for the 2021- 22 season and have played 27 or more NHL games last year or at least 54 games over the past two years. Currently, six San Jose Sharks forwards meet exposure requirements: Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, Kevin Labanc, and Matt Nieto. Unless Doug Wilson has a surprise up his sleeve, I’d expect the first five names protected. That leaves Nieto and another forward for Seattle. The San Jose Sharks have until this Saturday at 2 PM PT to turn in their protected list. Ryan Donato, Dylan Gambrell, and Rudolfs Balcers are the RFA forwards who meet the games played cut-off; Marcus Sorensen and Patrick Marleau are the UFA forwards. My guess is they’ll sign Gambrell this week and expose him to the Kraken. Why Gambrell? Remember, if Seattle passes on your exposed player, you’re stuck with his contract. Balcers is in San Jose’s future plans, so they’ll protect him, while Donato, Sorensen, and Marleau probably aren’t. Gambrell can go either way, and he won’t be as expensive as the qualifying offer on Donato’s $1.9 million contract, so he makes the most sense. You don’t want to be on the hook for Donato’s cap hit if the Kraken pass on him. Meanwhile, on defense, Radim Simek seems likeliest to be exposed. So who does Seattle take from Gambrell, Nieto, Simek, and Jones? Or do they grab Donato’s rights? We’ll see soon. San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 San Jose Sharks Dater’s Daily: Pierre McGuire hired by Sens, Grubauer speaks, Eichel 1190408 flirts with Bruins

Islanders Need a More Consistent Anthony Beauvillier to Reach Cup Sheng’s Daily: Bruins Will “Go Hard” After Goodrow, Hawks “In Play” for Goal Fleury San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021

By Sheng Peng

How close were the San Jose Sharks to drafting Scott Niedermayer? “It was split,” then-GM Jack Ferreira recalled. More on San Jose going with Pat Falloon on 30th anniversary of 1991 NHL Draft: How Close Were Sharks to Drafting Niedermayer? What should the San Jose Sharks do if William Eklund isn’t available to them in the 2021 NHL Draft? We re-evaluate Mason McTavish, Chaz Lucius, Brandt Clarke & Dylan Guenther: What Should Sharks Do If Eklund Isn’t Available? IN OTHER SAN JOSE SHARKS NEWS… Find out what San Jose Sharks prospect Jake McGrew’s been up to this summer: From spending the offseason in Arizona to tales of his dad's garage workouts. Find out what @McgrewJake has been up to this summer in the latest addition of Catching up with the 'Cuda☀

: https://t.co/xb0ODaYYVw pic.twitter.com/cw2x5vMasl — San Jose Barracuda (@sjbarracuda) July 12, 2021 A shiver of Sharks — Matt Nieto, Devan Dubnyk, Matt Tennyson, and Stefan Noesen — took in UFC 264: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Devan Dubnyk (@ddubnyk40) AROUND THE NHL… The Blackhawks' motion to dismiss yesterday provided a lot of insight into their legal defense strategy against the two Bradley Aldrich sexual assault lawsuits. Here's what those defenses appear to be: https://t.co/lyQaOiU8GJ — Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 10, 2021 Pierre McGuire leaves broadcasting to become an Ottawa Senators’ player development executive. (ESPN) That’ll buff out. https://t.co/lpTMYYMBzq pic.twitter.com/25A11bdY2t — Bolts Jolts (@BoltsJolts) July 12, 2021 Corey Pronman ranks the NHL draft-eligibles by skill. (The Athletic) Nikita Kucherov is enjoying his summer with Stanley — and making sure other people are enjoying it too: Nikita Kucherov is a national treasure pic.twitter.com/iRUDdoV6xW — Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) July 12, 2021 What could the Rangers, Islanders, Golden Knights, Bruins, and Flyers offer to St. Louis for Vladimir Tarasenko? (The Athletic) Justin Froese of FC Hockey ranks all the Western Hockey prospects in the 2021 NHL Draft: Personal 2021 Western Canadian Final List See thread of attachments: pic.twitter.com/VfkR4fkSBU — Justin Froese (@froesehky) July 5, 2021 Source: Boston Bruins Will “Go Hard” After Barclay Goodrow Report: After Keith Trade, Blackhawks ‘In Play’ for Marc-Andre Fleury PHN Penguins Mailbag: Goaltending, Poulin/Legare, Big Trades & More Detroit Hockey Now’s 2021 NHL Mock Draft 2.0 | DHN+ For Washington Capitals’ Backstrom And Ovechkin, Friendship Translates To Success 1190409 San Jose Sharks

Cat Silverman on Who Should Be Sharks’ Next StarterPublished 17 hours ago on July 13, 2021By JD Young ShareTweetFlipRedditComment Kyle, Erik, and JD are joined by the Queen of Goalie Twitter Cat Silverman to get a rundown on all the goalies that could be available for the San Jose Sharks this off-season. We get her impression on the goalies in the Draft, including Jesper Wallstedt, and some late-round targets (10:00). We then get into the free agent class (16:00). Cat talks about the goalie situation in Carolina (19:00), Chris Driedger (23:00), and why she is wary of Linus Ullmark as a full-time starter (30:00). Then she gets into potential prospects (35:00) and who she would sign if she were San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson (39:00). San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 Seattle Kraken Hey, I grew up in Montreal, a city that couldn’t hit its target using a 1190410 proverbial cannon aimed at the side of a barn when it came to finishing venues. My earliest memories of Montreal Expos baseball games at Olympic Stadium was of seeing an active construction zone beyond the Climate Pledge Arena renovation nearing final stages, easing concerns outfield wall as workers scrambled to finish off the stadium years after the about Kraken’s debut 1976 Olympic Games. That shouldn’t be an issue here. If Climate Pledge Arena construction hits snags — what, here in Seattle? — enough has been done that OVG By Geoff Baker can always de-prioritize back-house stuff and finish the portions that are in full view of fans to spare them the horrors of my Montreal sports youth. One thing about Kraken media tours of Climate Pledge Arena is they But supposedly, everything will get done. sometimes coincide with bad news the team plans to break to the public. That includes a Kraken dressing room where — thanks to input from GM Namely, the team walks everybody around and then drops word the Francis — the team’s logo is destined for the ceiling rather than the floor. completion date for the $1 billion-plus renovation of the former KeyArena It’s considered bad luck for players to walk over their own logo, so this has been pushed back just a tad. Unfortunately, there is no longer any spares them navigating around it. Truthfully, more media members have “tad” to be had, as your proverbial worm on a fishing hook has more probably committed that transgression, and so for this I’m thankful. wiggle room than the arena does to get completed in time for the 2021- Same with the press box. In an era when some teams relegate the media 22 NHL season. to bleacher seating, the Kraken has built an old-school-style, So it was somewhat comforting Monday during the team’s latest and unobstructed, overhanging catwalk view of the ice. So anything missed in supposedly last of such tours to hear Mortenson project executive Greg game stories, blame on me. Huber proclaim he’s aiming for 93% completion by month’s end. And for We passed through “Tunnel Clubs” as well, where patrons can watch Oak View Group (OVG) construction executive Ken Johnsen to declare players — through plexiglass — walk off and on to the ice from their all is on track for mid-September completion, then extensive testing dressing room. We saw only the Kraken dressing room, but there also before the arena opens a month or so later. will be a locker room for the Storm, and another in anticipation of the The “or so” part is mine. From what I’ve heard, the NHL will have the Sonics returning. expansion team start with two, maybe three road games once the 2021- Yes, the NBA should be back within a few years. If you don’t get that by 22 regular-season schedule is announced this month. now after all of the extra millions dropped on Climate Pledge to prepare it The team’s reopening target for a while has been Oct. 15-22, which isn’t for a Sonics return, you probably also think the Kraken will win a Stanley far off the NHL’s planned Oct. 12 season debut. The Kraken picks its Cup in its first season. team in next week’s expansion draft, and then the countdown to that Most Read Sports Stories opening will be on. As long as the span of two or three road games doesn’t stretch to the several weeks that the New York Islanders will Climate Pledge Arena renovation nearing final stages, easing concerns spend away from home awaiting their new OVG arena, this should work about Kraken’s debut WATCH out for the Kraken. M’s Yusei Kikuchi reinstated from COVID IL and cleared to play in All- Despite bold talk the prior 2½ years of wanting to open at home, the Star Game, but then pulls out Kraken doesn’t really need that. No, if you’re general manager Ron Francis or coach Dave Hakstol, the last thing your expansion team needs No Mariners are in this year’s MLB All-Star Game, but the festivities already confronting first-game pressures is to face them in front of include plenty of former M’s 17,000-plus home fans. NHL to hold Kraken expansion draft at Gas Works Park with fans in It will be enough of a circus when the Kraken finally does play at home. attendance This arena — and believe me, I’ve seen the finished virtual reality project Mariners continue to load up on high-school players in MLB draft and every ongoing incarnation in tours both for general media and private — will be the talk of the city’s sports scene. That’s highly unlikely — 200 to 1 odds against it, according to the William Hill sportsbook. But the Kraken could contend for the playoffs in one of And the Kraken? We haven’t had major professional indoor winter sports the NHL’s nicest arenas — from both a luxury and a view-from-the-very- since the Sonics left some 13 years ago. So, yeah, there will be a steep-grandstands perspective. spotlight and the Kraken might as well shed nervous kinks on the road. And given all this city has been through getting a venue built for major Monday’s tour was a turning point for me. A month ago, when visiting the winter pro sports, that’s good news. arena to see future Chateau Ste. Michelle winery setups there, I was a bit concerned. Just so long as it gets done on time from here. Some walls were still in framing stages with drywall yet to be installed. As Seattle Times LOADED: 07.14.2021 anyone that has done home renovations locally can attest, that’s a major red flag if your goal is finishing within a few months. The interior finishes of this arena are pretty intricate for private suites and club areas, so there isn’t time to waste. But we also have to remember, when 1,000 workers are showing up daily it’s easier to get drywall installed and painted than if calling from a private Queen Anne mansion a few blocks away. And from what I saw Monday, those walls have gone up, tile is being installed that wasn’t there during my previous stopover, and the majority of seats are in place. Johnsen told me every remaining seat is now within the city proper, either in a shipping container en route to the arena or waiting to be installed within it. That wasn’t always the case, as pandemic-related global supply network slowdowns kept a significant percentage of retractable seating — which can be removed for concerts — held up in Slovakia. But if you have seats and a rink with overhanging scoreboards — two of them at this arena — you can play NHL hockey. And that will apparently happen roughly on time even though the Kraken will play preseason home games in Spokane, Everett and Kent because the arena couldn’t meet its prior June 1, 2021, finishing date announced during another of these media tours. 1190411 Seattle Kraken Columbus Blue Jackets Dean Kukan

