SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 07/23/19 New York Rangers 1149992 Arizona Coyotes’ Barrett Hayton named to top 50 prospect 1150014 Goldman: Breaking down the ins and outs of Jacob list Trouba’s seven-year deal with the Rangers 1149993 Arizona Diamondbacks should be sellers at trade deadline 1149994 Neutral Zone: Coyotes sale on track; key players healthy NHL and targeting camp 1150015 Ron Francis the general manager, like the player, will work to make ‘everyone around him better’ 1149995 Bruins' 2020 odds, projected point total rank among NHL elite 1150016 An offseason look at the Ottawa Senators potential 1149996 Bruins’ offseason homework: How each player can opening night lineup improve this summer 1150017 Penguins Prediction Rewind: Matt Murray returned to 1149997 Place your bets: Legal sports gambling arrives in New upper echelon of NHL goalies York 1150018 Penguins sign Zach Aston-Reese to 2-year deal, avoiding arbitration Calgary Flames 1150019 Obituary: Charles S. Stone / Former team physician for 1149998 Fleury headlines 2019 Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame class the Pittsburgh Penguins 1149999 A deep dive behind the numbers to gauge expectations for 1150020 Penguins, Zach Aston-Reese agree to two-year deal Milan Lucic and James Neal San Jose Sharks Carolina Hurricanes 1150021 NHL expansion draft: How Sharks will be impacted by 1150000 It’s the NHL offseason so that means it’s time for another Seattle franchise crack at the Hurricanes’ 2019-20 lineup 1150022 Explaining Kevin Labanc’s modest $1 million contract: Trusting the Sharks and his own development Chicago Blackhawks 1150001 A broken-down old fat guy worked out with Patrick Kane’s St Louis Blues trainer. This is my harrowing tale. 1150023 BenFred: Blues aren't only local sports stars we can learn from 1150024 Sunny day: Sundqvist's big season pays off with big raise 1150002 The year is 2022. What could the Avalanche lineup look 1150025 Sundqvist signs four-year contract with Blues like by then? Dallas Stars 1150026 Lightning reporter Caley Chelios marries Dan Vitale, 1150003 Could a decrease in ice time be the Stars' key to getting a former Tampa Bay Bucs 2016 draft pick better Jamie Benn next season? 1150027 The Leafs have to fix their goaltending problem, and 1150004 How Detroit Red Wings have fared in free agency over the Neuvirth is worth a years: Hits and misses 1150028 Maple Leafs sign Wilson, Neuvirth says he's camp-bound 1150005 Taste of NHL makes Red Wings' Ryan Kuffner hungry to on tryout basis get better Vancouver Canucks 1150039 Harman Dayal: It’s time to go all-in on elevating Canucks 1150006 A deep dive behind the numbers to gauge expectations for coverage Milan Lucic and James Neal Vegas Golden Knights 1150029 Ovechkin in Vegas? Projecting the Golden Knights 1150007 What the Canadiens might look like after the 2022-23 lineup transformational summer of 2021 Nashville Predators 1150030 Caps invite fans to submit original art for new Capit-Ale 1150008 Q&A: Singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd on the Predators’ design offseason and why they’re ‘going to surprise people’ 1150031 20 Burning Capitals Questions: How will the contract situation affect Backstrom and Holtby? 1150009 Devils re-sign defenseman Mirco Mueller | What it means 1150010 Which Devils prospects will play at 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase? 1150011 How Devils’ Nathan Bastian has evolved to find his role as an NHL player 1150012 NJ Devils avoid arbitration with defenseman Mirco Mueller 1150013 Eye on the ‘C’: What’s behind the Islanders stockpiling former captains in Bridgeport Websites 1150040 The Athletic / Unresolved situations around the NHL that could force further trades 1150041 The Athletic / A broken-down old fat guy worked out with Patrick Kane’s trainer. This is my harrowing tale. 1150042 The Athletic / Wheeler: The top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2019 edition 1150043 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Projecting the opening night lineup for whichever team you personally cheer fo 1150044 Sportsnet.ca / Long-awaited Flames arena deal could give Calgary much-needed boost 1150045 TSN.CA / Is there too much offence from the defence in today’s NHL? 1150046 TSN.CA / Is the five-forward power play about to become an NHL trend? Winnipeg Jets 1150033 Lowball offer, arbitration hearing not necessarily beginning of the end for Copp and Jets 1150034 Jets sign Pionk to two-year $6-million deal 1150035 Arbitration looks like next stop for Jets' Copp 1150036 Jets boost blue line, bring Nogier back 1150037 Jets sign first-rounder Heinola for 3 years 1150038 Projecting the Winnipeg Jets’ opening night lineup, optimal lines and more

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1149992 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes’ Barrett Hayton named to top 50 prospect list

BY PERRY COHEN | JULY 22, 2019 UPDATED: JULY 22, 2019 AT 10:48 AM

A list of the top 50 NHL prospects from The Athletic ranked Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton No. 41 in the league.

The prospect ranking, which was created by Scott Wheeler, is comprised of players under the age of 23 who did not played in the majority of the team’s NHL games last season.

The center out of Peterborough, Ontario was taken fifth overall by the Coyotes in the 2018 NHL draft.

Last season he played for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the , the team he has been playing for since before being drafted.

In his first season since being drafted, the 6-foot Hayton played in just 39 regular season games, missing time to injury.

Despite his condensed time during the season, he still managed to put up good numbers.

During the regular season, he scored 26 times and tallied 40 assists for a total of 66 points in addition to a plus/minus of plus-20. Hayton, the captain for the Greyhounds, also scored six times and had 10 assists during the playoffs.

Hayton’s goals scored and assists are both career highs.

Though he isn’t higher on the ranking, Wheeler believes Hayton can help the Coyotes in the future.

Does Hayton have the upside of a Quinn Hughes or an Evan Bouchard? Absolutely not. Can he be a line-driving middle-six center on a good team, while helping out on both special teams? Absolutely. Hayton is a coach’s dream and an effective two-way hockey player.

The Athletic gave the top spot to New Jersey Devils prospect Jack Hughes.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 07.23.2019 1149993 Arizona Coyotes The other lesson is simple marketing. To turn Arizona residents into casual sports fans, and casual sports fans into money-spending diehards, our professional franchises have learned that it’s not enough to Arizona Diamondbacks should be sellers at trade deadline be good. You have to be entertaining. You have to get people talking.

The Diamondbacks have done some good things. They’ve sustained respectable attendance figures at a time of league-wide decline, while BY DAN BICKLEY playing baseball indoors, in a desert climate. They are not withering like Tampa, which entered MLB alongside Arizona is now looking to split their

market, cohabitating with the city of Montreal. Mediocrity was never meant to be celebrated. The 2019 Diamondbacks But in Arizona, there is no uproar over the baseball team. The buzz are a rare exception. They’ve already won their biggest games. remains minimal. And here’s another inconvenient truth: They made a hard right call on Paul Goldschmidt, in the face of public The Diamondbacks will only electrify the Valley when they are good pressure. They’ve unleashed their next superstar in Ketel Marte. They’re enough to win their second trophy, when they can own the Dodgers the irrigating their dilapidated farm system. They won 50 of their first 100 way Steve Nash’s Suns once dethroned the Lakers. games after losing three of their top five players. Hazen needs to build that kind of team. Not one that can barely make the They’ve carried us to football season without embarrassment. Nothing playoffs. more is required. Nothing more should be risked. Arizona Sports LOADED: 07.23.2019 With the trade deadline looming, two lessons must guide the path forward:

Too often in the past, the Diamondbacks have been prematurely lured into selling long-term assets for short-term gain. Betting over-the-top on a team that wasn’t ready for the big-time. As a result, the Diamondbacks have strung together nothing but one-hit wonders.

They all sounded good at the time.

The history of this organization is important. The Diamondbacks have lived a rowdy, rocky existence. Jerry Colangelo took the team from worst to first in four years, winning a World Series with extreme financial commitment to payroll. He was effectively ousted from office for his spending habits, replaced by a charitable, impulsive, foot-in-the-mouth owner who has never quite found his own validation.

Ken Kendrick doesn’t relish the limelight like he once did, when he presided as one of the most quotable owners in sports. But he has occasionally shown the same financial recklessness he once abhorred in his predecessor. Colangelo signed Randy Johnson. Kendrick has Zack Greinke. His growing hunger led to poor decision-making at critical junctures in the narrative.

That’s why the 2019 Diamondbacks need to be patient. Sellers, not buyers. A stepping stone, not a destination. Everyone must understand the pitfalls ahead.

At times, general manager Mike Hazen has been too good at his job. He was hired to architect a total rebuild in Arizona, to clean up Dave Stewart’s mess. He was gifted low expectations and time to build slowly, only to squander it with J.D. Martinez and a 93-win rookie season. His ever-expanding collection of signature moves keep the Diamondbacks competing at a fairly high level, tempting and distracting everyone involved.

Hazen is also ruthless, maybe his best trait. He traded the face of the franchise in his prime – a guy so revered that he ranks on the Mt. Rushmore of Diamondbacks legends – and is actually winning the deal. There will be an unexpected benefit, no matter how the trade looks down the road.

For too long, the Diamondbacks’ clubhouse was homogenized by Goldschmidt’s presence. This is not meant as blame, and nobody realized it at the time. But Goldschmidt’s temperament was so revered by the franchise and Valley sports fans that it set a stifling standard inside the clubhouse.

Young players are taught to follow the team leader. Many foreign-born players look for clues on how to assimilate in new cultures. Many Latino players bring great exuberance to the game and aren’t sure how to properly emote in this country.

In Arizona, they found a franchise exalting a player who was modest, humble, quiet and never once complained about his underwhelming paycheck. That’s admirable. And boring.

Hazen had the gall to pull it all off, earning massive respect in this space. He’s also shown occasional disdain for this year’s team, for the maddening roller coaster ride. That tells you he’s still not seeing the baseball team he envisions. And that’s good. 1149994 Arizona Coyotes round pick (No. 30) Nick Merkley, and recent signings Andy Miele and Beau Bennett.

Chayka said he is still having conversations with free agents available on Neutral Zone: Coyotes sale on track; key players healthy and targeting the market, but the Coyotes have largely accomplished their offseason camp goals.

“You’re always trying to improve the team until you get to the point where By Craig Morgan you feel you’re a Stanley Cup contender and I don’t feel like we’re at that stage,” he said. “We need some significant growth from our young players and a lot of players to have career years to ascend to that level but as we look at our group we wanted to add some established scoring Coyotes President and CEO Ahron Cohen said Sunday that the sale of and veteran stability and we accomplished that with Phil (Kessel) and the team to billionaire Alex Meruelo “is still expected to close by the end Carl (Söderberg). of the month.” Meruelo is expected to purchase a 95 percent stake in the team, with current owner Andrew Barroway retaining 5 percent. “We’re at that stage where you are continuing to touch base and see where the market sets. There’s some intriguing pieces out there but the The Athletic first reported the news of Meruelo’s planned purchase on pieces out there have to be an upgrade on what we currently have and June 10. The NHL Board of Governors approved the sale at a meeting then you have to look at the cost, whether it’s dollars or acquisition cost. on June 19 in Las Vegas before the NHL Awards show. We’re still having discussions, but nothing that I would say is imminent. Meruelo is expected to meet with local media sometime after the sale Our key for the next year and, really, five to 10 years, is how far can has closed. some of these young players take us? Can they take those next steps in their career?” Injury/rehab updates Chayka said that if Hayton makes the roster, the Coyotes would not feel Chayka said goalie Antti Raanta (knee) has been skating and working comfortable with him serving as a 13th or 14th forward. He would mostly out for most of the summer as he prepares for the season. Raanta was have to earn a regular role. no longer in rehab mode when he left Arizona shortly after the season ended. He has no restrictions and should be ready for camp. ”We don’t want him to be a regular in the press box,” Chayka said. “Barrett is at an age where he needs to be playing and developing and Strength and conditioning coach J.P. Major is training with Raanta and getting ice time, but you look at a guy like (St. Louis’) Robert Thomas. He defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Niklas Hjalmarsson in was scratched a number of times. Sometimes, he played up in the lineup Jönköping, Sweden. Major also spent an afternoon with 2019 first-round and sometimes he played down in the lineup and it all culminated in him draft pick Victor Söderström while in Sweden. make some big plays to help win a Stanley Cup for them.

“J.P. just sent me a note and said Antti looks great,” Chayka said. “I don’t think Barrett has to be a guy that plays on your first-unit power play and plays 18-19 minutes a night. Obviously, that would be ideal, but Chayka said center Nick Schmaltz (knee) is also out of the rehab phase we’ll see how it plays out in camp in terms of his development and what’s and into full training mode. in his best interest.” ‘He is skating and working out; feeling good,” Chayka said. “I talked to New ECHL affiliate him the other day. He has put on some size, too. It sounds like he is progressing well. He was here for a large portion of the summer but he is Chayka said the Coyotes are in the process of securing a new ECHL going back and forth now between here and the Midwest.” affiliate and will not renew with the Norfolk (Va.) Admirals, with whom they signed a one-year affiliation agreement last summer. Former Chayka said defenseman Kyle Capobianco (ACL surgery) should be Admirals player Patrick Cavanagh recently purchased the team, which ready for training camp, but that the team would take a cautious has struggled with attendance, from New York-based Mango Media. approach. Cavanagh has made significant changes to the organization that do not “We’ll see how far he comes in terms of playing exhibition games but he sync with the Coyotes’ goals. is skating and playing in scrimmages,” Chayka said. “There are no real “Location is an important variable and it’s always advantageous to find restrictions anymore. It’s just about reps. We’ll see what the risk-reward something closer, but the relationship and the coaching staff and the looks like in terms of reps in a game situation at that time (camp).” obligation to players and how much are they about development vs. how Minor-league Merrick Madsen is still rehabbing from hip much are they about just trying to survive and put butts in the seats, surgery. those are all factors that are important to us, too,” Chayka said.

“He should be ready for camp but until he is back on the ice and Chayka declined to discuss which team or teams the Coyotes are performing to the level he was, you don’t want to make any considering for an ECHL affiliation. Per ECHL.com, there are only two assumptions,” Chayka said. teams that do not currently have affiliations, the Greenville (S.C.) Swamp Rabbits and the Rapid City (S.D.) Rush, with whom the Coyotes had an Adin Hill contract talks affiliation from 2015-17. It’s unclear if other NHL franchises could be changing their affiliations. Chayka said talks with restricted free-agent goaltender Adin Hill are progressing. Hill played 13 NHL games last season, going 7-5 with a The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 2.76 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. He was 16-19-2 with the Tucson Roadrunners of the , with a 2.61 GAA and a .906 save percentage.

“Adin is a good young goalie and he took a good step last year and had a nice run at the NHL level,” Chayka said. “He’s still working to establish himself as a consistent NHL performer so his situation is considerably different from some of the other (NHL) RFAs. Term and dollar are the constants in negotiations but I don’t think there is a wide gap. It’s a process but the market is pretty set.”

The only other remaining RFA in the organization, Tucson forward Emil Pettersson, will play in the Swedish Hockey League next season. The Coyotes, who sent Pettersson a qualifying offer, will retain his rights.

Final forward roster spots

Chayka listed a half-dozen players in contention for the final two forward roster spots available, including 2018 first-round draft pick (No. 5) Barrett Hayton, Roadrunners Michael Bunting, Hudson Fasching and 2015 first- 1149995 Boston Bruins Wg 96.5

— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) July 22, 2019

Bruins' 2020 Stanley Cup odds, projected point total rank among NHL Boston is tied with the Colorado Avalanche for the fourth-highest elite projected point total with 100.5, trailing only the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights.

The Bruins' odds to win the 2020 Stanley Cup reflect those point totals, By Darren Hartwell July 22, 2019 11:45 AM although the B's are listed below the Avs at 14/1.

NHL Stanley Cup updated

Winning back-to-back championships is one of the most difficult feats in TB 6/1 sports. VGK 7/1 But perhaps just as hard is making it back to the championship after losing the season before. Tor, Col 10/1

That's the task ahead of the Boston Bruins, who look to rebound in 2019- Bos 14/1 20 after a heartbreaking loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. StL 16/1

Could Bruins have been contenders in Lucic trade talks? Dal, Wsh, Cgy, Nsh, Fla 20/1

The Bruins have had a quiet offseason to date, losing Marcus Johansson SJS, Pit, Wpg 25/1 to free agency but mostly keeping their squad from 2018-19 intact. That NYI, NYR, NJ, Car, Ari 30/1 team finished second in the NHL with 107 points, and SuperBook USA in Vegas projects the B's to be another regular-season powerhouse this Van 40/1 season. Phi, Chi, Edm 50/1 NHL R S Pt totals Mtl 60/1 An 80.5 Buf 80/1 Ar 91.5 CBJ, Min, Det, Ana, LAK 100/1 Bs 100.5 Ott 500/1 Bf 83.5 — Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) July 22, 2019 Cgy 96.5 Interestingly, the Bruins and Blues both have seen their odds decrease Car 94.5 slightly from last month, when Boston was pegged at 10/1 and St. Louis was listed at 14/1. Chi 90.5 The most notable free-agent names are off the board, so barring a trade, Co 100.5 this is the core Bruins roster you'll probably see come October. And CBJ 82.5 Vegas expects the B's, Lightning and Leafs to once again be the power players in the Eastern Conference, which should make for a very Dl 96.5 competive Atlantic Division.

Dt 76.5 Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.23.2019

Ed 85.5

Fl 96.5

LA 74.5

Mn 84.5

Mtl 89.5

Nsh 97.5

NJ 88.5

NYI 94.5

NYR 88.5

Ot 68.5

Ph 90.5

Pt 95.5

SJ 94.5

SL 96.5

TB 108.5

Tr 102.5

Vn 88.5

VGK 103.5

Wsh 97.5 1149996 Boston Bruins Karson Kuhlman

He showcased his ability to shoot and score during the playoffs, so he needs to continue to develop that aspect of his game. He has the ability Bruins’ offseason homework: How each player can improve this summer to beat goalies from the perimeter with his shot, and he needs to improve his small-area play in the offensive zone because he has solid handwork.

By Joe McDonald Jul 22, 2019 Sean Kuraly

Needs to improve his shot because he has the ability to score more goals and finish plays. He has a sneaky release and is willing to go to the net, At the end of each season, every NHL team has exit meetings where the which is how he scores goals. He has the ability to possess the puck, coach and sometimes the general manager deliver a one-on-one similar to Coyle, but Kuraly needs to make the most of those assessment of each player’s season. opportunities, which is to shoot more.

These sitdowns are honest and to the point. The idea is to help the Brad Marchand player improve certain areas of his game, a process that starts during the offseason and should translate into training camp. It doesn’t matter if There’s no singular skill he needs to work on, but needs to be more they’re talking to the world’s best player or a rookie fighting for a spot, consistent with puck management. At times, he tends to play with an everyone is given goals to reach for next season. individual mentality. He can grow his game by recognizing when to, for lack of a better term, dumb it down. When a team reaches the Stanley Cup final like the Bruins did, it’s hard to pick apart players’ games too much. But, as we said, everyone has Joakim Nordstrom new goals to strive for. So, here are The Athletic’s exit-meeting Must work on his shot. He needs more composure in the dirty areas, evaluations on what the returning Bruins need to improve on for next which are spots he’s not afraid to get into. And he should work on season: finishing plays better.

David Backes David Pastrnak

Needs to consistently sustain being physical every game and keeping Late in the season, his shot slipped a bit. Sure, it could’ve had something pace with his linemates. Needs to get to the net more to produce in the to do with his thumb injury, but it appeared that he lost confidence in his dirty areas. The game has become younger and faster, so if he wants to shot. That’s the first thing he needs to hone. His shot must be his go-to play on a line with Sean Kuraly, Backes can’t fall behind. His drop-off weapon again. He also needs to manage the puck better and know when during games sometimes is when Kuraly will dump the puck in and to make a play and when not to. He also should value the defensive Joakim Nordstrom will get to it, but Backes is out of position and it puts aspect of the game every night. the line out of sync. He did it well during the playoffs for stretches but needs more consistency. It doesn’t need to be for a full season. If he can Chris Wagner accomplish that pace for 65 games, it would pay off for the Bruins. His passing skills have to improve. He should focus on the plays that he Patrice Bergeron has the ability to make more consistently. He’s the type of player who could move up the lineup on certain nights. Because he’s willing to go to Obviously, there’s not a lot the alternate captain needs to improve. the net, he has the ability to complement a player like Krejci. If Wagner Considered the best two-way player of his generation, Bergeron brings it wants to move up the lineup, he needs to make those types of plays off every game. Still, he would be the first to acknowledge there are things the half wall and the small-area plays to get the puck to the scorers. he can work on. For example, he can help his line value time on ice, He needs to become more than just a forecheck-type player. meaning Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak tend to stretch their shifts when things aren’t going well. Bergeron needs to help his Brandon Carlo mates become a more complete line consistently. If they’re not producing offensively, they need to shut down the opposition’s top lines. Needs to improve his puck skills. Some of it is composure, and some is confidence. He has the ability to move the puck and shows flashes of it Charlie Coyle when his game is on, but he needs more consistency and needs to make a better first pass. Needs to attack the net more and become a bigger threat to score. His one-man cycle ability is among the best in the NHL, but he needs to use Zdeno Chara his size and strength more to score more goals. He’s a solid puck- possession player and has a good shot, so if he can tone down his He could improve his awareness and accept his first option out of the possession a bit and create a more attack-oriented mindset, it would defensive end, and have better decision-making on his first pass. The serve him and the team well. smaller players are finding ways to get under Chara quicker. Most teams use a different forecheck in today’s game, so he needs to tighten up that Jake DeBrusk part of his defense.

Overall, continued growth in maturity would serve him well. He has a Connor Clifton tendency to let a few bad games hinder his ability to produce. So he needs to find his game quicker after suffering setbacks. He sometimes Sure, “Cliffy Hockey” was entertaining last season, and that will likely stays on the ice after he’s knocked off his skates instead of getting back continue. But he needs to focus more on his one-on-one play. He tends in the play quickly. Sometimes he gets in his own head and doesn’t value to assume what opposing players are going to do, and he’ll open up and certain stretches of the long season. If the puck isn’t finding him, he then get beaten on that hesitation move to the middle. He’ll get better needs to go get it more and force turnovers. It comes down to being a with more experience. He also tends to make a sloppy first pass, so better student of the game. that’s an area he needs to clean up.

Danton Heinen Matt Grzelcyk

Needs to be stronger on pucks. Also needs to shoot the puck more. He Needs to keep working on his shot, which improved big time last season. has the ability to win puck battles and is versatile, but he’s also the type Because he creates space for himself on the blue line, his shot could of player who gets down on himself when things aren’t going well. He’s become more lethal. He’s a good first-pass player and defends well with going to get his opportunities, so needs to play his way out of it when a good stick. He could finish better, which means finding shooting lanes he’s battling adversity. He does serve a valuable checking role away and getting the shot through more consistently. from the puck, but could use more offense in his game. Steven Kampfer

David Krejci He tends to play the game standing still at times because he has such a He did so many things well last season, which was one of his most high hockey IQ. So he needs to learn to play at a higher pace. consistent of his career. But he needs to shoot more and start thinking of Torey Krug himself as a goal scorer more often, especially when DeBrusk is struggling. He was Boston’s best player during the playoffs, so it’s difficult to call out one thing he needs to improve. Overall, maybe he should play that way more during the regular season instead of waiting for the playoffs. Since he’ll get the second matchup every game after Chara and Charlie McAvoy, Krug needs to value the defensive game more consistently — just as he did in the playoffs. If he respects that aspect of his game, his overall play should skyrocket.

Charlie McAvoy

Could use improvement with his one-on-one angling and pivoting from a technical aspect of his game. Because he plays against the opposition’s best players, that’s an area he needs to improve. He also could shoot the puck more often without taking away from his creativity.

Kevan Miller

He’s already positionally solid but could improve his first-pass decision- making. He’s a bit in the Chara category, which means identifying what’s available quicker and taking it. Could become a better offensive player, especially since he’s not afraid to jump into the play. His shot could improve a bit, but it’s not too big an issue.

John Moore

His biggest thing is having a better stick while defending. It’s a process for some players to develop that skill. He’s quick and has the ability to disrupt the play with his body, so if he can hone that stick-to-puck mentality, he’ll break up more plays.

Jaroslav Halak

His rebound control could improve. He has the mentality of stopping the puck first and worrying about the rebound later. But he could do a better job balancing both.

Tuukka Rask

He enjoyed the most consistent season of his career from start to finish. If the Bruins had won the Stanley Cup, Rask would have been the Conn Smythe winner. If there’s one aspect to his game that needs improvement, it’s his play with the puck. He’s technically sound as a goalie, but if he can value how his puck play could help the overall team defense it would bode well. He understands he could be better and more effective in this area. It’s only a matter of execution.

Bruce Cassidy

The coach could have a little more patience early in games when things start to go south. Cassidy preaches the importance of starting on time, and that became a mantra. When it doesn’t go to script, he shouldn’t get as amped up as he has in the past. Let the game develop a little more before making changes, which is one of his strengths as a coach with his in-game decisions. Maybe he can find a better way of getting the players’ attention on the bench. He shouldn’t completely change because that mentality helps more often than not, but sometimes he needs to let the players play through early struggles.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 1149997 Buffalo Sabres state law opened the door for sportsbooks at four commercial casinos and seven Indian casinos.

But since online sports gambling remains illegal in New York, wagers Place your bets: Legal sports gambling arrives in New York must be made in person, which as Melia noted, is decidedly inconvenient, given the rural locations of the sportsbooks and legal and illicit alternatives. By Jason Wolf| Published Mon, Jul 22, 2019|Updated Mon, Jul 22, 2019 Online sports gambling is legal in New Jersey – where the volume of sports gambling for the first time last month surpassed Nevada to lead the nation – and just a few miles down the road from Tioga Downs in NICHOLS – Francis Melia shuffled into the glistening FanDuel Pennsylvania. Sportsbook on Friday evening at Tioga Downs Casino Resort, an electrified oasis in a rural stretch of the Southern Tier along the Sportsbooks and online sports gambling also are legal in Canada. Pennsylvania border, just a 30-minute drive from his home outside Binghamton. “I think the advantages here would be much greater if we could do it online,” said Joe Gennett, 75, of nearby Endicott, who along with his wife The 82-year-old pushed his walker past the frosted glass windows is a regular at Tioga Downs. “Here’s the thing: A lot of people, whether depicting football plays, across the low pile blue carpet and toward a you like it or not, have bookies. If I have a bookie and I’m sitting at home, sprawling bank of TV screens, a moth to a flame. He lowered himself into I can get on the phone and say, ‘Hey, put $100 on such-and-such.’ one of a dozen plush lounge chairs, front and center. Bookies keep tabs on you. You might not see each other for a month. But they’re honest, most good bookies. Melia said he used to illegally gamble on football and basketball with a bookie, because having money on the line made watching games more “Here, you’ve got to drive to Nichols, New York, to give them the money. interesting. But he decided to stop after spending a beautiful day indoors, I think that’s a major disadvantage. And to be honest with you, this has swearing at his TV at the top of his lungs. been talked about, this opening, for the last four months. It was anticlimactic.” Now, midsummer regular season baseball games unfold on the monitors overhead. Is online coming soon?

He was the only patron in the room, and he didn’t place a bet. A bill to allow online sports gambling in New York, introduced by State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, was approved in the State Senate in June. But it “Wait until football comes,” Melia said. “They’re going to be mobbed, stalled in the Assembly, which – barring an emergency session – won’t absolutely mobbed. The World Series, it’ll be mobbed. The only vote on the matter until the start of the new legislative year in January, at disadvantage is you’ve got to be here to bet. You can’t pick up a phone the earliest. and just conveniently call it in. But the facility is beautiful. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said that legal online sports gambling may “I can’t get over this screen I’m looking at. Holy mackerel! Those people require an amendment to the state constitution, which could take years, on the screen are probably as big as they would be if they were here in but proponents believe there’s a workaround – that it’s legal to place life. And look at these chairs. They say, ‘Come! Come!’ They call you in online bets so long as the servers processing the transactions are here. I think this is a wonderful addition. There’s nothing like this in the physically based at the four licensed commercial casinos. area.” That interpretation might also set the stage for satellite sportsbooks in Legalized sports betting has come to New York, with two casinos offering pro arenas and stadiums, such as KeyBank Center and New Era Field. gamblers the chance to bet on athletic events, in addition to games of chance. Others are set to open in coming weeks, one even closer to “That’s how horse racing works,” Gural said. “Ninety percent of the Buffalo, though it remains unclear when one might open in the immediate wagering on horses here is online. And somebody is betting either on area, thanks largely to legal issues between the Seneca Nation and New their phone or at another racetrack or at an OTB (off-track betting), but York State. the bet itself is transmitted and the actual bet is at the servers here.

But the odds are good that Western New Yorkers will eventually be able “We’ve got to try to convince the state that it’s the same mentality. If it’s to make a short drive to downtown Buffalo or Niagara Falls to have a illegal to bet sports online, it’s probably illegal to bet racing online, and legal, financial stake in the athletic drama playing on TV screens before we know that’s not the case. So we’ll see. Hopefully that happens. It them. seems clear-cut.”

Will they also be able to do so legally from a computer or phone? The News reported that Pegula Sports and Entertainment had a lobbying firm working the state Capitol in March, and were advocating for online Getting the kinks out sports wagering in venues. Earlier on Friday, during the official grand opening of the FanDuel "I don't think that we've been shy about saying that we are for sports Sportsbook at Tioga Downs, multibillionaire casino and racetrack owner gambling in New York State, and especially in-venue," Kim Pegula, the Jeff Gural delivered a few words to a small group of reporters and co-owner and president of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres, told The News in dozens of onlookers, many of them wearing employee badges, in the April. casino lobby. Two more commercial casinos are in line to offer sports gambling in the He used oversized scissors to snip a ceremonial red ribbon, as Tioga immediate future, including the Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, and Downs became the second legal sportsbook to open in New York, days closest to Buffalo, the del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo, a 90-minute after the Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady. drive east on I-90, between Rochester and Syracuse. “It’s important to get the kinks out now, while it’s fairly quiet,” said Gural, Del Lago plans to open a sportsbook affiliated with DraftKings “later this who also owns the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey, a short trip summer,” though an official opening date has not been set, according to from New York City and the home of FanDuel’s first sportsbook. “Mainly Lance Young, the casino’s executive vice president and general baseball, some tennis, golf. Whereas once football starts, you’ve got manager. people coming who will bet on college football, pro football, baseball, and then before you know it you’ve got the NBA and college basketball. You “Del Lago Resort & Casino submitted the required information to the get into the late fall, early winter, you’ve got a lot going on. State Gaming Commission which included details on internal controls, plan of operation and house rules and are working with the commission “Right now, you let the tellers get their feet wet and our customers figure for approval, which is expected soon,” Young said through a out how it works. It’s a perfect time to open, really.” spokesperson in a written statement to The News. Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo placed the ceremonial first bet. Sportsbooks are also in the works at seven Indian casinos owned by the New York is the 10th state to offer legal sports gambling, taking Senecas, Oneidas and Mohawks. advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 decision to strike down a federal law that essentially banned wagers outside of Nevada. A prior The Seneca Nation has said it’s preparing to open three sports gambling lounges in Western New York at its casinos in Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca.

But it’s unclear when, since the tribe remains locked in a dispute with the Cuomo administration over its decision to stop making annual casino revenue sharing payments to the state.

The first step

Back at Tioga Downs, Lupardo, who co-sponsored the online sports gambling bill in the State Assembly, was trailed by TV cameras as she walked to a betting window and placed a wager.

Gamblers must be at least 21 years old to enter the sportsbook, same as the casino floor, and have multiple ways to scour available wagers.

A wall of paper sheets, divided by sport, lists odds for daily and futures bets, as do three scrolling tickers. Gamblers can also go directly to a cashier or the 14 self-service touchscreen terminals, which mirror the online experience in other states and are ideal for live in-game betting.

Loads of markets are available in every game, from who is going to score first to how many runs will score in a given inning. The lines are always moving.

There is a $5 minimum for bets. The book accepts cash only.

“You could never really bet on the Yankees before,” said Jim Liberati, 65, of Binghamton. “Now, if I want to, the guy was over here earlier showing me how to do it and everything. It’s a plus for the area. It’s a plus for New York. I think it’s all good.”

Gambling on college teams from New York, like Buffalo, St. Bonaventure and Syracuse, is off limits, as is gambling on any college games taking place in the state, regardless of the schools competing, which rules out events at Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center.

New Jersey has a similar law barring gambling on college teams and events in the Garden State, put in place to prevent integrity issues and protect college athletes.

“Honestly, I see this as a first step,” Lupardo said. “We were very close to passing mobile sports betting, and we would have used the four (commercial) casinos as servers to process the bets across the state. Because of an interpretation of the way the constitution was amended, there is a prevailing view that these four casinos are the only places where sports bets can be placed, and at the moment, placed in person. So we want to come back at it …

For now, legal sports wagers in New York must be placed in person.

And options, like the available sportsbooks themselves, are limited.

“We’re going to have about 10 times as many markets as we have now in the near future,” said Jeff Lowich, the senior director of retail operations for FanDuel. “The New York State Gaming Commission is going through all the markets that we’re trying to get approved, and they’re going through and diligently making sure they want to approve each one that we’re asking for.”

Lupardo originally wanted to place her ceremonial first bet on next month’s NASCAR race at Watkins Glen, an hourlong drive from Tioga Downs.

“I was trying to make that point that we have that synergy between our tourism destinations,” Lupardo said.

But betting on NASCAR isn’t an option, yet.

She instead laid $20 on tennis phenom Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old American who stunned Venus Williams at Wimbledon, to win the U.S. Women’s Open. A long shot, to be sure, but like the legal sports gambling industry in New York, a newcomer brimming with promise.

Story topics: buffalo bills/ Buffalo Sabres/ sports betting

Buffalo News LOADED: 07.23.2019 1149998 Calgary Flames

Fleury headlines 2019 Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame class

POSTMEDIA NETWORK

CANMORE, Alta. – Theoren Fleury finally has a much-deserved call to the hall.

That is to the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

Fleury headlined an outstanding class of five individuals and back-to- back Memorial Cup champions during the 2019 class induction into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame.

Fellow NHL star Kevin Lowe, women’s hockey coach, player and builder Shirley Cameron, junior hockey play-by-play voice and bus driver Bob Ridley, referee and senior official Duncan MacDougall and the 1986-87 and 1987-88 Memorial Cup-champion Medicine Hat Tigers were enshrined in Alberta’s hockey history on Sunday night at the AHHF Awards Gala, hosted by Hockey Alberta and the Hockey Alberta Foundation at the Coast Hotel in Canmore.

A consistent theme among the inductees was the interesting twists and turns that can happen in life, and especially in setting the direction of an individual’s career in hockey.

Fleury played with the NHL’s Calgary Flames for 11 seasons, from 1988- 98, and was an important part of their Stanley Cup championship in 1989. He led the team in regular season scoring six times and five times in the playoffs. His NHL career also included stops with the Colorado Avalanche, the New York Rangers and the Chicago Blackhawks.

In his speech, Fleury reflected on some of the highlights of his career, including when he played junior hockey for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors. He recalled the ice plant going down in the old ‘Crushed Can’ in the playoffs against the eventual champion Tigers and Game 4 having to be played in Regina. He suggested that the Tigers might only have won a single Memorial Cup had they played in Moose Jaw.

But in accepting his call to the hall, Fleury focused on his work off the ice and helping people deal with trauma, mental health and addiction issues.

“It’s nice to be recognized, but it’s more important what you leave behind,” said Fleury. “I try and help people understand what trauma does to an individual. I try to give them hope and inspiration.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.23.2019 1149999 Calgary Flames came from in-tight shots around the net, which belies his reputation as a sniper. To be fair, though, Neal’s expected goal total was just over 11 last season (whereas his actual settled at seven) so he likely suffered from A deep dive behind the numbers to gauge expectations for Milan Lucic bad bounces as well. and James Neal In contrast, here is Lucic’s shot chart:

Lucic’s shot pattern is tighter to the net, resulting in an expected goal per By Kent Wilson Jul 22, 2019 shot of 0.08. Lucic’s average shot distance and values were slightly better than Neal’s, but he also took fewer shots (192 vs 126). That said, Lucic also had an actual goal total (six) that was about four back of his expected goal total (10.04). It was starting to look like Brad Treliving was going to have a very quiet summer. Normally active in the offseason, the Flames GM often has at Both players probably could have had a few more goals last year, but least one bombshell move up his sleeve – the Dougie Hamilton trade, both guys production has also been declining for years. We also know Travis Hamonic, etc. that offense tends to dry-up for most NHLers after the age of 30 at a rate of about 10 percent reduction of their peak rate every year. Meaning, This year, the big move was less about addition than subtraction. James neither player is likely to experience a sudden renaissance when it Neal – Treliving’s big 2018 summer acquisition – stepped into an elevator comes to putting the puck in the net. shaft as a Calgary Flame, running afoul of the coach which plunged his five-year, $5.75 million contract into the “albatross” category. Digging below scoring rates, we can look at how each player impacts things like shot and chance rates. It’s in these areas where Lucic tends to The fit was so poor, I hypothesized the club would be trying to get rid of come out ahead. Neal through a variety of methods last month. One of the options noted was trading him for another bad contract, including Milan Lucic. 2018-19:

While absorbing another bad contract was the least palatable option Three year sample: mentioned, there are some reasons the Flames may have preferred the erstwhile Oiler over Neal as a bottom-six option for the team moving Each table includes relative shot attempt for and against (CF/CA), forward. The problem is, the slight upgrade comes with some very real expected goals for and against (xGF/xGA), scoring chances for and contract and budget implications. against (SCF/SCA) and high danger shot attempts for and against (HDCF/HDCA). I have also included a zone start ratio at the bottom, Neal vs. Lucic by the stats which is the number of zone starts in the offensive zone versus the defensive zone for a player. Keep in mind, a positive number for ratios or A POTENTIALLY BAD IDEA IS FORMING IN MY HEAD. shots for is a good thing, whereas a positive number for any shot or PIC.TWITTER.COM/SHORJU6JPU chance against number is bad (and vice versa). — KENT WILSON (@KENT_WILSON) MAY 3, 2019 Both last year and over a three-season sample, Lucic has been better at I did a cursory comparison of the two players in early May and found driving shots, chances and expected goals. We can inspect this effect by something surprising – by most underlying metrics, Lucic was the better looking at how each guy impacted his regular linemates last year: player in 2018-19. Neither guy did much offensively, but Lucic had Lucic 2018-19 WOWY superior impacts on shots and chances, particularly from a defensive standpoint. Neal 2018-19 WOWY

Keep in mind, RAPM metrics attempt to isolate individual player impacts The two player’s charts are basically inverted: Neal’s is awash in red due versus things like linemates and zone starts. That said, Lucic arguably to his mostly deleterious influence on his linemates, whereas Lucic is played more difficult minutes than Neal last season, with a zone start mostly green. We can distill these impacts into one number – CF% RelT ratio about 10 points lower than Neal. for shot attempts and XGF% RelT via Corsica hockey.

