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News Clips August 22 – September 3, 2019

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02 Columbus Dispatch: Zach Werenski seeking three-year contract at $5 million-plus annually, source says PAGE 03 The Athletic: ‘God gives us only what we can handle’: Blue Jackets pay surprise visit to ailing fan PAGE 06 Columbus Dispatch: Michael Arace | Jarmo Kekalainen's confidence in Blue Jackets prospects not shared by all PAGE 08 Columbus Dispatch: How the Blue Jackets and their Metro opponents fared in the offseason PAGE 11 The Athletic: Analysis: Glass half empty — how the Blue Jackets season could unravel PAGE 14 The Athletic: Analysis: Glass half full — how the Blue Jackets can be better than most expect PAGE 17 ESPN.com: 'Let's have all the people write us off': Blue Jackets GM confident in his team PAGE 21 Columbus Dispatch: Emil Bemstrom to miss prospects tournament with facial injury; should be OK for Blue Jackets camp PAGE 22 The Athletic: Sergei Mozyakin: The Greatest Blue Jacket who never was PAGE 27 Columbus Dispatch: Opportunity knocks for Columbus Blue Jackets' prospects

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites PAGE 29 The Athletic: What would a World Cup of Hockey in 2021 look like? PAGE 33 The Athletic: In a league full of exceptional talents, which special skills make the NHL’s best jealous PAGE 40 The Athletic: DGB Grab Bag: About those unsigned RFAs, in defense of a bad stat and laughing at the 1993 Leafs PAGE 44 The Seattle Times: Seattle NHL team’s name? Uniform colors? Here’s where fans rant, vent and even chat over beers about it PAGE 46 The Athletic: Lockout talk: Why each side might (and might not) want to opt out of the NHL’s CBA as the deadlines quickly approach PAGE 52 TSN.CA: The workhorse goalie is disappearing from the NHL PAGE 54 Yahoo Sports: 31 Takes: Lightning's Maroon signing shows why good teams always look smart PAGE 57 The Athletic: Pronman’s NHL prospect impressions: U20 4 Nations, and more PAGE 60 The Athletic: Hockey stats can be murky enough, so a word of caution before the first NHL season with player tracking data PAGE 63 The Athletic: Power bars, heads-up displays and car-crash comparisons: How player tracking data could revolutionize hockey on TV PAGE 66 The Athletic: Teams shouldn’t necessarily play their defence-first players in the most high- stakes defensive moments PAGE 68 Sportsnet.ca: NHL’s decision to not reopen CBA offers cautious hope for labour peace PAGE 70 Yahoo Sports: NHL decides to not reopen Collective Bargaining Agreement PAGE 71 The Hockey News: Future Watch: The top rookie for every NHL team in 2019-20 1

Columbus Dispatch - Zach Werenski seeking three-year contract at $5 million-plus annually, source says By Brian Hedger – August 22, 2019

Rather than a long-term journey to unrestricted free agency, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is apparently looking for a shorter bridge to cross. An NHL source closely monitoring the league’s logjam of restricted free agents told The Dispatch on Wednesday that Werenski, 22, is seeking a three-year “bridge” deal for his next contract rather than a longer- term extension with a higher average annual value (aka salary-cap charge). The source said a three-year deal for Werenski would likely include a cap charge that “starts with a 5,” meaning somewhere higher than $5 million and lower than $6 million per season. Werenski’s agent, Pat Brisson, said he would have no comment for this story. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen did not return a message seeking comment. Werenski, 22, is the Jackets’ last remaining restricted free agent expected to sign a new deal. (Lukas Sedlak is technically an RFA forward, but has signed with a team in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.) Werenski is among a sizable pool of RFA players who have yet to sign, as GMs across the league and agents engage in a waiting game to see who signs first. There are currently 10 RFA defensemen unsigned, which includes Werenski, ’s Charlie McAvoy, Philadelphia’s Ivan Provorov, the ’ Anthony DeAngelo and Pittsburgh’s Marcus Pettersson. Werenski played all 82 games last season, coming off shoulder surgery, and led all RFA defensemen with 44 points on 11 goals and 33 assists. He has 128 points on 38 goals and 90 assists in his first three NHL seasons, putting him at the top of the stack statistically. Werenski, Brisson and Kekalainen all told The Dispatch last week they hope to get an agreement done before the Jackets open training camp Sept. 13 — with Kekalainen saying he is “not the least bit worried.” It is a situation that is drawing a good deal of interest across the NHL, though. Unsigned players and their agents are waiting to see what kind of deals Werenski or another RFA defenseman — perhaps Provorov — will get. The Dispatch was also told that Provorov’s camp started negotiations asking for a whopping $10 million a year from the Flyers, presumably on a long-term deal. Werenski would likely get $7 million a year, or more, on a long-term deal that could cut into his first year or two of UFA status. According to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, Werenski would still have one year left of RFA status if he signs a three-year deal, but he would have added arbitration rights for leverage. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.22.2019

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The Athletic - ‘God gives us only what we can handle’: Blue Jackets pay surprise visit to ailing fan By Tom Reed – August 22, 2019

NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — As an NHL player, must make split-second decisions when time and space are in short supply. As a team captain, he must also find the right words to inspire in moments of adversity. Standing in the bedroom of a 13-year-old cancer survivor, Foligno delivered on both counts Tuesday afternoon to brighten the day of a suburban Cleveland family whose resolve has been buoyed by the generosity of the hockey world. Foligno and teammate Brandon Dubinsky paid a surprise visit to the home of Blue Jackets fan Ryan Kuchta. The Columbus players supplied the young goalie with a team jersey, pucks, autographed pictures and an invitation to their Nov. 15 game at Nationwide Arena on “Hockey Fights Cancer” night. Ryan led the two pros on a tour of his house, which includes a goalie net and shooting pad in the basement and a hockey-themed bedroom recently remodeled by Special Spaces, a nonprofit organization that builds “dream” rooms for children with life-threatening illnesses. Foligno and Dubinsky spent most of their 40-minute visit acting like big brothers, joking with Ryan and asking him questions about his love for a game he hopes to resume playing in the coming months. The two Blue Jackets forwards admired his autographed stick collection and certified contract from the minor-league Cleveland Monsters that pays him $1 and affords him four season tickets. “One dollar,” Dubinsky said. “We gotta get you a better deal.” The highlight of the visit was Foligno’s quick thinking at the sight of a crucifix hanging from the boy’s neck and two dry-erase boards that hang on a wall beneath Ryan’s elevated bed. One board features a quote attributed to : “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” “Hey, Ryan, do you mind if I write on this other board?” Foligno said. The seventh-grader at North Royalton Middle School nodded approvingly. His eyes grew wide with wonder as the 6-foot winger grabbed a black marker, got into a crouch and scribbled on the board. “Watch your head,” Ryan said. The captain wrote: “God Gives Us Only What We Can Handle!” Best Wishes! Nick Foligno. “There you go, bud,” Foligno said looking at Ryan. The expressions on the faces of the boy’s parents, Denise and Gary Kuchta, were something to behold. Life has been a day-to-day struggle with uncertainty since Ryan was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma on Nov. 14. The aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which mostly afflicts people under 35, is treated with chemotherapy. Side effects include a weakened immune system, reduced muscle strength, hair loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Both Foligno and Dubinsky have three children. The captain’s life has been rocked by death and medical emergencies for a decade. His mother, Janis, died of cancer in 2009. Last season, while helping the Blue Jackets win their first playoff series in franchise history, Foligno twice had to take leaves of absence to tend to ailing children. The family’s 5-year-old daughter, Milana, born with a congenital heart defect, was hospitalized with a

3 virus in December and underwent surgery in Boston. In March, their 22-month-old son, Hudson, was hospitalized with pneumonia after the boy’s right lung collapsed. “It breaks your heart,” Foligno said. “You just feel for the family because you know what they are going through. Personally, I have been in a hospital room wondering, hoping, praying for my own kids. You just feel that. You also know these kind of moments can take your mind off those terrible times. That’s all you try to provide. “We’ve had it done for us so I know how important it is. Some wonder if these small gestures mean anything. They really do. You are living it every day and you are watching your child battle something. These little moments let you forget about it. It’s about letting them be a kid, letting them enjoy life. That’s what we all want for our kids.” The Blue Jackets Foundation learned of Ryan’s plight through the Cleveland-area Special Spaces chapter. Foligno, Dubinsky and other team representatives were only too happy to make the drive from Columbus, which included a stop at Browns training camp. Foligno said his message on the dry-erase board is “words I live by.” “I’m a religious guy and I could tell by his cross, Ryan is as well,” Foligno said. “And even if you’re not religious, at times like these, you’re looking for answers from anywhere. … If you live by those words, you can find some strength somewhere that you never thought you had.” Wearing a red T-shirt and gray Under Armor cap, Ryan savored every minute of the visit. Like a typical 13-year- old kid, almost all of his comments were peppered with “cool” and “awesome.” Dubinsky asked him about his favorite teams (Blue Jackets and Golden Knights) and his favorite goalies (Sergei Bobrovsky and Marc-Andre Fleury) while also sharing stories from his own career. Dubinsky and Foligno stickhandled pucks with Ryan in the basement and posed for numerous photos with the family, which includes 18-year-old sister Nikki. There was plenty of hockey-related humor, too. “Do you ever get mad and put your sister in ?” one of the players asked. Ryan will require chemotherapy treatments into the spring, his dad said, but signs are encouraging. Monday, the youngster went back to school for the first time since November. He had no idea the ring of the doorbell would deliver two of his Blue Jackets heroes. A few years ago, Ryan was in Columbus ready to attend his first NHL game when his youth hockey coach called and notified the family he needed Ryan to return to North Royalton immediately because the team’s other goalie was sick. Always a team player, Ryan obeyed his coach’s wishes and missed the chance to see his beloved Blue Jackets. “Man, you are a really good teammate,” Foligno said. “I would have snapped.” Ryan’s parents were unaware Foligno and Dubinsky were visiting the house. The only message from the Blue Jackets was to have their son at home around 3 p.m. for “a big event.” The visit was only the latest goodwill gesture from the hockey world. Ryan has received autographed sticks from various NHL players and an outpouring of support from local youth hockey organizations. “I honestly don’t know how we would have made it through this without the hockey community,” his mother said. “They have been so good to us.”

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Athletes routinely take time away from their schedules to visit with ill children. Dubinsky and Foligno don’t consider themselves special in that regard, but they also understand the power of their presence in households like the Kuchtas’. They see it in the awestruck faces of kids and the looks of gratitude from parents. As soon as Dubinsky and Foligno walked down the driveway, Ryan ran into his room and placed the autographed pucks he received in a place of pride on his shelf opposite his bed. “You want to be there for kids like this,” Foligno said. Kuchta has himself a $1 contract. He also has a priceless bit of inspiration, scribbled on a dry-erase board, that will motivate him to get back in nets someday soon.

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Columbus Dispatch - Michael Arace | Jarmo Kekalainen's confidence in Blue Jackets prospects not shared by all By Michael Arace – August 25, 2019

Our man Brian Hedger said this of the Blue Jackets: “It’s going to be the most fascinating season I’ve ever covered.” Those may not be Hedge’s exact words, but that is definitely his gist. (Check out our most recent edition of Cannon Fodder, which is one of the longest-running podcasts produced by The Dispatch. We get into it.) Our man Hedge has covered a raft of training camps and a couple of Jackets camps during his long career. What makes for a most fascinating season? It’s the dichotomy of prospects ratings: Generally speaking, the Jackets’ farm system is not well-regarded by the hockey punditry. For example, The Sporting News recently ranked the Jackets’ prospect pool 27th in the league and The Athletic had it at 25th. Oof. Meanwhile, Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen not only lauds his prospects, he is placing a soaring faith in the talent of the untested youngsters. At the Feb. 25 trade deadline, Kekalainen not only went “all-in” for the playoffs by hanging on to (rather than salvage-trading) future unrestricted free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, he “doubled down” by acquiring four more, including and Ryan Dzingel. Kekalainen paid for this spree with draft picks, including a first-rounder and two seconds. He also paid with prospects, one of whom, Jonathan Davidsson, was previously highly touted by the organization. Kekalainen always said he was comfortable with all of this. He said he could afford the spree because he kept his top prospects in the fold. He said the ultimate price — the loss of all six unrestricted free agents on top of all the picks and prospects — was manageable. How? Kekalainen believes center/left winger Alexandre Texier and right winger Emil Bemstrom are ready for the NHL and have the stuff to become impact players. Training camp, which opens Sept. 13, is creeping closer. Kekalainen, during a telephone conversation Friday, sounded perfectly content with the status quo. He’s not even worried about re-signing restricted free agent Zach Werenski, a budding star among Jackets defensemen. “It’s going to get done,” Kekalainen said. His pulse won’t rise unless negotiations drag into training camp. He doesn’t think that’s going to happen. The Jackets’ defense, as a unit, is among the best in the league. They have some proven NHL forwards — with scorers among them — but their superstar took his talents to New York. They can use a game-changer. They can always use a top-six center. Their goaltenders, Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins, have never had to carry the freight, not in the NHL. Although Kekalainen added top-six forward Gustav Nyquist this summer, he still has $15 million in cap space and could use it to sign another free agent or take on more salary via trade. It sounds like he’s going to wait and see how things go. “The cap space,” he said, “is a luxury.” Kekalainen will take a perch in the stands in training camp and watch Texier, Bemstrom, Eric Robinson and other young forwards as they try to carve out roster spots. Recently added to the pool were left wingers Marko Dano (two-way contract) and Stefan Matteau (minor-league contract — and, yes, he is the son of Stephane Matteau! Matteau! Matteau!). 6

Kekalainen will watch his young charges compete for jobs with the veterans and see how it goes. Can break into the defense? What is Merzlikins going to do? Seriously. Elvis can be unpredictable. Our man Hedge is right. This is going to be something — or another. There are gainfully employed pundits who specialize in prospect-watching, and they don’t rank the Jackets highly. And then there is Kekalainen, who has a different idea of what he has — and he’s betting on it. Fascinating.

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Columbus Dispatch - How the Blue Jackets and their Metro opponents fared in the offseason By Brian Hedger – August 26, 2019

It’s that time of year again, when the summer cottage season is winding down and the churn of hockey skates is ramping up. As the Blue Jackets file back into town for pre-training camp workouts, let’s take a peek at what has happened around them this offseason within the Metropolitan Division. First, the movers and shakers … New Jersey Additions: D P.K. Subban, C Jack Hughes, F Nikita Gusev, F Wayne Simmonds, F John Hayden Losses: D Steven Santini, D Ben Lovejoy, F , F John Quenneville, F Kenny Agostino, F Stefan Noesen, D Jean-Sebastien Dea, D Egor Yakovlev Prospects: D , F Michael McLeod, RW Joey Anderson Unsigned restricted free agent: C The skinny: After making the playoffs in 2018, the Devils finished 29th overall last season and won the draft lottery. They selected Hughes, their second No. 1 overall pick in the past three years, and they were just getting started. The Devils also added Subban on draft weekend in a trade with Nashville, signed Simmonds as a free agent and acquired Gusev — an Artemi Panarin starter kit — in a trade with Vegas. Whether it was enough to get the Devils back into the postseason is unknown, but they certainly came out swinging this summer. N.Y. Rangers Additions: LW Artemi Panarin, D Jacob Trouba, D Adam Fox, F Kappo Kakko, F Greg McKegg Losses: D Kevin Shattenkirk, D Neal Pionk, F Jimmy Vesey, D Fredrik Claesson Prospects: RW Kakko, RW Vitali Kravtsov, D Fox Unsigned restricted free agent: D Anthony DeAngelo The skinny: It’s a toss-up between the Rangers and Devils as to which Metro team improved most. New Jersey brought in a haul of fresh talent, but New York countered with an elite scorer (Panarin), top-pair defenseman (Trouba), highly touted rookie (Kakko) — who outperformed Hughes at the world championships — and another highly regarded rookie defenseman (Fox). The Rangers also picked off John Davidson from the Blue Jackets to replace Glen Sather atop the hockey operations department. It has been a good summer for Rangers fans. Philadelphia Additions: Coach Alain Vigneault, C , D Matt Niskanen, D Justin Braun, RW Tyler Pitlick, F Andy Andreoff Losses: D Radko Gudas, F Ryan Hartman, G Cam Talbot, D Andrew MacDonald Prospects: F Joel Farabee, F Morgan Frost Unsigned restricted free agent: Ivan Provorov The skinny: The Flyers have brought in a new coach, new center, new defensemen and new candidates for a couple of bottom-six roles. That followed a change at general manager last season that brought in Chuck

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Fletcher, so big changes are afoot. Hayes is a big pivot who gives the Flyers a formidable top six, Niskanen is a good puck-mover, and Braun adds some of the grit lost by trading Gudas. Is it enough to get back into the playoffs? That depends primarily on goalie ’s second season. Next, the usual suspects … Additions: F Alex Galchenyuk, F Brandon Tanev, F Dominik Kahun Losses: F , D Olli Maatta, F (retired), D Chris Wideman Prospects: F Kasper Bjorkqvist, F Sam Lafferty Unsigned restricted free agent: D Marcus Pettersson The skinny: Kessel nixed a trade to Minnesota before agreeing to a deal with Arizona for Galchenyuk, who will benefit from playing with , and others. Tanev and Kahun add scoring depth up front, but losing Maatta creates a hole defensively — even though he was injury-prone. Overall, the Penguins kept a low profile in the offseason and are banking their hopes again on a star-studded roster fronted by Crosby. Washington Additions: D Radko Gudas, F Richard Panik, F Garnet Hathaway, F Brendan Leipsic Losses: F Andre Burakovsky, D Matt Niskanen, F , D Brooks Orpik (retired), F Jayson Megna, F Devante Smith-Pelly Prospects: F Shane Gersich, F Axel Johnsson-Fjallby, D The skinny: The Capitals apparently didn’t feel tough enough with Tom Wilson patrolling the ice up front, so they traded an effective puck-mover in Niskanen to get Gudas as Wilson’s defensive equivalent. Panik could turn out to be a plus addition, but losing Burakovsky, Niskanen and Connolly leaves some roles to fill. All in all, the Capitals are still loaded with talent and have one of the best goalies in the NHL in Braden Holtby, so expect them to be good despite a relatively low-key offseason. Finally, the question marks … Blue Jackets Additions: F Gustav Nyquist, F Jakob Lilja, F Marko Dano Losses: LW Artemi Panarin, G Sergei Bobrovsky, C Matt Duchene, F Ryan Dzingel Prospects: G Elvis Merzlikins, F Alexandre Texier, F Emil Bemstrom, G Veini Vehvilainen, F Lilja, F Eric Robinson, F Kole Sherwood, C Liam Foudy, F Trey Fix-Wolansky Unsigned restricted free agent: D Zach Werenski The skinny: The Blue Jackets tried to make a splash with large offers to Panarin, Bobrovsky and Duchene, but all three bolted. They also let the rest of their free agents walk, including deadline acquisition Ryan Dzingel, an Ohio State alum. The Jackets did sign Nyquist, an under-the-radar talent who had 60 points last season, but general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is content to lean on the core group left behind, plus a bevy of prospects. Will that be enough to stay competitive? He thinks so, but it will be interesting to watch either way. Carolina Additions: F Erik Haula, F Ryan Dzingel, D Gustav Forsling G James Reimer, F Brian Gibbons Losses: F Micheal Ferland, G Curtis McElhinney, D Calvin de Haan, D Adam Fox, F Greg McKegg Prospects: F Martin Necas, D , G

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The skinny: The Hurricanes surged to the Eastern Conference finals last season, but can they maintain that level of success? Carolina will miss Ferland, de Haan and McElhinney, three veterans, but Haula, Dzingel and Reimer are nice pickups, and Forsling may become a dependable two-way defenseman eventually. The Canes may also get a boost from Necas, their top prospect, but need to re-sign captain Justin Williams and get a solid year in net from goalie Petr Mrazek, the projected starter. N.Y. Islanders Additions: G , C Derick Brassard Losses: G , C Valtteri Filppula Prospects: F , F Joshua Ho-Sang, F Keiffer Bellows, F Oliver Wahlstrom Unsigned RFA: F The skinny: New York’s biggest success this offseason was retaining star forwards. A year after left them high and dry, the Isles re-signed and Anders Lee to keep their nucleus up front together. They lost Filppula and Lehner, a Vezina Trophy finalist, but signed Brassard on Wednesday. Coach Barry Trotz is excited to see what Varlamov can do within the framework of his defensive system. Expect the Islanders to look very similar to last season, which could go either way.