D Who will each team lose in the Kraken expansion draft? Predicting the 30 players going to Seattle $1,650,000 Dallas Stars By The Athletic NHL Staff Jul 13, 2021 Jason Dickinson C About a week from now we will finally get the answer to the question that $1,500,000 has been endlessly discussed since the 32nd expansion team was approved in December 2018: Who is your team losing to the Seattle Detroit Red Wings Kraken? Troy Stecher To build the Kraken team, we asked each of our writers to select which D player will be selected from their team. They built a roster with a $68,839,956 payroll consisting of 18 forwards, 10 defensemen and two $1,700,000 goalies. (In the real draft, the Kraken have to take three goalies, but our selections were made without being able to see which other players were Edmonton Oilers drafted.) Tyler Benson Protected lists are due to the NHL by 5 p.m. ET on Sunday. The team will then be revealed on July 21 at 8 p.m. ET. LW Until then, here are The Athletic’s 30 selections for the expansion draft. $808,333 (Reminder: Vegas does not lose a player.) Florida Panthers Who will each team lose to the Kraken? Anaheim Ducks LW Alexander Volkov $1,700,000 LW Los Angeles Kings $700,000 Kale Clague Arizona Coyotes D Adin Hill $761,666 G Minnesota Wild $800,000 Carson Soucy Boston Bruins D Connor Clifton $2,750,000 D Montreal Canadiens $1,000,000 Jonathan Drouin Buffalo Sabres LW Rasmus Asplund $5,500,000 C Nashville Predators $845,000 Calle Jarnkrok Calgary Flames LW Mark Giordano $2,000,000 D New Jersey Devils $6,750,000 Nick Merkley Carolina Hurricanes C Jake Bean $874,125 D New York Islanders $863,333 Kieffer Bellows Chicago Blackhawks C Riley Stillman $894,166 D New York Rangers $1,350,000 Brett Howden Colorado Avalanche C Ryan Graves $885,000 D Ottawa Senators $3,166,667 Evgenii Dadonov RW more attractive than backup netminder Hill given some of the other goaltending options for the Kraken. -Scott Burnside $5,000,000 Boston Bruins: Connor Clifton, D ($1M) Philadelphia Flyers Clifton is an up-tempo right-shot defenseman signed through 2023 at $1 James van Riemsdyk million annually. Even if Seattle does not want Clifton, he could be flipped LW for assets. -Fluto Shinzawa $7,000,000 Buffalo Sabres: Rasmus Asplund, C ($845,000) Pittsburgh Penguins The 2016 second-round pick seems poised to grow into a steady two- way forward, the kind who can anchor a bottom-six line and has the skill Jason Zucker to move up in a pinch. Asplund has been a scrappy defender during his three years in the Sabres’ organization. The 23-year-old’s offense is LW catching up. He ranked second on the team in goals per 60 minutes (1.09) and third in points per 60 (1.64) in 28 games. -John Vogl $5,500,000 Calgary Flames: Mark Giordano, D ($6.75M) San Jose Sharks It is expected that the Flames will opt for a 7-3-1 protection scheme. And Ryan Donato assuming young blueliners Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson are LW locks to be protected, that leaves one spot for either the 37-year-old Giordano or the 31-year-old Chris Tanev, who is coming off one of the $1,900,000 most dominant defensive seasons in the league. Giordano carries a $6.75 million cap hit for one more year, which could deter Seattle. But his St. Louis Blues level of play and leadership would be hard to pass on. -Hailey Salvian Vince Dunn Carolina Hurricanes: Jake Bean, D ($863,333) D An up-and-coming defenseman with high offensive upside, a few NHL $1,875,000 playoff games and a under his belt? Not bad. Drafted by Francis? Even better. -Sara Civian Tampa Bay Lightning Chicago Blackhawks: Riley Stillman, D ($1,350,000) Yanni Gourde The Blackhawks would rather Seattle take Calvin de Haan than lose a C young, physical defenseman signed for the next three years at just a $1.35 million cap hit, but assuming the Blackhawks protect newly $5,166,666 acquired Caleb Jones, Stillman is one of the more intriguing options Toronto Maple Leafs available to the Kraken. Adam Gaudette, who said he’s recently figured out a stomach issue that was hindering his ability to put on weight, is Alexander Kerfoot another option; as is Malcolm Subban as a cheap, solid goaltender. - Mark Lazerus C Another possibility is forward Ryan Carpenter ($1M). The Blackhawks $3,500,000 aren’t going to expose many enticing options for the Kraken. Seattle may Vancouver Canucks just take a cheap and useful option off the Blackhawks. Carpenter would fit that criteria. -Scott Powers Jonah Gadjovich Colorado Avalanche: Ryan Graves, D ($3.167M) LW The Avalanche might choose to protect four defensemen for the $783,333 expansion draft, in which case Graves would be safe. But the Avalanche need to protect Cale Makar, Samuel Girard and Devon Toews, which Washington Capitals means if they go the 7-3-1 route, Seattle could take Graves. It would be a loss for the Avalanche: He’s a good, big-bodied player who led the NHL Vitek Vanecek in plus-minus two seasons ago. -Peter Baugh G Columbus Blue Jackets: Dean Kukan, D ($1.65M) $716,667 I really don’t think they’re going to expose Eric Robinson, which is likely Winnipeg Jets who Seattle would really want. I think they expose Max Domi (he’ll miss the first one-to-two months because of shoulder surgery) or Gustav Mason Appleton Nyquist (missed all of last season with shoulder surgery). -Aaron Portzline RW Dallas Stars: Jason Dickinson, C ($1.5M) $900,000 Anton Khudobin’s tough season makes it unlikely the Kraken will want to Anaheim Ducks: Alexander Volkov, LW ($700,000) take on an aging goaltender with his contract. Joe Pavelski’s incredible The Ducks could go with protecting eight skaters and a goalie instead of season means the Stars will need to protect him now, which was not the 7-3-1 format as it may be worth keeping defenseman Haydn Fleury originally the plan for the aging forward. That will leave Dickinson as the from Seattle GM Ron Francis — who drafted him — along with blueliners most enticing NHL option for the Kraken. -Saad Yousuf Hampus Lindholm, Cam Fowler and Josh Manson. While it leaves only Detroit Red Wings: Troy Stecher, D ($1.7M) four forwards they can protect, they’ll only lose one. Max Comtois and Trevor Zegras are exempt, so they can protect Rickard Rakell (if only as Stecher was one of the Red Wings’ most pleasant surprises last season, trade value), Troy Terry, Max Jones and Isac Lundestrom. It would open but entering the final year of his contract, Detroit may instead opt to up Volkov and Sam Steel to the Kraken, and I think Volkov could be the protect younger blueliners Dennis Cholowski and Gustav Lindstrom, choice. -Eric Stephens enabling the Kraken to bring the high-motor Stecher back to the Pacific Northwest. -Max Bultman Arizona Coyotes: Adin Hill, G ($800,000) Edmonton Oilers: Tyler Benson, LW ($808,333) Hill has proven able to step in and play at the NHL level when injuries left Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta on the sidelines. He is 25, reasonably The final two forward spots on Edmonton’s protection list are expected to priced and arguably the best available asset — unless Kuemper is the come down to Benson, Josh Archibald, Zack Kassian and Jujhar Khaira. player they expose. -Eric Duhatschek Archibald appears to have the inside track for one of them. Benson ultimately could be protected. If he’s exposed, however, the RFA could There are not a lot of options for Seattle as the Coyotes have a ton of be a desirable asset because he’s 23 and has had two excellent AHL free agents. Solid defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin ($1.35M) might be a seasons under his belt. Winger Dominik Kahun, 26, and defenseman William Lagesson, 25, will also likely be among those available to Donato is a pending restricted free agent that the Sharks will almost Seattle. -Daniel Nugent-Bowman certainly not be qualifying, after he made $1.9 million last season while working his way down and eventually out of the lineup. Further, there’s Florida Panthers: Anthony Duclair, LW ($1.7M) just not much for Seattle to choose from here if the Sharks protect all of Lots of moving parts for the Panthers, including restricted free agent Sam their core players. Forwards Dylan Gambrell and Matt Nieto are fourth Bennett, and lots of attractive pieces that could be available. But if we’re liners at best, while defenseman Radim Simek is injury prone and coming Seattle, we’re having a long chat with Duclair, who is a restricted free off of a tough 2021. -Kevin Kurz agent, had a strong season in Florida and may not be a fit for the St. Louis Blues: Vince Dunn, D ($1.875M) Panthers long-term. -Scott Burnside He’s only 24. He’s got a Stanley Cup. He’s an elite skater. He has good Los Angeles Kings: Kale Clague, D ($761,666) offensive instinct. Those are just a few of the reasons why the Blues The Kings don’t have protection issues. Clague’s upside might interest would like to hang on to Dunn, and why Seattle should take him if the Kraken. He still is only 23. -Lisa Dillman available. Armstrong may try to trade Dunn before the draft, or he could make a deal to steer the Kraken another direction. -Jeremy Rutherford Minnesota Wild: Carson Soucy, D ($2.75M) Tampa Bay Lightning: Yanni Gourde, C ($5.167M) Bill Guerin doesn’t want to lose Matt Dumba, so he could trade Dumba, ask Ryan Suter to waive his no-move clause in order to protect Dumba or The veteran center was the anchor of the Lightning’s dynamic third line make a deal with Seattle not to take him and perhaps Soucy or Victor during the last two Cup runs. Tampa Bay doesn’t want to lose him. But Rask instead. -Michael Russo the Cup champs could be in position to lose a top-six forward in the expansion draft if they go with the 8-1 format and protect their top-four Montreal Canadiens: Jonathan Drouin, LW ($5.5M) defensemen. The Kraken could elect to go for a prospect like Ross Colton, Mathieu Joseph or Cal Foote, too. -Joe Smith The Canadiens’ expansion draft formula was made further complicated by Drouin’s personal matters that kept him away from the team for the Toronto Maple Leafs: Alexander Kerfoot, C ($3.5M) entirety of their playoff run. He and the team will be looking to find him a new start by leaving him exposed, and he will instantly become one of It’s still possible the Leafs protect Kerfoot (and expose Justin Holl), but if the more talented forwards the Kraken have available to them. -Arpon they don’t, he feels like a likelier pick for Seattle than Travis Dermott. Basu Dermott just signed a two-year extension and has top-four potential. Dave Hakstol, the Kraken’s new coach, also coached Dermott for the Nashville Predators: Calle Jarnkrok, LW ($2M) past two seasons. But Kerfoot feels slightly more appealing as a smart, versatile forward who can play center or wing, kill penalties and aid a Jarnkrok, 29, is the ideal expansion-draft pick. The veteran forward is power play. Plus, he’s signed for the next two seasons. -Jonas Siegel reliable, versatile and, most importantly, under contract for one more season at $2 million. The Kraken would be wise to scoop him up. -Adam It’ll be a close call for Seattle between Kerfoot and a young defenseman Vingan like Dermott, but Kerfoot likely fills a bigger need given he can play in the top six and produce offense. -James Mirtle New Jersey Devils: Nick Merkley, C ($874,125) Vancouver Canucks: Jonah Gadjovich, LW ($783,333) Merkley didn’t get the same opportunities that some of New Jersey’s other young players did, but he was productive, particularly on a per- I don’t expect the Kraken to weigh ’s sterling resume — minute basis. The Kraken could have a couple of bigger names available, Vezina, Stanley Cup winner — more than they weight his sub-.900 save particularly one of Will Butcher or P.K. Subban on defense, but Merkley percentage the past two seasons, particularly with other goaltending could be a post-hype upside play similar to a few of the guys who options available. Holtby is also due $5.7 million in actual salary in 2021- became regulars for Vegas. -Corey Masisak 22. Perhaps he’ll bounce back, but it’s an expensive bet to place. Vancouver’s other veteran options are prohibitively expensive, which is New York Islanders: Kieffer Bellows, C ($894,166) why I’d think that the Kraken will look to take a younger player – like Kole Lind or Gadjovich – and I’d expect them to narrowly prefer Gadjovich The Islanders appear committed to keeping as much of their core since he’s waiver exempt in 2021-22. -Thomas Drance together after two runs to the NHL’s final four. So a side deal with Seattle to get the Kraken to select Bellows rather than letting one of their top four The Canucks honestly don’t have many attractive targets for the Kraken. defensemen be selected makes the most sense. -Arthur Staple Seattle’s best bet is probably to take a cheap, young forward along the lines of Lind, Zack MacEwen or Gadjovich. -Harman Dayal New York Rangers: Brett Howden, C ($885,000) Washington Capitals: Vitek Vanecek, G ($716,667) I’m not sure that’s the player Seattle will take. The Kraken very well could prefer a Kevin Rooney, who’s a better fourth-line center at this stage of Vanecek is due to earn $716,667 next season, making him one of the his career than Howden. Or Julien Gauthier, drafted by Francis in best values in hockey. The 25-year-old rookie started last season as the Carolina, might be the preferred selection. -Rick Carpiniello Caps’ No. 3 goalie but due to Henrik Lundqvist’s heart ailment and Ilya Samsonov’s two trips to the COVID-19 protocols list, Vanecek spent long Ottawa Senators: Evgenii Dadonov, RW ($5M) stretches as Washington’s No. 1. And while he wasn’t dominant, he I’m actually torn on this one. I could see the Senators losing Dadonov, proved that he’s an NHL goalie, leading all rookies with 21 wins to go Chris Tierney or even Joey Daccord. But if the Senators expose along with a .908 save percentage and 2.69 goals-against average. - Dadonov, he might be a perfect fit for a Seattle team looking for some Tarik El-Bashir immediate top-six talent. Plus, Dadonov played under new Kraken Winnipeg Jets: Mason Appleton, RW ($900,000) assistant coach Paul McFarland in Florida and they teamed up for a magical power-play unit with the Panthers. If the Sens expose Dadonov, Barring side deals, Appleton is the odd man out up front, while either it wouldn’t shock me if Seattle took a chance on him. -Ian Mendes Logan Stanley or Dylan DeMelo gets exposed on defense. Reading other writers’ expansion draft pieces, it seems as though good middle-six Philadelphia Flyers: James van Riemsdyk, LW ($7M) forwards like Appleton will be in short supply. -Murat Ates He’s unlikely to be protected, and likely to be attractive to the Kraken, The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 who won’t have too many 30-goal, 60-point forwards available to them on not-ridiculous contracts. There are other viable options for the Kraken, as well (Jakub Voracek, Shayne Gostisbehere, Justin Braun, Nicolas Aube- Kubel), but JVR is a logical choice given his consistent production and strong off-ice reputation. -Charlie O’Connor Pittsburgh Penguins: Jason Zucker, LW ($5.5M) He is a proven point producer with leadership qualities — and Seattle could use both next season. -Rob Rossi Left wing Zach-Aston Reese ($1M) is another possibility. The Penguins likely won’t protect him, he’s an analytics darling and is affordable. Seattle could slot him into a bottom-six role and, while he’s never going to wow you, Aston-Reese is a perfectly reliable NHL player. -Josh Yohe San Jose Sharks: Ryan Donato, LW ($1.9M) St Louis Blues Elsewhere on the trade landscape, Calgary forward Matthew Tkachuk is 1190412 more than just Internet speculation, a source told the Post-Dispatch. But Flames general manager Brad Treliving shot down rumors Monday that Thachuk wants out of Calgary saying, “There’s nothing to it,” according to Starting with Tarasenko, Blues forward position is in flux Sportsnet. The asking price in any Tkachuk trade almost certainly would be high. For example, would the Blues be willing to part ways with Robert Thomas Jim Thomas and Vince Dunn for Tkachuk, a power forward with attitude? Or trade Tarasenko and Dunn for Tkachuk if Armstrong convinces the Vladimir Tarasenko won’t be back next season with the Blues. Jaden Tarasenko camp that Calgary is his only trade option? Schwartz, Mike Hoffman and Tyler Bozak all are unrestricted free agents, On the Blues’ free agency front, early indications are that the team wants and it looks like all three will test the market. Schwartz and Bozak to take pay cuts, and for that reason those players Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford are may want to test the market. restricted free agents, which under normal circumstances usually means Among pending unrestricted free agents leaguewide, only Alex Ovechkin they’d be back with the team. and Gabriel Landeskog scored more goals this past season than But Thomas’ name has come up in trade speculation, while Barbashev Hoffman’s 17. Absolutely no one expects Ovechkin to leave Washington. and Sanford could be exposed in the Seattle expansion draft. Landeskog will be hard to pry loose from the Avalanche, although the Blues have interest in doing so. At the moment, the Blues have only eight forwards under contract for next season (excluding prospects), nine if you include Klim Kostin. All of which means, there might be some interest in Hoffman around the league, despite his deficiencies in other areas – such as defense. So all things considered, the Blues’ forward position is in flux, more so than at any time in recent years. So in the big picture the possibility exists that the Blues will be without Schwartz, Hoffman and Tarasenko next season. In theory, that’s a lot of To a large degree, the Blues’ offseason course in general revolves goals to replace, making these next few weeks critical. around Tarasenko, the disgruntled veteran who wants out of St. Louis. BLUES FORWARDS Boston, the New York Rangers, and Washington are among teams at least kicking the tires on Tarasenko, according to sources familiar with Veterans/Under Contract the situation, with the New York Islanders also thought to be on the Sammy Blais, Kyle Clifford, Mackenzie MacEachern, Ryan O’Reilly, radar. David Perron, Brayden Schenn, Oskar Sundqvist, Vladimir Tarasenko Tarasenko has a full no-trade clause but has provided a list of several Veterans/Free Agents teams he’d be willing to be traded to – some more realistic than others. For example, one of the teams on Tarasenko’s list is Tampa Bay, Unrestricted • Tyler Bozak, Mike Hoffman, Jaden Schwartz according to a league source, a team already several million dollars over the salary cap for the upcoming season. Restricted • Ivan Barbashev (a), Jordan Kyrou, Zach Sanford (a), Robert Thomas The challenge for Blues general manager Doug Armstrong is trading a $7.5 million-a-year player who hasn’t played much the past two seasons, Top Prospects/Under Contract and hasn’t performed anywhere near past production when he has Nikita Alexandrov, Klim Kostin, Jake Neighbours, Alexei Toropchenko played. Top Prospects/Free Agents A potential Blues-Rangers deal could involve New York’s Chris Kreider, a left winger who isn’t as natural a goal scorer as Tarasenko (in his prime) Unrestricted • Austin Poganski, Nathan Walker – averaging 22 goals over the past eight seasons – but is big, fast and powerful. Restricted • Dakota Joshua (a) Kreider is making $6.5 million a year, so it’s almost a tradeoff in terms of (a) – arbitration eligible cap dollars. The problem for the Blues is Kreider, 30, has six years left on TOP FORWARDS/FREE AGENCY his deal, meaning he’ll be 36 and potentially past his prime by then. Kreider also has a full no-move clause for the first three years of his Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado remaining contract, and then a 15-team no-move clause in the final three years. Taylor Hall, Boston As shown in the Alex Pietrangelo free agency saga, Armstrong is no fan Brandon Saad, Colorado of no-move clauses. Kyle Palmieri, NY Islanders Names that have come up with respect to Boston are Jake DeBrusk and St. Louisan Trent Frederic. The Bruins have all kinds of cap space, but Blake Coleman, Tampa Bay may not be able to protect DeBrusk and/or Frederic in the expansion Zach Hyman, Toronto draft. TOP FORWARDS/DRAFT Only 24 years old, DeBrusk averaged 21 goals a season from 2017-18 through 2019-20, but fell off to five goals this past season. He’s also a left North American rankings winger, a position where the Blues need help. Name, Team, League/Program Frederic, 23, has size, upside and toughness, but the St. Louisan has played in only 59 NHL games with four goals. Mason McTavish, Peterborough, OHL Overall, trading Tarasenko is a complicated situation because almost Kent Johnson, Michigan, Big 10 everyone expressing interest is thought to be asking for another player or Dylan Guenther, Edmonton, WHL for the Blues to retain some of Tarasenko’s salary. Some creativity and compromise will be needed to get a deal done. Matthew Beniers, Michigan, Big 10 From a Blues standpoint, Armstrong would like to move quickly on a Brennan Othmann, Flint, OHL Tarasenko trade, thus freeing up cap space for the start of free agency July 28. International rankings But what if there aren’t any acceptable trade offers when the expansion Name, Team, Country/League draft protected lists must be turned into the league Saturday? William Eklund, Djurgarden, Sweden Armstrong could make a deal with Seattle, throwing in a draft pick or Aatu Raty, Karpat, Finland prospect, or perhaps agree to retain some salary in return for the Kraken agreeing to select Tarasenko in the July 21 expansion draft. But that, Nikita Chibrikov, St. Petersburg, Russia obviously, is a move of last resort. Fedor Svechkov, Togliatti, Russia-2 Aleksandr Kisakov, Dynamo Moscow-2, Russia Jr. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.14.2021 Tampa Bay Lightning For instance, coach Jon Cooper made a plea for defenseman Ryan 1190413 McDonagh as a Conn Smythe trophy contender in the waning days of the postseason. And McDonagh, indeed, was far and away the top postseason player in plus/minus rating with a plus-18. Lightning have the Stanley Cup again, but now they have a problem But McDonagh is also 32 and has five years remaining on his contract at John Romano | Tampa Bay’s roster is about to come apart at the seams $6.75 million a year. While he’s one of the most talented defensemen in after years of salary cap manipulations. the NHL, let alone in the Lightning lineup, does he have a higher value than Erik Cernak who is 24 and will make $7.6 million less than McDonagh during the next two seasons? By John Romano Similarly, are young forwards such as Colton and Mathieu Joseph more valuable than Ondrej Palat or Yanni Gourde because they make a fraction of their salaries? Are you willing to give up some skill on the ice TAMPA — Think of the team as a masterpiece, for that is as fitting a in order to create room in the salary cap to sign other players? description as any. The Lightning have made shrewd moves in recent seasons to be cap The Lightning were built to win high-scoring games, and they were built compliant. They have traded valuable, but expendable, veterans simply to win 1-0. They could be flashy and they could be brutal. They have won to reduce salary commitments. They haven’t cared about the players more regular-season games than any team in the NHL in the past seven they get in return as much as the amount of salary going out the door. seasons and more postseason games, too. With that in mind, they might be willing to throw additional assets into They have won two Stanley Cups and were within shouting distance of deals in order to get teams to take Tyler Johnson’s contract ($5 million a winning three more. year for the next three years) or Alex Killorn’s ($4.45 million a year for two years) off their books, if it means being able to re-sign Colton or No matter the vantage point or the criteria, this current Lightning roster is Goodrow or Cal Foote or a backup goaltender. akin to an athletic work of art. And now it’s about to be defaced. It took years and years to build and perfect this Lightning roster, and, no, That’s neither a criticism, nor a lament. It’s just the reality of time, it will not be pleasant to watch what happens in the coming weeks. contracts and the salary cap. The Lightning kept this group of players together longer than we had a right to expect, and the bill is unfortunately Just consider it the price of admission for watching a masterpiece come coming due. alive before your eyes. Free agents will leave, and veterans will be traded away. The question is Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.14.2021 whether hope will remain in abundance. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois wraps up the season Tuesday with media. “Going forward, I expect us to remain a Stanley Cup contender,” general manager Julien BriseBois said Tuesday. “If I look at our roster right now, we have elite players at all the key positions. And they are either in their prime or just entering their prime. “So, I have a lot of reason to believe we are going to remain a Stanley Cup contender and hopefully the stars align again for us, just as they did the past two years, and we can go on another magical run and bring back the Cup one more time.” That is not wishful thinking. BriseBois is absolutely correct when he says the Lightning will still be a contender next season. The difference is the margin of error will tighten dramatically. The Lightning can expect to compete for the Cup, as opposed to being expected to win the Cup. So how will the team change? At the moment, that’s impossible to say. It’s going to depend on how much interest there is around the league in trading for some of Tampa Bay’s veterans, and how willing some players will be to waiving no-trade clauses. The Lightning can’t begin to negotiate with unrestricted free agents such as Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow and David Savard until they first know how much salary they can shed. Because, at the moment, Tampa Bay is already over the salary cap. And that’s even before signing restricted free agents such as Ross Colton, Cal Foote or Alex Barre-Boulet. Essentially, BriseBois has more players than space on a bus. And he can’t just pick and choose the best 25 players because some contracts are ironclad and others are still to be determined. And the Lightning need to make decisions quickly. In the next week, the NHL will hold an expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken, which means every team (except Vegas) will lose one player off its current roster. “In determining which players are likely to not return — other than if Seattle just claims a player — we’re going to be looking at the expected contribution to the team’s success going forward,” BriseBois said. “How hard are you to play against? What do you bring to our team on the ice, but also off the ice? What is your age? What is your contract status, meaning cap hit, term, trade restrictions? “So, we’re looking at all of those factors and making those decisions. There isn’t one that is overriding. Ultimately we’re trying to keep the strongest group possible.” Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy celebrates with defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who had a standout postseason but might be left vulnerable in the upcoming expansion draft. What that means is the Lightning might make decisions that, on the surface, do not make sense. 1190414 Tampa Bay Lightning