Of course, last year was Neal’s worst in the NHL so it might be unfair to Lucic’s aggregate impact on shots and expected goals across his compare the two by that lone season. Here are the two players by the teammates was positive in 2018-19 (+3.54 CF% RelT, +3.12 XGF% same metrics over the last three seasons at even strength: RelT). Neal’s impact was strongly negative ( -3.67 CF$% RelT, -6.22 XGF% RelT). In fact, Neal was by far the worst regular skater on the Again, surprisingly, Lucic is still the better player in aggregate. Flames by these sorts of measures. We can break things down a bit further to see how each player tends to Finally, we can look at goals above replacement (GAR) to judge each influence the game. First, we’ll look at scoring and shots. player’s total contribution to winning last year: Oilers fans are well aware that Lucic’s scoring rapidly declined during his Neal finished as the worst skater on the Flames, with his even-strength time in Edmonton. A 23-goal, 50-point winger in Year 1, he fell to just six play plunging him well into the negatives. Lucic was also underwater, goals and 20 points in Year 3. James Neal scored 25 goals in his single though not to the same degree. His biggest weakness was season as Golden Knight, but managed just seven goals and 19 points differential (which, ironically, was Neal’s biggest strength). total as a Flame. If we look at both guys even strength point production, we see a similar rate of decline: All told, Lucic was the better overall player last season and seems to be a better bet to provide value in terms of driving play, although his offense LUCIC AND NEAL'S 5V5 PTS/60 LAST 5 SEASONS: is probably all but gone. Neal is a better bet to rebound in terms of PIC.TWITTER.COM/OMMFI3C0DX production, but will have to improve the rest of his game significantly not — WOODGUY (@WOODGUY55) JULY 20, 2019 to be a gross liability.

Lucic’s fall was more gradual, Neal’s more abrupt, but they both ended Contract implications for the Flames up scoring less than one point per sixty minutes of ice time last season – In return for Neal, the Flames received Lucic, a conditional third round a rate common to fourth-line grinders. Lucic has hovered around third pick and the Oilers opted to eat 12.5 percent of the player’s contract. liner or worse territory for three seasons now, while Neal dropped from That drop’s Lucic’s per year cap hit to $5.25 million, some $500,000 less solid second-liner production to replacement level last year. than Neal’s 5.75 million deal. Calgary also gets a third rounder should Neal’s sudden, precipitous plunge into fourth-line territory suggests he Neal outscore Lucic by 10 or more goals. might be in line for a bounce-back season. His career-worst 5.5 shooting The good news for Treliving here is he acquired a slightly better overall percentage also hints at a rebound opportunity for the player. If we look player plus the much-vaunted grit and muscle, and he managed to save at Neal’s shot locations from last season, however, it points to a guy who a small amount of cap space while he was at it. might be in a terminal decline, rather than someone who was merely unlucky: The bad news is that Lucic’s contract is much more difficult to manage from a couple of angles. Neal’s shot locations were scattered all over the ice. In fact, his expected goals per shot (xG) was a team-low 0.06. His handful of markers all First, his deal was structure around bonus payouts, rather than straight salary. Here’s how it looks according to Cap Friendly:

The bonuses are guaranteed under the CBA, meaning the deal is semi- buyout proof. Let’s say the Flames wanted to buyout Lucic two seasons from now, in the summer of 2021. Here’s what that would look like according to Cap Friendly’s buyout calculator:

The Flames would still incur a cap hit of $3.57 million and $4.89 million in the seasons after the buyout, plus over $500,000 in in cap penalties for two more seasons.

In contrast, here’s how a James Neal buyout would look:

Over $3.8 million in savings (although the cap penalty is much larger as well).

On top of his bonus-ladened contract, Lucic also boasts a no-movement clause (NMC) through the rest of his deal. That means the Flames can’t waive the player to the AHL and they will be forced to protect him in the upcoming expansion draft – unless Lucic opts to voluntarily waive his NMC.

Several trades this season prove that bad contracts are not impossible to move. Nevertheless, Treliving has acquired one of the most problematic deals in the league. Lucic can’t be waived, can’t effectively be bought out, can’t be traded without his consent and must be protected in the expansion draft. Beyond his declining performance, there’s no doubt the Oilers were eager to rid themselves if Lucic’s contract due to these complications.

Conclusion

For now, Lucic is probably the better overall player, particularly if Neal’s personal shooting percentage doesn’t rebound (and maybe even if it does). The trade is a welcome change of scenery for two players who were likely to be malcontents had they remained with their original teams this upcoming season. The Flames and Brad Treliving also get something they’ve long been hunting for – a big, strong, nuclear deterrent.

The trade eased the Flames current cap problems somewhat but saddled the organization with a deal that is going to be very difficult to manage moving forward. The Oilers got a guy they hope can rebound back into a legitimate sniper, but mostly they rid themselves of a player who wasn’t happy and a contract they didn’t want.

Another issue for the Flames is the fact that $5.25 million for a third/fourth line winger (albeit a tough one who can apparently still drive OK) is a poor investment of cap space. Although it’s likely better than the $5.75 million they would have paid to Neal next season, it remains a sub- optimal outcome relative to, say, moving Neal in a straight cap-dump or salary retained trade.

The fact that this trade occurred suggests that those avenues were investigated and exhausted without effect. What the team has to hope for now is that Lucic can be a functional bottom-six forward, that his toughness and grit actually provide the expected value and that they can find a way to “manage” his contract when the expansion draft comes around.

(Stats and charts via Evolving Hockey, Natural Stats Trick, Corsica Hockey, and Cap Friendly)

The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150000 Carolina Hurricanes prevented a Round 1, double-overtime loss against the Capitals then scored the game-winner, but the lineup is just stuffed.

It’s understandably hard for Canesworld to deal with the fact that the It’s the NHL offseason so that means it’s time for another crack at the Canes are finally almost spending to the cap. But with the big-name free Hurricanes’ 2019-20 lineup agents and franchise players signed come the tough decisions — especially with beloved fourth liners.

By Sara Civian Jul 22, 2019 The Canes are shaping themselves into a position the Bruins were recently in — they’ve had to let beloved fourth-liners such as Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari walk to sign the Danton Heinens and keep their cap space in mind for future moves. Folks, I’m afraid we’re rapidly approaching peak NHL offseason szn. It’s funny how it’s penny-pinching and lowballing now that the Hurricanes This cursed time of year usually emerges a few weeks after the draft, are doing it when they’re clearly close to the cap (especially with when prospect camps are over and most of the free-agency drama has Williams’ future potentially costing a few million), but it was just business died down. You can’t blame the Carolina Hurricanes for any of the when the Bruins did it. Snark aside, the parallels with the way the teams boredom on the horizon. They re-signed Petr Mrazek, laughed their way have been operating stick out to me. through matching Sebastian Aho’s offer sheet, signed Ryan Dzingel all while Justin Williams’ future is up in the air. “How can they squeeze all these people into that cap space” is a problem, but finally for Hurricanes fans, it’s a good problem. Oh, and former GM Ron Francis found himself a well-deserved opportunity in Seattle. RYAN'S GONNA FIT IN JUST FINE  PIC.TWITTER.COM/6OLQZADZZ0 Still, as it always does, the dead of the offseason is rearing its head in incomprehensibly terrible tweets. — CAROLINA HURRICANES (@NHLCANES) JULY 19, 2019

I logged onto Twitter the other day to folks passionately arguing whether At least one person is excited. it is OK to pee in the Stanley Cup … or let a dog eat spaghetti out of it? I’m still not sure which one was worse or where the line was drawn, but The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 for whatever reason, these sins were intertwined.

For the record, I fully endorse both peeing in the Stanley Cup and no less than five thousand dogs eating spaghetti out of it.*

* Not simultaneously

I’m honestly willing to produce and direct Air Bud and the Tramp.

On a serious note, I don’t doubt for a second that pre-millennial Cup winners did the same things if not worse before they were forced to share their days with the Cup on social media.

The point is, we’re talking about stupid stuff for the next month or so and of course I am here to contribute.

My first act of stupidity was an attempt to predict the Hurricanes’ lineup too early. Extremely rude of them to sign Dzingel a day after I did that.

Let’s continue.

Forecasting the Hurricanes’ 2019-20 lineup 2.0

Forwards

Nino Niederreiter-Sebastian Aho-Andrei Svechnikov

Teuvo Teravainen-Jordan Staal-Justin Williams

Ryan Dzingel-Erik Haula-Martin Necas

Warren Foegele-Lucas Wallmark-Jordan Martinook

Defense

Jaccob Slavin-Dougie Hamilton

Brett Pesce-Justin Faulk

Haydn Fleury-Trevor van Riemsdyk

*Jake Bean and Gustav Forsling rotating in

GETTING BRAIN DAMAGE FROM PISSING MY SELF OFF

— WINT (@DRIL) JANUARY 9, 2019

(The defensive pairings haven’t changed since the last projection, so revisit those if you need a reminder.)

Nobody on Earth can think like Rod Brind’Amour, but I’m trying to put myself in his shoes a little bit with this one. I’m giving myself first line Svech so he can have second-line Williams and low-risk Necas. I feel this is a reasonable negotiation.

I wrote this post before Brock McGinn’s arbitration, but I’m assuming he’ll get more than $2 million, then I’m assuming the Canes will try to trade him. Obviously, it’s nothing against a player Brind’Amour loves, who 1150001 Chicago Blackhawks with so many new clients on the horizon, Mack and his team — including his director of nutrition and wellness, Sam Gibbs, who commutes weekly from Toronto — are looking to expand into a larger space in the near A broken-down old fat guy worked out with Patrick Kane’s trainer. This is future. my harrowing tale. When I arrived, six players were finishing up their roughly 170-minute workout. It’s difficult to describe what they were doing. Remember Catherine Zeta-Jones wriggling her way through the laser grid in By Mark Lazerus Jul 22, 2019 “Entrapment?” It was kind of like that. But while doing and maintaining deep squats. And dancing a strange mixture of a Maori haka and The

Robot. In slow motion. But nobody’s worried about how they look in the I’m dying. gym. They’re worried about how they’ll play on the ice, and deep into the future. This is it, the end. I’m sure of it now. Through the blobs of sweat on my glasses, I can see a strange white light in the distance, and if my thighs Mack talks a lot about how people today will live to be 110, 120, 130. And and lungs weren’t on the verge of bursting into flames, I’d be running it’s his goal to make 120 the new 50. straight toward it. Anything to end the agony. But a quarter of the way through my workout, I’m pretty sure I’m not I’m working out in a small, nondescript South Loop gym with Ian Mack, going to make it to 40. the performance coach and movement expert — “body nerd” is his self- There’s a resistance band around my knees, and Mack has me assigned descriptor — who helped Patrick Kane have the best season of sidestepping my way back and forth across the gym, just a few inches at his career at age 30. a time. I’m bending over a little at the waist, and clenching what few core There are a handful of professional athletes here on a Wednesday muscles I have. My knees are bent and twisted uncomfortably inward, afternoon, decompressing after their own hours-long workout, including while my feet are again pointed perfectly straight. the Devils’ Connor Carrick, the Avalanche’s J.T. Compher, and free This was Sheahan’s idea, shouted out from the peanut gallery. This is agent Riley Sheahan. I’m almost certain they’re laughing at me. the part when Sheahan’s 60-something dad tapped out (players often Oh, wait, that’s because they are. bring in family members for a once-over from Mack, who then offers a feasible plan going forward to help them out). So while my body wants to By this point, I’ve lunge-walked, barefoot, back and forth across the quit, my pride won’t let me. artificial-turf floor a couple times, careful to keep my toes pointed straight ahead and my back knee just off the floor. I then went back and forth It’s the feet that are the trickiest part of this. Stand up and walk a few again, this time leaning my leading knee to the right, so it hovered over steps normally. Look at your feet. Chances are, they’re pointed out a little the outside edge of my foot in the 1 o’clock position. I went back and bit, toward 11 and 1 o’clock, as you stride. forth yet again, this time with my knee at 11 o’clock. With each pass, I “The path of least resistance,” Mack says. “The body’s always looking to think I’m done. With each pass, Mack tells me to go back in the other rest.” direction. With each pass, I contemplate ways I could hurt him. With each pass, I realize he could certainly out-run me. It’s comfortable, but inefficient. So try walking again, this time with your feet perfectly straight, toes pointed straight ahead. Feels weird, right? It My thighs are burning. My knees are violently shaking. My heart rate is stresses out your ankles and torques your knees. maxing out at 180 beats per minute, though it feels closer to 18,000. I’m 39 years old, so by the 220-minus-your-age formula, my heart is right on Mack is steering into this skid, trying to rebuild the body’s natural target, Mack tells me. Hooray. mechanics. He works with athletes in every sport, and there are a couple of NBA guys in the gym as we work. But hockey has become his Finally, mercifully, my torture is over. specialty, because the sport puts such abnormal stresses on the body — “OK, that was a good little warmup to get you going,” Mack says, the balancing on skates, the hunching over the puck, the torque of clapping his hands and smiling. “Ready to begin?” shooting, the way the back leg kicks out to the side with each stride. The human body is not designed for hockey. Mack tries to undo the damage Shit. of decades of playing the game, while simultaneously making it better equipped to do so. He’s going for stability, mobility, agility, flexibility. Mack is a body evangelist, a man with the granular knowledge of a sports scientist and the boundless enthusiasm of a television preacher. He It’s probably worth pointing out here that I have none of those things. My believes the human body has almost limitless potential, and that so much body’s a mess. I have no core strength, no trunk strength. While hockey of it remains untapped. Through his Tomahawk Science program, he players are all butt and thighs with spindly little lower legs, like eschews weights for a carefully crafted series of body movements — thoroughbred horses, I have no butt and oddly muscular calves. (In fact, many of them awkward, many of them difficult, many of them just plain one guy at Mack’s gym saw me and asked, “Can I borrow some of your weird-looking — that will maximize performance. calves?”)

Talk to him long enough, and you’ll believe Kane can be at the top of his I’m at my local gym (or a hotel gym when I’m on the road) five days a game not only well into his 30s, but into his 40s and beyond. He’s certain week, and have been for a couple of years. I do some basic weightlifting that Kane will only get better, aging curves be damned. A career-high — chest presses, rows, pull-downs and leg presses, etc. — three days a 110 points in a career-high 22:29 per night (behind only Edmonton’s week, and do an hour of interval training on the elliptical the other two Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl among NHL forwards) is pretty days. My workouts are as much an excuse to get away from my kids long strong evidence that Mack might be on to something. enough to listen to podcasts and watch grown-up TV shows, but for an old fat guy, I’m doing OK. Kane certainly believes in him. He’s with Mack in the gym six or seven days a week, from 6:30 a.m. till about noon, typically burning about 1,700 But I have a lot of things against me. For one, I eat like a 5-year-old, and calories. Mack is here from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day, until the have zero interest in changing my diet so that I could actually lose weight NHL guys scatter to the winds in September. and become truly healthy. For another, I have four spinal conditions — a 52-degree curve in my spine that I’ve had since high school, a Kane’s success quickly has made Mack a hot commodity in the NHL. He fractured/slipped vertebra at the base of my spine called has about a dozen NHLers and a handful of two-way guys retaining his spondylolisthesis, four (and counting) arthritic vertebrae, and a bulging services this summer. Next summer, he’s expecting somewhere around disc impinging on a nerve. I used to be 6-foot-3. I’m closer to 6-1 now, as 30 clients. Some of them, like Kane, Carrick and Compher, live in my spine continues contorting. I once had a physical therapist say my Chicago. Others take great lengths to commute just to take part in hamstrings were “bricks.” Any number of massage therapists have Mack’s unique sessions. expressed amazement and mild terror upon seeing the train wreck that is The gym is small and underwhelming, with individual saunas tucked my back. There are no real feasible surgical solutions, so it’s just pain away in each bathroom and high-tech recovery equipment cluttering the management at this point, and has been for more than 20 years. A job main entrance. You’re expecting Ivan Drago’s training laboratory, not the that entails hunching over a computer, squeezing into cramped airplane Brady Bunch’s backyard, but it does the trick. Mack doesn’t need fancy, seats and contorting to look over the edge of a press box doesn’t help. expensive equipment, anyway. He just needs space to move. That said, The tl;dr version: I’m really, really inflexible with very little core strength, calories, and I didn’t lift a weight or run a single step. Mack is as and I can’t do a whole lot about it. convinced that I can become more flexible, mobile and pain-free as he is convinced that Kane can win the scoring title at 40. “Yes, you can,” Mack says, a glint in his eye. “You’re in the right place.” “Our key objective was to introduce your body to movement — Mack doesn’t recruit athletes, and he doesn’t ask his clients to recruit for specifically the spine, hips and shoulders,” Mack texts me the next day. him. All of his clients reached out to him, not the other way around. “These joints offer the biggest return to stability and mobility. The trick is So you won’t see him cajoling Kane to get Brent Seabrook into his gym, to appraise what you can and can’t do well (from a movement standpoint) though he firmly believes he could help him skate faster and more and keep programming within your means from that regard. HR and efficiently. metabolic output are not necessarily chief targets for us. Just performing the motion will be taxing enough (as you discovered). Once you ‘master’ You won’t see him stalking the halls at the Blackhawks’ practice facility to the movement pattern, we add other parameters (like time, speed and lure Jonathan Toews, though he’s sure he could help improve the intensity) to scale the exercise. This makes our options limitless.” captain’s explosiveness and his quickness. It was the first step of a long journey, should I choose to take it. My thighs Mack believes this because he believes in his work, in his science, in his were sore, my hips hurt, but I was able to get out of bed. I even did my results. He hasn’t studied Seabrook, Toews or anybody else for that hour on the elliptical that morning, just to get my legs moving again. I was matter. He only studies the clients he has. But there’s not an athlete — or indeed alive, and my body indeed continued to function. A pleasant a middle-aged sportswriter, or a player’s 60-something dad — that he surprise. doesn’t think he can help. I felt pretty good about it, frankly. Like I had accomplished something. For Mack’s science and the movements are complex, but the philosophy is a guy my age, with my various ailments, I made it through a workout that simple. The wider the base of movements and mechanics an athlete has, even the pros find difficult and useful. the taller the pyramid of potential can be built. If you come in at a level 2 like me, he’ll start you at a level 3. If you come in at a level 99 like Kane, It was a nice thought. It didn’t last. he’ll start you at a 100. Always pushing, always building a little wider, and Later in the day, Mack sends me an email with a full workout, the kind aiming a little higher. that the pros spend hours a day working their way through. All that weird (OK, I might have been flattering myself when I said I was a level 2. The “Entrapment” dancing and the like. It’s proprietary, so I can’t share all the high-tech band strapped around my chest said my heart rate had already details, but it involves things like planking for “about 10 minutes,” which is spiked to 119 when I bent down to take off my shoes before we began.) “about nine minutes” longer than I can plank; those same “quadruped” movements I did, only with the torturous resistance bands around the Anyway, after making it through the lateral band walking, slowly then wrists; and various agility and explosion work that surely would have quickly then slowly then quickly again; sideways then diagonal then resulted in a trip to the hospital. sideways then diagonal; on the inside of my feet then on the outside of my feet then on my toes — first with a band around my knees and then a “We got to four of the 12 categories listed below,” the note says, “and did tighter band around my ankles — my hips feel like they’re dislocating and about 1/4 of each category. So you completed approximately 1/12th of a my knees don’t know which direction to face anymore. pro workout.”

I’m already on my second towel, little puddles of sweat forming between One-twelfth. And it damn near killed me. the fake blades of grass on the floor. Shit.

“Have him do the quadrupeds,” Carrick calls out while he chills in a The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 lounger, his legs encased in NormaTec recovery boots.

So I get on all fours, knees pointed awkwardly inward, hands far in front of me, flat on the floor. My carpal tunnel is extremely displeased, with the base of my right hand in blinding pain, but I know better than to whine about it in front of hockey players. Mack has me lift my right hand and my left foot, and stretch them out as far as I can, then slowly return them to the floor. I repeat with the left, and do several reps. Then he has me do the same, but this time, rather than return them to the floor, I touch my elbow to my knee on the way in, keeping my core engaged the whole time. Right side, left side, right side, left side. I feel about as graceful as my overweight cat falling off the windowsill, but I make it through.

“How’d he do?” Mack asks.

Sheahan raises his left hand like a Roman emperor, and gives me a 45- degree angle thumbs-up. “Pretty good,” says Carrick, who just completed a three-hour workout and once burned 4,200 calories in one session. Then he offers up some genuine encouragement. “Showing up is everything.”

Damn right. Anything in the name of journalism, right? Eat your heart out, Hunter S. Thompson! Of course, I don’t say any of that. I don’t have the wherewithal (or the breath) to do anything more than grunt at this point.

We finish up my session with some low hurdles. Rather than run through them, I’m going through them as slowly (“controlled” is the term Mack prefers) as possible. Start with the right leg — slowly lift it up so your knee is at a 90-degree angle, slowly torque your knee so your lower leg is parallel to the floor, slowly rotate your hip so your foot hovers over the hurdle, slowly bring your weight to the floor without stomping. Do the same with your left foot, across eight hurdles. Now do it backward. Now do it starting with your left foot. Now do it backward. My form is terrible, but I was determined not to make a fool of myself in front of everyone.

“Haven’t knocked over one hurdle yet,” I said to Mack just before I knocked over the second-to-last hurdle.

After about 45 minutes — counting our little chats that I used as pretense to catch my breath — we’re done. The monitor says I burned 875 1150002 Colorado Avalanche Avalanche, with the idea that they will not be the only reliable source of production. Landeskog scored a career-high 34 goals in 2018-19, whereas MacKinnon and Rantanen set personal bests in points. It’s not The year is 2022. What could the Avalanche lineup look like by then? to say they may not be separated at some point, but there is going to be more proven infrastructure around them, which creates the option of them staying together.

By Ryan S. Clark Jul 22, 2019 SECOND LINE: Such a scenario suggests both Andre Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri succeeded in Denver. Kadri, by comparison, is more of a

definite, given he has a track record of being a 30-goal scorer capable of This is just a drill. Repeat. This is just a drill. dictating plays as a second-line center. Sakic and the Avalanche are banking on the idea Burakovsky can also serve in a similar role. Finding You have surely heard and likely know by heart the talking points when it a linemate, however, is where this can become interesting. Tyson Jost comes to discussing Joe Sakic’s long-term vision for the Colorado seems like the strongest candidate to start this season on the second line Avalanche. The blueprint is to build a team possessing intelligence and but will that be the case in a few years’ time? It is possible 2019 first- speed, all while remaining young. Creating a plan such as this has round pick Alex Newhook could challenge for a spot. Newhook projects created conversation about the Avs being a Stanley Cup contender as a top-six forward who is better suited for the wing given his 5-foot-10, starting as early as, well, right now. 190-pound frame, which could change while developing at Boston College. OK, cool. So what will this team look like three years from now? Are the Avalanche going to be a team on the doorstep of winning a Stanley Cup? THIRD LINE: Again, Jost could be on the left wing. Or it could be Is it possible they could have won it already? Or is this a consistent Newhook. Either way, that player would likely be on a line with J.T. playoff roster with talent that just simply faces difficulty in beating a Compher and Joonas Donskoi. Compher enters the 2019-20 season with specific opponent? the runway to center his own line and follow through on his potential as a reliable two-way presence who can score at least 20 goals a season. Who knows? There’s at least this much: The Avalanche appear as if they Donskoi’s production should also rise as he potentially receives more are still going to be rather young but with much more experience. minutes with the Avalanche than he did with the San Jose Sharks. Jost, There are a few factors worth considering. Sakic has remained steadfast Newhook or whoever is on the left side will be accompanied with two in making youth a priority. Knowing that means there is a chance the players who are going to work the corners for possession and be Avalanche could move on from certain players on the current roster to defensively prudent. make way for prospects in the system under the belief their development FOURTH LINE: One could argue this is the most difficult line to predict has made them NHL ready. because it is trying to determine how three prospects will project in the Look at the 34-year-old Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, for example. He just coming years. Vladislav Kamenev is a natural center who has logged signed a two-year deal but would be 37 years old and a strong candidate some time on the wing. Back-to-back season-ending injuries have limited to no longer be on the roster. Other candidates in this projection include him to 28 career games, and it’s challenging to suggest where he fits. Matt Calvert (who will be 32), Ian Cole (who will be 33), Pavel Francouz Both Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut will provide more insight given they (who will be 32), Matt Nieto (who will be 29) and Colin Wilson (who will will spend this year with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL. The thought is be 32). Of course, Sakic could make exceptions and keep at least one of Bowers projects as a two-way center with speed who still needs to add the aforementioned players depending upon what happens in the future. size and refine his offensive game. Kaut made strides but is also seeking the chance to improve in certain areas, like playing with more pace while Captain and first-line left winger Gabriel Landeskog and starting adding production. Pairing Bowers, Kamenev and Kaut would give the goaltender Philipp Grubauer are unrestricted free agents after the 2020- Avalanche a line with three two-way skaters who all add a bit of skill but 21 campaign. Landeskog will be 29 and Grubauer will be 30, come still must address playing a more physical style. October 2022. Nazem Kadri is a UFA after the 2021-22 season and he will be 32 at the start of the following year. All three serve in critical roles FIRST PAIRING: Having one puck-moving defenseman with skill and and this is why they would all likely stay with the team after signing new speed on the top pairing is ideal. There is a possibility the Avalanche contracts. might have two with Bowen Byram and Cale Makar. Byram, the team’s fourth pick this summer, was considered to be the No. 1 defensive Remember: There is also the Seattle expansion draft in 2021 to consider. prospect in the NHL Draft. The idea is Byram can produce offense, play the defense asked of a No. 1 option while also logging heavy minutes in Sakic, in one particular hypothetical, would go with retaining seven all situations. Makar showed during 10 playoff games that he has the forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender. The seven protected potential to also be a No. 1 defenseman who can create, defend, drive forwards would likely be Andre Burakovsky, J.T. Compher, Tyson Jost, play, score and also receive copious ice time. Knowing this creates a Kadri, Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Erik hypothetical that Byram and Makar could team up to become one the Johnson would be protected because he has a no-movement clause, and premier young defensive pairings in the NHL. the remaining spots would go to Samuel Girard and Cale Makar, while also keeping Grubauer. SECOND PAIRING: Placing Samuel Girard alongside Conor Timmins also creates possibilities. Girard would serve as the smaller, left-handed If so, it would leave Joonas Donskoi and Nikita Zadorov as the two shot, while Timmins would be the larger, right-handed option. Each is unprotected players who would be the most likely candidates to be known for being an offensive-minded skater but possess a two-way picked by Seattle general manager Ron Francis. Donskoi, who would be element. Girard has already shown those qualities during the regular 30 in April 2022, would give Francis a veteran middle-six forward while season and playoffs. Timmins is working his way back from a concussion the Zadorov (who would be 27) is a top-four defenseman. That said, but looked strong during development camp. He is expected to play this Francis would likely opt for Zadorov, and Donskoi would remain with the season with the hopes of making the Avs roster, with the fallback being Avalanche. he will receive time in the AHL with the Eagles. The promise of a Girard- Maybe this is the foundation for how the Avalanche will look once Timmins partnership is promising, but how viable it is will reveal itself opening night arrives in October 2022. Then again, this is just one over the next few years. hypothetical. There are other variables – some known and some that are THIRD PAIRING: Erik Johnson really might be the closest one can get to unknown, such as future draft picks and free-agent signings – that Sakic determining a definitive when it comes to how a third unit would look in might possibly take into account when shaping what he deems to be the three years. He will enter the last year of his contract and would likely strongest roster going forward. slide into this role should Byram, Girard, Makar and Timmins progress as Again. This is just a drill. expected. Johnson’s partner, however, is a bit harder to predict.

Now here’s a look at what could potentially, possibly, hypothetically, may It leads to one of two scenarios. The first? Sakic could choose to stay or may not be the Avalanche’s roster in October 2022: with Ian Cole and move on from Ryan Graves. Cole will be the older of the two options but he gives the Avalanche another veteran on the back FIRST LINE: The belief now is a top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan end to complement a projected top-four with an average age of 22.8 MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen having even more time together will years. Cole and Johnson are mainstays on the team’s current penalty kill only make them more dangerous. They will likely continue to drive the and it could stay that way in the future. Pairing Cole and Johnson could give the Avs an experienced shutdown partnership that uses size and physicality as a part of its profile. Cole, who is 6-1, 219 pounds, has blocked more than 100 shots in four straight seasons while recording more than 100 hits in three of those campaigns.

Another benefit of staying with a Cole-Johnson duo is their leadership and mentorship potential considering the blue line in this projected defensive model will be so young.

But there’s a second scenario where Sakic could potentially keep Graves and move on from Cole.

Graves is likely going to receive an increased role with the Avalanche in 2019-20 and it could lead to more chances in the future. He could grow into becoming a long-term fixture on the penalty kill while proving he can be a reliable third-pairing option with a bit of offensive production.

Pairing Graves and Johnson together could create another potential shutdown combination that also relies upon size. The 6-5, 226-pound Graves can also use his size to impact play. He averaged 1.96 blocked shots and 1.23 hits with an average ice time of 11:06 in 26 games in 2018-19. That would have come out to Graves getting in front of 161 shots and recording 101 hits over the course of a full NHL season of games.

So why not keep both? Graves is projecting to be a third-line defenseman in the near future which could lead to him seeking playing time elsewhere if he does not receive that chance in Colorado.

That said, the Avalanche could have two prospects who could also factor into the discussion. Drew Helleson, the team’s second-round pick this summer, will spend this season at Boston College along with Newhook. The 6-3, 194-pound National Team Development Program alumnus could be ready for the NHL by October 2022. So could Nate Clurman. He was the Avs’ sixth-round pick in 2016 and just finished his first season at Notre Dame. The 6-2, 212-pound Clurman played in all but one of the Fighting Irish’s 40 games in 2018-19 and could be someone who factors for a spot in the coming years.

GOALTENDING: Philipp Grubauer used the final month of the regular season along with two playoff rounds to reinforce the notion he can be a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL. Building off that experience and parlaying it into long-term success is what Sakic and the Avs front office are hoping can happen. Grubauer is going to be one of the primary figures charged with taking the Avalanche to its ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup. There is always the possibility Pavel Francouz could still be with the team, but there will be intrigue regarding the team’s future in net. Justus Annunen, the team’s third-round pick in 2018, looks the front-runner among the organization’s goaltending prospects. He is set to play this season in the Finnish Liiga while also being in contention to make the nation’s U-20 World Junior Championship team. Being consistent in Europe, and doing the same once he comes to North America, could result in Annunen fighting for a roster spot by 2022.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150003 Dallas Stars

Could a decrease in ice time be the Stars' key to getting a better Jamie Benn next season?

By Matthew DeFranks

Matthew DeFranks, Stars beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered your questions about the team in a live chat recently. Here are some of the highlights:

Q: Have we seen the best of Jamie Benn?

DeFranks: I think so. Jamie Benn probably isn't going to win another Art Ross trophy, and the days of 30 goals and 50 assists are likely gone. I wouldn't be surprised to see his ice time decreased to keep him more fresh (he already stopped killing penalties last season), and with less ice time comes less production, though the Stars could get a better Benn for a shorter period of time. We'll see how it shakes out.

Q: What will it take to reignite Jamie Benn? Or do you think he is on a downward arc?

DeFranks: I think Jamie Benn will be plenty motivated this season. He's coming off the worst season of his career (which still resulted in 27 goals), with the realization that the Stars are going for the Stanley Cup, as evidenced by the signing of Joe Pavelski. Motivation shouldn't be an issue. But we'll see how that relates to production. In reality, he's a 30- year-old power forward with 745 games played. He declined last season and it's unfortunate for a player that carries a $9.5 million cap hit. But with added scorers around him, perhaps Benn isn't asked to do as much as he used to and stays fresher for longer.

Q: Should Anton Khudobin play more or far less games this year?

DeFranks: I think the perfect split between Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin is 50-30. There's no need to play Bishop much more that 50 games with a backup like Khudobin, who was one of the best backups in the league last season. It keeps Bishop fresh for the playoffs, and on a team that's trying to win the Stanley Cup, that should be a priority. This is predicated of course on Khudobin's performance remaining strong and Bishop staying healthy.

Q: Is there any truth to the rumors of Stephen Johns playing this season?

DeFranks: At this point, the signs are encouraging, but nothing is for sure. Johns practiced during two days of development camp at the end of June, but hasn't been in a full team practice for a while, and hasn't been hit in longer. Signs are more promising than they were last season, but we'll have to see when training camp opens Sept. 13 in Frisco.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150004 Detroit Red Wings Hossa led the Wings with 40 goals in the regular season and contributed 15 points in 23 playoff games.

More: Red Wings opening lineup projections: Who's in and who's out How Detroit Red Wings have fared in free agency over the years: Hits and misses 8. D Fredrik Olausson

Signed: 2001 (1 year, $750,000)

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 6:00 a.m. ET July 22, Olausson ended up on the top-pairing with Nicklas Lidstrom and and 2019 contributed six points in 21 playoffs games.

9. F Todd Bertuzzi

As he set about to patch the Detroit Red Wings’ lineup, new general Signed: 2009 (1 year, $2.5 million) manager Steve Yzerman had a self-created mandate: no long-term contracts. This was his second stint with the team after a 2007 trade. He scored 18 goals in 2009-10 and ended up staying for five seasons, producing 146 His venture into the unrestricted free agent market yielded forward points in 300 games. Valtteri Filppula, defenseman Patrik Nemeth and goaltender Calvin Pickard. All were signed to two-year deals. Yzerman’s reasoning makes 10. F sense: describing himself as “somewhat new to the organization,” he Signed: 2016 (1 yr, $2.6 millions) sought to make the Wings more competitive without saddling the roster with deals that might complicate re-signing Anthony Mantha, Andreas At the time he was traded at the 2017 deadline, Vanek ranked first on the Athanasiou and Tyler Bertuzzi (all of whom are entering a contract year) team with 15 goals and second with 38 points. or limit opportunities for prospects. Misses The signings reflect a team in rebuilding mode. Free agency was more 1. F Stephen Weiss fun back when the Wings were a contender. Here is a lock back at their 10 best and worst unrestricted free agency signings from 1998-2018. Signed: 2013 (5 years, $24.5 million)

Hits This one is awful on an epic scale. With Filppula rejecting attempts to re- sign him and bolting for Tampa Bay, then-coach Mike Babcock pushed 1. D Brian Rafalski for Weiss. Injuries limited Weiss to 26 games his first season. He Signed: 2007 (5 years, $30 million) produced 25 points in 52 games his second season, and the death knell tolled louder when, during a March game at Boston, Weiss twice turned A master at tape-to-tape passes, Rafalski produced 204 points in 292 the puck over during power plays, leading to Bruins goals. Bought out in regular-season games and 40 points in 63 playoff games before retiring the summer of 2015, he remains an albatross on the payroll for two more early because of injuries. years at a $1.67 million salary cap hit.

2. F 2. D Uwe Krupp

Signed: 2001 (2 years, $9 million) Signed: 1998 (4 years, $16.4 million)

He scored 30 goals his first season and led the star-studded 2002 playoff Asked at the 2019 draft if he’d checked whether his first-round pick, team with 10 goals while forming the “two kids and a goat” line with Pavel German defenseman Moritz Seider, raced sled dogs, Yzerman smiled Datsyuk and Boyd Devereaux. Hull ended up staying three seasons, and replied, “do we have to go there?” Woof. Seider’s selection brought leading the team with 207 points in 245 regular-season games and fourth back memories of Krupp, the German defenseman signed to ameliorate with 24 points in 39 playoff games. the loss of Vladimir Konstantinov, whose career ended in a limousine 3. G Chris Osgood crash a week after the Wings won the 1997 Stanley Cup. Krupp played 22 games his first season in Detroit before complaining of back pain. Signed: 2005 (1 year, $800,000) When he was caught racing his sled dogs in winter of 1998, the Wings balked that Krupp engaged in such an activity while rehabbing a Lost on waivers in 2001 after the trade for Dominik Hasek, the Wings herniated disk, eventually suspending him without pay. Krupp returned to brought back Osgood and he ended up staying five seasons. He took play eight games in 2001-02, for a total of 30 games in his Wings career. over for a struggling Hasek in the 2008 playoffs and backstopped the Wings to the Stanley Cup, and did what he could to help defend it, going 3. D Derian Hatcher 15-8 with a .926 save percentage in the 2009 playoffs. Signed: 2003 (5 years, $30 million) 4. F Luc Robitaille A knee injury limited Hatcher to 15 games his first season. He was an Signed: 2001 (2 years, $9 million) easy choice to buy out under the rules of the new CBA formed after the 2004-05 season was wiped out by a labor dispute. He scored 30 goals his first season and contributed nine points in 23 playoff games. His second season sagged, with 11 goals in 81 games. 4. G Curtis Joseph

5. F Dallas Drake Signed: 2002 (3 years, $24 million)

Signed: 2007 (One year, $550,000) This signing is memorable for the mess Dominik Hasek created when he decided to un-retire the year after announcing he was done following the Drake finished his NHL career where he began it, serving as an 2002 Cup. In order to avoid Hasek signing with rival Colorado (Patrick emotional rallying point in the locker room especially in the playoffs while Roy had retired in May of 2003), then-general manager Ken Holland adding grit to the lineup. exercised the team’s $8 million option on Hasek. Joseph’s numbers in his 6. F Daniel Cleary first season (34-19-6 with a 2.49 goals-against average and .912 save percentage, 0-4 with a 2.08 GAA and .917 save percentage in the Signed: 2005 (1 year, $450,000) playoffs) were decent but he failed to live up to expectations. With Hasek back, Holland sought to trade Joseph but found no takers. The Wings Cleary’s 10 seasons with the Wings ended messily but his arrival on a ended up needing Joseph as Hasek battled a groin injury, but it was a tryout in 2005 looked great as he emerged as a three-time 20-goal bad situation in the locker room as Hasek and Joseph refused to speak scorer. His 15 points in the 2009 playoffs ranked fourth on the team and to one another. his 10 points in the 2013 playoff games ranked second. 5. F Brad Richards 7. F Marian Hossa Signed: 2015 (1 year, $3 million) Signed: 2008 (1 year, $7.45 million) He was brought in to help offensively but produced only 28 points in 68 games and was a non-factor in the playoffs. In retrospect, the Wings might as well have kept Weiss one more season, as buying him out in 2016 would have shaved two years off the penalty.

6. D Carlo Colaiacovo

Signed: 2012 (2 years, $5 million)

Brought in to patch a defense that had lost Rafalski in 2011 and Lidstrom in 2012. Colaiacovo’s first season was derailed by a shoulder injury that limited him to six games, and he was unloaded via compliance buyout in 2013.

Tidbit: Colaiacovo finished his career playing for Adler Mannheim in Germany, where in 2017-18 he was, briefly, teammates with Seider.

7. F Ray Whitney

Signed: 2003 (3 years, $12.5 million)

He had a decent regular season with 43 points in 67 games, but he was invisible in the playoffs, with just one goal and three assists in 12 games. He was jettisoned via a buyout following the 2004-05 lockout.

8. G Jonathan Bernier

Signed: 2018 (3 years, $9 million)

He had a rough first season, going 9-18-5 with a 3.16 goals-against average and .904 save percentage in 35 games (30 starts).

9. F Jordin Tootoo

Signed: 2012 (3 years, $5.7 million)

Tootoo provided exactly what he was signed for, adding grit to the lineup. But Babcock soured on Tootoo and stopped playing him, leading to a buyout in the summer of 2014.