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The Athletic - Analysis: Glass half empty — how the Blue Jackets season could unravel By Aaron Portzline – August 27, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before you jump to the conclusion that this is the most pessimistic, depressing Blue Jackets preview ever produced, realize it’s only the first part of a two-part series. This isn’t the worst-case scenario, necessarily, but it’s definitely a “glass half empty” look at the 2019-20 season, a reasonable glimpse at what could happen if the question marks on the roster get unpleasant answers. Bad news first, right? The sunny-side-up edition will publish Tuesday. Let’s start with the broad strokes, shall we? The Blue Jackets squeaked into the playoffs last season, clinching the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a win against the New York Rangers in the penultimate game of the regular season. They were the last club to claim a spot in the playoffs. Now, subtract from the roster the franchise goaltender (Sergei Bobrovsky), the leading scorer (Artemi Panarin) and the No. 1 center at season’s end (Matt Duchene), and you’re looking at a team that many will pick to not only miss the playoffs but also to return to the NHL Draft Lottery TV show. The Blue Jackets scored 25 more goals (256) than they allowed (231) last season, but, on paper, they’ve moved in the wrong direction with both categories. Replacing Panarin will be close to impossible, not just his -a-game production but also his propensity to step up at big moments in big games. Free-agent signee Gustav Nyquist is a reliable, serviceable top-six forward, but he’s no Panarin. Beyond Panarin’s direct contributions, what will his departure mean for linemates Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson? Panarin could carry the puck through a traffic jam and create plays with it, making life easier for Dubois. He was the “hot read” for every opponent defensively, opening up the ice for Atkinson. Panarin had the primary assist on 13 of Atkinson’s 41 goals last season. Nyquist has averaged 49 points since becoming an NHL regular six seasons ago, but he’s unlikely to have that effect on either player’s game, meaning Dubois and Atkinson will both have to adjust. In addition to Nyquist, the Blue Jackets will need to hope that growth of young forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Josh Anderson, and the arrival of hotshot rookies Alexandre Texier and Emil Bemstrom, can help replace Panarin’s production. But Panarin is only one of the holes that need to be filled. Duchene was only in Columbus for 2 1/2 months, but his departure puts the Blue Jackets back in a situation they found unacceptable most of last season: relying on center Alexander Wennberg to hold down a top-six role. At the start of training camp, Wennberg will likely be the No. 2 center behind Dubois (first line) and ahead of Boone Jenner (third) and Riley Nash (fourth). But Wennberg is now two years removed from the 13-46-59 season that was deemed to be his breakout. He is one of 13 players to play 75 games and score fewer than three goals in the NHL last season. The other 12 were defensemen.

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If Wennberg can’t cut it — it’ll be fascinating to see how much leash coach John Tortorella gives him — the Blue Jackets would be forced to explore three alternatives, none of which is all that alluring: • Captain Nick Foligno could move from left wing to center, as he’s done many times the past few seasons. Foligno never complains about it, but he’s more comfortable and has more of an offensive impact playing on the wing. • Jenner, who has made a permanent switch from left wing to center within the year, could be promoted to a second-line role. But with his speed and his offensive production in recent seasons, playing that high in the lineup isn’t a perfect fit. • Rookie left winger Texier is expected to play center eventually in the NHL, so maybe the move could be expedited if the Blue Jackets have a hole to fill. The ripple effect of losing Panarin and Duchene will be difficult, but it’s easier to patch two holes among 12 forwards and 18 skaters than it is to replace a franchise goaltender. With all of the drama during the past couple of seasons — Bobrovsky’s ego bruises easier than a banana — it was beginning to feel like a parting of ways between the Blue Jackets and Bobrovsky was in the best interest of both parties. But it would be easier for the Blue Jackets to move forward if Joonas Korpisalo, his backup the past three-plus seasons, had challenged Bobrovsky more for playing time. That’s especially true of 2018-19, when Tortorella gave Korpisalo ample chance to demand more playing time with his play. It also would have calmed a lot of nerves if Elvis Merzlikins came to North America late last season and played some games for minor-league Cleveland to get acclimated to the smaller rinks of North America. Merzlikins, 25, has the makings of a standout goaltender, but there is going to be an adjustment period … and those can be difficult at the NHL level. Perhaps more unnerving is this: If Korpisalo and/or Merzlikins struggle or suffer injuries, there’s virtually no insurance policy — say, a veteran AHL goaltender with significant NHL experience — who could be a reasonable stopgap. Behind Korpisalo and Merzlikins on the depth chart are Veini Vehvilainen, who’s new to North America after playing very well in Finland’s top league the past two seasons, and Matiss Kivlenieks, who has struggled mightily at the AHL level. Brad Thiessen, a third goaltender/assistant coach with AHL Cleveland, could be signed quickly to an NHL deal, but he hasn’t played in the NHL since a five-game stint with Pittsburgh in 2011-12. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Blue Jackets brought a veteran goaltender to camp. The Blue Jackets have boasted repeatedly that their defense corps is among the best in the NHL. It’s probably fair to say it’s deep and promising, especially if oft-injured can move beyond yet another season that was sidetracked with a prolonged back injury. There’s little doubt that the Jackets are going to rely heavily on their blue line to not only help the forwards create offense but also to play incredibly smart and stout in front of their young goaltenders. That could be a difficult balancing act, especially if one of their best defensemen has a late start to the season. Zach Werenski is among a cluster of high-end restricted free agents across the NHL who don’t yet have contracts for 2019-20. So far, there are no indications that talks between the Blue Jackets and Werenski’s

12 agent, Pat Brisson, are anything but amicable. But with less than three weeks to go before training camp, the urgency is going to start increasing with each passing day. Nothing puts Tortorella’s patience on edge quite like a player who isn’t in training camp. But, rest assured, even if Werenski is signed, sealed and delivered before the Sept. 12 start of camp, Tortorella will be plenty busy. The Blue Jackets have no fewer than four rookies who are expected to stick on the NHL roster this season: Texier, Bemstrom, Merzlikins and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. There are at least six others — forwards Eric Robinson, Kole Sherwood, Kevin Stenlund and Trey Fix-Wolansky, defenseman Andrew Peeke, and Vehvilainen — who sit right on the cusp of the NHL on the organization’s depth chart. Even in today’s increasingly young NHL, that’s a lot of youth to fold into the lineup. The Blue Jackets finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division last season, behind Washington, the , Pittsburgh and Carolina. The three teams behind the Blue Jackets all took substantial steps to improve — Philadelphia added center Kevin Hayes and defenseman Matt Niskanen, the New York Rangers added Panarin, and New Jersey added defenseman P.K. Subban, forward Wayne Simmonds and No. 1 pick Jack Hughes. This might not be the ideal time to have so many question marks in your lineup.

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The Athletic - Analysis: Glass half full — how the Blue Jackets can be better than most expect By Aaron Portzline – August 28, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Before you conclude that this is the most optimistic Blue Jackets preview ever produced, realize it’s the second part of a two-part series. This isn’t the best-case scenario, necessarily, but it’s definitely a “glass half full” look at the 2019-20 season, a reasonable glimpse at what could happen if the question marks on the roster get pleasant answers. (The “glass half empty” edition posted on Monday.) It stands to reason that a club which barely qualified for the playoffs, then suffered an almost historic loss of talent in free agency a few months later, is likely looking at some lean years. But that hypothesis falls apart upon closer inspection, especially the first part of the argument. It’s ridiculous that the Blue Jackets needed a blow-up team meeting and a late flurry of wins just to earn the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference last season. But the behind-the-scenes drama and dysfunction created by two of their best players had a restrictor plate effect for much of 2018-19. The Jackets will miss the on-ice talents of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and forward Artemi Panarin, and their departures — along with that of forward Matt Duchene — have created worrisome holes in the Blue Jackets’ lineup in 2019-20. That first-round sweep of Tampa Bay came at quite a cost. But the biggest reason for optimism in Columbus this season is this: The drama and dysfunction have passed, and in their place is a measure of defiance and resolve that hasn’t been felt among the Blue Jackets in at least two seasons. Coach John Tortorella is going to love this bunch. His veteran players are pissed, not just that Bobrovsky, Panarin, Duchene, and others would walk away from a winning organization, but that most of the hockey world is back to seeing the Blue Jackets as also-rans. One of the subtitles to the Blue Jackets’ 108-point 2016-17 season — still the best season in franchise history — was how physically challenging that club was to play against. It was expressed in the postgame words of many, many opponents that season. It hasn’t been said much in the past two years as the Blue Jackets started to align themselves behind Panarin’s wondrous skill set. Suddenly, the Jackets could score highlight goals with regularity. Suddenly, the Jackets could win games in which they really didn’t play that well. Those danglin’ days are over for now. Expect a much more direct offensive attack in 2019-20, and that suits most of the players on the roster. Yes, the Blue Jackets lost a lot of talent and salary over the summer. But this roster is still deep with proud, impactful players: captain Nick Foligno, Cam Atkinson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Anderson, Gustav Nyquist, Boone Jenner and Brandon Dubinsky at forward, and Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Ryan Murray and David Savard on defense. That’s a highly competitive foundation.

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The Jackets also have a budding 30-goal scorer in Oliver Bjorkstrand, and a flurry of promising young forwards who should breathe skill and speed into the mix. Alexandre Texier, Emil Bemstrom and possibly others will get a chance to make a splash in 2019-20. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has noted that second-line center Alexander Wennberg couldn’t have a worse season than the “shitty” year he put together in 2018-19. (To say nothing of Wennberg’s odorous 2017-18 season, too.) Is it Wennberg’s concussion history that has affected his play? He says not. Is it a fractured relationship with Tortorella? That’s possible, as the coach has been clearly frustrated by his play in the past two seasons. But it’s hard to imagine Wennberg — so blessed with on-ice vision and playmaking ability — simply losing his ability to contribute offensively. He had 13-46-59 two seasons ago, playing like a budding No. 1 center. It would be foolish to give up on him already. The Blue Jackets’ top defensive pair is one of the best in the NHL. If it stays together, it could be the best in the very near future. Jones, who was tremendous in the Stanley Cup playoffs, is one of the best players in the NHL regardless of position, and he’s grown into a leadership role with the Blue Jackets. The Norris Trophy is coming; you can feel it. Werenski struggled mightily defensively in the first three months of last season, but he had a strong finish on both ends of the ice. You can search for warts all you like, but the first three seasons of his career put him alongside some of the best defensemen in NHL history. Even if the Blue Jackets keep Jones and Werenski together, they’ll have at least one high-level puck-mover on all three defensive pairs, an absolute necessity in today’s NHL and a good way to elevate your forwards. Now to the elephant in Nationwide Arena … The biggest question on the Blue Jackets’ roster is at the most important position on the ice, where goaltenders Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins will battle for the right to replace Bobrovsky. Korpisalo has waited three years for the chance to be clear of Bobrovsky’s shadow, to have a realistic chance to be a No. 1 goaltender. Who knows how his game might blossom if he gets regular starts? Maybe consistent playing time is the key to finding consistency in his game. Merzlikins, meanwhile, is a fascinating figure. He, too, has been waiting for Bobrovsky to move along from the Blue Jackets. When Bobrovsky signed a four-year contract with the Blue Jackets in 2015, Merzlikins re-upped in Switzerland, to the Jackets’ dismay, for four seasons, too, fully expecting that he’d be Bobrovsky’s replacement. The kid has moxie. He’s incredibly competitive. He exudes confidence, oozes charisma and has a zany side that could go either way with Tortorella. A prediction: a .915 save percentage will be the line of demarcation between Merzlikins being regaled as a character or dismissed as a flake. It’s likely the Blue Jackets will start the season with Korpisalo and Merzlikins splitting time, at least until somebody separates. The Blue Jackets had a team save percentage of .904 last season; that shouldn’t be too difficult to replicate. It is often said in football that a team with two quarterbacks is a team without one good quarterback. But that doesn’t hold in hockey, where many teams have found success with two goaltenders.

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Just last season, the New York Islanders split time with Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss and allowed the fewest goals in the NHL, winning the William Jennings Trophy. Carolina shared duties with Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek and allowed the seventh-fewest goals in the league. The Blue Jackets can look to the Islanders and Hurricanes for further inspiration, too. One year ago, the Islanders were left for dead after suffering an unthinkable loss via free agency. John Tavares, the Islanders’ captain and the focal point of the franchise for nearly a decade, signed with Toronto as a free agent. Many expected the Islanders to be among the worst teams in the NHL, possibly duking it out with the perennially hopeless Hurricanes for last in the Metro or perhaps last in the league. Instead, the Islanders, under new coach Barry Trotz, played a tight, smothering style that made (most) everybody forget about Tavares’ departure with a playoff berth and first-round sweep over Pittsburgh. The Hurricanes made it all the way to the Eastern Conference final before losing to Boston. It was the latest bit of proof that a tight-knit team playing within a team concept can go a long way in hockey, even with a no-name goaltender. (See the Stanley Cup-winning St. Louis Blues, and goaltender Jordan Binnington.) The Blue Jackets, even after the wave of summer departures, have a deeper, more talented roster than either the Hurricanes or the Islanders. Not only are the Jackets free of the drama and distractions that made the 2018-19 regular season such a labor, but they’re armed with an easy us-against-the-world mentality. That can only serve them well, and it could carry them a long way.

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ESPN.com - 'Let's have all the people write us off': Blue Jackets GM confident in his team By Greg Wyshynski - August 28, 2019

When the Columbus Blue Jackets were eliminated by the in Game 6 of the second round of the playoffs, it marked the furthest the franchise had ever advanced in the postseason. It also marked the end of the Blue Jackets as we had come to know them. There was some muted optimism that the band could be kept together. "You never know what's going to happen this summer. Who's going to stay? Who's going to go?" said winger Cam Atkinson. Here's who decided to go: Winger Artemi Panarin, one of the league's top point producers, who signed with the New York Rangers; goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy, who signed with the ; center Matt Duchene, a trade-deadline acquisition who signed with the Nashville Predators; and Ryan Dzingel, another trade-deadline acquisition who signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. All four of these players were involved in one of the boldest decisions by an NHL franchise in recent memory, as the Blue Jackets went "all-in" by holding on to Panarin and Bobrovsky -- despite many signs pointing to their imminent departures in unrestricted free agency this summer -- while acquiring rentals in Duchene, Dzingel, goalie Keith Kinkaid and defenseman Adam McQuaid, none of whom are under contract with the team for next season, and all of whom cost the team a bevy of picks and prospects. So now what? Have the Blue Jackets swung for the fences only to end up face down in the batter's box? Or do they still have another swing in them? We spoke with Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen about the team's deadline gamble, his efforts to keep Panarin and Duchene, and whether those who are forecasting a step back for the team are underestimating them. ESPN: With the benefit of hindsight, do you have any regrets in going for it like you did at the trade deadline? Jarmo Kekalainen: Not at all. It was a decision that we made as an organization, from the ownership all the way down to the management. Let's have this group together, for the last time, and let's see what we can do. It was a calculated risk. It had a price that we felt we could endure with the depth of our prospects. We beat Tampa Bay, one of the all-time best teams in the regular season. We gave Boston a hell of a run. It was a close series. The better team wins the series, and we lost, but we were right there with them. I think we showed everybody that we did have a chance to go all the way and win the Cup. That was our goal. We weighed the risks. It wasn't just us swinging [at] something because we felt it at the time. We talked about it. We weren't going to trade Panarin and Bobrovsky for just picks and prospects. Now, if someone came along and gave us a package that was just too good to pass up, we might have made a different decision. But it wasn't there. So we decided to go all-in. There are no regrets. ESPN: Why don't you think Matt Duchene stuck around? Kekalainen: I'm not the guy to answer that. It was his personal decision. He was fine with us. Did what was expected, and was that guy we needed in our top six. But it was a bit of a two-way street [in the offseason]. We felt where our team was at, to give up another first- round pick [to Ottawa, per conditions of the trade if Duchene re-signed] and then go into the term of that new contract with the dollar amounts that were involved ... it was a tough decision for us, too.

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I'm sure he had a lot of options. Everyone talked about Nashville. Everyone seemed to think that's where he was going all along. And that's where he did go. It is what it is. Panarin was the guy we did everything to keep. ESPN: Before Panarin signed with the Rangers, you made a last-ditch offer to keep him, an offer that the Rangers have told me had them worried in the 11th hour that he might still head back to Columbus. Did you think that last pitch was enough to retain him? Kekalainen: We just wanted to make sure that we showed him we did everything we possibly could to keep him. That it wasn't going to be a matter of not giving him a fair contract. We're going to do everything we could to make him feel appreciated. And he decided to move on. That's his decision. We have to respect that. ESPN: When I spoke with him after taking over as Rangers president, John Davidson told me that people writing off the Blue Jackets are short-sighted. That this team can still contend. Kekalainen: Yeah, I like that. Let's have all the people write us off. That's perfect motivation for our group. We made the playoffs three years in a row. In the last three years, there are four teams with more wins in the regular season than we had. The year before Panarin arrived, we had 108 points. We didn't have Pierre Luc- Dubois then, for example. And we didn't have Duchene or Dzingel until the deadline, and we were in the playoffs. Our core group -- the guys that wanted to be here, the guys that wanted to win with the Blue Jackets -- they're all here. There's not a player that can replace Panarin one-for-one. Not too many around the league can. We're going to have to do it by committee. And there's going to be a lot of players hungry for that ice time that he's going to leave open. A lot of guys hungry for that power-play time that he leaves open. We have some young guys that are ready to take that next step -- [Oliver] Bjorkstrand, who scored at a 40-goal pace that last 40 games of the year. And Dubois, who is only 20 years old. Josh Anderson is just scratching the surface. Cam Atkinson will be motivated to show that he scored before Panarin and can score after Panarin. We have one of the best D corps in the league with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski hopping over the boards for 26 and 27 minutes a game. You feel pretty safe that the puck is coming out of our end. And I think we go eight or nine deep when you start counting them up on our end. There's a lot of those [veterans] in our lineup, and a lot of young guys coming in. It's a great opportunity, and it's going to be a hell of a battle for that ice time. We're in pretty good shape, in our opinion. ESPN: And then there's the goaltending. Kekalainen: The goaltending's going to be a bit of a question mark. We'll see. We have two talented young goalies that wanted to take the opportunity and make the most of it. ESPN: Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins have potential. But is this a situation where you're looking at a certain time period for this to work out before you explore other options? Was there any thought in doing that before the season? Kekalainen: We're going to have an open mind. We're going to give the guys a proper chance to show that they belong. They're going to have that opportunity and we're not going to be in any rush. We're going to be patient. The philosophy that we have here is that we have these two talented young goalies. Korpi was a No. 2. Elvis has been patiently waiting in Europe to become the best goalie over there at age 25. There are lots of examples of goalies who waited and waited and they then come over and step right in: Niklas Backstrom I had in Helsinki as a kid; it wasn't until he was 28 years old when he made it to the NHL. Jonas Hiller in Anaheim was

18 about the same age as Elvis is right now. Elvis is a Swiss league superstar and a world championship superstar. That doesn't mean he's going to step right into the NHL and play great. But I think there's potential there. If you look around the league, almost every goalie has been a No. 2 or moved once or twice before they become a No. 1. I've been involved in drafting a couple of them. Like Ben Bishop, who we had in St. Louis, and then he went from Ottawa to Tampa to Dallas before he was a Vezina finalist. It's not too many that become No. 1 right away. You can count on one finger on one hand the number of goalies who stepped into the league as No. 1s. So we're going to give these guys a chance to prove they can do it. There's not a real No. 1 available, so to speak, right now, that you can just go and get. Rather than watching our guys get moved and become No. 1s somewhere else, we're going to give them the chance to show they can do it with us. ESPN: I ask this next question with no disrespect to Bobrovsky, but do you think the system that your team plays is beneficial to a goalie, to the point where his numbers are bolstered by it? Kekalainen: I think time will tell. I don't want to take anything away from Bob or his accomplishments. But I think with the D that we have playing in front of the goalies, I think goalies can appreciate that. Let's put it that way. [Bobrovsky] was a great goalie for us. He decided to move on and he had that right. Now he's an opponent. So we're not going to wish him too much luck. ESPN: Are you at all worried about the development of Alexander Wennberg? That's a player a lot of fans mention as a point of frustration, as far as potential not being met. Kekalainen: It certainly hasn't gone in the right direction the last couple of years. There's no physical decline, so I'm still confident that he can bounce back. He has the skill. He has the sense. He has the instincts to play the game. He's shown us he can do it. He had 59 points the year we signed him to that long-term contract. He's disappointed in himself. He needs to change the way he plays a little. He's a pass-first guy. If you want to score in the NHL, you need to have a more direct line to the net to create more offense. It can't always be a dish off. He needs to shoot the puck more. Go to the net more. It's funny how things work: We sign him to that contract and everyone says how great the contract is. And then we sign Seth Jones, and everyone says we're paying him too much money. And now it's the other way around. People say we have a great contract in Seth Jones and the s---tiest contract with Wennberg. But we still believe he can bounce back. ESPN: Speaking of contracts: As we speak, Zach Werenski doesn't have a contract as a restricted free agent. You've said you expect him in by camp. But how frustrating is it for you, as a general manager, to constantly have to wait for the dominoes to fall in free agency? Kekalainen: Yeah, but the real frustration for me [is when it] drags on into training camp, because that's a time for "team." That's the time when the boys come here together. They start preparing and jelling and building that chemistry that we need as a team. When it goes to training camp time, it takes away from that preparation. It takes away from the team. That's what I'm concerned about. And that's where we've drawn the hard line before: We don't believe in taking that preparation time away from the team. We think it should be resolved before the team gets together and gets ready for the season. ESPN: Finally, there was a big name that rejoined the Blue Jackets this offseason: Rick Nash returned to the organization as a front-office executive. Obviously, we all wish it were under different circumstances --

19 considering he had to retire because of issues with concussions -- but he comes back home. How did that come together? Kekalainen: We talked a lot about him playing for us, if he was going to play. That was the first contact, last summer. But with the concussion symptoms not going away, and his health concerns, he decided to retire. As soon as he made that decision, I was in contact with him. I said if he ever wanted to have a coffee and talk about his career off the ice, we'd be interested in talking with him. We met, we were impressed with his knowledge of the game and the insights that he had that he could bring into a front office. All things together, we decided to make him a full-time guy, learning the ropes. We'll see what he wants to do, but I think he's into it. And he's willing to put in the hours, go to the games, and do the work. ESPN: When do you retire his number? Kekalainen: [Laughs] That's for another conversation, in the future.