Broken bones. Cracked ribs. Torn ligaments. Lightning played through it all en route to Cup. General manager Julien BriseBois details injuries to several players, including Victor Hedman.

By Eduardo A. Encina

TAMPA — As Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois detailed the list of injuries his players persevered through during his end-of-season news conference Tuesday, he became choked up, holding back tears thinking about the physical sacrifices the team made throughout its championship run. He detailed seeing the X-rays of Alex Killorn’s broken fibula. “It was broken in two very distinct pieces all the way through,” BriseBois said. Three days later, Killorn had a metal rod placed in his leg with the hopes of returning before the end of the final and was skating five days after the injury. “That’s how you win the Stanley Cup,” said BriseBois, fighting back his emotions. Defenseman Victor Hedman played for more than three months with a torn meniscus, an injury he sustained during a game against Columbus on March 30. He was slated to have meniscectomy surgery Tuesday with a three- to four-week recovery timetable, BriseBois said. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois talks with the media Tuesday at Amalie Arena. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh and forward Barclay Goodrow played with broken hands. Star forward Nikita Kucherov, who had a non-displaced broken rib from the crosscheck he took in Game 6 of the semifinals against the Islanders, wore a protective flak jacket and received nerve- block injections the day before every game. That kept the postseason’s leading scorer on the ice during the most critical time of the year. “It makes his performance during these playoffs, both before the injury and post broken rib, all the more impressive,” BriseBois said of Kucherov. “He’s a tough hockey player, he’s an incredible hockey player. All of us in Bolts Nation are happy that he’s our Kuch. So couldn’t be happier for him. There is no more determined player out there than Nikita Kucherov.” BriseBois said all existing injuries should be resolved before the beginning of training camp in September. “I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed watching them play during this playoff run, not only as the general manager of this organization but as a hockey fan,” BriseBois said of his team’s grit. “Obviously such a talented group, but most importantly, so much collective heart. All the blocked shots, all the hits given and taken, all the punches given and taken, all of the competing through injury, it was outstanding, and so inspiring to watch on a game-to-game basis.” Asked about the condition of the Stanley Cup, which was damaged at the end of the Lightning’s championship celebration on Monday, BriseBois joked that it was “out with an upper body injury for the next couple days.” “It’s second-hand, but my understanding is one of our players was presenting it to our fans, showing it off and dropped it,” BriseBois said of the Cup, which will be repaired in Montreal but expected to return to Tampa by the end of the week. Now that their celebration is over, the Lightning will move on to what will be a busy and critical offseason. The biggest challenge will be keeping as much of their team together while getting under the $81.5 million salary cap. Before then, the Lightning will have to choose which players to protect for the expansion draft, but BriseBois said Tampa Bay is one of the teams talking to the Seattle Kraken about a potential trade that would allow the Lightning to dictate what player or players the team will lose. “It all depends on what’s that going to cost me,” BriseBois said. “I am having conversations with Seattle as is everyone. Maybe we will cut a deal. I think it’s also very possible that we’re going to present our list, they’re going to pick a player and that’s how it goes.” Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190415 Vegas Golden Knights

TV analyst no longer part of Golden Knights broadcasts

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

Mike McKenna will not return to the Golden Knights’ TV broadcast team next season, the studio analyst announced Tuesday on his Twitter account...... McKenna spent two seasons with the organization after he retired from playing in 2019. The former goaltender did not reveal his plans...... He declined to comment further on his departure...... Sadly, I will not be returning to the @GoldenKnights broadcast next @NHL season. I am forever grateful to the VGK for believing in me and providing the opportunity to learn and grow in my new career. I already miss the #VegasBorn fans. You have set the bar high...... Thank you — Mike McKenna (@MikeMcKenna56) July 13, 2021 “I am forever grateful to the VGK for believing in me and providing the opportunity to learn and grow in my new career,” McKenna wrote. “I already miss the #VegasBorn fans. You have set the bar high...... McKenna, 38, was hired in 2019 as part of sweeping changes to the Knights’ broadcast team. He served as a studio analyst for the Knights’ pregame, intermission and postgame shows on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain and appeared on the team’s radio and social media platforms in various capacities...... He also did TV work as the color analyst for the Silver Knights of the American Hockey League...... McKenna started his playing career with the of the ECHL in 2005 and appeared in 35 games for seven NHL organizations. He spent the majority of his 14 pro seasons in the AHL and occasionally filled in as the Knights’ emergency goaltender at practice during the 2019-20 season...... The job with the Knights was McKenna’s first after his playing days ended. His locker room tales, along with his quirky sense of humor and modern, analytical view of the game, were staples during TV broadcasts alongside studio host Daren Millard...... The Knights did not announce McKenna’s replacement...... “Mike McKenna did a great job for the Golden Knights and Silver Knights the last two seasons, and he has a bright future ahead of him as an NHL broadcaster,” the organization said in a statement. “We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. . . . LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 07.14.2021 Vegas Golden Knights McCrimmon will have over the next couple of weeks – but one that didn’t 1190416 exist prior to Tuesday morning. . .

The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 Zach Parise and the Golden Knights: Would there be a fit with the former Wild star?

By Jesse Granger Jul 13, 2021

Tuesday marked the end of an era in Minnesota, as the Wild parted ways with franchise cornerstones Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The club bought out the remainder of the veterans’ contracts, which will make them unrestricted free agents on July 28...... Parise, 36, is likely to draw interest from contending teams, including the Vegas Golden Knights. The Minneapolis native had seven goals and 11 assists in 45 games this year with the Wild and showed he still has something left in the tank when he notched two goals and one assist in four playoff games against Vegas...... Parise checks several boxes in terms of what the Golden Knights could be looking to add to their roster this offseason. He’s a proven postseason producer, with 80 points in 105 career playoff games. He’s going to come at a relatively cheap cap hit, considering Minnesota will still owe him $6.7 million over the next eight years. He will likely command only a short-term contract, seeing as he turns 37 the day free agency opens. And he was also Vegas coach Pete DeBoer’s captain in New Jersey in 2011-12...... Over the last three seasons, Parise’s offensive production has decreased substantially. In 2018-19, he registered .824 points per game, a mark only reached by two Golden Knights this past season: Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. But that offense fell to .667 points per game in 2019-20, and then to only .4 points per game this past season. Parise clearly is showing the effects of age, but he is still an offensive weapon who could bolster a team’s depth scoring down the lineup. That’s something Vegas certainly could use...... But while Parise is no longer a player who can be counted on for major offensive production, he still finds ways to contribute, and specifically in an area in which the Golden Knights struggle – in front of the net. When he was inserted into the Wild lineup during the first-round series against Vegas he scored two goals, both from directly in front of the crease...... He would be a solid upgrade to the third line, perhaps giving Alex Tuch and Nic Roy another offensive-minded player to skate with. He would also fit on the fourth line, where he would instantly become the most skilled offensive player Vegas has ever lined up there. Parise has shown the ability to play on different types of lines, especially in the past couple of seasons. He pairs well with a speedy, offensive winger such as Kevin Fiala, who he lined up with against the Golden Knights in the playoffs, but he also can play on a line that likes to grind...... In 2020-21, Parise ranked sixth amongst Minnesota forwards with an on-ice expected goals percentage of 52.31 and an actual goal share of 56.86 percent. Both are solid numbers relative to the Wild analytics as a team...... Parise played only one year under DeBoer in New Jersey, but in that season he was named captain and scored 31 goals. I spoke with Parise in August of 2020 and he was very complimentary of DeBoer and his coaching style...... “He’s probably one of the best I’ve seen with video,” Parise said of DeBoer. “After a game, he’ll show you clips of when you do it the right way, what happens. Then, not in a bad way, but he shows you what happens when you do it the wrong way. You see both sides, you believe that when you do things the right way, it works. To me, it gets everyone to buy into doing the same thing...... Vegas has a lot to offer Parise. The fact that Nevada has no state income tax certainly helps, especially if the Golden Knights might hope to get Parise for a bargain. But more importantly, the Golden Knights offer Parise a shot at competing for a Stanley Cup. He came close in 2011-12, losing in the Cup Final, and made the postseason in seven of his nine seasons in Minnesota but never made it past the second round. If Parise is looking to sign with a contender, Vegas certainly qualifies...... There’s also reason to believe there could be mutual interest. During this year’s first-round series, DeBoer was equally complimentary of his former player, saying “For me, he’s one of the best American players of all time. I’ve always been a huge fan of the player and the person...... There are reasons Parise wouldn’t be a perfect fit in Vegas. He plays on the wing, where the Golden Knights are already overflowing with capable players. The team is in need of help up the middle and Parise doesn’t provide that. His age could also be an issue, although the contract would likely be very short- term, so that minimizes that risk. The fact that his production has steadily decreased, and that the Wild scratched him for a portion of the postseason, could be red flags that rule him out for Vegas...... This certainly wouldn’t be a groundbreaking acquisition that elevates the Golden Knights the way last year’s signing of Alex Pietrangelo did, but signing Parise could be a cost-effective way to make a major upgrade to the depth of Vegas’ lineup. It’s one of many options GM Kelly Vegas Golden Knights on a player like Ekholm, a defenseman who was rumored to be on the 1190417 block this season but only has one year left on his current deal. If things don’t work out with Alec Martinez, the Golden Knights could have a short- term answer in that role. As much as the Golden Knights need a top Rinne Retires; Does Nashville Need a Goalie? center, I wouldn’t touch Duchene or Johansen who represent far too much money for far too little production...... Marc-Andre Fleury would be incredible insurance for the Predators, and for Vegas would give them By Tom Callahan more breathing room to either make a move or get Martinez re-signed along with other players...... Yes, there will be other, potentially cheaper alternatives out there for Nashville, but none with the pedigree of Fleury. With rare exceptions those players do not hit the open market, After an NHL career that spanned 683 games and included 369 wins and and for a good reason. Instead Nashville might be content to sign a 60 shutouts, Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has announced budget contract for a vet or journeyman netminder, but that’s making a his retirement from the game at the age of 38. It was apparent that the major gamble that Saros can repeat his numbers from last year without Predators were handing starting duties over to Juuse Saros a while ago, the safety net of a veteran like Rinne behind him. Will Nashville gamble but now that the transition has happened could Vegas Golden Knights on Saros and spend the money elsewhere? Or will they take a run at goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury be on the Preds radar? Marc-Andre Fleury? Time will tell, but I can only imagine the phone in Last season, Saros put up good numbers for Nashville. He posted a 21- VGK GM Kelly McCrimmon’s office must be ringing off the hook this 11-1 mark with a .927 save percentage and 2.28 goals-against average. week. . . He started 35 of the Preds 56 games, or 62.5 percent. That type of Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 workload over an 82-game schedule is 51 starts, give or take a few. If Saros continues to be the goalie the Predators believe he is, he could see upwards of 60 starts. And that’s where figuring out a quality backup comes in for general manager David Poile...... Right now, the Predators have a total of 16 contracts signed between nine forwards and seven defensemen (no goalies). Per our friends at PuckPedia, the Preds have $22.125M in cap space available. The heavyweight contracts belong to Roman Josi ($9.059M/5 more years), Ryan Johansen ($8M/4), Matt Duchene ($8M/5) and ($6.25M/5). After that only one other player making seven digits is signed beyond next season, and that’s Colton Sissons ($2.86M/5). Other big names like Philip Forsberg ($6M) and Mattias Ekholm ($3.75) only have one year left on their current deals...... That’s my way of saying the Nashville Predators are at an important crossroads for the franchise. The Preds have some money available but a lot of needs as well...... The upcoming expansion draft also presents a potential opportunity for Nashville to open things up and pursue Fleury. Rumblings in Nashville surrounding the current core are that they just can’t seem to get it done, and it might be time to make major changes. Don’t be surprised if you see either Matt Duchene or Ryan Johansen, and perhaps both, exposed in the expansion draft for Seattle to take. It would give the Preds some important cap room, and could really shake the team’s foundation to its core. From afar, it might be just what the team needs...... Where Marc-Andre Fleury comes into the picture is that he’s a one-year veteran solution who can play big minutes if needed, but also gives you a fantastic teammate who can mentor a young goalie. Plus, there aren’t too many teams left for him to play for that wear some variation of yellow/gold on a regular basis...... Here’s the other important note: Saros is RFA right now. Rinne retired. Nashville actually only has three goaltenders under contract as of this writing and none with any NHL experience. Kasimir Kaskisuo left for Sweden. And unfortunately for the Predators, Connor Ingram entered the players assistance program back in January leaving his future up in the air. The pickings are pretty slim in net right now, and that’s a precarious place to be for the Preds...... When it comes to a deal for Saros right now, there are three options: a qualifying offer/arbitration, a shorter-term bridge deal or a long-term deal. There are good and bad sides to shorter and longer contracts. Sometimes a bridge deal keeps you from making a long-term mistake with a player who doesn’t pan out beyond one or two good years. There’s also the flipside of that – witness PK Subban. He signed a bridge deal with Montreal and promptly went out and won a Norris Trophy, cashing in big-time… and then flamed out. My point is if the player continues to improve during that deal, you’ll pay. And the next long-term deal isn’t always great...... Meanwhile, a long-term could be great in a year where term is the new money if Saros works out the way the Preds think. He could be signed for a lower AAV but given more years. However, if this past year represents his peak, it ties you to a goalie you took a gamble on and are now stuck with for a long time. If the money makes sense for the Predators they’ll give him the term, but that could change depending on other negotiations and what happens with the expansion draft...... Then there’s the possibility of a qualifying offer and arbitration. Saros is definitely due for a raise from his $1.5M salary but the question is how much? Last season suggests he can be an NHL starting goaltender but doesn’t guarantee it. What price becomes acceptable? Robin Lehner was given a 5-year, $5M AAV deal by the Golden Knights last season. He was also a Vezina Trophy finalist and won a Jennings Trophy prior to signing that deal, so there was a bigger, more accomplished body of work. I could easily see the two sides starting out farther apart in negotiation and having to work towards the middle if they can, otherwise, Nashville can tender another qualifying offer for as little as a minimum raise and then go to arbitration over it. Unlikely, but an option...... Could the Vegas Golden Knights potentially some salary from Marc-Andre Fleury? I’m sure they will do everything possible to avoid doing so, but it also depends on the piece or pieces that come back the other way. Vegas would love to get its hands 1190418 Vegas Golden Knights