10. F Daniel Alfredsson

Signed: 2013 (1 year, $5.5 million)

Back problems limited him to 68 games. The Wings were banged up during the 2013-14 season (Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg each played just 45 games) and Alfredsson tied Niklas Kronwall for most points with 49. He had no points three playoff games.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150005 Detroit Red Wings extra second to make a play, and that’s more than enough time to be able to make a difference.

“It’s strength, especially on the bottom, but working the whole body and Taste of NHL makes Red Wings' Ryan Kuffner hungry to get better just getting as strong as I can.”

Having the summer to entirely concentrate on hockey, with his studies Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 8:30 p.m. ET July 22, 2019 now over, is something Kuffner is relishing.

“Hockey was at the forefront (at Princeton) as long as you got your schoolwork done,” Kuffner said. “Now, it’s pretty much my whole life to Detroit – You heard a lot about Taro Hirose after the Michigan State dedicating myself to get better because I have the time, with no forward signed with the Detroit Red Wings as an undrafted free agent in schoolwork there anymore. March. “I have to adjust to the pro game. You have to learn and adapt as quick Hirose used the final month of the season – quickly adapting and as possible.” contributing – to possibly secure a roster spot for this season. Detroit News LOADED: 07.23.2019 Right wing Ryan Kuffner skates around an obstacle during the Red Wings development camp.

But for forward Ryan Kuffner, the other undrafted free agent the Wings signed near the end of the season, it was much different.

Kuffner, 23, played 10 games as the Wings’ season wound down, but didn’t register a point, with a minus-4 rating.

The NHL game seemed too fast, and Kuffner, fresh from his Princeton career, was learning on the fly.

Kuffner called the March audition with the Wings “a huge learning experience” and said it gave him a good idea of what he needs to work on this summer.

“Individual skills,” said Kuffner. “You’re playing against bigger guys. You hear that a lot. It’s about spinning out in the corner and working on the stuff that you see on the ice, the in-tight skills that are the difference- maker in the pros, and that so many of those guys do so well.

“I was able to witness it, but it’s just one thing I really have to work on.”

The jump from college hockey to the NHL is gigantic. But leaping into the NHL just days after your college career ended is a monumental task.

Right wing Ryan Kuffner listens to instructions during the Red Wings development camp.

Kuffner handled the jump probably as well as could be expected, and will benefit for the experience, said Shawn Horcoff, the Wings’ director of player development.

“It was good for him when he signed to come in and get some NHL games,” Horcoff said. “A lot of these kids that leave college or junior don’t realize how good pro hockey is, especially the NHL. They always seem to take for granted even the AHL level. So anytime they can come in and get a little taste of what it’s like before they go into the summer, they’re at a huge advantage because the majority of them come up and they know what they need to work on.”

There will probably be roster spots available on the Wings among the forwards, but there are plenty of young players battling for those spots.

Prospects such as Michael Rasmussen, Hirose, Filip Zadina, Evgeny Svechnikov and Joe Veleno are all going to be in the mix for Wings’ roster spots, making the fight for jobs that much more intense.

Still, an impressive training camp and exhibition season could go a long way toward Kuffner’s bid to make the opening night roster.

Kuffner is doing everything he can to help himself do that. He’s spending this summer living with 2015 sixth-round draft pick defenseman Patrick Holway, while skating several times a week with the likes of Dylan Larkin, Darren Helm and Luke Glendening.

“Being here, it’s away from home (Ottawa) and it’s a great opportunity of just 24 hours a day, doing everything it takes (to become an NHL player),” Kuffner said. “A big thing for me this summer is just being here, with the guys, doing everything we can to make it a competitive environment, because that will make us better.”

Improving and strengthening his core and lower body is something else Kuffner is concentrating on, after losing too many personal battles in that NHL audition.

“In the corners, the tight spaces, if you can be on the opposite side of the pushing around, that’s massive,” Kuffner said. “Then it just opens up an 1150006 Edmonton Oilers 9:58 AM - Jul 20, 2019

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A deep dive behind the numbers to gauge expectations for Milan Lucic 22 people are talking about this and James Neal Lucic’s fall was more gradual, Neal’s more abrupt, but they both ended up scoring less than one point per sixty minutes of ice time last season – a rate common to fourth-line grinders. Lucic has hovered around third By Kent Wilson Jul 22, 2019 liner or worse territory for three seasons now, while Neal dropped from solid second-liner production to replacement level last year.

It was starting to look like Brad Treliving was going to have a very quiet Neal’s sudden, precipitous plunge into fourth-line territory suggests he summer. Normally active in the offseason, the Flames GM often has at might be in line for a bounce-back season. His career-worst 5.5 shooting least one bombshell move up his sleeve – the Dougie Hamilton trade, percentage also hints at a rebound opportunity for the player. If we look Travis Hamonic, etc. at Neal’s shot locations from last season, however, it points to a guy who might be in a terminal decline, rather than someone who was merely This year, the big move was less about addition than subtraction. James unlucky: Neal – Treliving’s big 2018 summer acquisition – stepped into an elevator shaft as a Calgary Flame, running afoul of the coach which plunged his Neal’s shot locations were scattered all over the ice. In fact, his expected five-year, $5.75 million contract into the “albatross” category. goals per shot (xG) was a team-low 0.06. His handful of markers all came from in-tight shots around the net, which belies his reputation as a The fit was so poor, I hypothesized the club would be trying to get rid of sniper. To be fair, though, Neal’s expected goal total was just over 11 last Neal through a variety of methods last month. One of the options noted season (whereas his actual settled at seven) so he likely suffered from was trading him for another bad contract, including Milan Lucic. bad bounces as well.

While absorbing another bad contract was the least palatable option In contrast, here is Lucic’s shot chart: mentioned, there are some reasons the Flames may have preferred the erstwhile Oiler over Neal as a bottom-six option for the team moving Lucic’s shot pattern is tighter to the net, resulting in an expected goal per forward. The problem is, the slight upgrade comes with some very real shot of 0.08. Lucic’s average shot distance and values were slightly contract and budget implications. better than Neal’s, but he also took fewer shots (192 vs 126). That said, Lucic also had an actual goal total (six) that was about four back of his Neal vs. Lucic by the stats expected goal total (10.04).

Kent Wilson Both players probably could have had a few more goals last year, but both guys production has also been declining for years. We also know ✔ that offense tends to dry-up for most NHLers after the age of 30 at a rate @Kent_Wilson of about 10 percent reduction of their peak rate every year. Meaning, neither player is likely to experience a sudden renaissance when it A potentially bad idea is forming in my head. comes to putting the puck in the net.

View image on Twitter Digging below scoring rates, we can look at how each player impacts things like shot and chance rates. It’s in these areas where Lucic tends to 80 come out ahead.

12:12 PM - May 3, 2019 2018-19:

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66 people are talking about this Each table includes relative shot attempt for and against (CF/CA), I did a cursory comparison of the two players in early May and found expected goals for and against (xGF/xGA), scoring chances for and something surprising – by most underlying metrics, Lucic was the better against (SCF/SCA) and high danger shot attempts for and against player in 2018-19. Neither guy did much offensively, but Lucic had (HDCF/HDCA). I have also included a zone start ratio at the bottom, superior impacts on shots and chances, particularly from a defensive which is the number of zone starts in the offensive zone versus the standpoint. defensive zone for a player. Keep in mind, a positive number for ratios or shots for is a good thing, whereas a positive number for any shot or Keep in mind, RAPM metrics attempt to isolate individual player impacts chance against number is bad (and vice versa). versus things like linemates and zone starts. That said, Lucic arguably played more difficult minutes than Neal last season, with a zone start Both last year and over a three-season sample, Lucic has been better at ratio about 10 points lower than Neal. driving shots, chances and expected goals. We can inspect this effect by looking at how each guy impacted his regular linemates last year: Of course, last year was Neal’s worst in the NHL so it might be unfair to compare the two by that lone season. Here are the two players by the Lucic 2018-19 WOWY same metrics over the last three seasons at even strength: Neal 2018-19 WOWY

Again, surprisingly, Lucic is still the better player in aggregate. The two player’s charts are basically inverted: Neal’s is awash in red due We can break things down a bit further to see how each player tends to to his mostly deleterious influence on his linemates, whereas Lucic is influence the game. First, we’ll look at scoring and shots. mostly green. We can distill these impacts into one number – CF% RelT for shot attempts and XGF% RelT via Corsica hockey. Oilers fans are well aware that Lucic’s scoring rapidly declined during his time in Edmonton. A 23-goal, 50-point winger in Year 1, he fell to just six Lucic’s aggregate impact on shots and expected goals across his goals and 20 points in Year 3. James Neal scored 25 goals in his single teammates was positive in 2018-19 (+3.54 CF% RelT, +3.12 XGF% season as Golden Knight, but managed just seven goals and 19 points RelT). Neal’s impact was strongly negative ( -3.67 CF$% RelT, -6.22 total as a Flame. If we look at both guys even strength point production, XGF% RelT). In fact, Neal was by far the worst regular skater on the we see a similar rate of decline: Flames by these sorts of measures.

Woodguy Finally, we can look at goals above replacement (GAR) to judge each player’s total contribution to winning last year: @Woodguy55 Neal finished as the worst skater on the Flames, with his even-strength Lucic and Neal's 5v5 pts/60 last 5 seasons: play plunging him well into the negatives. Lucic was also underwater, though not to the same degree. His biggest weakness was penalty View image on Twitter differential (which, ironically, was Neal’s biggest strength). 22 All told, Lucic was the better overall player last season and seems to be a better bet to provide value in terms of driving play, although his offense is probably all but gone. Neal is a better bet to rebound in terms of production, but will have to improve the rest of his game significantly not to be a gross liability.

Contract implications for the Flames

In return for Neal, the Flames received Lucic, a conditional third round pick and the Oilers opted to eat 12.5 percent of the player’s contract. That drop’s Lucic’s per year cap hit to $5.25 million, some $500,000 less than Neal’s 5.75 million deal. Calgary also gets a third rounder should Neal outscore Lucic by 10 or more goals.

The good news for Treliving here is he acquired a slightly better overall player plus the much-vaunted grit and muscle, and he managed to save a small amount of cap space while he was at it.

The bad news is that Lucic’s contract is much more difficult to manage from a couple of angles.

First, his deal was structure around bonus payouts, rather than straight salary. Here’s how it looks according to Cap Friendly:

The bonuses are guaranteed under the CBA, meaning the deal is semi- buyout proof. Let’s say the Flames wanted to buyout Lucic two seasons from now, in the summer of 2021. Here’s what that would look like according to Cap Friendly’s buyout calculator:

The Flames would still incur a cap hit of $3.57 million and $4.89 million in the seasons after the buyout, plus over $500,000 in in cap penalties for two more seasons.

In contrast, here’s how a James Neal buyout would look:

Over $3.8 million in savings (although the cap penalty is much larger as well).

On top of his bonus-ladened contract, Lucic also boasts a no-movement clause (NMC) through the rest of his deal. That means the Flames can’t waive the player to the AHL and they will be forced to protect him in the upcoming expansion draft – unless Lucic opts to voluntarily waive his NMC.

Several trades this season prove that bad contracts are not impossible to move. Nevertheless, Treliving has acquired one of the most problematic deals in the league. Lucic can’t be waived, can’t effectively be bought out, can’t be traded without his consent and must be protected in the expansion draft. Beyond his declining performance, there’s no doubt the Oilers were eager to rid themselves if Lucic’s contract due to these complications.

Conclusion

For now, Lucic is probably the better overall player, particularly if Neal’s personal shooting percentage doesn’t rebound (and maybe even if it does). The trade is a welcome change of scenery for two players who were likely to be malcontents had they remained with their original teams this upcoming season. The Flames and Brad Treliving also get something they’ve long been hunting for – a big, strong, nuclear deterrent.

The trade eased the Flames current cap problems somewhat but saddled the organization with a deal that is going to be very difficult to manage moving forward. The Oilers got a guy they hope can rebound back into a legitimate sniper, but mostly they rid themselves of a player who wasn’t happy and a contract they didn’t want.

Another issue for the Flames is the fact that $5.25 million for a third/fourth line winger (albeit a tough one who can apparently still drive OK) is a poor investment of cap space. Although it’s likely better than the $5.75 million they would have paid to Neal next season, it remains a sub- optimal outcome relative to, say, moving Neal in a straight cap-dump or salary retained trade.

The fact that this trade occurred suggests that those avenues were investigated and exhausted without effect. What the team has to hope for now is that Lucic can be a functional bottom-six forward, that his toughness and grit actually provide the expected value and that they can find a way to “manage” his contract when the expansion draft comes around.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150007 MontrealCanadiens remainder of his contract. So in reality, his cap hit is $5.3 million for the purposes of determining his next contract. Will Tatar be willing to take a pay cut to stick around? He would likely have to, and at age 30 this would What the Canadiens might look like after the transformational summer of probably be his final shot at cashing in on unrestricted free agency. As 2021 for Petry, the same logic applies. Would he be willing to drop from his $5.5 million cap hit or test the market to see if he can get a raise on one final big contract? In both cases it is difficult to say, but what’s clear is the Canadiens will not have tons of money to throw around that season. We By Arpon Basu Jul 22, 2019 are assuming they will both decide to hit the market, in which case it would be possible both are traded at the 2021 trade deadline if the Canadiens aren’t competitive in 2020-21. The summer of 2021 is an obvious line of demarcation for the Canadiens. Also, by this point, we have handed Max Domi a four-year contract worth $7 million a season when he was an RFA the summer before, so he will They only have two forwards currently under contract for the 2021-22 be entering the second year of that deal. This is just a matter of season, a number that should grow to three once Max Domi signs his consistency, since that’s the contract we gave him in our two-year new contract at some point before next summer. There are three transition piece in April. defencemen signed that season, four if you count Karl Alzner, but two of them – Brett Kulak and Ben Chiarot – will be entering the final season of In addition to signing Gallagher and Danault, the Canadiens will need to their contracts. And in goal, well, there’s Carey Price. sign three important restricted free agents to new contracts in the summer of 2021: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ryan Poehling and Artturi There is a high risk of a ton of turnover in the summer of 2021, with the Lehkonen. This is where the Canadiens’ salary structure has the contract structure of the team changing drastically, a player being lost in potential to get somewhat screwy. the expansion draft to Seattle and several players on entry-level contracts likely filling relatively important roles. For the purposes of this exercise we are guesstimating an $86 million salary cap for the 2021-22 season, an increase of $4.5 million from the We at The Athletic Montreal have attempted to make this reality as clear $81.5 million cap in place for 2019-20. We’re also assuming there will be as possible in our offseason coverage, starting here with a two-year no lockout in September of 2020, which seems like a ridiculous transition plan to maximize the potential of the current group of players. assumption given the history so just add it to the rest of the suspension But thus far we have really focused only on what the Canadiens should of disbelief we have already asked of you. do before hitting that pivotal summer. But what about after that summer? What could the Canadiens look like coming out of all the upheaval? Kotkaniemi is the vitally important piece here and what is happening this summer around the NHL with so many elite-level restricted free agents Glad you asked. still unsigned in late July will have a definite impact on his next contract. We are working under the assumption Kotkaniemi is the Canadiens’ No. There are so many variables at play here that this projection must 1 centre at this point and has developed into their most important obviously come with the caveat that it is a house of cards. So many forward. Because Kotkaniemi played a full season as an 18-year-old, he things can happen between now and October of 2021 that would be could be eligible for unrestricted free agency as early as age 25 because nearly impossible to predict. it takes seven accrued NHL seasons to hit that mark. In theory, With that in mind, here is a first disclaimer: this projection will assume no Kotkaniemi could seek a four-year contract that would kick in on July 1, one is signed in free agency and no significant trades are made between 2021, to get him to UFA status as quickly as possible. now and the start of the 2021-22 season. Which is, to put it mildly, highly Will Kotkaniemi push for that fast track to UFA status, as appears to be unlikely. But for our purposes it simplifies things and allows us to provide the trend for impact RFAs right now? Or would he prefer an eight-year a general snapshot of what the team could look like if it maintains the deal that buys four of his UFA years and would therefore have to be patient approach the Canadiens have undertaken lately – sometimes considerably richer? It’s impossible to say, but for now we are going to against their own wishes and desires. assume the Canadiens sign him to an eight-year contract worth $10 Which leads to another disclaimer: we are going to assume that several million a year. This might be a ridiculously low figure for a 21-year-old top of the Canadiens’ top prospects follow an ideal development path. This, centre by then, but for now it will have to do. we realize, is also rather unlikely, but it is also something the Canadiens As for Gallagher and Danault, we have handed each of them five-year are more or less banking on considering the impressive collection of contracts to entice them to avoid unrestricted free agency, with Gallagher prospects they have gathered. And, as you will see, the projection here is getting $8 million a year after being egregiously underpaid for at least the not all that unreasonable in many cases. final four years of his six-year contract that just expired. Danault is getting Finally, one more disclaimer: the contracts we handed out on behalf of $4.5 million a year in this scenario, one that foresees his continued the Canadiens to numerous players represent an educated guess based increase in offensive production playing between Gallagher and Tatar the on projected performance between now and then. Again, it is simply in two years prior. order to provide a snapshot. There are a number of other contracts here we’ve assigned to important We will break this down into three sections: the contracts, the prospects players, but the one that might be the biggest undersell is Ryan Poehling and the lineup. Let’s dig in. signing a two-year bridge deal at $2.75 million a year. He’s the Canadiens’ fourth-line centre at this point, and that’s a heavy number for The contracts that role, but his promise for the future is shining brightly and getting him on a bridge would be a necessary win for the Canadiens. Poehling’s The list of Canadiens unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2021 is a progression as an NHL player will be the single biggest factor in whether long and significant one: Tomas Tatar, Brendan Gallagher, Phillip the Canadiens re-sign Danault or let him walk. Danault, Joel Armia and Jordan Weal at forward, Jeff Petry and Mike Reilly on defence. Otherwise, Lehkonen found his scoring touch over his current two-year deal and signed for four years and $16 million and Victor Mete is in the Discounting Reilly for the moment because it’s difficult at this point to see second of a three-year, $7.5 million contract. Finally, we have assumed him as a regular in two years, though he definitely has the talent to Brett Kulak was selected by Seattle in the 2021 expansion draft, a steal change that, the other six names on that list represent a third of the likely for them at $1.85 million for a player who has excelled in the top four for regular lineup of the 2020-21 Canadiens. By the summer of 2021, Tatar the better part of three years playing with Petry. will be 30, Gallagher will be 29, Danault will be 28, Armia will be 27, Weal will be 29 and Petry will be 33. The prospects

We are going to presume the Canadiens will let everyone on this list walk Because of all the bodies who have left and the increases in salary for in free agency with the exceptions of Gallagher and Danault. Two others those who stayed, the Canadiens will have five players on entry-level who might sign another contract with the Canadiens are Tatar and Petry, contracts on this team. but their likelihood of staying will depend on their contract demands. Making his NHL debut, Cole Caufield will slot directly into a top-line role Though Tatar’s cap hit with the Canadiens is $4.8 million, that doesn’t at right wing after two years of seasoning at Wisconsin. Alexander include the $500,000 retained by the Vegas Golden Knights for the Romanov on defence and Nick Suzuki up front will be in their second NHL seasons at this point, though Suzuki will make the transition to centre from the wing and Romanov will move into the Canadiens’ top four on defence.

Jesse Ylönen will also be playing his rookie season as a third-line right winger, and Jake Evans – who is on his second contract at this point – will be the fourth-line right winger. On defence, Josh Brook and Cale Fleury will play behind Shea Weber on the right side of the Canadiens’ defence, with Fleury on his second pro contract.

Finally, Cayden Primeau will be Price’s backup in goal.

In case you’ve lost count, that’s eight players who will be in their first or second years in the NHL, a number that could climb to nine depending on what happens to Poehling in 2019-20.

This will be a young team, one where the Canadiens will finally reap the benefits of their drafting the last two years.

The lineup

Here it is, our best guess at what the lineup might look like in the fall of 2021. It sits nearly $3 million under our presumed $86 million salary cap with two extra forwards to add with either prospects or free agents, so let’s say they have about a $1 million cushion.

The lineup chart comes courtesy of Cap Friendly, and you can click the image to enlarge it.

Is this a competitive team? That, again, will depend on the development of the Canadiens’ top prospects, with a whole bunch of them playing in Laval at this point waiting for their shot.

But if there’s one thing this exercise makes clear, it’s that the cap space the Canadiens have been carrying the last few years will dry up very quickly if those prospects develop the way they hope. Suzuki, Brook and Primeau will be up for new contracts after the 2021-22 season with only Chiarot and Alzner coming off the books.

But looking this far down the road at least explains why the Canadiens have been so reluctant to commit long-term money to free agents.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150008 Nashville Predators score. If they can figure out this power-play thing, that would just make us a force in the Central (Division).

I saw your Twitter exchange with Duchene, so do you think you have the Q&A: Singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd on the Predators’ offseason and why inside track to play his birthday party? they’re ‘going to surprise people’ I’ve been talking to him, man. We immediately connected. He’s a huge country music fan. Anything we can do to make the dude feel at home, By Adam Vingan Jul 22, 2019 that’s awesome. Also, how cool is it to talk to a pro hockey player? That stuff never gets old to me. I grew up playing sports and grew up a huge sports fan, and I think everyone that does music kind of wishes they did sports, and everybody who does sports kind of wishes they did music or The Predators’ fan base is filled with celebrity supporters. Performers of are fans of it. There’s a ton of people in town who are fans of the Preds, all kinds have shown their love for the team, so why not hear what they especially come playoff time. I’m one of the guys who’s in it all year long. have to say about how things are going in Nashville? My brother and I were just texting back and forth the week before he Ryan Hurd is an accomplished singer-songwriter from Kalamazoo, Mich. signed, “He’s coming. I think he’s coming.” And to have him actually get Hurd has written songs that have been recorded by country stars Blake to town and sign a deal, he is really what we thought he’d be. He’s a Shelton (“Lonely Tonight“), Luke Bryan (“Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset“) and huge country music fan. He’s excited about being in and around that Lady Antebellum (“You Look Good“), among others. He has also culture. Hopefully everybody makes him feel really welcome. recorded his own music, releasing his latest single, “Her Name Was WILL PROBABLY BE TAKING YOU UP ON THAT!! THANKS DUDE 🤘🏻 Summer,” in June. Hurd’s wife, Maren Morris, is a Grammy Award- HTTPS://T.CO/KZAJ9F0H0O winning artist. — MATT DUCHENE (@MATT9DUCHENE) JULY 1, 2019 This interview has been edited for clarity. Do you think the Predators are better now than they were at the end of How were you feeling about the Predators in the immediate aftermath of last season? their elimination from the playoffs? I think it comes down to (Dante) Fabbro. If Fabbro can pick up some of I don’t know if I had the same expectations this season as I did in the P.K. Subban slack, then yes, we’re better. And if he can’t, then it’s previous ones, I guess the season before. Obviously the Cup run was kind of a coin flip. We have a lot more firepower up front, and if Fabbro is surprising and super fun. The next year, the expectations were through what we all hope he’s going to be, then he sort of makes the P.K. the roof. And this year, when everybody got injured and they never really Subban trade worth it. We’re just going to hopefully reload instead of could get it back, I think going into the playoffs, I was a lot more rebuild. I do love the Fabbro thing. I love having Duchene here. We will skeptical. I just think they couldn’t really recover from all those injuries in 100 percent miss P.K., but I think (David) Poile is doing everything he the middle of the season, so obviously they just didn’t quite have all their can to make sure that we win in this window, and that’s really exciting as steam going into the playoffs. I wasn’t as surprised, but I was bummed a fan. when they went out in the first round. Which member of the team is facing the most pressure entering next What are your thoughts on the P.K. Subban trade? season? I think it’s a bummer because I think P.K. is the most marketable hockey It’s Poile and (Peter) Laviolette, 100 percent. I think everybody else is still player on the planet. He’s so fun to watch and so great for the in their prime, and we have a handful of years of all these players and community. You always want to have a guy like that on you team. It is hopefully with (Roman) Josi. But I think it’s got to be Peter and David just really sad to see him go because he gave everything he had to Nashville because Poile’s made so many moves to try to keep this window wide and to the Preds and to the fans. I don’t really understand any of the open. He’s taking risks. He’s done everything he can do to give this team backlash in town or out of town with that guy because he truly does come a shot, so I think it’s him and Peter. to play every day. He’s exciting and he’s fun. I think if you don’t like him, then you just don’t like this new wave of players who are injecting their I’d love to see some more scoring out of (Ryan) Johansen. He’s personalities into the sport. obviously a distributor on one of the best lines in the league, so that might be irrelevant. But I think it’s got to be the front office and the There’s that old-school mentality of people who just think you should put coaching. your head down and act like you’ve been there before, sort of the same backlash that the (United States women’s national soccer team) gets for Which of your fellow artists has performed the best rendition of the having a personality and for celebrating at the highest level. I think it’s national anthem before a Predators game? In the interest of fairness, you just sad that we lose that aspect of P.K. can’t choose your wife.

On the hockey side, I totally understand it. He’s still a premier I was going to say Maren because she’s good at everything. defenseman, but I think shifting the money from the defense to the forwards is probably the right move. After last season and the way it I’m going to say Kelly Clarkson was absolutely the best if I can’t pick ended, they needed to take some sort of risk. They needed to shake Maren. She’s just an amazing singer. things up on the offensive end of the ice, so from the hockey standpoint, I The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 totally get it. But it is sad to see somebody like that go who’s so good for the city and so good for the organization and so fun to watch, somebody that you can really truly root for. I’m probably the same as everybody else. It’s a mixed bag. You get excited for more goals, but you do lose a really huge part of the team.

What do you expect from Matt Duchene next season?

I don’t know what I expect from him. I’m just excited that we have some more firepower up front. It’s just so hard to watch one line do all the heavy lifting, so when you add somebody like that, you can have balance. Teams just can’t plan to stop our first line. That’s exciting.

One thing I’m really excited about is Kyle Turris. I know that a lot of people aren’t, that they’re down on him and think that he can’t play, but he was paid for a reason. His first year here, he came in and was on fire, so whether it’s a system thing or an injury thing or just needing the right people around him, I’m excited for that guy to have a rebound year because I think he’s got a chip on his shoulder. I think adding Duchene just opens up so many opportunities for him, so I think we’re going to surprise people, especially 5-on-5 with how many goals we’re going to 1150009 New Jersey Devils

Devils re-sign defenseman Mirco Mueller | What it means

By Chris Ryan

The Devils re-signed defenseman Mirco Mueller to a one-year, $1.4 million deal on Monday, avoiding salary arbitration with the restricted free agent.

He filed for arbitration in July after receiving a qualifying offer from the Devils in June, and his hearing would have been held on July 28.

Mueller was one of three restricted free agents still unsigned by the Devils. Defenseman Will Butcher has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug. 2, so his contract will be resolved by then. Pavel Zacha does not have arbitration rights, so the Devils have more time to re-sign him.

Mueller completed a two-year contract during the 2018-19 season, where he carried an $850K AAV. He signed that two-year, $1.7 million contract following a trade to the Devils from the San Jose Sharks in the summer of 2017.

During his two seasons in New Jersey, the former first-round pick played in 81 games, scoring one goal and 14 assists. Injuries played a part in his missed time, with a broken clavicle sidelining him in 2017-18 before a should injury suffered on a scary hit into the boards cost him time in 2018-19.

Mueller has also sat as a healthy scratch as times, fighting for time as the team’s sixth or seventh defenseman. He started the 2018-19 season skating on the top pairing with Sami Vatanen on his right side, but Mueller ended up moving up and down the lineup throughout the season.

The 24-year-old defenseman has been more known for his work on the defensive side of the puck, and the Devils have sought a more physical, consistent presence from him during his two seasons.

While the Devils fortified the right side of their defense with the addition of P.K. Subban in June, the left side still features Mueller, Andy Greene and Will Butcher. While it’s possible Subban or Vatanen could play on the left side, Mueller should again have the chance to push for a role in the lineup. At worst, he’ll play in the seventh-defenseman role, competing for time when he can get it.

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Which Devils prospects will play at 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase?

By Chris Ryan

The 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase, featuring teams from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland, will run from July 26 through Aug. 3, and three Devils prospects will hit the ice with their respective countries.

Jack Hughes, the Devils’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, played with the U.S. team at the 2019 World Junior Championships as a 17- year-old, but he won’t play in the WJSS as he prepares for training camp in September. Kaapo Kakko, the Rangers’ No. 1 overall pick, won’t participate with Finland.

So that leaves three Devils prospects currently slated to appear in the tournament. Here’s a quick look at each of them.

Ty Smith, D (Canada)

Smith also played in the 2019 World Junior Championships, where Canada was knocked out in the quarterfinals. Over the course of that tournament, Smith moved into a bigger role and saw his ice time steadily increase.

He’d be a shoo-in for the 2020 roster in the winter, but if he makes the jump to the NHL, it’s very unlikely that the Devils would loan him to Team Canada in the middle of the NHL season. If Smith does return to junior hockey for one more season, he’d be a lock for the team.

Case McCarthy, D (United States)

McCarthy was a fourth-round pick by the Devils in the 2019 NHL Draft, where the defenseman was part of a big contingent of U.S. Development Program players to hear his name called. He wasn’t initially on the U.S. roster for the summer showcase, but he was a late addition for the team.

His path to a spot on the World Junior team in the winter is probably a bit crowded, but playing in the summer will give him a good tune-up before he starts his freshman season at Boston University in 2019-20.

Nikola Pasic, F (Sweden)

Pasic, a seventh-round pick by the Devils in June, was also a late addition for Sweden, receiving a spot after Nils Hoglander, a second- round pick by the Vancouver Canucks, dropped out of the showcase.

Pasic got his feet wet at Devils development camp earlier in July, and now he’ll get the chance to extend his summer with some games on a talented Swedish team. He played with the Swedish U18 team last season, so he does have some experience on the international stage. Pasic will play with BIK Karlskoga of Allsvenskan in Sweden next season.

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How Devils’ Nathan Bastian has evolved to find his role as an NHL player

By Chris Ryan

Nathan Bastian’s personal bar is steadily climbing.

Two years ago, he played in the AHL during his first pro season with the , where he was one of the youngest players in the league. Since junior hockey was still an option, he was just happy to be there.

In 2018-19, he raised his own expectations, hoping to make his NHL debut. He got that chance, and he scored three goals in seven appearances on the big stage with the Devils.

Entering 2019-20, he wants to prove he’s ready to stay.

“I think if I follow that path, I have pretty good experience here,” Bastian said. “Given how exciting the team is, there’s no reason why my goal shouldn’t be to come and become an NHLer, full time.”

Part of getting to the cusp of the NHL meant figuring out what worked best for Bastian as a player. In junior hockey with the , the 2016 second-round pick could let skill dictate his game. He wasn’t the flashiest player, but against that level of competition, it still worked.

At the pro level, it’s a different story. Over his two seasons in the AHL and NHL, Bastian focused on transforming his game to rely on his size and physicality. If he was going to score, he was going to fight in front of the net to do so. He learned to battle on the boards and grind out shifts.

If he’s going to make an impact on the Devils next season, it will be in that type of role in the bottom six. He’s not going to play the high-flying game that Nico Hischier or Taylor Hall bring to the table, but he has continued to work on his own pace.

“Once you get here, you realize how tight it is, how close everything is,” he said. “If you can’t get a shot off as quick as possible, you’re not even going to get it off in this league, because the gap’s so small, and I think the footwork, the speed stuff are something I obviously have needed to work on for all of my hockey career, as big as I am. It’s one of those things, you’re not going to be able to shave off too much time over the summer, but you do what you can to improve and give yourself the best chance to make the team here.”

He finished his 2018-19 campaign with a two-goal game in a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers, though Bastian knows that nothing will be handed to him entering training camp in September.

Between the Devils’ offseason additions thus far and the prospects climbing the ladder with him, Bastian will be in a tight race to make the final 23-man roster.

“That’s really good and healthy for an organization to have the kind of competition we do here,” Bastian said. “Going into camp, there’s probably five or six names in (the locker) room, or more, that could all of a sudden be on the opening-day roster for the team.”

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NJ Devils avoid arbitration with defenseman Mirco Mueller

Abbey Mastracco, July 22, 2019

The New Jersey Devils made a key move to bolster their defensive depth on Monday when they signed re-signed Mirco Mueller to a one-year, $1.4 million contract, successfully avoiding arbitration.

One of four restricted free agents for New Jersey, the Devils have been able to avoid arbitration with two of the three arbitration-eligible defensemen, signing Connor Carrick to a two-year contract last week. Will Butcher is the last remaining arbitration-eligible RFA and center Pavel Zacha also needs a new contract as an RFA.

Mueller played in a career-high 53 games and put up a career-best 11 points with the Devils last season. The 24-year-old left-shot defenseman from Switzerland played on the top pair to start the season and proved to be versatile and durable playing with a variety of partners.

While Mueller may not play another top-pairing role, he’s a solid back- end depth piece with good defensive abilities. It may be a crowded blue line if Ty Smith, the Devils’ top defenseman in the system, makes the team out of camp, but with the lack of defensive depth the last few seasons keeping Mueller around for one more makes sense.

Mueller was traded to the Devils prior to the 2017 NHL draft, along with a fifth-round pick that the New Jersey used to select forward Marian Studenic.

Bergen Record LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150013 New York Islanders Lorito. Without those veteran pros like the Bourque brothers or Stephen Gionta, the need for younger leaders is greater.

Hence, all the former captains. Eye on the ‘C’: What’s behind the Islanders stockpiling former captains in Bridgeport “I don’t know if it’s part of that, but we’re certainly happy that they were,” Chris Lamoriello said of Hutton, Carpenter and Jobst. “The way they play, they show leadership ability. For them, they were big parts of their By Arthur Staple Jul 22, 2019 teams. The impacts they make on and off the ice were evident to us, and it’s a nice complement to all three of them that they did wear the ‘C’ for their teams.”

The Islanders brought their captain back on the first day of free agency With Jobst signed and Schilkey in the fold, the Isles have the last five and that meant a lot — not only to Anders Lee, who presumably will be seasons’ worth of Ohio State captains in the organization. Jobst credited wearing the “C” for a long time, but also to the organization, which values his relationship with Greg Morrow — OSU alum, Ken’s brother and an that sort of leadership. Isles scout — as a big reason why he signed.

Throughout this offseason, Lou and Chris Lamoriello — the latter in his “You definitely do think about it all and that ends up being a cool thing role as Bridgeport GM — have shown how much they value that type of about not getting drafted, you get to consider some choices that a lot of leadership. In adding college and AHL free agents, one common thread guys don’t have,” Jobst said. “Every camp is unique, every team does it has emerged: If a player wore the “C” at the amateur level, he’s already differently. Some are harder, some are more informational. I haven’t got a leg up in attracting the Islanders’ attention. been to one here, but the relationships I built before I got here meant a lot.” The Isles signed three college free agents in the spring. Grant Hutton (Miami-Ohio), Mason Jobst (Ohio State) and Bobo Carpenter (Boston U.) There’s also the family factor. Carpenter, who attended prospect camp were all captains of their school teams as seniors. last summer, is Bob Carpenter’s son, so there’s a relationship with the Lamoriellos that goes way back. Same for Kyle MacLean, who also After prospect camp three weeks ago, the Isles added two more free attended prospect camp last summer. His father, John, was a Devils agents. Erik Brown (RIT) and Justin Murray (Barrie of the OHL) had been player and coach and is now an assistant with the Coyotes. captains before. These signings are unlikely to have much impact at the NHL level this And a wave of recent AHL signings brought in even more former season. Hutton may find a good role on the right side of a Bridgeport captains: Nick Schilkey (Ohio State), Nic Pierog (Clarkson) and Kyle defense, with perhaps only veteran Kyle Burroughs and 19-year-old MacLean (Oshawa). Bode Wilde as company. Add those to the former captains already signed and projected for Jobst, at 25, may end up being one of the older forwards on a team that Bridgeport — Ryan Hitchcock (Yale), John Stevens (Northeastern) and last season revolved around longtime AHLers, but will likely be keyed on Scott Eansor (Seattle) — and you’ve got an AHL roster half full of guys 19-year-old Oliver Wahlstrom, 20-year-old Otto Koivula and 21-year-old who know how to lead. Kieffer Bellows. The hope that Eansor, who scored six goals his first six “I think, first and foremost, it’s what they show us on the ice,” Chris pro games in 2017-18 but has battled concussion issues, and Hitchcock, Lamoriello said. “We’re trying to be the strongest organization we can be the Long Island kid who got nosed down to Worcester for most of last and we’re not afraid to look in any area to do that.” season but produced 17-32-49 in 46 games in the ECHL, can stay on the ice in Bridgeport would help down the middle. College free agents always seem to get a ton of hype, seeing how they’re in such a rare position to pick and choose their teams. But there ends up With all the recent changes in Bridgeport, it helps to have younger being a reason that they often get passed over numerous times in the players who have worn the “C.” draft. The Islanders made a decent-sized splash under Garth Snow when “It is really interesting how that’s all worked out,” Hutton said. “Mr. they signed Kevin Czuczman out of Lake Superior State in 2014 and the Lamoriello knows what he’s looking for. We can just hope to hold big defenseman played in 13 games for the Isles that spring. ourselves to that high standard now.” Czuczman has established himself as a solid AHLer, but he hasn’t been The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 back to the NHL since. And the best undrafted college free agents you can think of, like Martin St. Louis, generated little-to-no hype before they worked their way to stardom.

Snow didn’t shy away from college free agents; in fact, he brought in one of the better success stories of recent seasons. Tanner Fritz, who was Ohio State’s captain in 2014-15, signed an AHL/ECHL deal after his senior season ended and didn’t put on an Isles sweater until the 2017-18 season. He’ll be 28 next month and is very much in the mix for a regular role with the Isles next season.

It’s along those lines that the Isles identified the trio they signed in the spring. Hutton is 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds and has some flair to his offensive game, with 29 goals his last three seasons at Miami. He stepped into a Bridgeport team that needed a right-shot defenseman and posted 1-5-6 in nine games, earning a role in the first-round playoff loss to Hershey.

“That was an awesome thing,” Hutton said. “I finished my college season on a Saturday and I was flying to Connecticut a few days later. Bridgeport has a group of good veteran guys and it was great to learn from them right away.”

Carpenter had a goal in two regular-season games, while Jobst, who was finishing his degree, didn’t get a chance to play in the spring. Those two are fairly important additions to a forward depth chart that has simply been lacking viable bodies.

Bridgeport’s roster last season featured eight regular forwards who were 28 or older. There’s plenty of time to add more depth, but currently the only over-28 forwards signed for next season are Steve Bernier and Matt 1150014 New York Rangers below-average ones more than what they’re worth. Those are the contracts that clog a salary cap.

