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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 8/8/2021 Boston Bruins 1219181 David Krejci’s departure from Bruins means opportunity for others to fill center spots 1219182 Sweeney: Krejci's return to Bruins 'open-ended' 1219183 Will Bruins Listen To Their Fans And Snag Dvorak Off NHL Trade Market? Chicago Blackhawks 1219184 Stronger, faster and (mostly) vegan, Blackhawks’ Adam Gaudette has ‘changed who I am as a player’ Colorado Avalanche 1219185 Guest Column: From my perch in Vancouver, things look just fine with the Avs Detroit Red Wings 1219186 Three of Detroit's pro teams converged in Allen Park. A sign of a changing sports scene? Edmonton Oilers 1219187 A resurgent Zack Kassian could be an important part of the Oilers’ scoring Los Angeles Kings 1219188 TSN’s Craig Button dishes on Kings 2021 Draft, prospect pool New York Islanders 1219189 Rangers can take lesson from Adam Pelech’s new Islanders deal 1219190 Adam Pelech’s Deal with New York Islanders a Golden One for Both SidesPublished 18 hours ago on August 7, 2021 Pittsburgh Penguins 1219191 Monster Contracts for D-Men, Angry Eichel Trade Potentials Tampa Bay Lightning 1219192 Pat Maroon Q&A: On Cup party, Corey Perry, baby and Lightning ‘running it back’ Vegas Golden Knights 1219193 Kane case: How do sports leagues investigate gambling allegations? Websites 1219195 Sportsnet.ca / What NHL coaching staffs do to improve during the off-season Winnipeg Jets 1219194 Dylan DeMelo on Brenden Dillon, Nate Schmidt and the emotions of Seattle exposure SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1219181 Boston Bruins Will he watch any video of Krejci playing in the Czech Extraliga? “If there’s chatter that he’s thinking of coming back, obviously we’d watch it,” Cassidy said. “We have a lot of our own stuff to do, watch a lot of our David Krejci’s departure from Bruins means opportunity for others to fill own prospects. If there’s a highlight package someone puts together I’d center spots watch it, for sure.” UP IN THE AIR By Matt Porter Will Krejci’s No. 46 ever be retired? Updated August 7, 2021, 8:35 a.m. If this is it for David Krejci, does No. 46 go to the TD Garden rafters? I say yes, eventually, but on the Rick Middleton timeline. These days, much of the clip-curation duty falls to two video Krejci is seventh in assists and games in Bruins history, and eighth in coordinators, four assistant coaches, and a four-person analytics team. points. Since 2011, only Nikita Kucherov (127), Sidney Crosby (109), and But Cassidy recently spent time pulling together footage that best shows Brad Marchand (107) have more playoff points than Playoff Krech, who the Bruins’ style of play in the offensive, defensive, and neutral zones. put up a 35-68—103 line in 129 games. A brilliant two-way player, and When newcomers arrive for training camp next month — or earlier — one of the best playmakers of his era. Fourteen years as a Bruin. Cassidy and his assistants will sit down with them and go over the standards. It may take a while; Middleton was honored some 30 years after he retired, after watching luminaries such as Kaspars Daugavins wear his No doubt, clips of David Krejci will be shown. No. 16. Though Patrice Bergeron is rightfully seen as the gold standard for Chatting about retired numbers with Bruins radio announcer Bob Beers playing the Bruins’ way, forever anticipating and executing to his late last season, he had Nos. 33 (Zdeno Chara), 37 (Patrice Bergeron), coaches’ delight, Krejci always knew where to be. The consistency his 40 (Tuukka Rask), and 63 (Marchand) as no-doubters. He wasn’t sure longtime No. 2 center displayed is one reason it’s so hard for Cassidy to about Krejci. He noted that productive fan favorites Wayne Cashman (12) project how Charlie Coyle will do as a replacement. and Ken Hodge (8, retired for Cam Neely) aren’t there (nor, I would note, “Bergy will still give us high-end minutes,” Cassidy said. “We know that. are Gerry Cheevers and Tim Thomas, who shared 30). David is the one, he played a big role for us, sometimes quietly. Now all “Krejci spent his whole career here. Hodge didn’t. Cash did,” Beers of a sudden when he’s not here, we’ll probably realize how good a player noted. “I don’t know if Krech gets up there. I think Rask is in. Rask, he was. I think we all knew it. Now we’re going to live it firsthand without Bergy, Marchy — as long as he keeps going, no question. And Z, as