Mike McKenna Shocker: Popular VGK Analyst Will Not Return

By Tom Callahan

Via his personal Twitter account, now former Vegas Golden Knights analyst Mike McKenna announced that he will not be back on team broadcasts next season...... Sadly, I will not be returning to the @GoldenKnights broadcast next @NHL season. I am forever grateful to the VGK for believing in me and providing the opportunity to learn and grow in my new career. I already miss the #VegasBorn fans. You have set the bar high...... Thank you — Mike McKenna (@MikeMcKenna56) July 13, 2021 McKenna brought a fun and engaging personality to Vegas Golden Knights broadcasts along with his hockey insights, which came through a special lens in two ways. Not only did he spend plenty of time in the minor leagues working hard to achieve his dream, but he did it from the unique perspective of the goal crease. Much like catchers in baseball, goalies see the game in an entirely different way than anyone else. McKenna was great at translating those experiences into insights for the broadcasts...... Vegas Hockey Now wishes Mike the absolute best going forward and hope he lands on his skates, wherever that might be. . . . Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190419 Vegas Golden Knights

Stanley Cup Dented, NHL Trade Winds Swirling

By Dan Kingerski

Those NHL trade winds are beginning to pick up. No longer a dirt devil or tumbleweed in the desert, there was finally real movement in the NHL on Monday. Fans used Twitter to mock and condescend because–that’s what Twitter is for, right? The Vegas Golden Knights and Marc-Andre Fleury can’t escape the trade chatter, and the Tampa Bay Lightning gave the Stanley Cup a pretty good dent...... Someday, Vegas, that parade will come rolling down the strip. You’ll be delirious, probably half (or entirely) in the bag, and it will be one of the greatest days in Vegas history. It’s coming. I promise...... Vegas Hockey Now: The question is–will Marc-Andre Fleury be a part of that parade? After stirring the NHL trade market by dumping Duncan Keith on the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago reportedly is “in play” for Fleury...... What are the chances the Golden Knights make these five offseason moves...... SinBin Vegas: Building on VHN’s analysis, the Seattle expansion draft is a major opportunity for GM Kelly McCrimmon and the Golden Knights. We like this piece by SinBin–here are some additional NHL trade targets who could be exposed. . . . NHL Trade Chatter, News & National Hockey Now network… ESPN: Oh, that poor, poor Stanley Cup. For you newbies, the Cup has been left on a frozen lake for days, lost for months (it became an old woman’s planter), dropped in a swimming pool, broken numerous times (and that’s just in Pittsburgh), and the Tampa Bay Lightning added their signature on Monday–a hell of a dent. . . .

TSN Video: The Tampa Bay Lightning can’t stay together, can they? Daren Dreger also says Steven Stamkos could be on the trade block, too...... Sportsnet: Fans were not kind to the Edmonton Oilers for acquiring Duncan Keith. However, here’s actual trade analysis from Mark Spector, who compares Keith to Don Henley. I like it...... Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Who will go to Seattle? Will the Penguins pull off the Fleury trade? We examine the probabilities of eight Penguins offseason moves. . . . Boston: Sources told Jimmy Murphy, who writes our weekly “Off the Record” column, that the Boston Bruins would “go hard after Barclay Goodrow...... Detroit: The Red Wings have about $27 million in salary-cap space. This could be the summer they take a giant leap forward. It sounds like Detroit is waiting in the wings on gritty winger Zach Hyman. . . . Washington: Nearly 15 years have passed, and the bromance between Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom, which culminated on Vegas ice, has changed that franchise. . . . San Jose: Some cool history here–How close were the San Jose Sharks from not making that (in)famous Pat Fallon pick in their inaugural draft? How close were they on Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Niedermayer? Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 07.14.2021 Vancouver Canucks But there’s no denying that in 2020-21 Woo played well against tougher 1190420 opposition. That’s always a good sign for a player stepping up from only playing against his peers...... And it showed that he may be capable of seizing further opportunity going forward, because yes — it only gets Canucks top 10 prospects: Hard-rock Jett Woo’s got underrated harder from here...... Everything in pro hockey is bigger and faster offensive talents, too than major junior. But it must be remembered that last year’s AHL was really a hybrid in quality — there were so many players who normally The soon-to-be 21-year-old defenceman will be handed a big role for the would have taken high-end AHL roster spots who were on taxi squads 2021-22 Abbotsford AHLers last season...... They’ll be back in the AHL next season. Woo mastered the transitional test in 2020-21, but how long will it take him to master a tougher AHL? And if he does that, it surely won’t be long before Patrick Johnston he’s handed an NHL test, where things are even faster, even bigger...... 2021 TOP 10 CANUCKS PROSPECTS

No. 10: Viktor Persson...... No. 9: Arvid Costmar...... No. 8: To do so during a pandemic, where your last season of junior was cut Aidan McDonough...... No. 7: Will Lockwood...... No. 6: Jonah short and then your first season of pro hockey was abbreviated and your Gadjovich...... No. 5: Jett Woo...... No. 4: Wednesday. . . . ability to train in between was distorted? Vancouver Province: LOADED: 07.14.2021 That’s nothing close to ideal...... And yet Vancouver Canucks prospect Jett Woo managed to make a smooth transition from one level to the next. The rock-solid blueliner sits at No. 5 on our 2021 edition of the Canucks’ top 10 prospects...... “Adapted very quickly,” Ryan Johnson, the Canucks’ senior director of player development and general manager of their American Hockey League team, said Tuesday of Woo’s efforts for the Utica Comets last season. (The Comets’ affiliation ended with Vancouver in May, and the Canucks have moved their minor league team to Abbotsford and will announce the team’s new name on Wednesday.) “Played with same aggression he did in the WHL. Saw some second-unit PP later in the year, but knows his identity is be physical, hard to play against, puck mover. I expect another big step this year in Abby,” said Johnson, who played two of his 13 NHL seasons for the Canucks...... JETT WOO (Prospect No. 5 in daily countdown.) Age: 20...... Height: 6-0. Weight: 205 pounds...... Shoots: Right. Position: Defenceman...... Draft year: 2018, second round...... Current team: Abbotsford (AHL)...... Outlook: No. 4/5 defenceman Woo’s solid season is especially notable as the shine had come off his star in 2019-20 when he missed out on selection for Canada’s world junior team...... That season, his final one in the , as a whole was a disappointment. Traded to the Calgary Hitmen from the Moose Jaw Warriors, his scoring slumped and he just didn’t play with the same authority he had shown in his draft year and the first season after being snapped up by the Canucks in the second round of the 2018 entry draft...... STORY CONTINUES BELOW This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. . . . Article content So it’s fair to see 2020-21, even in shortened form, as a solid course correction for the Winnipeg-born blueliner who turns 21 at the end of July. He didn’t score a lot but some of that was bad luck, as he showed a great deal of confidence with the puck on his stick...... He also defended well, winning the trust of the coaching staff...... In Utica, Woo played a lot with Jack Rathbone, the best defence prospect the Canucks have. But he also came to be leaned on as a Mr. Reliable figure — the words of Comets Harvest’s Cody Severtson — playing at one point or another with every defenceman the Comets dressed in 2020-21...... According to Severtson’s calculations, Woo posted strong shot- attempt numbers, confirming his status as one of the Comets’ most reliable players in 2020-21...... It was a good step forward for the stout blueliner and with the Canucks’ right side behind Tyler Myers looking pretty wide open in the long term, he’s got plenty of opportunity ahead of him...... Assuming Brogan Rafferty moves on, there are no other right-shot defencemen on the depth chart with Woo’s kind of two- way upside. He won’t be rushed to the NHL but if keeps progressing, he’ll be given a look sooner rather than later...... And do keep in mind that Woo moving up from the eighth spot on last year’s list to fifth this year is as much about Rafferty, Nils Höglander and Olli Juolevi all leaving the list as it is about his own improved play...... This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. . . . Article content