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Columbus Dispatch - Emil Bemstrom to miss prospects tournament with facial injury; should be OK for Blue Jackets camp By Brian Hedger – August 29, 2019

The Blue Jackets released their roster for the annual Traverse City prospects tournament next month, and one big name was missing. Emil Bemstrom, who led the Swedish Hockey League in goals last season at age 19, will not participate in the tournament because of a facial injury. The Blue Jackets revealed the news in their press release about the tournament, stating that Bemstrom is expected to be ready when training camp opens Sept. 12 with medical evaluations and fitness testing. The nature of the injury, including how and when it occurred, was not made public by the team. Bemstrom, 20, was selected by Columbus in the fourth round (No. 117) of the 2017 NHL draft. As an SHL rookie last season, he had a breakout year with 35 points on 23 goals and 12 assists in 47 games. Bemstrom also helped Djurgardens advance to the championship round of the playoffs with five goals, five assists and 10 points in the postseason. He is expected to compete for a spot on the NHL roster this season with the Blue Jackets, who are looking for a handful of forward prospects to take a step forward in the wake of Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene leaving as free agents. The Blue Jackets will still have a collection of their top prospects on the ice in Traverse City, Michigan. The goalies will be Elvis Merzlikins and Veini Vehvilainen, who both made names for themselves in Europe and hope to compete for NHL time in the search for Sergei Bobrovsky’s replacement. Forwards include drafted prospects such as Alexandre Texier (2017 second round), Liam Foudy (2018 first round), Trey-Fix Wolansky (2018 seventh round) and Tyler Angle (2019 seventh round) plus free-agent signees Maxime Fortier (2017) and Jakob Lilja (2019). Defense prospects include Andrew Peeke, Tim Berni and Eric Hjorth, who were all drafted, along with Michael Prapavessis — an invited college free agent last year who earned an invite to main camp and then a contract with his play in Traverse City. The Traverse City prospects tournament will be held Sept. 6-10 at Centre Ice Arena, with the Blue Jackets looking to defend their 2018 championship.

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The Athletic - Sergei Mozyakin: The Greatest Blue Jacket who never was By Aaron Portzline – August 31, 2019

COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was getting late in the 2002 NHL Draft in the Air Centre in Toronto, and Blue Jackets director of pro scouting Bob Strumm was getting anxious. He’d stumbled upon a dazzling but undersized hockey player from Russia during one of his many international scouting trips, and this was the perfect time in the draft — the ninth round — to take a flier. One problem: The Blue Jackets were out of picks. “I can be a pain in the ass,” Strumm said. “I’m pretty sure every guy at the draft table knew I had a guy I wanted to take. So, (general manager Doug MacLean) got me a pick. He did me that favor, but he might have done it just to shut me up.” Beyond the first round of the draft, NHL teams announce their picks from a microphone at their table on the draft floor. The Blue Jackets, who traded their ninth-round pick in 2003 to Florida for a ninth-round pick in 2002, let Strumm do the honors. “It’s the only pick I’ve ever announced,” Strumm said. “And it might be the one I brag about the most, too.” The Blue Jackets, with the 263rd overall selection, drafted forward Sergei Mozyakin, who had been passed over in the previous two drafts and had spent the previous three seasons playing for the junior club associated with Russia’s Central Army, known as CSKA. Mozyakin didn’t attend the draft, so he didn’t have a chance to pull a Blue Jackets sweater over his head and mug for the classic draft picture, where the baby-faced prospect is surrounded by NHL club executives and scouts in suits. In fact, Mozyakin has never worn a Columbus sweater, which is why even long-ago members of the Blue Jackets’ front office tend to wince, grin or shake their heads at the mention of his name. Mozyakin (pro: mo- zee-YAK-in) is virtually unknown, even among hardcore Blue Jackets fans, and it’s probably better that way. Simply put, Mozyakin, a superstar in Russia, has been one of the hockey world’s dominating players over the past two decades, a player many compare to NHL great Ray Whitney and some say would have been a perennial NHL All-Star. He’s the all-time leading scorer in the history of Russia’s KHL (326-368-694 in 590 games), having led the league in points six times and in goals four times. He’s twice been MVP of the league and twice been MVP of the playoffs. He’s also won an Olympic gold medal and two gold medals in the IIHF World Championships. “I would say he’s top three among the best shooters I’ve ever seen,” said former NHL forward , who played with and against Mozyakin in Russia and who played with Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk and others with the Avalanche during the mid-2000s. “Mozy would have been an All-Star in the NHL, no doubt in my mind. He would have had a similar transition to (Artemi) Panarin coming over. His natural talent combined with his willingness to win would have made him a great NHL player.” So why did Mozyakin never play for the Blue Jackets? Why, especially during all those lean years in the early days of the franchise, did they not do everything possible to sign him? Why are NHL general managers and scouts left to watch him still today, thriving at 38 years old, and wonder what could have been? 22

There’s no one to blame, it seems, and no simple answer. Exploded on the scene When an NHL club drafts a player from overseas outside of the first round, it’s customary to let the player continue to grow and develop in his home country. Any plans to bring them to North America are usually two or three seasons into the future, especially a late-round pick. So it was with Mozyakin, who was 5-foot-10, 165 pounds when the Blue Jackets drafted him. The Blue Jackets landed Rick Nash with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft, so they set about to build around their future captain while Mozyakin remained in Russia. “As I recall, there wasn’t any urgency on either side to do a deal,” said NHL agent Don Meehan, whose Newport Sports Agency represented Mozyakin in North America. The best contract the Blue Jackets could offer him for several seasons after they drafted him was an entry-level deal, one that would have included an NHL salary, a minor-league salary and no guarantee that he wouldn’t be sent to the minors if he struggled in Columbus. If they’d put such a contract in front of Mozyakin right after they drafted him, maybe things would have been different. But not likely, because he never showed any interest in playing in the NHL. Meanwhile, Mozyakin’s play in Russia quickly priced him out of an NHL entry-level deal. The year after he was drafted, Mozyakin, playing mostly left wing, became a full-time player in the Superleague, then the top level of pro hockey in Russia. He had 12-15-27 in 33 games, including a strong finish that had scouts on both sides of the ocean taking notice. The next season he was almost a point-a-game player (21-19-40 in 45 games), and within two years, he’d played his way onto the mighty Russian national team. “We had discussions, sure, about bringing him over,” said chief of pro scouting Jim Clark, who was an assistant general manager under MacLean in Columbus. “We would have talked about it early each summer. The rumor at one time was that he was already making $3 million in Russia, and I don’t think we had $3 million for him. If you remember, at the time, there weren’t a lot of guys his size in the NHL.” Through the years there has been surprisingly little interaction between the Blue Jackets and Mozyakin. “When I got a serious facial injury at the beginning of my career, back in 2002-03, they sent me a (Blue Jackets) T-shirt and a photo (of his name on the board) from the draft, wishing a (quick) recovery,” Mozyakin told The Athletic via an interpreter. “And I have had no other contacts with them.” Well, there were at least two other informal meetings. Strumm, who is now retired and living in Las Vegas, said he once had a 20- to 30-minute talk with Mozyakin, with former Blue Jackets scout Artem Telepin translating. He believed it was in 2002. “Mozy was hardcore,” Strumm said. “He had a young family and was just starting to make money. But I don’t think the NHL was a dream of his, I really don’t. “There are some guys like that. No hard feelings. He was hardcore about playing at home.”

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Clark went to Russia in 2003 to help facilitate Nikolai Zherdev’s middle-of-night departure from Russia to Columbus. As he waited for Zherdev after a game, Zherdev’s agent, Rollie Hedges, pointed out Mozyakin as the young Russian leaned against the bus. Once again, Telepin bridged the language barrier, but the conversation was brief. “Not much was said other than ‘Hello,’ and ‘How are you?'” Clark said with a laugh. “He was a pretty established player already at that point.” No interest in the NHL MacLean was fired in 2007 and replaced by Scott Howson, who remembered Mozyakin’s name jumping off the page when he looked at the Blue Jackets’ reserve list of players shortly after taking the job. Howson sent coach Ken Hitchcock to scout the World Championship after the 2007-08 season, during which Mozyakin dominated the final year of the Superleague with 37-29-66 in 57 games. The KHL dawned the following spring. “Yeah, he’s one hell of a player,” Hitchcock said. “But, being honest, it was really hard to evaluate him as an individual because he played so well with the other guys on that team. It’s the classic Russian style, right, that they played as a unit of five. “They were so tight together, working so well together, that it was hard to separate the player from the play. So I couldn’t evaluate him as an individual except to say that he was a really smart player, a quick player, and a very team-oriented guy.” Howson heard Hitchcock’s glowing account, but he figured out quickly that Mozyakin was not coming to Columbus. “I don’t even know if you’d call it an effort, but we certainly inquired and he just had zero interest in coming over and playing,” Howson said. “It never even got to the (term and money). He didn’t want to do it. It was never an option. “And other teams must have done their own work on him because we never got a phone call from other (NHL) teams about him.” Mozyakin played with Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Gonchar in 2012, when the NHL’s owners lockout allowed those two to play for Metallurg . There were reports that the Penguins, upon advice from two of their star players, expressed an interest in Mozyakin after the lockout lifted. But Howson and then-Penguins GM Ray Shero told The Athletic there were no such conversations. “Not when I was there,” Shero said. “If it was on top of our list, I would have known, for sure.” When Jarmo Kekalainen replaced Howson in 2013, little changed. Mozyakin’s name was brought up in some of Kekalainen’s early meetings with the hockey operations department, but nothing came of it. No other NHL teams called Kekalainen about Mozyakin, either. “He was over 30 and a little bit on the decline on the international stage when I got here,” Kekalainen said. “We talked about it a couple of times, but since he had never shown any desire to come over, it wasn’t something we ever pursued.” The Blue Jackets retain his NHL rights to this day.

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Left to wonder In the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, there were several star players in Russia and Europe who weren’t free to play in the NHL, widely regarded as the best league in the world. But it’s rare these days, even with big money being paid in Russia, for the superstars not to reach North America. Imagine if Artemi Panarin, Pavel Datsyuk, , — the list could go on and on — had never attempted to play in the NHL. As it stands, we’re left to guess what Mozyakin would have become if he ever played for the Blue Jackets. In 2016-17, at 35 years old, he had 48-37-85 in only 60 games, arguably his best season. “Even at 35 years old, he was one of the slickest players on the Russian team,” Clark said. “He was like Ray Whitney, absolutely.” Imagine him playing on Sergei Fedorov’s wing in the mid-2000s. Imagine him as a second-line option behind Rick Nash for most of that first decade. Imagine him on the same power-play unit with Artemi Panarin. Imagine him this coming season slotting in with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Cam Atkinson in Panarin’s absence. “Mozy is a shoot-first type of player,” Wolski said. “That’s not to say he couldn’t pass or doesn’t see the pass. If he thought the pass was a better option, he would make it. “But most of the time he would go with the odds, and that was him shooting.” Wolski is convinced that Mozyakin would have been a star no matter when he arrived in the NHL. But others who have played in the NHL, and against Mozyakin, aren’t sure. Jan Hejda, who spent 10 seasons in the NHL, played against Mozyakin in the Superleague early in their careers. They also played against each other a few times in international competitions. “He was a smaller size, not too muscular,” Hejda said of Mozyakin. “More natural talent, high skill, great hockey sense. “As a person, I’m not saying he was a typical Russian party boy, but he was not like a hard worker. In my opinion, the decision to stay in Russia was a good decision. “I would love to see that guy in the NHL right now. He would probably be successful. Ten years ago, I’m not sure.” The NHL has adapted in recent years such that smaller players are able to not only survive but also thrive. NHL general managers used to blanch at the thought of drafting a defenseman shorter than 6-foot tall, but that’s no issue these days. “It would be easier for (Mozyakin) now, and if you go back 10 years ago into his prime, it might have been tougher,” Kekalainen said. “But he’s an excellent hockey player. “If he’d come over at the right time and was put into the right situation, I have no doubt that he could have been a player. Either way, he’s had an incredible career, no matter where he is.” Strumm lives in Las Vegas now and makes it a point to visit with friends and former colleagues as they come through town playing the Golden Knights. He’s got a million stories to tell, and few hockey lifers can spin a yarn quite like “Strummer.” Mozyakin is one of his favorite tales. “Oh, I remind guys about it all the time,” Strumm said. “Ninth round, are you kidding me? Those are the ones you brag about!

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“It’s a shame he never wanted to come over and play NHL. That’s probably selfish for me, because if the kid got all he wanted out of his career — and I’m sure he has — then it’s a great career, and there is no shame. None whatsoever. “But I would have loved to see him play in Columbus. We had one Ray Whitney. We could have had two. Left wing, right shot! Can you imagine?” Mozyakin is in the final year of his contract with Magnitogorsk. He’s unsure if he’ll continue to play after this season, or if he’ll call it quits on a remarkable career. As for regrets? He has none, he said. “The fact is, I’ve made my career in the KHL, and I don’t think history accepts ‘if’ statements,” Mozyakin said via email. “I see no point in discussing what would have happened if I had chosen NHL. I might have done better; I might have done worse. We’ll never know. “I’ll leave it to other professionals, these discussions. Let them think, argue and judge.”

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Columbus Dispatch - Opportunity knocks for Columbus Blue Jackets' prospects By Brian Hedger – September 2, 2019

One of Jarmo Kekalainen’s favorite parts of the hockey season will soon be here. It's almost time for the NHL prospects tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, which begins Friday and runs through Sept. 10. The stakes are higher than ever for the Blue Jackets and their prospects after six players left in free agency. There will be more opportunities than usual for rookies to climb the ladder in training camp, which opens Sept. 12, and the general manager will watch the competition closely. “I’ve said it before, but the guys who can rise above the level of the tournament and be some of the best players there usually have a pretty good chance of making the team,” Kekalainen said. “History has shown us that’s a great path to get prepared for the main camp and be ready to make an impact there.” Three things to know 1. No Bemstrom The Blue Jackets hoped to have forward Emil Bemstrom’s high-caliber shot available, but the 20-year-old — one of their top two prospects — has a facial injury. Bemstrom, who led the Swedish Hockey League in goals last season, reportedly was struck in the face with a puck while training in Sweden. He is expected to be ready for the start of training camp at Nationwide Arena. 2. Eaves debut The Blue Jackets have played for the tournament championship the past two years, winning it last year. Former Cleveland Monsters coach John Madden ran the bench each time. This year it will be Mike Eaves, who was named in June as Madden’s replacement. Eaves, 63, has extensive coaching experience at the college, professional and international levels, including 14 seasons with the University of Wisconsin. He will have a talented, experienced roster — including two highly regarded goalies — so his decisions will be interesting to watch. 3. First impressions Two of the Blue Jackets’ three draft selections this year are on the tournament roster: Swedish defenseman Eric Hjorth (fourth round, No. 104) and center Tyler Angle (seventh round, No. 212). Hjorth missed the majority of last season in Sweden because of a knee injury. This year, he will get his first taste of North American hockey while playing for Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League. “He’s going to play in North America and learn both the playing style and lifestyle, all those things,” Kekalainen said. “He’s fairly close (in proximity), too, so we can monitor him.” Two questions 1. Elvis or Veini? “GoalieWatch 2019” will begin, as Elvis Merzlikins and Veini Vehvilainen each get a chance to work in net. Vehvilainen, 22, dominated Finland’s highest pro circuit the past two years, winning a championship in 2018. Merzlikins, 25, was a star in the Swiss league. “Veini Vehvilainen’s been the best goalie in the Finnish league and won a championship, and Elvis has been the best goalie in the Swiss league,” Kekalainen said. “Those are two of the best leagues in all of Europe, so we’re looking forward to seeing both of those guys in our uniform. And that’s a great first step to get acclimated … to play in Traverse City.” 2. Will a free-agent invitee emerge? The Blue Jackets uncovered defenseman Michael Prapavessis last year among a handful of free-agent invitees.

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This year, they have invited 11. Among them, keep an eye on undersized forward Kyle Maksimovich, a 21-year- old who had 81 points on 35 goals and 46 assists in the OHL last season. One fast fact The first team the Blue Jackets will face is the New York Rangers, who lured away star left wing Artemi Panarin and former president of hockey operations John Davidson over the summer.

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The Athletic - What would a World Cup of Hockey in 2021 look like? By Scott Burnside – August 22, 2019

Honestly, don’t know whether to laugh or cry when we think of the World Cup of Hockey. Abused, neglected, kicked around like an old rag doll by the people entrusted with its well-being. If we include the World Cup of Hockey’s immediate ancestors, the Canada Cup tournaments of the late 1970s and 1980s, the best-on-best international gathering has provided some of the most compelling hockey moments of all time. The 1987 Canada Cup featured Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux stunning a mighty Russian squad in the epic final. The 1996 World Cup of Hockey saw an upstart group of Americans knock off some of the greatest Canadian players of all time in a searing three-game final. And the 1976 Canada Cup was the first in a series featuring the incomparable Bobby Orr in an MVP turn. Now? It’s hard to consider the World Cup of Hockey with anything but a jaundiced view given how the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association have used it as a bargaining chip instead of treating it with at least a modicum of reverence and respect. The poorly received 2004 World Cup of Hockey was held on the eve of a lockout that scuttled an entire season. Then, after being cryogenically frozen for a dozen years, the tournament resurfaced in 2016 in Toronto. In the months leading up to the event, the league and the players’ association made a big show of explaining how the plan was for the event to become part of the fabric of the NHL’s international hockey calendar, presumably dovetailing with the NHL’s ongoing commitment to Olympic participation. Didn’t quite work out that way. The NHL ditched the 2018 Olympics in South Korea because it wasn’t convenient for them and because the players somehow managed to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement that didn’t enshrine Olympic participation. Then the two sides couldn’t put aside collective bargaining differences to keep the World Cup of Hockey on track, so the tournament missed the natural 2020 slot on the calendar. So much for that. Now comes word – first reported by Chris Johnston of Sportsnet – that the two sides are in the process of working up a framework for a World Cup of Hockey that would be played in February of 2021 and would replace All-Star weekend. First, the good news. The reason the players and league are even discussing in a preliminary fashion how a best-on-best tournament might look if it was held in-season is that the two sides appear to be headed toward something not seen in decades in the NHL: labor peace. Hallelujah.

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We’ll know more in a few weeks as the league can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement on Sept. 1 and the union has the same trigger option two weeks later on Sept. 15. If either side opts out, the current agreement will end Sept. 15, 2020, with what would likely result in another labor stoppage. But all signs point to both sides allowing the CBA to continue until its Sept. 15, 2022 conclusion, presumably with ongoing negotiations aimed at creating a new document without any kind of stoppage. And if there is labor peace then the two sides can actually put pen to paper on a comprehensive international calendar that will almost certainly see the NHL return to China for the 2022 Olympics where the league feels it can actually see some long-term economic dividends. Having missed the 2020 window, where does the World Cup of Hockey – a wholly NHL/NHLPA event with profits split between the two sides – fit? Or does it fit at all? The discussion of this concept is very much at the preliminary stages so this isn’t to suggest the league and its players are wedded to one specific framework if a World Cup of Hockey happens at all. So bear that in mind as I try and assess what might be the best way for this to come off without it turning in to a public relations disaster and be viewed as a tawdry money-grab. First of all, midseason is the best time to have these best-on-best competitions. That’s why the Olympics, for all of their flaws (like playing on oversized ice that hamstrings the superior NHL game), produce high-level hockey. “It’s a great idea,” said one longtime NHL executive who has played a key role in multiple international tournaments, including the World Cup of Hockey. “Players in midseason form, all done in 10 days max, teams will be loaded, fans are up to speed on the players, comes at the right time of the season,” he said. The basic framework is key. If you’re using a week – and let’s say the NHL stops its schedule on a Saturday night in early February and then resume on a Tuesday or Wednesday the following week – that would allow players to fly into the tournament’s host city or cities on Sunday and finish with a championship game on the following Sunday afternoon. How many teams can you logically accommodate in this space? There were eight teams in Toronto in 2016. If you went back to that format, it means two groups of four with each team playing three round-robin games for a total of six games. But that would mean playing three games in four nights with the final round robin games on Thursday. Take a day off on the Friday to bring the final four teams together. Play two semifinal games on Saturday and a gold medal game on Sunday. That’s too much. One longtime NHL GM who likewise has experience in the international best-on-best tournaments said five games in 10 days for some of the most important players in the world on the eve of an NHL playoff push is way less than ideal. One of the reasons many owners hate the Olympics is the risk of injury with the most important part of the NHL season still to come. So, having eight teams is a virtual non-starter. Now you’re looking at a six-team grid.

