News Clips July 20 - July 24, 2018

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Agent says Artemi Panarin doesn't want contract talks affecting next season PAGE 03: The Athletic: Artemi Panarin gives Blue Jackets a Sept. 13 deadline PAGE 05: Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets spotlight: Riley Nash

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects PAGE 07: Columbus Dispatch: Defenseman prospect Andrew Peeke making strides in developing his game

NHL/Websites PAGE 09: The Athletic: Inside the discussions on marijuana use in the NHL PAGE 13: The Athletic: Bourne: How important is the role of assistant coaches and what do they really do? PAGE 17: .ca: NHL's 15 most intriguing unsigned RFAs: Latest buzz PAGE 23: Sportsnet.ca: Down Goes Brown: What to make of 6 confusing teams

1 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180719/blue-jackets--agent-says-artemi-panarin-doesnt-want- contract-talks-affecting-next-season

Blue Jackets | Agent says Artemi Panarin doesn't want contract talks affecting next season By Steve Gorten – July 20, 2018

Forward Artemi Panarin informed Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen during their meeting this week in France that he doesn’t want to deal with his unresolved contract situation once training camp starts Sept. 13. Panarin’s agent, Daniel Milstein, confirmed the player’s stance — first reported in the Russian website SovSport.ru’s interview with Milstein and also by The Athletic — to the Dispatch on Thursday. “Artemi wants to concentrate on playing hockey, and be in the season,” Milstein told The Dispatch. “During the season (he) only wants to concentrate on playing his best hockey and helping the team to win. That’s all.” Milstein did not deem Sept. 13 a firm deadline, noting, “I’m not saying he won’t negotiate (after).” Asked if there was a chance Panarin would be willing to start negotiating with the Jackets between now and then, Milstein declined to comment. After Panarin met with Kekalainen on Monday, Milstein told The Dispatch that the two parties had “a good conversation” but that there was “no contract progress at this time.” Milstein added Thursday that Panarin initially made his feelings public regarding his contract situation — Panarin, like teammate and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season — “out of respect for the fans and the team, because they’ve been nothing but great to him.” “He wanted to be up front and truthful with the team and let them know that he wasn’t ready to discuss a long-term commitment,” Milstein said. Panarin, he added, “does not want to cause the issues that some other teams might have experienced in the past couple of years with free agency stuff. He wanted to do a good, kind thing, and unfortunately, it’s gotten blown out of proportion a little bit.” Kekalainen has declined to comment on what he described as “a private meeting” Monday but said at the NHL draft last month that the Jackets would listen to other teams’ trade offers for Panarin. In return for Panarin, he said, the Jackets would want players who can make an immediate return as opposed to draft picks or prospects. Any team willing to provide the former would want assurance that it can re-sign Panarin to a long-term contract. Otherwise, it would be surrendering assets for a one-year rental who’d be free to leave as an unrestricted free agent next July 1.

2 https://theathletic.com/437746/2018/07/19/artemi-panarin-gives-blue-jackets-a-sept-13-deadline/

Artemi Panarin gives Blue Jackets a Sept. 13 deadline By Aaron Portzline - July 20, 2018

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen insisted that his meeting on Sunday in Nice, France, with forward Artemi Panarin wouldn’t include a contract offer and it wouldn’t find him begging or pleading for Panarin to stay long-term in Columbus. Even in the intoxicating breezes of the French Riviera, Kekalainen stayed true to his word during a 45- minute meeting, which was said to be cordial and professional. But the meeting wasn’t without developments. Panarin informed Kekalainen that he wants all business matters pushed aside as of Sept. 13, the day training camp opens in Columbus and across the NHL. Panarin’s agent confirmed this to The Athletic on Thursday. “Artemi loves hockey,” his agent, Daniel Milstein said. “He hates the business side of hockey. “When the season starts, the focus can only be on playing. He’s going to play his best and give his best to the hockey club.” The Sept. 13 ultimatum — first reported in a Milstein interview with sovsports.ru, a Russian website — requires some explanation. Panarin, an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season, is not currently willing to negotiate a contract extension with the Blue Jackets. So, in this respect, the Sept. 13 deadline is meaningless. Where it carries more weight — significantly more weight — is on the trade front, should the Blue Jackets opt to trade their best forward rather than risk losing him for nothing as a UFA next summer. It is logical to assume the Blue Jackets will get a much larger return in trade for Panarin if he’s being traded to a team that knows it can sign him to a long-term contract. Otherwise, the acquiring team would also inherit the Blue Jackets’ current crisis. The consensus around the NHL — speaking with GMs, management types, etc. — is that Panarin’s willingness to sign an extension with his new club would be the difference between a trade that provides the Blue Jackets an immediate roster impact and a trade that involves only future commodities, such as high-end prospects and early-round draft picks. Kekalainen has said he expects Panarin to be with the Blue Jackets when the season starts, perhaps all the way to the NHL trade deadline and beyond. But if Panarin insists upon the Sept. 13 deadline, the Blue Jackets could have less than two months to make their best trade, or at least the trade that helps them most in the short term. Kekalainen, reached in Finland on Thursday, declined to comment. Sources told The Athletic that Kekalainen had had several trade offers for Panarin, some of which have been deemed “legitimate.” But all of them involve future assets. As of yet, the Blue Jackets don’t have a list of preferred destinations from Panarin or Milstein.

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Panarin, through Milstein, has portrayed his stance this summer as a benevolent act toward the Blue Jackets, informing them of his plans — “as of today” — far in advance of his final days with the club. The Blue Jackets won’t be strung along and left at the altar by Panarin, like the New York Islanders were this summer when John Tavares signed with Toronto. But there is great concern on Panarin’s part, Milstein has said, that he’ll be seen as some kind of pariah in Columbus now that his long-term plans are known. Panarin has never disparaged the city, Milstein notes, and he’s simply exercising his right as a UFA to pick where he lives. He’s spoken glowingly of Blue Jackets’ management, coaches and his teammates. But such finer points are often lost on a passionate fanbase, and Panarin seems concerned about the response he’ll get in Nationwide Arena, both this season — should he remain — or when he returns with a visiting team. Perhaps the Sept. 13 ultimatum is an attempt to prod the Blue Jackets into action this summer, to end this ordeal sooner rather than later.

