SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 8/23/2021 Boston Bruins 1219600 Boston Bruins, NHL News Around The League Buffalo Sabres 1219601 Inside the Sabres: Team must address void at center in any trade involving Jack Eichel Calgary Flames 1219602 Flames defenceman Valimaki focusing on positives as he prepares for sophomore season Columbus Blue Jackets 1219603 Michael Arace: As Coyotes face eviction, relocation talk heightens and Bettman stands firm Edmonton Oilers 1219604 Lowetide: Dylan Holloway headlines new arrivals for Bakersfield Condors in 2021-22 Florida Panthers 1219605 Brandon Montour: Returning to Florida Panthers a ‘no-brainer’Published 20 hours ago on August 22, 2021 Los Angeles Kings 1219606 Recently retired scouts Fugere, McEwen reflect back on their time with the Kings Montreal Canadiens 1219607 Arizona Coyotes' next home ought to be Quebec City New York Rangers 1219608 Rangers legend, Hall of Famer Rod Gilbert dies at 80 1219609 Rangers legend remembers Rod Gilbert: ‘No one better’ 1219610 Rod Gilbert, Mr. Ranger, dead at 80 1219611 Henrik Lundqvist ‘can’t wait’ for his jersey to hang in the Garden rafters 1219612 Rangers icon Rod Gilbert dies at 80 Pittsburgh Penguins 1219613 Dan’s Daily: Why Players Don’t Like Ohio, Rangers to Retire Lundqvist’s Number San Jose Sharks 1219614 Top-5 Players Who Were Supposed to Get TradedPublished 2 days ago on August 21, 2021By National Hockey Now Toronto Maple Leafs 1219615 The NHL doesn’t care about international hockey, Winter Olympics included. Star players expected better Vegas Golden Knights 1219616 How Golden Knights were built for 2021-22 NHL season Websites 1219617 USA TODAY / Three teenage hockey players die in car crash in British Columbia SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1219600 Boston Bruins Boston Bruins, NHL News Around The League Published 16 hours ago on August 22, 2021By Joe Haggerty With this being the 47th anniversary of my birth on this planet (thanks mom!), we’ll keep it low key with the Boston Bruins talk today. Instead this day is about celebrating that it’s a shared birthday with Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, who once inscribed an autograph to this humble hockey writer with a “You have a Hall of Fame birthday!” above his signature. It’s one of the few autographs that I’ve ever sought out over the years, and I was lucky enough to be at Fenway Park with my son the night this happened at the Fens a couple of years ago. Yaz. I’m not crying. You’re crying.pic.twitter.com/Cz4BAH1S89 — Honest☘Larry (@HonestLarry1) August 22, 2021 Good stuff. So in lieu of any birthday wishes or gifts, how about clicking on a few of the links below and enjoying the rest of your weekend. Now on to the BHN Puck Links: *Did any of us think a proud guy like Zdeno Chara was ever going to actually play for the Boston Bruins after they said “thanks, but no thanks” to him last offseason by offering him a reduced role? Ummm, no. (Boston Hockey Now) *Entertaining journey on the path of Jason Dickinson to the Vancouver Canucks by FOH (Friend of Haggs) Rob Simpson and how it was inexorably linked to the Maple Leafs first round collapse to the Boston Bruins in 2013. (Vancouver Hockey Now) *What is Kris Letang’s next contract going to look like? It’s a legitimate question given all the money getting thrown around at top NHL defenseman right now, but his age (he turns 35 next season) means it’s going to be manageable for the Penguins. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now) *Detroit Red Wings Assistant GM Pat Verbeek is also going to be the general manager for the Grand Rapids Griffins as they get all their ducks into place for this coming season. (Detroit Hockey Now) *David Savard said the Canadiens are planning to return to the Stanley Cup Final and win it this time after he’s changed from the Lightning to the Habs this offseason. (The Score) *Larry Brooks has a tribute to King Henrik on the news of his retirement and looks at how he stacks up with other Rangers goaltending greats. (New York Post) *For something completely different: Can’t wait to see this Larry David/Alan Dershowitz dust-up recreated on Curb Your Enthusiasm. (Boston.com) Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 08.23.2021 1219601 Buffalo Sabres Murray, Sean Malone, Andrew Oglevie, Brandon Biro, Linus Weissbach, Lukas Rousek and Matej Pekar. Quinn, a 19-year-old winger drafted eighth overall by Buffalo in October Inside the Sabres: Team must address void at center in any trade 2020, will need more time in the American Hockey League after playing involving Jack Eichel through a hernia in his 15 games with the Amerks last season. Quinn totaled two