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The schedule is much more favorable with two groups of three, each team playing two round-robin games and then the top four teams meeting in the semifinals. Have games Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, travel day on Thursday, practice Friday, semifinals Saturday and championship game Sunday. Since the schedule isn’t so onerous, they could have one group play on Pacific or Mountain time in Vegas, or the L.A. area. (Too soon to have it in Seattle in case folks are wondering.) Then the other group could play further East in Nashville, Chicago, Washington or Pittsburgh. That would allow for double-headers on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to get through the round robin portion. It’s critical that fans be able to see all of the games on television otherwise what’s the point? The semifinal and final? How about in the home of the 2020 Stanley Cup champion? That would be a nice bonus for whichever team comes out on top next June. Now you’re into the predicament of which teams. This is where it gets problematic for the league and the NHLPA. Canada, the United States, Russia, Finland and Sweden are givens in terms of national hockey hierarchy. Now what? Do you go with a Team Europe a la the 2016 World Cup of Hockey? That means Czechs, Swiss, Slovaks, Germans, Slovenians, etc. all jammed into one team. One executive suggested bringing the Czechs and Slovaks together to form the sixth team. But that eliminates players like Anze Kopitar, , , Roman Josi and Jaroslav Halak – the hero of Team Europe that advanced unexpectedly to the final in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Six teams also means there isn’t room for a version of Team North America that was so popular in 2016. That team of young guns from Canada and the United States allowed rising stars like Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel to play against more established NHL stars. It was a hit on the ice and among fans, but one NHL executive wondered if Team North America is a one-time phenomenon and should be laid to rest, especially with no time to prepare before the start of game action. He felt the same way about Team Europe. You’ll get no argument from USA Hockey on the dissolution of Team North American after the Americans missed out on a number of top young stars in 2016, including Eichel, Seth Jones, and Matthews, which contributed in no small way to a disastrous winless turn in the tournament for Team USA. Could you form an all-world young guns team for 2021? Sure but that eliminates even more NHL stars and then you have to ask what is the point of having such a tournament if you’re going to include made-up teams again. One NHL executive with a long history of best-on-best involvement said that, if you’re doing a World Cup of Hockey, it has to be nation teams taking part, plain and simple. That is where the drama and emotion comes from, players from the same country donning their country’s jersey and playing for pride of nation. “It’s the World Cup, it’s your country versus other countries,” the executive said. So, forget the hybrid teams and invite six countries to take part a la the Olympics. But which teams? And how do you address the potential need for help from outside the NHL? Even the more established hockey nations aren’t so flush with NHL talent that forming a roster is automatic.

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According to NHL.com, only 23 Russian-born players played in at least 50 regular season NHL games last season. Seven of those were defensemen. Just 23 Finns, according to NHL.com, played 50 or more games last season. Six were defensemen. And that’s not counting whichever team is added as the sixth team, which would also need outside help to fill out a roster. Is the KHL going to alter its schedule to help out the NHL/NHLPA World Cup effort in 2021 so the Russians, Finns and other nations can fill their rosters with the best possible players? How about elite leagues in Sweden, Finland, Germany, etc.? That’s hard to imagine. So, let’s assume you find six teams to play in this mini-World Cup of Hockey. Would it be worth it? Will fans warm to the idea and shell out hundreds of dollars for tickets? There’s the great unknown. As one executive noted, the magic of the Olympics and the NHL’s participation in the Olympic experience from 1998 to 2014 can’t be duplicated. The NHL’s presence at the Olympic hockey tournament is a grand part of an even more elaborate, magnificent event. The World Cup of Hockey is something that is created out of nothing to stand alone. Now it’s being potentially created out of nothing and wedged into an extended All-Star break. So maybe we should be switching gears entirely. One of the executives floated the idea of a Ryder Cup type event – an idea that came up a number of years ago – although it does seem clear the NHL and NHLPA are focused more on a multiple-team event. Select two teams, one from North America, the other from the rest of the world and play a best two out of three. Not unlike recent efforts to make the annual All-Star Game meaningful with a healthy cash incentive, make the pot something like $1-2 million per player, winner takes all, loser gets nothing. That’s something players could get behind, the executive surmised. And by playing a short series with the NHL’s best players – imagine the debate over who should make up the two rosters? – there would be more than enough emotion to make the games compelling while also reducing the risk of injury as the NHL moves into its critical stretch run. “It would be a helluva tournament,” he predicted. There would be enough on the line to create more than a little emotion. It’s a short event that wouldn’t require a huge commitment from fans, both in the stands and on television. You could throw in some skills competitions, too, but this might be the best answer to the question the league and the union are now asking themselves: How does a World Cup of Hockey work?

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The Athletic - In a league full of exceptional talents, which special skills make the NHL’s best jealous By Justin Bourne – August 23, 2019

If you dropped me on the basketball court of an elementary school playground at recess, I’d be Michael goddamn Jordan. I mean I’m volleyball-spiking weak layups into the parking lot. I’m Dennis Rodman on the glass. My field goal percentage, given the sheer volume of nearly uncontested layups, is astronomically high. The problem is, throw me on the court against the backups of any Division III college team, and I’d instantly become the elementary school kids. That’s essentially the extreme version of what NHL players experience along their path to professional hockey. Most NHLers are Wayne Gretzky as kids, become Owen Nolan in junior, then end up as Max Talbot in the NHL. (Or whoever, I’m just grabbing random names here. I should note, “Max Talbot” is not used in a pejorative fashion here in the slightest.) For most humans in athletics (or any field really), as the level of talent rises around you, you come to realize you’re not actually all that special. However, there are a select few people for whom that realization never has to come. I was not one of those fortunate few. On my own attempted journey to the NHL, I thought I was special in certain areas until I saw others do those same things at a level so unattainably great, it more or less crushed my soul. I quickly knew and accepted that there was no amount of effort I could put in to reach the level of what certain players had to offer in those same areas. (Save me the speeches, Tony Robbins. Sometimes, living in reality is OK. Accepting that truth doesn’t mean you try any less hard with what you do have.) The first time I skated with Dany Heatley he was fresh off a 50-goal season, and I was in college. How aware are you – how aware are you really – that he is an absolute GIANT of a human, and one who moved extremely well that possessed a snapshot that could dent a diamond? Peak Heatley was no joke. I was a scoring leader on my NCAA D1 college team at the time and skating beside Heatley that one single day made me cross “NHL great” off the list of my potential hockey ceilings. If I gave you a million years and anti-aging serum, I’m guessing you’d never waste a nickel betting you could become a better sprinter than Usain Bolt. “You can do anything,” says the rainbow-embroidered throw pillow. Yeah, no. Some feats of athletic ability are just a non-option for some of us. All this brings us to what we’re talking about today: the players around the NHL who make other players go “What the hell? How and why is that guy able to do that?” Today I want to shine a light on those player- specific skills that make other NHLers feel as inferior as the rest of us. And in some cases, the skills that make pro athletes feel like kids playing against adults on the playground. For our purposes I’ve highlighted the impossible-to-miss, all-time great individual skills in-depth, then laid out the remaining selections in two tiers of greatness. It’s tough to know where superhuman and just exceptional begin, so that’s about as rank-y as we’re gonna get here. I’d love your feedback on any I’ve missed that you think warrant mention in the comments. Let’s get to it. Sidney Crosby’s backhand We all know there are numerous attributes, skills and talents that make Sid special, but when you go over the list, he has peers in most categories. 33

He’s a great skater, particularly laterally. (This is the NHL. There are lots of those.) He’s got a quick, accurate shot. (NHL. Lots of those.) His work ethic and drive are astounding. (Follow the pattern.) His hockey brain may be unrivaled in a way worthy of this list, but that doesn’t really lead to one thing we can highlight. More than anything, it leads to the correct deployment of the tool that’ll best help him in every situation, even if those tools are ones comparable to others around the league. His backhand, however, is a tool others don’t have, even if they knew where and when to dial one up. There might be two or three others who deserve mention here (I’ll go ahead and give nods to Brad Marchand and ), but to me, the only other current player who can really hang in this category is Patrick Kane. Other than that my personal list of top five best backhands – keep in mind I’m 36 years old – would include Pavel Datsyuk, and Mats Sundin. (Maybe Tim Horton or someone had an awesome one prior to the names mentioned, but I’d be hard-pressed to believe anyone before decent stick technology is bumping off any of the names on that list.) In an age where curves are bigger than ever (which runs contrary to Sid’s preferences), the backhand isn’t so much a dying art, it’s an art that never really came to be. And so, what a weapon it is for those blessed to discover it. Golf has a stat called “strokes gained,” meaning, strokes gained versus the average of the field. If, on average, the field makes a 10-foot putt five times out of every 10 tries and you make six out of 10 tries in one round, you’ve gained one shot on the field in the realm of 10-foot putts on that day (you get the idea). I think about that stat in hockey terms a lot. Where do great players make their gains on the field? (How many shot attempts gained does Nathan MacKinnon’s skating earn him versus the field? How many saves gained does Carey Price’s anticipation earn him on lateral passes? Where advantages are found fascinates me.) Well, I’d guess that Sid’s backhand is so many standard deviations past the field, both in frequencies of use and effectiveness, he’d be off any attempted charts. Really interesting fact: Crosby really only found and developed his exceptional backhand later in his career. If you ranked Sid’s twelve NHL seasons by most backhand shots taken, his last six seasons would all be in his top-seven. If you took every individual season by every NHL player over the past five years and ranked them by most backhand shots, each of Crosby’s past five seasons would be in the top-30. He scored on seven backhanders last year, scoring five, five, four and four times the other four years. I’m guessing his “goals gained” on the backhand versus league average is OK. Since we’re talking about goals gained on the backhand, then it’s fair to ask why we’re not analyzing Brad Marchand’s, given he actually leads the league in backhand goals over the past five years. The reason is that so many of Sid’s attempts are true backhand shots. They’re not dekes around the crease (Marchand finishes in tight on his backhand a lot), or rebounds, or shovels to the net in hopes of a rebound. Crosby shoots them from distance with pace. With backhands goalies never really know how it’s going to come off the stick and those shots rarely come at them with force, so when they do, even the ones that don’t go in cause chaos (read: rebounds, and assists). I’m guessing a hypothetical “points gained versus the field” on the backhand would put Crosby even farther beyond the pack. So let’s start our list here. Sidney Crosby’s backhand is special. The below video is a couple of seasons old, so you know there’s been worthwhile additions to this since, but nothing I could clip would do a better job of highlighting something that’s no secret at this point. The finish in practice at the start of the clip is a real “geez, man, relaaax” moment. The Ovi-bomb There’s not a ton I can tell you about Alex Ovechkin’s one-timer that you don’t already know, but just imagine I tried to assemble this list without including it. That’d void the whole project. 34

One of the best encapsulations of his special shot I’ve come across was written by Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. Check that out if you’d like to go really deep on No. 8’s special trait. A couple of things stand out for me about Ovi’s famed one-timer aside from “it’s really hard and good and stuff.” One – again, I find this really interesting – is that he actually came to it later in his career, much like Crosby and his backhand. This is the thing with the greats – it seems that as they lose the ability to overwhelm the game with raw speed and power, they get smarter and better at utilizing their unique gifts. Gulitti touched on that in February, with Ovi still on the road to 51 goals in 2018-19: NHL.com charted each of Ovechkin’s 644 career goals, including a league-leading 37 this season. The numbers aren’t surprising. 277 goals scored from the left circle or above (43 percent) 131 goals scored on a one-timer from the left circle or above (20.3 percent) 92 of 239 power-play goals scored on a one-timer from the left circle or above (38.5 percent) What might surprise some is the jump since the start of the 2012-13 season. 161 of 305 goals scored from the left circle and above (52.8 percent) 97 of 305 goals scored on a one-timer from the left circle or above (31.8 percent) 71 of 128 power-play goals scored on a one-timer from the left circle or above (55.5 percent), including eight of his 10 power-play goals this season. You can see from this NHL.com chart that it was around the lockout season that Ovi started to really do what we know think of as something he’s always done. (Tack on an imaginary 36 games worth of goals to those 2012-13 stats.) The biggest note about his shot for me is just the sheer vastness of what you’d call his wheelhouse. Nearly all NHLers can bomb a one-timer. The problem is they tend to need the pass in a one-foot wide window, and even on the extremes of that, they’re losing velocity and accuracy. You can pass the thing to Ovi anywhere in about a five-foot window (rolling or not) and he still seems to be able to rip it, which he explained in this article in a way only Ovechkin can: “Sometimes the pass is perfect, but you can’t shoot the puck,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a bad pass and you do a good shot.” “Sometimes it’s a bad pass and you do a good shot” is a peak Ovi Quote. Connor McDavid’s skating If you live in Canada, you probably saw the video of Connor McDavid skating the length of the ice and picking up speed on his way to hitting 40 kph (25 mph) before depositing the puck in the back of the net. It was tough to miss for sports fans, as it was run on the highlight shows ad nauseam, which is a thing that tends to happen when something is amazing. He’s doesn’t even seem to have the pedal pinned. It’s just so rare to get to see anyone skate straight, unimpeded with the puck, for basically the length of the ice (and when it does, it usually happens to the Oilers). To see McDavid do it is special. The thing is, he doesn’t even need a lane for his speed to completely change the look of what’s happening on the ice. The second he touches the puck out of his own zone to get-up and get-moving, it’s defensive panic. Everyone just starts racing back knowing what can happen. “What can happen,” by the way, is this: It’s easy to watch that and think “geez, when you see him coming, you better back off.” But that leaves bad gaps, and room above, and oh yeah, he moves pretty well that way too. I made these videos for a post on how to stop Connor McDavid. Actually, it’s more of a how not to let McDavid torch you every single time he touches the puck. I basically said run interference before he can get up to speed

35 out of his own zone. Cross-check him and slow him down early, as I suggested in the opening seconds of this video here: Few individual abilities inspire panic like McDavid’s get-up-and-go beyond Ovi’s bomb. It’s one of those rare things that, even though you know it’s coming, it doesn’t mean there’s a damn thing you can do about it. Joe Pavelski’s hand-eye (with honorable mention to ) That headline very nearly included “(with honorable mention to Zach Parise AND the next one, Brady Tkachuk).” We can wait for a little before including Tkachuk in that prestigious area though, he’s just shown himself to be pretty deadly around the net as pucks come flying in at him. Back to the poster men for hand-eye coordination, and really, the poster man: Joe Pavelski. A little known fact about him: You can fire a bullet at Pavelski and if he’s holding his Warrior Covert QR1, you won’t hit him. Shoot all you like, he will deflect those bullets out of harm’s way. What happens with truly elite abilities – as mentioned with Crosby and Ovechkin – is that it takes a while for players to realize just how special their special ability is, which is when they start looking for opportunities to exploit it. As you can see in the compilation below, it’s not just that Pavelski tips the puck well, it’s that he looks for opportunities to use that tool. He gets to a somewhat congested area in the slot, he gets the appropriate body position, then he shows his teammates where he wants the shot so he can inflict the chaos that comes with a redirection. There’s a pretty clearly-defined plan with tips from distance – you want to tip the puck back to the middle of the net. That’s because there’s no level of tipping accuracy where you could really start picking corners, and a fatal flaw of most tippers is just that. They want to tip it up into the top corner, which turns a shot on goal into one over the net. Or they push a shot going to the corner even farther in that direction, deflecting it wide. Goaltenders open up as they move across on shots, so bringing the puck back into them allows for more pucks on net, which can find holes on open goalies, and that can cause action (again, rebounds) within the most dangerous part of the rink. Hand-eye is a natural physical gift to some extent, but it’s probably the skill here that’s taken the most work and refining of the ones we’re talking about today. Look in this video below, how Pavelski works after practice at pulling shots back into the middle of the net: I’m fascinated by this trend of greats embracing and enhancing their specialness as they age. If you looked back to Pavelski’s rookie season of 2006-07 and looked at every season by every player, Pavelski would have five seasons in the top-30 (out of thousands, of course) for “most shots by deflection,” including the number one biggest total (22). (Sidebar: we know NHL’s data on stuff like this is dicey, but over a full career I’d say there’s a telling nugget here.) You’d expect something like that. But what’s fascinating is that his past four seasons are all included among those five, meaning that like Crosby with the backhand, and Ovechkin with the Ovi-Spot, he’s leaning more on his unique strength later in his career than he ever was as a younger player. Pavelski has 10 tip-in goals over the past two seasons according to the NHL’s data. If you’re a defender and Pavelski’s floating around the high slot, it’s probably not a good time to nap. Controlling his stick up there’s priority 1A. The releases: Vladimir Tarasenko, Auston Matthews I was extremely torn on whether to include Brock Boeser in the subheading above there, but I feared the “He doesn’t even have the best release on his own team” responses about , which leads us down the path of “if him, then.” This is subjective enough, so I’m cutting it at an elite two. Tarasenko and Matthews have the shots that, given the puck while in motion and an unscreened goaltender from about the hashmarks

36 to the top of the circles, I’m most confident would score at the highest rates. And it’s not because they shoot it the hardest or the most accurately. They do those things too, they just combine deception, release time, angles and unpredictability in awe-inducing ways. I’ve gone in detail on Matthews in the past, pointing out a couple of things. First, the way he changes the angle is dramatic. There’s an element there that’s like Ovechkin, only when it comes to wrist shots – he’s got a big wrister wheelhouse, if that makes sense. Watch below as he catches a pass cross-body, doesn’t have to set his feet, or get his body above the stick to lean on it. He’s able to use his size to manipulate his stick in a way that allows him to get a ton of power on shots that most of us would struggle to put any force behind. I like the clip at the end of the below video, the 2-on-1 where he whips it top shelf. It’s just a different motion for goalies to contend with. What’s so great about Tarasenko’s is how much his body lies before he shoots. In my intro to this series, I talked about deception and how crucial it is to the success of today’s stars. We’ll get more into that with our next player, but what I mean here is just how tough it is to tell where he’s shooting. Here’s a good look at that: He can also make it look easy, even though his shot climbs on goalies fast, as in the case of this shootout goal in the playoffs this past year: This is the first true generation of players who grew up only using one-piece sticks, and we’re seeing how that’s affected their ability to shoot the puck. They uh … they do it pretty well. Elite releases bring us nicely to tier one of our look at special abilities around the league. I realize that yes, there is a tier above the skills mentioned below, but they sort of exist outside the orbit of normal to me. Or more accurately, calling the below tiers two and three just felt inaccurate, given how special the abilities are. Everything below comes with the consult of each team’s beat writers, so thanks to them in helping ensure we got a fair look around the league. Tier one Patrick Kane is a liar (in the hockey sense) Since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, the 1/2/3 spots in points go to Crosby, Kane, Ovechkin. He’s obviously special, and to me, what makes him so is his deceptive body language. When he came into the league some feared how a player that small would fare against capital-M Men. Turns out it doesn’t matter if nobody can ever hit him. He’s hockey’s equivalent of a knuckleball – you know he could do just about anything at any moment and any attempt to hit him usually ends up in a swing and a miss. Carey Price’s anticipation Great goaltenders can be boring to watch sometimes. Price is too athletic for that to ever really be the case, but there’s no doubt he can make challenging plays look easy, which can seem dull. He’s like fine wine to a connoisseur. Us average Joe’s may appreciate said wine, but we probably miss some nuances, or what actually makes that wine special. Price is often over and set on plays well before most goaltenders have made up their mind about what they think is going to happen next. ’s compete I like this contribution because I think we tend to think of Hank as some handsome talent for whom life just comes easy. That may be the case in the big picture, but dude, no goaltender around the league works to win as much as Lundqvist between the whistles. He’s in that Crosby echelon when it comes to being a gamer.