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Jett Woo with his first pro goal and it is a beauty! Jasek picks off the pass at the front of the net while being tied up. Woo rifles a shot, picks up his own rebound, then dekes forehand/backhand to make it 3-1 Utica!#Canucks #UticaComets #Woo pic.twitter.com/UwxpaGDxsk — Cody Severtson (@CodySevertson) April 15, 2021 Vancouver Canucks comparable. Barzal and Pettersson are both Calder Trophy winners, are 1190421 both No. 1 centres on their respective teams, have both had playoff success and have scored at a similar per game rate in their first three NHL seasons...... Our panellists’ opinion on how Pettersson fares NHL player agent poll: What will Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson’s against the Barzal comparable was mixed and nuanced, although a slim second contracts look like? majority expect Pettersson to beat Barzal’s $21 million, three-year contract...... “With the Barzal comparable specifically, I think people will look at Pettersson and think he’s more valuable to his franchise than By Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal Jul 13, 2021 Barzal is to his,” said Agent 1. “There’s that and Vancouver will sometimes overpay, so I think he’ll get more than Barzal...... “There’s intangibles that Pettersson brings and it’s just a different marketplace,” continued Agent 1. “I wouldn’t necessarily have Pettersson as a better This offseason, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will likely sign hockey player, but perception-wise, the value to my hockey team is contracts that will shape the short-term future of the Vancouver Canucks. higher with Pettersson...... “I think the Barzal comp is a fairly ...... We say they’ll shape the short-term future in part because, in all reasonable, apples-to-apples comparison,” opined Agent 2. “The point likelihood, Hughes and Pettersson will sign bridge deals. That’s been production is similar and they’re both the marquee forward on their apparent for a while. In fact, it was the most likely outcome from the respective teams...... “I would say there is a premium on goal moment the CBA was extended last summer and was all but locked in as scoring, where Pettersson has a significant edge, despite the similar the only realistic possibility from the moment the club prioritized getting point totals,” suggested Agent 3. “There’s obviously nothing more difficult extensions done for Thatcher Demko and Tanner Pearson ahead of the in this league than scoring, so I think that’s worth a difference...... NHL trade deadline...... The Canucks and representatives for both “When you throw in the fact that Pettersson didn’t have platform year players — primarily represented by Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry — have playoff scoring — whereas Mat Barzal went to the conference final in his engaged in active conversations since mid-May. There was hope that the platform year, I do see Barzal’s three-year, $21 million deal as a cap on a club would manage to come to agreements before the starting gun deal of the same term,” suggested Agent 5, dissenting from the group. sounded on the offseason sprint later this week...... That’s still “Whereas before the injury, I thought Pettersson would get a premium possible, although indications as of late last week suggested that it may version of the contract Barzal signed...... We asked our expert panel take a bit more time than that...... To know what Hughes and to make a specific prediction for Pettersson’s second contract outcome, Pettersson’s second contracts might look like, your team at The Athletic’s and four out of our five respondents guessed three years of term total — Vancouver bureau reached out to five NHL player agents and asked with a fifth respondent picking a deal with four years of term...... The questions about the dynamics underpinning these negotiations. We also range of predicted cap hits varied from $7.2 million on the low end to $8 asked for a specific prediction: what do you expect these deals to come million on the high end, with the average predicted cap hit coming in at in at? $7.53 million across the five agents we polled...... “I think he’s going We granted anonymity to all of our poll participants, so as to best provide to get to $8 million,” predicted Agent 3, giving us our highest-end the VIPs with an inside look at what some of the professional hockey prediction. “I’m definitely not basing that off a specific comparable, I’ve industry’s best negotiators expect the cap hit, term and shape of just always felt Pettersson would hit 8. I feel like he’s kinda got them by Pettersson and Hughes’ second contracts to look like. None of our the balls, I don’t know why, I don’t think he should, but I feel like they’ve respondents work for CAA or have represented either Hughes, almost kinda let it get out of hand a little bit...... “At some point do Pettersson or one of their family members in the past...... Elias they just beat the Barzal deal and say ‘fuck it, give him $7.2 million and let’s get everyone out on the ice!'” said Agent 5, who provided us with our Pettersson lowest predicted cap hit...... Quinn Hughes In breaking down some of the key dynamics shaping the valuation of Show us a general manager, an NHL capologist, an NHLPA lawyer or an Pettersson’s second contract, there was a relatively uniform sense NHL player agent confident that they’ve got a good sense of the market among our respondents that Pettersson’s market price — and the market price for the three premium second contract defenders this offseason — for elite second contract forwards generally speaking — is far most established than the one for Hughes and the rest of the 2021 second a class that includes Cale Makar, Miro Heiskanen and Quinn Hughes — contract defencemen class...... There’s just more high-end second and we’ll show you a fool...... The fact is, the NHL has never really contract forwards that have produced comparably to what Pettersson has seen a class of second contract defencemen quite like this one, and in his first three NHL seasons and went on to sign bridge-type deals in when you throw the uncertainty wrought by the pandemic into the recent seasons...... “I think that market is relatively set,” said Agent equation, it’s a bit of a wild west in terms of expected valuations...... 5, “although he missed significant time this past season, which does “The market for these guys should eclipse Thomas Chabot,” said Agent make it a bit more complicated...... Brayden Point’s three-year deal 4. “This group of three should be continuing to raise the bar for second ($6.75 million AAV) and Mat Barzal’s three-year deal ($7 million AAV) contract defencemen, but each team’s dynamic is a little bit different and were the most frequently cited comparables by our poll respondents, a the pandemic hangs over each situation...... “I don’t really expect sign, perhaps, of the relatively widespread industry expectation that a these guys to reshape the market,” said Agent 5. “If you look at their specific team constructs, it’s really hard to get to a big number right now. bridge deal is by far the most likely outcome here...... Bridge deal The only guy who really has a chance to go at a big number, in my second contracts aren’t unique to Vancouver’s situation. This is a opinion, is Adam Fox in New York who expires next year. I’d bet that they leaguewide trend, a product of the pandemic, although there’s more try to sign him to a long-term deal. He might have opportunity to get eight going on here too...... “The trend towards short-term contracts did years and beat $8 million or even $8.5 million. The other guys with the start before the pandemic when you think of Point, Matthew Tkachuk, Patrik Laine,” Agent 2 told The Athletic. “I think there’s a general way their rosters are constructed there’s just too much money tied up. . . acceptance in the industry now that for the most part, unless you’re . . . . The positional variation between forwards and defenders is Connor McDavid, that the shorter-term deal probably makes most sense. mammoth for second contract players, and it’s widened over the past ...... “I think shorter deals are the new direction,” said Agent 3. “I don’t half-decade. While second contract forwards have benefitted from know if it’s just due to COVID, if it’s just because of the flat cap or inflationary pressure, receiving bloated, long-term payouts — Leon whether this may have happened regardless. I just think the pendulum Draisaitl set a new high watermark, only for Jack Eichel to blow it out of started swinging too dramatically the other way where it was like the the water within weeks — it took nearly a decade for anyone to beat minute I’ve got a good, young player coming off an entry-level deal, let’s Drew Doughty’s $7.5 million second contract valuation, which finally lock him up from anywhere between six to eight years...... “I believe happened in the fall of 2019 when Chabot signed for eight years at $8 these things are cyclical and I feel like those long-term deals ran their million...... “When you look at the bell curve for how forwards get paid versus defencemen in a team structure, the first line forwards get course,” continued Agent 3. “And I feel like even teams felt that ‘Hey, paid a lot, the fourth line forwards get paid very little and the second and we’re making too many long-term investments in players that hadn’t third line forwards are in between,” suggested Agent 1, in seeking to quote-unquote ‘proven themselves.’ It almost seems like a no-brainer explain this phenomenon. “The defencemen are generally more tightly that we’re going to see more bridges...... “For me, it depends on how bunched. A No. 5 defenceman can make $3 or $3.5 million, whereas it’s good the player is because there is a tremendous amount of risk on short-term bridge deals,” said Agent 4. “Maybe in the second year of the rare around the league that you have fourth-line players making $3 deal the team is no good, or the coach doesn’t like the player, or maybe million...... “So it’s a much flatter bell curve for defencemen. There’s the player gets traded and it isn’t a fit on their new team — like we saw just been a general acceptance that forwards get paid and defencemen with Patrik Laine...... “Everyone trumpets the bridge as a great option just don’t quite get to the same level off of their entry-level contracts. . . . . for the player,” Agent 4 continued, “but it creates an incredible amount of . . “It’s a weird dichotomy because when teams need players, what’s the pressure. And the flip side to it, of course, is that the club — by not first thing they need?” Agent 1 continued. “They need defencemen. locking the player up long-term — runs the risk of losing the player to free That’s the scarcest commodity: a high, high-end defenceman. And yet agency. Or if the player goes off and plays well, then perhaps they they just haven’t been able to keep pace with the forwards...... One double their contract or triple it on the third contract...... We thing we made sure to ask all of our poll respondents was how Hughes’ specifically asked our respondents to drill down on the Barzal stupendous offensive production in his first two NHL seasons would be impacted by a platform year in which he clearly struggled defensively...... By production alone, Hughes’ valuation should be well outside the three most prominent, recent bridge contracts for defenders including Charlie McAvoy ($4.9 million AAV over three years), Zach Werenski ($5 million AAV over three years) and Mikhail Sergachev ($4.8 million AAV over three years). He shouldn’t even be their comparable...... Once you factor in overall two-way ability, however, it’s a very different conversation...... “If I was repping Hughes, I’d say he’s a franchise guy, that he’s a unicorn!” said Agent 1. “I would push to say he’s different, there’s nobody like him and that you have to treat him totally different than that (McAvoy, Sergachev, Werenski) tier...... “That said, if I was the team, I’d want to go shorter,” Agent 1 continued. “The only thing that’s going to kill him is if he doesn’t learn how to defend and he builds that reputation around the league of ‘this guy can’t defend.’ Then he gets the kind of tainted perception that Dougie Hamilton or Keith Yandle have. Otherwise, if he can learn to defend, he’s a franchise defenceman...... “For Hughes those three (McAvoy, Sergachev and Werenski) are valid comparables,” opined Agent 5. “The defensive game has to be valued, otherwise what’s the purpose of building a team? Reliability has to matter, being good in your zone has to have a high market price. I do think Hughes’ platform year hurts him, even if he was just a plus player you could make the argument, but he’s in a bit of a tough spot...... “If it’s just going off points, he’s got to be a $7 million per year player,” suggested Agent 2. “But when I look at the fact that he’s nearly minus-40 in his career, and he has no rights at all in terms of offer sheet or arbitration, the team has to squeeze him...... That Hughes’ overall bargaining position — shaped as it is by his black hole status, and defensive struggles as a sophomore — is so much more complicated than Pettersson’s was, is reflected in the predictions we solicited from our respondents. Pettersson’s respondents almost uniformly agreed on the expected term and placed AAV predictions that fell within a narrow range; the Hughes predictions were far more scattershot...... “It’s very tough to nail down and I honestly don’t feel like I’ve really got a good grasp on the situation because of the lack of comps,” said Agent 1, offering us a response that was typical of our respondents. “I’d say between $6-7 million annually but I’m not sure what term he signs for...... In all we had two of our five agents decline to even provide a guess on the term of Hughes’ second contract, two narrowly expected three years and one suggested they could see Hughes signing a shorter two- year bridge...... “My guess is he’s going to very short term,” said Agent 3, providing us with an unconventional guess. “I’ll say he gets two years at $13 million total ($6.5 million AAV)...... The range of predicted second contract cap hits for Hughes from our panel was far wider than it was for Pettersson, with the predicted AAV ranging from $5.1 million to $6.5 million. There’s so much uncertainty in Hughes’ projected second contract outcome that most of our respondents declined to proffer a specific AAV guess, having done so for Pettersson. Most of the predictions included a range of probable outcomes...... “Probable range for a Hughes bridge, somewhere between $5.75-$6 million on a three-year deal,” guessed Agent 5...... If we take the mean of every Hughes second contract outcome prediction that featured a range, the average predicted AAV comes in at $5.98 million, or just a hair shy of $6 million. . . The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 1190422 Websites Fred cries as he tells the story. . . . “I’ll never forget Mrs. Vollmer’s words,” he says, pausing to compose

himself before choking them out a third and fourth time. “‘We’re OK,’ she The Athletic / From Sandy Hook to the NHL Draft, one prospect’s said. ‘We’re OK.’ That hits me right now...... He can still feel how the enduring connection hair on his arms stood up and his heart sank when the men in that van unloaded...... After they arrived, he recalls how “everything went south” and cruisers made way for ambulances. Then came the groups of gathering parents who passed by with questions he couldn’t answer Scott Wheeler Jul 13, 2021 because he didn’t want to let himself believe that what had actually happened was worse than his worst fear...... “I didn’t really get a closeup. But I had to help out a lot of parents and I didn’t know what they Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the date of the were asking because I was convinced it was a fire,” Fred says between Sandy Hook shooting. We apologize for the error...... At 9:39 a.m. on breaths. “That really hurts the most, knowing that I could have talked to the morning of Dec. 14, 2012, Patty and Fred Samoskevich were sitting one of the mothers that lost a child. That hurts. I couldn’t help her...... in the Blue Colony Diner on Church Hill Road in Newtown, Conn. They Patty turned around on her way to work that morning when word of what were eating breakfast when cop cars started flying through their quiet had happened began to hit the news...... “It was a rough morning. It town...... “My God, there’s no reason why they need to be travelling affected us for a long time,” Patty says. “I don’t know to this day how the that fast,” Patty said. . . . parents go on. I really don’t...... Halfway across the country, Melissa was on a bus to Chicago in her first year as a student and hockey player As they stepped out of the diner and into the parking lot, the wave of at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Minnesota when one of her teammates Newtown local police turned into a rush of Connecticut state troopers. showed her the news on her phone...... The first thing she did was They assumed the worst...... “Something has happened,” Patty said, panic, nearly hyperventilating from the shock. Hours later, as she tracked turning to Fred, believing at first that the worst could be a fire, or maybe a the news and the number of deaths climbed, she allowed herself to cry. . robbery at a nearby bank...... Patty was supposed to hop on the . . . . . That night, she told herself, “I’m going to play for my hometown interstate ramp adjacent the diner to begin the commute to her job of tonight,” an experience she describes as out-of-body. The following day, more than 25 years in the mortgage business. Fred, a tower crane she made arrangements to return home early before Shattuck started its operator, needed to turn right to make the short trip back to the family’s Christmas break...... “I’ll never forget that day. I just felt so separated home down Riverside Road...... But before she got in her car and he and so far away,” Melissa says. . . . in his truck, Patty turned to her husband again...... “You know what, before I get on the highway I’m just going to take a ride by the kids’ When Mackie and Maddy returned home from school and walked school just to make sure everything’s OK there,” she said...... So she through the front door, the first thing they saw was the television lit up went left to make the short drive to Reed Intermediate, a school for fifth with Images of people and places that they recognized — and many and sixth graders where her twin children, Mackie and Maddy, had just others in uniform that they did not...... Into that first night and beyond, begun that fall. When all was quiet there, she turned back and hopped on a world’s worth of news vans arrived and the police presence expanded. I-84, while cop cars continued to speed past her in the other direction...... “Helicopters were flying over our house all night. And I mean, tree . . . . Less than a mile from the diner, Fred came to a stop, hopping out of height with guys on their landing thing with guns in their hands staring at his truck where the cruisers had screeched to a halt outside Sandy Hook me,” Fred says. “It was pretty heavy...... Before putting the twins to Elementary School...... Knowing that the road was a slow, bed, Fred and Patty sat them down to try to explain what had happened meandering drive through the woods on a normal day, Fred, without in terms they would understand. “The kids were young. They didn’t fully talking to anyone and still believing he’d arrived at the scene of a fire at understand. And it was hard,” Patty says. “We were close with a lot of the the school, decided to direct the traffic that had begun to back up, waving faculty...... When the names of those killed were eventually released, through fire trucks, town officials, and local post office security personnel they learned that among them were 6-year-old Jack Pinto (the younger he didn’t even know existed...... At Reed Intermediate, Mackie and brother of one of Mackie’s classmates, Ben Pinto), 52-year-old Anne Maddy, who’d celebrated their 10th birthday just a month earlier, were Marie Murphy (who taught Melissa in second grade), and 27-year-old sitting in their science class when its lights were suddenly turned off and Victoria Soto (Melissa’s favorite teacher)...... When Melissa arrived they were told they were going into lockdown. They remained there for home from Shattuck, Patty and Fred struggled with what to do next. . . . . four hours...... “It’s a day that I’ll never forget,” Maddy says. “I . . “We ended up bringing them to a rink outside of town to let them skate remember every detail about it, which is kind of crazy...... “I just and try to get their minds off of it,” Patty says, laughing for the first time. remember sitting in that dark classroom for the longest time and just not “It was all about just trying to keep them safe and keep their minds in the knowing what was going on,” Mackie says. “It was scary...... Long right place...... Hockey has always been the place the Samoskevich before that morning, Sandy Hook Elementary held a place close to the family goes to get away...... It was also the first thing that bound hearts of the Samoskevich family and everyone else who called them together, before tragedy ever did. . . . Newtown home...... Mackie and Maddy had been students there from kindergarten through fourth grade until their graduation that spring. Fred played the sport into high school and when Melissa was 3 years old, Before them, their older sister Melissa was there, too. The school itself instead of installing a pool in their backyard, he constructed a year-round sits just a couple thousand feet from the Samoskevich family home hockey rink, with concrete for ball hockey in the summers that he could through the forest that divides them, a walk Mackie guesses might have cover in plastic and flood in the winters...... taken 10 minutes...... But none of the Samoskeviches yet knew of Fred’s backyard rink. (Courtesy the Samoskevich family) the tragedy that had just taken place. That a gunman had walked through the same school doors they had so many times before to murder 26 of My wife thought I was crazy and I did too when I was about halfway their neighbors, including 20 children just 6 and 7 years old. That the done,” Fred says, chuckling to himself...... By the time the twins lives of so many in their town had just been shattered. And that, though arrived and Fred got Maddy onto the ice, she took off walking, her their family of five would escape unharmed, they would carry that day pacifier still in her mouth. Mackie was a different story. . . . with them for the rest of their own lives...... Nearly nine years later, Mackie is set to be picked in the first or second round of the 2021 NHL “Mackie started bawling his eyes out,” Fred says. “It probably took him a Draft. And when people ask him about the town listed in his bio or about week to get over it. But I tell ya, once he got over it, he just took over past his family, he has a singular appreciation for what those things mean to there...... Together, the three kids grew up spending their afternoons him...... Newtown (or Sandy Hook as he calls it), Fred, Patty, Maddy after school out back, with Melissa showing her younger siblings the and Melissa are his world, his everything. . . . ropes. When they’d get called in for dinner, Mackie would strap on goalie gear in the kitchen while Maddy took shots at him. On weekends, they’d There were two things that eventually made Fred realize it wasn’t a fire. . follow Melissa to hockey tournaments with her travel team in Eastern . . . . . The first was when his kids’ former kindergarten teacher, Janet New York, stickhandling their way in and out of arena lobbies. . . . Vollmer, emerged from the school with her students. In the moment, he found himself thinking it was weird that her crying didn’t appear to be out “Part of the reason why they’re the best of friends is because we’ve been of pain but as someone who was trying, desperately, to keep her together every weekend for their entire lives,” Fred says. “That’s what we composure...... “Mrs. Vollmer, are you OK?” he asked as she passed loved about it. We were on vacation pretty much every week. We didn’t by him with her trail of children...... “We’re OK,” she said to him. go to Disney World, we didn’t go for a week to the Caribbean or anything “We’re OK...... The second was moments later when one of the cars like that. We were in Philly, we were in Boston, we were in Toronto, we he asked to slow down, an unmarked old Ford van without windows, were in Edmonton...... The twins were always inseparable, with pulled right past him. Its driver made eye contact before stopping 10 feet Mackie choosing forward and Maddy choosing defense so that they from where he was standing to unload half a dozen men holding rifles. could practice against one another. Both Melissa and Maddy played boys When the men leapt out, they didn’t pause to look for someone to talk to, hockey until their bantam years, so Mackie and Maddy also played on like so many others had. They just sprinted down the street toward the the same team until he began playing AAA up a year with the 2001 age school’s entrance. . . . group. . . . Mackie and Maddy also played spring and summer hockey together. “Mackie was a really quiet kid with us. He never really showed a lot of (Courtesy the Samoskevich family) emotion. He’s one of those kids that’s sometimes hard to get a read on,” Umhoefer says. “But the shooting was a really sad time for everyone that Every step of the way, Melissa was always there to give them pointers worked in education and then there was a lot of focus brought onto those after their games...... “She taught us a lot growing up. Just seeing kids because as a school you feel a lot of the same emotions that they her love for the sport made us fall in love with it,” Maddy says. “And then feel when you see that they’re hurting...... Mackie’s quiet nature is when she put the work into it, it paid off...... That work carried one of the things that all those who’ve worked with him talk about...... Melissa to the pinnacle of the sport. Beyond Shattuck, she played for “Mackie is identical to me and Madison is identical to my wife. I was the Team USA’s women’s under-18 team twice (collecting a gold, a silver, same way Mackie is right now, a little quiet,” Fred says...... But to and a spot on the tournament all-star team in her second appearance). Maddy and Melissa, Mackie is a different person than the one the rest of She then spent four years at Quinnipiac University, including two as the world sees. . . . captain. She was the second overall pick of the Connecticut Whale in the 2018 NWHL draft. In 2019, she won gold with Team USA again, this time To Maddy, he’s a confidante who is easy to talk to...... “He was at the women’s world championships. This past season, she was hired always there for me. If I had a question about hockey, he would spend a as an assistant coach with Penn State’s women’s team (though she’s not good amount of time teaching me until I got the full answer. I feel like I’m yet prepared to call herself retired)...... Mackie and Maddy have the player that I am today because of him,” Maddy says...... To always tried to follow in her footsteps. . . . Melissa, the reserved Mackie people see at the rink is someone else altogether at home...... “He’s soft spoken but it’s funny because he’s After finishing fifth grade, they both also attended Shattuck. In 2019, also a little shit around the house,” Melissa says, laughing. “He’s one of Maddy played for Team USA at the under-18 worlds, just like her big the funniest kids I know when you get him going. We make fun of each sister had. She then also committed to Quinnipiac, where she has just other a ton. So when people see Mackie and think he’s quiet, that’s finished her freshman year...... Mackie’s turn to represent Newtown because when he’s at the rink he’s ready to work...... Melissa thinks is up next at the University of Michigan — and the NHL beyond that. He that attitude has taken Mackie this far...... “Me and Maddy go to the spent two years with the USHL’s following his time at rink and work but we like the social aspect of it,” Melissa says. “The Shattuck. . . . quietness of him is because he’s a 24-hour athlete. And it has paid off for “To see my sister in those spots, it’s something that I want to do, to be on him and that’s solely because of him. He’s out on our outdoor rink for TV and have everyone watching,” Mackie says. “Just seeing where she hours just stickhandling by himself. Watching his work ethic is amazing. I was and how she got there has been a huge thing in my life...... “And wish I had it...... Whenever Patty thinks about her son’s draft day, I also want to represent Sandy Hook. It’s my favorite place in the world. . she gets nervous...... “The butterflies just drive me crazy,” Patty . . . . . Mackie calls his two sisters his best friends, a bond that they all says...... When Melissa and Maddy think about his big day, their say was strengthened in the years after the shooting. . . . octave changes in excitement...... “It’s going to be amazing. I’m so proud of everything he has accomplished,” Maddy says. “He has worked These last two years, Mackie has called his sisters every week from so hard for this and he deserves it. It’s going to be an emotional day.” Chicago. This year, when he broke his finger crashing into the boards, they dreaded being away from him...... As a family, they found the “I’m just,” Melissa says, choking up, “yeah … I’m really proud of him. He pandemic most difficult because none of the five do well being away from deserves all of the attention...... But the draft won’t be the only thing each other. In a normal year, Fred and Patty would visit Mackie half a on their minds. The first thing they’ll all think of will be Newtown...... dozen times in Chicago. This season, they weren’t able to visit until they “We love Sandy Hook … um,” Fred said, pausing to collect himself once were both double-vaccinated around playoff time, as Mackie’s Steel more, “it’s just sad going forward. You see one of the moms out at the chased and won the USHL’s Clark Cup...... As soon as they’d won, grocery store and it just brings you right back to it. We’re a resilient group he couldn’t wait to get home to celebrate it with them...... “When I’m of people here in Sandy Hook. We help each other out as much as we at home, I’m not usually out and about with other friends because we’re can. Plus, the help we received from the world. It was amazing what always together and I’d rather be with my sisters,” Mackie says. “Not everyone did for us around here, it really was...... “It was life- everybody has that...... changing for so many, including us,” Maddy adds. “It brought our family a lot closer. After that day, our parents were there for us and we were there Mackie and Melissa. (Courtesy the Samoskevich family) for each other...... Not a day goes by where Mackie doesn’t think about that day or his hometown. . . . None of the people who’ve worked with Mackie over the years have asked him about Sandy Hook. Not Ben Umhoefer, who coaches and runs “It’s crazy to think about all of the towns in the world and your town is the the program at Shattuck. Not Ryan Hardy nor Brock Sheahan, who were one that this happens to. To see that people are willing to do that, I can’t his general manager and coach with the Steel. Not Michigan head coach believe it continues to happen to other people,” Mackie said, pausing Mel Pearson, who will welcome him to the Wolverines in the fall...... himself for the first time. “But at the end of the day, it was a pretty But they know all about Melissa, Maddy, Patty and Fred, because amazing thing to see Sandy Hook come together. It was a positive thing Mackie’s always talking about them...... And when you ask them to in one small way, how everyone was able to come back from it the way describe Mackie the hockey player, they can do that. . . . that they did...... And it’s that last part, that sliver of good, that he’ll carry with him. . . . Owen Power, Mackie’s teammate in Chicago and soon at Michigan and the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, calls him the most It’s a reminder, he says, of how little hockey actually matters, and of how talented player he’s ever shared the ice with. Pearson gets giddy when much his weird little hockey family does. . . he talks about how he may be able to use him...... Umhoefer will tell you that Mackie’s game speaks for itself...... “From a skills, skating, The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 talent perspective, there’s really not a lot to pick holes at,” he says...... Sheahan laughs about how often Mackie appeared in the videos he showed the Steel this season, both offensively and defensively, calling him a complete player. He and Hardy also said they saw Mackie do things every night for two years that nobody else could. Mackie, Sheahan insists, is “as elite as it gets” as a skater and puck handler...... “I think he was the most skilled player in the USHL,” Sheahan says. . . . Mackie Samoskevich is NHL Central Scouting’s 26th-ranked North American skater in advance of the 2021 NHL Draft. (Courtesy Chicago Steel) But they’d all rather talk about Mackie the person. . . . “The way he treats everybody is awesome,” Hardy says. “He’s a very kind and genuine person and I think that speaks to the parents that he has and the relationship that he has with his sisters...... Sheahan will tell you that he has learned as much from Mackie as he has taught him, something he says is rare...... “He’s a great kid,” Sheahan says. “He really burns to be a player, like he really works at it. He’s the type of guy I like to just sit there and talk with...... Umhoefer talks about the Samoskeviches as a humble, hardworking, blue-collar family who have and will accomplish special things. Though he never spoke with any of them about the shooting, he and other faculty recognized that they were shaken by it and tried to go out of their way to check in on them at Shattuck. . . . Websites Shanahan, but also get saddled with Wayne McBean and Jimmy Waite. 1190423 And in 1988 we don’t get to use top-10 picks Teemu Selanne, Rod Brind’Amour or Jeremy Roenick, but do get stuck with Corey Foster and Jason Muzzatti...... By the time I got to 1989 — Mats Sundin and The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: In which a simple question about NHL Olaf Kolzig, sure, but also Adam Bennett and Dave Chyzowski — I didn’t draft history goes wrong have a single team featuring six star players, and I was starting to get that sinking feeling. Was this starting to veer towards jersey number territory? It couldn’t be. Maybe 1980s scouts were just bad at their jobs. By Sean McIndoe Jul 13, 2021 Surely things would get better in the 1990s...... And they did. Kind of...... The 1990s