Luszczyszyn has the Trouba contract coming in around market value. His Goldman: Breaking down the ins and outs of Jacob Trouba’s seven-year model projects Trouba starting his next contract with a career-high Game deal with the Rangers Score Value Added (GSVA) as a number one defenseman and aging out to a top pair defenseman in the final two years of the deal. In those final two years, his actual salary will be down to $6 million, which is half of By Shayna Goldman Jul 22, 2019 what he’s making this year. A salary of $6 million is about the price of a decent number two defender; since he projects to be a top defender still

by then, the numbers check out. Acquiring Jacob Trouba last month was a step for the New York Chart by Dom Luszczyszyn Rangers, but it opened the door to more work for general manager Jeff Gorton. That projection is based on him playing more minutes in New York, which he will on the first pair and first power play unit. The Athletic’s Murat Ates To this point, Trouba had never signed a long-term extension. In three pointed out Trouba’s ability on the power play, but also noted that he isn’t contracts, the Winnipeg Jets didn’t commit to him longer than his three- a specialist. That, paired with the backs already on the team that can year entry-level deal. The acquiring team for Trouba faced the risk of quarterback the first unit, from Kevin Shattenkirk to Adam Fox or Tony moving assets for a player that would only spend one year in their DeAngelo, may lead to him skating on his team’s second unit. sweater. The restricted free agent could have chosen to sign for just one year, which would take him to unrestricted free agency for the first time in While that may slightly diminish his value, the Rangers are still projected his career. to have a top defender throughout the life of his contract. What helps is the fact that he’s signing this contract at 25, not somewhere between 27 The seven-year, $56 million extension that Trouba agreed to with the and 29, when players are set to reach unrestricted free agency and often Rangers on Friday takes that possibility out of the equation, but also sign their most significant contracts. The key for teams is signing players carries an $8 million cap hit and a no-movement clause next summer that to those contracts earlier to maximize their value and pay them through becomes a modified no-trade clause in the final two years of the deal. their prime with aging curves in mind. Let’s dive into Trouba’s contract and the salary cap implications, as well But is this the right investment for the Rangers? as what he brings to his new team. The Rangers are already over the cap limits. Their projected cap hit, The Athletic’s Craig Custance explored the trend of players who were according to CapFriendly, is over $82.4 million, and that’s without three traded within a year or two of going to an arbitration hearing with their of their restricted free agents, Pavel Buchnevich, Brendan Lemieux, and prior team. That was the case for P.K. Subban, Shea Weber, Tomas DeAngelo, re-signed. The 2019-20 salary cap is $81.5 million. Tatar, and Tyson Barrie among others. Trouba joined that list in June when the Jets flipped him to the Rangers. Their cumulative defensive cap hit is approximately $31.7 million, which is almost 39 percent of the cap and the second highest in the league. It’s The Jets had a lot of their plate while Trouba was asking for his long-term bound to rise once DeAngelo is extended. The San Jose Sharks’ $32.9 extension in 2018, including RFAs Connor Hellebuyck, Nikolaj Ehlers, million defense is the only one ahead of the Rangers and they at least and Josh Morrissey, as well as contracts of Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, have Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Marc-Édouard Vlasic to show for it. and Patrik Laine that expired in 2019. But had they signed Trouba then, it would have been a more cost-effective contract as he would have been a Between Marc Staal, Brendan Smith, and Shattenkirk, the Rangers have year younger signing and it would have come at a lower cost than the $16.7 million tied up in cap space for two more years. With Fox and Libor deal he just signed with the Rangers. The Jets also — as long as there Hajek at the NHL level, they have eight defenders to rotate through. weren’t any clauses in the first year of the deal — could have flipped him Rotating eight defenders is a less than ideal situation this year, as it was and his new contract to get a more significant return than they just did. last.

But, arbitration pushed that long-term extension a year forward. So It seems that at least one defender will go, whether it be via trade, Trouba’s fourth contract – and first signed with another team besides the buyout, or being buried in the minors to clear space. Unfortunately, each Jets – is the most significant of his career in terms of length and pay. option keeps money on the books. A trade would likely require salary retention. A buyout will no matter what take up some space for the next From his $8 million cap hit to his $12 million actual salary this season few years. If it’s for Shattenkirk, it will waste quite a bit of space in 2020- (which contains $8 million in signing bonuses), Trouba is now one of the 21, a year in which the Rangers should be trying to contend. And burying highest paid defenders in the league. one of their more substantial contracts still leaves them on the hook for Erik Karlsson, an elite defender who just extended with the San Jose the majority of the cap hit. Sharks, leads the pack with an $11.5 million cap hit and $14.5 million Along with moves on defense, their cap crunch will almost definitely force salary. Trouba’s $8 million cap hit and $12 million in salary puts him in some forwards out of the picture. Ryan Strome and Vlad Namestnikov, line with John Carlson, although, his cap hit percentage is slightly lower. who combine for about $7 million in space, have been a part of trade It’s easy to go wrong with a defender’s contract, whether it’s because it’s speculation. So has Chris Kreider, who while on a team-friendly deal an outright overpayment, paying for past performance or still paying a now, will be looking for an extension in a year. Matt Beleskey’s $1.9 player past their prime. That’s why a few names from the above list also million cap hit will most likely be partially buried in Hartford. appear on The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn’s analysis of the worst active The problem is that the Rangers are a rebuilding team that just spent contracts. about $20 million on two players. Should they be in the position to do that According to CapFriendly, the highest comparable to Trouba’s current before they’re closer to contending? contract is Alex Pietrangelo’s with the Blues, which is just a 73 percent Ideally, a rebuilding team doesn’t flex their cap space like this to match. Each of these contracts were signed by RFAs who became UFAs suddenly improve. As much as the additions of Artemi Panarin and Jacob at its expiration. Few have a cap hit that’s close to Trouba’s. P.K. Subban Trouba help, this isn’t a strong enough team to contend yet. By pushing sets the upper limits of the range at $9 million and Aaron Ekblad’s $7.5 the cap limits, it limits what they’ll be able to do moving forward, unless million isn’t too far off from Trouba. The cap hit percentage does help they manage to clear that much space. give some sort of balance since the cap ceiling shifts each year. When they’re further along in this process, like they should be in a year, Another difference is that few players listed were signing this contract as it’s a different story. The addition of a player like Panarin or Trouba would their fourth — even those who are closer in age to Trouba. For the most be the piece that completes the team and helps them take a step back to part, these contracts came right after their ELCs as second contracts, or contention. As of right now, they’re still building and trying to navigate a third after a bridge-deal. cap crunch they just created for themselves. There may be concerns with Trouba being overpaid at $8 million on It’s a tough situation to be in, because they desperately needed help on average. With any significant contract, there’s risk. That risk is higher the blue line. Under Alain Vigneault they had both systematic and when the player hasn’t even skated in that team’s sweater. But it’s better personnel issues over the years. Those personnel problems continued to take that risk with good players as opposed to overpaying average or under David Quinn, as the coaches tried to implement a new system. Wins Above Replacement (ProjFSW) of 1.7 as a first pair. Staal-Pionk, That’s why the Rangers added both Fox and Trouba this offseason. who often skated as the Rangers’ first pair last year, combined for a ProjFSW of minus-2.0. The problem is that the defense as a whole only So how does the addition of Trouba help elevate this defense? projects out to a WAR of 2.25, which still isn’t inspiring.

Since trading Ryan McDonagh, the Rangers have been missing a Acquiring Trouba in the first place was a risk because they were either number one defender. For much of last season, it was Neal Pionk acquiring a player for just one year when they’re not in contention or absorbing those minutes and playing far out of his depth. because they were about to invest a significant amount in that player Chart by CJ Turtoro, data collected by Corey Sznajder long-term.

Trouba’s been playing first-pair minutes with his all situation ice time Investing in a 25 year old play-driving defender that fits the Rangers’ throughout his career — averaging between almost 21 and 25 minutes needs with a deal that pays for present and future performance is the between his six NHL seasons. Last year he averaged 22:52 in Winnipeg right move for a rebuilding team. But after unwinding a cap crunch, in the 82 games he played, and was second in ice time on the power play weaving themselves into another bind can be a concern based on where and penalty kill. they are in the process, and how much more they still have to do.

Before last season, Trouba’s career high was 33 points in 60 games. The addition of Trouba elevates the first pair, but forces subtractions Each year, he scored at the right of a first-pair defender at even strength, elsewhere. Now they’re on the clock to make them with Buchnevich’s but didn’t have the power play production to match. His 50 points last arbitration date approaching. season, scored at career-best rate of 1.6 per 60, set a new career-high The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 and ranked 13th among defenders in the league.

Those 50 points though, were inflated by 18 power play points which were scored at a rate that fell shy of Karlsson, Torey Krug, Keith Yandle, former teammate Dustin Byfuglien, and Pionk, who he was traded for, but was ahead of defenders including John Klingberg, Brent Burns, John Carlson, Drew Doughty, and Morgan Rielly. The question is whether he can repeat that.

Ates explained that while Trouba is capable and adequate, he “is not a bonafide power play quarterback.” He moved up to the first power play unit at times this season because Byfuglien missed time with injury.

“Winnipeg ended up generating fewer shot attempts, shots, and goals per minute with Trouba than with Byfuglien and I think that’s more than coincidence — Trouba was just a beat slow when it came to choosing between one-timing it or passing across to Laine,” Ates explained.

Before Trouba hit the 50-point mark and had the tangible results to show for his efforts, his play-driving was still a major strength. In almost every year of his career, he’s either broken even or been on the ice for the majority of the shot and expected goal share; in the two years he hovered below 50 percent, his Corsi and expected goals were both in the 49-percent range.

Based on how he moves the puck, his uptick in scoring isn’t necessarily surprising and there’s a chance he continues. Will it if he doesn’t play on the first power play? That remains to be seen. His 23 5-on-5 points were technically higher than his career average to this point, but when weighing ice time, his scoring rate was only the fourth highest of his six NHL seasons.

But even without hitting the 50-point mark or almost 20 power play points, he still qualifies as a top pair defender because of his play on both ends of the puck, from how he moves the puck to how he handles shutdown minutes.

Along with how he defends one-on-one and makes clean reads, Ates pointed out his communication as one of his biggest strengths.

“If he can line up with an intelligent, mobile LD across from him I think the two are a good bet to handle tough opposition. (Josh) Morrissey was perfect for this — also not huge, hulking, or lightning quick but just smart. They didn’t get lost tracking multiple players and they didn’t get beat back door. I think Trouba’s read-making and communication was a big part of that — it didn’t matter how smart or skilled the opponents were.”

As for weaknesses, “despite being an above average passer, capable of great breakout passes, he would occasionally lob the puck into the middle of the ice — despite having time — to create a dangerous counterattack chance.” Even in what would otherwise be a strong game, an unforced turnover could force Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck to scramble.

That’s something that the netminders in New York, Henrik Lundqvist in particular, are fairly accustomed to with this defense. But to keep Trouba’s pair balanced, Ates suggests a partner that’s as talented, but slightly more conservative which would free up Trouba to move up and join the ice whenever the opportunity arrises.

Brady Skjei is likely to skate on Trouba’s left to start the year. Together, according to Sean Tierney’s WAR lineup creator that uses data from Evolving-Hockey and Manny Perry, they have a projected-full season 1150015 NHL they swept Chicago in the Final for their second straight Stanley Cup, with Francis scoring the title-clincher.

The Blackhawks had led 4-1 in Game 1, but the Penguins fought back to Ron Francis the general manager, like the player, will work to make tie it. Then, with seconds to play, Francis won a faceoff cleanly and ‘everyone around him better’ Lemieux slammed home the rebound off the ensuing point shot for the victory as the Penguins went on to finish the postseason with 11 consecutive victories. Lemieux won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff Geoff Baker By Geoff Baker MVP, but seasoned Pens fans know he’d never have had the opportunity without Francis delivering in his second-round absence.

Francis wasn’t always the star during 22 seasons with Hartford, Inside the NHL Pittsburgh and Carolina, but continuously elevated his clubs. As a A Ron Francis career-highlights video at his introductory news Whalers captain from right before his 22nd birthday, he might have won a conference as general manager of Seattle’s incoming NHL team Cup with that upstart team in 1986 had eventual champ Montreal not described him as making “everyone around him better.’’ beaten them on a Claude Lemieux Game 7 overtime winner in the second round. Then, after the two titles with Pittsburgh, Francis No place was that ever tested on the ice more than on May 9, 1992, captained a young Carolina team also playing above expectations to an during the second round of that year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. Francis and epic second-round comeback win — over Montreal this time — and later his defending-champion Pittsburgh Penguins approached Game 4 down into the 2002 Final before succumbing to Detroit. 2-1 against the favored New York Rangers and having lost star captain Mario Lemieux for the series to a broken wrist courtesy of an Adam Some who’ve worked for the GM version of Francis say he’s no different. Graves slash the previous game. Former NHL defenseman Bert Marshall, a Poulsbo resident who retired this month from his longtime scouting job with the Hurricanes, said Lemieux was the Penguins’ version of LeBron James, Tom Brady and Francis had meticulously researched the organization’s internal workings Mike Trout rolled into one on skates, a future Hall of Famer no one in the and knew every employee’s role before his promotion to GM in 2014. league could match. Pittsburgh had earlier lost 42-goal-scorer Joe Mullen to a playoff-ending knee injury and with the Presidents’ Trophy winning And once there, Marshall said Francis made everybody feel like a key Rangers having finished 18 points ahead of the Penguins, sportswriters member of the organization no matter their job title. across North America were penning obituaries for Francis and company “He knew what you were doing and then he demanded production from before another puck was dropped. you,’’ Marshall said. “But not in a negative way. He motivated you to want It fell to Francis and the other assistant captains to keep everybody calm. to do well.’’

“I think the term used when it was all said and done was, ‘We had more Marshall’s biggest regret was the scouting side of the organization — guts than we had brains,’’’ Francis said last Friday over coffee. “We didn’t himself included — letting Francis down by not finding a goalie to get the realize that we shouldn’t win this.’’ Hurricanes into the playoffs. “We tried and tried, believe me,’’ he said. “But it’s tough.’’ Still, while the reigning champ Penguins might have had some “been there, done that’’ attitude, it would take more than words to overcome Marshall, who played for the New York Islanders throughout the 1970s Lemieux’s loss. Especially once Rangers captain Mark Messier scored as they built toward a Stanley Cup dynasty in the 1980s, said Francis midway through the second period of Game 4 to silence the Pittsburgh was “a leadership guy who was also his team’s best player’’ most of the crowd and put New York up by two goals as it looked to grab a series time. stranglehold. “Anytime you get that, you’re going to go somewhere,’’ Marshall said. It fell to Francis to keep the Pens alive, scoring 5.8 seconds before “And he’s the same as a GM. That’s what Seattle fans have got here. intermission to wake the fans — and his team — back up. Then, after They’re very lucky.’’ Messier delivered another gut punch by scoring in the opening minute of Francis said one of the biggest compliments he’d heard his father paid the third to restore the two-goal advantage, Francis again revived his came at his 2013 funeral. A former employee told Francis his father had team with a long slap shot midway through the period. been his boss for 20 years but had never said “this guy works for me’’ — “There was a five-minute major that we had to kill and we were able to kill only that they worked together. that off,’’ Francis said. “And then, it was at the end of the power play and And Francis has carried that with him. I more or less shoot the puck in from outside (the blue line) and somehow it fools (Mike) Richter and went in. And that really changed “If you do that, people around you know they have a say,’’ Francis said. everything because all of a sudden, we had the belief.’’ And hopefully, they get a little better in the process. The now-surging Penguins would score again to tie it just over a minute later. And then, in sudden-death overtime, none other than Francis Seattle Times LOADED: 07.23.2019 completed his hat trick by redirecting a shot from close-in for a victory that turned the series around.

“I remember playing Game 3 at home and to this day I think it might have been the best game of my career and we lost the game,’’ Francis said of the night Lemieux suffered his injury. “And I remember driving home and calling my dad after the game, which a lot of times I would do.’’

His father, Ronald, agreed it was the best game he’d seen Francis play. But Francis, somewhat despondent over the loss, asked him what more could be done.

“And he said ‘Well, you have to be better.’ ’’

Francis was in Game 4 and the rest of his team followed, especially second-year linemate Jaromir Jagr, who produced dominant performances as the Penguins won Games 5 and 6 and eliminated the stunned Rangers.

“He just started to take over,’’ Francis said of his young linemate, who would later join him in the Hall of Fame as the league’s second all-time points-getter. “For me, that was sort of his coming-out party.’’

Lemieux, broken wrist and all, returned for the third round of those 1992 playoffs as the Penguins swept Boston in the conference final. Then, 1150016 Ottawa Senators be expected to get most of the playing time this season combined for 122 goals this past season.

The Senators scored 242 last season, but they traded away Stone (28), An offseason look at the Ottawa Senators potential opening night lineup Duchene (27) and Dzingel (22) which amounts to a third of their forward offence. The only player they got back in those deals who could reasonably be expected to come close to helping make up for the lost By Chris Stevenson Jul 22, 2019 offence is Duclair.

He had eight goals in 21 games for the Senators (20 SH% which is likely to regress given his career mark is 13.1), but he could be expected to While some of the teams around them in the Atlantic Division and in the replace Dzingel’s output before the Senators flip him in a pump and Eastern Conference are the most improved in the NHL, a Senators’ dump for more assets at next February’s trade deadline. roster characterized by its lack of offence looks like it will doom them to another last-place finish. It says everything about where the Senators are at right now when you consider their forward group is going to be led by Tkachuk, who will be The Senators fared pretty well in colleague Dom Luszczyszyn’s 20 by the time the 2019-20 season starts. assessment of the most improved teams, but the problem is the Senators roster is coming from so far back that even their modest improvements in Of the survivors of last season’s roster purge, Tkachuk led with 22 goals Luszczyszyn’s analysis aren’t likely to improve their record. and was third in points with 45. His most productive ice time was spent last season with Stone and White (he played 343 minutes of 5v5 with Given where they are in their rebuild and the franchise’s budgetary White and Stone, according to Corsica.hockey). constraints, there’s not likely to be much more in the way or personnel moves before camp opens. Therefore, let’s take a look at what they’ve Tkachuk with White and Stone had a CF% of 52.5, according to Corsica. got, how it could fit together for the 2019-20 season and what’s a Near the end of the season, White and Tkachuk were with Brian Gibbons reasonable expectation for team performance. (who was not brought back) and had a CF% of 40.19 in 56 minutes together. That shows you the challenges this roster faces after last There’s one more piece of work for Senators general manager Pierre season’s purge. Dorion to take care of and that’s getting restricted free agent centre Colin White under contract (the door is also open to sign defenceman Thomas I don’t think it’s a stretch to say at this point the Senators don’t have a Chabot to a contract extension, and that is likely to be the most important forward who would crack the first or second line on a playoff-calibre team developing story of the season. More on that in a bit). in the 2019-20 season. Furthermore, Tkachuk is the only candidate.

While there was some speculation the Senators might have trouble The departure of Duchene leaves them without anything close to a No. 1 getting to the salary cap floor after the trading of defenceman Erik centre. Pageau will likely get the tough minutes against the other team’s Karlsson and forwards Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel last top centres in a defensive centre role. Acquiring Anisimov also gives season, that is not an issue. them a veteran they can throw to the wolves and insulate a player like White. After the trade of Zack Smith for centre Artem Anisimov (which saw the Senators add to their cap commitment), the Senators have officially lifted It’s a group lacking legitimate star power in its prime. Offensive themselves above the salary cap floor of $60.2 million. The addition of production looks like it is going to be harder to come by, and for a team Anisimov’s $4.55 million cap hit (Smith’s was $3.25 million) puts the that was the worst defensive club in the NHL last season, that is not a Senators at $60.86 million for the upcoming season. That doesn’t include good combination. a new contract for White. It looks like the Senators have 11 forward spots accounted for at this The injured Marion Gaborik ($4.875 million) and Clarke MacArthur ($4.65 point: Tkachuk, Duclair, Ennis, Anisimov, Tierney, White, Pageau, million for one more season) are still on the books. The Senators owe Connor Brown, Ryan and Boedker. defenceman Dion Phaneuf a buyout of $729,167 this season (it goes up to $1.354 million next year and then concludes with two seasons with That leaves two or three spots for Paul, Davidsson, Batherson, $354,000 payments). Formenton, Veronneau, Balcers and Chlapik. Maybe Logan Brown surprises after finally having a summer where he is not recovering from The Senators finished 30th and 31st the past two seasons and there’s no an injury and can make some inroads improving his fitness and speed. reasonable expectation they will do much better than that this season. An interesting player is Davidsson. The Senators are very high on the 22- Let’s take a look at the Senators depth chart position by position, as they year-old right wing, who came to them in the Duchene trade from the stand today. Columbus Blue Jackets. At this point, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the Senators have him penciled in for a spot to start the season. It feels like The forwards (NHL cap hit in brackets) it’s his spot to lose. Left Wing Centre The Defence Right Wing Left Defence Right Brady Tkachuk ($925K) Artem Anisimov ($4.55M) Defence Connor Brown ($2.1M) Thomas Chabot ($864K) Dylan DeMelo Anthony Duclair ($1.65M) Chris Tierney ($2.94) ($900K) Bobby Ryan ($7.25M) Ron Hainsey ($3.5M) Nikita Zaitsev Tyler Ennis ($800K) Colin White (RFA) ($4.5M) Max Veronneau ($925K) Mark Borowiecki ($1.2M) Christian Jaros Nick Paul ($750K) J. G. Pageau ($3.1M) ($755K) Jonathan Davidsson ($769K) Erik Brannstrom ($864K) Mikkael Boedker ($4M) Logan Brown ($864K) Drake Batherson ($737K) Christian Wolanin ($900K)

Rudolfs Balcers ($759K) Jack Rodewald ($725K) Max Lajoie ($710K) Alex Formenton ($747K) Chabot is the Senators best player and, along with Tkachuk, probably the Filip Chlapik ($728K) Josh Norris ($925K) only Senators players who could play on any other team in the league. Vitaly Abramov ($731K) With the void created by the trading of Karlsson on the eve of training camp last season, his game exploded to fill that space. He became the Consider this: it took 228 goals scored to make the playoffs in the first defenceman to have 20 points in the first 15 games of the season Eastern Conference last season. The 13 forwards that could reasonably since Brian Leetch did it in 2000-01 with the New York Rangers. He’s going to be compared to Karlsson by Senators fans as the club’s If there’s a position that’s got some stability for the Senators, it’s the No. 1 defenceman, so here’s how they stack up through their first 100 goaltending. Anderson, as recently as 2017, showed he can take a team games in the NHL (again): on a playoff run, which, if he can get off to a good start this season, might make him a potential trade target. Chabot Anderson, 38, is in the last year of his deal and it would be a surprise if Games Goals Assists Points Shots he lasts the season with the Senators. If he has a decent season, he’s a 1-20 2 5 7 19 prime candidate to be moved at the trade deadline to a team looking for some insurance (keep in mind he has a 10-team modified no-trade 21-40 3 5 8 37 clause). That would free up a spot for Hogberg (who has a one-way deal in 2020-21) to graduate to the NHL. 41-60 2 5 7 27 Nilsson went 11-11 in 22 starts with the Senators last season after being 61-80 7 18 25 56 acquired from the Vancouver Canucks. He had a .914 save percentage 81-100 5 10 15 49 and earned himself a two-year contract. It remains to be seen where Condon, who played three games last season between the NHL and the Total 19 43 62 188 AHL and gave up 14 goals, winds up. He battled a hip injury last season but was declared healthy at the end of the campaign. If the Belleville Karlsson Senators hadn’t had a playoff spot on the line for their last game of the 1-20 0 5 5 29 regular season, he would have played.

21-40 1 6 7 38 The stage is set for the Senators to have a Hogberg-Gustavsson tandem for the 2021-22 season. 41-60 4 10 14 45 Expecting the Senators to score enough goals or prevent enough goals 61-80 4 7 11 37 to avoid another last-place finish this season doesn’t seem reasonable with the lineup as it shapes up right now. 81-100 4 11 15 50 In the big picture, however, this season is going to tell us a lot about if or Total 13 39 52 199 when the Senators’ rebuild is going to be capable of turning things Chabot led the Senators in ice time with an average of 24:17 and ranked around. 15th in the NHL. Chabot’s future looks brilliant, but what’s that sound? The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 No, it is not former season ticket holders hanging up on the Senators’ salespeople, but rather a ticking clock. Since July 1, the Senators have been in a position to sign Chabot to a contract extension (he has entered the final year of is ELC).

It is the most important thing to watch the next few months, because this is the first test of the Senators commitment to their rebuild and the five years of Unparalleled Success™.

As much as teams like to say they have control over RFAs, we have seen the pendulum swing. If the Chabot camp decides not to sign an extension and he has a season like had last year, it’s hard to believe that won’t move the Senators to the top of the list of teams most vulnerable to an offer sheet.

You don’t think the Montreal Canadiens, the last team to present an offer sheet (a weak one) in a bid to get Sebastian Aho out of Carolina, would make “an offre hostile” to get a great Quebec kid to anchor their left side for the next seven years?

All the Chabot camp has to do to make that happen is say no to the Senators and have Chabot bet on himself. Anybody have confidence the Senators would match that offer?

Right now, that’s the most intriguing story for me heading into next season as far as the Senators lineup goes and is just one of the interesting storylines on defence.

The Senators have a lot of prospect depth on the left side behind Chabot. With the veterans (Chabot, DeMelo, Zaitsev, Hainsey and Borowiecki) pretty much assured of jobs barring another trade. That leaves the kids (Wolanin, Brannstrom, Lajoie and Jaros) battling for two jobs. You have to give Jaros an inside track given he’s the only one to play on the right side regularly.

That could leave Wolanin, Brannstrom and Lajoie battling for the last spot.

It’s a blue line with potential, but it’s a group that’s not going to reach that potential without getting a lot of help from the forwards to reduce the league-worst 302 goals they gave up last season.

The

Craig Anderson ($4.75M)

Anders Nilsson ($2.6M)

Marcus Hogberg ($700K)

Mike Condon ($2.4M)

Flip Gustavsson ($762K) 1150017 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Prediction Rewind: Matt Murray returned to upper echelon of NHL goalies

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Monday, July 22, 2019 6:00 p.m.

Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course.

THE QUESTION

Will Matt Murray’s save percentage be better or worse than last season’s .907?

A. A little better (.908 to .920)

B. A lot better (.920 or better)

C. The same or worse (.907 or worse)

THE PREDICTION

B. A lot better (.920 or better)

THE RIGHT ANSWER

A. A little better (.908 to .920)

THE RATIONALE

• It was hard to imagine Murray having a more trying season than he did in 2017-18. He suffered a lower-body injury in November, dealt with the death of his father in January and suffered a concussion in February. For a goalie who never had a save percentage worse than .920 previously in his pro career, it looked like rock bottom.

• Perception of Murray’s game was tainted by recency bias at this time last summer. He was just coming off a .905 save percentage in a six- game loss to Washington. Predicting he would soon return to the upper echelon of goalies was not exactly en vogue.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

• This prediction was extraordinarily close to being correct. If Murray had made one more save – just one – his save percentage for the season would have rounded up to .920. Instead, it was .919, so technically, the prediction was wrong.

• Murray started off the season poorly, going 4-5-1 with a .877 save percentage until he was shut down with a lower body injury on Thanksgiving. After he came back in the middle of December, he was one of the top 10 goalies in the league, going 25-9-5 with a .930 save percentage.

THE FLAWS IN THE LOGIC

• When it comes to predicting performance, a variable that is difficult to account for is health. Given Murray’s extensive injury history, it’s probably safe to assume he’ll be limited physically for one reason or another at some point over the course of a long, 82-game season. This prediction didn’t take that into consideration.

• The prediction also didn’t take into account how frequently the Penguins would give up breakaways and odd-man rushes, especially shorthanded. Take away just a couple of the seven shorthanded goals the Penguins allowed while Murray was on the ice and his save percentage would shoot past .920 for the season.

LESSONS LEARNED

• It’s hard for a goalie to finish the season with a save percentage better than .920. Know how many qualifying goalies did that in the NHL last season? Nine. The Penguins haven’t exactly played the stingiest defense in the league over the last few years. To predict one of their goalies will have a save percentage that high is risky.

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150018 Pittsburgh Penguins Aston-Reese’s case was reminiscent of Nick Spaling’s in 2014 and Brian Dumoulin’s in ‘17. The team and players agreed to new contracts hours before their hearings were set to begin.

Penguins sign Zach Aston-Reese to 2-year deal, avoiding arbitration Tribune Review LOADED: 07.23.2019

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Monday, July 22, 2019 12:09 p.m.

Zach Aston-Reese’s original plans for Monday morning included sitting in a meeting room in Toronto and listening to his employer talk about all the things he isn’t good at.

He is awfully glad plans changed.

Aston-Reese agreed to a new two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, minutes before his scheduled arbitration hearing was set to begin. The deal will pay him $1 million annually.

“It’s a crazy process,” Aston-Reese said. “I guess it’s a little bit awkward. I was just really happy to get the deal done before that meeting began. You hear stories and things like that. It’s no coincidence that, what, 5% actually go through with the meeting. I was really relieved to avoid that.”

If the deal hadn’t been reached, the Penguins, wanting to keep the player for the smallest salary cap hit possible, would have told an arbitrator all the things he does wrong.

Instead, the team issued a press release announcing his new contract and talking about all the things Aston-Reese does right.

“Zach is a responsible player who plays a solid two-way game,” general manager Jim Rutherford said in that release. “He has a heavy style of play that is especially effective on the forecheck and penalty kill.”

Aston-Reese has shown some promise in two NHL seasons, but he also has missed significant time with injuries. In 59 career games with the Penguins, he has 12 goals and 23 points. He earned an average salary of $925,000 on his two-year, entry level deal.

He is spending much of this summer working with Penguins strength coach Andy O’Brien and a collection of top NHL players in Toronto.

His no-nonsense style of play should fit in with the philosophy the Penguins adopted this summer — trading away talented winger Phil Kessel and signing bruising free-agent forward Brandon Tanev, for instance — in an effort to be harder to play against.

“I think if you look at some of the moves, bringing in Tanev brings another physical element, just adding more depth and guys that maybe won’t be as risky offensively,” Aston-Reese said. “You look at the Islanders in that first series against us. Other than that first line, it wasn’t anything crazy offensively. They just made a big commitment to checking and to playing solid defense.

“I think we’re kind of taking note of that. I think with a lot of the moves we’ve made, just on paper, it’s a big difference.”

With Aston-Reese under contract, the Penguins are in a tight salary cap situation with one restricted free agent, defenseman Marcus Pettersson, left to sign.

They are about $500,000 under the $81.5 million cap with 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies on the roster.

Theoretically, they could try to squeeze under the cap without trading a roster player. They could waive a depth defenseman — Chad Ruhwedel, for example — and attempt to sign Pettersson to a bargain-basement, one-year contract worth a little over $1 million that would keep them under the limit with 22 players on the roster.

A more likely scenario would see the Penguins try to sign Pettersson, a promising 23-year-old, to a longer, more lucrative contract, then move a veteran player to free up cap space. Given the size of their contracts and place on the depth chart, defensemen Jack Johnson and Erik Gudbranson and forwards Bryan Rust and Nick Bjugstad are the most logical candidates to be cap casualties. All make between $3.25 and $4.1 million annually.

Last year, 40 of 44 cases headed to arbitration league wide were settled before a hearing occurred. Since Rutherford took over as Penguins general manager in 2014, five players have had arbitration hearings scheduled, and all were avoided. 1150019 Pittsburgh Penguins Dr. Stone served for many years as a clinical associate professor at the Pitt School of Medicine, supervising orthopedic residents, and he was elected president of the medical staff at Presbyterian Hospital in 1982.

Obituary: Charles S. Stone / Former team physician for the Pittsburgh Dr. Stone made a lasting impression on students, including Dr. Fu. Penguins “I met Dr. Stone as a third-year medical student,” he said. “I was working in the orthopedic rotation and he was the attending physician. He took JANICE CROMPTON the students under his wing.”

Little could his mentor have realized how much he was impacting the young man who would become known as one of the top orthopedists in Dr. Charles S. “Chuck” Stone became an orthopedic surgeon to make a the world. difference. And he did. “He inspired me,” Dr. Fu said. “I was accepted into the orthopedic “He saved my career,” said former Pittsburgh Penguins right winger residency program and then I had even better guidance and direction Lowell MacDonald, who went on to score a record-setting number of from him.” goals for the Penguins after a particularly difficult knee surgery performed by Dr. Stone in the early 1970s. “I know what I owe him.” Dr. Stone also included his protege and other students in family gatherings. Dr. Stone served for many years as the Pens’ team physician, but the lion’s share of his career was spent correcting spinal disorders, “He was not only really good to the patients, he was really good to us,” especially in children, and sharing knowledge with medical students. Dr. Fu said. “He invited me and my wife to his house with his family and friends. He was a guiding light and an inspiration to the faculty, students “He was a passionate doctor who cared about his patients,” said and trainees.” renowned UPMC orthopedic surgeon and professor Dr. Freddie H. Fu, who met Dr. Stone as a medical student. Dr. Stone, who retired in 2000, never lost sight of what was important in life, his son said. Dr. Stone, 85, died at his Plum retirement home on July 15 of complications of heart disease. “He was a pretty humble guy. He never promoted himself,” Jeffrey Stone said. “I think he was proud of the fact that he was able to help these Born in Altoona, Dr. Stone moved with his family to Wilkinsburg as a boy. people and get them back to what they wanted to do.” He graduated from Wilkinsburg High School in 1952 and went on to earn a bachelor of science degree four years later at Penn State University, But it became abundantly clear just how beloved his father was in 1985, where he was a member of the lacrosse team. when Dr. Stone himself suffered several fractured bones in a 35-foot fall in an elevator shaft. He received his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia in 1959 then served in the Navy as a lieutenant at the According to news reports at the time, the doctor became trapped Philadelphia Naval Hospital before being shipped to a NATO hospital in between the first and second floors of an elevator in a parking garage Naples, Italy. after the power went out. He fell to the bottom of the shaft in an attempt to get out. “They needed medical officers and that’s where he was sent. It wasn’t a bad place to be sent,” said Dr. Stone’s son, Dr. Jeffrey D. Stone, who “He was headed out in the middle of the night for an emergency surgery followed in his father’s footsteps and became an orthopedic surgeon in and he was trying to get from the parking garage to the hospital,” recalled Tampa, Fla. his son, a college student at the time. “When he was in the hospital, he received hundreds and hundreds of letters from people who were His father found his niche when he began studying surgery, Jeffrey Stone patients of his. That was very moving, especially when you’re 19 years said. old and you realize how many people’s lives your father had saved.”

“When he was a surgical resident, he decided he loved spinal surgery,” Along with his son and wife, Susette, Dr. Stone is survived by a sister, he said. “He spent time in Germany, learning state-of-the art Ann Stone Thompson, of Chambersburg, Pa., and four grandchildren. He instrumentation techniques.” was preceded in death by another son, A. Curtis Stone.

After completing his residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of A memorial service was held Saturday. Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Dr. Stone became an early partner in Oakland Orthopaedic Associates -- now called Greater Pittsburgh The family suggests memorial contributions to the Children's Hospital of Orthopaedic Associates. Pittsburgh at http://www.chp.edu/.

That’s where he crossed paths with athletes such as Mr. MacDonald, Post Gazette LOADED: 07.23.2019 who had three previous knee surgeries with no relief.

“The first two years I was in Pittsburgh, I dressed for 10 games, but my knee wouldn’t function,” said Mr. MacDonald, of New Glasgow, in Nova Scotia, Canada, who played for the Pens from 1970 to 1978. “I went back to Nova Scotia and just limped through the whole year. I had another surgery, but it didn’t do any good.”

Frustration eventually led him to consult with the new team physician, Dr. Stone, who gave Mr. MacDonald his life back with an innovative surgery to repair a torn cartilage.

“If I had known Dr. Stone earlier, I would have had an incredible career,” said Mr. MacDonald, who went on to score 43 goals in the 1973-74 season -- a club record at the time. His perseverance and dedication also earned Mr. MacDonald the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy that year. The trophy goes to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game.

The two became dear friends over the years, the former hockey pro said.

“It became more than just a doctor/patient relationship,” he said. “We visited each other with our wives and kids, and we became so close. I was so grateful for him.” 1150020 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins, Zach Aston-Reese agree to two-year deal

MIKE DEFABO

Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese and his representatives were setting up for an arbitration hearing at 9 a.m. Monday in Toronto when he got the word: There would be no meeting.

The Penguins and Aston-Reese successfully —⁠ and narrowly —⁠ avoided arbitration at the 11th hour by agreeing to a two-year, $2 million deal. The one-way contract runs through the 2020-21 season and carries an average annual value of $1 million.

“Right at 9 o’clock it got done,” Aston-Reese said Monday on a conference call with the media. “Right on time.”

In many ways, this was the most likely conclusion to the contract negotiations when Aston-Reese became a restricted free agent and filed for arbitration.

Arbitrators are rarely forced to make a ruling in the NHL. Last season, for example, 40 of 44 cases across the league were settled before a hearing took place. In general manager Jim Rutherford’s five years with the Penguins, all five players who have filed for arbitration resolved their contract negotiations before the hearing.

“It’s a crazy process,” Aston-Reese said. “It’s a little bit awkward. I was just really happy to get the deal done before that meeting began. You hear stories and things like that. It’s no coincidence that only, what, 5% actually go through with the meeting. I was really relieved to avoid that.”

Aston-Reese, who will turn 25 Aug. 10, joined the Penguins organization in 2017 as an undrafted free agent out of Northeastern University. He signed an entry-level, two-year contract worth $1,850,000.

Aston-Reese, a 6-foot, 205-pound forward, has split time between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Penguins over the past two seasons. He recorded six points (four goals, two assists) in 16 NHL games in 2017-18. In 2018-19, he played in 43 NHL games and tallied 17 points (nine goals, eight assists).

While Aston-Reese has spent time on Evgeni Malkin’s line, a series of injuries has impacted his production. He suffered a broken jaw in May 2018, his hand was broken in a fight Jan. 8 against Florida, and then he was hit with a lower-body injury March 10 that kept him out until the postseason.

“Zach is a responsible player who plays a solid-two way game,” Rutherford said in a statement. “He has a heavy style of play that is especially effective on the forecheck and penalty kill.”

The new deal settles some financial questions about Aston-Reese. But there’s still some uncertainty surrounding the forward’s role within the organization.

The Penguins added more depth to their lineup this summer with the additions of Dominik Kahun via trade and Brandon Tanev via free agency. The Penguins now have 13 forwards signed to their roster, which could create some position battles in camp.

But the nature of the one-way deal and its price tag suggest the Penguins have a plan for Aston-Reese.

“Throughout the last two seasons, I’ve seen minutes on the fourth line, minutes on the first line,” Aston-Reese said. “I’ve been able to do my job and do what’s asked of me. As far as that’s concerned, I don’t have any expectations of what the lines will look like. I just want to go in and bring my game and do what’s asked of me.”

With Aston-Reese’s contract finalized, defenseman Marcus Pettersson is the Penguins’ only remaining restricted free agent who is not under contract. According to CapFriendly, the Penguins are now $157,000 over the salary cap. A deal of some sort remains likely to get the Penguins under the cap before the season.

Post Gazette LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150021 San Jose Sharks will have the exact same setup as the one that jumpstarted Vegas in 2017, it stands to reason that Seattle could do the same.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.23.2019 NHL expansion draft: How Sharks will be impacted by Seattle franchise

By Brian Witt

Editor's note: This week, NBC Sports California will look ahead to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, at which time the Seattle franchise officially will join the league as its 32nd team. Every team in the league will be affected, as players from (nearly) every roster will be made available to Seattle for its inaugural roster. We begin with an explanation of the expansion draft rules.

Over the last two years, the Sharks have developed a budding rivalry with the Vegas Golden Knights, who joined the NHL as an expansion franchise prior to the 2017-18 season.