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Mark Stone’s defensive stick (with a nod to Tage Thompson) Mark Stone is probably No. 1 on my list of players I’d slash out of frustration if I played against him. He uses his stick like a lizard’s tongue catching flies. It’s held in, and held in, and then BAM it’s out and disrupting plays. You try to sauce the puck over him, he knocks it down. The puck is in a battle, he pulls it out. It’s like he’s got a magnet in his blade, with the polar opposite in the puck. Tage Thompson should get some love here too – he’s another forward who disrupts with his stick like he wants nobody else to have any fun. ’s joystick to everyone else’s D-pad Marner is nearing Kane in the “can’t be hit, physical liar, deceptive” category. I describe his special skill as “joystick versus D-pad” though because it seems like he can move in any direction at any point without slowing down, which gives him a huge advantage. If you put every player in the NHL on one goal line and clocked their speed on a single “down the ice and back” test, I don’t know if Marner’s time finishes in the top quarter of the league. It’d be close. But his ability to move 360 degrees around him in an instant make him special. Brent Burns roving It takes not just a special ability, but a special personality to play like Brent Burns, because you have to genuinely not care what anyone else thinks, and be confident enough to stick with it through some failures. Not to mention sticking to it through the number of coaches who tried to beat it out of you. Y’know how some hippies are like *totally stoned philosophical voice* “Just because it’s always been that way doesn’t mean it always has to be that way, y’know dude?” That’s Burns, but with hockey, and he makes it work. Brady Tkachuk finding pucks around the paint (this will always score you goals) I think Tkachuk is going to be just about the most frustrating player to play against (boy, if he could ever play with a Mark Stone, they could form some line), in a way his team will love. Because not only is he unafraid to live on the part of the ice that many of today’s skilled players pop in and out of, he’s got an uncanny ability to find loose pucks to and get second and third chance opportunities. A healthy player who plays like that will always produce. Huge jinx coming here: it’s the most slump-proof way to produce offense. Nathan MacKinnon’s wheels If “oh crap” speed were given a ranking out of 10, and we have McDavid at 11, throw MacKinnon in there at 10.9. He, and that speed, basically won his team a playoff series singlehandedly last year. It should have him in the Hart Trophy discussion again this season. Johnny Gaudreau’s puck distribution/handling Gaudreau is in the class of Kane and Marner when it comes to unpredictability, but this time I mean with what’s gonna come next with the puck. His vision and ability to execute what he sees is a special gift. Tier two Dylan Larkin’s compete It is true that almost every NHLer works hard. Then you have a smaller group, the guys who work harder amongst those hard-working guys. Then there are the guys who compete so hard night in night out in borders on weird. That’s the company Larkin keeps and it’s the stuff that captains are made from. ’s stickhandling around the crease A lot of guys can stickhandle, but there’s a desperation that comes around the crease for most that push them from the setting “smooth” to “chopping onions.” Give Forsberg a puck around the crease and he stays so slick he looks like he’s on a daiquiri-laced vacation. Justin Williams: He kinda ends up in Game 7s and shows out when he gets there This came from Sara Civian, our Hurricanes beat writer, who was kiiinda being funny with this vote, but I’m here to show her up because I’M INCLUDING IT. While some analytics talk years ago pooh-poohed the very 38 concept of being clutch, Williams is our best piece of tangible evidence that clutch is real (because it is). Sure it’s random he’s been in so many Game 7s. But points aside, he plays special hockey when he’s been in those challenging moments. Torey Krug PP seam pass This may seem hyper-specific, but it’s such an elite ability it changes the entire look of the Bruins power play. Krug is deceptive about what he wants to do with the puck, sometimes showing shot, sometimes distributing to the flank, but everything he does seems to truly be in service of knifing a pass through the seam. And damned if he hasn’t figured out more ways to make it happen than most D could imagine possible. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and getting pucks through traffic This is an immeasurably valuable skill in today’s game, where teams try to block point shots in layers. You have to be like an NFL quarterback, in that you have to see how things are going to unfold multiple moves ahead to get pucks all the way through to the net. OEL’s does that as well as anyone in the game. Jack Hughes evasiveness There are poor, innocent ankles out there right now who don’t even know Jack is coming to take them in 2019- 20. Sad. Jack Eichel’s long stride I chalk this one up to deception too. Jack Eichel can look like he’s skating along with everyone else when suddenly you realize he’s the horse at the end of the Kentucky Derby somehow gaining on and passing everyone. That deceptive speed can be even more dangerous than on-its-face speed. ’s hook pass I love this one. In that intro piece I mentioned above, I highlighted Ryan Johansen’s ability to roll the wrists and make a hook pass. That’s something Kotkaniemi has made a part of his daily repertoire, all over the ice. Keep an eye out for it. Nikita Kucherov’s smarts You don’t end up with Kucherov’s point total without seeing the game differently from the rest of the league. The game looks like it’s in slow-motion for the league’s defending Art Ross Trophy winner. Y’know those moments where you’re watching a game and you think “Oh he’s open!” only to have the play evolve past that moment? That never happens when it’s Kucherov with the puck. We’d love for you to weigh in on these in the comments below. Did we miss any? Do you have anything to add?

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The Athletic - DGB Grab Bag: About those unsigned RFAs, in defense of a bad stat and laughing at the 1993 Leafs By Sean McIndoe – August 24, 2019

From the headlines We’re into late August, and the biggest story in the NHL might be the lack of RFA signings. While we’ve seen deals get done for players like and Jacob Trouba, most of the big names remain unsigned with the start of camp just a few weeks away. So what’s going on? I had my spies check in with various top RFAs around the league to get an update on how talks are going. Mitch Marner: Despite inaccurate media reports that he’s being unreasonable with his comparables, has only ever asked to make close to what the other highest-paid forwards in Toronto do. As soon as MLSE offers that Marc Gasol/Serge Ibaka money we should be all set. Brock Boeser: Was secretly hoping he could trick the Canucks ownership into giving him the sort of foolish extension they’d almost immediately regret, but it looks like Jim Benning beat him to it. Charlie McAvoy: Can not receive an offer sheet, which sets him apart from all the other RFAs, who will not receive an offer sheet. : Every time he starts his speech about just wanting to be paid what the market says a player of his talent is worth, he gets awkwardly interrupted by Nathan MacKinnon asking “Wait, you’re allowed to do that?” : Has already described talks with Bill Guerin as an improvement over Paul Fenton, since now he can often get through an entire sentence without being compared to a lizard. : The conventional wisdom says he should wait until the market has been set by the better RFAs, which is going to be tricky since there aren’t any. Jake Gardiner: Is not technically an RFA but just thought it might be nice to remind the world that he still exists. : Has been engaged in a tough back-and-forth negotiation in which the Flames front office repeatedly emphasizes the importance of fiscal responsibility and avoiding contracts that cause long-term cap problems, while he just constantly replies “Hey you just traded for Milan Lucic, right?” Kevin Labanc: Enjoys a fun prank as much as anyone and had a good laugh “signing” that obviously fake low- ball offer that one of his buddies sent him a few weeks ago, but is getting kind of antsy to start negotiating a real contract soon. : Has been proposing salary figures throughout July and August, so apparently he is capable of producing big numbers for more than one month a year. The month’s three stars of comedy The third star: Robin Lehner’s trophy – Hey Lehner, if I wanted to see somebody sarcastically pointing out every minor typo, I’d just read my own comments section. YOU HAD ONE JOB… � PIC.TWITTER.COM/FMZYQWKUFF &MDASH; ROBIN LEHNER (@ROBINLEHNER) AUGUST 10, 2019 40

The second star: This Golden Knights’ ticket ad – Solid production values at the very least … TODAY, TICKETS ARE GOING TO SAVE LIVES. THE VGK TICKET GUY CHANNELED DWIGHT SCHRUTE TO MAKE SURE THE TEAM IS READY TO SELL TICKETS AT 10 A.M. TOMORROW �: HTTPS://T.CO/ZI6EQUPZYO | #GOLDENTICKETS PIC.TWITTER.COM/46EDSR0G8C &MDASH; (@GOLDENKNIGHTS) AUGUST 18, 2019 The first star: Bruce Cassidy’s one joke – My favorite part is that you just know that David Pastrnak is sitting out there wondering why his agent didn’t even get him a lollipop. ESPECIALLY THIS ONE… � #BRUINSTOUR | #NHLBRUINS PIC.TWITTER.COM/C7AHXHEGD6 &MDASH; BOSTON BRUINS (@NHLBRUINS) AUGUST 17, 2019 Thing I can write because it’s summer and nobody’s paying attention Last month, I made a personal confession. Many of you were very supportive. Only a few of you tried to burn my house down. I’ll count that as a success. And since it went so well last time, I’m ready to share another, even more controversial take: I don’t think plus/minus is all that bad. (Takes cover while being pelted with slide rules.) Look, it’s not a great stat. All the standard objections about it – it’s prone to randomness, it measures something that’s often out of a player’s control, it punishes star players who tend to be on the ice for empty- net goals – are undoubtedly true. Old school broadcaster types lean on it way too much. If you’re looking for one catch-all stat to tell you how a player is performing, plus/minus certainly isn’t it. But it’s not terrible. It doesn’t deserve its modern reputation as the one stat that must not be named. It’s simple, and it makes intuitive sense, which is important for the 95 percent of fans who don’t closely follow more advanced analytics. Yes, expected goals and adjusted relative Corsi and rolled up WAR numbers and whatever else is better, but you can’t explain them to a new fan in ten seconds like you can with plus/minus. That’s worth something. The biggest problem with plus/minus is that it’s just too noisy. But there are two cases where you can still extract some value out of a noisy stat: When you have a very large sample size (like a career number), or an extreme result. If Phil Kessel is a -2 over his last three games, that’s basically worthless. But if he’s a -11, then yeah, that starts to tell you something about how things are going for him. Bobby Orr being +124 in 1970-71 is pretty amazing, even if we can’t really tell if it’s more impressive than Larry Robinson being +120 in 1976-77. And it’s not completely unfair to wonder if Phil Housley should really be a Hall-of-Fame defenseman based on him being a minus player over nearly 1,500 games. Are there better stats we could use to prove the same points? Sure, although it’s worth remembering that most of the best ones aren’t available for the vast majority of the NHL’s history. Plus/minus has plenty of flaws, especially as the sample size gets small. It lends itself to lazy narratives and cherry-picked endpoints. And if you try to combine the plus/minus of multiple players on the same line into one overall number, you belong in jail. But plus/minus is also simple, available dating back to the 1950s and useful in at least some cases. It would be nice if analytics experts – or the wannabes trying too hard to sound like them – could stop having performative temper tantrums every time somebody so much as mentions it. I will delete this section once the season starts and none of us will ever speak of it again. 41

Obscure former player of the week One of those fun things that can happen during an offseason is that smaller stories fly by that you miss. For example, did you know that Antti Niemi’s NHL career appears to be over? The 11-year veteran and former Cup winner signed to play in Finland. I’m sure that will be a tough blow for whichever team he was on last season. In his honor, let’s bestow this week’s Obscure Player honors on Antti Niemi. No, the other one. Well, I suppose it’s more like the other other one. In addition to being the name of a reasonably accomplished NHL goaltender, Antti Niemi is also a former soccer goalie. But not every Antti Niemi plays goal, at least if you don’t mind mixing in a little juice. That gives you this week’s obscure player, former NHL defenseman Antti- Jussi Niemi. The blue line model of Niemi was a fourth-round pick by the Senators in the 1996 Draft, which was terrible. Normally this is where I list a star player who was taken around the same spot in a given year’s draft, but 1996 basically gave us Zdeno Chara, Danny Briere and 239 obscure player candidates. Anyway, Niemi responded to being drafted by the mid-90s Senators the way any rational person would, which is to say that he did not sign with the Senators. Instead, he stayed in Finland, where he’d carved out a reasonably successful career. He never did arrive in Ottawa, but he did have an impact on Senators history. In 1999, he was a throw-in for the trade that sent Ted Donato to the Ducks for goaltender Patrick Lalime, who provided plenty of hightlights. After another year in Finland, Niemi finally made it to North America and made his NHL debut in October 2000. He appeared in 28 games that year, including one in Ottawa that saw him score the only goal of his NHL career against his former team. That was basically it for Niemi in the NHL; he played just one game in 2001-02, then headed home to spend another decade playing in Europe. He didn’t have much of an NHL impact, but he had a long pro career and represented Finland in several international tournaments. And more importantly, he taught Antti Niemis everywhere that you don’t have to be a goalie, a lesson the younger generation has apparently taken to heart. Classic YouTube clip breakdown Legendary hockey maven Stan Fischler asked an interesting question over the weekend: Who’s the funniest personality in hockey history? It’s a tougher question than you might think. For some reason, hockey and humor don’t seem to cross paths all that often. You’d think they would since they’re two of the only things Canada is known for on the world stage. If you need to win a hockey game or anchor your sketch comedy show, you hire a Canadian. And yet we haven’t seen many folks who try to do both. Maybe we just take hockey too seriously up here – you can make fun of something trivial like politics or religion, but hockey is just too important. Anyway, when I read Fischler’s question, there was one name that popped into my mind: Jim Ralph. If you’re not a Leaf fan, you may not know who that is. Let’s fix that with this week’s YoutTube breakdown. Let’s set the scene. It’s the start of the 1993-94 season and the Maple Leafs’ local broadcast has just hired a new color guy named Jim Ralph. He’s a former minor league goalie who never made the NHL, so a lot of viewers won’t know who he is. Here, in this intermission feature, he’s been given three minutes to introduce himself to Leafs Nation and explain what he’ll bring to the table. Things start off with a relatively straightforward intro. Ralph lays out his professional bona fides, including seven years as a pro goalie in the 1980s, two with the Leafs’ AHL affiliate. That’s all true, by the way. Ralph did indeed play professionally. Was he any good? Put it this way: He couldn’t crack the 1980s Maple Leafs, so you do the math.

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We get some clips of the Leafs’ 1993 playoff run. At this point, it was only a few months after that, so it’s still fresh in everyone’s mind. Don’t worry, I’m sure Leaf fans will move on and stop incessantly talking about it soon enough. By the way, for any modern-day Leaf fans who are confused: The reason you see the Leafs playing multiple different teams in that playoff highlight package is because of an obscure rule called “actually winning a round”. We get almost a minute in before we realize that Ralph isn’t taking quite as much of a by-the-book approach as it seems. Our first hint that something is up is Mike Krushelnyski actually throwing a hit. That’s followed by , who is either acting or just being Wendel Clark. And then comes Doug Gilmour, who of course is the only one to be trusted with a real line of dialog because he’s just a few years away from acting in Hollywood movies with Whoopi Goldberg and Gerard Depardieu. (No, really.) Also, you want me to make fun of Gilmour’s outfit, but literally every photo of me from 1993 looks exactly like that, so I’m not saying a word. Look, just be glad he was wearing pants. Here’s the thing: I realize that not every joke in this piece is going to land all these years later. But have you ever found something on YouTube that you thought you might have imagined? That was me when I stumbled upon this upload because I can absolutely remember watching this at home the night it aired and being blown away that somebody was actually trying to be funny during a hockey game. I knew who Ralph was, having seen bits and piece of his work, including his legendary Don Cherry impression. And I’d seen people be funny about hockey in various places, like Dennis Hull’s dinner speeches or Dave Elston’s comics or some of the scenes in “Slap Shot.” But they were going to actually let Ralph do this stuff on the broadcast? You could take the NHL seriously but still laugh at it from time to time? Mind-blowing. This three minutes was basically my origin story as a hockey humorist. We get a quick shot of Ralph being weird to crack up Peter Zezel, which will become a running theme and some decent comedy timing by Bob Rouse. But the real star is “The Bomber,” Ken Baumgartner, who previews the next few decades by using his media training to be a jerk to a reporter. Honestly, I’ve spent the last quarter-century reacting to every bit of commentary from Glenn Healy, Kelly Hrudey, Jamie McLennan and Kevin Weekes that I disagreed with by silently thinking “You’re a goalie, right? That’s why” in Ken Baumgartner voice. Also, just for the record: Baumgartner had amazing hair, an all-time nickname, released a heavy metal album, could hold his own with Bob Probert and was responsible for me eating Mr. Sub once a week for like three years. He should be in the Hall of Fame. We head down the home stretch and Ralph decides to try the impossible: Getting a laugh out of Pat Burns, pretty much the crustiest personality in NHL history. It goes about as well as it could. By the way, Burns would be the last Leafs coach to say the words “Yeah, bye” to a reporter until years later when somebody asked Pat Quinn if he could describe what it was like to face the Senators in a playoff round. We close out with an appearance from Mike Foligno, who kicks Ralph while he’s down. In his defense, that was kind of his thing when it came to goaltenders. And that does it for our clip, as a freeze frame and Foligno’s haunting laugh gives us the same ending as the “Thriller” video. Ralph continued working comedy bits into his TV work and he remains one of the voices of the Maple Leafs to this day. By the way, this Leafs’ team immediately went on a record win streak that still hasn’t been broken. The only possible conclusion: Doing weird sketch comedy makes hockey teams unbeatable. It’s science.

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The Seattle Times - Seattle NHL team’s name? Uniform colors? Here’s where fans rant, vent and even chat over beers about it By Geoff Baker – August 27, 2019

The team has no name, no uniforms, no players or coaches, no tickets for purchase and not even a functioning arena to play in. But Seattle’s incoming NHL franchise does have an unaffiliated Facebook fan group that loves chatting about all of the above – and a rather organized group at that. So organized, in fact, the Seattle NHL Hockey Team Fan Page attempted its first official gathering last week at – where else? – The Angry Beaver hockey bar in Greenwood. Only a tableful of fans attended the “Hockey Happy Hour” out of 2,200 or so registered page members, but then again, when you’re dealing with a team still two-plus years away from even playing you’ve got to start somewhere. “I knew it wasn’t going to be a huge event, but you do the Facebook Live thing and show people we’re there and then you build off of that,’’ said Jonathan West, one of the page administrators who organized the gathering. West said those attending included “a cool mix of folks’’ such as the owner of a barbecue catering business and a software developer for a major technology company who sat down over beers to exchange ideas about all the stuff usually discussed online. He sees the makeup of the future NHL team’s fan base – and the Facebook group itself – as having a large subset of people transplanted from other cities with thriving pro hockey cultures. West knows something about that, being a California native and 20-year veteran of the broadcasting business now residing in Chicago and doing contract work there. From 2010 to 2012, he lived here and was the in-game host for the Seattle Thunderbirds junior team and is now pondering a move back to this region as his involvement grows with the Facebook site. He’d planned to visit relatives here this month and timed the Facebook gathering to coincide. Seattle, he added, still isn’t a thriving NHL market like Chicago or even Las Vegas – where he had worked for an ECHL team – and thus the Angry Beaver gathering marked a first attempt at bringing transplanted and native local fans “out of their shell’’ so the group can grow. In many ways, delaying the NHL team’s launch by a year to October 2021 has stalled some of the momentum that existed here for professional hockey before last December’s awarding of the team. Then again, it has also created a bottleneck of energy with few places to let it out for devoted local hockey fans eager for any tidbits on the team they can find. After all, when the biggest news in weeks involves trademarking names – Firebirds, Dragons, Sun, Falcons, Hawks and Eagles at last glance — for an affiliate in Palm Springs not even approved yet, that’s slim pickings indeed. So, yeah, local NHL die-hards by now have plenty of pent-up energy as they wait for any news at all about Seattle’s club. As we know, social media is a great place to release pent-up energy. And release it the Facebook group’s members certainly have.

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They’ve ranted, vented and enthused about a variety of topics – the team name, of course, being front and center. Under a “Popular Group Topics’’ heading on the site where fans can review past discussions, the “Team Name’’ subject comes first followed by general NHL articles from elsewhere, a “Draft & Prospects’’ section, an “NHL – Other Teams” heading and a “Jersey & Logo’’ section. In fact, the name discussion became so animated that administrators banned the topic. A recent post suggesting “Totems” got a reply the author was “stuck in the past” — after which, several responses later, said author called a “Kraken” fan “stupid” for suggesting Totems might spark a lawsuit while another invoked a “krakheads” insult and things devolved from there. “When people start to get too heated and call people ‘bastards’ and worse, then we have to shut them up,’’ West said. The team-jersey discussions are still being permitted as long as conversation stays clean – though since uniforms do incorporate the team’s name, that’s now become a proxy battleground of sorts over whether “Kraken’’ is stupid or brilliant. Still, West admitted, the name moratorium is “a relatively soft ban’’ and not a total block. “If you have an interesting idea or an article, then we’ll allow discussion.’’ And the group has had interesting posts: For instance, using their own creativity or borrowed designs to depict how the team’s uniforms might look with a given name. For now, West and three other administrators – two living within the Puget Sound region and one in Portland – are taking cues from Adrian Dsouza, a Florida resident who founded the page in February 2018. The season-ticket holder had been moderating “a large NHL trash-talking meme page’’ while his wife did the same for a large Lightning fan page and both wanted to see something started here. “I’m very excited to see a team coming to Seattle and want to set the foundation for a fan page based on my experience,’’ Dsouza said in a text message. As the page grows, he added, he hopes to hand things over to West and others. Dsouza said he sees the page “taking off in a great direction’’ as the team’s launch date approaches. West and other administrators are primarily taking tips from Dsouza on setting the tone for discussions and what they ultimately want the page to be. “We’re just trying to shape the conversation to be more quality than quantity,’’ West said. “If you’re going to go all rah-rah about a particular name, tell us why you want it.’’ He hopes the page eventually leads to group tailgating parties outside KeyArena, or even a dedicated lounge inside where they can meet. By then, of course, the team will already have a name and uniform and fans will – thankfully — be debating whether general manager Ron Francis should have drafted a fourth-line center ahead of a stay-at-home sixth defenseman.

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The Athletic - Lockout talk: Why each side might (and might not) want to opt out of the NHL’s CBA as the deadlines quickly approach By Sean Gordon – August 27, 2019

There is apathy, certainly. There is also anger, although how much isn’t entirely clear. Oh, and there’s a deadline involved. It is approaching fast. Or is it? As with most things associated with hockey’s labour situation, the picture is somewhat fuzzy. According to the collective agreement that binds the NHL with the NHL Players’ Association, the league must provide formal, written notice by Sunday as to whether it wishes to opt-out of the final two years of the CBA, which is currently set to expire in the fall of 2022. Should the league decline its option to re-open the agreement, the union will have until Sept. 15 to make a call on whether to terminate the deal in 2020, setting the stage for a possible work stoppage in 12 months time. The parties have had ongoing talks for months; they met again this past week. There are suggestions those dates could come and go without a definitive resolution, by mutual consent. “The parties have basically stopped operating under those deadlines,” said a source close to the talks. What might that mean? Is it positive? Does it mean anything at all? Those are all good questions. Shame about the lack of answers. Deputy NHL commissioner Bill Daly used the words “cautiously optimistic” in Europe 10 days ago to describe CBA talks and said this weekend the tone remains “cordial and constructive.” It’s a mood the league and PA have been telegraphing since January. I’ve talked to a couple of dozen players, agents, and team executives over the past two weeks. I’m still not convinced I have a great read on what’s actually likely to happen – just a sense that the further one gets from the table where Gary Bettman and Don Fehr are negotiating, the more caution trumps optimism. While some hockey people believe the league could surprise everyone and decide to re-open the CBA on the weekend, a far greater number are convinced they are perfectly content to maintain the status quo through the end of the current contract term. Call the latter position the broad consensus view. So all eyes are locked on the NHLPA. From the players’ side, it would seem from the outside looking in as if the incentives are lining up to ratchet up the pressure. The NHL’s national U.S. television deal is up for renewal in 2021, which happens to be the same year the league’s 32nd franchise begins playing in Seattle. And yet multiple sources on the players’ side indicate the PA isn’t agitating for a fight – not yet anyway. The non-bellicose approach from the players would be understandable. Re-opening the agreement would provide another opportunity for the league to take a run at the Holy Grail: eliminating guaranteed contracts – and likely reducing the maximum contract length, too, for good measure. As an agent was quick to note, if the players opt-out with a view to gaining ground on a series of demands, they can expect the other side to show up with a lengthy shopping list as well. That’s not to say some players aren’t feeling militant.