Ah, the 1990 draft. One of the most memorable of the era, and one that So I had what I thought was a neat idea for a draft-related column. produced two of the greatest players ever in Martin Brodeur and Jaromir Instead, I think I discovered a new and immutable law of the NHL Jagr, not to mention 500-goal scorers Peter Bondra and Keith Tkachuk universe. Stay with me, it’s the offseason and this is going to get weird. . . and 1,000-point man Doug Weight...... Guess how many of them . . . . Here was the original idea: What’s the best starting six you could make this team. Go ahead, guess...... The answer, of course, is make if you just took the first players drafted at each position in a given none. Fifth pick Jagr was the second right winger off the board, losing our draft year? In other words, you take the first center, the first left winger, slot to first pick Owen Nolan. And while Brodeur was the second goalie the first right winger, the first two defensemen and the first goalie taken, the first was Trevor Kidd, who (checks notes) did not win almost selected in an NHL entry draft, and that’s your six. Which year gives you 700 games...... That said, the rest of the 1990 roster fills out nicely. the best mix of legitimate stars? There aren’t any Hall of Famers, but we do get Brad May at left wing, Petr Nedved at center and a solid blue line of Derian Hatcher and Darryl Simple enough, right? It’s even easy enough to research, since plenty of Sydor. That’s not bad! The weak link is clearly Kidd, who never lived up sites list every pick from every draft. We do get into a bit of a grey area to his draft pedigree and spent a lot of his career as a backup, but he when it comes to positions, since some guys move around the ice a bit played 12 big league seasons so he’s far from a bust. For maybe the first and it can be tough to figure out what exactly a team thought they were time, we can fill a roster with six legitimate NHL names. Not stars, drafting, but that’s not a huge hurdle. I decided to use Hockey Reference granted, but decent players. We can build on this...... Just not in as my guide, and that I’d just default to whichever position they listed 1991, where Eric Lindros, Scott Niedermayer and Markus Naslund are unless I could find convincing evidence that they were wrong...... I weighed down by Pat Falloon on wing and somebody named Andrew also decided to start with the first entry draft, which was the legendary Verner in goal. The 1992 team is Alexei Yashin and then a who’s who of class of 1979. That skips the 17 years of amateur drafts from 1963 to vaguely OK guys like Todd Warriner and Mike Rathje. And our 1993 1978, but that seems fine since those 1960s drafts tended to be terrible entry has two of the all-time greats in Chris Pronger and , but and the 1970s weren’t all that much better. Lots of high picks in those also Alexandre Daigle...... The 1994 entry isn’t very good, although days never played at all, and I wanted to focus on the picks that turned it’s kind of fun. The top two picks cover the blue line, with Ed Jovanoski into stars. (Thunder rumbles and ominous foreshadowing music briefly and Oleg Tverdovsky. We’re stuck with Radek Bonk at center, but that’s plays.) Let’s stick with the big names, right? better than the alternative because Jason Bonsignore was the next pick. It goes without saying that some years will be better than others. There We’re solid at wing with Jeff O’Neill and . And our goalie is are busts in every draft class, and sometimes they’re even the first pick seventh pick Jamie Storr, who never lived up to the hype but does make at their position. So we just figure out which years were actually good, the 1994 team the most efficient of the bunch, with all six roster spots assigned after just seven picks...... The 1995 team is pretty decent, narrow it down to a top 10, and you’ve got yourself an easy ranking with Wade Redden, Bryan Berard, Shane Doan and J.S. Giguere. No column for the week before the draft...... What could go wrong? Hall of Famers, and they’re stuck with Daymond Langkow at center and So I started with 1979, often considered the best draft class ever at left wing, but it’s not bad. But any positive momentum is because it was a double cohort (after the league changed the eligibility immediately snuffed out by the legendarily bad 1996 class, one that age from 19 to 18). It produced the highest-scoring defenseman ever in features Andrei Zyuzin, Alexandre Volchkov and a goalie (Craig Hillier) Ray Bourque, the third-highest scoring forward in Mark Messier, a 700- who never made the NHL. The 1997 team gives us Joe Thornton and goal scorer in Mike Gartner, plus Hall of Famers like Michel Goulet, Kevin Roberto Luongo, but also Paul Mara and Jason Ward, who takes the Lowe, Guy Carbonneau and Glenn Anderson. Fertile ground for this sort right wing spot in heartbreaking fashion by going one pick ahead of of thing...... But as it turns out, our draft-based starting six is … just Marian Hossa. And 1998 peaks with Vinny Lecavalier and Alex Tanguay OK. Barely passable, if we’re being honest. We get a solid enough blue before descending into Rico Fata and Patrick DesRochers...... By the line with the first pick in Rob Ramage and the sixth pick in Craig time we get to 1999, I barely want to bother. That was the Sedin year, but Hartsburg, but miss Bourque because he went eighth. Mike Foligno we only get Daniel thanks to top pick Patrik Stefan taking our center spot, bumps Gartner out of the right wing spot by one pick. The center is Perry and after that we’re stuck with Pavel Brendl, Jeff Jillson, Branislav Mezei Turnbull, the left winger is Tom McCarthy. And the goalie is Pat Riggin, and Brian Finley...... You know what, I owe 1980s hockey scouts an an underrated 1980s name but one who was a backup by his mid-20s. . . apology. The 1990s crew does a slightly better job, if we’re being . . . . That’s kind of a disappointing way to start, but you get the concept. generous. But only slightly, and if a Team 1990 that has Trevor Kidd in Let’s dive in and find some more star-studded lineups...... The 1980s goal is the best we can do so far, it feels like something has gone terribly wrong...... It was at this point that I abandoned my original mission. A The 1980 draft gets off to a rough start when we lose Denis Savard (No. top 10 ranking? Futile. A dumb idea borne out of the optimism of 3) to fellow center Doug Wickenheiser (No. 1), and I’m sure Habs fans someone who should know better. I apologize for getting your hopes up. . don’t want to hear a bunch about that pick. We do get Larry Murphy, but . . . . . Instead, we’re shifting gears to a different question. Can we find he’s by far the biggest name on a team that otherwise includes Don one draft class — just one — where each player who was the first Beaupre, Dave Babych, Jim Fox and Brad Palmer. All solid enough prospect taken at their position ended up being a legitimately above- NHLers, but that’s about the best we can say...... The 1981 class average NHL player? looks better thanks to top pick Dale Hawerchuk and Grant Fuhr in goal, but stalls out quickly after that. The 1982 squad is even worse, with Brian I still think we can. But we’re running out of years...... Bellows and Ron Sutter being the only really recognizable names except for Trottier — as in Rocky, Bryan’s younger brother who scored six The 2000s career goals, but was the first right winger taken. And 1983 gets Pat The first draft pick of the new decade is Rick DiPietro, so we’re already LaFontaine (but not Steve Yzerman), John MacLean (but not Cam Neely) off to a tough start, and despite some promise from Dany Heatley and and Tom Barrasso (roughly 200 picks ahead of Dominik Hasek), but also Marian Gaborik, all hope vanishes when the Bruins use the seventh pick top pick bust ...... Huh...... This isn’t going great. to give a blue line spot to someone named Lars Jonsson. (He never even But that’s OK, because the 1984 draft is the Mario Lemieux year. And he signed with Boston, and eventually played his entire eight-game NHL gets some help right away on his wing from Kirk Muller. The starting six career with the Flyers.) would also include a personal favorite in Al Iafrate, and two capable journeymen in Petr Svoboda and Craig Billington. We’re close to our first The 2001 draft gives us Jason Spezza and Ilya Kovalchuk, who were real contender until we get to our other winger. That would be Trevor stars, but also Pascal Leclaire and Fredrik Sjostrom, who were not. The Stienburg, the first right winger off the board when he went 15th to 2002 team is deeply weird, as we get Rick Nash, Kari Lehtonen and Jay Quebec. He played parts of four seasons, and recorded 12 career points. Bouwmeester with the top three picks, but are stuck with Pierre-Marc ...... The 1985 draft gives us Wendel Clark and Sean Burke, but also Bouchard as our top center. That would be manageable, but then you get someone named Dan Gratton at center — his NHL career lasted seven to right wing and … there aren’t any. At least according to the Hockey games. The 1986 team features Jimmy Carson, Joe Murphy and Zarley Reference listing, NHL teams didn’t draft a right winger until the 27th Zalapski, but also top-ranked left winger Warren Babe (two career goals) pick, when San Jose took Mike Morris, who never made it. (The and goalie Shawn Simpson (a solid radio career, but zero NHL HockeyDB version thinks Scottie Upshall was a right winger when he appearances). In 1987, we start strong with Pierre Turgeon and Brendan was picked, but I don’t think he played there much in the NHL and I said I’d go with Hockey Reference when I wasn’t sure. Put him on this team Trevor Kidd,” then apparently it just can’t be done. Keep that in mind and it’s better, although still not overly scary.) when you’re watching the picks next week, because one of those top position picks is going to betray you. . . That bring us to the class you’ve probably been waiting for, knowing it would be the inevitable savior of this whole thing. The 2003 draft is The Athletic LOADED: 07.14.2021 arguably the best ever, and had such a high hit rate that the only legitimate bust in the entire first round — Rangers’ pick Hugh Jessiman — is still famous for it to this day even though he didn’t go until the 12th pick. With names like Shea Weber, Brent Burns, Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the board, surely the 2003 draft will be a goldmine...... And it is! Kind of. Our starting six ends up being Eric Staal, Nathan Horton, Thomas Vanek, Ryan Suter, Braydon Coburn and Marc-Andre Fleury. We’ve got a Hall of Famer in goal and two more guys in Suter and Staal who’ll at least be considered. But Vanek? Coburn? Horton? Good players all, but kind of underwhelming given how strong 2003 was. I’m not sure this group actually beats out the 1990 entry...... With a deep sigh, we move on to 2004, where we know not to get too excited about the fantastic forward line of Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin and Blake Wheeler and instead wait for the inevitable appearance of Cam Barker and . Likewise, 2005 brings Sidney Crosby and Carey Price, but also Brian Lee. In 2006 we start with Erik Johnson, watch Jordan Staal slide in at center ahead of Jonathan Toews and Nicklas Backstrom, briefly get our hopes up when Phil Kessel appears at right wing, and then watch Ty Wishart take the second blue line spot...... I’ll be honest with you, by now I was openly rooting against the scouts. It was like being at the ballpark when the other team’s pitcher is throwing a no-hitter. At some point, you just go with it. Let’s see if we can make it to the end of this stupid thing without finding a single year where all six players are stars...... The 2007 team has Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk, but also Thomas Hickey and a goalie named Joel Gistedt who never played in the NHL. Then things get top- heavy for a few years, as 2008 starts strong with Steven Stamkos and Drew Doughty before Nikita Filatov and Chet Pickard show up, while 2009 has John Tavares and Victor Hedman and even Oliver Ekman- Larsson and Evander Kane, but also one career game from Scott Glennie...... Depending on how generous you want to be with guys like Trevor Kidd and Braydon Coburn, I think we may be 0-for-3 decades right now. This is completely hopeless. Will I read the writing on the wall and give up? I’m a Leafs fan, so you know the answer...... 2010s The 2010 draft is another that starts strong, this time with Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, but our blue line is Erik Gudbranson and Dylan McIlrath. The 2011 class isn’t star-studded but looks genuinely promising for at least serviceable players right up until Magnus Hellberg takes the goalie nod by one spot over John Gibson. And the 2012 draft is so weak that even Andrei Vasileskiy can’t save it from Nail Yakupov and Griffin Reinhart...... The 2013 class gives us Nathan MacKinnon at center and a legitimately strong blue line in Seth Jones and Darnell Nurse, but once again it’s the goalie who gets us, as Habs pick Zachary Fucale hasn’t made the NHL yet. Any hopes for 2014 hinge on the question of whether we can call Leon Draisaitl a left winger, even though Hockey Reference says he was drafted as a center. That would let us avoid Michael Dal Colle, but reports at the time call Draisaitl a center, and besides we’re once again lacking a goalie with NHL experience unless Mason McDonald makes it someday...... At this point, we’re probably too recent to draw and real conclusions — anyone drafted by the mid- 2010s still has a ton of their story left to write. But in case you’re wondering, the 2015 class is looking strong with Connor McDavid, Ilya Samsonov, plus Ivan Provorov and Noah Hanifin on the blue line. Right wing is good too, with either Mitch Marner (listed here as a center) or Timo Meier, but Lawson Crouse at left wing is the weak link right now. And the 2016 team looks great, with an Auston Matthews/Patrik Laine/Matthew Tkachuk top line, plus Mikhail Sergachev and Carter Hart. But as always, there’s a fly in the ointment, and it’s the slow development of Olli Juolevi...... Beyond that, we get some promising classes, but none where all six players look like guaranteed stars. This means we’ve covered over 40 years of entry-draft history, and the scouts haven’t aced a single one...... Like I said way back at the beginning, I didn’t come into this expecting perfection. Scouting is hard, player development is a dicey business, and you never really know what you’re getting with an 18-year-old. All factors considered, NHL teams finding above-average players with their top pick at each position in a given draft year should be hard to do. It should be rare...... But still … like, it should happen sometimes, right? The goal here wasn’t to find the draft’s best player at each position with the top pick. We just wanted a good one. And in over four decades of entry draft history, I’m not sure it’s ever happened...... So what have we learned? Two things. First, I should really sketch this stuff out before I dive into writing a full article, but far more importantly: There appears to be a law of the hockey universe here. The hockey gods have revealed something important to us today...... In any NHL draft, it appears to be impossible for the scouts to hit on the top picks at each position. I’m not completely sure how you define a successful pick, but if we draw the line somewhere around “better than Braydon Coburn or Websites The Vegas Golden Knights have been aggressive with acquiring big 1190424 names throughout their brief history. Vegas has added Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo and attempted to trade for Erik Karlsson in its first season, but even though the team needs help down the middle Sportsnet.ca / NHL rumour roundup: Will Eichel be Sabres' first domino they may not be in a position to go all in on Eichel. to fall? “Not only would you have to clear out cap space – and moving cap space Breaking down Keith trade & other potential names on the move in a market the way this is right now where no teams want to spend because of the flat cap is going to be difficult – and you’re going to have Chris Johnston joined Tim & Friends to talk about the Oilers’ trade for to give up an insane amount of picks and prospects and players to get Duncan Keith and touched on other big names that could be on the move Jack Eichel to begin with,” Golden Knights reporter Jesse Granger of The in the NHL. Athletic told Hockey Central. Granger suggested the team might be better off looking at adding depth Mike Johnston instead of another first-line talent, but the team is in a bit of a cap-space bind either way.