4 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180723/blue-jackets-spotlight-riley-nash

Blue Jackets spotlight: Riley Nash By Steve Gorten – July 24, 2018

The Blue Jackets have 24 players under contract on their current 2018-19 roster. With the start of training camp less than two months away, The Dispatch will profile those players with a series of spotlight features. RILEY NASH Position: Center Age: 29 Birthdate: May 9, 1989 Height/weight: 6 feet 1/190 pounds Jersey number: 20 Background: The former first-round draft pick (21st overall, 2007) of Edmonton spent the first five years of his NHL career in Carolina, and signed with Boston as an unrestricted free agent two years ago. He signed a three-year, $8.25 million free-agent contract with Columbus on July 1. 2018-19 salary cap hit: $2.75 million 2017-18 stats: 76 GP, 15 G, 26 A, 41 pts, plus-16 Career NHL stats: 399 GP, 53 G, 86 A, 139 pts, minus-3 Best NHL season: 2017-18: 76 GP, 15 G, 26 A, 41 pts, plus-16 Need to know: Thirteen of Nash’s 15 goals and 38 of his 41 points in 2017-18 came at even strength. 2017-18 recap: Nash’s breakout year included career highs in goals, assists, points, plus-minus and shooting percentage (15.5). While primarily playing on the Bruins’ third line with wingers Danton Heinen and David Backes, he also saw some time on the top line between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. “This (past) year, I didn’t have those lulls in my season. ... It comes with maturity, confidence,” Nash said. “Just being in the league for a couple of years, you feel you know what you can do.” Said Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen: “I’m not so sure he’s going to get 40 points every year in the league. He might. ... It’s not like he’s not had any offensive production before, but he was mostly down the lineup in other years of his career. So, this year he got a chance to show that he could potentially play higher up the lineup and get good results as he was doing it.” 2018-19 outlook: Nash has proven to be a reliable checking-line center, but the Jackets don’t see his role necessarily being limited to battling Brandon Dubinsky for the third-line spot behind Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alexander Wennberg. With Nash in the Bruins’ top six because of Patrice Bergeron’s injury last season, he had 5-8-13, a plus-6 rating and two power-play goals in 13 games, and the Bruins were 9- 2-2. If Wennberg, who the Jackets hope will challenge Dubois for the No. 1 spot, struggles for stretches as he did in 2017-18, Nash could again see time in the top-six. At worst, Nash should give the Jackets a quality fourth-line center to replace veteran Mark Letestu, who wasn’t re-signed. Nash can also play on either wing if needed. The Jackets are counting on Nash, who takes pride in being a two-way player, to

5 fill the -killing void left by Matt Calvert’s departure. “Whatever team I’ve played on, penalty kill has been top-five in the league, which speaks for itself,” Nash said. Fun fact: During a visit to South Africa last month, Nash’s first trip overseas, he saw antelopes and other wildlife “you dream about seeing.” It was “one of the best trips I’ll ever take in my lifetime. It was unbelievable,” he said. Quotable: “I finally did (last season) what I projected myself out to do my whole career, but just hadn’t done yet. ... I can definitely replicate this going forward.”

6 http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180721/blue-jackets--defenseman-prospect-andrew-peeke-making- strides-in-developing-his-game

Defenseman prospect Andrew Peeke making strides in developing his game By George Richards – July 22, 2018

Andrew Peeke has seen the world thanks to hockey. He developed his game in south Florida before moving to Connecticut to take things to another level. There, he was afforded the chance to travel to Europe for various tournaments and is now entering his junior season at Notre Dame. Peeke hopes to become a resident of Columbus before too long. The Blue Jackets took the Fighting Irish defenseman in the second round of the 2016 NHL draft, selecting the 6-foot-3, 198-pound puck mover 34th overall. At the Jackets’ development camp last month, Peeke showed that his speed had picked up and he is becoming a more-rounded player. Chris Clark, one of the Blue Jackets’ development coaches, has watched Peeke in his first two years at Notre Dame and said he is excited to see him continue to get better. “He’s confident, and I think a lot of his game — he was always in the right spot — is closing the gap a lot closer,” Clark said. “He’s reading the play, reading the rush. “Not only is he in the right position, but he’s getting to the guy a lot quicker. As he showed all last year, he’s not giving the puck carrier time to create anything. He closes them down quick.” Peeke has become a big part of the success the Fighting Irish have had on the ice over the past two seasons. As a freshman, Peeke scored four goals with 14 points in 40 games as he was selected to the All-Rookie team and helped Notre Dame to the Frozen Four. Last season, the Irish were one of the top teams in the nation. They won the Big Ten and again advanced to the Frozen Four before losing to Minnesota Duluth in the title game. In 39 games last year, Peeke had five goals and 14 points. “We have made it to the Frozen Four the past two years and it’s a lot of fun when you’re playing for championships, going deep in tournaments,” Peeke said. “It has been a good couple of years.” Peeke is back in South Bend, Indiana, to finish up summer classes as he continues working his way toward his degree in business. Many within the Columbus organization expect Peeke to be challenging for a position with the Blue Jackets after this season, with Peeke stressing that getting his Notre Dame degree is his top obligation. While playing for the of the USHL, Peeke was named that league’s scholar-athlete of the year. His father, Cliff, said going to a high-level hockey program which had strong academics was something that appealed to his son. Notre Dame is a terrific academic institution, one which — unlike the Ivy Leagues — offers athletic scholarships.

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“He set two goals when he was younger,” Cliff Peeke said. “One was to get a degree from a really good school and the other was to play in the NHL. Those are two high goals for a 16-year-old to set, but that’s what he is going after and wants to achieve.” Cliff Peeke continues to live in Parkland, Florida, in the house Andrew grew up in. Had Peeke not moved to play hockey in Connecticut as a freshman, he would have attended high school in his neighborhood. As is the case with many talented high school players in Florida, to get attention from scouts and improve their stock, they need to move far away from home. Andrew Peeke ended up at a prep school in Connecticut, where he spent three years playing AAA hockey for Elite Prospects. “You kind of set yourself up to have your child leave the nest for college when he’s 18 or so,” Cliff Peeke said. “It was tough on his mother and myself to see him leave home so early. It was not easy. But it worked out really well.” Peeke still spends time at his south Florida home in the summer, and even trains with NHL players in the area. On Feb. 14, Peeke sat in front of the television in shock as he saw what was going on at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The mass shooting there which took 17 lives literally hit close to home. Although he was a thousand miles away, every so often when there would be a helicopter view of the scene, Peeke would see his house on television. It is a day he has not come close to forgetting. “I literally live a minute away from Douglas,” Peeke said. “It was pretty shocking to hear what was going on. I got out of practice that day and had over 100 messages on my phone from friends and my family. I was blown away by it all. “That’s our community. You would never expect something like that to happen in a place like Parkland. It hits your heart. It was a tough time to go through.”