that 1-2 punch.” soon as he retires.” A Taylor Hall-Coyle-Craig Smith line could be productive, in theory. Coyle By the way, Chara, training in Slovakia, hasn’t decided whether to play clicked with Smith in training camp. Cassidy felt those two and the another season. departed Nick Ritchie (Toronto) were one of his strongest lines entering the season. Hall instantly meshed with Krejci upon arrival, but if ETC. recovered from offseason knee surgery, Coyle could rediscover his game as a physical, puck-possessing, righthanded distributor. Hall would bring Kane puts Sharks in a tough spot the speed and stickhandling and zone entries. Smith would do the dirty A few months back, one agent who has clients on the Sharks said of work and have a finger on the “shoot” button. Evander Kane’s off-putting personality: “That guy walks into a room and “He’ll be excited for that opportunity,” Cassidy said of Coyle. “I mean, the flowers wilt.” why wouldn’t you be? You get some extra minutes, you’re moving up in The Athletic reported this past week that several of Kane’s San Jose the lineup, a little more ask of the offensive side of things.” teammates don’t want to play with him despite his production (team-high That’s the theme of this offseason, opportunity. For Coyle, for Erik Haula, 22 goals and 49 points in 56 games last season). This comes on the who could center a resurgent Jake DeBrusk and hard-to-play-against heels of allegations from Kane’s estranged wife that he bet on games he Nick Foligno on the No. 3 line. For Trent Frederic, who will challenge played in. Curtis Lazar and Tomas Nosek for the No. 4 center role. When filing for bankruptcy in January, Kane, 30, claimed gambling losses In Cassidy’s opinion, the wild card in the forward unit is Jack Studnicka, of $1.5 million over the previous year. The collective bargaining who played 31 games last season between Boston (1-2—3 in 20 games) agreement between the NHL and NHLPA prohibits gambling on any NHL and Providence. He has added some 10 pounds and could play at 6 feet game. A reminder is posted in every dressing room. 1 inch and 185 pounds. As a right shot, is he a second-line candidate? But count me as skeptical that Kane, who has made no secret of his love Can he hold down a No. 3 center spot, or play the wing? for gambling, was throwing Sharks games. He certainly wasn’t betting on “Last year he didn’t play a lot of hockey,” Cassidy said, “but it has them to lose, given the season he submitted. It’s difficult to see how one allowed him to get stronger in the gym.” left wing could so greatly affect the performance of 17 other skaters and a goalie. So it has gone for all NHL hopefuls over the last year and a half, with ice time limited during a critical growth period. Cassidy liked the size of the The Sharks are in a tough spot. Kane will make $7 million each of the prospects at the team’s development camp in Brighton this past week, next four years, with a three-team trade list. They have $26.5 million in including 2018 fourth-rounder Curtis Hall (6-4, 216 pounds), who has cap space tied up in Brent Burns (unrestricted free agent in 2025), Marc- grown a couple inches and put on 15 pounds since he was drafted. Edouard Vlasic (2026), and Erik Karlsson (2027). A prudent move would Whether Hall, or 6-3, 209-pound Johnny Beecher (30th overall, 2019) be to deal UFA-to-be Tomas Hertl, rather than give the 27-year-old a ever slide into the middle of the Boston lineup will be determined by the raise on his expiring $5.625 million deal. finish they add to their framework. Trading for Karlsson in September 2018 was supposed to get the Sharks Meanwhile, the Bruins will monitor how Krejci fares with HC Olomouc, his over the hump, but it looks like the furthest this core will get was the Cup hometown Czech club. Final in 2016. A tough situation for a group that’s experienced a lot of close — eight 100-point seasons, four conference finals — since Joe Cassidy, while reasoning that the team might be “humming along” in a Thornton arrived in November 2005. Without Thornton last season, they post-Krejci season and wouldn’t want to mess with the lineup, finished 26th in the NHL, their worst showing since finishing second-to- acknowledged recently that a Krejci return in late April or early May is a last in 1997. That finish landed them Patrick Marleau at No. 2 overall that “definite possibility” if they haven’t found the right mix. summer, one spot after the dead-last Bruins picked Thornton.