There’s $12 million tied up in the crease between reigning Vezina winner It’s a busy week for NHL front offices with teams needing to submit their Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner. Granger said, “I just don’t see how protected lists by July 17 ahead of next week’s 2021 NHL Expansion they can move a goalie,” and mentioned that Fleury and his agent said Draft. the popular netminder wants to stay and is willing to sign an extension. The first round of the NHL draft takes place two nights after the Seattle Fleury, 36, is under contract for one more season, while Lehner is signed Kraken unveil their inaugural roster, followed by the start of free agency through 2025. the next week. Granger added that pending UFA Alec Martinez wants to re-sign with the The busy calendar could lead to flurry of transactions before a five-day team, but might have played himself out of a job since the blue-liner has trade freeze goes into effect Saturday at 3 p.m. ET, two hours before the earned a raise from the $4-million cap hit he has had since 2015. deadline for teams to file their exemption lists. Are stars aligning for Jones to join Blackhawks? Monday saw the Edmonton Oilers add some leadership and bolster their blue line by trading for Duncan Keith. They sent Caleb Jones and a third- The Chicago Blackhawks were already believed to be among the round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for the two-time Norris Trophy frontrunners to target Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Seth Jones in winner. an off-season trade. Now that his younger brother, Caleb, is in the organization, following Monday’s Keith trade, it makes even more sense. With plenty of buzz surrounding star players like Jack Eichel, Vladimir Tarasenko, Seth Jones and others, the Keith deal may just be the tip of One somewhat surprising aspect of that trade was Chicago didn’t retain the iceberg this week. any of Keith’s remaining salary, which gives GM Stan Bowman more leeway to pull off a substantial move. Sabres have plenty to ponder Tarasenko receiving interest from teams in East There’s no shortage of teams interesting in adding a player of Eichel's calibre, however completing a trade where both teams involved feel like Vladimir Tarasenko’s tenure with the St. Louis Blues appears to be they’re getting a fair deal is a completely different issue. nearing its conclusion. The skilled winger has reportedly requested to be moved despite having two years remaining on an eight-year, $60-million “The problem is they’re trying to trade the 36-goal Jack Eichel of 2019-20 contract that has full no-trade clause. and other teams are like, ‘Well, it’s the two-goal Jack Eichel who says he needs a neck surgery of 2021,’ so it’s a hard dilemma here for GM Kevyn According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the 29-year-old Adams,” Mike Harrington of Buffalo News told Hockey Central. is drawing interest from the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and the New York Islanders. Tarasenko, who is coming off The Sabres have been a team perpetually stuck in a rebuilding phase back-to-back injury plagued seasons, would need to waive his no-trade and Harrington suggested the team can’t afford another trade like the clause to facilitate any trade. The Russian ranked third in the NHL in total deal from three off-seasons ago when they moved Ryan O’Reilly, who goals between 2014-15 and 2018-19 before his injury problems. went on to win the Selke, Conn Smythe and Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues. Will Kraken take conservative approach to expansion trades? The Sabres received a package of Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, We all remember how the Golden Knights took advantage of some Tage Thompson, a 2019 first-round pick (Ryan Johnson) and a 2021 desperate teams on the trade market during their 2018 expansion draft. second they later used to acquire Colin Miller in exchange for O’Reilly. Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis could go about things slightly differently in the latest NHL expansion draft, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. “You can’t make a trade like that for Jack Eichel,” Harrington said. “You have to really score big.” “I think Seattle’s No. 1 priority is maintaining financial flexibility,” Friedman said. “They’re being handed a clean slate. You don’t want to Eichel is signed through the 2025-26 campaign and can be dealt to any make the mistake of ruining your financial clean slate by taking too many team in the league since his no-movement clause doesn’t kick in until of other people’s problems. … I think there’s a lot of teams that want 2022-23. Seattle to help them. I don’t think Seattle’s moving that quickly and I don’t think it’s going to be painless.” Finding the right deal for the 24-year-old star is clearly the top priority for the Sabres, but certainly not the only one. Getzlaf likely remaining with Ducks The team holds the first-overall selection in this year’s draft with It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf University of Michigan defenceman Owen Power the projected top is probably staying with the team with which he has spent his entire prospect. 1,101-game career. It’s also possible Sam Reinhart has played his final game in a Sabres He likely won’t sign a new deal until after the expansion draft, though, to uniform. The pending restricted free agent is set to enter his seventh full ensure the team won’t have to protect him. NHL season and has yet to see the playoffs, and seems disenchanted with the team that selected him second overall in 2014. “My understanding is that Ryan Getzlaf isn’t going anywhere,” Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said of the 36-year-old pending UFA centre. “Realistically, the first big move might be Reinhart or Rasmus “He’s very likely to remain a Duck next season, I think on a one-year Ristolainen, neither of whom seem that interested in being here extension and I think at this point the hold off is to get through the other anymore,” Harrington added. “I don’t think the first move can be Eichel. I side of the expansion draft so that the Ducks don’t have to expose any just think that’s really, really complicated to pull off. … It’s really a dark other players, especially some of the young forwards that they have.” time here in Buffalo and they’re going to really have to show they’re making some strides under Kevyn Adams and head coach Don Granato Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.14.2021 to get this fan base back.” An Eichel trade has to be for more than picks & prospects Could Golden Knights make pitch for Eichel? Websites That’s not exactly bad production for a player who starts 70 per cent of 1190425 his shifts outside the offensive zone and lines up for virtually all of them against the top players in the world—even if it was slightly off the pace Danault had established over his last four seasons in Montreal. Sportsnet.ca / With Ducharme signed, new deal for Danault among Canadiens' top priorities Remaining Time -0:49 What's the future for Ducharme & Danault with Canadiens? Danault on why role changes in Canadiens lineup could sway contract talks Eric Engels and Sean Reynolds look at the Canadiens' end-of-season media conferences, and what fans learned about the futures of Marc Meanwhile, Danault finished sixth in the voting for this year’s Selke Bergevin, Dominique Ducharme, and key players like Phillip Danault. Trophy, and he’d have taken home the playoff version of the award if it existed.