Two years from now, another expansion franchise -- this one in Seattle, Washington -- officially will join the league, and like Vegas, will slide right into the Pacific Division, with the Arizona Coyotes being displaced to the Central Division.

Before the currently unnamed Seattle franchise begins play in 2021-22, it has to acquire its inaugural roster by way of the expansion draft.

The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft will operate under the same rules for Seattle as it did for the Golden Knights back in the summer of 2017. Seattle will select one player from each of the other teams in the league (excluding Vegas) for a grand total of 30. Specifically, those 30 players must include at least 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies.

Eventually, Seattle will whittle down those 30 players to a minimum of 20 under contract for the 2021-22 regular season, and that inaugural roster must have a cumulative salary that is between 60 and 100 percent of the 2020-21 salary cap's upper limit.

However, it's not as if Seattle can just handpick the best player from each roster. The other 30 teams can protect a limited number of their own players, making them ineligible for selection in the expansion draft.

Those teams have two options for protecting players: Either protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie, or protect eight skaters (forwards or defensemen) and one goalie. Regardless of which option a team chooses, there are certain conditions it must abide by.

For instance, any player with a no-movement clause at the time of the expansion draft -- and who declines to waive that clause -- must be protected and will count toward their team's protected list. Additionally, all first- and second-year players, as well as all unsigned draft choices, are exempt from inclusion in the expansion draft, and won't count toward their team's protected list.

There are two sides to the protected/exempt coin, though. The other 30 teams can't simply scrape the bottom of their respective barrels and expose those remnants to the expansion draft. There are conditions that those teams must meet that ensure Seattle will receive legitimate NHL players, much like the Golden Knights did before making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in their debut season.

Each of those 30 teams must expose at least one defensemen and at least two forwards who are a) under contract in 2021-22 and b) played in at least 40 NHL games the prior season, or in at least 70 NHL games over the previous two seasons combined.

Furthermore, those teams must also expose at least one goalie who is either under contract in 2021-22 or will be a restricted free agent immediately prior to 2021-22. If a team elects to expose the latter option to the expansion draft, it must have already given that goalie a qualifying offer prior to submitting its protected list.

Lastly, any players with potential career-ending injuries who have missed more than the previous 60 consecutive games heading into 2021-22, or who have been otherwise confirmed to have a career-threatening injury, cannot be exposed to the expansion draft unless approved by the league.

Traditionally, expansion franchises have taken a long time to find their footing in the NHL, but the Golden Knights bucked that trend and took the sports world by storm. Considering the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft 1150022 San Jose Sharks “The Sharks don’t want to lose Kevin. And we want Banker to be here for a long time. If this is the route we’ve got to take, this is the route we’ve got to take. He remains a restricted free agent (next summer) so it’s not Explaining Kevin Labanc’s modest $1 million contract: Trusting the like he’s going off into La-La Land. We’ll just take it from there.” Sharks and his own development And next summer, Labanc could be in a much better position to command a bigger deal.

By Kevin Kurz Jul 22, 2019 “Obviously, we took heat for it, but it was something that Kevin was happy with doing,” Curran said. “We’ll get the season going and when the later months come around and we get an idea where Banker fits in. …

Kevin Labanc’s agent, Mike Curran, figured there might be some noise “I think they open up cap space in a couple years, too, so maybe that after Labanc signed a one-year contract extension for just $1 million as a frees up some more cash for a kid like Kevin if he’s going to be a top-line restricted free agent earlier this month. Labanc, after all, was coming off player. Not ideal (now), but for us it works. We were happy and we feel of a 56-point season and most figured his annual salary would be much that there will be opportunity to do more. The best part is, it’s Kevin that more significant — perhaps as much as $3 million to $4 million on a turns to me and says, ‘OK, well, I’m going to go rip it up this year to prove multiyear deal. that I’m a 20-goal scorer in the NHL.’ All right, Banker, go for it.”

“We knew it was coming. It’s the nature of the beast, right?” Curran said On a conference call the day that Labanc signed his deal, he and general in a phone interview over the weekend. “Everyone’s going to go, well, manager Doug Wilson spoke about Labanc’s opportunity to build on last why did you do that? And don’t take this literally, but if there’s only $2 season. million in cap space and you think your player is worth $5 million, you’ve got a big gap there and no way to come to agreement. So you have to “I see myself taking on a bigger role,” Labanc said July 8. “I think last figure it out. year was a good stepping stone for me to kind of prove to myself that I can handle a top-six role. I’m looking forward to next season and looking “You’re going to get people that look at this and be like, what the hell? forward to being one of the top players on the team.” But, hey, if he signs a big ticket next, like five or six years, everyone’s going to look at it like, OK, well, you made all your money back.” Wilson said: ”He grew his game last year. He tried to become a 200-foot player and be trusted by our coaches. So I think this is an exciting year The salary cap has been an issue for the Sharks this offseason, for him.” particularly after Erik Karlsson returned on an eight-year, $92 million deal. Forwards Joe Pavelski, Gus Nyquist and Joonas Donskoi all The Sharks will likely need a collection of players to replace the 38 goals departed as free agents, as the Sharks couldn’t afford to offer any of that Pavelski tallied. As a right wing, Labanc will be at the top of that list them market value without overhauling the roster. Just keeping restricted after scoring 17 last season. He will likely be a part of the top power-play free agents Labanc and Timo Meier while still having enough money to unit, where he is as dangerous a player as the Sharks have on their fill out the roster was tricky enough. roster in creating scoring chances. Labanc’s 6.28 points per 60 minutes on the power play was second on the Sharks behind only Karlsson and Labanc is doing the organization a favor, as his top priority clearly was to Thornton (per Natural Stat Trick). remain in San Jose. A sixth-round pick of the Sharks in 2014, his game has grown by leaps and bounds since the start of the 2016-17 season. The chance for Labanc to have an even bigger stake in the team next While his offensive instincts have always been evident, it took Labanc season is something that the organization emphasized to Curran. some time to earn Pete DeBoer’s trust as a 200-foot player — as recently “In fairness, they admitted it. They said we talked about what his as last January, the coach would often bench the young winger in the expectation is this year, and they expect him to take a huge step,” Curran third periods of close games. In February, just before the trade deadline, said. “You can’t pay your player for what he might do. I believe in him, there was even the question as to whether Labanc could be dangled in a they believe in him, but he hasn’t done it yet. This is going to be his trade for a a more reliable two-way player at wing. opportunity to go out there and prove it, and then, hey, you get your But Labanc kept working hard and improving, routinely staying out on the ticket. In the grand scheme of things, if you get enough money that you practice ice longer than most of his teammates, while skating on what can live off the rest of your life, what’s one year?” turned into the Sharks’ most consistent line over the final two months of Something else that likely kept Labanc’s price down is the trust that the regular season with Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen. Although Curran has in Wilson, who has backed up his promises to young players that line’s production slowed in the playoffs, Labanc recorded a point on in the organization. Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl both signed modest all four of the Sharks’ power-play goals in the epic comeback win in two-year bridge deals before getting rewarded with much bigger Game 7 of the first round against Vegas, with one goal and three assists. subsequent contracts, while others like Sorensen and Barclay Goodrow Despite that late-season surge, Labanc wasn’t seeking a long-term deal signed multiyear deals after showing that they belonged as NHL players. this summer, even after Meier agreed a four-year, $24 million contract “That helps tremendously,” Curran said of Wilson’s history. “You’ve got to one week before Labanc signed. look at their past to understand the reasoning behind some of the deals “We were never really talking incredibly long term,” Curran said. “We and why they’re doing things. They’re a (team that spends to the cap). were talking, like, a good bridge deal for him. … The proof is in the pudding when you see what they give some of their older guys, and guys that have been there a while they’re rewarded with “I’ve got to be honest, they were great conversations. It was never really some good money. Pavelski is an exception, but it is what it is — that’s combative or argumentative too much. It was really just about where we the business side of things. But they do take care of their own. Doug’s saw Kevin fit in and what he did. And then Timo signs. He did have 30 been there for so long, so there’s a long history there to look at and say, goals, so he deserved every penny, but we kind of just came to a ‘OK, Banker, if you do your part, we’re going to be fine.’” philosophical standpoint of saying, OK, well, Banker, if you want to go out and prove you’re entitled to more money — what we take today, it might Curran continued: “Kevin is one of those kids I’ll bet on. He works his ass be better to wait until March, April, May and see what kind of (year) you off every summer, he’s in the gym four times a week, he’s got the same have.” trainer that every summer pushes him more and more to be better and better. I’d put my money on Banker any day, no pun intended.” Curran and Labanc also had little leverage. Labanc won’t have arbitration rights until next summer, so the only weapon in their arsenal was an offer The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 sheet from another team, something that they weren’t very interested in.

Further, Curran called the league-wide threat of offer sheets “overblown.” Only one has been signed so far, and the Carolina Hurricanes quickly matched the offer sheer that Sebastian Aho received from the Montreal Canadiens.

“Hype and circumstances through the summer kind of lead people to think that everyone’s going to get one. It’s like, well — no,” Curran said. 1150023 St Louis Blues

BenFred: Blues aren't only local sports stars we can learn from

Ben Frederickson

If you’re like me, your sports schedule is a bit scrambled this summer.

I blame the Blues.

The hockey frenzy left us behind.

Baseball’s trade deadline looms, suddenly. SEC football media days are finished. The Stanley Cup is still on parade, but the Blues will soon begin their championship defense.

Where has time gone?

The rush to catch up caused me to miss one of my favorite events.

Since writing about the impressive actions of Ladue wrestler Leor Goldfarb in 2017, I have looked forward to the St. Louis Sports Foundation’s annual announcement of its Sportsmanship Scholarship award recipients.

This year, I missed them. A look at the calendar showed why. The Blues were thumping San Jose.

Our town’s hockey team went on to win the Stanley Cup, forever cementing their status as St. Louis sports stars.

They have some company in the latest recipients of the Sportsmanship Scholarship.

As this world seems to get crazier by the day, young people remind us there is hope.

Here are this year’s examples.

Macie Farrier (Fort Zumwalt East) became an example of sportsmanship in the four sports she played during her high school career. She was a basketball and track and field captain known for helping opponents up off the floor, and she once went out of her way to check on a basketball opponent she knew had suffered a seizure during a tournament earlier in the season. She’s headed to Maryville University.

Ben Cummings (John Burroughs) was a four-sport athlete who once broke his focus on his own play during a golf tournament to console an upset opponent who had just shot a day-ruining 11. He’s headed to the University of Wisconsin.

Arielle Adams (Hazelwood Central) was a tennis player and competitive dancer who became known for her unflinching honesty on the court, even (and especially) when it came to balls that could have been argued in her favor. She’s headed to Southeast Missouri State University.

Shea Luby (Hillsboro) was a volleyball captain who found out about the death of a player on an opposing team, then organized an effort among her own teammates to hand that team volleyballs with notes of sympathy and encouragement written on them. She’s headed to Central Methodist University.

Jalen White (SLUH) was a sprinter who did something better than give an opponent the shirt off his back. He lent an opponent his starting blocks. The opponent had forgotten his own blocks. White, who had finished his heat, didn’t just let the opponent borrow blocks. White held the blocks for him, so his opponent could get a better start. He's headed to Morehouse College.

A belated congratulations to all of the scholarship recipients.

We can learn something from them.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150024 St Louis Blues

Sunny day: Sundqvist's big season pays off with big raise

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jul 21, 2019

In the summer of 2018, Oskar Sundqvist knew he was going to have a battle to make the Blues and knew he was going to have to be better.

The hard work he put in continues to pay off.

Sundqvist not only made the Blues roster amid an abundance of forwards, but he then went out and had his best season ever and played an integral part in the Blues’ run to the Stanley Cup. On Sunday, he almost quadrupled his salary, signing a four-year deal with an annual average value of $2.75 million.

Sundqvist was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Wednesday. He’s the fourth Blues who was headed to arbitration to sign, leaving only defenseman Joel Edmundson, whose arbitration hearing is Aug. 4, and forward Ivan Barbashev, who is not eligible for arbitration, unsigned. General manager Doug Armstrong said the team would approach the offseason signings pretty much in order of their arbitration hearings, and that’s how it has gone. The Blues signed goalie Ville Husso, whose arbitration hearing was to have been Monday, to a one-year contract on Saturday.

Sundqvist, known for his defensive abilities when the Blues acquired him along with the draft pick that became Klim Kostin in the draft day trade with the Penguins for Ryan Reaves in 2017, blossomed offensively last season. He had 14 goals and 17 assists for 31 points in the regular season, which not only were career highs but easily eclipsed his career totals over the 70 NHL games he had played before: two goals and seven assists. His 14 goals tied him with Barbashev for fifth-most on the team. Sundqvist had his expected time on the penalty kill, but his offensive play was strong enough that at times during the season he found himself on the power play.

His contract for last season paid him $700,000, making him one of the most economical players on the team. The four-year contract bought out two years of unrestricted free agency for Sundqvist, 25. He, Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly are the only Blues signed for the 2022-23 season.

In the playoffs, Sundqvist had four goals and five assists. He also served a one-game suspension in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final for a hit on Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk.

The Blues have $4.3 million left under the salary cap at the moment, though the number is probably closer to about $5.7 million since that number includes eight defensemen, two of whom won’t make the team. The Blues still have to sign Edmundson and Barbashev and Armstrong would like to leave himself a bit of a cushion in case of injuries. Teams are allowed to exceed the salary cap, within certain limits, in the offseason, but have to be compliant by the start of the season.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150025 St Louis Blues

Sundqvist signs four-year contract with Blues

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jul 21, 2019

Forward Oskar Sundqvist, who wasn't even certain of having a roster spot when the season began and then turned into a key part of the Blues' offense, signed a four-year contract with the Blues on Sunday.

Sundqvist, a restricted free agent who was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Wednesday, signed a deal that will have an annual average value of $2.75 million a year. It's a big raise for Sundqvist, who made $700,000 last season.

Sundqvist had career highs in goals (14), assists (17) and points (31). Not only were they season highs, they were more than he had scored in his three previous NHL seasons combined.

Sundqvist's signing leaves the Blues with two unsigned players, defenseman Joel Edmundson, who is scheduled for an arbitration hearing on Aug. 4, and forward Ivan Barbashev, who isn't eligible for arbitration.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150026 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning reporter Caley Chelios marries Dan Vitale, former Tampa Bay Bucs 2016 draft pick

By Mari Faiello

TAMPA — For once Caley Chelios wasn’t delivering the news. Rather, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s website and in-game reporter was the news as she married former Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2016 draft pick Dan Vitale over the weekend.

Chelios and Vitale graduated from Northwestern University and started dating in 2013. Six years later, they stood on the altar and said, “I do," inside the Saint James Chapel in Chicago. Some of their most famous guests included: Eddie Vedder and wife Jilly McCormick, Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber, John Cusack and Kid Rock.

At one point during the reception, Vitale took the mic and rocked it out on stage to Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So," according to a report from PEOPLE Magazine.

“I have been playing guitar for years, but never performed with a real band,” he explained to PEOPLE reporter Lindsay Kimble at the wedding.

Chelios, the daughter of Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios, told PEOPLE her wedding “was the most magical day from beginning to end.”

“My favorite moment was getting to see Danny for the first time, standing at the bottom of the grand staircase at The Peninsula," she said. "I could not have dreamed of a more perfect moment.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150027 Toronto Maple Leafs What we do know is that last fall’s formula of simply giving the job to Sparks even though McElhinney played better was not productive.

At some point, the Leafs are hoping that one of their top goaltending The Leafs have to fix their goaltending problem, and Neuvirth is worth a prospects, Ian Scott or Joseph Woll, arrives on the scene. Given how a shot smaller and smaller number of players are eating up bigger and bigger portions of the team’s payroll, Dubas really needs this to happen.

By Damien Cox Scott, 20, and Woll, 21, are just starting to work their way through the organization. Given how the Leafs farm system now operates, you can pretty much assume that neither Scott or Woll will be a full-time NHL player before the 2021-22 season, if they make it at all. Hopefully, if it One way or another, the Maple Leafs have to upgrade their goaltending, comes time to choose between them, the Leafs will make a more both in the regular season and the post-season. profitable choice than when they had to choose between Rask and Justin That doesn’t mean: a) Freddie Andersen is terrible, b) Michal Neuvirth is Pogge. the answer to anything, or c) there aren’t other areas that Kyle Dubas For now, if the organizational goal of winning a Cup is going to be needs to address. reached in the next two seasons, it’s going to be up to Andersen to get Those are usually the kind of responses you get when you dare to ask better, and for the Leafs to be better in front of him. But viable short-term questions about the state of the Leafs’ goaltending — even in July when options other than the Dane would also be immensely useful. Somebody (yes, of course) we all should be thinking about other things. Like where Babcock can turn to with confidence for 25 games. Marcus Stroman is going. Or how, because of the new golf schedule, Maybe that’s Neuvirth. In late July, it’s as good an idea as any other. we’re now going to have to wait more than eight months until the next major. Or whether Bianca Andreescu can get her shoulder to co-operate Toronto Star LOADED: 07.23.2019 enough to compete in next month’s Rogers Cup.

Instead, today’s topic will be the quality of Toronto’s NHL goaltending staff. Blame Neuvirth. He started it by talking to a Czech newspaper and blabbing that he’s signed a professional tryout offer with the Leafs. Neuvirth’s not the reincarnation of Jacques Plante, but he’s also not a total stiff. He’s 31 years old and looking for work, has played for four NHL teams and most of the time has been a pretty competent netminder.

Neuvirth played for Dave Hakstol and the last season, and presumably now that Hakstol’s an assistant to Mike Babcock with the Leafs, he was asked about Neuvirth and didn’t say bringing him in on a PTO would be about as useful as that time Devin Setoguchi came in for a look-see.

That said, it might be. Neuvirth was lousy in his brief workload with the Flyers last year, but we can probably agree Philly hasn’t exactly been a place where goalies go to thrive since, well, the days of Pelle Lindbergh. Carter Hart might be the next great Flyers goalie, but he’ll have to hack his way through kilometres of Philadelphia goaltending scar tissue to get there.

So the Leafs are bringing in Neuvirth because Garret Sparks failed as the backup to Andersen last year, and nobody’s convinced Michael Hutchinson is capable of unseating Sparks. Notice, by the way, we didn’t say Sparks has proven he can’t do the job. He’s been a late bloomer throughout his career, and anybody who has tracked him through junior and pro hockey wouldn’t be surprised if he bounced back.

The Leafs, however, can’t bank on that. Kyle Dubas banked on Sparks being better (in addition to being cheaper) than Curtis McElhinney last season, and that blew up in the rookie general manager’s face. It’s hard to say, but Sparks for McElhinney might have cost the Leafs at least five or six points in the standings last season, maybe even home-ice advantage in the first round against the Boston Bruins. Sparks certainly didn’t ease the workload for Andersen, who played more minutes than all but seven other NHL goalies.

Despite weekly proclamations from Coach’s Corner and other places that Andersen was the NHL’s best goalie last season, he wasn’t. He was brilliant at times, as most top-20 goalies are, but the general managers told you what they thought when they voted on the Vezina Trophy and nine goalies got more votes than the Leafs’ starter.

In the playoffs, Andersen got outplayed by Tuukka Rask. Again. There were other reasons why the Leafs lost to the Bruins — such as Nazem Kadri’s suspension, mediocre work from hobbled blue-liners Travis Dermott and Jake Gardiner, and overall inexperience compared to Boston — but to get past a really good team you need superior goalkeeping and the Leafs didn’t get it.

This was Andersen’s third season with the Leafs. He’s 29 years old and, sure, he might still get better. He’s nicely affordable at $5 million U.S. per season, and he has this coming season and one more left on his deal.

It’s not like signing Sergei Bobrovsky or Robin Lehner was a real cap option. So that’s why you sign Neuvirth. Maybe he can push Andersen, or at least be better than Sparks, which might help Andersen be better. 1150028 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs sign Wilson, Neuvirth says he's camp-bound on tryout basis

Terry Koshan

The Maple Leafs continue to add to their roster as the dog days of summer drag on.

Forward Garrett Wilson has signed with the Leafs, a source confirmed, while goaltender Michael Neuvirth was quoted on a web site in the as saying that he will be attending Leafs training camp on a tryout basis.

The Leafs, on Monday morning, wouldn’t confirm either transaction.

Wilson’s contract is a one-year, one-way deal believed to be a bit north of the minimum of US$700,000.

“It has been done for a while,” an NHL source said.

With the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Wilson had two goals and six assists in 50 games. In 84 career games with the Penguins and Florida Panthers, the 28-year-old has eight points.

Wilson also played in 18 games last season for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, the same club he played for in the previous two seasons.

Wilson will be in the mix for a job on the Leafs’ fourth line once camp begins.

Then there’s Neuvirth, who has spent the past four seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers. The 31-year-old told the website isport.blesk.cz that “we’ve agreed with Toronto, so I’m going to try out (with) the Maple Leafs.”

“When they called me from Toronto, I let go of all the other teams (that were interested),” Neuvirth said. “The Toronto Maple Leafs — that’s an honour.”

Because of various injuries, Neuvirth played in just seven games for the Flyers last season, going 1-4-1 with a .859 save percentage and a 4.27 goals-against average.

The Neuvirth possibility gives further credence to the idea that the Leafs are going to move on from Garret Sparks, who was replaced by Michael Hutchinson as Frederik Andersen’s backup late in the regular season and into the playoffs.

Hutchinson was re-signed by the Leafs late in June, while rumours have persisted that the Leafs will deal Sparks if they find a trading partner.

Both Hutchinson ($700,000) and Sparks ($750,000) are on one-way contracts for 2019-20; Neuvirth, an unrestricted free agent, is coming off a two-year pact with the Flyers that carried an annual average value of $2.5 million.

What remains on the table, of course, for the Leafs is the status of restricted free agent Mitch Marner.

It’s not clear where negotiations stand, though Marner told reporters last week at his annual charity event that he wants to be signed by the start of training camp.

While the official Wilson announcement from the Leafs could come at any time, there also has been no official confirmation by the club that forwards Nick Shore and Kenny Agostino have been signed to contracts.

Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas will have to do some financial manoeuvring once, or before, Marner is signed, considering the club’s current salary cap space falls in the range of $3.7 million.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150029 Vegas Golden Knights NHL video games with his son Graham. Ovechkin has also been vocal about his love for the city of Las Vegas.

“It’s kind of like an unbelievable show, you get excited,” he said back in Ovechkin in Vegas? Projecting the Golden Knights 2022-23 lineup 2018, describing the atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena. “It’s like you’re in a nightclub. It’s like a party. Everybody dancing over there. It’s like, ‘Holy Jesus, are we in a hockey game or is this like a pool party out there?’ By Jesse Granger Jul 22, 2019 They’re very, very tough to play against.”

After he gave that quote, Ovechkin later raised the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas and we all remember the celebration that ensued. It’s not out of The Golden Knights are built to win now, and their payroll shows it. the realm of possibility for him to sign a contract with McPhee to play out Vegas has committed more money toward the salary cap than any team the final years of his career, chasing career-goals records and another in the NHL — not only for the upcoming season, but also for the next two Stanley Cup with the man who drafted him. years with $65.6 million already committed to 2020-21, and $57.8 million Vegas will have some cap space by then, as players like Ryan Reaves, in 2021-22 (both the most in the NHL). Cody Eakin, Nick Holden, Deryk Engelland, and Jon Merrill will all be Because of that, the Golden Knights will bring back a very similar roster gone, and replaced mostly by players on cheap, entry-level deals. for the next three seasons, with most of their core players locked up long- Ovechkin likely won’t command his current $9.5 million salary, but it will term. There will obviously be small tweaks to the edges of the lineup still be a sizable contract. One Vegas is willing to pay to extend their Cup each offseason, but the major pieces will remain in place. That’s a good window by another year or two. thing because Vegas has acquired some very good players and for the In the lineup, he could be supplemented on this line with two of the most part, they are on reasonable contracts. fastest, most dynamic forwards on the roster. Glass, a 2017 first-round This is the Golden Knights’ window to go Stanley Cup chasing. But what pick, will be an established NHL player by this point, and ready to take happens after that window, in the year 2022-23? Will Vegas go full- the reins of the second line when Paul Stastny’s contract expires. Tuch rebuild, or will George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon continue being will be entering his sixth season in the NHL and should be one of the aggressive in acquiring players? team’s most consistent scorers by then. The two of them should be a nightmare to defend, especially with a sniper such as Ovechkin tagging This article is a fun exercise to project what the roster might look like along. three seasons from now. Note: This is just for fun. here’s no inside information telling me Ovechkin It’s become an annual tradition at The Athletic, to use one day each is an option for Vegas outside the connection between he and McPhee, offseason to look three years into the future. You can find Craig combined with Vegas’ ability to lure free agents, and the timing of the Custance’s versions of the Red Wings from the past two years here and expansion draft, make it a good fit. If Ovechkin retires a Capital, as is the here, and Max Bultman’s 2022-23 version here. most plausible scenario, this spot will likely be filled with another top free- agent winger. The rules Line 3: Max Pacioretty – Peyton Krebs – Reilly Smith 1. If a player is under contract, he’s on the roster. I didn’t trade any players currently under contract, partially to allow those contracts to play For a team with as much money committed long-term as the Golden out and see which have longevity and which could become ugly on the Knights, it’s almost impossible to have no bad contracts. If Pacioretty backend. continues to produce into his mid-30s, that could be the case. If he tails off, his $7 million AAV could become an eyesore. Luckily for the Golden 2. I can extend contracts for currently rostered players where it’s Knights, they should have plenty of young prospects stepping into the reasonable. NHL at this time, so their low entry-level contracts offset some of that. 3. Where my article differs from the Red Wings’ versions is I am allowing Pacioretty could fit nicely on a line with 2019 first-round selection Peyton Vegas to sign unrestricted free agents. This is because the Golden Krebs, who will likely be ready to take this step in 2022. Krebs’ all-around Knights have proven to be aggressive in acquiring talent, so filling in the game will allow Vegas to insert him in the lineup, even in a bottom-six roster with only rookies is extremely unrealistic. While the odds are role. Smith will be an unrestricted free agent the summer of 2022, but he Vegas won’t sign these free agents, it’s a more realistic look at what the is one of Gerard Gallant’s favorite, most-reliable players so I believe the roster could look like than filling it out with rookies. Golden Knights will sign him to another, cheaper deal as he transitions to more of a defensive role. For the past two years, Smith has been a great And with that, I give you the Vegas Golden Knights, circa October 2022: top-six winger with 41 goals and 72 assists, but his strong defensive play will allow him to remain an asset at even strength and the penalty kill well Line 1: Jonathan Marchessault – – Mark Stone into his 30s. After looking at the headline and skimming through that lineup, I’m Line 4: Jonas Røndbjerg – Nicolas Roy – Keegan Kolesar almost certain everyone immediately skipped to “Line 2” in anger or excitement, so if you’re here reading this one first, kudos to you. This Here’s where the roster turnover really shows. The Golden Knights have could be the top line for the Golden Knights’ opening lineup in 2019, but it so many players signed to long-term deals that the top three lines at least if isn’t I believe it will become that down the road. All three players should look semi-recognizable, but because of those expensive contracts, the still be in their prime at this point. Stone and Marchessault showed fourth line must be filled with cheaper, younger forwards. Røndbjerg is a phenomenal chemistry and playmaking ability for Team Canada in the perfect candidate for this. He has progressed every year and was World Championships, and Karlsson is the perfect player to center their extremely impressive at this summer’s development camp. He should be line. Stone and Karlsson’s forechecking ability, coupled with their ready to make the jump to the NHL sooner rather than later and could be defensive responsibility, allow them to drive play on this line, and a very good fourth-line forward with more scoring upside than the current Marchessault can simply fire away. Vegas fourth-liners. Roy, whom Vegas just acquired when it sent Erik Haula to Carolina, could be the long-term solution for a fourth-line center, Line 2: Alexander Ovechkin – Cody Glass – Alex Tuch and Kolesar has shown in the AHL that he has the potential to be Ryan Hear me out. Reaves-light with more of a scoring touch.

Ovechkin’s contract will be up in Washington the summer of 2021, when Top pair: Shea Theodore – Nate Schmidt he will be 35 years old. It’s also the same summer as the Seattle Both Schmidt and Theodore are signed through the 2024-25 season, and Expansion Draft, and the Capitals may not re-sign or extend Ovechkin both are young enough that they should still be top-tier defensemen at early because he’d have to be protected during expansion. That could this point. For Theodore, he should continue improving his defensive open a window for Ovechkin to explore other options as an unrestricted game while maintaining his offensive instincts. His defensive-point free agent, and the Golden Knights are the only team in the NHL that shares have gone up consistently — 0.9 in 2016-17, 2.8 in 2017-18 and won’t be worried about protecting players against Seattle. 3.1 in 2018-19 — and he has the potential to be a very good top-pairing McPhee and Ovechkin are close. He drafted Ovechkin in Washington, defenseman. Schmidt has served as Vegas’ best shutdown defenseman and Ovechkin spent his first year in the U.S. living with McPhee, playing the past two seasons, and with his elite-skating ability that will likely be the case when he’s 31. There’s also the chance the Golden Knights sign The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 or trade for an elite defenseman (as they nearly did for Erik Karlsson at the 2018 trade deadline) but for the purpose of this exercise, I chose to add only one major free-agent signing in Ovechkin.

Second pair: Brayden McNabb – Nic Hague

This seems like an awkward pairing at first, with two larger, slower defensemen together, but I believe it works by allowing Hague to be more offensive with a safer veteran staying at home in McNabb. The two were paired together last preseason, and Hague has mentioned on multiple occasions he loves being mentored by McNabb and wants to model his game after him. When Hague enters the NHL, he’ll be an immediate force on the power play, with a big shot and phenomenal offensive instincts. It will be a learning-process in his own end, and McNabb is the perfect player to quell those worries while helping Hague turn into a complete defenseman. McNabb’s contract expires in the summer of 2022, but I could see Vegas extend him at a reasonable price to keep him. He’s played more ice time than any skater in Vegas’ franchise history and has been consistently solid throughout.

Bottom pair: Jimmy Schuldt – Olli Maatta

Here’s the second free-agent signing projected for Vegas over the next couple offseasons, albeit nowhere near the impact of Ovechkin. The Chicago Blackhawks have three defensemen with expiring contracts in the summer of 2022: Calvin de Haan, Connor Murphy and Maata. I’m guessing they allow at least one of those to walk, and Vegas can take advantage of it to supplement the blue line. Maatta is unspectacular but solid in his own end and would be a good veteran to pair with Hobey Baker Award finalist Jimmy Schuldt, who will be in his second or third season in the NHL by that point.

The extra defensemen include Zach Whitecloud, who will likely be in the Golden Knights’ blue line rotation for the next several seasons, and 2019 second-round pick Kaedan Korczak will likely be ready to begin his NHL career around 2022-23. Vegas may not want to sit a 21-year-old prospect too often, so Korczak could find his way into the lineup sooner rather than later, especially if Maatta doesn’t perform well.

The 2022-23 seasons could very well mark the beginning of a new era for the Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury’s three-year, $21 million extension expires in the summer of 2022, and he’ll be turning 38 later that November. However, I believe Fleury will not only play out his full contract but sign another extension after it. Fleury has averaged a little more than 30 wins per season, and the Golden Knights should be at least competitive for the next three years, meaning Fleury could be sitting third or fourth on the all-time NHL wins list at this point. (He’s already eighth all time.) Of the top-10 goaltenders in wins (excluding Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist who have yet to retire) the average age of retirement is 40.75, and only two called it quits before 40. Fleury is in phenomenal shape, loves hockey more than any player I’ve been around and will want to continue playing.

That means Malcolm Subban is likely gone. He has aspirations of being a starting goaltender, and a team will offer him a job long before this point. That leaves Vegas with its drafted goaltender prospects, the best of which to this point has been Dylan Ferguson. He will begin his pro career in 2019-20 in either the AHL or ECHL and is the most likely candidate to replace Subban as the backup down the road, and possibly Fleury later on.

Overview

This is still a very good team on paper. Whether that translates to success on the ice will largely be determined by how players such as Fleury, Stone, Marchessault, Karlsson and Pacioretty age over the next three years, but it’s reasonable to say this team can still compete in the playoffs.

This roster has an average age of 27.4, which is actually 1.2 years younger than last season’s Vegas roster. That average would’ve been the 13th-oldest roster in the NHL this past season, so it’s right in the middle of the league in terms of youngsters and veterans.

Instead of going full rebuild after Fleury’s contract is up, extending him another year or two, and bringing in Ovechkin — or another top free agent — could extend Vegas’ window slightly if the young players are good enough to contribute to a contending team.

If Glass, Krebs and Hague turn out to be fantastic players, this team would be in great shape for a few more years. If they don’t, Vegas will be looking at the first rebuild in franchise history. 1150030 Washington Capitals

Caps invite fans to submit original art for new Capit-Ale design

By Raichele Privette July 22, 2019 1:09 PM

A freshly brewed beer is making its way to Capital One Arena.

In partner with Devils Backbone Brewing Company, the Caps announced on Monday that starting in September, Capit-Ale India Pale Ale will be available for purchase at Capital One Arena.

Capit-Ale will be available in two can designs. The first design features the Caps mural installation at L'Enfant Plaza, designed by the Washington, D.C., based artists BroCoLoco.

NEWS: Capitals and Devils Backbone Brewing Company Introduce Capit-Ale IPA Featuring Can with @BroCoLoco's #ALLCAPS Mural Design; Invite Fans to Submit Original Art for Second Can Design July 22-Oct. 18:https://t.co/um6TmjVQQ1 pic.twitter.com/QB5FnIRh0R

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) July 22, 2019

In efforts to spark excitement for the 2019-20 season, fans are invited to submit original art for a chance to be featured on the second can design.

Designs can be submitted from July 22-Oct.18 and will be selected in January 2020 by Devils Backbone Brewing Company and the Caps.

The winner will receive tickets to a Capitals game, a framed version of their art autographed by Caps players and have their art hung up in the Capital One Arena Devils Backbone bar.

The new 16 oz. hoppy brew will also be available on draft at select retail locations in the DMV area.

This is not the first time Devils Backbone Brewing Company has partnered with a D.C. team. In 2018, they partnered with the Redskins to launch the #ATTR Ale at FedEx Field.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150031 Washington Capitals It is hard to imagine Backstrom and the team not being able to come to an agreement to keep him in Washington. He is still playing at a high level and, because he has never been an overly fast or overly physical 20 Burning Capitals Questions: How will the contract situation affect player, he is likely to live up to new contract even in his mid-thirties. For Backstrom and Holtby? him, there should be less pressure knowing he is likely to be back.

The same cannot be said for Holtby whose future in Washington is far more uncertain. By J.J. Regan July 22, 2019 10:00 AM Much has been written on this topic of late and if you want a real deep- dive into why Holtby is doubtful to return to Washington, you can read my article here. To summarize, the high cost it will take to re-sign Holtby in The long, endless summer is only halfway done. The Capitals last played both money and term as well as the looming Seattle expansion draft and a game on April 24 and will not play another one until Oct. 2. the fact that the team’s top prospect is a goalie make it unlikely the Caps But with free agency and the NHL Draft behind them now, the 2019-2020 will be able to keep him. That puts even more pressure on Holtby as he roster is almost set and it won’t be long until players begin trickling back faces the possibility of having to move on. onto the ice in Arlington for informal workouts. If there is one goalie who you should not worry about mentally, however, With that in mind, and given the roasting temperatures outside, for four it is Holtby. weeks NBC Sports Washington will look at 20 burning questions facing Holtby set a franchise record in April with his seventh postseason the Capitals as they look to rebound from an early exit from the Stanley . When asked what that did for his confidence he said, “Nothing. Cup playoffs, keep alive their Metropolitan Division title streak and get It's a win. We regroup, we know they're going to come harder next game back to their championship form of 2018. and we'll focus on that." The list will look at potential individual milestones, roster questions, When Washington was eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in a Game prospects who might help and star players with uncertain futures. Today, 7 double-overtime loss, Holtby said afterward, “Obviously it's we look at Nicklas Backstrom and who are entering the disappointing. It's not where we expected to be. It's a hard-fought series final year of their contracts. and they just ended up making more plays than we did.” Will the contract situations hang over their heads all season and affect Regardless of whether he is ecstatic or distraught, happy or sad, you can their play? always expect a calm, monotone response from Holtby in the locker Professional athletes face pressure all the time. They have pressure to room. This does not strike me as a player who will spend the season perform, pressure to make the playoffs, pressure to make a deep run and sweating over a contract. to win championships. Sometimes the greatest pressure a player can To say neither player will even think of their contract situations this feel, however, comes when they are playing for a contract. season would be unrealistic. They are only human. But it seems unlikely When you watch some of the greatest athletes in the world perform that their future contracts will have any major impact on their play superhuman feats on the ice, it can be easy to forget that these players because of the personality of both players plus their respective situations. are also human. These are people with families. While contract numbers Backstrom in all likelihood will remain with the Caps while Holtby, even can be fun to play with on CapFriendly, we are also talking about people though it appears his future will be elsewhere, probably feels a lot better whose given career field has a limited window. They are quite literally about his situation after seeing Sergei Bobrovsky sign a massive $70 playing for the future security of their families. million deal in the offseason.

This brings us to Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby, two players Both players are level-headed and in good spots even if they do not have entering the final year of their contracts who also happen to be two of the contracts beyond 2020. best players on the team. Backstrom will be 32 by the end of next season Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.23.2019 and Holtby will be 30. Given their age, the next contract will likely be the last big one of their careers.

With no new update on their respective contracts and the calendar nearing August, it seems very likely, if not probably, that both players will begin the season without a new contract in hand.

One bad season or one bad injury could cause both players potentially millions of dollars. That is also tricky for the team because if the pressure of playing for their next contract messes with their heads, those are two of the team’s best players suffering rough seasons.

If Backstrom and Holtby struggle under the pressure of knowing every night they are playing for their next deals, they certainly would not be the first or last to do so. But let’s not forget who we are talking about here.

If you had to choose the two most unflappable players on the roster, Backstrom and Holtby would both be pretty high on that list. The mentally calm way in which they approach the game suggests both are well-suited to the pressures of a contract year.

While we have grouped both players into a single question as to how they will perform, both of their situations actually look very different.

Backstrom elected to go with security over money in his last contract for 10 years and $67 million. That deal has proven to be an extremely team- friendly contract. According to CapFriendly, Backstrom’s $6.7 million cap hit is only the 65th highest in the league. That’s a bargain for a future Hall-of-Famer in the prime of his career.

While he is certainly entitled to a raise, he also does not strike me as the type of player to hold the team hostage with an outrageous salary ask.

“This is all I know,” Backstrom said at the team’s breakdown day. “It’s crazy, but at the same time it’s a great feeling. I couldn’t ask for anything better from the fans and from the city of Washington.” 1150032 Washington Capitals NHL video games with his son Graham. Ovechkin has also been vocal about his love for the city of Las Vegas.

“It’s kind of like an unbelievable show, you get excited,” he said back in Ovechkin in Vegas? Projecting the Golden Knights 2022-23 lineup 2018, describing the atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena. “It’s like you’re in a nightclub. It’s like a party. Everybody dancing over there. It’s like, ‘Holy Jesus, are we in a hockey game or is this like a pool party out there?’ By Jesse Granger Jul 22, 2019 They’re very, very tough to play against.”