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San Jose Sharks defenceman Marc-Édouard Vlasic said recently he wouldn’t mind if there was a work stoppage. Quite the contrary in fact: He’s hoping for one. “We’ll wait and see what the league will say on Sept. 1, but of course there’s a lot of stuff that I’d like to change,” Vlasic said. “If the players aren’t satisfied on certain fronts, then we should rethink the CBA.” The main sticking point for Vlasic, and for a great many other players, is the escrow mechanism. In order to ensure a 50-50 revenue split with the owners, players see a portion of their salary withheld each season in order to compensate for any shortfall in revenue growth. It can take years to get a reimbursement, and often it amounts to pennies on the dollar, partly because the players have not shied from exercising their annual escalator option to increase the salary cap. (The cap increasing more quickly than revenues = more escrow. Roughly half of the increase in the NHL’s escrow- retention percentage is due to the rise in the upper limit.) “Escrow should be eliminated. It should be zero,” said Vlasic, who was involved in the last labour talks in 2012 and plans to play a role in the coming negotiations. “I mean, players sign a big contract, and they get 15 percent taken away immediately because of escrow. It’s not our fault. We’re the product, and it’s our job to ensure people watch our league. It’s not our job to take care of (equalizing revenues). Players keep saying year after year that they don’t like escrow. Now’s the time to put on the big-boy pants.” Though the ‘E’ word is always quick to come up in the list of player grievances, it’s probably better to consider it a symptom rather than the actual disease. “What they’re really talking about is the revenue split,” said a player agent who, like many sources for this story, insisted on anonymity in exchange for candour. Players realize just how constraining and narrow the definition of hockey-related revenues (HRR) is. For one thing, they’ve received a cut of zero percent of the $1.15 billion (U.S.) in expansion fees the league has raked in since the last deal was signed. The owners’ argument is the benefit to the players has been 46 new NHL roster spots in perpetuity, which is true. But is that add worth $575 million to the current crop of players? Many of the significant concessions won by the players in the last negotiation – like increased benefits and a better pension plan – effectively come out of their piece of the revenue pie. HRR is a net number, and things like employer pension contributions are counted as expenses that can be deducted from the gross revenue amount. One source who is well-acquainted with the numbers said the players are also footing both the employer and employee portion of payroll taxes. According to that source’s back-of-the-envelope calculations, the players’ actual share is likely closer to 46 percent when all is said and done – and that’s of a whole that represents something short of 100 percent of league revenues. (Other sources dispute that contention, saying the league has plugged multiple sources of “leakage” over the past six years.) “The players basically didn’t get anything in the last lockout,” Vlasic said. “We gave in on something like 7 percent of revenues because players wanted to play. If I’m the league, ‘Hey great, we were able to get that much, how much more can we get (next time)?’ But, look, every player has his own way of thinking. Some guys make $700,000 a year and just want to play. Some guys are 35 and don’t have a lot of years left. You have players like me, who have long-term contracts and can afford to not play for a year. Other players can’t. It’s harder to get the players to agree on something than 30 owners.”

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Vlasic is just one player, and as such represents only himself. He’s right to point out the wide diversity of opinion in a collective counting more than 700 members. But you don’t have to look for very long to find others who feel similarly aggrieved, at least in private. “We got screwed pretty good last time around, and I want to see at least some of what we lost addressed,” said a player who preferred that his name not be used in part because he has yet to voice his opinions internally in the dressing room or with the PA leadership. “I know I’m not the only one.” Is it more than a fringe element? Probably not. But who really knows at this point? The NHLPA surely has a handle on what the membership is thinking, but they’re not saying much other than reiterating the fact that talks are ongoing. Summer poses a challenge to attempting anything more than an unscientific poll of players, but in canvassing a raft of agents about their clients’ feelings, a sense emerges that the current contract, which has driven salaries upward, is more than good enough for much, if not most, of the membership. “The players want a deal, and they want one without a lockout,” said an agent with a sizable client stable. “If there was a mechanism to reduce escrow in the next CBA, my guess is it would be supported overwhelmingly.” That basically scans with what Vegas Golden Knights forward Paul Stastny said at a charity event in Quebec City recently. “Both sides want to tweak certain things, but at the same time, the game is growing and it’s in a good spot. So why shut down something that’s going well?” he said. “But it’s the business of the game. As a player you have to take a step back – there’s 700 of us – and we need to talk about what’s best for the game.” Stastny was drafted into the league immediately after the acrimonious bloodbath that was the 2004-05 full- season lockout and has the first-hand experience of living through the 2012 work stoppage, like Vlasic. “Some good things came out of it. Some bad things came out of it. But, obviously, the league grew,” Stastny said. “Both sides are never 100 percent happy, but a lot of things are going good.” On the league side, Daly said in an email: “Our discussions are ongoing. They have been cordial and constructive. I think both parties recognize that we are in a good place and want to continue the momentum we think the sport has been able to generate. Our talks now are focused on whether we can see if we can accomplish that, understanding certain aspects of our agreement may have to be adjusted.” Multiple club sources indicated the owners see no urgency in departing from the status quo (with some possible exceptions we’ll get to in a minute). There is scant appetite for flipping over a smorgasbord that mostly satisfies everyone in the ownership club’s tastes. “It’s hard to argue with the current model, frankly; it might not be perfect, but it’s making a lot of money for everyone – players included,” one Eastern Conference executive said recently. But since the dawn of the Bettman era 26 years ago, not one CBA renewal has been achieved without a labour disruption. Could the league really be heading for an amicable agreement on a new deal? It may look that way right now, but as always, the situation is subject to change. And change has a habit of happening quickly. So what are the elements that will either get this thing across the finish line or set the cat among the pigeons? Let’s take a look at a few. Fixing escrow Players hate it and the owners aren’t interested in taking on the financial burden of unmet revenue projections

48 and currency fluctuations. It’s not going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to fix it. For one thing, the league and the players could drop the notion of annual cap-escalator options and agree to set the upper limit of the salary cap ahead of time. That would provide certainty and could be set up in such a way as to track more tightly to the growth forecasts. The risk is it could also trap some teams in cap hell; the players remember what happened in Chicago, where a championship team was quickly broken down and sold for parts. A corollary to that would be more buyouts. There might be ways to fiddle with the administration of the CBA and allay those concerns; it’s also surely possible to make escrow repayments less plodding. As one player pointed out, if the NHL can set the next year’s salary range within a few weeks of the season ending, surely they have an idea of what the revenues were. But based on multiple discussions with team and other sources, it would appear the league’s remedy of choice there is simply to increase revenues. According to one source, the NHL’s hope is the new national U.S. television rights deal, which may well be shared among multiple networks, could triple the take it currently receives from NBC Sports Group. That 10-year deal – negotiated while late owner Ed Snider was chair of Comcast Spectacor, whose regional sports networks were folded into NBC by its parent company Comcast in 2011 – brings in an estimated $200 million each year. (Vlasic called the arrangement “a joke.”) Boosting that number to $600-$700 million wouldn’t be transformational in the way the NBA’s new megabucks broadcast contract was, but it might goose revenues on the margin to a point where the need for escrow is alleviated, if not entirely obviated. (It would help if the Canadian dollar picked up steam at some point, too.) Bettman is also said to be bullish on eventual revenues from digital streaming deals – akin to what other leagues like MLB and the NFL are doing – and legalized sports betting in the U.S. “Gary thinks there’s a pot of gold there,” a source who is familiar with Bettman’s thinking said of the gambling piece of the equation. Ownership’s ask There is no sense cracks are appearing in the owners’ resolve (on the contrary), but that doesn’t mean everything is tickety-boo either. Multiple sources report widespread annoyance at the way the Ottawa Senators will skirt the spirit, if not the letter, of the CBA next season by spending $15 million on contracts being paid to injured players in order to reach the cap floor. Roughly 80 percent of those salaries are covered by insurance. It’s not a popular tactic, particularly among teams that are paying into revenue sharing – Ottawa has been a regular recipient in recent years. What if there’s a move to try and close those sorts of loopholes? Can it be done without creating problems elsewhere? The PA would surely be willing to sign off on a proposal that will make teams spend more actual money on actual active players, but the association is also a firm believer in the law of unintended consequences. This is all hypothetical for now. It could become very real, however.

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Other teams are unhappy with the current provisions for restricted free agents. The Athletic’s Craig Custance tapped into that discontent recently; the main issue from the owners’ perspective is to find a way to avoid big- time overpays for players on second and third contracts. The Maple Leafs have been unafraid to use their financial clout to lock up their youngsters; teams with less wherewithal are understandably dischuffed at what they’re seeing. What if, for example, the league wanted to fiddle with the RFA rules or change the requirements for arbitration eligibility as a way to constrain salary inflation, essentially imposing term limits on second and third contracts by funneling more RFAs towards arbitration? That possibility is being mooted by some within the industry; it’s not on the table as far as I’ve been able to establish, but what if the idea, or another like it, was dropped in there at some point in the talks? The players would freak, for one. There are also carrots for the owners to dangle. There are reports, for instance, that the two sides are haggling over a framework that would see a World Cup staged in 2021; it’s not impossible to imagine the league finding a way for NHL players to participate at the 2022 Olympics, although some of the sources canvassed on the players’ side view international competitions mostly as a side issue. Sometimes side issues have a way of sneaking to the centre of the table, however. NHLPA demography The league is turning over quickly, and the membership of the PA is skewing younger. This is not news, but the reality might be a little more stark than it first appears. According to Hockey-Reference.com, of the 906 men who played at least one NHL game in 2018-19 a grand total of 131 were over the age of 30 (28 of them were 35 and older). That’s down from 170 out of 839 (60 of whom were 35-plus) when the last lockout ended in 2013. In fairness, the number of teenagers who played in the league last season (22) is not exactly an order of magnitude larger than in 2013 (it was 18 that year); it is also well short of the high-water mark of the past decade, which was 33 in 2016-17. But take a look at the top-30 scorers from last year and you’ll find a majority (16) were 25 and younger, and nine were 23 or younger. Not only are players, in general, getting younger, but a growing share of the NHL’s upper-echelon players are still on entry-level deals or second contracts. As one agent highlighted, the maximum base salary for a rookie is $925,000 for 2019-20; to a young player playing a prominent role on his team, that figure won’t feel like a massive premium over the league minimum, which is set at $700,000. The PA’s membership demographic is shifting, which presumably will mean a commensurate shift in priorities at some point. “The young guys don’t give a shit – they’re just trying to figure out how to stay in the league and hit their bonuses,” said a source who works with multiple NHL players on entry-level deals. To hear agents tell it, younger players are woefully undereducated when it comes to labour squabbles past. (This was corroborated in my discussions with members of the under-22 crowd.) It’s trickier to whip troops into a fighting frenzy for the latest chapter of the greater conflict when they haven’t read the previous ones.

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If there is one aspect of contract negotiations that Fehr knows a thing or two about, it’s building and consolidating support for the cause. His illustrious track record speaks for itself. But how is that cause going to be defined, exactly? What might the rallying cry sound like? Maybe there will be an unforeseen flashpoint. For instance, last week’s news that centre will serve a four-year ban from international hockey for a positive cocaine test at the most recent World Championships may stir unhappy memories of the 20-game penalty handed down to Golden Knights defenceman Nate Schmidt last year for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy by testing positive for a trace amount of a banned substance. The circumstances are completely different, of course, but the automatic nature of the sanction doled out to Schmidt rankled many within the PA rank and file. It seems unlikely at this point Kuznetsov will face further punishment from the league, which appears to be treating the affair as a behavioural health matter. As for the mechanics of what happens next, it appears at this point the decision to opt-out (or not) from the CBA will belong to the NHLPA’s executive board. That body includes the player representatives from all 31 teams and their alternates; Fehr also has a seat but does not get a vote. It’s at least notionally possible the executive will decide to consult the full membership in the next few weeks as players finish filtering back to their NHL homes. The opt-out was a topic of summer conversation in some player circles. Well, the crowd Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand runs with, at any rate. “We do (talk about it), for sure, more now than ever because we need to make a decision,” Marchand said. “But it’s a lot tougher because guys are spread out in different time zones. Obviously now we need to talk about it more and look at it a lot more closely.” As to the central concern, Marchand said: “(Escrow) is probably the biggest point. But there’s a lot of things that go into escrow. (The league) may have different views. There’s a lot of different stuff we need to talk about.” Those conversations are ongoing. So are talks between the league and PA, which are expected to continue this week. It’s safe to assume that if the situation were either tense or irreconcilable, there would be public- relations jockeying underway to seize the high ground; there is no such maneuvering. Perhaps the parties will succeed in sticking to the path of labour peace, but given the structural issues involved and the incentives at play, they’re seldom far from straying off it. Summer’s not yet over. It can be hard to see through the haze.

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TSN.CA - The workhorse goalie is disappearing from the NHL By Travis Yost – August 27, 2019

Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk led goalies in games played (67) last season, and finished second to Montreal’s Carey Price in usage, playing just 25 fewer minutes. Dubnyk and Price were absolute workhorses for their respective teams, but that term has certainly become more of a relative one in the NHL over the years. As frequently as we saw both of these netminders in the crease last season, their workload pales in comparison to the burden placed on the position just a decade ago. For context, consider Dubnyk and Price’s usage relative to their peers in the 2007-08 season. Playing nearly 3,900 minutes in a season is a tremendous amount nowadays, but it would have only been good enough for eighth and ninth 12 seasons ago. Goaltenders like Martin Brodeur (Devils), (Sharks), and Ryan Miller (Sabres) started nearly every single game for their respective teams, and were pulled only in the most extreme of circumstances. The position has changed. Teams are still on the hunt for superstar goaltenders, but teams are also becoming increasingly conscious about workload, burnout rates and the heightened risk of injuries for their primary puck stoppers. Add that to an increased understanding that goaltenders struggle when playing in back-to-back situations – the NHL schedule still sees a dozen or more of these per team each year – and you have a real incentive for strategic rest. Behaviourally, we’ve seen teams start to shift some of the minutes onto their second goaltender. Last season, the average NHL team used their No. 1 goalie in about 60 per cent of the total minutes – down almost 10 per cent from where it was a decade or so ago: Analyzing this type of data year-over-year doesn’t lend itself well to perfectly linear trends – a random run of injuries for starting goaltenders (or backup goaltenders) can create plenty of in-season volatility. But there was an obvious shift coming out of the shortened 2012-13 NHL season, and the 2018-19 season was a new ‘low point’ in the number of minutes we saw from starters. At any rate, it’s fair to conclude that usage for starting goaltenders is down about eight percentage points, which is roughly the equivalent of six or seven games. That’s not insignificant. We know that the NHL – like most major sports leagues – has become acutely aware of how fatigue and overwork can drive performance degradation and injuries. But there may be other drivers that are giving NHL coaching staffs more confidence in their depth options. League wide, save percentages for starters and platoon options or backups have trended closely over the last decade-plus, but not perfectly. The delta between these two groups has been cut in half over time: It seems likely that an increase in talent at the position has narrowed the gap, among other possible explainer variables (including more strategic ‘rest’ situations). The talent argument is an interesting one, and backed by at least one critical point. The position, which was overwhelmingly North American for decades, has been impacted recently by an influx of European goaltenders. This newer recruiting market has certainly been a boon for the NHL – six of the last eight Vezina Trophies have been won by European goalies. More than anything, it has helped create an incredible level of competition for the small number of goaltender roster slots available. Through this competition comes natural displacement and, more generally, improved performance.

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It’s hard to know where this carousel will stop – identifying a truly optimal number of starts for a given goaltender is quite difficult, and different variables may affect one team more than another – but the change in strategy is likely to stick for some time. Knowing that rest can aid performance and help mitigate significant injury from manifesting is one thing. Being comfortable in backup options to absorb some of those minutes is another animal entirely.

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Yahoo Sports - 31 Takes: Lightning's Maroon signing shows why good teams always look smart By Ryan Lambert – August 27, 2019

First it was the of the early and mid-2000s. Then, several years ago, when Chicago was still Capital-C Chicago and there was plenty of under-30 talent to go around, it seemed like you could always count on Stan Bowman to reel in one or two players a summer on extremely favourable terms. Whether it was by trade or via free agency, there was always someone who met his team’s unique problem that summer, coming in on the cheap and ensuring the dynasty would roll for at least another year. That is, right up until that stopped happening. The big names here were guys like Brian Campbell, who went back to Chicago after a years-long, semi-self-imposed exile in Florida, or , who got picked up off the discard pile and looked like a really good No. 2 centre for a year. Then there were the multiple reunions with former mainstays (Patrick Sharp, for instance) who cashed in elsewhere and ended up going back for a year here and there to lend a hand at a low price. [Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today] The seat of such bargaining power seems to have shifted as Chicago’s strength faded. Now it seems to reside in Tampa, where the Lightning have made two low-cost, shrewd pickups that give them exactly what they were missing. Patrick Maroon signed a one-year deal with the Lightning this weekend for just $900,000 — well below what should have been market value. There, he will undoubtedly provide some size, muscle and all that in a third- line role. And because of the strength of the roster, they will likely also afford him ample opportunity to improve on the 10 goals and 28 points he put up last season. At the very least, it seems like Adam Erne was more than replaced for a lower price than Detroit ended up giving him. You have to think there’s a strong possibility Tampa gets more for less from Maroon than Detroit gets out of Erne. You can apply that same logic to the Kevin Shattenkirk deal from earlier this summer. Sure, things didn’t work out on Broadway and he didn’t end up being worth the money, but for $1.75 million against the cap, you’re far more likely to get value on that deal, especially if you put him in a position to succeed. The Rangers couldn’t — for a lot of reasons, not the least of which were PR-related — so they had to move on. The Bolts have plenty of options to do just that, and even if he’s a third-pairing guy and that’s it, well, there are far more expensive third-pairing guys in the league. Simply because of who’s already locked in with that team, Julien BriseBois will spend the next few years (at least) in a position where he can be very selective about reclamation projects, and often get more value with that player than any other team would have. And much like Bowman got to take credit for simply being the guy who picked up the phone and expressed interest in these kinds of players before, so too will BriseBois continue to make a lot of hay with these acquisitions. 31 Takes : All I’m saying is, this should be 31 teams and it should be Summer League. Why have like four of these smaller tournaments with five or six teams each when you could have one and make it an event? Make it U-23 or something. Pretty easy. : Asking who the real Clayton Keller is — the 65-point rookie or 47-point sophomore who was considerably worse — really matters for the Coyotes going forward.

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Boston Bruins: Bruce Cassidy just seems like a nice guy. Prettttttty good coach, too. I was skeptical when he replaced Claude Julien but man, what a great job he’s done. : I honestly don’t think was as bad as everyone acted like he was last season. Not to say he was good or anything, but this is a classic case where a guy got hyped to the moon and then didn’t live up to the hype that should have never been put on him in the first place. He’s not even 21 and it’s not like he was this incredible player in his one year of college. I think he’ll be a fine NHLer, and everyone else will think that’s a huge disappointment. : Yes, on its surface, PTOing Andrew MacDonald to cover for the loss of Juuso Valimaki is like, “Ah jeez,” but if you put MacDonald in Valimaki’s role on a third pair, my guess is he’d be as good or better for you. Carolina Hurricanes: I think every team in the league south of Philadelphia (and some north of it) are legally required to be constantly going through some sort of protracted issue with their home rink. Chicago: This is Casey Mittelstadt thinking on Alex Nylander. Not even good in the AHL last season, so why set him up to be a “disappointment” if he doesn’t make the big club on a team with more forward depth? Good lord. Colorado Avalanche: Yeah, when you had exactly one line that could score last year, it’s probably good to have competition lower on the depth chart all of a sudden. Just my thoughts. Columbus Blue Jackets: Well jeez, what’s Kekalainen going to say? “Our prospect pool is one of the worst in the NHL and all those trades I made last year were only to save my job.” Of course the only reasonable thing for him to say was, “We have a lot of faith in these kids, none of whom anyone has ever heard of.” C’mon. : It certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see pop in five or six more goals than he did last year, mainly because he shot under six per cent. But I mean, don’t go around expecting offence from Andrew Cogliano, either. Detroit Red Wings: I feel like I’m gonna say this a lot with all the fringe guys on the Detroit roster, but if is competing for a spot on the defence, that defence is not good. : No first-line right wing, no second-line left wing, no third-line centre. Yup, things are going great. Lots of reason for optimism. Florida Panthers: This kind of attitude isn’t a great one to put out there when the absolute best you can hope for in your division is almost certainly “finishing fourth.” : Just because a guy is relatively young doesn’t mean he’s got a ton of room to grow offensively. is a third-line guy you don’t hate subbing into the second line when needed, tops. That’s fine to be. : What would be the point of trying to keep a (very good) soon-to-be-30-year-old defenceman on this team long-term? : Haha, I bet. Nashville Predators: Hold on, Martin Erat is still third all-time in Predators goals? Yeesh. : I think the nicest thing you could say for these 1-for-1 proposals is they get progressively less insane as the list goes on, but less insane than “a billion per cent insane” is still absolutely bonkers.

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New York Islanders: I think Derick Brassard could have a minor bounce-back, especially compared to the price, but a lot of people in the industry say he’s done. New York Rangers: The Rangers might have a third jersey next season? Okay, sure. Ottawa Senators: When trading for — on whom four different teams have given up before his 24th birthday — is one of your top five trades…. Hoo boy. Philadelphia Flyers: What I would say here is, “don’t bet on it.” Pittsburgh Penguins: Apparently the Pens kicked the tires on Jesse Puljujarvi earlier this summer. Edmonton wanted Bryan Rust for him so Rutherford passed. Hmm. : I’ve said this before but the Sharks were one of the best teams in the league last year with the worst goaltending imaginable. If Martin Jones is even average, look out. St. Louis Blues: Man, if you can get for just $6 million per over six years... Tampa Bay Lightning: Still nothing on Brayden Point, and it’s fun to just get this kind of non-update every single week until mid-September. : If Ben Harpur really wanted to help the Leafs blue line he would clock back out again. : Yeah I can’t imagine why no one wanted to trade for Loui Eriksson. Vegas Golden Knights: I’m really liking the prospects of a big improvement from Max Pacioretty, especially if he gets to play with Mark Stone. Man, I just realized the Knights’ RW depth is Stone, Smith, Tuch. Think you’d struggle to find a better top-three right wings in the league. Washington Capitals: To call any NHL player testing positive for cocaine use — let alone one who was just on video with a bunch of coke in the room — “shocking” is… bizarre. : My advice to the Jets is: Don’t do this. Gold Star Award Extremely funny that they’re still doing this. I hope it goes on forever. Minus of the Weekend I don’t want to wait until the All-Star break to hear the new Seattle team’s name. Very bad to do that. Just say it now. Who cares? People are gonna buy the shirts regardless! Perfect HFBoards Trade Proposal of the Week User “Yzerplan” might need to do better than this. To Tampa - puljujarvi To Edmonton - 2020 2nd, 2020 4th

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The Athletic - Pronman’s NHL prospect impressions: U20 4 Nations, Hlinka Gretzky Cup and more By Corey Pronman – August 28, 2019

This is the introduction of a new feature to provide regular updates of what I’m seeing, hearing and thinking on the prospect trail. This week’s version focuses on the U20 4 Nations and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Here’s what I learned: I’ve rated a lot of players during the farm ranking series and received a lot of … let’s call it feedback on various players evaluations. Most of the time I don’t budge because the arguments don’t sway me. But one player I think I might have underrated was Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. I maintain what I said in that his offensive upside is limited, but with his skating, compete level and how he looked up with the Bruins, he should have been higher on their team ranking. Matias Maccelli (LW, Arizona) was consistently impressive at the U20 4 Nations. He showed his high-end puck skills and vision, and made a lot of plays for Finland. He wasn’t invited to the World Junior summer tournament, but if he continues his strong play, he should be on the radar. He also had a four-goal game in Liiga preseason. Santeri Hatakka (D, San Jose) was named the top defenseman at the 4 Nations. I didn’t think much of him in his draft season. I saw a mobile defender who competed well but I didn’t see any offense and he didn’t produce points. At the 4 Nations, he showed ability to jump up into the play and to make 1-on-1 plays with the puck, and showed good vision. I’m not saying the Sharks’ sixth-rounder is on the NHL track now, but I’m more intrigued. Russia’s top line of Grigory Denisenko (LW, Florida), Ivan Morozov (C, Vegas) and Pavel Dorofeyev (RW, Vegas) were excellent all tournament. They were consistently dangerous, all exhibiting skill and hockey sense. Morozov is the least flashy, but he’s very smart and can win battles. Dorofeyev and Denisenko moved the puck very well off the flanks on the power play. Denisenko looked simply outstanding. He checks all the boxes. His skating looked excellent, he’s extremely confident and creative with the puck as a handler and distributor. He gets in on the attack and battles for pucks. Once he adds some muscle to his lean frame, he has all the attributes to become an impact player for his KHL team Yaroslavl and then Florida. Kirill Marchenko (RW, Columbus) wasn’t amazing offensively at the 4 Nations, but he was good showing his skill and speed. What was interesting was his game off the puck, as his coach Valeri Bragin used him on the penalty kill, where he hustled and won battles – an element of his game I hadn’t seen before. One NHL scout who was watching the tournament said Marchenko looked almost NHL ready. I’m not there yet, but I remain a big fan of his game. Vasili Podkolzin (RW, Vancouver) was great at every international tournament last season except for the U18s. The typical Podkolzin showed up at the 4 Nations. He was very noticeable with his skill, sense and compete level. Podkolzin has a dynamic element in his game I don’t always see, but he has the skill to break open a shift. He’s also a well-rounded player. This next play shows how he creates an opportunity after forcing a turnover and with a checker on his back makes a great pass. The shot gets tipped but it’s the thought I was looking at. And while killing a penalty, he made a great skill play to create open ice to get a chance and with a defender on him (DET pick Antti Tuomisto) he makes a great no-look pass to get a grade-A chance. 57

I wasn’t a huge fan of Nikola Pasic (LW, New Jersey) in his draft season, but I’ve seen more from him this summer. At the 4 Nations he showed real skill and high-end hockey sense, making a fair amount of plays and being a go-to offensive player for Sweden. I see more rationale now for him being a draft pick. Another New Jersey prospect I had my eye on this summer is defenseman Daniil Misyul. He was just OK at the 4 Nations but intrigued me a few weeks ago in games with the Russian national B team versus KHL squads. He played on the power play for their B team as a 19-year-old and didn’t look out of place at that level. He’s looked good versus older players such as his games in the KHL toward the end of last season. Nils Hoglander (LW, Vancouver) wasn’t that productive, but he had some great flashes. His skill level is elite. The goal he scored in the opening game is a prime example. He kicks the puck up to his stick, maintains control and finishes the play. I’ll point out two other example of his small-area skills. The first video shows another example of how he uses his feet to fake out a defender and control the puck. The second one shows how well he manipulates pucks with a checker on him. That happened several times during the tournament where he made a high-end skill play while in a puck battle. Martin Hugo Has (D, Washington) is a player I heard with second/third-round buzz early in the 2018-19 season, but he didn’t have the best season and ended up as the Capitals’ fifth-round pick in 2019. He wasn’t amazing at the 4 Nations, but I thought he looked solid, manning the first power play unit for the and making some plays at both ends. For a guy who looked on the downswing last season, seeing him look competent at the U20 level one year behind the age group was interesting. What Bruins fans will like is showing great skill creating this chance. What they won’t like is he dangled fellow Bruins prospect Axel Andersson (who I generally liked through the tournament, minus that moment). As readers know, I’m a big fan of (G, 2020 eligible), the 2002 born Russian goalie who carried his team to a gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. I had him rated as my No. 5 prospect for the 2020 draft before the tournament. In discussions with NHL scouts after the tournament, some suggested he should be in the top three discussion, if not first overall. Others were more reserved, saying top 10 or so is more reasonable at this stage. Regardless, Askarov will be a big talking point this upcoming season. I didn’t see Hendrix Lapierre (C, 2020 eligible) live last season, as he was hurt during the U17 Challenge. The Hlinka was my first live viewing and it was clear I underrated him in my recent draft rankings. He’s a top-end player in the class. I don’t know if his speed and skill combo is dynamic, but he’s an extremely smart and well- rounded centerman. (C, 2020 eligible) is an elite talent. He wasn’t dominant at the Hlinka, but you saw the tools that could make him an impact player with his size, vision, skating and skill. I think there’s more I need to see from him to get him into the No. 1 pick conversation, but he’s got a toolkit that on those merits alone could make him a first overall candidate. Outside of Canada and Askarov, the general feeling from scouts at the Hlinka was that they were underwhelmed by the 2002 age group in attendance. USA, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic didn’t have a ton to exhibit in terms of top-end 2020 eligible players, although there were some good talents for future drafts. Russia had some good players but nothing high-end outside Askarov. That doesn’t mean the 2020 draft class is poor. It is too early to say whether it’s a good or bad class, as well as the fact 2020 will be boosted by a

58 lot of strong late 2001 birthdate prospects and some of the elite 2002’s who weren’t in attendance, like and . I generally don’t like proclaiming a draft is strong or weak this far in advance because we simply don’t know enough yet. Unless you dedicated yourself to thorough coverage of the 2002 age group all last season, you can’t have a strong grasp of how they stack up at this stage. Even though I’ve seen most of the current top 2020 eligible players many times, I have not studied them like I will have come April. So much is going to change between now and June. Players will emerge and top prospects will struggle. I watched one game of Loko at the Junior World Cup and thought both Alexander Daryin (LW, Arizona) and Maxim Denezhkin (C, Edmonton) stood out. Daryin showed great skating and skill, and is a guy who is trending up, mind you that the level of competition they faced wasn’t all that high. Denezhkin is very skilled and smart, and competes but still needs an extra step. And before anyone asks, there is no revising of the farm rankings based on tournaments taken place after it started. You’ll have to wait until next summer!

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The Athletic - Hockey stats can be murky enough, so a word of caution before the first NHL season with player tracking data By Justin Bourne – August 29, 2019

Here’s one place where hockey stats are forever and always going to give us trouble: We’re usually blind to what a coach tells a player. That’s a pretty crucial element in analyzing success or failure on any given play. In the other three major sports, it’s a whole ton easier to suss out a player’s assigned job on a play. The pitcher tried to get the batter out, who tried to get a hit. The basketball player tried to hit a 3-pointer, the defender tried to stop him. The QB tried to complete a pass, the tight end was protecting said QB, some defending players tried to sack him, some tried to defend the pass. How’d everyone do? The answers may not be black and white, but they’re generally at least charcoal and cream. On a shift-to-shift basis in hockey, you may get a coach in your ear saying, “Hey, the past couple plays it’s looked like your hands have been giving you a bit of trouble in trying to make moves at the blue line. Let’s get everything in deep the next couple periods and just get your line playing in the right end, OK?” Maybe he makes that ask because your linemates are turning it over too much, so you’ve spent long stretches playing in the D-zone. Maybe it’s because the coach thinks the opposing D looks off and so he just wants the team to gain the zone without risk, thinking the puck will be easier to retrieve that night. Maybe after the game, it’s written that Player X entered the zone with possession zero times on a half-dozen neutral zone touches, and the discussion around his play ends up way off base, given he was actually executing the coach’s vision to a T. That happens if some D-men are told to flip pucks into the neutral zone on breakouts, if certain centers are instructed to lose draws on purpose or if everyone’s encouraged to take low-percentage shots. It happens in dozens of other situations throughout a game and season. Here’s the important factor, so pretend the sentiment after this is ALL CAPS. That’s not to say we disregard numbers. It doesn’t even really devalue them. It’s just an intermittent reminder that eyes and stats and even inside information all play instruments in the band called Analysis. The more we can get from each, the better we can assess quality of play. (I can’t skip past this part without noting that I mostly had zone exits/entries on the mind as I wrote the above. They undeniably have descriptive value, and as a big picture they help us understand players and teams. But I find they’re not always used in a meaningful way.) The catalyst for me in bringing all this up was two-fold. First, I got sport jealous after reading about the seemingly excellent NFL stat DVOA (defence-adjusted value over average). DVOA basically notes: A 3-yard run is not a 3-yard run is not a 3-yard run. Was it on third-and-2?. Second and 15? That’s a pretty crucial detail in determining the failure and success of that play, quite obviously? That context makes one 3-yard run a win, and another a fail. Oh and ALSO: Was it against a great defensive team, or a poor one? Was it while trying to run the clock out in a win? Or while down a ton late against a defence that’s defending the big pass downfield? Context, context, context helps NFL analysts come up with helpful big-picture numbers, which you can only do when you more- or-less always know what the goal was of each player on the field. That’s much easier in football than hockey. The second factor brings me to a bullhorn-worthy PSA of concern over what’s coming for hockey fans, for hockey media, and even hockey coaches. And it’s something that should scare even the most intelligent people around the game. We’re getting player tracking data in the NHL over the 2019-20 season, the first public burst of it ever, and it’s going to give us amazing, interesting, helpful statistics that hockey fans decades ago couldn’t

60 have even fathomed. But in the process of figuring out what’s important, and how to use a lot of this information, there’s going to be a lot of shit out there. I mean flat-out shit. When I say the catalyst for writing this was two-fold, well, that second fold came from reading this excellent piece by Fluto Shinzawa. Check out: Power bars, heads-up displays and car-crash comparisons: How player tracking data could revolutionize hockey on TV. In it, there’s discussion of what we know of average shift length, and how it could in theory allow us to show a player’s green-yellow-red powerbar over the course of a shift, like in a video game. Which of course, would be very cool. But damned if it would tell us much of anything about a player’s actual energy level. The PSA then is just “buy a bag of salt for all the grains you’re going to need to take with each new bit of information teams, agents, and media make public.” In my two seasons with the Toronto Marlies, I saw plenty of helpful statistics behind the scenes, but they weren’t all that helpful until I saw them enough to answer the crucial question: “Is that good or bad?” If you told me right now that a certain NHL player skates an average of 14 mph, or 24 mph, I wouldn’t know a damn thing more than I did two minutes ago. I anticipate a lot of: “That’s interesting, but what’s even good?” moments on the televised horizon. The coming questions are huge, and the specifics of them depend on where you sit. How do TV networks and hockey media roll information out to fans, some of whom crave endless amounts of it, while most others would be fine if they never saw the “%” symbol again in their lives? How much stock should fans put in it, and to which metrics should they pay the closest attention? How do coaches parse the information and integrate it in a meaningful way? What’s important, period. That’s going to be the analytic theme of the coming hockey year. (Random thing I love: Having the right people who can best answer that question is going to be the biggest off-ice competitive advantage available in hockey in the coming years. Look out for The Athletic’s boy Dellow there in New Jersey; that’s a real strength of his.) I always think of change in life as like a tuning fork, or maybe a straightened coat hanger whacked on a countertop. The thwack of change makes it vibrate, bend, wobble, wave around wildly, but eventually it comes back to neutral, to quiet. That happens in life when you change jobs, when you move, or when you start/end a relationship. But over time, the vibration quiets and some stillness — comfortable normalcy, if you will — returns. Well, hockey analysis today is about to get whacked on the countertop. In the early stages, it could get loud and wobbly here. Not knowing what’s going to be available, I can tell you some things I want to see: I love the idea of tracking the shape of how teams defend in their own zone. Of laying the paths of every skater on a team over one another over the course of a bunch of games, and seeing which teams truly play tight, and seeing how teams play differently and so on. And from that, seeing which players on which teams most stray from the most common tracks of their teammates. Is there a team that’s tight defensively, but has one winger who’s always higher and farther out than the rest of his teammates? Do we have the chance to call out the players who objectively cheat on offence? I want to know the players who pull defenders out to them most because the opposition fears them most. How much tighter are the D on Connor McDavid than, say, ? And from that, which players are best able to find the soft spots? (Can we determine the average distance of the closest defender on every goal of each player who scores X goals in a given year?) Which players are hockey’s Lionel Messi – skating markedly shorter distances than other players over similar ice times thanks to efficiency? Who’s working their bag off – oh, and I bet there’s some beloved players here about to take one on the chin – in a stupidly fruitless manner? Which players are coast-and-burst skaters and which keep it more around average at all times?

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There’s just so many interesting questions to be asked and answered, and I do believe we’ll get there. The problems just bring me back to where we began this conversation: I already have questions about what many hockey stats really tell us, and we’re about to get more information with even less vetting. There’s just too much of it, or there will be at first anyway, to trust the prescribed meaning of what we’ll be exposed to early on. I’ll be stunned if that prediction turns out wrong. These analytical challenges are something that I think we can embrace with hockey, or at least what they say about our game, rather than object to. Hockey’s beauty is in its fluidity, in that there aren’t many in-between- play breaks. It’s a reactionary game, which values the abilities of the players over that of the coaches. The style of a single game can change several times over, even in a single period. Momentum can be a very real thing. All those things make statistical breakdowns challenging, but they aren’t bad things about the game. There’s so much we’re about to tap into that will help us make sense of what it is we think we see. New stats are going to give us new things to look for, and we’ll see facets of the game we never saw before. Much good is going to come from it all, for everyone … eventually. But I do fear the coming months and even years. Player-tracking data is coming and people who aren’t sure themselves what that means are going to be passing it on to the rest of us, who almost certainly aren’t sure what it all means. I don’t suspect that will stop everyone from regularly making imprecise assumptions or pronouncements. Yes, there will be interesting information, and I can’t wait to be exposed to as much of it as possible. But certainly in the early going, I’ll be careful monitoring my sodium intake. You probably should too. I expect that the grains of salt, they shall be many.

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The Athletic - Power bars, heads-up displays and car-crash comparisons: How player tracking data could revolutionize hockey on TV By Fluto Shinzawa – August 29, 2019

Sometime in 2019-20, information from wired pucks, cameras and sensors will flood the NHL with an unparalleled degree of player tracking data. The league will know how fast a player skated on a goal-scoring rush, how many miles he logged during a game or the speed at which he pounded home the winning puck. This data, when made available to the NHL’s broadcast partners, could revolutionize how viewers watch the sport on television — if the parties involved care to go that far. Some industry professionals believe less is more. The game is the primary product. “You can’t make it too complicated. It can’t be all over the screen,” said NBC Sports analyst Pierre McGuire of incorporating richer data. “Because your eyes get skewed. So you’ve got to keep it simple. They’ll figure that out. I think they’ll be pretty selective on it. If a guy’s super fast, they’ll put it on there. Probably in a replay.” Big data is due to arrive as the NHL and its TV partners face a long-term dilemma. It’s one that is not confined to hockey. Slow and steady may not be rapid enough to keep the sport’s traditional fans — or, perhaps more critically, newer and younger eyeballs — staring at their sets amid cord-cutting, second screens, an explosion of entertainment options and flickering attention spans. Older viewers may be content with watching a game at home from the couch, informed by the score and the time remaining present on the screen. Younger media consumers, some of whom cannot even be categorized as TV viewers, may not consider this satisfactory. The trick will be how to incorporate tracking data to a Goldilocks degree: enough for some, not too much for others. Whatever the future of hockey on TV looks like, the sport may not be able to afford practicing caution. “This player data, obviously, is very important,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “It’s something we like to think the National Hockey League and the NHLPA collectively own. It’s something, when shared, I believe will drive greater interest in this sport. Which is fun, and, frankly, in my opinion, is long overdue.” The model for the NHL to study comes from the world of video games. The industry, particularly esports, is expanding dramatically — partly via the very consumers the NHL wants as its own. The gold standard In theory, it should be possible for a network like NESN to incorporate tracking data into new features. By monitoring how long a player is on the ice and blending it into known optimal shift lengths, a broadcast could introduce individual power bars: green for early in the shift, yellow toward its conclusion, red once it creeps over 50 seconds. By mapping the routes players follow on defense, a network could show a graphic detailing a team’s preferred system: zone, man-to-man, collapsing. Between periods, to complement an analyst’s breakdown of puck possession, a slide could show completed pass percentage, a stat that, to this point, has been a mystery to TV viewers. These would be groundbreaking advances in TV. They are just about expected when experiencing hockey on another platform. “EA’s done a fantastic job with that,” Alan Ritacco, dean of the School of Design and Technology at Worcester’s Becker College, said of Electronic Arts’ NHL video game franchise. “It’s one of the best games period.” 63

NHL 20, EA Sports’ latest iteration, will be released in September. The game, like Madden in football and FIFA in soccer, is the sport’s titan. Auston Matthews is this year’s cover boy. “It gives the allure of excitement that no other sport, honestly, can do,” Ritacco said of the game’s appeal. “It’s like back in the ‘80s with race car games, where it’s super fast but not reality. I can’t drive a Porsche 911 Turbo. I don’t have that accessible to me. It’s the same thing. I don’t have (Alex) Ovechkin’s skills, but on a video game, I can simulate that. That’s where it’s going.” It is not just that gamers play NHL. They watch other players playing the game. Esports are growing, from the NHL Gaming World Championship to the Fortnite World Cup. The latter took place in July at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. According to Epic Games, over 19,000 fans attended the three-day tournament. On YouTube and Twitch, 2.3 million viewers watched the final. In general, these are young consumers, the kind the NHL and every other sports league are chasing. CLTX Gaming is the Celtics’ NBA 2K League team. Boston Uprising is the Patriots’ team in the . Experts like Ritacco believe part of esports’ popularity is its ability to envelop its fans within a community. Viewers, through platforms like Amazon’s Twitch, interact with others via chat or headsets. They can communicate with the players themselves, who respond while they’re pounding away on their controllers. This interaction is not restricted to television sets, which remain the preferred delivery method for traditional sports. Some younger consumers do not own TVs, let alone know how to operate them. They are all about streaming. “When our students moved in three years ago, the first thing they asked for was, ‘Where’s my cable connection for TV?’ ” said Ritacco of undergrads at Becker, ranked No. 3 globally in game design by the Princeton Review. “Today, they’re not even coming in with a television. Three years later, we’ve seen this paradigm shift. Kids literally do not watch television in a linear manner, nor do they watch TV on a television set. It’s mobile devices. Everything is headed toward mobile.” Watching hockey on TV has always been more passive than immersive. The arrival of data could help the relationship between consumer and product evolve. A broadcaster, equipped with speed and size readings, could describe how it feels to be checked in car-crash terms. A camera placed atop a helmet could provide a first-person-shooter-style perspective complemented by head-up-display information: shift length, calories burned, distance skated, speed of opponents. It would be a good start. Ritacco would like to see an interactive broadcast that allows viewers to communicate during games with, for example, an executive in hockey operations. “If I’m watching the Bruins play Chicago, I don’t have a way to interact remotely,” Ritacco said. “If I’m Fox Sports or whoever, I’d look at creating and overlaying with something like Twitch — it needs to be built in, I need to view it on my screen to interact with voice commands — to interact with someone from the team. Someone is sitting on the side, on the computer, taking these comments and interacting while watching the game. Fans are yearning for this.” Changes are coming Dave Goucher knows about immersion. To do his job right, the Golden Knights TV play-by-play announcer has to just about sink himself into the action. But even someone as laced into the game as Goucher requires information to complement what he is describing to his audience. 64

This is where richer data would help. “Possession time, I like a lot. I like quality scoring chances. I’d like to see those,” said the former Bruins radio play-by-play man. “Because sometimes shots can be so deceiving. It can be 34-19 and a team’s shooting from all over the ice. I’d like to have, in real time, quality scoring chances and possession time in the offensive zone. To me, that’s, ‘How much are you keeping the other team on their toes? How much do they have to defend?’ I’d like that for sure. If it’s a key matchup, if it’s Patrice Bergeron against the No. 1 defenseman for the other team or the No. 1 center, how often are they on the ice against each other? That’s what I’d like to see.” Goucher would prefer this information is shown occasionally. The score and time of game are permanent residents. Anything more would overwhelm the screen. This is part of the balancing act the league and its broadcasters have to consider. “I think you can jump in and out with it,” Goucher said of tracking-produced data. “People look at it and say, ‘OK, I’ve got that.’ Then pick a timeframe and come back with something else of interest three minutes later. But I think they should be quick hits. I’m not sure it would behoove anybody to just flash it on the screen long term.” The concern about flooding the TV may make the second screen the primary platform for data. Viewers who want more information can glance at their phones, tablets or laptops for the aforementioned features while keeping the game, spare and streamlined, on their primary sets. Whatever the solutions turn out to be, improvements to hockey on TV are coming. The NHL has no other choice.