8 https://theathletic.com/437842/2018/07/19/inside-the-discussions-on-marijuana-use-in-the-nhl/

The Athletic / Inside the discussions on marijuana use in the NHL By Katie Strang - July 20, 2018

Last week, NHLPA executive director Don Fehr was asked about the recent legalization of marijuana in Canada during an NHLPA golf outing and he acknowledged it was an item that has been discussed internally. Fehr told reporters at the event that it was possible that the NHL and NHLPA could come to an informal understanding about marijuana usage among players in the league in the future. It sparked discussion on an interesting topic, considering that seven of the NHL member clubs are in Canada, where lawmakers passed a bill last month, which will go into effect in October, to decriminalize recreational use of marijuana. In the U.S., marijuana is legal in nine states and in the District of Columbia. Already, players on teams in Canada or in a state where it is legal will be able to legally consume the drug. But, even without it being legal in all states in which the league operates, could the NHL and NHLPA be nearing a where all players are allowed to use marijuana? “Our policy relating to marijuana remains unchanged despite recent changes to the law in some jurisdictions. Any change in policy would necessitate discussion and agreement between the NHL and the NHLPA,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic this week via email. Because of some of the thornier legal issues, it might not be likely to see anything codified any time soon, at least as it relates to recreational use. However, on a medicinal and therapeutic basis, there’s potential for some agreement about how team physicians are advised to prescribe the drug or, at the least, present it as an option. An NHLPA spokesperson confirmed that the topic of marijuana has generated discussion internally and with the league. “It’s something the NHLPA and the league have discussed and discussed as recently as the Health and Safety committee meetings earlier this summer,” NHLPA director of communications Jonathan Weatherdon said. And though the front-facing comments from both the league and union are vague on any commitment to the matter, there’s reason to believe the NHL could be on the forefront of this issue. Already, the NHL is among the most progressive of the top four sports leagues — NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL — in the way it treats marijuana. Marijuana is not currently on the league’s banned drugs list, and it’s not a drug that is tested under the collectively-bargained drug policy, which conducts urinalysis testing to detect performance-enhancing drugs. And while one-third of all drug tests conducted also undergo an additional survey of tests for recreational drugs, action from the NHL/NHLPA’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program is only prompted if there is fear that a player’s levels are so high the player could be a danger to himself. Even then, the SABH program is focused on wellbeing and rehabilitation, not meting out punishment. Essentially what that means is that a player could smoke marijuana every day and never be forced into the SABH program or subject to supplemental discipline.

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On the recreational front, it seems difficult to imagine that even an agreement mutually agreed upon between the NHL and NHLPA could be explicit, which would thus run afoul of the law in the respective states in which marijuana has not been decriminalized. But on the medical and therapeutic front, there is likely some traction available. As of now, team physicians located in Canada and states in which it is allowed can legally treat players with medical marijuana; however, there may be some practical issues posed and a reluctance to treat using that option given the diverging legal standards among the different cities within the league and the frequent travel across state and country lines. One former NHL trainer also told The Athletic that the NHL’s security division performs an audit on how specific drugs are dispensed, which may also provide pause. It’s possible that an informal agreement between the two sides could help form some sort of guidance. How do players feel? One former NHL player who played for the Colorado Avalanche when marijuana became legal recalled a few of his teammates visiting a dispensary and leaving with edibles, giggling at the novelty. Those players may have indulged on an off day occasionally, he said, but he doesn’t remember thinking there was a significant uptick in usage simply because it became legal. “I don’t know where I stand on it. I’m not against it, but I don’t want [to use it personally] either,” the player said, though he added that he may change his mind depending on what sort of pain relief remedies it could potentially provide. “That’s why I don’t want to close the door on it completely.” And that is likely the most logical next step for the NHL and NHLPA to explore — commissioning a scientific study to further examine the potential therapeutic benefits. This would go through the Health and Safety committee and any change in current policy would have to be agreed upon by both the league and NHLPA. While it is believed that there would have to be some proven benefit, it’s also likely that shifting societal norms and attitudes toward marijuana would be considered as part of the calculus. As part of a 2017 Yahoo News/Marist University poll, 52 percent of Americans 18 or older have used marijuana, and of that group, 44 percent of those individuals currently use it. Additionally, 22 percent of American adults use marijuana and, of this group, 63 percent use it regularly. One current NHL player said that, while marijuana usage is fairly common, “players don’t advertise it too much.” Another former NHL player said he knew of only a handful of guys that used it regularly, but looking back, he said, “it makes sense for pain and inflammation.” It is for those therapeutic reasons that retired NHL player Riley Cote has become particularly vocal about the potential benefits of cannabis, the plant from which marijuana is derived, and hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant. Cote, who played from 2006-10 for the Philadelphia Flyers, said he first was introduced to cannabis as a teenager, as part of the “party scene” he experienced playing in junior hockey in the Western Hockey League. It wasn’t until he turned pro that he discovered the therapeutic benefits. Cote, who made his name as an enforcer, said the most critical benefit he discovered was how cannabis assuaged his anxiety “I had taken on a different role in hockey — I was fighting regularly so the anxiety, as an athlete the anxiety is already there but when you’re fighting way out of your weight class on a regular basis, or at least preparing to, that’s the one thing I recognized it really helped me with,” Cote said. “I knew it

10 helped me with sleep — that was an obvious one — but I didn’t understand the importance of sleep as part of the recovery process until I was able to manage my anxiety.” Once Cote retired, he became even more keenly invested in cannabis, both in business and in advocacy. After he hung up his skates, he quit drinking and adopted a holistic approach to his health, researching Eastern medicine, using essential oils and overhauling his diet. Cote entered into the business of hemp farming and public speaking through the Hemp Heals Foundation — he currently has over 260 acres devoted to hemp farms — and later went on to help launch the non-profit Athletes 4 Care, which promotes wellness for athletes through a variety of methods, including cannabis. He sits on the Board of Directors along with other former professional athletes, as well as Lindy Snider, the daughter of former Philadelphia Flyers owner Ed Snider. “Especially coming from the sports world, I see how many things hemp can help in recovery in the name of managing sleep, managing anxiety, inflammation and pain,” Cote said. “And cannabis, whether it’s medical cannabis or hemp, these cannabinoids offer huge, huge healing opportunities for players, promoting rest and relaxation, help with anxiety, promoting anti-inflammatory properties, and helping with sleep. “Between the heroin crisis and opioid crisis we have in America — and I think it’s trickled in Canada, too — from that standpoint alone, it’s giving these guys a proper sustainable tool to use. It makes a ton of sense.” Cote’s concern over the heroin crisis is one that surely is something both the league and the NHLPA have considered as well. When the survey drug testing for “drugs of abuse” showed an uptick in cocaine usage among players in recent years, it became an issue that was addressed, both at the league and the NHLPA level. According to a 2015 TSN article, Fehr discussed cocaine usage internally with his constituents, warning players of the health and legal risks it presented while also trying to pinpoint why it was becoming more popular. Daly acknowledged that the league was aware of it, and in the TSN article, even team security officials were talking about it in annual meetings as a potential issue. To think that the NHL and NHLPA wouldn’t have similar concerns over the regular use of opioids to treat pain, especially given the epidemic sweeping North America, would be naive. Especially if marijuana or cannabis could provide team physicians an additional option to prescribe for pain relief. Whether marijuana could effectively be used as pain relief would likely be a main focus of any study aimed at the issue, but there’s another potential avenue of study that could be important. There are also scientific studies to suggest that marijuana could protect the brain in cases of head trauma. In a published article by Dr. Brian Nguyen, he concludes that, “there is data to support that cannibanoids provide a neuroprotective effect in TBI (traumatic brain injuries). Given the current concern throughout the NHL about head injuries and the potentially devastating long- term effects, this would be a salient topic of study. The NHL is currently facing a lawsuit from more than 150 NHL players who claim that the league was negligent and reckless in alerting them to and protecting them from the long-term damage of head trauma. Should any agreement be reached, education would surely be a primary component as well. This is a priority of Cote’s presentations, which he has made to several different groups within hockey — alumni associations and lower-level hockey leagues, to name a few. He tries to reinforce best practices when dealing with cannabis, including delivery methods, how to dose properly and the wide range of options within the greater cannabis umbrella.