There’s no question Bergevin values him. Eric Engels “We love Phil,” said the GM. “He’s still in our plans and we hope he remains with our team.” MONTREAL — We may be approaching Construction Holiday in It was the case last fall, when Bergevin reportedly offered Danault a six- Quebec, but this will be the busiest two weeks of the year for the builder year deal worth $30 million, and it remains the case now. of the Montreal Canadiens. As for everything that happened in between, Danault explained: From July 18-Aug. 1 in the province, the cranes outside downtown developments are abandoned, the road projects are paused, and "I was worried about the role that 'Suze' ( Nick Suzuki) and 'KK' (Jesperi businesses swing into summer hours. Traffic flows in a steady stream, Kotkaniemi) would eventually play,” he said. "But I think we see across tensions release and everyone relaxes. the league that if you want to win, then you need three quality centre players -- that was the case for the New York Islanders and ourselves But for Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, who came out of the most action- this year -- and players who are good at both ends of the ice. That played packed off-season of his nine-year tenure to see his team all the way to a part (in his performance through January), but I've found my style of the Stanley Cup Final, there’s no rest coming. There was none taken, play (as the year progressed), I know who I am, and I know what I can either, after the Canadiens lost Game 5 to the Tampa Bay Lightning last bring to a team. And I know I can win.” Wednesday. The sense is that Danault wants to do it Montreal—even if, on the day “I started putting together next year’s team last night,” Bergevin said Jonathan Drouin took personal leave from the Canadiens, he made during his end-of-season Zoom conference last Friday, and we’d imagine several comments indicating that being among the only French-speaking he’s worked every day since. players in the market had worn on him considerably. Bergevin ironed out a new contract with head coach Dominique “Montreal is such high highs and such low lows, without much middle Ducharme that was announced on Tuesday, agreeing to a three-year ground,” Danault said on Apr. 28. “When everything goes well, you’re extension that officially made him the 31st head coach in Canadiens super up and very happy. When it’s going less well, it’s harder. Speaking history, but Bergevin's to-do list doesn't stop there. He's got two for myself, and probably everyone feels the same, we put so much vacancies to fill on the bench of the , he’s got the Seattle pressure on ourselves already and it’s amplified in Montreal. We put it on Expansion Draft to prepare for and a massive debrief to do with assistant ourselves, but we know how high the expectations are around us also. GM Trevor Timmins on the upcoming NHL Draft — how many of the eligible prospects do you think he has a good handle on after COVID-19 “Sometimes it’s hard not to take what’s said about us personally. We all ravaged junior seasons? — and he must negotiate with the team’s free want so badly to perform well and to bring pride to the jersey we wear. agents. It’s an extra pressure we put on ourselves, and sometimes it gets harder on the ice but off the ice, too.” Mix in a trade or two and pitches to unrestricted free agents from other teams on top of every other administrative task that needs to be tackled Remaining Time -1:47 over the coming days and Bergevin will be lucky to have time to Danault on the grind of this season and pressures of playing in Montreal celebrate his 56th birthday come Aug. 11. Danault experienced it on a level he previously hadn’t in Montreal when With Ducharme’s extension done, he’ll have to figure out these four his contract denial got leaked to the press in late January, right as he things before he can blow out the candles on his cake. was mired in the biggest slump of his Canadiens tenure. Phillip Danault’s new contract “I think it affected me, even if you say it don’t affect me,” the 28-year-old Not exactly an easy one to sort, but the clock is ticking and it’s essential from Victoriaville, Que., said. “But it affected me because I wasn’t playing Bergevin get this player signed before he even thinks of the free market that good, I wasn’t playing my best hockey at the start of the year with and lands with any one of a number of teams who watched him shut everything that was going on. It was tough. It was tough mentally. down some of the best players in the world throughout the playoffs and “But you know what? I got way stronger mentally, and I really believe figured he’d be the piece to complete a Cup contender. that’s why I played that type of hockey in the playoffs. It made me And you may have watched Philip Danault do his thing while scoring only stronger mentally and made me realize nothing could push me (from) one goal and four points in 22 playoffs games and thought, “Meh, the outside... And for all the guys, too, I think we all got stronger this year Canadiens can live without him,” but his teammates watched him do it with everything and all the schedule. But if I talk personally about that and (rightly) thought this: event that happened, it got me stronger definitely, like many events this season. But yeah, it was tough when I heard about that.” “Obviously, I’ve been competing against Phil for a couple of years now, and every time I have, I didn’t enjoy it,” said Eric Staal last week. “So, I We’d imagine the appeal of the open market grew stronger right then and can see now first-hand why I didn’t enjoy it, because he’s an extreme there. competitor. Phenomenal in the circle, but I love the way he competes But the run to the Cup Final certainly helped mitigate that, at least in part. every day. As you can tell, and as you could see on our run, you don’t win without players like Phil Danault, and that’s pretty evident. Vastly “I think everyone knows I’m really proud to be a Montreal Canadien, to important to a team and to winning — especially at this time of year. And wear that jersey,” Danault said. “I put my heart on the line for the team. If he’s, I want to say, a lot similar to my younger brother, Jordan. I wasn’t proud, I wouldn’t have played that way in the playoffs; I would’ve packed up and got ready for free agency. So, I think it shows a lot of my "You win with players like Phil Danault, and he had a phenomenal character and my desire to win. I’m obviously very honoured to wear a playoffs for us. Great person, good teammate. And obviously an Montreal Canadiens jersey—especially with the Stanley Cup logo here uncertain future for him, but if he ends up back here they’re going to be (points to chest). So, it’s awesome.” very lucky to have him.” Remaining Time -0:47 And let’s get a misnomer out of the way here: It wouldn’t just be defence that the Canadiens would be buying from Danault. Danault fist bumps Caufield after the rook talks up his talents on defence While he did only score a single goal over his first 24 games of the Now Bergevin has to find a way to keep him in one without overpaying season, he still finished with 24 points in 53 games, which would’ve been him. 37 points over an 82-game season. Two contracts in the GM’s favour were signed over the last 12 months. It’s a long shot but, depending on what happens with Drouin, the The first went to Dallas Stars centre Radek Faksa — the 27-year-old who Canadiens’ need for Tatar could increase. After all, there’s no question has produced a bit less than Danault annually but been just as the Slovak could have a considerable impact on helping the team make serviceable in the same role — and it came in at five years, $16.25 the playoffs, which is going to be a tougher task in returning to the million after Faksa helped fuel a run to the Cup Final. The second went to Atlantic Division. 28-year-old Adam Lowry, who has also produced less annually than Danault, but has been an effective and consistent shutdown centre for That they don’t see Tatar as a player who can help them through — the the Winnipeg Jets over the last seven seasons. 30-year-old was scratched from all but five playoff games — probably takes him elsewhere. Lowry’s deal is near identical to Faksa’s, with both players earning $3.25- million as an annual average and neither of them obtaining signing It sure seems like unrestricted free agent Joel Armia might find himself bonuses. Lowry got a no-trade clause that enables him to choose six elsewhere, too. When he was asked about re-signing, he said he would teams he wouldn’t go to, and Faksa got one that enables him to choose return to Finland and mull over his options, saying, “I won’t close any five. doors.” Both deals were obviously pandemic-adjusted, and Danault’s will have to One player who would like to stay and should be kept is Corey Perry. be as well. He originally had a case to earn at least the equivalent of “Yes, I intend to play hockey next year, and I think there’s still a lot of what Jean-Gabriel Pageau did with the Islanders (six years, $30 million), good hockey left in me and I would love to come back here and but he’d be beyond fortunate to still have it with any team. experience Montreal for being Montreal,” the 36-year-old said. “It was a Still, there will be bidders for Danault’s services driving the price up on weird year with family not being here and all that, but… to people out Bergevin, which makes this dossier a tricky one. It’s also a timely one, there who are looking at Montreal as a spot to land and come play, it’s with every passing day bringing Danault closer to exploring what’s out been everything that you could imagine. It’s a first-class organization and there. everything that they do here is done with a purpose, and I really enjoyed my time.” 31 Thoughts: The Podcast Staal appreciated his experience with the Canadiens but has much to Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey discuss with his family before deciding what he’ll do next season. There’s world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what likely no place for him in Montreal, regardless. they think about it. Same goes for free agents Jon Merrill and Erik Gustafsson, who will Gain some certainty on Jonathan Drouin’s future probably be permitted to shop their services on July 28. When Drouin took leave from the Canadiens for personal reasons, he Artturi Lehkonen is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, so his requested privacy, and he’s gotten it. contract will need to get settled in time. He’s 26 and is coming out of a two-year contract which paid him a $2.4-million AAV. What we’ve heard since came from assistant coach Luke Richardson on June 28. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is coming out of entry-level and is likely looking at a bridge contract. Ditto for Ryan Poehling, who’s a 10.2(c) restricted free "We've respected Dru's need to have a break,” Richardson said. “As far agent (meaning he hasn’t accrued enough professional experience to as I've heard he's taking some time and getting the help that he needs." have Group 2 RFA rights, which means he can’t sign an offer sheet). When Bergevin was asked about Drouin’s future last Friday, he said the Cale Fleury, a promising defence prospect who spent the season in 26-year-old winger was doing “much better,” but couldn’t comment on Laval after playing 41 games with the Canadiens in 2019-20, also needs anything else. a new deal. Until Drouin returns, there will be speculation he may never. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.14.2021 Speculation will rule in the public domain, but Bergevin needs to know privately where this is going now, if he doesn’t know already. Drouin’s future plans will dictate how Bergevin handles the expansion draft, the draft and free agency over the coming weeks, with the player set to earn $5.5 million on the cap in each of the next two seasons. Jonathan Drouin Montreal Canadiens winger Jonathan Drouin. (Graham Hughes/CP) Submit Expansion Draft protection list to Seattle Bergevin has until this coming Saturday to decide who he’s protecting for the Expansion Draft. The big question will be whether he opts to go with the standard seven forwards-three defenceman-one goaltender model or decides to just protect eight players and a goaltender. If Bergevin goes with the former, it could mean exposing a player like captain Shea Weber — a low-risk gamble, considering the 35-year-old (who likely needs off-season surgery on his left thumb) has five years remaining on a contract that pays him $7.85 million annually, but a gamble nonetheless. It could also mean protecting Weber and leaving one of Joel Edmundson or Ben Chiarot unprotected. And if Bergevin chooses to go with the 8-1 model, it’s likely because he wants to protect all three defencemen on top of Jeff Petry, and that would mean leaving an extra forward or two available to Seattle. The GM also needs to consider incentivizing Seattle to take a specific player off his roster to enable him to retain backup goaltender Jake Allen, who’s the most likely target for the Kraken no matter which protection model Bergevin opts for. Remaining Time -1:30 'The culture here is phenomenal' Staal on the Canadiens future Take or leave other free agents Bergevin already said he’s certain Tomas Tatar would like to skate to free agency, but it’s not a foregone conclusion that the GM wouldn’t try to convince him to come back for one season. Websites The allegations against the Blackhawks, first made public in a pair of 1190426 lawsuits against the team in May, have rocked the hockey world.

A one-time Blackhawks player who is identified in court documents as TSN.CA / Sopel: Former Blackhawks teammates should be 'telling the John Doe 1 filed a lawsuit against the NHL team that alleged Aldrich truth publicly' about assault allegations sexually assaulted him and a teammate during the 2009-10 season. After the team's sports psychologist James Gary told the player he was to blame for the incident, Blackhawks management then covered up the assaults, the player alleged. By Rick Westhead Brent Sopel Rick Westhead TSN Senior Correspondent A second lawsuit against the NHL team alleges that the Blackhawks gave Aldrich a job reference after he left the franchise during the summer of 2010. That lawsuit was also filed in May by the family of a former high Former Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Brent Sopel, a member of the school hockey player in Michigan who Aldrich was convicted of sexually 2010 Stanley Cup championship team, said almost every player and assaulting in 2013. coach was aware of the allegations of sexual misconduct levelled by a “That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Sopel said. former Blackhawks player against former video coach Brad Aldrich. “They gave him a job reference after what he did to their players. In an interview with TSN on Tuesday, Sopel, who played 22 games for Everybody assumed the Hawks would do the right thing but clearly, they the Blackhawks during the 2010 playoffs run, said that the Blackhawks didn’t.” locker room was abuzz for days with discussion about Aldrich during the After he left the Blackhawks, Aldrich also worked as director of hockey 2010 Western Conference finals, after then-skills coach Paul Vincent operations with Miami University in Ohio. During his four-month tenure at asked Blackhawks management during a meeting in San Jose to report that school, two adults filed complaints of sexual misconduct against Aldrich’s alleged sexual assault of two players that season to police. Aldrich. “…I’d say pretty much every player said, ‘Holy s--t’ and was shocked by Sopel said he also understands why some players would be hesitant to it,” Sopel said. “We were all in the same dressing room. It was something speak out publicly about sexual abuse. that was discussed for at least two or three days. [Then head coach Joel] Quenneville was in the same office as [Aldrich]. We heard about it.” “Other sports like baseball, basketball and football, most of those guys are going to university for at least a few years and growing up a bit In a statement sent to TSN on Tuesday, Quenneville, who is now the more,” he said. “In hockey, we’re moving away from home at 15 to play Florida Panthers head coach, denied being aware of the abuse junior hockey, riding 25 hours on a bus. Our lives are only hockey. That’s allegations in 2010. it. Everything revolves around the sport. Many guys aren’t equipped to “The allegations in this lawsuit are clearly serious," Quenneville wrote. "I talk about anything else.” first learned of these allegations through the media earlier this summer. I Former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy said in an interview on Monday have contacted the Blackhawks organization to let them know I will that he has been disappointed by the Blackhawks’ response and hopes support and participate in the independent review. Out of respect for all that other players from the 2009-10 team publicly corroborate that the those involved, I won’t comment further while this matter is before the alleged abuse was well known within the NHL team. courts.” While the Blackhawks have hired the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block to Vincent told TSN in an interview that Blackhawks management, including investigate the abuse allegations, the team filed court documents on president John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, and vice- Friday, July 9 claiming the team did not have a legal obligation to report president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, refused to share the the abuse claims to authorities because the alleged victim was not a information with Chicago police. minor, disabled, or over the age of 65 and living in an assisted care Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, who was facility. Blackhawks director of player personnel during the 2009-10 season, has The Blackhawks on Friday also alleged that the team should not be held also said he was not aware at the time that players had made complaints responsible for the abuse of the teenage hockey player in Michigan against Aldrich and was not involved in a meeting to discuss them. because any job reference letter that the NHL team may have given Sopel said he assumed for years that Blackhawks management had Aldrich was not meant specifically for that coaching position. alerted authorities following the 2010 season. He said he was wary about “It’s always deny, deny, deny,” Kennedy said. “When you’re making a speaking publicly about the scandal for the past few months out of conscious decision to sweep abuse away and hide it, this is not a concern the Blackhawks might attack his charity, The Brent Sopel mistake. A decision was made and now there’s an ethical responsibility Foundation, which raises funds for children who, like him, have battled for them to do the right thing. Do they not consider themselves role dyslexia. models for communities and young people? Is this how we want to teach Sopel now hopes that other players from that Blackhawks team will our kids and those people who look up to us how to handle problems?” speak publicly about what they were told about Aldrich in 2010. Kennedy said he remembers how he felt in 1996 after coming forward to “I understand that doing the right thing is hard,” said Sopel, who played make an abuse allegation against his former junior hockey coach, three seasons with the Blackhawks before he was traded to the Atlanta Graham James. Thrashers after the Cup championship in 2010. “I was the fricking liar,” Kennedy said. “Nobody believed Sheldon “A lot of those guys who were on that 2009-10 team are still with the Kennedy until Graham James pled guilty. I was alone big time. Nobody Blackhawks getting paid and they're either still playing, or in broadcasting believed me.” or coaching, management or scouting or being an ambassador for the Kennedy recalled the many times NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has team. That’s why they are not saying anything. Guys want to protect their referred to the league as a “family.” jobs. But they should still be doing the right thing and telling the truth publicly about what happened.” “The silence in this Blackhawks case speaks loudly,” Kennedy said. “This hockey family. Any time anyone in the family says anything to contradict Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews told The Athletic website in late the NHL, they get shunned from the family. What kind of family is that?” June that he first heard about allegations against Aldrich right before training camp before the 2010-11 season. Toews said he was "annoyed" TSN.CA LOADED: 07.14.2021 when The Athletic quoted an unnamed Blackhawks player saying every player on the 2009-10 knew about the alleged assaults because "it seemed like it fed the fire a little bit.” "As far as I know, some guys may have caught whispers of it and some guys were clueless until the next year," Toews said. "I don’t think that was an accurate statement.” Sopel’s interview with TSN marked his first public interview about the scandal after he posted comments on Twitter on June 25 criticizing the Blackhawks and National Hockey League for how they have responded to the abuse allegations. Websites third-pairing blueliner, shutdown centre, wing depth, and backup goalie. 1190427 They may also require another top defenceman if Giordano moves on.

Should Treliving value youth, the Flames could theoretically plug those TSN.CA / Culture could be key to Flames' off-season plans holes with the likes of prospects Adam Ruzicka, Glenn Gawdin, Connor Mackey, and Matthew Phillips. With the NHL off-season under way, TSN's Salim Valji looks ahead to a summer of potential lineup - and culture - changes in Calgary. If the goal is to alter the team’s culture, add experience, and contend for the playoffs next season, Nate Thompson, Luke Glendening, Darren Helm, and Trevor Lewis would fit as defensively reliable veterans. By Salim Valji Johnny Gaudreau Salim Valji On the back end, the Flames may target the likes of Brendan Smith, Mark Pysyk, or Erik Gudbranson to slot in on the third pair to help Juuso Valimaki, who had an inconsistent first full NHL season. In May, veteran Calgary Flames forward Milan Lucic spent much of his Should Giordano get taken by Seattle, would Treliving ante up for winger season-ending Zoom call with reporters talking about the team’s culture. Nick Foligno as both a top-nine forward and to fill the ensuing leadership The 2011 Stanley Cup champion spoke about the need for players to void? collectively buy in to a team-first mentality. Treliving and co. have many decisions on the horizon. “It’s just getting back to the mindset of being resilient and getting back to Flames fans will soon find out just how much he’s heeded the words of the mindset of wanting to win,” he said. “What’s missing? I think what’s Lucic and Sutter. missing is between the ears, more than anything.” TSN.CA LOADED: 07.14.2021 Flames head coach Darryl Sutter made similar observations after taking over for Geoff Ward in March, calling out the team’s work ethic and preparation habits. “There’s a little bit of entitlement that went on here and that impacts your team in a negative way for sure,” Sutter said two months into the job. “You don’t play guys more to help them get better. They have to help themselves get better based on their training, based on their preparation, based on their compete level, not just the skills that they were drafted on.” The Flames have won just one playoff series (back in 2015) with a core group of captain Mark Giordano and star forwards Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, and Mikael Backlund. To what extent Flames general manager Brad Treliving believes Lucic, one of last season’s few bright spots, and Sutter will determine much of how Calgary’s off-season plays out. Does Treliving feel that a major culture reset and leadership shift is necessary? Does he think the team needs more character veterans, or an injection of youth? Many of his moves will hinge on those answers. Those transactions could involve the team's two biggest names up front. Gaudreau, a free agent next off-season, is eligible to sign an extension and his 27-team no trade clause kicks in later this month. Treliving will have to sign him to a new deal before then or risk having just a handful of potential trade partners. Fellow winger Tkachuk, who had growing pains under Sutter before finding a role on the top line with Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm at the end of the season, is also eligible to sign a new deal (and due a hefty $9 million qualifying offer next summer). Then there is the Seattle Kraken expansion draft. The Flames’ quandary is who to protect on the back end: Chris Tanev or Giordano? On paper, Tanev is the logical choice to protect. He’s six years younger than Giordano, makes less money, and has proven capable of playing top-pairing minutes. If the Flames expose Giordano, do they entice the Kraken with a draft pick to select another player? Under Treliving, Calgary has had fewer draft picks than all but a handful of teams. Does Treliving risk losing his captain for nothing, or sacrifice more of Calgary’s future so Seattle takes someone else? The Flames have the 12th selection at the entry draft. While they have noteworthy prospects in Jakob Pelletier, Connor Zary, and Dustin Wolf, they don’t have anyone projected to be top-line wingers or top-pairing blueliners at the NHL level. Centre Chaz Lucius of the U.S. National Team Development Program could fit as a natural goal scorer. TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button compares him to New York Islanders winger Brock Nelson. Button had the Flames choosing American centre Cole Sillinger in his June mock draft. Sillinger had 24 goals in 31 games for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL last season. There’s also the possibility Treliving packages the pick with a veteran like Monahan in exchange for a higher choice or roster upgrade. Outside of the trade market, Treliving’s most significant chance to reshape the roster is in free agency. Calgary needs a top-nine winger,