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The Athletic - Teams shouldn’t necessarily play their defence-first players in the most high-stakes defensive moments By Justin Bourne – August 31, 2019

I have a theory. I have lots of theories, actually, but this one comes with a tangible coaching suggestion, which seems to be of interest to our subscriber-base as they head toward the start of another hockey season. The short form before I elaborate: teams know who their best defensive players are, from the front office on down to the equipment managers. When a team has a lead to protect late, there’s generally little doubt among the coaches about who should be on the ice: those defensive players. Duh. That’s become such standard practice in hockey coaches barely stop to think about it. But I think there are hugely important defensive situations where teams should be playing their most talented skill players – maybe those perceived as offence-first guys – and simply asking them to reconfigure their goals. I think like superheroes and villains, great power (or hockey ability) can be used for good (defence) or evil (offence). With hockey players, I think you can convince those who generally use their abilities for evil to use them for good come the final minutes of big game. And I think that could be the difference in a big goal against never happening, someday. It never sounds overly risqué when you lay it out like that, but remember: that’s not how the vast majority of NHL teams operate. Here’s why I believe this is the way to go. I’m in the middle of writing an article on the best defensive players in hockey, which I define thusly: Imagine that I tell an NHL coach I’m going to take his 82 game season from last year and cut to 10 random periods of 10 random games against 10 random teams, and I’m going to assess the defensive play of his 18 skaters in those periods. Imagine I ask him to give me a list of the players he thinks are most likely to be playing good, committed D in those periods. That list, to me, is that team’s best defensive players, and the hypothetical combined list from the league’s 31 coaches makes up the league’s best defensive players. These guys see their teams every moment of the year, from preseason practices to playoffs. They know who can and chooses to defend consistently. The season is long, and defending in itself is not so much about physical abilities, but commitment. It’s about willingness. There are so rarely rewards for good defending (when compared to the rewards of good offence), that so many players are willing to trade some of their defensive commitment – how often does it really come back to bite you when you cheat, anyway? – for a few more chances at the other net. For some players that’s not even a conscious choice, it’s fostered by a lifetime of rat-pressing-a-rewards-lever testing from within the game of hockey. So when you have a player you can count on to not cheat the game, a player where we could cut to any moment of their previous season and bet on them defending well – I see you, Patrice Bergeron – those guys earn the title of good defensive players. Creating offence is the hardest thing in the game. You can be as committed to it as you want, but if you don’t have the skills to juke people, to anticipate, to shoot it, to be deceptive, to have great vision … you simply can’t Commitment-and-Hard-Work your way to being great at it, try as many might. With defence, you can. Not all the way maybe – the very best defenders still have great anticipation, still skate well, still have size and strength. But really, if you’re committed to being in the right places at the right time and working hard, you can defend – even with league-average abilities. And so, we’re left with defensive specialist, Roman Polak and Brayden Coburn and Jack Johnson and Ron Hainsey. You get forwards that are defensive specialists, like Leo Komarov and Brock McGinn and . And maybe those labels are fair – they specialize in defence, and that has value. The thing is, the reason those maybe-not-as-talented-but-hyper-committed defenders have value is because you can trust 66 them to be defending with commitment and with effort in those random periods in those random games. That’s usually why they’re kinda names in the league – D is their focus, and over 82 games, man is it nice to be able to trust at least a few guys to be where they should. I think if the more talented players were to make that their focus too, though, they’d be better at the job of defending – or at least of getting the puck out of the defensive zone – than the names I’ve mentioned above and their ilk. I want to hammer home the point about “getting the puck out of the zone,” because that’s where I think you’d find the value in having more skilled players on the ice rather than what you’d consider pure defenders. Those skill guys would leave you with more games where we’d say “the offence never really got it going there” because the skilled players would make a play to prevent the standard retrieval turnover that inevitably launches most late game pushes. I also don’t believe it’s impossible to make those talented players truly switch focus for, whatever, a dozen minutes of hockey a year and hopefully some big playoff minutes. I was an offence-first player who found it easy to make the toggle to defence-only mode when given the opportunity. It’s almost a relief to not be tasked with creating for a shift. In general, the most skilled players go about their ice times with very different priorities. There’s money in scoring in the big picture, and there’s the team’s nightly challenge in getting enough goals for the short-term win, which means their priorities in the second period of Game 52 in Columbus or whatever is simple: CREATE A GOAL. They make the opposition miss, they make nifty plays, they read the play ahead of everyone else and do things other players can’t. Now imagine those abilities used for a different purpose – just getting the puck across their own blue line. The eye test would hate it. There’d be fewer panicked hard rims (which demonstrate desperation), fewer players diving face-first in front of slappers (defence and desperation!) and even more glaring turnovers given the risk-reward that comes with letting skill be skilly. Oh, how the fans would boo, how the coaches would scowl in those moments. But there’d be a lot more barely noticed or mentioned slip passes that would lead to clean zone exits. There’d be fewer slappers to block. In hockey you often just have to beat one guy to get the room you need to advance the puck a zone. Why not have the players best at beating one guy on the ice when the value of advancing a single zone is at a premium? This is another idea caught up in the more recent wave of “maybe should have been obvious but for some reason wasn’t” hockey things that can be summed up as “playing your good players more is better.” Teams that give their PP1 considerably more time than their PP2, as opposed to a more even split, have more success. That sort of thing. Our eye test about what defending really is has led to teams leaving their better players on the bench in favour of committed defensive players … who are far more likely to end up having to actually defend in the D-zone in the dying minutes. As I said, I do think there’d be shots unblocked that teams would like blocked. I do think there’d be the odd battle won that teams would prefer be won. But I think there’d be fewer shots and fewer D-zone battles and more comfortable victories in the big picture. The idea is simple. Play your best players late in one goal games, provided they’re fresh. It doesn’t matter which end of the ice the puck is at. It’ll give you your best chance at winning.

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Sportsnet.ca - NHL’s decision to not reopen CBA offers cautious hope for labour peace By Chris Johnston – August 31, 2019

Out of the summer’s blue sky comes the strongest signal yet that the NHL and its players appear to be walking down a path towards labour peace. Friday afternoon’s announcement that the league won’t trigger an early termination to the collective bargaining agreement was not in itself a headline-making turn of events. Public comments have been trending in that direction for awhile now from senior league officials, including deputy commissioner Bill Daly, who told Sportsnet two weeks ago that he was "cautiously optimistic" about the direction of discussions. But consider in the larger picture what the league’s decision to forego a Sunday deadline to reopen the CBA symbolizes: It’s a clear indication that Gary Bettman and the 31 team owners aren’t anxious to wage another battle with their employees over the way revenues are divided and dispersed, which is a significant departure from how talks have gone every time they’ve sat down at the bargaining table together over the last two-plus decades. We’ve all lived through enough lockouts to know that the league holds the upper hand in these matters. A relatively small group of billionaires can always outlast a larger, more disparate collection of millionaires when motivated enough to scrub an entire season to get what it wants. So the fact the NHL would prefer to see the current CBA extend through September 2022 rather than September 2020 is good news for those who dream of peace in our time. It leaves the NHL Players’ Association with a little more than two weeks to decide how it will handle the same reopener decision before a Sept. 15 deadline, but depending on who you believe it may not be much of a decision at all. Even as NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr continues to work through the process with his membership — recently holding a series of meetings in Europe, and due to convene the union’s executive board in Chicago on Wednesday — there is considerable skepticism throughout the industry that the players will choose to trigger a 12-month termination date on the CBA. That could expose them to another possible work stoppage as soon as September 15, 2020 and wouldn’t even guarantee that their concerns about escrow payments, Olympic participation and other pertinent issues are alleviated as part of the next deal. In fact, as one source pointed out, it’s telling that the NHL and NHLPA already seem to be in agreement on staging another World Cup in February 2021 — provided that they can navigate this phase of CBA talks smoothly. That’s not the type of conversation you’d expect negotiators to be having if they were planning to blow up the current deal in the meantime. A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. Still, nothing should be considered done until it’s officially done, and Fehr said during a recent interview that he wouldn’t ask the players to formally take a vote on the reopener until much closer to mid-September. He also downplayed some of the optimism about the status of talks with the NHL because he feels they’re too early in the process to handicap where it’s headed.

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"Where we are at the moment it’s really hard to make predictions," Fehr told Sportsnet on Aug. 16. Given the history between the sides, it’s probably wise for everyone to proceed with some caution. There is still a lot of ground to cover whether the CBA ends up expiring in 12 months or 36 months. That being said, the NHL’s change in approach shouldn’t be ignored or downplayed entirely. This is the same collection of owners that mothballed the entire 2004-05 season to install a hard salary cap and sacrificed another 34 games in 2012-13 to get the split of revenues down to 50/50. They now seem content to only tinker with the system that governs a business generating $5-billion annually — one that is sure to grow in the next few years with the addition of a 32nd franchise in Seattle and a new national television rights deal in the U.S. "In any CBA, the parties can always identify issues they are unhappy with and would like to see changed. This is certainly true from the league’s standpoint," Bettman said Friday in a statement. "However, our analysis makes clear that the benefits of continuing to operate under the terms of the current CBA – while working with the Players’ Association to address our respective concerns – far outweigh the disruptive consequences of terminating it following the upcoming season." Skilled negotiators typically send cues to the other side during collective bargaining talks that point to where the deal can be made. The message here, delivered both in words and actions, is pretty clear: The NHL believes it occupies so much common ground with the players that it doesn’t need to pick another fight it knows it can win.

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Yahoo Sports - NHL decides to not reopen Collective Bargaining Agreement By Stan Temming – August 31, 2019

The NHL doesn’t want to see another lockout within the next three seasons. The league announced Friday that it will not utilize its right to reopen the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) next year. After the previous CBA expired, the NHL and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) negotiated a new deal that resulted in the 2012-13 season beginning in January 2013 instead of October 2012. The 10-year agreement that was reached as a result of the latest lockout expires Sept. 15, 2022. However, both the NHL and NHLPA have the option to file in September 2019 to reopen it, according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. "Based on the current state of the game and the business of the game, the NHL believes it is essential to continue building upon the momentum we have created with our Players and, therefore, will not exercise its option to reopen the CBA," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "Rather, we are prepared to have the current CBA remain in effect for its full term — three more seasons through the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.” "In any CBA, the parties can always identify issues they are unhappy with and would like to see changed,” Bettman continued. “This is certainly true from the League's standpoint. However, our analysis makes clear that the benefits of continuing to operate under the terms of the current CBA — while working with the Players' Association to address our respective concerns — far outweigh the disruptive consequences of terminating it following the upcoming season." According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, the NHL and NHLPA have met a number of times throughout the summer. Furthermore, he believes it “would have been rather shocking to see the owners opt out” and has always been intrigued as to whether or not the players will exercise their right to reopen. With the league announcing its decision, the NHLPA now has until Sept. 15 to file for early termination of the agreement - if they choose to do so. However, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, both sides can agree to move that deadline to a later date if necessary. They plan to meet in Chicago on Wednesday. The NHLPA released the following statement shortly after the NHL submitted theirs. The NHLPA released the following statement regarding the NHL’s reopener decision: https://t.co/6uQ3lTGWYU pic.twitter.com/WEp3qbPV3V — NHLPA (@NHLPA) August 30, 2019 Thankfully, from the fans’ perspective, both sides said their talks have been productive as of late. Furthermore, if the NHLPA decides they do want to reopen the CBA, there would be a year before it actually expires for a new agreement of some kind to come to fruition, according to Gulitti. That new agreement could either be a new CBA or the collective decision to push back the expiration date of the current one.

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The Hockey News – Future Watch: The top rookie for every NHL team in 2019-20 By Steven Ellis - September 2, 2019

It’s almost that time of year again. Rookie tournament’s are in the offing, with the eight-team Traverse City competition set to kick off next week. With that in mind, we’re taking a look at a prospect from each team worth getting excited about this season:

Anaheim Ducks – , C, 21 Anaheim is on the verge of graduating multiple young talents to the NHL this season, but Steel is the name you’re going to hear most. Ryan Kesler’s hip surgery and placement on the long-term injured reserve will allow Steel to earn more ice time. After a superb 22-game stint with the Ducks last year, he’ll be a bigger contributor this season for the rebuilding club.

Arizona Coyotes – Kyle Capobianco, D, 22 A leg injury kept Capobianco out of action for the second half of the season, but he was on track to finish as one of the top-scoring defensemen in the AHL. Expect him to start off with limited minutes, but it won’t take him long to earn some top-four playing time.

Boston Bruins – Trent Frederic, C, 21 No stars heading to Boston this year as they continue with their core group. Frederic may get a few games along the way, but the Bruins are deep at center and Frederic is still another year or two away from a regular role.

Buffalo Sabres – Victor Olofsson, LW, 24 Henrik Jokiharju would have been the best option had he not skated in nearly 40 games last season in Chicago, but Olofsson isn’t a bad choice, either. He had four points in six NHL games alongside Jack Eichel last season and was one of just six U-25 players to score 30 goals in the AHL. He’s not big and his game doesn’t suit the bottom six, but he’ll battle for a spot in camp.

Calgary Flames – Dillon Dube, C, 21 Dube finished right at the 25-game mark last season, but should earn more opportunities in 2019-20. He has the makings of a top-six forward but needs as much ice time as possible to make that happen. If they can’t give him a regular role, he’ll make do in the AHL again.

Carolina Hurricanes – Martin Necas, RW, 20 Necas was one of the AHL’s top rookies en route to Charlotte’s Calder Cup victory last season. He’ll start as a middle-six forward and should be a factor for 30-35 points this season.

Chicago Blackhawks – , RW, 21 The Blackhawks had to give up Jokiharju, a top defensive prospect, in order to get Nylander, so the gamble better pay off. A new home and a good group around him should elevate Nylander’s game after a couple of rough seasons in the Sabres organization.

Colorado Avalanche – Cale Makar, D, 20 Makar made an incredible impression with the Avalanche during the playoffs last season and will be a game- changer for the playoff-bound club this season. A future Norris Trophy winner.

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Columbus Blue Jackets – Alexandre Texier, LW, 19 Texier did everything right in the Finnish League and was impressive during a limited North American run to end the season. He’s part of the future of Columbus’ offense.

Dallas Stars – Jason Robertson, RW, 20 Robertson is coming off of a season that saw him lead all CHL players with 117 points. He has spent time training with Gary Roberts to improve his fitness and strength and will be looking at a top-six spot before you know it.

Detroit Red Wings – , RW, 19 Zadina’s AHL numbers didn’t blow anyone away, but he started to show improvements later in the season and had a couple of nice showings in the NHL. He’s not a favorite for the Calder Trophy, but he knows how to score.

Edmonton Oilers – , D, 19 A well-rounded defender, Bouchard is the best blueline prospect the Oilers have had since . Bouchard was just OK in seven NHL games last year but lit the AHL up and was a point-per-game player in eight playoff contests.

Florida Panthers – , RW, 20 There may have never been this much optimism in Florida ever. Tippett has found a way to round out his game nicely over the past few years and did everything he possibly could in junior to show he will be a top goal- scorer in the NHL someday. He’ll be a consistent 30-goal guy in the future, and his NHL career is set to start now in Sunrise.

Los Angeles Kings – Carl Grundstrom, LW, 21 Grundstrom had a nice 15-game run with the Kings last season and a weak roster will allow him to play a pivotal role this season. Don’t be surprised if he spends a significant chunk of the season on the second line.

Minnesota Wild – Louie Belpedio, D, 23 Belpedio has an outside shot at making the Wild this season after a head-turning rookie campaign with the AHL’s Iowa Wild last season. He’ll get some chance if injuries arise, but don’t expect him to play more than 20 games at this point.

Montreal Canadiens – , C, 20 Last year it was Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Now, it’s Poehling. His debut hat-trick last season may have given fans a bit too much optimism for this season, but if he can fill the third-line center role effectively and contribute 30-plus points, he’ll be a major asset for the club.

Nashville Predators – , RW, 20 Forget the talk about Tolvanen being a bust. Sure, he didn’t have a strong season in the AHL, but he chipped in two points in four NHL games and his defensive game has greatly improved. Give him something to work with and he’ll do wonders.

New Jersey Devils – Nikita Gusev, LW, 27 Let’s take this opportunity to look at someone other than Jack Hughes, even though, technically, Gusev doesn’t qualify as a rookie. He’s too old. That said, he’s making his first foray into the NHL and coming off of one of the best KHL seasons ever.

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New York Islanders – Sebastian Aho, D, 23 After a 23-game run in 2017-18, Aho spent the entire 2018-19 season in Bridgeport. The defense corps is a little crowded this season, but Aho isn’t far off from cracking the lineup as a regular.

New York Rangers – Vitali Kravtsov, RW, 19 Kaapo Kakko isn’t the only European winger the Rangers are excited about this season. Kravtsov, who stands 6- foot-4, is a big, skilled forward who is an absolute headache to play against. He’ll be a top-six forward for the next decade.

Ottawa Senators – Drake Batherson, RW, 21 Erik Brannstrom is going to be a mighty fine defenseman one day, but all eyes are on Batherson this season. He had a solid nine-point run in 20 games with Ottawa last season and time on the top line isn’t out of the question this season. Batherson is further proof that the Senators know what they’re doing when it comes to prospects.

Philadelphia Flyers – Philippe Myers, D, 22 An undrafted gem, Myers is a big defenseman who’ll play a shutdown role for Philadelphia this season. Justin Braun’s acquisition will make staying up full-time challenging for Myers, but he’s a contender.

Pittsburgh Penguins – Justin Almeida, C, 20 He’s a bit of a long shot, but it’s not out of the question to think Almedia gets a chance after two explosive seasons in the WHL. He may be small, but he brings a lot to the table and isn’t afraid to grind things out.

San Jose Sharks – Dylan Gambrell, C, 23 Gambrell is still looking for his first NHL point after 11 games, but he had a great rookie campaign in the AHL last year. Joe Thornton is expected to be back, but Gambrell will battle for a depth role.

St Louis Blues – Jordan Kyrou, C, 21 Kyrou’s 16-game stint was unspectacular in St. Louis but he had no problem lighting up the AHL. There might not be a full-time spot for him this year, but he’ll get called up at some point.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Mitchell Stephens, C, 22 The Lightning could look to trade some expensive contracts this season, depending on what happens with Brayden Point. If so, Stephens may finally get his first shot at the NHL, but ice time won’t come easy.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Ilya Mikheyev, LW, 24 Mikheyev has good size and a shot that terrorized KHL goaltenders for years. He’ll have to fight to get top-six minutes, but he should have solid linemates to work with regardless.

Vancouver Canucks – Thatcher Demko, G, 23 Demko has the size and athleticism needed to thrive in today’s NHL. He’ll use this year to learn under Jacob Markstrom before likely taking the starting role in 2020-21. He has nothing left to prove in the AHL and he’s the goalie of the future in Vancouver.

Vegas Golden Knights – Cody Glass, C, 20 Jonathan Toews 2.0? You bet. Glass is a smart, two-way center who rarely puts his team in a bad situation and handles the defensive game with aplomb. WHL goalies will be thanking their lucky stars that he’s gone now.

Washington Capitals – Lucas Johansen, D, 21 Injuries limited his playing time in 2018-19, but he’s reenergized and ready to go after showing promising signs

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Winnipeg Jets – Kristian Vesalainen, LW, 20 After ending up in the minors last season, Vesalainen departed for the KHL to continue his development. He’s back now and will fight for a roster spot and possibly even a place in the top six.

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