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“People have a hard time wrapping their head around cannabis or hemp cannabinoids being effective for all these things without being a stoner or having to light up a blunt,” Cote said. “That’s the educational component we’re trying to drive home.” It might have seemed like a literal pipe dream when he first started, but with more information and awareness around the issue, and a shift in societal norms, an agreement on usage within the NHL could be closer than we think. “For me, it’s about changing the culture, giving these guys a sustainable tool in cannabis and hemp that allows the quality of life to increase, makes [players] able to manage daily stressors like anxiety, pain, and inflammation with one herb,” Cote said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”

12 https://theathletic.com/439378/2018/07/20/bourne-how-important-is-the-role-of-assistant-coaches- and-what-do-they-really-do/

The Athletic / Bourne: How important is the role of assistant coaches and what do they really do? By Justin Bourne - July 21, 2018

It’s a funny thing about the hockey news cycle. Whether most fans get push notifications to their phone, or they’re just scanning the headlines, few things register less than the hiring of assistant coaches. “Sure, Greg Paplinski or whatever his name is, was hired as assistant by Carolina. Sure. Think he played for Hartford back in the day? Anyway, back to Candy Crush.” But I think it’s underrated just how important the assistant coach role is to a professional hockey team. I realize I just wrote an article on analytics so it’s going to look silly that I’m gonna just throw numbers at the wall all willy-nilly, but I’d say a head coach is 51 per cent responsible for the quality of coaching a team gets (and the general decisions a staff makes), and the assistants share the rest between two or three guys. That’s not to say two or three guys are doing 49 per cent of the work, that’s not fair at all. They’re working nearly as much as the head honcho. Just, the final say on almost everything obviously goes to the head coach, so we have to at least give him the majority share. So, assistant coaches. What do those guys really do? Below is a three-part look at their role: off the ice, on the bench, and player interaction. Off the ice I know I’ve completely destroyed this poor dead horse beating this point this year, but I was stunned when I joined a coaching staff just how much work there is to do. In a perfect world, a head coach could walk over to some newfangled machine and plug himself in Matrix-style and absorb all the information he needs and be done with it, but since that product won’t exist for at least several months, they kinda need other people involved. So, the division of labour begins. Much like forwards and defensemen and goaltenders, almost all assistant coaches have to be specialists. On most staffs, one assistant will be assigned the duty of running the power play (in Toronto here, that’s Jim Hiller) and another the penalty kill (D.J. Smith). If there is a third assistant, he’s likely in the pressbox acting as an extra set of eyes with a walkie talkie, or doing the video work (Andrew Brewer also has the title assistant coach, and he runs the Leafs video). Before a game – whether the day before, morning of, pre-game, however a particular coach likes to do it – players will watch a bunch of video. The videos are almost always divided up into shorter meetings – maybe three to five minutes each – but with there being so many of these little meetings, the time can really add up. (And lemme tell ya, players looove having their games picked apart in a dark room for long periods of time.) For that purpose, each coach will have their chance to speak on their particular specialty as succinctly as they can. The PP players may come in first, then the PK, then the main 5v5 meeting focusing on your own team. Then there is looking at the opponent’s PP, PK, and 5v5, which is usually shown in a different block of the day just to avoid bogging the guys down with too much video at once. The timing of how these videos are shown is very much based on coach preference, this is just what I became used to as a player and coach.

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So in the morning when the staff comes in, that’s each individual coach’s priority. Watching the previous game’s special teams, cutting it up and adding all the arrows and text necessary to the video, and preparing a meeting to show the boys. Even the most tech-illiterate coaches can learn to use the basic software it takes to do this in a matter of days. The problem there, though, is that the head coach would be left to look at all the 5v5 clips, which is obviously the bulk of the game. That means the goals, the scoring chances for and against, the forecheck, the neutral zone forecheck, the regroups, the breakouts, the D-zone coverage, the faceoffs, retrievals, o-zones, the list goes on and on. (Not to mention: you don’t think the coach wants to watch the special teams a bit, too?). So in the same vein of being specialists, many assistant coaches will have specific 5v5 areas to address as well. For example, when I was with the Marlies, I had to go over every faceoff and find trends to improve on our end, or to exploit upcoming opponents. (As an aside, teams can improve a great deal in getting more creative in that facet of the game. I rarely found much.) Maybe one coach gets dealt breakouts, and another forechecks. It’s a matter of whittling down the work of the head coach and bringing him the relevant information, rather than him wasting his time looking at a bunch of broken plays that don’t give him any information. Even with a special teams meeting, and a 5v5 area of focus, there’s individual player work that needs addressing as well. If you tag all the clips throughout each individual game well enough, it can be easy to pull together all the times someone on the staff made a note about a player at a particular place in the game. So the making of a clip package to show them isn’t all that hard, but grabbing them for a few minutes between workouts, and treatments, and skills work, and practice and all the rest can be tough. So the job of finding them at the right time and showing them that video regularly falls on the assistants as well, particularly the D coach when it comes to defensemen. The biggest thing in hockey coaching today off the ice is video. The majority of coaching staffs pore over it, not wanting to miss a trick. All year long you try to tighten the bolts a little more, in hope the ship can stay together when things get rocky in the postseason. For a head coach, he needs to be able to trust that if he’s assigning a particular faction of the game to another person, they’re not missing something he would’ve caught. (On this front, I thought Tim Murray had a great quote not long before he fired Dan Bylsma. He said something to the effect of “Maybe instead of doing three hours of video this morning do two, grab a coffee, walk around and talk to the guys.” I think there’s some merit to what he’s implying there.) Once all that is parsed, assistant coaches generally act as sounding boards for the head coach, in terms of lineup construction, strategy, and how the team wants to play in general. In the same way you can turn on the TV and hear two very qualified media people disagree on what happened on a single play and what should’ve happened, that happens with coaching staffs around every professional league. I grew up with my Dad coaching in what was then the International Hockey League (it eventually merged with the AHL), and spent time with the Marlies and occasionally Leafs, yet I was still always surprised how far apart the views of two very smart hockey people can be. (Take note, Hockey Twitter!) So it’s important to have those arguments, because if you don’t agree with how you want your team to play a given situation, what chance do the players have? I like to think of the original differing ideas as rough stones thrown into a rock tumbler, which eventually serve to grind down one another’s edges into something a little more smooth and pretty. On the bench When I talk about each coach being a specialist, that pertains to bench management as well. It’s generally the guy who runs the penalty kill who will also run the defence. There’s a ton that goes on in a game for a head coach, as he’s often considering matchups and line combos and strategy and deciding

14 who should go in whatever scenario may come next. There’s no way one person could efficiently run the forwards and the D at a high level. This is why when people rail about the ice time of a certain D in a given game, it’s likely not the head coach who deserves the blame that particular night. Yes, he’ll obviously collaborate with the D coach at whistle stoppages and down moments within the play, but for the most part he has to trust that the right guys are getting on the ice when they need to be out there. The head coach can then make the bigger decisions on off days, where he can tell that assistant how he wants his players deployed. But when the action is on, it’s up to that assistant to execute. The other assistant – usually the guy who runs the power play – has a few in-game roles. One, is he’s commonly the communication between the bench and the video guy. I found it was reasonably common to see something on video that the staff may have missed, so they needed to be informed. Or the on- bench coaches may want to ask if they should review a call. Or they just want a mark placed on the video because a play unfolded weird and they want to look at what happened at intermission. These are the guys wearing bodygaurd-esque ear pieces standing near the middle of the bench. On top of that, that assistant is an in-game sounding board for players. The best players always want to know what they should’ve done on a previous shift, or how they should play something that’s been happening with regularity. Since that coach isn’t worried about personnel, he can also monitor systems play and offer reminders when guys are out of position. Or maybe a forward just wants to yell at that coach. “Hey, tell Smitty to move the f***ing puck up to the forwards who are actually capable of handling the f***ing thing!” That’s always a joy – seeing that coach go down to the other end and play translator – “Hey Smitty, the forwards are really feeling it tonight, let’s get it in their hands as quick as we can now, here we go!” Player interaction I never really understood it as a player, but for some reason pretty much every head coach I had felt inaccessible. Sure, “my door is always open” and all that, but ohhhkaaay. Few players have ever walked in and said “I want more ice time” and left with a better relationship with their head coach. But if you say that to an assistant, they’re generally great at pulling you aside, asking where you think you’re at and why you deserve more, and offering a few things you can do to get back in the head coach’s good graces. It is much more necessary to have a personality in the role of an assistant. Part of the deal with head coaches being a little less like a pal relates to why the boss at your office doesn’t want to join the staff for beers after work. Once there are real relationships – dare I say friendships – it gets harder for him to make the hard decisions. Or at least, it makes it harder for him to see the hard decisions he should be making, as his vision is clouded by the personal bonds he’s formed with a certain person. If a player gets sent down, or traded, or moved in any way, the assistant can kinda deflect because, hey, it wasn’t his call, right? Conversely, the head coach will wear a lot of the blame in a demoted player’s eyes. So it’s a little easier for assistants to get in the dressing room, take the pulse of how guys are feeling, share a little more info than the head coach ever would, and still maintain their status as an authority figure among the group. They can leave it to the head coach to be fully pragmatic. For my personality type, I’d much prefer being an assistant coach to a head guy. You’re able to be looser, better connect with the guys, and still enjoy the ups and downs of the hockey season without melting under the heat of the spotlight. And with that, it’s just a very important role. You’re watching (almost) as much video as the head coach, you’re making in-game decisions, and generally helping alter the course of the ship the team is on.

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So, next time you see your favourite team hired another assistant, maybe don’t slough that hire off as some old ho-hum news. It could just be that the fate of your franchise has veered it’s course, if ever so slight.

16 https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhls-15-intriguing-unsigned-rfas-latest-buzz/

Sportsnet.ca / NHL's 15 most intriguing unsigned RFAs: Latest buzz By Luke Fox – July 22, 2018

With this summer’s crop of unrestricted free agents picked over like a garage sale come 2:00 p.m., our attention focuses on the 50 or so restricted free agents who have yet to come to terms with their respective clubs. A chunk of them have filed for arbitration, which helps accelerate the process, but several are ineligible to do so or elected to solve things without involving a third party. The next real pressure point for RFAs without a pending arb case is the opening day of training camps in September. A few big extensions — like those for Minnesota’s Matt Dumba, Calgary’s Elias Lindholm and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck — have already been inked, but there are plenty of intriguing ones on deck. Here are the 15 we’re most interested to see play out. Mark Stone Age: 26 Position: Right wing 2017-18 salary cap hit: $3.5 million A 20-, 30-plus-assist scorer for the fourth consecutive year, Stone was a rare plus player (+9) on one of the league’s worst teams. The takeaway artist signed off on a relatively team-friendly bridge deal when he first became a restricted free agent three years ago, and now it’s time for Ottawa to pay. Unfortunately for GM Pierre Dorion, he’s working under a budget and the futures of Erik Karlsson and Cody Ceci are also on his plate. Stone told us a couple months back that he intends to be “part of the solution” in Ottawa, not part of the problem. That he filed for arbitration ensures at least another season in Ottawa. The unsung star is a year away from unrestricted free agency and thus could be looking at an AAV exceeding $7 million. Dimitri Filipovic provides entertaining and thoughtful dialogue about the game of hockey with an analytical edge. Not as nerdy as it sounds. William Nylander Age: 22 Position: Right wing / Centre 2017-18 salary cap hit: $832,500 Any Leafs fan concerned that Nylander may be dangled as cap-saving trade bait breathed an audible sigh of relief when GM Kyle Dubas said, “We can, and we will” keep all three young studs — , Mitchell Marner and Nylander — in the fold, as well as UFA prize John Tavares. Nylander is coming off back-to-back 61-point seasons and should expect to put up at least that many again in 2018- 19 skating on Matthews’ wing. Of the three, he’s the only must-sign this summer. Cap space isn’t an

17 issue yet in Toronto, but Dubas’s first big extension must be made with the forthcoming raises for Marner and Matthews in mind. “We’ll be very patient,” Dubas told Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on the 31 Thoughts podcast in early July. “I always think that when a player is going to make a commitment of any length, particularly when they’re signing up long-term, that we need to sit with the player and make sure that the player knows where we’re going as a program and what our vision and our plans are so those are discussions that I’ll have with each of the individual players that are due extensions here or are due contracts for next season.” William Nylander’s first NHL game was Feb 29, 2016. Here are the 21 forwards who have exceeded his totals in both goals and assists since that time. And yes I’m gonna beat this dead horse into a goddam pulp. pic.twitter.com/2xMXuRroSn — Active Stick (@oak_leafs) July 17, 2018 Dylan Larkin Age: 22 Position: Centre 2017-18 salary cap hit: $925,000 Turning heads as a rookie, Larkin bounced back from a soft sophomore season to again lead the Red Wings’ offence in a stellar contract year (63 points). He also improved his defensive game, killed penalties, and graduated from wing to centre. According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, GM Ken Holland is working on a large extension for the most important player on Detroit’s roster. The Wings would prefer to go five years but may have to up their offer to six. William Karlsson Age: 25 Position: Centre 2017-18 salary cap hit: $1 million Already on his third NHL team, Karlsson has been a revelation for the expansion Golden Knights as the Stanley Cup finalist’s top centre and arguably the biggest bargain in the NHL. He won the Lady Byng, was named Sweden’s hockey player of the year, finished sixth in Selke voting and scored a cool 43 goals, thanks in part to a shooting percentage of 23.4. Inching toward arbitration, Karlsson’s one good incredible season makes this is the most intriguing RFA case of the summer. At the risk of irking the player, it may be in Vegas’s best interest to aim short term. Age: 24 Position: Defence 2017-18 salary cap hit: $2.81 million A young, top-four, right- who has already made good on his bridge deal and overcome one contract spat, Trouba is unfortunately gunning for a raise at the same time as Josh Morrissey and Brandon Tanev. Hellebuyck was made top priority, and Adam Lowry re-upped Thursday. (By the way, Patrik Laine, who turns RFA in 2019, is eligible to re-sign for as long as eight years any time now, too.)

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Friday’s arbitration case went through. Trouba and the Jets are only $3 million apart as they await a decision, but the sides are still able to negotiate as they await a ruling later this weekend. Arbitration filings for Jacob Trouba: Jets are at $4M, player at $7M. Hearing is 48 hours away. SJ and Chris Tierney settle on two-year deal with $2.9375 AAV. — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 18, 2018 Brandon Montour Age: 24 Position: Defence 2017-18 salary cap hit: $925,000 A big, young, right-shot defenceman who can log minutes and contribute offence? Yeah, probably the type of player you want to lock up. The cap-tight Ducks have already committed more than $19 million to their D core in 2018-19, and with Montour’s arbitration set for Tuesday, this one will be interesting to watch. The Athletic‘s Eric Stephens reported Wednesday that negotiations are “going well.” Jason Zucker Age: 26 Position: Left wing / Right wing 2017-18 salary cap hit: $2 million Zucker picked a fine time for his best NHL season offensively, leading all Wild wings with 64 points. The versatile forward has a loyal track record of re-upping for fair, short-term deals, but his 33-goal breakout in 2017-18 means he’ll want to cash in. New GM Paul Fenton was staring at arbitration battles with both Zucker (July 28) and Dumba, critical pieces of Minnesota’s future. Since signing Dumba Friday, Fenton has about $5.6 million in cap space to ink Zucker. “I want to be in Minnesota; I love Minnesota. My family roots are now here. This is a second home to us, and I want to be here. We have a great team. We have a lot of really good things going for us,” Zucker told TwinCities.com. “If it was my choice, I’d be here playing for the Wild next season.” Noah Hanifin Ag: 21 Position: Defence 2017-18 salary cap hit: $925,000 Defenisvely sound with plenty of runway to improve, Calgary views Hanifin as a long-term upgrade from (or at least a better fit than) Dougie Hamilton. One of the attractive elements of Hamilton, from Carolina’s perspective, is cost certainty. The Flames have already come to terms with Lindholm, the other RFA acquired in their draft-weekend blockbuster, but Hanifin has no arbitration rights. Hanifin is enthused by the trade, and Brad Treliving says he doesn’t foresee an issue coming to an agreement. Hanifin has been penciled in to skate alongside Travis Hamonic in Calgary’s second pairing. “We got two good players, they’re excited to be here and play for this team … we think this fits for us.” – Brad Treliving on the acquisitions of Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin pic.twitter.com/rRjXv9qnb7 — Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 23, 2018

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Brady Skjei Age: 24 Position: Defence 2017-18 salary cap hit: $925,000 The Rangers have a tradition of dealing in bridge contracts after a bright young player’s entry-level deal expires. As the only established Rangers defender under the age of 29, locking up Skjei should be a no- brainer. After buying out Dan Girardi last summer and staring at three more years of Marc Staal at $5.7 million per, the Blueshirts should learn it’s better to commit to young players than old ones. Retooling New York is facing arbitration with forwards Ryan Spooner and Kevin Hayes in addition to Skjei with a shade over $19.1 million to spend. Sam Reinhart Age: 22 Position: Right wing / Centre 2017-18 salary cap hit: $894,167 The second-overall pick of 2014 has performed better each season of his young NHL career. As with any Sabre not named , Reinhart has had his name chucked into the trade rumour mill from time to time, but he’s a 25-goal talent who doesn’t miss games and whose ceiling has yet to be reached. With no arbitration rights, does Reinhart push for a bridge deal and bet on further improvement, or does Buffalo want to lock him in early? A longer-term deal could compare to those of fellow 2018 RFAs J.T. Miller or Tomas Hertl: an AAV of at least $5 million over at least five seasons. For a guy whose career highs in FIVE seasons are 17 goals and 45 points. Aren't Sam Reinhart and his agent high-fiving right now? Isn't Jason Botterill cursing Calgary right now? https://t.co/8D6tB0nTmd — Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) July 16, 2018 Ondrej Kase Age: 22 Position: Right wing 2017-18 salary cap hit: $670,000 The seventh-round gem excelled in a third-line role, making the Pacific Division take note of his sneaky- good talent. A $670,000 cap hit for a 20-goal scorer? “Thank you very much,” said the cap-strapped Ducks. But now that Kase’s contract has expired, the winger is due for a hefty raise — and Bob Murray needs to keep all the young, speedy forwards he’s got. Note that Kase is not eligible for arbitration, so this one could linger. Age: 24 Position: Right wing 2017-18 salary cap hit: $2 million

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Tom Wilson won a Stanley Cup skating on the far side of Alex Ovechkin on the Washington Capitals‘ first line. Love him or hate him, he’s an impact player — in every sense of the word — and critical to his club’s identity. “It’s a big priority,” Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters earlier this month. “Tom’s a big part of our team, a big part of what we got going and our playoff success. So he’s No. 1 right now. “I’d prefer to keep him around for as long as we can.” MacLellan prefers to strike a long-term deal — five years or more — that would keep Wilson in D.C. through his 20s. Despite being eligible for arbitration, Wilson loves Washington and opted not to file. The rugged winger has been negotiating a new contract through agent Mark Guy, who told the Washington Post‘s Isabelle Khurshudyan on July 17 that a deal is not “done or close.” Darnell Nurse Age: 23 Position: Defence 2017-18 salary cap hit: $863,333 Nurse led all Oilers defencemen in scoring last season, although that only took 26 points. Belief among both the player and the club is that there is another level to the defender’s game. That and the fact Edmonton is down to just $4.98 million in cap space — with which Peter Chiarelli must use to sign Nurse and maybe a depth forward — suggests Nurse would be better off going short-term and betting on a breakout year. More power-play minutes could help his wallet. “They’ve sent us a proposal and we’ll see where that goes,” Nurse’s agent, Anton Thun, told the Edmonton Journal. “I don’t see with their cap space being what it is that they can entice us with much term. “They bought out Eric Gryba to add another player (50-man protected list), which cut into their cap and they signed the European goalie (Mikko Koskinen) for two-million and change, and that did the same to their cap space. “If they’ve got $5 million in cap space, it’s not going to be a long-term deal.” Joshua Morrissey Age: 23 Position: Defence 2017-18 salary cap hit: $863,333 Ineligible for arbitration, Morrissey has patiently waited his turn for an extension, watching Hellebuyck, Lowry and Trouba get their contracts. Morrissey was consistently and quietly excellent for the Jets all season and through the post-season. The big question is, with cap space at premium, is it actually smarter to bet on himself, take a two-year deal and swing for the fences at age 25? Codi Ceci Age: 24 Position: Defence

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2017-18 salary cap hit: $2.8 million Only Erik Karlsson logged more ice time for Ottawa than Ceci in 2017-18. A young, right-shot stay-at- home defenceman who avoids the penalty box, he has the potential to be a top-four fixture in the nation’s capital for years. Ceci was deemed too valuable to expose during the expansion draft or surrender in previous trade discussions. Ceci quietly plays a defensive role, and his modest stat line (five goals, 19 points, minus-27) should keep his cap hit reasonable if his upcoming arbitration case goes the distance. More notable RFAs: Brock Nelson, Mattias Janmark, Colin Miller, Shea Theodore, Brandon Tanev, Joel Edmondson, Nick Ritchie, Miles Wood, Kevin Hayes, Jake Virtanen

22 https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/goes-brown-make-6-confusing-teams/

Sportsnet.ca / Down Goes Brown: What to make of 6 confusing teams By Sean McIndoe - July 24, 2018

We’re roughly a month into the off-season, and by now there a few teams we can feel pretty confident about projecting. The Lightning will be good, especially if they get Erik Karlsson. The Capitals, Predators, Jets and Leafs should also be contenders. At the other end of the standings, we’re all pretty sure that teams like the Senators, Canucks and Sabres will struggle. There are even a few teams we can comfortably predict will be just OK – we could call that the Minnesota Wild zone. There’s nothing especially controversial in any of those calls; just about every set of pre-season predictions will say pretty much the same thing when it comes to those teams. And, of course, we’ll almost certainly be wrong about at least a few of them. Like, super wrong. As in not even close. Look at last year, when obvious bottom-feeders like the Devils and Avalanche and Golden Knights all made the , while legitimate Cup contenders like the Blackhawks and Oilers crashed and burned. Few of us saw any of those stories coming. None of us saw them all. Everybody was dead wrong about something, just like we’ll be wrong this year too. And here’s the thing: That’s just the teams we feel confident about. If we already know we’re going to screw a few of those up, imagine what’s going to happen with the teams we can’t figure out. So today, let’s look through a half-dozen teams that I’m still not sure about. I’ve gone back and forth on all six, and I’m not any closer to feeling confident about where they’ll wind up. Maybe you’re on steadier ground when it comes to these teams, and if so please let me know why. Seriously, I could use the help. We’ll start with one of those 2017-18 surprises… They’ll be good because: They have Connor McDavid, and if he isn’t already the unanimous choice for “best player on the planet” honours, he will be soon. The NHL isn’t the NBA, where one superstar can singlehandedly drag a team to the playoffs. But it’s still a league that runs on elite talent, and there isn’t any more elite than what the Oilers can toss out there for 22 minutes a night. They’ll be bad because: McDavid was great last year, and it didn’t get the Oilers anything other than weaker lottery odds. And as you’ve probably noticed, they’ve barely done anything this off-season. They haven’t made any major trades or signed any top-tier free agents. Right now, it looks like they might be content to roll out pretty much the same lineup that they featured last year. You know, the one that missed the playoffs by 17 points. But they’ll probably be fine because: A big part of last season’s disaster was due to a rough year from Cam Talbot. No team leans on its starter as heavily as the Oilers, and in 2016-17 it paid off. Last year, it didn’t. But Talbot has played five NHL seasons and over 250 games, and the bulk of his resume tells us that he’s a very good goaltender, maybe even a great one. Goaltending is voodoo, but when your starter has a bad year it’s almost always going to torpedo your chances. Let’s not overthink it with Edmonton – if Talbot is better, they’ll be fine. And history tells us he’ll be better.

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Unless they’re not because: Most nights, a goaltender is only as good as the defence in front of him. The Oilers blue line continues to be a weak point, and according to the rumour mill their plan for fixing it is to trade their best defenceman. That’s not how this works. The verdict: The Pacific was the league’s weakest division last year, and could be again. With the three California teams getting older and the Knights presumably coming back to reality, it won’t take a monster season to make the playoffs. The Oilers should manage it fairly easily. I think. They’ll be good because: They have to be someday. We’ve been waiting on the Hurricanes to break through for years now, so they’re more than due. It should have happened last year, but Scott Darling‘s implosion scuttled that. This year they’ve added Petr Mrazek, so between him and Darling someone should produce a rebound year. You know what other team was a constant breakout pick that always disappointed until they finally solved their goaltending? Last year’s Jets. Now they’re considered one of the best teams in the league, and we all act like it was inevitable all along. Maybe it was, but it didn’t feel that way this time last summer. The Hurricanes have that same sort of vibe. They’ll be bad because: Seriously? Are we really doing this again? The Hurricanes have missed the playoffs for a league-high nine straight years. There’s talent here, but at some point we probably need to see a pulse before we start slotting them into any playoff projections. And as for the Jets comparison, they had a top prospect in Connor Hellebuyck. The Hurricanes, again, have Darling and Mrazek. No thanks. But they’ll probably be fine because: New owner Tom Dundon has already shaken things up. The Hurricanes made a big trade, are rumoured to be on the verge of a few more, and have a new coach and GM. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a team stuck in neutral is for a new pair of eyes to look over everything. Dundon doesn’t seem like an owner who wants to fade into the background, and he might be just the kind of disruptor that this franchise needs. Unless they’re not because: So far, Dundon’s big disruptions have involved failing in his hunt for a new GM before settling on an uninspired choice in Don Waddell, offering up a bunch of clichés about heart and culture change, and deciding that the best possible coach on the market just happened to be the franchise’s former star player. In other words, all the things that every other team in the league already does. Some big thinker. The verdict: Hockey gods help me, I’m picking the Hurricanes to make the playoffs again. This might be the 10th year in a row, I’m afraid to go back and check. They’ll be good because: They barely missed the playoffs last year, and they’re young enough that they you’d expect them to improve just based on players continuing to develop. The roster is stacked with guys 25 or under, including the top three scorers and former top pick , and this feels like the year that Aleksander Barkov finally makes the leap from under-appreciated star to just plain star. Even the coach is still learning – Bob Boughner won 44 games in his first year behind an NHL bench, so you’d figure he’ll be even better in Year 2. Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game.

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They’ll be bad because: The goaltending is at least a little bit of a question mark. Roberto Luongo was fantastic last year, but he’s 39 years old and has been battling through injuries. James Reimer is an excellent backup who can step in as a decent starter, but in the likely scenario where Luongo is hurt or his game declines, this won’t be a strength. But they’ll probably be fine because: The Atlantic looks like a train wreck. The top three teams are all strong, but that leaves four more that could all be varying degrees of disaster. That should mean a lot of easy wins for the Panthers, and not much pressure in the rearview mirror. Unless they’re not because: They’re the Panthers. This team always seems to find a way to sabotage itself, whether it’s through that disastrous 2016-17 shakeup or the expansion draft debacle. I know Florida fans are sick of hearing about mistakes made in the past, but at some point you have to wonder whether something is fundamentally broken when it comes to the decision-making process in this organization. And if so, what self-inflicted crisis are they going to pull off next? The verdict: The Atlantic is basically three good teams, four bad ones, and then the Panthers trying to figure out which group they’re in. I’m pretty sure they’re a lot closer to the good group than the bad one, and it wouldn’t even be that big a shock to see them jump up and catch someone like Boston or Toronto. But the most likely outcome looks a lot like last year – an easy fourth-place finish and a wild- card fight with the Metro to get into the playoffs. Dallas Stars They’ll be good because: In this case, some of the uncertainty is tied directly to a potential Karlsson trade. But even if we assume that deal doesn’t end up happening, the fact that the Stars were right in on both the best player on the trade market and the best player in free agency (John Tavares) suggests that Jim Nill thinks this team is ready to make some noise. He seems like a smart guy, so let’s believe him. They’ll be bad because: Does Nill really think they’re close, or does he just think he needs a big move to save his job? Either way, you don’t get a participation trophy for coming close on landing big-name players. The Stars missed the playoffs two years in a row, and as of right now they don’t seem to be all that much better. That’s not good news when you’re stuck in the league’s toughest division. But they’ll probably be fine because: The pieces are all there, even if the results haven’t been. The offence can be dynamic when it’s unleashed, and even a year under Ken Hitchcock still produced some decent numbers. Meanwhile, a healthy Ben Bishop (and the absence of Kari Lehtonen) should solve any lingering goaltending concerns. Some of their forwards are getting up there, but the blue line is young and talented. That should be enough to at least let them sneak by the Avalanche for a wild-card spot. Unless they’re not because: New coach Jim Montgomery comes from the college ranks and doesn’t have any experience coaching professionals. He’s highly regarded – he was reportedly the Rangers’ top pick – but there will be some growing pains, and the track record of college coaches jumping to the NHL isn’t exactly great. The verdict: The Central is strong but could be top heavy with the Jets and Predators, so a wild-card spot or even third place should be available. But the Blues got better, the Blackhawks have earned the right not to be counted out, and the Wild and Avalanche were better teams last year. If the Stars land Karlsson then sure, let’s push them up the standings. But right now, I’m not sure what separates them from anyone else in the Central traffic jam. Columbus Blue Jackets They’ll be good because: They’re already good. The Blue Jackets took a step back from their 108-point breakout in 2016-17, but still finished with a respectable 97 points last year, the most of any team on

25 this list. They’ve had a quiet off-season so far; the only key piece they’ve lost is Jack Johnson, which might actually make them better. And let’s not forget, they were one overtime goal away from going up 3-0 on the eventual champions last year. If they finish off the Caps, we’re all probably already sold. They were one lucky bounce away from doing that. They’ll be bad because: That off-season may have been quiet in terms of transactions, but it hasn’t been good. There’s been no new deal for Sergei Bobrovsky, the team’s most important player. And their other big star, Artemi Panarin, sure sounds like he wants out. This is a team that’s never won so much as a playoff round, in part because star players like and Jeff Carter didn’t want to stick around. If either Bobrovsky or Panarin is on the way out, they’re doomed. But they’ll probably be fine because: If one of the two stars bolts next summer, that will be bad news for the future. But we’re talking about next season, and having one or two stars in the final year of their contract should provide some nice motivation. And if they end up trading Panarin, they should get a pretty decent return, so it could work out either way. Besides, you know who’s not going anywhere? Seth Jones or Zach Werenski. They’re just going to keep getting better. Unless they’re not because: It’s a young-ish team that will be under pressure to win right now and could be facing dressing room distractions, and their coach is a guy who flips out over off-season soundbites. What could go wrong? The verdict: Seriously, I have no idea. I’m not sure there’s a team in the league with a wider range of plausible outcomes. We’ll probably get some clarity on Panarin and Bobrovsky before the season starts, but right now anything between a Cup win and a total disaster of a season seems in play here. Calgary Flames They’ll be good because: They’ve got a ton of skill up front, most of it young, and on paper the blue line should be a strength. Mix in the addition of James Neal, and there’s more than enough talent here to at least make the playoffs in a weak Pacific, if not contend for top spot. They’ll be bad because: Most of that talent was here last year, when they couldn’t score and only managed 84 points while fading down the stretch. Worse, it all happened amidst rumours that they weren’t mentally tough enough to fight through a challenging season. Brad Treliving said he’d shake things up and he has, with the Dougie Hamilton trade being the biggest roster move. But we’re still not sure exactly what went wrong last year, and that means we can’t be sure it’s been fixed. But they’ll probably be fine because: If attitude was an issue last season, then at least some of that falls on the coaching staff. And the Flames have made changes there, bringing in Bill Peters to right the ship. Hearing a new voice should help, and Peters has been known to be willing to crack the whip when he needs to. Unless they’re not because: That’s the same Bill Peters who never made the playoffs in four years in Carolina, right? Who took a Hurricanes team everyone kept expecting to be good and led them nowhere? Whose current lifetime coaching record has him under .500 in league where the loser point makes finishing under .500 really difficult? That’s the guy we’re counting on to turn this around? OK, just checking. The verdict: There are a ton of warning lights on this dashboard – we haven’t even mentioned Mike Smith being 36 and coming off a year in which he missed a key chunk of the season. But it’s July and nobody will remember this in a few months, so let’s get bold and finish back where we started. Go ahead and book your reservation for Round 2: It’s Flames versus Oilers in the Pacific Division final.

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