After he gave that quote, Ovechkin later raised the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas and we all remember the celebration that ensued. It’s not out of The Golden Knights are built to win now, and their payroll shows it. the realm of possibility for him to sign a contract with McPhee to play out Vegas has committed more money toward the salary cap than any team the final years of his career, chasing career-goals records and another in the NHL — not only for the upcoming season, but also for the next two Stanley Cup with the man who drafted him. years with $65.6 million already committed to 2020-21, and $57.8 million Vegas will have some cap space by then, as players like Ryan Reaves, in 2021-22 (both the most in the NHL). Cody Eakin, Nick Holden, Deryk Engelland, and Jon Merrill will all be Because of that, the Golden Knights will bring back a very similar roster gone, and replaced mostly by players on cheap, entry-level deals. for the next three seasons, with most of their core players locked up long- Ovechkin likely won’t command his current $9.5 million salary, but it will term. There will obviously be small tweaks to the edges of the lineup still be a sizable contract. One Vegas is willing to pay to extend their Cup each offseason, but the major pieces will remain in place. That’s a good window by another year or two. thing because Vegas has acquired some very good players and for the In the lineup, he could be supplemented on this line with two of the most part, they are on reasonable contracts. fastest, most dynamic forwards on the roster. Glass, a 2017 first-round This is the Golden Knights’ window to go Stanley Cup chasing. But what pick, will be an established NHL player by this point, and ready to take happens after that window, in the year 2022-23? Will Vegas go full- the reins of the second line when Paul Stastny’s contract expires. Tuch rebuild, or will George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon continue being will be entering his sixth season in the NHL and should be one of the aggressive in acquiring players? team’s most consistent scorers by then. The two of them should be a nightmare to defend, especially with a sniper such as Ovechkin tagging This article is a fun exercise to project what the roster might look like along. three seasons from now. Note: This is just for fun. here’s no inside information telling me Ovechkin It’s become an annual tradition at The Athletic, to use one day each is an option for Vegas outside the connection between he and McPhee, offseason to look three years into the future. You can find Craig combined with Vegas’ ability to lure free agents, and the timing of the Custance’s versions of the Red Wings from the past two years here and expansion draft, make it a good fit. If Ovechkin retires a Capital, as is the here, and Max Bultman’s 2022-23 version here. most plausible scenario, this spot will likely be filled with another top free- agent winger. The rules Line 3: Max Pacioretty – Peyton Krebs – Reilly Smith 1. If a player is under contract, he’s on the roster. I didn’t trade any players currently under contract, partially to allow those contracts to play For a team with as much money committed long-term as the Golden out and see which have longevity and which could become ugly on the Knights, it’s almost impossible to have no bad contracts. If Pacioretty backend. continues to produce into his mid-30s, that could be the case. If he tails off, his $7 million AAV could become an eyesore. Luckily for the Golden 2. I can extend contracts for currently rostered players where it’s Knights, they should have plenty of young prospects stepping into the reasonable. NHL at this time, so their low entry-level contracts offset some of that. 3. Where my article differs from the Red Wings’ versions is I am allowing Pacioretty could fit nicely on a line with 2019 first-round selection Peyton Vegas to sign unrestricted free agents. This is because the Golden Krebs, who will likely be ready to take this step in 2022. Krebs’ all-around Knights have proven to be aggressive in acquiring talent, so filling in the game will allow Vegas to insert him in the lineup, even in a bottom-six roster with only rookies is extremely unrealistic. While the odds are role. Smith will be an unrestricted free agent the summer of 2022, but he Vegas won’t sign these free agents, it’s a more realistic look at what the is one of Gerard Gallant’s favorite, most-reliable players so I believe the roster could look like than filling it out with rookies. Golden Knights will sign him to another, cheaper deal as he transitions to more of a defensive role. For the past two years, Smith has been a great And with that, I give you the Vegas Golden Knights, circa October 2022: top-six winger with 41 goals and 72 assists, but his strong defensive play will allow him to remain an asset at even strength and the penalty kill well Line 1: Jonathan Marchessault – William Karlsson – Mark Stone into his 30s. After looking at the headline and skimming through that lineup, I’m Line 4: Jonas Røndbjerg – Nicolas Roy – Keegan Kolesar almost certain everyone immediately skipped to “Line 2” in anger or excitement, so if you’re here reading this one first, kudos to you. This Here’s where the roster turnover really shows. The Golden Knights have could be the top line for the Golden Knights’ opening lineup in 2019, but it so many players signed to long-term deals that the top three lines at least if isn’t I believe it will become that down the road. All three players should look semi-recognizable, but because of those expensive contracts, the still be in their prime at this point. Stone and Marchessault showed fourth line must be filled with cheaper, younger forwards. Røndbjerg is a phenomenal chemistry and playmaking ability for Team Canada in the perfect candidate for this. He has progressed every year and was World Championships, and Karlsson is the perfect player to center their extremely impressive at this summer’s development camp. He should be line. Stone and Karlsson’s forechecking ability, coupled with their ready to make the jump to the NHL sooner rather than later and could be defensive responsibility, allow them to drive play on this line, and a very good fourth-line forward with more scoring upside than the current Marchessault can simply fire away. Vegas fourth-liners. Roy, whom Vegas just acquired when it sent Erik Haula to Carolina, could be the long-term solution for a fourth-line center, Line 2: Alexander Ovechkin – Cody Glass – Alex Tuch and Kolesar has shown in the AHL that he has the potential to be Ryan Hear me out. Reaves-light with more of a scoring touch.

Ovechkin’s contract will be up in Washington the summer of 2021, when Top pair: Shea Theodore – Nate Schmidt he will be 35 years old. It’s also the same summer as the Seattle Both Schmidt and Theodore are signed through the 2024-25 season, and Expansion Draft, and the Capitals may not re-sign or extend Ovechkin both are young enough that they should still be top-tier defensemen at early because he’d have to be protected during expansion. That could this point. For Theodore, he should continue improving his defensive open a window for Ovechkin to explore other options as an unrestricted game while maintaining his offensive instincts. His defensive-point free agent, and the Golden Knights are the only team in the NHL that shares have gone up consistently — 0.9 in 2016-17, 2.8 in 2017-18 and won’t be worried about protecting players against Seattle. 3.1 in 2018-19 — and he has the potential to be a very good top-pairing McPhee and Ovechkin are close. He drafted Ovechkin in Washington, defenseman. Schmidt has served as Vegas’ best shutdown defenseman and Ovechkin spent his first year in the U.S. living with McPhee, playing the past two seasons, and with his elite-skating ability that will likely be the case when he’s 31. There’s also the chance the Golden Knights sign The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 or trade for an elite defenseman (as they nearly did for Erik Karlsson at the 2018 trade deadline) but for the purpose of this exercise, I chose to add only one major free-agent signing in Ovechkin.

Second pair: Brayden McNabb – Nic Hague

This seems like an awkward pairing at first, with two larger, slower defensemen together, but I believe it works by allowing Hague to be more offensive with a safer veteran staying at home in McNabb. The two were paired together last preseason, and Hague has mentioned on multiple occasions he loves being mentored by McNabb and wants to model his game after him. When Hague enters the NHL, he’ll be an immediate force on the power play, with a big shot and phenomenal offensive instincts. It will be a learning-process in his own end, and McNabb is the perfect player to quell those worries while helping Hague turn into a complete defenseman. McNabb’s contract expires in the summer of 2022, but I could see Vegas extend him at a reasonable price to keep him. He’s played more ice time than any skater in Vegas’ franchise history and has been consistently solid throughout.

Bottom pair: Jimmy Schuldt – Olli Maatta

Here’s the second free-agent signing projected for Vegas over the next couple offseasons, albeit nowhere near the impact of Ovechkin. The Chicago Blackhawks have three defensemen with expiring contracts in the summer of 2022: Calvin de Haan, Connor Murphy and Maata. I’m guessing they allow at least one of those to walk, and Vegas can take advantage of it to supplement the blue line. Maatta is unspectacular but solid in his own end and would be a good veteran to pair with Hobey Baker Award finalist Jimmy Schuldt, who will be in his second or third season in the NHL by that point.

The extra defensemen include Zach Whitecloud, who will likely be in the Golden Knights’ blue line rotation for the next several seasons, and 2019 second-round pick Kaedan Korczak will likely be ready to begin his NHL career around 2022-23. Vegas may not want to sit a 21-year-old prospect too often, so Korczak could find his way into the lineup sooner rather than later, especially if Maatta doesn’t perform well.

The 2022-23 seasons could very well mark the beginning of a new era for the Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury’s three-year, $21 million extension expires in the summer of 2022, and he’ll be turning 38 later that November. However, I believe Fleury will not only play out his full contract but sign another extension after it. Fleury has averaged a little more than 30 wins per season, and the Golden Knights should be at least competitive for the next three years, meaning Fleury could be sitting third or fourth on the all-time NHL wins list at this point. (He’s already eighth all time.) Of the top-10 goaltenders in wins (excluding Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist who have yet to retire) the average age of retirement is 40.75, and only two called it quits before 40. Fleury is in phenomenal shape, loves hockey more than any player I’ve been around and will want to continue playing.

That means Malcolm Subban is likely gone. He has aspirations of being a starting goaltender, and a team will offer him a job long before this point. That leaves Vegas with its drafted goaltender prospects, the best of which to this point has been Dylan Ferguson. He will begin his pro career in 2019-20 in either the AHL or ECHL and is the most likely candidate to replace Subban as the backup down the road, and possibly Fleury later on.

Overview

This is still a very good team on paper. Whether that translates to success on the ice will largely be determined by how players such as Fleury, Stone, Marchessault, Karlsson and Pacioretty age over the next three years, but it’s reasonable to say this team can still compete in the playoffs.

This roster has an average age of 27.4, which is actually 1.2 years younger than last season’s Vegas roster. That average would’ve been the 13th-oldest roster in the NHL this past season, so it’s right in the middle of the league in terms of youngsters and veterans.

Instead of going full rebuild after Fleury’s contract is up, extending him another year or two, and bringing in Ovechkin — or another top free agent — could extend Vegas’ window slightly if the young players are good enough to contribute to a contending team.

If Glass, Krebs and Hague turn out to be fantastic players, this team would be in great shape for a few more years. If they don’t, Vegas will be looking at the first rebuild in franchise history. 1150033 Winnipeg Jets splits the difference, or actually departs from the norm and goes closer to the player's request.

Considering Copp's frequent linemate, Brandon Tanev, just signed a six- Lowball offer, arbitration hearing not necessarily beginning of the end for year deal for $3.5 million a year with Pittsburgh, the fact Copp is Copp and Jets seemingly being nickel-and-dimed by the Jets has got to feel like a bit of a slap in the face to a player I would argue is a far more polished and well-rounded player. Of course, Copp is just a restricted free agent who By: Mike McIntyre doesn't have quite the same power that Tanev, an unrestricted free agent, did.

At least right now he doesn't. But is the writing now on the wall when it OPINION/You know how it works: every nugget of Winnipeg Jets news is comes to Copp, who remains under Winnipeg's control for three more broken down and analyzed, then analyzed some more. Opinions are seasons until he can become a UFA in the summer of 2022? quickly formed, sides are taken and lines in the sand get drawn. I wouldn't be so quick to plan the farewell party. Such is life in a small market where the big NHL club reigns supreme, even during the off-season. Of course, this summer is shaping up to be The Jets may not have much money to play with right now, but that's unlike any in recent Jets history, as the winds of change are blowing going to change significantly in two years. Dustin Byfuglien, Mathieu strongly. And perhaps not in the direction most fans would prefer. Perreault and Dmitry Kulikov will all be off the books — assuming they're not re-signed — to clear some $16 million in cap space. As well, the Which brings me to the topic du jour, and a sense of impending doom current $81.5 million salary cap is expected to take a major jump in time that seems to be prevalent here in River City. For a second straight year, for the 2021-22 season, when Seattle starts play as the 32nd franchise. an arbitrator had to be called in to settle a contract dispute between the Jets and one of their players after they apparently couldn't play nice and Between now and then, only Josh Morrissey, Jack Roslovic and Sami come to terms on a new deal. Niku will need new deals. And while Morrissey can expect a significant bump from his current $3.15 million deal that expires next summer, No matter how you slice it, that's not ideal, considering how contentious Roslovic and Niku will just be coming out of their entry-level deals and these hearings can be. Both sides not only argue their case vigorously likely won’t command ransoms, at least not yet. before the independent third party, but also spend time arguing why the other viewpoint is flawed. Egos can get bruised and feelings often get That should free up plenty of cash to reward Copp, presuming he hurt. There's a reason the hearings don't happen very often, as the continues to trend upwards. Adam Lowry, another frequent linemate, will potential for long-term damage is significant. also need a new deal that year as a UFA. And Neal Pionk, obtained from New York in the Trouba trade, will also be an RFA after avoiding Considering the club didn't have a single case go this route during the arbitration Sunday by signing a two-year deal that pays him $3 million a first six seasons after relocating from Atlanta, should two in a row be season. setting off some alarm bells? Is this a sign general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is in over his head? Are the Jets becoming a difficult team Which is why it didn't make sense for Copp and the Jets to hammer out a to do business with? long-term agreement this summer.

Last summer it was Jacob Trouba, who was awarded a one-year deal For the Jets, a short-term deal that pays Copp less than a lengthy worth $5.5 million. The talented but disgruntled Trouba (at least in extension would is good for business, since they need every penny they Winnipeg) will be making his debut on Broadway this coming season can save for this season and next. after forcing a trade last month, then signing a big-money extension with the New York Rangers last week that will pay him $8 million annually for For Copp, a major opportunity is staring him in the face. Perhaps he will the next seven seasons. get a look at the second-line centre position, competing with the likes of Roslovic and Bryan Little for playing time there. That could open the door This summer it is Andrew Copp, who had his hearing Sunday in Toronto to more offensive chances and bigger production. And, ultimately, a and will learn the details of his new contract by Tuesday morning. The bigger bank account. versatile-two way forward asked for a one-year deal that would pay him $2.9 million, and the Jets countered with a two-year offer worth $1.5 That said, it's unfortunate some compromise couldn't have been found to million per season. avoid the arbitration process. For Cheveldayoff, this appears to be one of the messy side-effects of the current financial crunch facing his team — Is this a sign that Copp, like Trouba, already has one foot out the door as one that's self-inflicted, in part, due to strong drafting but also handing out he plans his exit strategy from Winnipeg? There are some similarities at some big-money, big-term deals to veterans such as Byfuglien, play here. Perreault, Little and even captain Blake Wheeler that have put him in a corner. Copp and Trouba are both Michigan natives, and good friends, to boot. They also happen to share the same agent, Kurt Overhardt, who has a Still, it says here this situation is not the same as Trouba's, and one that proven track record of not only getting the most for his clients, but often can ultimately have a very different ending. butting heads with team management to do so. It's safe to say Overhardt and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff don't see eye-to-eye on many Copp is a smart guy, one of the brightest on the team, in fact. He things these days, considering they've now faced off twice before an understands the business side as well as any player and has been arbitrator. spending part of this off-season going back to school in Michigan, while also working independently on his game with skills coach , Copp would also be the first player to admit he carries a chip on his who has done similar work with Copp's good friend and teammate, Mark shoulder, and this latest development is probably only going to add to it. Scheifele and captain Wheeler. Remember Game 5 of the Western Conference final against Vegas back in May 2018? Copp sure does, as he watched that game from the press No doubt going to arbitration is going to sting a bit, perhaps even leave a box as a healthy scratch. He brought up that benching numerous times mark. But as we've seen with Copp before, a little extra motivation can go last season, unsolicited, when he spoke of having extra reasons to a long way. And, in his case, might well pay off handsomely down the improve his game. road.

And he certainly did, scoring a career-high 11 goals while also becoming Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.23.2019 a truly valuable member of the club who could play up and down the lineup, either on the wing or at centre.

Which is why I was surprised at how the Jets appear to be low-balling Copp. I get that they have a bit of a salary-cap crisis on their hands and money is extremely tight, but offering Copp $1.5 million would seem to be a major underpay. Copp's $2.9 million request seems perfectly reasonable, and I'm curious to see if the arbitrator does the usual and 1150034 Winnipeg Jets

Jets sign Pionk to two-year $6-million deal

By: Mike McIntyre

The Winnipeg Jets have checked another big item off the summer to-do list — and crept ever closer to the salary cap ceiling.

Defenceman Neal Pionk signed a two-year deal Sunday night that will pay him an average of $3 million per season. Pionk was a restricted free agent who had filed for arbitration. His case was set to be heard on Wednesday in Toronto.

Defenceman Neal Pionk

The 23-year-old, who was born in Nebraska but grew up in Minnesota, made $1.775 million last year. He was obtained from the New York Rangers last month, along with the 20th-overall draft pick, in exchange for Jacob Trouba. Trouba just signed a seven-year deal with his new team last week that will pay him $8 million per season.

Pionk went undrafted but was signed by the Rangers out of college. He just completed his first full season in the NHL, scoring six goals and adding 20 assists in 73 regular-season games. He is expected to be a big part of the Jets blue-line this coming year, especially with the departures of Trouba, along with Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot in free agency

His deal comes just hours after the Jets had an arbitration hearing with forward Andrew Copp. Copp was seeing a one-year deal worth $2.9 million, while the Jets countered with a two-year offer worth $1.5 million per season.

A binding decision is expected later this week.

Once Copp's contract is settled, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff will know exactly what he has left to deal with two other RFAs in Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor and remain under the $81.5 million salary cap ceiling.

With Pionk's contract on the books, the Jets appear to have about $64.6 million tied up in 20 players for the opening night, 23-man roster. That would give Cheveldayoff a maximum of about $16.9 million in available space for Copp, Laine and Connor at this time. The Jets could also go with just 22 players, which might give them about $17.6 million in room.

In other words, things are going to be extremely tight, especially with Laine and Connor both expected to sign for big numbers. Perhaps a shorter-term bridge deal for one, or both players, will be the way these ultimately go. Doing so would keep the number at a lower term, at least for now, while also giving the players an opportunity for a potentially bigger cash-in down the road.

After all, the Jets are expected to have plenty of money open up in time for the 2021-22 season, with Seattle joining the NHL and the cap expected to receive a big bump, plus more than $16 million in the existing contracts of Dustin Byfuglien, Dmitry Kulikov and Mathieu Perreault all off the books by then, assuming they aren't re-signed.

It's also possible Cheveldayoff will try to move some additional money out this summer. By having two players file for arbitration, the Jets now have a 48-hour period to buy out a player, if they choose, beginning on the third day after the final arbitration case is heard.

There had been rumblings the Jets might go that route on Kulikov, who is in the final year of a contract paying him $4.333 million for the coming season. However, the first deadline of June 30 came and went. Will they now take advantage of the second window which will open on Wednesday?

Or perhaps a trade could be in the works. Perreault, who has two years remaining on a deal that pays him $4.125 million per season, has been the subject of several rumours this summer and might be a candidate to be moved to open up some valuable cap space.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.23.2019 1150035 Winnipeg Jets Finley had a lengthy professional career, playing 708 career NHL games for five different teams, including the 95-96 farewell season with the Jets in Winnipeg before they packed their bags and moved to the desert. Arbitration looks like next stop for Jets' Copp Finley also spent that first season with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.23.2019

By: Mike McIntyre

IT appears the Winnipeg Jets and forward Andrew Copp are at a crossroads. And for a second straight summer, an independent arbitrator will be required to settle a contract stalemate.

Copp, 25, a restricted free agent, has filed for a one-year deal at US$2.9 million. The Jets have countered with a two-year offer that would pay US$1.5 million per season.

An arbitrator is set to hear arguments from both sides on Sunday in Toronto if a deal can’t be reached by then. Contract talks can also continue beyond the hearing up until the point a binding two-year decision is rendered, likely later in the week.

"Anything is possible at this point, but we are fully prepared for the hearing on Sunday and look forward to it," Copp’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, told the Free Press on Friday.

The Jets didn’t have a case go to arbitration for the first seven seasons after returning to Winnipeg, until Jacob Trouba and the team couldn’t agree on a deal last year. The Jets offered US$4 million, Trouba wanted US$7 million, and an arbitrator eventually issued a one-year, US$5.5- million award.

Overhardt was also the agent for Trouba, a defenceman who hails from Michigan, like Copp.

Copp made US$1 million last season, in which he scored a career-high 11 goals along with 14 assists in 69 regular-season games. He also added five assists in six playoff games against the St. Louis Blues.

The 2013 fourth-round draft pick (104th overall) can play both wing and centre and might assume a more prominent role with the club during the 2019-20 season. He is defensively sound and a dependable penalty killer.

Copp is one of four restricted free agents general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff still has to get under contract, with around US$20 million in salary-cap room left to do so.

Defenceman Neil Pionk has an arbitration hearing set for Wednesday, and the two sides will file their demands 48 hours prior. Pionk was acquired in last month’s trade that sent Trouba to the New York Rangers.

Forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor are also RFAs but don’t have arbitration rights, meaning their cases could drag out for some time.

It’s worth noting that by having two players file for arbitration, the Jets will now have a 48-hour period to buy out a player, if they choose, beginning on the third day after the final arbitration case is either settled or heard.

There had been rumblings the Jets might go that route on defenceman Dmitry Kulikov, who is in the final year of a contract paying him US$4.33 million for the coming season. Such a move might help give them much- needed breathing room under the cap. However, the first deadline of June 30 came and went.

Whether they use this second chance remains to be seen. Given that the Jets have lost Trouba via trade, and Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot in free agency, they may just opt to keep Kulikov around given his experience — barring another move this summer to bring in an experienced, top-six defender.

It’s a homecoming, of sorts, for Jeff Finley.

The former NHL defenceman and one-time Winnipeg Jets blue-liner was hired Friday by the organization to be their new amateur scout.

Finley replaces Marcel Comeau, who is retiring from the role of amateur scout this summer.

Finley, 52, has spent the past seven seasons in the Detroit Red Wings scouting department, serving as their chief scout for the past three years. The Edmonton native also spent three years as an assistant coach with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League from 2007-2009. 1150036 Winnipeg Jets

Jets boost blue line, bring Nogier back

By: Mike McIntyre

The Winnipeg Jets have locked up some additional depth by re-signing defenceman Nelson Nogier.

The restricted free agent inked a one-year, two-way deal Tuesday that pays him $700,000 if playing in the NHL and $80,000 if in the the American Hockey League.

Nogier, 23, has spent the majority of his pro career with the but has appeared in 11 games with the Jets, including one last season when injuries depleted the blue-line.

He had one goal and eight assists in 74 games with the AHL club last season. Nogier missed the majority of the 2017-18 season with an injury.

Nogier, a native of Saskatoon, was picked in the fourth round (101st overall) in the 2014 NHL draft. He turned pro during the 2016-17 season after four years in the Western Hockey League with the Saskatoon Blades and Red Deer Rebels.

The Jets now have five RFAs left to sign: forward Andrew Copp is set for an arbitration hearing on July 21 if a deal can’t be reached by then, while defenceman Neal Pionk is slated for July 24. Forwards Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor are not eligible for arbitration, while Moose goalie Eric Comrie did not elect for a hearing.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.23.2019 1150037 Winnipeg Jets

Jets sign first-rounder Heinola for 3 years

By: Mike McIntyre

The Winnipeg Jets signed first-round draft pick Ville Heinola to a three- year entry-level contract worth $1,137,500 per season.

The Winnipeg Jets have locked up their first-round pick from this summer’s NHL draft.

Defenceman Ville Heinola, 18, signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Monday that will pay $1,137,500 per season in the NHL. That includes a base salary of $832,500, a $92,500 signing bonus and a $212,000 performance bonus.

Winnipeg selected the Finnish blue-liner with the 20th-overall pick last month in Vancouver. The Jets originally traded the pick to the New York Rangers last February, along with winger Brendan Lemieux, in exchange for centre Kevin Hayes. The Jets then re-acquired the pick in June as part of the Jacob Trouba deal that also brought defenceman Neal Pionk to Winnipeg.

Heinola had two goals and 12 assists in 34 games in the Liiga — also known as the the Finnish Elite League — last season, and one goal and eight assists with the country’s U-18 team. He also played on the world junior team that won the gold medal, with a goal and assist in five games.

The 5-10, 176-pounder is expected to play at least one more season in Finland before turning pro and coming to North America. He is described by scouts as a smooth-skating, puck-moving defenceman.

"Really skilled. Really smart. We think skill and hockey sense are his best assets. Ran the power play for the under-20 team there. Was a regular in the Finnish Elite League. Just drawn to his skill and hockey sense," director of amateur scouting Mark Hillier told the Free Press at the draft.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.23.2019 1150038 Winnipeg Jets 5-on-5 results last season: 33.3 percent of goals, 41.2 percent of expected goals, 44.5 percent of shot attempts

Thoughts: The theory to Winnipeg’s frequent second line is simple: Bryan Projecting the Winnipeg Jets’ opening night lineup, optimal lines and Little is the defensive zone conscience, Nik Ehlers is the neutral zone more savant and Patrik Laine is the offensive zone rocket launcher. In practice, Ehlers/Laine/Little have spent a lot of time in their own zone over the past two seasons and haven’t found a tremendous amount of chemistry in the By Murat Ates Jul 22, 2019 offensive zone, either. Parts of this line have worked in other contexts — Little and Ehlers have sterling numbers with Mathieu Perreault while

Laine and Ehlers were strong together with Paul Stastny in town — but, It would take a stunning move to knock the Winnipeg Jets’ 2019-20 roster as constructed, it doesn’t appear to work. As Little gets older and his off the course it’s on now. ability to push play diminishes, this line needs Ehlers and Laine each to round out their two-way games for it to be successful. Either that, of With Andrew Copp’s arbitration award approaching and Neal Pionk course, or it needs to be broken up. signed to a two year, $3-million AAV contract extension on Sunday evening, Winnipeg has precious little cap space with which to sign star Third line RFA forwards Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine. Mathieu Perreault ($4.13 million)–Adam Lowry ($2.92 million)–Jack Assuming a 22 man roster, Pionk’s signing and Copp’s arbitration award Roslovic ($894,000) should give Winnipeg approximately $15 million to fit Laine and Connor Total salary: $7.9 million onto the Jets roster this fall. That’s not a tremendous amount of space and offers precious little protection against expensive offer sheets, 5-on-5 results last season: N/A should they occur, but should be just enough if — as I currently expect — Connor signs long term and Laine signs a bridge deal. Thoughts: This line follows past Jets philosophy in two ways. First, it gives Adam Lowry the third line while Copp anchors line four. Second, it The point is that, no matter how much cap space it looks like Winnipeg keeps more experienced wingers higher up the lineup than in place of has today, nearly every penny is spoken for. Even if Winnipeg runs as less experienced youth. That said, it’s a mostly a brand new trio for few as 21 players on its roster to save cap space, taking full advantage of Winnipeg. Lowry and Perreault played together for parts of last season, the close proximity of the Moose down the hall, Winnipeg is set to be a producing good results with Brandon Tanev as their other winger. cap team. There is no UFA Hail Mary on the way; barring a trade, the Perreault and Roslovic played together for different parts of last season, Jets you know now will be the Jets you watch on opening night. producing good results with Copp as their centreman. This is a long- winded way of saying that, if Maurice approaches 2019-20 looking for the With Winnipeg’s roster progressively crystallizing, it’s time to consider the status quo, Perreault/Lowry/Roslovic should give him the strong zone Jets most optimal lineup heading into 2019-20. How Paul Maurice and time results he looks for from his third line. The trio is new but the his coaching staff deploy the Jets roster could decide which side of the philosophy is tried and true. Western Conference playoff bubble Winnipeg lands on when the regular season ends. Fourth line

It’s time to ask two important questions: Kristian Vesalainen ($894,000)–Andrew Copp (TBD)–Mason Appleton ($792,000) What can we expect from the 2019-20 Winnipeg Jets? Total salary: TBD Is there a better way? 5-on-5 results last season: N/A For the first, we’ll look to Winnipeg’s roster construction, Maurice’s historical preferences and try to apply reasonable expectations to the Thoughts: It’s too soon to say anything about Kristian Vesalainen’s Jets decision-making process next season. impact at the NHL level but he’s been productive in the KHL, AHL and SM-liiga in the last two seasons. Mason Appleton has the shown For the second, we’ll try to use some numbers to look for Winnipeg’s intelligence and work ethic that it takes for a sixth-round pick to carve out most “optimal” solutions. Part of this will involve Sean Tierney’s lineup a professional hockey career. This isn’t the prime time role we discussed creator using Evolving Wild’s WAR stat, although we’ll peek under the for Copp last week but it’s certainly in his wheelhouse as a defensively hood to acknowledge the weaknesses of this approach as well as its sound forward looking for more minutes in the middle. That said, I don’t strengths. think it’s fair to expect a tremendous 5-on-5 impact from this trio — Copp Reasonable expectations: doubling down on Winnipeg’s roster history between Appleton and Brendan Lemieux on Winnipeg’s fourth line generated 45.1 percent of shot attempts and 43.1 percent of expected First line goals last season. They did outscore their opposition 9-3 but those kinds of numbers aren’t sustainable with less than half of shots and, even if Kyle Connor (TBD)–Mark Scheifele ($6.13 million)–Blake Wheeler ($8.25 they were, Lemieux practices his deflection skills in New York now. milion) No. 1 defence pairing Total salary: TBD Nathan Beaulieu ($1 million)–Dustin Byfuglien ($7.6 million) 5-on-5 results last season: 44.2 percent of goals, 49.3 percent of expected goals, 50.3 percent of shot attempts Total salary: $8.6 million

Thoughts: This is the top line we’ve been accustomed to since Kyle Thoughts: There is no true No. 1 pairing in Winnipeg this season unless Connor permanently claimed his NHL spot in November of 2017. Mark the Jets pair Dustin Byfuglien with Josh Morrissey. That said, Byfuglien Scheifele is the franchise centreman; Blake Wheeler is the playmaker has a long track record of playing top-four minutes successfully with just trapped in a power forward’s body and Connor is the man who darts about anyone — from Ben Chiarot to Toby Enstrom to Julian Melchiori — quickly into the middle of the ice to take advantage of his linemates’ and one suspects he can do it again with Nathan Beaulieu. For Byfuglien cutbacks. The offence has been there for this trio — they scored 92 goals and Beaulieu to work, they’ll need to form chemistry fast. For optimism between them last season — but some defensive questions have there, we can look to Beaulieu’s relative success with Trouba during an emerged after they finished below 50 percent of goals scored in 521 injury-riddled stretch run in 2018-19. minutes together at 5-on-5. The more I watch Connor and Winnipeg’s other options at top-line left wing — Patrik Laine and Nik Ehlers — the No. 2 defence pairing more I think Scheifele and Wheeler prefer Connor because of how Josh Morrissey ($3.15 million)–Neal Pionk ($3 million) consistently he times his cuts into dangerous space in the middle. Total salary: $6.15 million Second line Thoughts: This is a huge season for Morrissey, who finds himself looking Nik Ehlers ($6 million)–Bryan Little ($5.29 million)–Patrik Laine (TBD) for a new full-time partner for the first time since his rookie season. The Total salary: TBD superlative chemistry he developed with Trouba is a thing of the past and, poetically enough, he’s left to try his hand at top-four mentorship These are made up examples but, when the goal is simply to maximize a with Trouba’s replacement. Let me get ahead of this early — it is not fair statistic at the end of the day, you can get away from the realities of to expect Pionk to be Trouba — but for Winnipeg to have success in hockey in an awful hurry. That’s the weakness of using Sean Tierney’s 2019-20, Pionk will need to be capable of succeeding in the top four brilliant, fun and altogether engaging WAR lineup calculator. minutes Winnipeg gives him. One way that might happen is if Morrissey, like Byfuglien before him, is ready to carry a developing partner. If you’re not familiar with Tierney’s calculator, here’s how it works. Otherwise, it will be tough sledding on Winnipeg’s back end. You use a spreadsheet to fill out four lines, three defence pairs and two No. 3 defence pairing goaltenders. The calculator pulls WAR (Wins Above Replacement) stats from Evolving-Hockey.com and, based on the projected full-season WAR Dmitry Kulikov ($4.33 million)–Sami Niku ($775,000) of the players you pick, it estimates how many points your fantasy hockey team would finish with. Total salary: $5.11 million It’s clever. It factors in things like how often each line, pairing, or Thoughts: We’re well into guessing and gambling at this point. We’ve goaltender is likely to play. But it’s flawed. seen some evidence that Tucker Poolman is a capable bottom pairing defenceman but his route to full time NHL status was stalled in 2018-19, The reason it’s flawed is that the WAR stats as pulled from Evolving largely by injury. Instead, we turn to Dmitry Kulikov — hoping for a Hockey are not predictive from a mathematical point of view. They are healthy start to the season after injuries delayed his start to camp one descriptive — good indicators of what happened — but they don’t year ago; and Sami Niku — hoping for enough minutes to develop his account for variance and luck and are not intended to be used as NHL game. predictors of the future.

No. 1 power play unit Here is Josh Younggren of Evolving Wild, as quoted by Shayna Goldman last season (emphasis is mine): Wheeler–Scheifele–Laine–Connor–Byfuglien “We’ve created it to best ‘describe’ value – that is, to best account for or Thoughts: Predictability is only a problem if it can be stopped. When assign how much value a player added to their team relative to a these five men get on the ice for Winnipeg’s power play, everyone in the replacement-level player,” Younggren explained. building knows exactly what they want to do — and it doesn’t matter. The NHL’s fifth-best power play in 2017-18 at 23.4 percent efficiency “Given that a descriptive metric was our goal, our model does not attempt improved to the NHL’s fourth-best power play in 2018-19, running at 24.8 to weed out luck from a player’s total number(s); if a player helped percent. Wheeler protects the puck so well and makes feather-light generate offense or prevent defense, the model will tell us that passes through seams so consistently that Scheifele, Laine and regardless of whether those results were influenced by luck.” Byfuglien get to feast. Variety comes in the form of Connor’s creativity — he’s most effective when he attacks the top of the crease — but, even Once again, WAR’s strength is quantifying what happened — not without it, this is a deadly power play. predicting what will happen in the future. Evolving Wild is working on a predictive WAR model but that is a separate endeavour. No. 2 power play unit Let’s go back to the hockey pool example. Once you’ve figured out how Perreault–Little–Ehlers–Roslovic–Pionk the rules work, you can exploit those rules. Given that Tierney’s lineup creator is built on specific rules — the more WAR per minute, the better Thoughts: There will be a little controversy here as I’ve given Pionk billing — I can exploit those rules here. over Morrissey while Perreault and Little remain left-shooting options over Vesalainen. Still, the Tyler Myers version of this power play had By taking advantage of the model’s weaknesses, I can build a 104-point success one year ago and precedent dictates Winnipeg will seek to Winnipeg Jets team and look a bit silly all at the same time: change that as little as possible — swapping Pionk, whose power-play numbers have been strong in his short NHL career, strikes me as the This is the most WAR-efficient team I can build with Tierney’s model. The most likely play on unit two. It’s also possible that the Jets use two Jets lineup listed earlier– with Connor/Scheifele/Wheeler as the top line defenceman on their second unit, particularly if it’s only getting the last 30 and Hellebuyck as its starter — projects to finish with 94 points. If you seconds or so of a power play, and Morrissey is the best bet to be that D- can beat my Appleton-led 104-point team, please let me know in the man. comments (and also please never join a hockey pool that I am in.)

No. 1 goaltender None of this is intended to take the fun out of the WAR calculator. Instead, I think it’s important to demonstrate how inaccurate it can be to Connor Hellebuyck ($6.17 million) take one metric and apply it across the board.

Thoughts: Despite a step back last season, falling off of his form as a In search of optimal: Seeking a blend of grit and skill 2018 Vezina finalist, Connor Hellebuyck is still Winnipeg’s top goaltender — and he still deserves to be, too. He’s produced strong numbers in There are two ways we can go about searching for optimal forward lines. every league and, despite some erratic and memorable puck handling The first is to use Winnipeg’s history to go in search of combinations that gaffes, is a good bet for a bounceback this season. Still, he has work at 5-on-5. something to prove — he’ll want to finish with a better save percentage than his backup this year. For example, Lowry and Copp have played to a sterling 58.3 percent of shot attempts, 59.2 percent of expected goals and 56.7 percent of real No. 2 goaltender goals over the past three seasons. That’s very good and, given we have Laurent Brossoit ($1.23 million) way over 200 minutes of this combination, it is evident that these two players are a good bet to be very good again. Thoughts: Laurent Brossoit’s Jets debut was brilliant and he backed it up with a string of terrific starts. He cooled as the season went along but still Here are four forward lines based on results over the past three seasons: finished with a .925 save percentage in 21 games played and could be a First line threat to play more this season. At Brossoit’s price point, average numbers are a win but his first season in Winnipeg created hope that Mathieu Perreault–Mark Scheifele–Patrik Laine he’s well above that. 5-on-5 results last three seasons: 118 minutes, 55.4 percent of shot In search of optimal: A word of caution attempts, 55.6 percent of expected goals, 62.5 percent of real goals

What’s the best way to win a hockey pool? Hint: it’s not having all of the Thoughts: Winnipeg’s franchise centreman gets a sniper and a best players. possession driver. It’s a look we’ve seen for stretches — primarily in 2016-17 when Laine was a rookie — and it worked extremely well that The best way to win a hockey pool is to figure out what its rules are, season. Possession numbers were good, real goal numbers were good figure out how to exploit those rules and then go to freaking town. and any offset due to Perreault’s aging is likely made up for by Laine’s Faceoffs count extra? Find your league’s incorrectly labeled “wingers” progression since his rookie season. As an added bonus, it frees up and rack up the FOW. No limits to your draft? Take eight goaltenders and Winnipeg’s captain to do heavy lifting on line two. trade them for stars. Second line

Nik Ehlers–Bryan Little–Blake Wheeler

5-on-5 results last three seasons: 111 minutes, 51.5 percent of shot attempts, 51.7 percent of expected goals, 60.0 percent of real goals

Thoughts: Like this proposed top line, Ehlers/Little/Wheeler have played to success in limited doses — most of it coming in 2016/17. That was an awfully long time ago, to be sure, but Little and Ehlers have shown chemistry and strong results as recently as last season and Little and Wheeler have done the same for the majority of each player’s career. In a sense, this line is a combination of two separate bets — Little at the centre of both of them — which have shown promise in the past.

Third line

Kyle Connor–Adam Lowry–Jack Roslovic

5-on-5 results last three seasons: N/A

Thoughts: Winnipeg’s third line has hardly played together in the NHL and I know I’ll drive a lot of people mad by “demoting” Kyle Connor in this fashion. That said, Connor and Roslovic were a dynamite top line for the Manitoba Moose early in 2017-18 and have shown tremendous chemistry in fleeting moments at the NHL level. Lowry is the same centre as always; defensively sound and willing to go to the front of the net.

Fourth line

Kristian Vesalainen–Andrew Copp–Mason Appleton

5-on-5 results last three seasons: N/A

Thoughts: Same as before. This isn’t the prime time role we discussed for Copp last week but it’s certainly in his wheelhouse as a defensively sound forward looking for more minutes in the middle.

The second way to approach optimal is to combine past results with an estimate of changing roles.

We discussed this a little bit last week. Our goal was to mix Winnipeg’s smartest defensive players with its most offensively gifted ones. Ideally, this would give the Jets a top-nine it could play often instead of a top line and change.