goals and nine points, and he received a brief audition at center before undergoing surgery. Lance Lysowski Peterka, another promising winger with an impressive left-handed shot, Aug 22, 2021 was drafted in the second round, No. 34 overall, last year and had a promising final season in Germany before signing his entry-level contract with Buffalo in the spring. There have been no notable developments regarding the Buffalo Sabres’ While the Amerks will have an exciting forward group, there aren’t any plan for Jack Eichel since the star center’s agents released a statement solutions at center. As of now, the Sabres would likely need to move last month saying both sides agreed surgery is necessary. Girgensons back to the middle, a position he hasn’t played full-time since Eichel’s surgeon, Dr. Chad J. Prusmack, joined Elliotte Friedman and 2016-17. Eakin, meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing season, Jeff Marek on Sportsnet’s 31 "Thoughts podcast" to detail why the totaling three goals and seven points in 46 games after signing a two- surgery not approved by Sabres doctors, an artificial disk replacement, year, $4.5 million contract. would benefit the disgruntled center in the short and long term. Asplund exceled on the wing under Granato, with six goals and 10 points It was complete silence on the Eichel front until two New York Rangers in 23 games, and Ruotsalainen hasn’t played center since his move to fans, Ryan Mead and Greg Kaplan, leased a digital billboard in Buffalo, North America at the start of last season. only a half-mile from KeyBank Center, urging the Sabres to complete the There aren’t many unsigned, free-agent centers, as the list includes Eric trade. Staal, Travis Zajac, Casey Cizikas, Valtteri Filppula, Carter Rowney, Alex Eichel, a 24-year-old with five 20-goal seasons, remains on the Sabres’ Galchenyuk and Derick Brassard. roster with approximately four weeks until the start of Don Granato’s first More depth is needed in the event of underperformance or injury, and the training camp as coach. General Manager Kevyn Adams insisted last Sabres could use someone to take pressure off Cozens and Mittelstadt, month that he would have no issue having Eichel with the club at that even if the plan is for those two to receive significant minutes and difficult time, yet it’s difficult to envision such a scenario when the franchise is matchups. intent on handing the reins over to a new young core, led by Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens. “I've been consistent with this: We need to build around a young core of players,” Adams said last month. “We need to give these – not give. We Read the full analysis from Lance Lysowski need to provide an opportunity for these players to learn how to play in Ellen Przepasniak critical moments, grow up together. We need to identify players that want to be here. And we need to be excited about that. Until a trade is complete, it’s impossible to forecast what the roster will be at the start of camp, let alone when the season opens in Buffalo against “We need to get those group of core young players into the community, Montreal on Oct. 14. connecting with our fans. And then you're going to bring in that next tier of guys, like the Owen Powers and players we just drafted and have that With Eichel expected to be traded before the start of the season, and young nucleus that really grows up together. And there'll be guys that Sam Reinhart a member of the Florida Panthers following a draft-day take steps that are part of it moving forward. And there'll be guys that deal last month, the Sabres are thin at forward, particularly at center. The maybe they don't, and then we move on. But we have to know that.” roster, as presently constructed, has promising, albeit unproven, talent up front. Any Eichel trade is expected to address the glaring need. While the New York Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad has a no-movement clause that would likely bar a trade to Buffalo, a three-team swap involving “We have a lot of potential in the form of talent that’s in place to make big Eichel could land the Sabres a younger center. Other teams reportedly steps in a very short span,” Granato said last month. “I’ve had a lot of interested in Eichel have notable players at that position, particularly experience and been fortunate enough to be around extremely talented Trevor Zegras (Anaheim) and Marco Rossi (Minnesota). hockey players, the Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuks and the Charlie McAvoys and (Zach) Werenskis and I saw those kids develop Proper evaluations of young wingers will be difficult if the Sabres don’t fast from 16, 17, 18 years old.