When Copp receives his arbitration award, he will become Winnipeg’s fourth-highest paid centre. As we discussed on Friday, there are strategic reasons to give a player like Copp a more important role:

Perreault — Scheifele — Ehlers

Laine — Copp — Wheeler

Connor — Lowry — Roslovic

Vesalainen — Little — Appleton

The biggest strength here is balance. There are possession-drivers and point producers spread through Winnipeg’s top three lines. Every line has a defensive conscience and every line has at least one player who can put the puck in the net. It’s a reflection of the offensive firepower Winnipeg has to work with.

The biggest weakness here is that these trios have spent less than 20 minutes together total — everything is brand new. Chemistry is real and there is no guarantee that anything written on paper translates to the ice.

Finally, it may not be that Copp and Lowry are ready to pass Little as I’ve listed here (and, to be fair to Little, a series of 40 point seasons don’t typically lead to a spot on the fourth line.)

It’s possible that Kulikov is bought out or that training camp presents a surprise but, as it appears today, Winnipeg’s roster is running out of mystery. When Copp’s arbitration award comes in, only an offer sheet or a significant trade is left to shake things up. Otherwise, improvement will come down to how well Winnipeg uses what it has available today.

(Shot metrics from Corsica.Hockey)

(Salary cap information from Cap Friendly)

The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150039 Vancouver Canucks Botch’s passing was heartbreaking in so many different ways that go beyond what he did for a living. The least I can do to honour everything Botch did is to work my tail off to carry his legacy and make him proud for Harman Dayal: It’s time to go all-in on elevating Canucks coverage his faith in me.

Along with Botch, Ryan Biech and J.D. Burke were not only colleagues but are also some of my closest friends in hockey. They’ve been By Harman Dayal Jul 22, 2019 excellent to collaborate with and even better people. I’m beyond thrilled that Ryan’s working for the Canucks now and J.D. has become editor-in-

chief of EliteProspects. Those positive experiences continued with other Two years ago when I decided I wanted to pursue a career in sports, I writers here such as Wyatt Arndt, Mike Halford and Jason Brough, who was just your average high-school senior without a footprint in the are all awesome people. industry. I had little writing experience, and it goes without saying that I I also couldn’t have asked for better handling editors to work with than didn’t have the track record the likes of Pierre LeBrun, James Mirtle, Israel Fehr and Ian Denomme. And James Mirtle has shown tremendous Craig Custance and the many other incredible writers at The Athletic. belief and support for me. I’ve had nothing but great interactions with It’s fair to say my path through this industry has been a little everyone at The Athletic and that means a lot when you’re making a life- unconventional. changing decision like this.

Through this journey, my driving force has been my unrelenting passion Looking forward, it’s been very encouraging to hear from top to bottom for hockey. It’s the fuel that allowed me to balance a full course load in that the company is committed to investing in the Vancouver market. The university with my writing. It was never easy: Almost every article I wrote Athletic believes in the passion and support of Canucks fans, and I this past year as a freelancer was submitted after 3 a.m. because of time honestly can’t wait to hear who else I’ll have the pleasure of calling constraints, but my love for the gig made it all worthwhile. colleagues — talented writers who will surely provide diverse content.

Now I have the privilege of calling my passion a career: I’m incredibly For me, getting to this point is just a start, and I’m hungry to take my excited to share that I’ll be covering the Vancouver Canucks full-time for coverage for you VIPs to the next level. There’s so much more that I can The Athletic, starting today. learn to take my data and video deep dives to new heights, but what I’m most excited about is being able to add the human element to my articles The decision to leave school for this opportunity was big, but one that I by being at the arena. knew I couldn’t pass up. They say that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life, and in my case, there’s not a shred of doubt There’s nothing as satisfying as a story that combines data, video and this is a dream job. That I’m able to turn this dream into a reality at The insights from coaches and players directly. That’s something I’m stoked Athletic is amazing for so many reasons. to be able to add now that I’ll be consistently at the rink.

For one, The Athletic’s motto right from the start has been to create a If there’s one promise I can make to you it’s that my best work is yet to platform for the deepest, most comprehensive features and analysis — come. There will never be another Jason Botchford, but the least I can do stories that you simply won’t find anywhere else. Bringing unique, in- after all he did for me is to continue serving the army he helped create depth content that goes beyond standard game recaps and player here. profiles is what this company is about, and it’s exactly the type of work I Starting today. want to produce. With every article, I want to bring new insight or perspective that changes the way fans watch the game or think of the The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 team and the players they love.

Whether it’s investigating unexplored topics like how Jake Virtanen can unlock his top-six potential, using data you won’t find in the public sphere to project how the Canucks can build a Cup contender around Elias Pettersson, or video analysis to break down the team’s power-play zone entries and why Quinn Hughes will revolutionize them, my goal is to fulfill the promise to provide stories that offer depth and quality that can’t be matched at other outlets.

Another reason I’ve loved working at The Athletic is because of the people I’ve gotten to call colleagues — individuals I owe so much to. This, of course, begins with Jason Botchford — a mentor and friend I’ll never forget. I started the year freelancing with a small following, and it was because of Botch’s support that I was able to gain a voice in the media space.

Whether it was in The Athletties, on the air with the Patcast and TSN 1040, or simply on Twitter, he took every opportunity to talk me up. Behind the scenes, he always went to bat for me, pushing for me to have a platform on this site as a regular contributor and to be given a bigger role.

I dreamed of a future where I could take the lead with him here at The Athletic Vancouver.

Jason Botchford

✔

@botchford

Big day at rink today with @harmandayal2 . We have a couple great ones coming for the VIPs in the next week. Be sure to follow @TheAthleticVAN for the good times

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6:07 PM - Jan 7, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy 1150040 Websites would be optimal. Vladislav Namestnikov seems an obvious candidate if they don’t terminate a defender’s contract.

Pittsburgh is the closest thing the East has to a Vegas analogue. The The Athletic / Unresolved situations around the NHL that could force Pens will need to shed some money to be cap compliant on opening further trades night, and Josh Yohe rattled off a list of possibilities off the top of his piece last week, including Jack Johnson, Nick Bjugstad, Bryan Rust and Erik Gudbranson “or someone else.” By Jonathan Willis Jul 23, 2019 Presumably the Pens would like to take the same tack the Golden Knights have in making these trades: since the players are being moved at a loss, it’s best to move them as far away as possible. Vegas has The NHL should be at the height of its offseason inactivity. Yet the calm made deals with Buffalo and Carolina; the Pens have already made one (thankfully) has been repeatedly disrupted by trades. It’s understandable; deal with Arizona and may continue to look westward. the league is rife with situations either undesirable or untenable, for which the only outlet is a deal. NHL teams understandably don’t advertise their internal budgets. Even so, it’s not too difficult to come up with a short list of plausible candidates At some point, those pressures will break. Some already have; more will for cost-cutting. over the course of the summer and into training camp. All will be resolved, satisfactorily or otherwise, by the time teams submit cap Ottawa is the team most hockey fans think of in this category, and there compliant opening night rosters. is an interesting little piece of unfinished business on their books: goalie Mike Condon, who carries a $2.4-million cap hit and $3-million salary. The pressures vary in nature. After a rough 2017-18 season, Condon was limited to just three contests The most common, by far, is of the positional variety: teams that would last year and perhaps he’s bound for injured reserve. Yet he’s also an like to upgrade their rosters. Not all of these issues will be resolved. The excellent hypothetical trade chip in a deal for a cap team’s bad contract, NHL compels teams to comply with the salary cap on opening night; it if that contract is heavy on cap hit and lower on actual salary. does not demand that they have an adequate third-line pivot or a second- pair right-shot defenceman. Carolina is coming off an outstanding year in the market which included three rounds of playoff revenue. Yet the Hurricanes also had to match an Financial pressures are less elastic. Every team has to slide in between offer sheet which included a $12-million first-year salary for Sebastian the NHL’s upper and lower cap limits. On the budget side, every general Aho. manager has to submit a roster for which his owner is willing and able to pay. Of particular interest in this regard is Justin Faulk. Carolina has reasonable depth on the right side, Faulk carries a salary ($6 million) far Somewhere in-between those sorts of demands are contract issues. in excess of his $4.83-million cap hit and he’s just a year away from Restricted free agents do not need to be signed by opening night, but unrestricted free agency. failure to agree to a contract by that point puts serious pressures on player and team alike. Players on expiring deals, meanwhile, are often Anaheim is more of a stretch, but they have a pile of good young dealt in the summer so as to avoid will they/won’t they drama at the trade forwards coming and it would be unsurprising if the team had interest in deadline and also to resolve cap or budget issues in the least painful shedding a middle-tier contract. manner possible. It has been a busy year for restricted free agents, and three of the Which teams fall within those categories? biggest are still on the board: Mikko Rantanen in Colorado, Brayden Point in Tampa Bay and Mitch Marner in Toronto. Vegas has been in a bad spot all summer. It’s why the Golden Knights traded Erik Haula and Colin Miller at discount prices. They aren’t done The Avs shouldn’t have much trouble; they have a lot of money to play doing other teams favours just yet. with. The other two teams are looking at narrower margins, but with some judicious use of injured reserve can probably make extensions The Athletic NHL’s offseason Slack chat is basically just hockey writers work, though both are at the point where every dollar matters. complaining that their readers won’t stop talking about Nikita Gusev, the KHL star who is technically ineligible for an offer sheet but who looks to Other teams are looking at classes of unsigned young players, some of be worth about $4 million. whom are eligible for RFA offer sheets, others of whom are not.

Vegas, as Jesse Granger explains, doesn’t have that much money, The Bruins have some history of playing hardball with their kids, and meaning it either needs to trade Gusev or trade someone else. Other they’ll need to use that leverage again to get both Charlie McAvoy and candidates include the overpaid (Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden) and the Brandon Carlo signed. Our Fluto Shinzawa quoted GM Don Sweeney as somewhat expendable (Cody Eakin). Eakin checks another box as a describing Dec. 1 as the real deadline (after that point they can’t play player a year away from free agency. next season), a comment which feels telling.

The rest of the Western teams in similar positions are there because they The McAvoy negotiation might be particularly tough in that, on the one have big-ticket RFA contracts to sign. hand, he isn’t eligible for an offer sheet. On the other hand, he was the No. 1 defenceman on the Eastern Conference champions. The Canucks have to get Brock Boeser under contract, and probably need to shed a pricey forward (or perhaps Chris Tanev) to do it. The If Boston could clear the David Backes contract life would be a lot easier, Flames have to deal with Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and David but that’s a hard thing to do. If the team trims anywhere else, it risks Rittich and have a mess of players a year away from free agency (which cutting into important parts of its roster – especially since the opening is partially why Michael Frolik, T.J. Brodie and Travis Hamonic figure night blueline might be wobbly. The Bruins also have to make decisions prominently in trade rumours). on pending free agents Torey Krug and Charlie Coyle.

Then there are the Jets, a team with serious positional issues and an It’s a position that Calgary, Vancouver and Winnipeg all understand. RFA list which includes 21-year-old Patrik Laine – a year removed from a Each team will be flirting with the cap’s upper limit by the time it gets its 44-goal campaign – and 22-year-old 34-goal man Kyle Connor. key players re-signed. The Canucks in particular have the opportunity to play hardball with Boeser if they so desire, given that like McAvoy he has Of that quartet, only Vegas is truly stuck, but all four would presumably no ability to sign elsewhere. be amenable to a deal in which they would shed talent if it allowed them to shed cap hit. All three teams have some possibilities, including buyout options. The Canucks are loaded with expensive expendables, while we’ve already The Rangers and Penguins both belong in this category, too. listed Calgary’s pending UFAs. Rumours continue to surround New York has a whole mess of overpaid defencemen, a Chris Kreider Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers, though Mathieu Perreault would be a better decision to make (he’ll be a free agent in 2020), and still have some trade choice. RFAs to figure out after paying Jacob Trouba. There is some wiggle room there, particularly if they head down the buyout path, but a trade Philadelphia has two notable RFAs in Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny, but unlike the four teams just considered has the money to get deals done. Contracts with those two should not necessitate moves elsewhere.

Vegas is basically down to trade rumour staple Nikita Gusev, while the Oilers are in a different position with fellow speculation magnet Jesse Puljujarvi. Vegas would undoubtedly love to sign Gusev but lacks the money; Edmonton meanwhile has already gone out and signed a replacement for Puljujarvi, who wants a trade to a team which hasn’t spent the last three years mishandling him.

For teams with roster issues, the pressures outlined above serve as opportunities. These are the teams that will be checking in with the Penguins and Golden Knights and Rangers and Canucks, asking about players that wouldn’t be available if money wasn’t an issue.

It’s harder to get a read on these teams, since virtually every club in the league has some kind of roster need or want, and cap space isn’t a prerequisite for having a roster need. Tampa Bay, for example, has a good team and not much money but also has three signed goalies and a rumoured desire to add a right-shot defenceman.

Two teams with differing issues can occasionally help each other out; we saw that on Friday when the Flames traded Edmonton something it needed (scoring, maybe) for something it wanted (a better bottom-six player, maybe) in the James Neal-for-Milan Lucic trade. Both contracts are regrettable but might be better fits for their new cities.

The practice in the past has been to wait until the fall to resolve these situations. That allows arbitration to run its course, and since teams don’t have to be cap compliant until opening night there is no real deadline pressure this early.

That seems to be changing, though.

Last year teams made four trades between mid-July and the end of August, equalling the total for the previous three years combined. This season we’ve already seen three deals in that window before August even starts: Neal for Lucic, Artem Anisimov for Zack Smith, Dakota Johnson and Henri Jokiharju for Alex Nylander.

The number of difficult, unresolved financial situations around the league is a powerful argument that more trades are yet to come.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150041 Websites with so many new clients on the horizon, Mack and his team — including his director of nutrition and wellness, Sam Gibbs, who commutes weekly from Toronto — are looking to expand into a larger space in the near The Athletic / A broken-down old fat guy worked out with Patrick Kane’s future. trainer. This is my harrowing tale. When I arrived, six players were finishing up their roughly 170-minute workout. It’s difficult to describe what they were doing. Remember Catherine Zeta-Jones wriggling her way through the laser grid in By Mark Lazerus Jul 22, 2019 “Entrapment?” It was kind of like that. But while doing and maintaining deep squats. And dancing a strange mixture of a Maori haka and The

Robot. In slow motion. But nobody’s worried about how they look in the I’m dying. gym. They’re worried about how they’ll play on the ice, and deep into the future. This is it, the end. I’m sure of it now. Through the blobs of sweat on my glasses, I can see a strange white light in the distance, and if my thighs Mack talks a lot about how people today will live to be 110, 120, 130. And and lungs weren’t on the verge of bursting into flames, I’d be running it’s his goal to make 120 the new 50. straight toward it. Anything to end the agony. But a quarter of the way through my workout, I’m pretty sure I’m not I’m working out in a small, nondescript South Loop gym with Ian Mack, going to make it to 40. the performance coach and movement expert — “body nerd” is his self- There’s a resistance band around my knees, and Mack has me assigned descriptor — who helped Patrick Kane have the best season of sidestepping my way back and forth across the gym, just a few inches at his career at age 30. a time. I’m bending over a little at the waist, and clenching what few core There are a handful of professional athletes here on a Wednesday muscles I have. My knees are bent and twisted uncomfortably inward, afternoon, decompressing after their own hours-long workout, including while my feet are again pointed perfectly straight. the Devils’ Connor Carrick, the Avalanche’s J.T. Compher, and free This was Sheahan’s idea, shouted out from the peanut gallery. This is agent Riley Sheahan. I’m almost certain they’re laughing at me. the part when Sheahan’s 60-something dad tapped out (players often Oh, wait, that’s because they are. bring in family members for a once-over from Mack, who then offers a feasible plan going forward to help them out). So while my body wants to By this point, I’ve lunge-walked, barefoot, back and forth across the quit, my pride won’t let me. artificial-turf floor a couple times, careful to keep my toes pointed straight ahead and my back knee just off the floor. I then went back and forth It’s the feet that are the trickiest part of this. Stand up and walk a few again, this time leaning my leading knee to the right, so it hovered over steps normally. Look at your feet. Chances are, they’re pointed out a little the outside edge of my foot in the 1 o’clock position. I went back and bit, toward 11 and 1 o’clock, as you stride. forth yet again, this time with my knee at 11 o’clock. With each pass, I “The path of least resistance,” Mack says. “The body’s always looking to think I’m done. With each pass, Mack tells me to go back in the other rest.” direction. With each pass, I contemplate ways I could hurt him. With each pass, I realize he could certainly out-run me. It’s comfortable, but inefficient. So try walking again, this time with your feet perfectly straight, toes pointed straight ahead. Feels weird, right? It My thighs are burning. My knees are violently shaking. My heart rate is stresses out your ankles and torques your knees. maxing out at 180 beats per minute, though it feels closer to 18,000. I’m 39 years old, so by the 220-minus-your-age formula, my heart is right on Mack is steering into this skid, trying to rebuild the body’s natural target, Mack tells me. Hooray. mechanics. He works with athletes in every sport, and there are a couple of NBA guys in the gym as we work. But hockey has become his Finally, mercifully, my torture is over. specialty, because the sport puts such abnormal stresses on the body — “OK, that was a good little warmup to get you going,” Mack says, the balancing on skates, the hunching over the puck, the torque of clapping his hands and smiling. “Ready to begin?” shooting, the way the back leg kicks out to the side with each stride. The human body is not designed for hockey. Mack tries to undo the damage Shit. of decades of playing the game, while simultaneously making it better equipped to do so. He’s going for stability, mobility, agility, flexibility. Mack is a body evangelist, a man with the granular knowledge of a sports scientist and the boundless enthusiasm of a television preacher. He It’s probably worth pointing out here that I have none of those things. My believes the human body has almost limitless potential, and that so much body’s a mess. I have no core strength, no trunk strength. While hockey of it remains untapped. Through his Tomahawk Science program, he players are all butt and thighs with spindly little lower legs, like eschews weights for a carefully crafted series of body movements — thoroughbred horses, I have no butt and oddly muscular calves. (In fact, many of them awkward, many of them difficult, many of them just plain one guy at Mack’s gym saw me and asked, “Can I borrow some of your weird-looking — that will maximize performance. calves?”)

Talk to him long enough, and you’ll believe Kane can be at the top of his I’m at my local gym (or a hotel gym when I’m on the road) five days a game not only well into his 30s, but into his 40s and beyond. He’s certain week, and have been for a couple of years. I do some basic weightlifting that Kane will only get better, aging curves be damned. A career-high — chest presses, rows, pull-downs and leg presses, etc. — three days a 110 points in a career-high 22:29 per night (behind only Edmonton’s week, and do an hour of interval training on the elliptical the other two Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl among NHL forwards) is pretty days. My workouts are as much an excuse to get away from my kids long strong evidence that Mack might be on to something. enough to listen to podcasts and watch grown-up TV shows, but for an old fat guy, I’m doing OK. Kane certainly believes in him. He’s with Mack in the gym six or seven days a week, from 6:30 a.m. till about noon, typically burning about 1,700 But I have a lot of things against me. For one, I eat like a 5-year-old, and calories. Mack is here from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day, until the have zero interest in changing my diet so that I could actually lose weight NHL guys scatter to the winds in September. and become truly healthy. For another, I have four spinal conditions — a 52-degree curve in my spine that I’ve had since high school, a Kane’s success quickly has made Mack a hot commodity in the NHL. He fractured/slipped vertebra at the base of my spine called has about a dozen NHLers and a handful of two-way guys retaining his spondylolisthesis, four (and counting) arthritic vertebrae, and a bulging services this summer. Next summer, he’s expecting somewhere around disc impinging on a nerve. I used to be 6-foot-3. I’m closer to 6-1 now, as 30 clients. Some of them, like Kane, Carrick and Compher, live in my spine continues contorting. I once had a physical therapist say my Chicago. Others take great lengths to commute just to take part in hamstrings were “bricks.” Any number of massage therapists have Mack’s unique sessions. expressed amazement and mild terror upon seeing the train wreck that is The gym is small and underwhelming, with individual saunas tucked my back. There are no real feasible surgical solutions, so it’s just pain away in each bathroom and high-tech recovery equipment cluttering the management at this point, and has been for more than 20 years. A job main entrance. You’re expecting Ivan Drago’s training laboratory, not the that entails hunching over a computer, squeezing into cramped airplane Brady Bunch’s backyard, but it does the trick. Mack doesn’t need fancy, seats and contorting to look over the edge of a press box doesn’t help. expensive equipment, anyway. He just needs space to move. That said, The tl;dr version: I’m really, really inflexible with very little core strength, calories, and I didn’t lift a weight or run a single step. Mack is as and I can’t do a whole lot about it. convinced that I can become more flexible, mobile and pain-free as he is convinced that Kane can win the scoring title at 40. “Yes, you can,” Mack says, a glint in his eye. “You’re in the right place.” “Our key objective was to introduce your body to movement — Mack doesn’t recruit athletes, and he doesn’t ask his clients to recruit for specifically the spine, hips and shoulders,” Mack texts me the next day. him. All of his clients reached out to him, not the other way around. “These joints offer the biggest return to stability and mobility. The trick is So you won’t see him cajoling Kane to get Brent Seabrook into his gym, to appraise what you can and can’t do well (from a movement standpoint) though he firmly believes he could help him skate faster and more and keep programming within your means from that regard. HR and efficiently. metabolic output are not necessarily chief targets for us. Just performing the motion will be taxing enough (as you discovered). Once you ‘master’ You won’t see him stalking the halls at the Blackhawks’ practice facility to the movement pattern, we add other parameters (like time, speed and lure Jonathan Toews, though he’s sure he could help improve the intensity) to scale the exercise. This makes our options limitless.” captain’s explosiveness and his quickness. It was the first step of a long journey, should I choose to take it. My thighs Mack believes this because he believes in his work, in his science, in his were sore, my hips hurt, but I was able to get out of bed. I even did my results. He hasn’t studied Seabrook, Toews or anybody else for that hour on the elliptical that morning, just to get my legs moving again. I was matter. He only studies the clients he has. But there’s not an athlete — or indeed alive, and my body indeed continued to function. A pleasant a middle-aged sportswriter, or a player’s 60-something dad — that he surprise. doesn’t think he can help. I felt pretty good about it, frankly. Like I had accomplished something. For Mack’s science and the movements are complex, but the philosophy is a guy my age, with my various ailments, I made it through a workout that simple. The wider the base of movements and mechanics an athlete has, even the pros find difficult and useful. the taller the pyramid of potential can be built. If you come in at a level 2 like me, he’ll start you at a level 3. If you come in at a level 99 like Kane, It was a nice thought. It didn’t last. he’ll start you at a 100. Always pushing, always building a little wider, and Later in the day, Mack sends me an email with a full workout, the kind aiming a little higher. that the pros spend hours a day working their way through. All that weird (OK, I might have been flattering myself when I said I was a level 2. The “Entrapment” dancing and the like. It’s proprietary, so I can’t share all the high-tech band strapped around my chest said my heart rate had already details, but it involves things like planking for “about 10 minutes,” which is spiked to 119 when I bent down to take off my shoes before we began.) “about nine minutes” longer than I can plank; those same “quadruped” movements I did, only with the torturous resistance bands around the Anyway, after making it through the lateral band walking, slowly then wrists; and various agility and explosion work that surely would have quickly then slowly then quickly again; sideways then diagonal then resulted in a trip to the hospital. sideways then diagonal; on the inside of my feet then on the outside of my feet then on my toes — first with a band around my knees and then a “We got to four of the 12 categories listed below,” the note says, “and did tighter band around my ankles — my hips feel like they’re dislocating and about 1/4 of each category. So you completed approximately 1/12th of a my knees don’t know which direction to face anymore. pro workout.”

I’m already on my second towel, little puddles of sweat forming between One-twelfth. And it damn near killed me. the fake blades of grass on the floor. Shit.

“Have him do the quadrupeds,” Carrick calls out while he chills in a The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 lounger, his legs encased in NormaTec recovery boots.

So I get on all fours, knees pointed awkwardly inward, hands far in front of me, flat on the floor. My carpal tunnel is extremely displeased, with the base of my right hand in blinding pain, but I know better than to whine about it in front of hockey players. Mack has me lift my right hand and my left foot, and stretch them out as far as I can, then slowly return them to the floor. I repeat with the left, and do several reps. Then he has me do the same, but this time, rather than return them to the floor, I touch my elbow to my knee on the way in, keeping my core engaged the whole time. Right side, left side, right side, left side. I feel about as graceful as my overweight cat falling off the windowsill, but I make it through.

“How’d he do?” Mack asks.

Sheahan raises his left hand like a Roman emperor, and gives me a 45- degree angle thumbs-up. “Pretty good,” says Carrick, who just completed a three-hour workout and once burned 4,200 calories in one session. Then he offers up some genuine encouragement. “Showing up is everything.”

Damn right. Anything in the name of journalism, right? Eat your heart out, Hunter S. Thompson! Of course, I don’t say any of that. I don’t have the wherewithal (or the breath) to do anything more than grunt at this point.

We finish up my session with some low hurdles. Rather than run through them, I’m going through them as slowly (“controlled” is the term Mack prefers) as possible. Start with the right leg — slowly lift it up so your knee is at a 90-degree angle, slowly torque your knee so your lower leg is parallel to the floor, slowly rotate your hip so your foot hovers over the hurdle, slowly bring your weight to the floor without stomping. Do the same with your left foot, across eight hurdles. Now do it backward. Now do it starting with your left foot. Now do it backward. My form is terrible, but I was determined not to make a fool of myself in front of everyone.

“Haven’t knocked over one hurdle yet,” I said to Mack just before I knocked over the second-to-last hurdle.

After about 45 minutes — counting our little chats that I used as pretense to catch my breath — we’re done. The monitor says I burned 875 1150042 Websites 2. Kaapo Kakko, RW, 18 (New York Rangers — 2nd overall, 2019)

Kakko’s impact should be more immediate. Part of that is driven by the kind of tools he has (the power and strength, the finishing touch, etc.) but The Athletic / Wheeler: The top 50 drafted NHL prospects ranking, 2019 part of it will also be driven by the role he’s likely to play right out of the edition gate as a go-to option for the Rangers. If the Devils want to, they can start Nico Hischier with Taylor Hall, a combination that they know already works, and work Hughes into tougher matchups as the season By Scott Wheeler Jul 22, 2019 progresses. I suspect Kakko plays as the Rangers’ 1RW out of the gate. It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch.

3. Quinn Hughes, LHD, 19 (Vancouver Canucks — 7th overall, 2018) If 2018’s iteration of my top 50 drafted NHL prospects was any indication (it remains my most commented upon article at The Athletic to date), Those who followed my 2018 NHL draft coverage at The Athletic will reactions to this will be met with reverence by many fan bases and ‘how already know that he bounced between third and fourth on my board that dare you!’ outrage from others. year — and that I was surprised when he fell to the Canucks at No. 7. So this ranking shouldn’t surprise anyone, given that the two players who Before we dive in, that means the criteria need to be clearly outlined. were clearly ahead of him on my board (Rasmus Dahlin and Andrei Eligibility is as follows: Svechnikov) have both since graduated. Like with his little brother, I’m The player must be drafted. In rare circumstances, a player who went not concerned that Quinn is 5-foot-10 because he’s such a proficient undrafted but has signed an entry-level contract and merits inclusion in skater, playmaker and handler that he’s going to be on offense all game the top 50, may be eligible. long. Plus he’s always been a mature defender for his age and that remains true in the way he closes gaps and recovers with his skating to The player must be under 23 years old (the same criteria I use as a cut- get back to loose pucks and escape pressure. off for my team-specific prospect rankings). We know that a player is nearing the end of his development around 23. I have long believed that 4. Cale Makar, RHD, 20 (Colorado Avalanche — 4th overall, 2017) Calder eligibility should also be limited to a similar age cutoff. Makar is going to be so good that he made retaining salary on a The player must not have played in the majority of his club’s NHL games perennial 50-plus point defender make sense in order to upgrade last season. If he did, particularly if those games were during the tail end elsewhere. The Avalanche are as well-prepared for contention over the of the season, he is no longer deemed a prospect. Here, I occasionally next several years as any team in the NHL and Makar is going to be applied my own discretion with players who played more NHL games central to all of that success. He’s going to pull Avs fans out of their seats than they did in any other league last season but didn’t finish the year offensively and his defensive game has come a long way in the last 12 there. I also considered age. Someone like 20-year-old Henri Jokiharju, months. Norris contention in the not-too-distant future isn’t out of the who played 38 NHL games last season but didn’t play a single NHL question. He’s got a chance to be a true No. 1 defenceman, something game after from the end of February onward, was made eligible. For I’m often hesitant to say about just about any D prospect. example, though, I would have been less lenient if Jokiharju were 22 (as I 5. Evan Bouchard, RHD, 19 (Edmonton Oilers — 10th overall, 2018) was when I opted to exclude Oliver Kylington and his 38 games played). As with Quinn, I’ve always been a little bullish on Bouchard, who finished The age eligibility created a problem for one player in particular: 23-year- at No. 7 on my final ranking ahead of the 2018 NHL draft. Though his old goaltender Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin remains one of the top goalie NHL stint with the Oilers last season was probably a bit too much, too prospects in the world after a .940 season for CSKA. He was included on early, he didn’t let it hinder him after returning to junior and followed up my 2018 list. And while I could have used a different age cutoff for historic draft year production with a pair of earth-shattering playoffs, first goalies than players, in the interest of simplicity and continuity in my with the Knights and then with the AHL’s . He can be ranking each summer, he was not made eligible for this year’s ranking. a bit too lackadaisical in his own zone still and his skating is never going There is a lot of turnover in this year’s ranking. All of the top-four to be high end but I think he has learned to manage both of those well prospects on last year’s ranking graduated by becoming full-time enough and his offensive game is as efficient as they come without ever NHLers. So did Miro Heiskanen, Dylan Strome, Ryan Donato, Thomas being super flashy. The Oilers desperately need him to become a star Chabot, Robert Thomas, Henrik Borgstrom, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Filip and I’d bet on it. Chytil, Brady Tkachuk, Carter Hart, Jack Roslovic and Daniel Sprong. 6. Alex Turcotte, C, 18 (Los Angeles Kings — 5th overall, 2019) Gabe Vilardi and Conor Timmins, have fallen out of the ranking due to My third-ranked player in the 2019 draft, Turcotte has everything needed injury troubles. Others, including Ilya Samsonov, Timothy Liljegren, Vitalii to become a dominant, playmaking, two-way first-line center at the NHL. Abramov, Olli Juolevi, Jonathan Dahlen, Kale Clague, Vladislav He’s an excellent passer, both in transition and off the cycle. He can Kamenev, Cal Foote and Kailer Yamamoto fell out either by being handle the puck as the dominant carrier on his line. He can run a power surpassed by other prospects (including those selected and made play. He rarely loses battles along the wall. He supports the play well eligible via the 2019 Draft) or due to their stagnant progression. defensively. He’s going to be a factor in all-situations and a huge part of That means just 22 players from last year’s top 50 remained in this year’s any Kings turnaround. ranking. In some cases, that’s a good thing and means the player 7. Cody Glass, C, 20 (Vegas Golden Knights — 6th overall, 2017) progressed well and rose up the list. In other cases, as the player gets older, his failure to stick in the NHL may be disappointing, even if he For a while, though I recognized that Glass’ playmaking and puck remains talented enough to be included in the 2019 ranking. protection were both extremely high-end (and matched with a strong defensive game), I was hesitant as to how aggressive he was going to be For more information on what I value in a prospect and how I evaluate at the pro level. In spurts, he looked hesitant to get to his spots and be these players, refer to my guide to scouting. But know this: skill matters more than the dominant passer on his line and would fall back on the above all else and preference is given to ceiling over the safety a player cross-ice pass a bit too often. But he looked confident late in the year may offer as a bottom-of-the-lineup NHL prospect. and into the playoffs with the Chicago Wolves. If he can make defenders Without further ado … fear his ability to drive as much as they will likely fear his ability to put the puck through them to a teammate, he’s going to be a first-line center with 1. Jack Hughes, C, 18 (New Jersey Devils — 1st overall, 2019) size — and that’s enough to put him in the top 10 here. If he can’t, he probably bottoms out as a very good 2C. Either way, he’s going to be I didn’t give this a second thought. Hughes is going to be a star. If not good. immediately, then by the end of his rookie season. He’s a front-runner for the Calder, though linemates will likely dictate his ability to win it. I have 8. Bowen Byram, LHD, 18 (Colorado Avalanche — 4th overall, 2019) almost no concerns about his size or his ability to stick at center and remain a dominant force. He’s going to be one of the better passers in As if Cale Makar and Samuel Girard weren’t enough … hockey for more than a decade. Even if the goal totals are never going to Note: You’ll notice Byram and Cozens have swapped yet again since my be monumental, his blend of puck skill, speed and creativity will make final top 100 ranking for the 2019 draft. That’s driven entirely by the roles him one of hockey’s more electric puck carriers. I expect they’ll develop into with their respective teams, not of any sudden change in their talent level. Byram will have a better opportunity Nick Suzuki is really good at hockey. Nick Suzuki had a really good year. to reach his ceiling as a No. 1 defenceman with the Avs than Cozens will Nick Suzuki is really fun to watch. You get the point. The only question to become a No. 1 center on a team that already boasts Jack Eichel. about Suzuki remains one of position. Is he going to be a second-line Opportunity impacts projection. Cozen’s thumb surgery and the time he’s center or is he going to be a first-line winger? And which has more missing in a big summer certainly doesn’t help either. They’re still neck- value? I suspect the answer is winger to both of those questions, though and-neck for me, though. I do believe he has the talent the skillset needed to stick at center under different circumstances. Either way, he’s going to be really fun to watch. 9. Dylan Cozens, C, 18 (Buffalo Sabres — 7th overall, 2019) Really.

Every team wants a big center who can really fly — and manages to 16. Martin Necas, C/RW (Carolina Hurricanes — 12th overall, 2017) make plays at top speed. That’s what the Sabres got when Cozens fell to them (at least by my evaluation). He’s exactly what the Sabres needed Suzuki’s questions apply to Necas, too. And I suspect the answers are and could help give them enviable depth down the middle if Casey the same. Some players are just better suited to distribute from the Mittelstadt can put the pieces together and give them three productive perimeter and work their way from the outside-in, rather than driving playmakers down the middle. through the middle. Necas definitely is. And he’s the kind of dynamic, puck dominant, playmaking winger that every team covets, particularly a 10. Adam Fox, RHD, 21 (New York Rangers — 66th overall, 2016) team that needs cost-controlled impact forwards, which the Hurricanes I will die on the Adam Fox hill. Undeniably brilliant offensive tools, always seem to need. A Svechnikov-Aho-Necas line would be uncharacteristically good defensive decision-making for a player his age. appointment viewing off the rush. Necas has a chance to be a difference- If he doesn’t become a bona fide No. 1, he’ll be close. maker for the Canes in the right role.

11. Kirill Kaprizov, LW/RW, 22 (Minnesota Wild — 135th overall, 2015) 17. Matthew Boldy, LW/RW, 18 (Minnesota Wild — 12th overall, 2019)

The oldest player on this list, Kaprizov led the KHL in goals last season There are two sides to Matt Boldy. There’s the mediocre skating, which with 30 in 59 games en route to a Gagarin Cup with CSKA. He’s likely to resulted in him sliding a little more than I expected he would at the draft. be in a similar position to Sorokin when I put this together a year from And then there’s everything else. Everything else is exciting. The blend of now because he still won’t have played an NHL game but his age will playmaking skill and scoring touch, the blend of strength and puck exclude him from consideration. If (or when) he decides to make the protection, the game with and without the puck. All of it screams impact jump from the KHL, though, there will be no stopgap in the AHL as there forward. Give him a year or two to continue to get stronger and add a is for many standout Russian forwards. Kaprizov would be an impact stride or two and the Wild may have a player who can really drive a top- player in the Wild lineup if he were to come over tomorrow. six line and play with a variety of linemate types.

12. Filip Zadina, LW/RW, 19 (Detroit Red Wings — 6th overall, 2o18) 18. Kirby Dach, C, 18 (Chicago Blackhawks — 3rd overall, 2019)

Zadina’s season probably didn’t go as he or the Red Wings had hoped It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where Dach finishes his career as the and though he’s probably not going to be a line-carrying puck presence, third-best player in the 2019 draft. And though I wouldn’t have taken him the Red Wings have playmaking centers like Dylan Larkin and Joe third overall in 2019, he sat comfortably in my 6-8 range (and Veleno who may be able to get the best out of him, though they missed occasionally a slot or two higher) for most of the season. Dach is big, he an opportunity to take another when they passed on several high-end has range, he’s getting stronger, he taught himself to go to the net more centers in favor of Moritz Seider. Zadina is young, can really break last season and he has high-end passing ability off the cycle. Mix in players down with his puck skill and can flat out score. That should be decent skating for a player his size and you’ve got an extremely exciting enough to make him a 30-30-60 guy (maybe more) and a dynamic threat package of skills that every team covets in a first- or second-line center. on the power play. It may just not happen overnight. 19. Aleksi Heponiemi, C/W, 20 (Florida Panthers — 40th overall, 2017)

13. Dante Fabbro, RHD, 21 (Nashville Predators — 17th overall, 2016) Aleksi Heponiemi is an enigma. He’s the 150-pound kid who can play Sometimes you don’t have to be flashy to be good. That’s Dante Fabbro. center, likes the right wing despite shooting left and has just kind of He’s the kid who figured out how hockey works: the process of moving weaved his way in and out of traffic en route to stardom — against all the puck from a position of weakness (the defensive zone) to a position odds — at every level he has ever played at. Not only is he one of the of strength (the offensive zone). If you can do that often enough, it best passers outside of the NHL, but you rarely feel like you’re watching doesn’t matter what happens between A and B, just that it happened. a kid who has a pronounced strength disadvantage. There are few Some players out skill their opponents. Some outsmart them. Fabbro players as light as Heponiemi in the NHL. But he’s going to be the does the latter. exception because he’s either making the play that’s one step ahead of his opponent’s anticipation or he’s just burning them with speed and 14. Adam Boqvist, RHD, 18 (Chicago Blackhawks — 8th overall, 2018) agility. And then, suddenly, you’re less worried about the odd board battle he loses. The kid scored 30 goals in 65 games as a rookie defenceman in the world’s best junior league. And it’s not as though he was overtly older 20. Erik Brannstrom, LHD, 19 (Ottawa Senators — 15th overall, 2017) than everyone else. Boqvist doesn’t turn 19 until the middle of August. Here’s a running list of under-19 OHL defencemen in the last decade If Fabbro is the defender who bores his way to victory, Brannstrom is the who’ve posted a combined regular season and playoffs goals per game one who dazzles his way there. And though the result may be the same, above 0.30: his looks flashier and comes in waves rather than constant stability. Still, you take the good over the bad with a player like Brannstrom. The 1. Adam Boqvist: 0.46 Senators need more players like him, players who can take over a game in an instant. Those players make a difference, even if they come with 2. Ryan Murphy: 0.40 the odd headache. T3. Jakob Chychrun/Ryan Sproul: 0.38 21. Noah Dobson, RHD, 19 (New York Islanders — 12th overall, 2018) T5. Evan Bouchard/Aaron Ekblad: 0.37 Dobson is the type of defenceman teams go in search of at every draft 7. Vince Dunn: 0.34 and never find. He’s long, he can fly, he has learned to control his instincts and frame in order to make the right play more consistently, and 8. Bode Wilde: 0.33 he shoots right!

9. Dougie Hamilton: 0.32 22. Drake Batherson, C/RW, 21 (Ottawa Senators — 121st overall, 2017)

There are two busts in that group, but there are also a handful of stars (or Batherson hasn’t traveled the linear path most of the top prospects on kids who will be within too long). Boqvist is well clear of the pack — and this list have but here he is anyway, just continuing to be one of the most just scratching the surface. He’s going to make mistakes defensively but efficient players in every league he plays in, most recently as a member his offensive talent will propel him to where he needs to get to. Plus, he’s of the AHL’s All-Rookie Team. Batherson doesn’t have that one skill that going to be frighteningly good on the power play. leaps out at you. He can’t skate like the Hughes brothers. He can’t shoot like Cole Caufield. He can’t pass like Heponiemi. He doesn’t have the 15. Nick Suzuki, C/RW, 19 (Montreal Canadiens — 13th overall, 2017) size of a Dach or a Cozens. But he does everything so well that the puck ends up out of his zone, through the neutral zone and established in the Though Zegras’ ceiling is among the highest in the 2019 class, there’s offensive zone for scoring chances. And that’s the name of the game. also some risk associated with his game in that he needs to develop He’s the Dante Fabbro of forwards. more of a finishing touch around the net and he needs to get a lot stronger (something that’s rarely needed among development program 23. Juuso Valimaki, LHD, 20 (Calgary Flames — 16th overall, 2017) grads). Few prospects on the planet have the creativity and the ability to Long a favorite of mine, Valimaki is the antithesis to a lot of the smaller break down defensive zone structures with a pass like Zegras does, defenceman you’ll notice I’m really high on here. In a game that’s now though. There’s also a pest element to his game that allows him to play built on finesse and subtlety, Valimaki is the big, strong, powerful bigger and louder than he looks. defender who is physical along the boards and can bomb it from the 30. Jordan Kyrou, C/RW, 21 (St. Louis Blues — 35th overall, 2016) offensive zone blue line. But he’s also cerebral when he needs to be, a stout defender when timing and stick work are called for over physicality Kyrou is hockey’s road runner and opposing defencemen are often Wile and a strong outlet passer. He’s the kind of D partner every player wants E. Coyotes. One of the better pure skaters on the planet, Kyrou has alongside them and someone who could support a better player on the always needed a little bit of time for the rest of his skills (which include a top pairing or carry a bottom pairing. high-end release that he should use more often and a strong playmaking knack given the pace he has). Once he puts it all together at the NHL 24. Cam York, LHD, 18 (Philadelphia Flyers — 14th overall, 2019) level, he’s going to be a new-age top-six forward who can give his line a Cam York’s not built to be a No. 1 defenceman but he has everything he different, tough-to-match dynamic. needs to make his team better when he’s on the ice than when he’s off of 31. Peyton Krebs, C, 18 (Vegas Golden Knights — 17th overall, 2019) it and that probably makes him a very good No. 2 or an excellent No. 3 at the next level. Some evaluators argue he benefitted from playing as the Krebs’ Achilles injury represents a tough blow for a fantastic player top offensive defenceman on arguably the most talented national during a critical summer that should have included the World Junior development program team ever. I’ve long argued that he made them Summer Showcase and a strong offseason of getting stronger but now better and his status as a legitimately high-end prospect is his own. He’s won’t. And though Krebs is on the smaller side for a center, his not going to replace Hughes at the University of Michigan next year but willingness to hunt the puck and support the play help offset some of the he’s going to become their best defenceman nonetheless. deficiency defensively, allowing a gifted offensive toolset that includes excellent lateral quickness and playmaking touch to shine. Though he’s 25. Cole Caufield, RW, 18 (Montreal Canadiens — 15th overall, 2019) probably going to play the next two seasons in the WHL, the reward may Goal Goalfield is more like it. be worth the wait for a Vegas team that doesn’t have to rush him.

(I understand if you stopped reading just now. If you didn’t, just know that 32. Morgan Frost, C, 20 (Philadelphia Flyers — 27th overall, 2017) I had Caufield at No. 10 on my board, the Canadiens stole him at No. 15, There were legitimate questions about Frost’s tempo for parts of his and I’m not concerned about his size holding him back because he’s too junior career. Those questions should be in the rearview mirror for most darn good at getting open.) scouts by now, though. Whether he’s a center or a winger at the NHL 26. Henri Jokiharju, RHD, 20 (Buffalo Sabres — 29th overall, 2017) level is of little consequence to me because Frost’s ability to play off of his linemates and find different ways to create offensively will allow him “He loves me, he loves me not.” to adapt and find his niche. It wouldn’t surprise me if he sticks around for all 82 games with the Flyers next season and that niche becomes a That’s the gist of Jokiharju’s rookie season. And regardless of how his middle-six forward who may be something more within a few years. head coach in Chicago felt about him, Jokiharju makes a lot of sense for the Sabres and they ought to be excited about what they’re getting 33. Joe Veleno, C, 19 (Detroit Red Wings — 30th overall, 2018) because he’s got the chance to be a good No. 2 or No. 3 defenceman, even if there isn’t enough talent there to be a No. 1 guy. And while it I believed Veleno should have been a top-15 pick on draft day and I still won’t happen immediately, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jokiharju is Dahlin’s believe that a year later after his first full season on a strong QMJHL wingman in a year or two’s time. His poise under pressure is enviable team led to the best point per game clip (1.76) in the league (narrowly and it should, in time, make him a possession-driving, modern NHL ahead of Alexis Lafreniere’s 1.72 rate). Veleno has been miscast as defenceman who can play in transition or slow things down to his tempo. someone who’s going to be a very good third-line center due to the fact that his two-way game is more well-rounded than his high-end peers. 27. Eeli Tolvanen, RW/LW, 20 (Nashville Predators — 30th overall, That was true when he was shoved into a fourth-line role on last year’s 2017) version of Team Canada at the world juniors on a team that ultimately lost in the quarters. And it’s true in the way a lot of evaluators talk about It’s easy to be uninspired by Tolvanen’s 2018-2019 season. Despite him. I see something more. Because Veleno is also an excellent skater winning gold at the world juniors, he didn’t take over the tournament like whose scoring touch has begun to catch up to his elite speed and many thought he would. He wasn’t among the better rookies in the AHL cerebral playmaking talent. There’s impact 2C upside in his game. — and finished with 35 points in 58 games. But if you dig a little deeper, there’s more to the story. His shot totals were extremely high at the world 34. Ryan Merkley, RHD, 18 (San Jose Sharks — 21st overall, 2018) juniors, even if the goals didn’t come. His 35 points ranked tied for second with Zadina (and trailing only Necas) among all under-20 AHL I know the baggage. I know the Guelph Storm, during a contending year, players. For most, his season would be considered a resounding traded one of the most talented players in the league because they felt success. But after the monumental year, he had a season earlier in the they couldn’t win with him as the focal point. I know there’s major risk KHL, which included outstanding showings as a teenager at both the involved in his game — and in his attitude. But he still hasn’t turned 19 Olympics and the world championships, many expected Tolvanen to and he’s too good not to figure it out. bypass the AHL for instant impact in the NHL — and the rest is viewed 35. Joel Farabee, LW, 19 (Philadelphia Flyers — 14th overall, 2018) through that tint. But Tolvanen is still really good. I’d still bet on him being a steal at 30th overall in that 2017 draft, and on him becoming a top-six There’s something about Farabee’s game that you just can’t put your forward who is dynamic on the power play. finger on. It’s not as though he’s some otherworldly talent. He just makes the right play almost every time he has the puck, those players are often 28. Alex Newhook, C, 18 (Colorado Avalanche — 16th overall, 2019) a step ahead, and the result is a player who can just figure things out in Though it’s true that players like Tyson Jost and Johnny Tychonick any role. He’s the kind of player who could support superior players on a haven’t quite met the expectations many had for them (at least not yet, first line or carry a third line offensively. Either way, I’m confident he’s it’s still early), I don’t believe that is cause to sour on the BCHL as a going to find a way to make his teammates better and drive scoring legitimate option for top-end players. The Avs clearly aren’t deterred chances when he’s on the ice. He always has. either, and I think they landed a potential steal when they took Newhook 36. Vitali Kravtsov, RW/LW, 19 (New York Rangers — 9th overall, 2018) 16th overall. An honest evaluation of his skillset has to leave you excited: He was one of the better skaters in the draft with an explosive pull-away I was a little lower on Kravtsov than most during his draft year (he gear few others have, he can make plays at top speed, his shot has finished at No. 15 in my final top-100 ranking) but he followed it up with improved dramatically, and he’s already built for the pro game from a an impressive sophomore season as a teenager in the KHL. While I still strength perspective. don’t see huge offensive upside in Kravtsov’s game at the NHL level, he’s 6-foot-4 and he has a chance to be a 50-plus point player, which has 29. Trevor Zegras, C, 18 ( — 9th overall, 2019) major value in a league that’s getting smaller. He’s going to be a big part uninvolved and doesn’t properly utilize his blend of size and control. In of the Rangers rebuild and gives them another strong offensive threat on other viewings, he looks possessed and unstoppable, the kind of one- the wing. man cycle that every team covets in a top-six winger. But it just seems to waver. If a coach can get the most out of him he’s going to be tough to 37. Jason Robertson, LW, 19 (Dallas Stars — 39th overall, 2017) contain. That’s enough for him to remain on this list.

Robertson is the anti-power forward. He is 6-foot-2 and more than 200 44. Troy Terry, RW/C, 21 (Anaheim Ducks — 148th overall, 2015) pounds and when you expect him to drop a shoulder and drive the net, he will instead beat you with some impressive finesse and puck control, And then here’s a kid who rarely wavers and has earned his way into the or pull up and find the trailer. He’s the kid who, instead of winding up and conversation as a top prospect after being overshadowed as a fourth-line ripping his release, will softly pick his corner and score cleanly with his player on one of the two most talented development program teams accuracy. Robertson represents a home run for a team that has swung we’ve ever seen. Terry is the kind of player who can play anywhere in a and missed on a lot of players at the draft in recent memory. lineup and make it work but has slowly developed his offensive game in order to project as a strong top-six forward rather than a useful bottom- 38. Emil Bemstrom, RW, 20 (Columbus Blue Jackets — 117th overall, six one. Credit where it’s due. Terry was a year younger than many 2017) players in his draft class due to a September 10 birthday and he has just I have often been critical of the value placed on the ability of a player to carved out a role as an invaluable option for every coach he’s ever shoot the puck. There’s way more needed in today’s game to be played for. successful than a nice release that can cleanly beat goalies. It often 45. Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, 19 (New York Islanders — 11th overall, 2018) overstates the talent of top prospects, from Kieffer Bellows to Owen Tippett. I now often ask myself the following: In League X, will Shooter Y I was really high on Wahlstrom a year ago this time but there’s no hiding be able to get open — or get the puck back so that he can have the fact that he had a bad year (albeit on a bad Boston College team), possession to begin with? The answer to that question with Bemstrom even if he redeemed himself with a strong showing in the AHL when it has slowly become “Yes.” His knack for shifting away from checkers was all over. And though he’ll be turning pro full-time this fall, he’s a bit before sliding back into the open space behind them is extremely further away than I expected he would be. When he was drafted, I saw impressive. It resulted in the third-most goals by an under-20 SHL player Wahlstrom as a one-and-done dominant college player who had a ever, behind only Kent Nilsson and Elias Pettersson. He’s a little one- moderate chance to leap into the NHL in October of 2019. Now, I would dimensional but the Blue Jackets need finishers and he could fill a void. argue he needs at least a full year in the AHL to work on his pace of play. The pure puck skills are there. 39. Alexandre Texier, C/LW, 19 (Columbus Blue Jackets — 45th overall, 2017) 46. Bode Wilde, RHD, 19 (New York Islanders — 41st overall, 2018)

Texier is one of the best success stories in hockey and his growth curve Wilde is a lot like Vesalainen in that my evaluation of his game has run in the last two years has been astonishing. He looks like he’s only just hot and cold, driven primarily by the fact that his brilliance was often beginning to scratch the surface, too. Texier plays fast and agile, matched by some ugly moments — or weeks. That began to turn the weaving in and out of traffic to get to his spots or draw attention so that corner in the OHL though. He was outstanding, basically right from the his teammates can. I love his versatility. It’s going to make him a player hop. Wilde’s athletic ability is clear: He’s big and he can really skate for who can play on any of the Blue Jackets’ top three lines while helping out his size. But it was always the decision-making that made me scratch my on the power play. head. While I ranked him higher a year ago than where he was taken (I had him at No. 25 on my board), Wilde would go even higher than where 40. Ty Smith, LHD, 19 (New Jersey Devils — 17th overall, 2018) I had him in a re-draft.

Smith never had the take-your-breath-away talent of some of his 2018 47. Sam Steel, C, 21 (Anaheim Ducks — 30th overall, 2016) defense peers, like an Adam Boqvist or a Ryan Merkley. Still, the efficiency of his stride and the pace he manages to play with as a Sam Steel is that prospect that anyone can watch play and they all defender who can escape pressure and move the puck up the ice with a probably come away with the same conclusion. pass or his feet make him the kind of modern-day defenceman that will figure it out at the NHL level and very likely drive possession. Smith’s not “Yeah, that guy’s going to be a second line NHL forward.” going to be a No. 1 but his ceiling projects as a decent No. 2 or a There’s nothing special about him. He’s not going to be a star. He’s not standout No. 3 who can complement a variety of partner types. going to be a first-line guy. There’s also nothing any scout could really 41. Barrett Hayton, C, 19 (Arizona Coyotes — 5th overall, 2018) point to as a “that guy’s going to be a bust” argument. He’s good without being great. Every team has — and needs — those guys. The idea that the Coyotes shouldn’t have taken Hayton at No. 5 still rings true to me more than a year later, but I’m less bullish about it today than I 48. Jake Bean, LHD, 21 (Carolina Hurricanes — 13th overall, 2016) was at the time. Does Hayton have the upside of a Quinn Hughes or an Take what I said about Sam Steel and then replace “second line NHL Evan Bouchard? Absolutely not. Can he be a line-driving middle-six forward” with “second pairing NHL defenceman.” center on a good team, while helping out on both special teams? Absolutely. Hayton is a coach’s dream and an effective two-way hockey You can’t help but enjoy watching Jake Bean play. Are there any major player. That makes him an excellent prospect, even if it doesn’t make flaws in his game? Nope. Is there anyone skill that screams star power? him a star. Nope. But he skates really well, he’s calculated with and without the puck, he can make plays at the offensive zone blueline, he can escape 42. Rasmus Sandin, LHD, 19 (Toronto Maple Leafs — 29th overall, pressure below his goalline, and he’s willing to activate and use his shot. 2018) I’m a fan.

Sandin’s growth wasn’t quite Texier-level but it was astonishing. He 49. Dillon Dube, C/LW, 20 (Calgary Flames — 56th overall, 2016) became a top-pairing AHL defenceman as an 18-year-old, logging big minutes and moving the needle offensively in ways few players his age Most kids begin with talent and figure out how to play hockey after. Dube ever have in the league. And while there are still some kinks in his game begun by figuring out the ins and outs of being a strong two-way hockey defensively, his willingness to play physically for his size matched with player before his talent caught up. Now it has and he’s got everything he his ability to evade pressure and escape the zone should mean that he needs to be a versatile NHL forward. doesn’t have to spend too much time defending at the next level. 50. Ryan Poehling, C, 20 (Montreal Canadiens — 25th overall, 2017) Sandin’s not going to be a top-pairing guy but he has a chance to be an impressive second-pairing defenceman at 5-on-5 who can help out on I was at the Bell Centre for Poehling’s end-of-season hat trick against the the second units of your special teams. Leafs and it was one of the better hockey games I’ve covered live despite the fact that it was utterly meaningless. And Poehling was magic. It’s a 43. Kristian Vesalainen, RW/LW, 20 (Winnipeg Jets — 24th overall, night he’ll never forget. I do, however, think it convinced some that he’s 2017) going to step right into the Canadiens roster next year and be an impact I have always found Vesalainen to be one of the toughest of the top guy. I’m not as convinced. His offensive game isn’t actually the strength prospects in hockey to get a proper gauge of. That was true in his draft of his skillset. In fact, it probably prevents him from being more than a year and it’s true now. In some viewings, he looks like a player who is strong middle-six guy. It’s the other stuff that I love about what Poehling offers — and that ultimately pushed him into this ranking. It’s the defensive-zone play, his willingness to apply back pressure, his knack for lifting pucks, and his likely ability to be a very good checking center at the NHL level. Poehling is probably the only player on this list who I think projects more as a third-line forward than a top-six guy. But some third- line players have more of an impact on a game than a lot of decent second-line guys by virtue of their ability to take on tougher matchups. Poehling has a chance to be that guy.

The Ranking

Note 1: More than 100 players who didn’t make the top 50 were strongly considered for the 42-50 range, from defencemen such as K’Andre Miller to forwards such as Maxime Comtois (the final cut) and goaltenders like Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Note 2: The Tampa Bay Lightning (Alex Barre-Boulet wasn’t far off!), Boston Bruins (Studnicka’s the best of the bunch there), Pittsburgh Penguins (I’m a big Calen Addison fan!) and Washington Capitals (I’ve got nothing for you) were the only four teams not to feature a prospect in the top 50, which isn’t particularly surprising given their continued success at the NHL level and the challenges posed by trading picks and drafting late.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 1150043 Websites the best of it. In this case, making the best of it means playing this guy way higher in the lineup than he deserves and hoping he gets off to a decent start, at which point the plan is to trade him to some team that The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Projecting the opening night lineup for hasn’t been paying attention and doesn’t know how Google works. We whichever team you personally cheer for didn’t say it was a good plan, but it’s all we’ve got.

The rookie

By Sean McIndoe Jul 22, 2019 This guy is going to be so good. He has to be, given all the hype around him. He may have been a high pick, or maybe he’s a late-bloomer who took a few seasons to figure it out. But either way, he’s going to be amazing, and that jerk Corey Pronman is going to eat his words for One of the neat things about working at The Athletic is that there’s so ranking him so low. He’ll be great. Please let him be great. Oh man, we much hockey coverage by so many smart writers that you can get a are so screwed if this kid isn’t great … really good sense of what kind of content the readers like. You guys let us know what works for you, and certain types of articles always seem to The offseason acquisition do well. He’s the shiny new toy, and the team is really banking on him having a For example, we always get a strong response on offseason pieces that big year. Granted, he wasn’t very good last season. But that’s why he project a team’s opening night lineup. That makes sense; it’s the was available in the first place, so it’s actually a good thing. Besides, a summer, there isn’t any breaking news and hockey fans are already change of scenery will probably be good for him. Did he cost too much? thinking ahead to October. It’s fun to try to predict the future, and lots of Well, yeah, he kind of did, but that’s the offseason, right? He’ll show up our local writers have done exactly that (like here, here and here, with for camp in the best shape of his life, he’ll have a nice goal in the more on the way this week). exhibition opener and he’ll say all the right things about how much he always wanted to play here. It’s going to work. Just give it some time. That’s all well and good for the beat writers who follow one specific team. But what about me? My job is to cover the entire league as a whole. How You will have permanently turned on this guy within three weeks of the do I get a piece of this gravy train? What am I supposed to do, project the season starting. opening night lineup for every team in the entire league? Third line Yes. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. The KHL guy As in, I’m going to do the entire league in one shot. Including your team. You’d never heard of him until a few weeks ago. But apparently he’s on Do I know who your team is? I do not. But not knowing what I’m talking the way and you’ve talked yourself into it. See, this is what smart teams about has never stopped me before. And besides, despite all of our in- do. They scout the world and find those hidden gems. Let every other fighting and sniping at each other, hockey fans have more in common team waste their assets on trades and free agency. Your team is out than we might think. I’m betting I can come pretty close on at least a there finding guys who can contribute for next to nothing. Heck, for all good chunk of your favorite team’s opening night lineup without even you know, he could blossom into a full-fledged star. knowing who it is. This guy will be gone by mid-November and you will never hear his name Don’t read any further if you want to be surprised. But if you’d like to get again. a sense of who’ll you’ll be rooting for when your team takes to the ice in October, let’s break down the lines and pairings. The little guy everyone loves because he threw a hit that one time

First line Look at him out there! His little legs are pumping so hard! His helmet sometimes falls off! And there was that one time he launched himself at a The superstar everyone loves bigger guy and sent him flying. OK, the big guy was already off-balance, and the hit was maybe just a teensy bit late, given it happened during the Man, this guy is so good. He’s the face of the franchise, everybody owns post-game interview. Still, everyone loves this guy. He will finish the at least one of his jerseys, his image is plastered all over the arena and season with twelve points, and we’ll all be fine with it. he awkwardly mumbles his way through several commercials. He should get even more Hart Trophy love than he already does, you’re convinced The guy who was really good like eight years ago that he’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer and there’s a decent chance you’ve named one of your children after him. This guy is the best. Sure, he hasn’t been at the top of his game lately. But he’s been a productive player in this league before, right? He could do it again. You The other superstar that everyone loves slightly less can’t completely rule out this guy being the year’s big comeback story. Is it likely? Based on what we know about aging curves and the human This guy is also good. There are times when he might even be better body, not really, no. Just enjoy the memories, watch a few standard- than the first superstar. He might even end up leading the team in definition highlights, don’t think too hard about it and don’t get too scoring. And you like him well enough, you guess. It’s just not quite the attached because he’s going on the LTIR the first time he so much as same as it is with the other guy. Maybe it’s his contract, or his winces. personality, or just his body language. Make no mistake, if fans of some other team talk trash about this guy you will fight them to the death. But Fourth line your heart isn’t completely in it. Still, put him on the ice with the other star and you’ve got the foundation of a really nice top line. The faceoff guy

The random guy who gets to play with the two superstars He plays eight minutes a game, he wins 52 percent of his faceoffs, he can’t do anything else, the announcers will not shut up about him and he Remember when teams used to put their best three forwards on the first will have a job in this league for life. line? That was fun. But these days, the top line is two stars and then this guy. He’s … fine? He’s fine. He’s good on the forecheck, he’s vaguely The perfectly respectable depth veteran who makes way too much aware of where the defensive zone is, he might score 20 goals and he’s money guaranteed to get a few assists just based on having the puck bounce off This guy’s fine for a few minutes a night. He’s solid defensively. He can of him on the way to the better players. Is that enough to earn him a spot bank a goal off a skate every now and then. He can even kill penalties in on the top line? Apparently! He probably plays Fortnite with one of the a pinch. superstars. You know who else can do that? Several dozen guys who wouldn’t cost Second line $3-million a year. You have no idea why he’s on the team, but you might The terrible contract that you’re just trying to make the best of as well get used to it because he’s signed for years to come.

Look, it was a bad signing, OK? Everybody thought so at the time, and The really skilled young prospect being miscast as a fourth-line grinder it’s turned out even worse than we thought. But we can’t do anything about that now, because the deal is also buyout-proof, so let’s just make Um … coach? This guy lit it up in junior and showed some really nice Will any of that matter? No, because he’s a goaltender, and this is the flashes in the AHL. Any chance we could move him up the lineup at all? NHL. Find a random number generator, have it spit out anything between Maybe get him some powerplay time? .880 and .940 and that’s what this guy will do this season. Does that inspire confidence? It better, because your team’s playoff hopes, the jobs No, of course not. The plan is to play him a few minutes a night on a line of everyone who works for the team and the majority of your self-esteem with two guys with no hands, then call him a bust because he’s not and personal happiness for the next 12 months are all riding on it. scoring. The backup First pair This guy is one of your favorite players, just as long as he never has to The stud play in any game that actually matters.

This guy is super good, and he can do it all. Eat big even-strength That’s the team. And you know what? They’re looking good. I really think minutes? Yep. Quarterback the powerplay? Sure thing. Kill penalties? this roster is going to surprise a few people. Playoffs? Definitely. You know it. He’s good in both ends, he racks up a decent amount of Something more than that? I mean, you can’t rule it out. As long as points and he might even get himself a few Norris votes. He’s not perfect, everybody stays completely healthy and every player has a career year but he’s easily one the most important players on the entire team. and all the bounces go their way, they should be fine. Let the cynical The guy who gets all the credit for the stud media and pessimistic fans focus on the negative. You’re feeling good about this. And you’re going to feel that way all summer long. At some point, the entire fan base decided that this guy was the real reason that The Stud is so good. Sure, he might not be “flashy,” or “eye- (You will hate this entire team by the first commercial break in the first catching,” or have “actually touched the puck in three seasons.” But real period of the first game.) fans know that whenever a defenseman is really good, it’s all because of The Athletic LOADED: 07.23.2019 the guy who stands next to him during the national anthem.

This guy makes twice as much as he should make, and when he gets hurt midway through the season it won’t impact The Stud’s game whatsoever.

Second pair

The defenseman your dad hates

Oh, the analytics folks all love him, with his sky-high possession numbers and ability to defend zone entries. That’s fine if you’re into fancy stats and spreadsheets. But if you actually watch the games, you’ll know that this guy is a bum. And by “watch the games,” we mean “watch that one highlight where he was left to defend a 4-on-1 and we got scored on”.

There is a 90 percent chance that your dad will call or text you to complain about this guy at least once per game.

The defenseman your dad loves

He’s an old school type, a throwback to days gone by when men were men and defensemen stayed in their own zone. Can he score, or pass, or skate? No. But can he damn well handle the puck in his own zone? Also no. All he can do is block shots, cross-check opponents in the back and immediately fire any puck that comes near him off the glass and right back to the other team. Your dad is convinced that if the team’s blue line was just six of this guy, they’d never lose a game.

Third pair

The old guy who must have photos of the head coach

Remember when you were a kid and you had that tattered security blanket that you absolutely couldn’t live without and dragged everywhere with you? That’s how your coach feels about this guy. He’s terrible, but enjoy watching him be out there for the last five minutes of literally every game the team ever plays.

The one guy you have literally never heard of

I mean, you’re pretty well-informed about your team. You follow the farm team. You read the prospect reports. But you have no idea who this guy is, or why he keeps showing up on all of these previews. Did he win a contest? Is he some other guy who changed names in the offseason for some reason? Is it possible that the writer is just making him up and hoping nobody will notice?

Enjoy trying to figure it out during the two games this guy plays before the team replaces him with the first player with a pulse who hits the waiver wire.

Goaltending

The starter

It goes without saying that he’s the key to the whole season. And you feel reasonably good about him. Sure, he’s a bit of a weirdo. OK, he’s a lot of a weirdo. But that’s OK, as long as he gets results, which he should. He has a track record. The scouts love him. And apparently, he’s been working with a position coach all summer, making small adjustments to his positioning and technique that should result in improved play. 1150044 Websites And then there’s the estimated $138 million in property taxes the new district around the rink will raise for local coffers over 35 years. All told, the city benefit has been calculated by Calgary as being $400 million Sportsnet.ca / Long-awaited Flames arena deal could give Calgary during that time period, which is a lovely perk while also turning much-needed boost underutilized land into a thriving hub. (The future home of the Flames is currently a parking lot.)

All this, of course, on top of the millions the Flames raise for local Eric Francis | July 23, 2019 charities every year through their foundation.

“Significant pools of funds coming back to the city – that’s what’s different,” said King when asked how the framework of the deal changed It’s a shot in the arm the city needs. this time around. Perhaps it’s part of a turning point in an economic downturn Calgarians “There’s never any sense of us wanting to be anywhere else and you have lived with since Jiri Hudler was a Flame. can’t make that statement more boldly than having your owners write a A four-year battle to land the city a new arena/event centre appears to be cheque for $275 million. Putting in place a structure that can work is less than a week away from concluding with a common-sense resolution. everything.”

Details of the tentative agreement were unveiled at a press conference at Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and city hall Monday, at which the bottom line will show the Calgary Flames fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the ownership group will go Dutch with the city on a $550 million building to country’s most beloved game. be located a few hundred metres from the 37-year-old Saddledome. Through this agonizing process, getting rink talks out of the headlines The $275 million to be funded by Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp was as important curbing Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s involvement in the is more than double what Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz contributed process, which Coun. Jeff Davison did when forming an events centre to Rogers Place, which has transformed the city’s downtown core. assessment committee aimed at bridging the gap between the city and the Flames. The plan is for a similar injection of life to the Stampede grounds where the rink, to be ready by 2024, will kick start the building of a culture and Behind closed doors, Davison and King worked with a handful of other entertainment district that will include an outdoor festival space a la stakeholders, including the Calgary Municipal Land Corp and the Calgary Toronto’s Jurassic Park. Stampede, which owns the land, to come up with Monday’s solution.

It could wind up being the heartbeat of the city. The mayor is on board now, saying Monday that this is a good deal for Calgarians. A sign of life in a city with more than one-third of all office spaces vacant. As much of a morale boost as a new event centre and district will be for Maybe this city is open for business after all. its citizens, it’s also a huge boon for the Flames brand as players are more apt to want to play for the club, and the team will be able to A weekly deep dive into the biggest hockey news in the world with hosts generate revenue from far more streams than the ‘Dome allowed. Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. New episodes every Thursday. The city agreed to pay 90 per cent of the demolition of the Saddledome, Oh sure, there’s still time for political grandstanding. which will be a sad day for many, given its importance to the city and its However, in the end, it’s likely sanity will prevail and this city will be able iconic roof. to guarantee NHL hockey stays in town for the next 35 years, as per the Alas, nothing would have been sadder than to see the Flames play agreement. another couple years there before ripping the heart out of the city with a So what took so long? sale.

The first attempt to kick start building talks fell flat when the Flames That was the logical option for a club that needed a sensible, willing ambitious plans to shoehorn a rink, field house and football stadium into partner to keep the business viable in Calgary. the west end was stymied by city officials who dubbed it too costly. At long last, it appears to have found one. Fair enough, but say goodbye to any chance we’ll see a replacement for As King said when unveiling his club’s original arena vision in 2015, McMahon Stadium anytime soon. “Nothing easy is worth doing, and nothing worth doing is ever easy.” The city wanted the building in the Rivers District of Victoria Park, next to Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.23.2019 the Dome, and so it will be as part of the compromise that will give rise to a whole new dimension downtown.

It wasn’t that easy though.

Twenty-two months ago the Flames announced they were walking away from “spectacularly unproductive” arena talks in which the city offered to pay $185 million – roughly one-third of the cost.

Calgary Sports and Entertainment president Ken King then vowed a cone of silence on the arena situation that lasted until Monday when he spoke to reporters for five minutes.

King said the solution came only after many months of better understanding what everyone needed to get out of a deal.

The city needed to demonstrate there was public benefit to a partnership that would see the city pay for half of a building it would own, but would allow the Flames to operate and pay for upkeep.

A 2 per cent ticket tax for every Flames, Hitmen and Roughnecks game, as well as world-class concerts, will go to the city – an expected windfall of $155 million over the life of the 35-year deal.

The city will also get a piece of the revenue from the building’s naming rights, expected to be $2.5 million over 10 years.

The agreement also has the Flames increasing their funding of amateur sports to $75 million over the course of the deal. 1150045 Websites -1 standard deviation in the relative impact they have on their teammates actual goals

The latter two are important because some defenders are high-volume TSN.CA / Is there too much offence from the defence in today’s NHL? shooters but also create high volumes of shots for their teammates.

Take San Jose’s Brent Burns for example. Burns is taking nearly 31 per Travis Yost cent of San Jose’s shots while on the ice despite a shot attempt shooting percentage of 1.4. But he has a positive impact on his teammates expected and actual goals, largely due to the sheer volume of opportunities he creates. While we still may conclude Burns shoots too One of the questions I’ve wrestled with over the years is how to value much, we can separately conclude he’s having a positive impact individual offensive contributions from defencemen, particularly when it offensively. comes to goal scoring. Let’s look at the players where there is an opportunity for change: It’s an important subject because, much like forwards, there is a strong correlation between two components – usage (or, ice time) and scoring – The point here is not to conclude that these defenders aren’t contributing, and the contracts they will subsequently sign. but rather that these seven names are players who are probably shooting the puck at a cost to their team’s overall offensive production. For forwards, it’s rudimentary but somewhat defensible. Most high-end forwards tend to be great individual scorers, and scoring for forwards is a The logical next step would be to look through the video – each player much more repeatable talent. These players also tend to drive favourable has taken a few hundred shots, or thereabouts – for a further goal differentials, which helps broadly justify the contracts they sign. understanding of the how and why. From there, you could validate or reject the theory that these players are probably a bit too trigger-happy It’s a different animal for defencemen. We know that there is also when on the ice, and walk through examples where an offensive variability in shooting talent with defenders, but it’s much more difficult to sequence died earlier than it should have because of low-percentage pin down. attempts. There are a multitude of reasons for this but the most obvious is the fact The improvement in quality on the blueline over the last decade has been that they are materially further from the net, on average, when they emphatic, and there’s no doubt the position carries much more of a 200- shoot. Since we know shot distance is a relatively strong predictor foot burden than it has historically. By and large, the talent influx and variable when assessing the probability of a goal being scored, we can increased responsibilities have been good things. easily conclude that defenders, on average, are far less likely to score a goal on a given shot relative to forwards. (Add to the fact that most high- But what’s true at a broader level may not be true at a micro level. When end shooters are identified as forwards at a young age and you have an we see patterns emerge in the data, we need to understand all of the obvious talent disparity between the two groups.) costs and benefits of those shifts. In the case of at least these seven skaters, it seems likely there is an opportunity for improvement. That’s nothing new. What is new is that the modern NHL defender is tasked with much more than just clearing pucks from the defensive zone. And that might be just the tip of the iceberg. The league’s best defenders are competent in all three zones – they’re critical in suppressing zone entries and denying time and space TSN.CA LOADED: 07.23.2019 defensively, they’re leaned on to lead breakouts and transitions through the neutral zone, and they’re counted on as a relief valve during offensive zone sequences.

But as the modern defender does more, it comes with a possible opportunity cost – particularly if that defender just so happens to be a high-volume shooter. Across the league, defencemen are taking a higher percentage of shots than ever before, up about 10 per cent from a decade ago. That’s not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing in a vacuum (league wide shot rates are also up, as is goal scoring generally), but there has been considerable change observed within defencemen behaviour:

Defensive shot volume can help generate offence. Open shots with limited passing lanes can be desirable, particularly if the defender with the puck on his stick is a strong shooter. Those shots can also up rebound opportunities from deflections and/or redirects, which tend to carry higher conversion rates.

But there are also bad shots created. You don’t need me to point to examples of defenders firing wild slap shots from the point when sustaining the offensive zone pressure and continuing a cycle is probably the better option. In some of these cases, a low-percentage shot turns into a one-and-done opportunity, forcing the team to retreat and play defence.

Thinking about this further, I was curious as to see if there was a quick and easy way to isolate on defenders who are more prone to taking bad shots. There is, again, variability within the data, but we can pretty easily subset on the players who probably could afford to be a little less trigger- happy than they have been over the past two seasons (2017-19).

The average NHL defender carries a shot attempt shooting percentage of about 1.9, and the average NHL defender takes about 17 per cent of the shots available. For this exercise, we will look at all defenders meeting the following criteria:

-1 standard deviation in shooting percentage

+1 standard deviation in the percentage of on-ice shots taken

-1 standard deviation in the relative impact they have on their teammates expected goals 1150046 Websites 1. Large crop of productive forwards: Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins

2. Small crop of productive defenders: Columbus Blue Jackets, Los TSN.CA / Is the five-forward power play about to become an NHL trend? Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators and New York Islanders

Travis Yost Let's focus on that latter group for a moment. What do these teams share? The Devils were the most successful of the bunch on the power play, finishing 21st overall (18 per cent). Every other team there finished between 27th and 31st on the man advantage. So not only do they have Now that the NHL off-season is truly here – my apologies to the lingering an obvious skew in contributions from a positional view, they also have free agents who will likely find a new home in the coming days – we can an operational need to consider change. The defenders on those start to tackle some of the strategic topics we’ve had in the queue for respective teams could be victimized by something out of their control some time. Up first is the evolution of the modern-day power play from a (e.g. a coach’s preferred power play structure, or talent limitations across personnel perspective. the roster), so I pause at apportioning a respective team’s struggles on Though most hockey fans are at least vaguely aware of the shift in power the power play to one or more defensive players. play strategy, it is worth reiterating here. Since the 2015-16 season, we At the end of the day, I still think we are a ways off from seeing a five- have started to see teams more frequently deploy a four-forward lineup. forward power play become something of a regular occurrence in the The traditional three-forward setups haven’t been abandoned, but they NHL. Even a team like New Jersey – where there was a massive have become less popular across the league. positional skew in performance last season – seems unlikely to shift, There is a simple reason for this shift: four-forward power play units particularly with the addition of a defender like P.K. Subban this summer. generate more net goals per 60 minutes than their traditional three- But it tends to take just one team to upset the apple cart, and those forward counterparts. While those units will give up marginally more decisions are frequently borne from poor prior performance adhering to goals, their offensive production greatly outweighs real or perceived the status quo. At best we would be making an educated guess as to defensive limitations. what a five-forward lineup could do for a team on both ends of the ice. I liken the four-forward power play setups to similar shifts in coaching But when you are converting on only 13 or 14 per cent of your strategy, like an increased propensity in pulling goaltenders more opportunities in the current construct – well, perhaps the risk is worth aggressively when trailing late. The math supported the change, and as a further exploration. few teams started to incorporate the philosophical shift the results were compelling and obvious. TSN.CA LOADED: 07.23.2019 Back to the power play setups for a minute. There is an awful lot of context as to why teams have enveloped the fourth forward, but at a high level it’s really about having more capable offensive shooting talent in those premium scoring minutes. This, I think, raises another question: Why have we stopped at utilizing just four forwards? Is it possible that a five-forward power play makes sense in certain spots, especially on teams that may be (a) heavy on offensive forward talent; and/or (b) light on capable offensive defencemen?

While a five-forward power play sounds like a unicorn against a traditional four-man penalty kill, we have seen spots where coaches have experimented.

Just last season, the Philadelphia Flyers tried out a five-man unit in a game against the Minnesota Wild. The New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers also tried it in spots. Sadly, we have only seen it in very limited quantities over the years (and yes, that’s years – there are great examples of teams from two decades ago trying these setups out, usually out of desperation), which makes it very hard to test its feasibility.

We do have access to some underlying data points that might suggest it’s worth experimenting with. Consider: the shift from three forwards to four forwards saw a spike in shot volume of about 12 per cent and an increase in shooting percentage by about 13 per cent. Even when controlling for the drop in team save percentage, four-forward lineups generate about 1.4 net goals more than their three-forward counterparts do.

Then, start considering what we are seeing in other game states. At even strength, a significant portion of the increase in goal scoring can be tied to forwards converting on a higher percentage of their opportunities, whereas defenders – impeded by natural shooting talent, distance from the net and other factors – haven’t seen a change in their conversion rates for over a decade.

We also have indications of which teams may be in a talent surplus position amongst forwards, or talent deficient amongst defenders. Consider the below table, which shows every team’s regular power play skaters from the 2018-19 season. The table shows all players at or above replacement level based on their individual contributions to their team’s power play performance in the given year.

If the goal is to identify the teams that should consider getting creative as a start point (either based on a high number of forwards being positive power play contributors or low number of defenders being positive contributors), you would look at the following groups: