SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 8/19/2021 1191443 Coyotes' prospects to get game action against other NHL rookies in Faceoff Tournament 1191444 Arizona Coyotes to host 2021 Rookie Faceoff tournament 1191445 Bruins Banking On Forbort; Rask too? RIP Derek Sutton 1191446 Boston Bruins Still Expect Rask To Play For Them This Season 1191447 Forbort Looms Large In Boston Bruins Blueline Plans| BHN+ 1191448 Projecting a Bruins opening night lineup without David Krejci and Tuukka Rask 1191449 What I’m hearing about Dillon Dube, Nikita Zadorov and the Flames’ RFA negotiations 1191450 Blackhawks sign Entwistle to two-year extension 1191451 Nylander, Blackhawks agree to one-year contract extension 1191452 Remembering Blackhawks legend Tony Esposito: ‘Tony was a great goalie and a great human’ Colorado Avalanche 1191453 Avalanche to take part in 2021 Rookie Faceoff in September 1191454 Analyzing Avalanche prospect Drew Helleson Detroit Red Wings 1191455 How the Red Wings' defense has evolved from a weak link to a strength Florida Panthers 1191456 FHN Today: NHL allowing ads on jerseys starting in 2022 1191457 FHN+ | Zito credits Panthers players for luring Joe Thornton to Sunrise 1191458 LA Kings to participate in 2021 Rookie Faceoff in Arizona 1191459 Philip Tomasino poised to make jump to Nashville Predators after shining in development camp 1191460 Don't be surprised to see Preds prospect Farrance in NHL this season 1191461 Accomplished in Columbus, Atkinson can help Flyers in 2 big ways 1191462 The Carter Hart conundrum: What went wrong for the Flyers goalie, why he still got paid and what comes next 1191463 That empty feeling: Tenants sought for two Uptown restaurant spaces, including former TGI Fridays at arena 1191464 Penguins First Step Toward Malkin, Letang Contracts; New Rule Makes it Easier 1191465 Dan’s Daily: Penguins Important Hire, Gretzky Becomes High-Tech Collectible Seattle Kraken 1191466 The Kraken’s Jamie Oleksiak gets his own summer moment to shine along with gifted athletic family St Louis Blues 1191467 The offseason isn’t over, but is it time to be concerned about the Blues’ defense? 1191468 Lightning’s Steven Stamkos sells Davis Islands home for $16 million 1191469 Q&A with Ryan McDonagh: On his speech, broken hand and bagpipes on Day 1191474 on joining the Canucks’ front office and why the core group needs ‘to take charge and lead the wa 1191470 Peyton Krebs remains No. 1 on list of Golden Knights’ top prospects 1191471 Golden Knights to take part in Arizona prospect tournament 1191472 Golden Knights to take part in preseason rookie tournament in Arizona 1191473 What do the Caps need to improve on the most from last season? SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

1191443 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes' prospects to get game action against other NHL rookies in Faceoff Tournament

José M. Romero

Arizona Republic

Coyotes fans will get a chance to see a good deal of the organization's prospects in action next month, when the club hosts the 2021 Rookie Faceoff Tournament from September 17 through 20 at Gila River Arena and the Ice Den rink in Scottsdale.

Four Pacific Division teams — the San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks — and one Central Division team, the Colorado Avalanche, will join the Coyotes in participating in the nine-game tournament. Most games will be at the Ice Den, but all three Coyotes games will take place at Gila River Arena.

On Sept. 17, the Coyotes face Vegas at 7:30 p.m. On Sept. 19, they face the Kings at 6:30 p.m. and on Sept. 20, Arizona takes on Anaheim at noon.

The tournament features the top prospects from each participating club and was held in Las Vegas in 2018 and Anaheim in 2019. Dylan Guenther, the Coyotes' first-round draft choice last month, will be on the Arizona roster as will former draft picks Liam Kirk, who shined at the hockey world championships in May and June; defenseman Ty Emberson and 2021 second-round pick Janis Moser.

The games are a large part of the Coyotes' rookie camp, which did not take place last season due to the pandemic. There are morning skates planned for game days, with the exception, perhaps, of the finale because of its early start time. The Coyotes are scheduled to practice on Sept. 18, with no game scheduled.

The games will be streamed on the Coyotes website, but tickets are on sale for $10 each to see the games in person as well. All ticket proceeds will benefit the Arizona Coyotes Foundation in support of the Coyotes youth Learn-to-Play programs, and the team will also hold a water drive to benefit Phoenix Rescue Mission.

The Arizona Coyotes Foundation will be running a 50/50 raffle online and in-person during each game at Gila River Arena and the Ice Den Scottsdale. The tournament’s cumulative pot, which runs from Sept. 1- 20, will benefit the Foundation and the Kachina’s Girls Hockey program.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191444 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes to host 2021 Rookie Faceoff tournament

UPDATED: AUGUST 18, 2021 AT 11:57 AM

BY SAM GRAVELINE

Arizona Sports

The Arizona Coyotes announced on Wednesday the team will host the 2021 Rookie Faceoff tournament on Sept. 17-20 at Gila River Arena and the Ice Den Scottsdale.

The tournament will feature six NHL teams, including the Coyotes.

The Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights of the Pacific Division will all be a part of the tournament. The Coyotes’ new Central Division rival, the Colorado Avalanche, will be there as well.

Playing in the Rookie Faceoff, the Coyotes will be able to give fans a look at exciting prospects. The team expects the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, forward Dylan Guenther, to highlight their tournament squad.

Other Arizona prospects expected to play in the tournament are forward Liam Kirk (No. 189 overall in 2018), as well as defensemen Ty Emberson (No. 73 overall in 2018) and Janis Moser (No. 60 overall in 2021).

This marks the third time the NHL will hold the Rookie Faceoff after being held in Vegas in 2018 and Anaheim in 2019. The Coyotes were scheduled to host the tournament in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Coyotes have three games scheduled for the Rookie Faceoff, all at Gila River Arena.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191445 Boston Bruins The NHL and NHLPA have decided to allow jersey ad patches for the 2022-23 NHL season. I seriously have no issue with this and if you’re a Boston Bruins fan, you shouldn’t either because that will make it easier for the Bruins to absorb the massive cap hit that McAvoy’s contract will Bruins Banking On Forbort; Rask too? RIP Derek Sutton carry after this season. That being said, the response from Bruins and NHL fans has been quite amusing! (Twitter)

Are the so spiteful towards Jack Eichel that they may take Published 7 hours ago on August 18, 2021 less to avoid trading him to the ? (Sportsnet) By Jimmy Murphy Finally, today would’ve been Patrick Swayze’s 69th birthday. RIP Derek Sutton.

The Boston Bruins are banking on Derek Forbort to be that physical minute’s eater on the blue line but are they also banking on a Tuukka Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 08.19.2021 Rask return between the pipes?

Would Charlie McAvoy have been drafted 14th overall by the Boston Bruins at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft if Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato didn’t get a late phone call before he selected the 2013-14 USNDP team?

Could the Pittsburgh Penguins try to pry Boston Bruins defenseman, Connor Clifton, off the NHL trade market?

Wednesday was the birthday of one of the most famous hockey players in Hollywood history.

That and more in another evening edition of the BHN Puck Links:

Boston Bruins

A lot of Bruins and NHL fans laughed at me when I suggested that new Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort could become Charlie McAvoy’s partner on the team’s top defensive pairing this season. Trust me, Joe Haggerty and I disagree on stuff but this one is just too predictable folks. Haggs explains why in his latest BHN+ column. (BHN)

Make no mistake, I am a huge pro-Tuukka Rask guy but the idea of him returning to play for the Boston Bruins this season just seems strange after they signed 28-year-old goalie Linus Ullmark to a five-year, $20 million contract last month. That being said, from GM to head coach to players like defenseman Charlie McAvoy, the Bruins seem to think Rask will play for the Bruins this season. (BHN)

Speaking of McAvoy, a cool tidbit on how he almost didn’t get selected for the USNDP team back in 2013 from Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato with FOBHN (Friend of Boston Hockey Now) Andy Strickland and former NHL Cam Janssen on the latest ‘Cam and Strick Podcast’. (Cam and Strick)

National Hockey Now

In case you missed it, the Pittsburgh Penguins have hired now-former NHL agent Alec Shall as their new Director of Hockey Operations. As our buddy and pretty damn cool boss Dan Kingerski (not looking for a pay raise, I promise), pointed out, Schall’s primary responsibilities will be aiding with player contract negotiations, managing the salary cap, and assisting with other hockey-related duties.

Oh, by the way, Schall was representing Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton until he took his new gig. Clifton, as you may recall, was left exposed for the NHL Expansion Draft and has been rumored to be on the NHL Trade market. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now).

Ryan Gilbert thinks that Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher’s prints are finally on the Flyers’ roster. (Philly Hockey Now)

Elizabeth Mantha, the sister of Washington Capitals winger Anthony Mantha, will be a referee at the 2021 Women’s IIHF World Championships that kick off this Friday in Calgary and run until August 31. (Washington Hockey Now)

Could the Detroit Red Wings continue their long tradition of NHL Draft steals and see the 2021 sixth-round pick (166th overall), Pasquale Zito become a valuable part of their future? (Detroit Hockey Now)

Who’s the best first-round pick in San Jose Sharks history? (San Jose Hockey Now)

Has former Boston Bruins Asst GM and current Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning had one of the best offseasons in 2021 for the Vancouver Canucks? (Vancouver Hockey Now)

NHL 1191446 Boston Bruins Rask’s teammate Charlie McAvoy also seems to think the Ullmark signing didn’t signal the end of the Rask era as well, but rather a welcomed dilemma to have for a team that still has Stanley Cup aspirations. Boston Bruins Still Expect Rask To Play For Them This Season “It’s a luxurious problem to have,” the Bruins’ top defenseman said at the Smashfest Charity Ping-Pong Challenge recently. “We have great depth at the goalie position. We have Swayman and Ullmark, and Tuukka is Published 13 hours ago on August 18, 2021 rehabbing now … and we absolutely love ‘Tooks,'” McAvoy said. “I think By Jimmy Murphy he’s the best in the NHL. So if you’re able to bring him back into the fold, like I said, it’s a luxurious problem to have. I’m really excited to start the season [with the goalies we have] and then, you know, possibly get Tuukka back at some point.” When the Boston Bruins signed goalie Linus Ullmark to a five-year, $20 million contract on July 28, many NHL pundits and fans alike felt that An email to Rask’s agent Markus Lehto Wednesday morning for an meant there would be no way that longtime Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask update on Rask’s health and status as a UFA had not been returned. would play for the Bruins again. In fact, probably half of the Bruins fan Until he or Rask speak, we won’t know what the future holds for Rask base and a good portion of the Boston media celebrated the very real and the Boston Bruins but it sure sounds like the Bruins believe Rask will chance that after 12 seasons, 10 as a starter, Rask’s career with the be back in Black and Gold at some point in the upcoming season. Bruins and likely in the NHL, was seemingly coming to an end. As far as the Boston Bruins are concerned though, not so fast.

Despite Rask, 34, not being able to return from recent surgery for a torn Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 08.19.2021 labrum until at least January, and being an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NHL career, the Boston Bruins not only continue to leave the door open for his return but also seem to be cautiously factoring him into their plans for the 2021-22 season.

This was Bruins general manager Don Sweeney in his media Zoom call July 28, just hours after signing the 28-year-old Ullmark and trading away goalie Dan Vladar for a 2022 third round pick:

“Fortunate to have the opportunity to bring a goaltender at a primary age with experience,” Sweeney said of Ullmark just hours after signing the former Buffalo Sabres netminder. “We just think where we were currently sitting with two young , we needed to be prepared and allow Tuukka [Rask] all the time he needs to get healthy. He just had surgery, spoke to him this morning, doing very well. Just have to go through the process and go from there. I think we’ve always left the door open for Tuukka to return, and I think it just allows Jeremy [Swayman] to continue to progress at a natural rate, but also give him the opportunity to be at the NHL level.

As you can see, we gave Daniel [Vladar] an opportunity to go to Calgary and establish some stuff there. They were excited to have him. It was a little bit of a musical chairs shuffle, but for all the right reasons we just felt we’ve had very strong goaltending. We want to continue to have that, and it was a unique opportunity to explore having Linus join our group and we’re excited about that.”

Rask has been adamant that if he doesn’t sign with the Boston Bruins again, that will be it for his NHL career but health-permitting, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy doesn’t think that NHL career is over yet.

“I do,” Cassidy told TSN 1200 (Ottawa) last week when asked if he believes that Rask will play in the NHL again. “I think that’ll be his call at the end of the day.”

So if Rask will only play for the Boston Bruins and Cassidy thinks he will play again, then unless there’s something other than health that prevents him from playing for the Bruins again, Rask will be back in a Bruins uniform likely by the time the NHL pauses for the Winter Olympics (Feb. 5-22) or by the time the leagues resumes action right? So then with hot- shot prospect Jeremy Swayman as the back-up and seemingly the Bruins’ starter for the future, would the Boston Bruins sign a goalie in his prime to a five-year contract and not just bring in a stop-gap until Swayman’s ready?

“It’s a good five-month rehab, so we did not want to wait and say, ‘OK, Tuukka will come back.’ What if the rehab doesn’t go well? Anything could happen,” Cassidy said. “So we identified a guy that we thought would be a good young goaltender in this league for years to come, and we happened to have one who kind of surprised us last year in Swayman [with] how quickly he developed, so we just figured we’ll start with those two.

If Tuukka wants to play and it looks like he’s gonna play, well that’s a good problem to have and we’ll sort it out in the second half of the year. But all indications from [Rask] are that he thought he still had some hockey left in him but was gonna have the surgery and go from there. So it’s a little bit up in the air right now.” 1191447 Boston Bruins “Clifton has a great shot to be that regular guy on the right side. He shots right and he’s gotten better every year, and now with a bit of an opening there we’ll see if he can take advantage of it. We also have Vaak, Zboril and John Moore that shoot left, but have played the right side. We don’t Forbort Looms Large In Boston Bruins Blueline Plans| BHN+ want to give any spots away, so there is certainly going to be some competition. But Derek was brought in with the intention of competing for

big minutes on this team. We know he can kill penalties and has a decent Published 14 hours ago on August 18, 2021 first pass, and we know he’s a great teammate from everything we’ve heard. So he could be a great compliment to Charlie McAvoy, but is he By Joe Haggerty ready to handle that every night? Time will tell. I think you’ll see some pieces to move around and hopefully stay healthy.”

It’s a mighty blow to fancy stats folks everywhere, and the scores of The $9 million question for the Boston Bruins is whether they’ve done fanatical Boston University alums out there, that a Grzelcyk/McAvoy enough on the back end after it was a clear and present problem during pairing isn’t going to become a thing. But Grzelcyk is one of those classic last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs. cases where things borne out in fancy possession stats simply don’t hold With Kevan Miller and Brandon Carlo knocked out of the lineup against water when things get nasty in the postseason. the New York Islanders, there were times when Charlie McAvoy had to Can Forbort handle the heavy lifting for the Black and Gold? carry the entire Bruins back end as Isles players chipped away at him physically over the six game series. Clearly McAvoy was brilliant during Well, Forbort was fifth in the NHL with 115 blocked shots (McAvoy led the entire playoffs for the B’s and was arguably their best player while the Boston Bruins with 80 blocked shots last season) and led Winnipeg finishing up with 12 points in 11 games while topping 26 minutes of ice last season with 2:43 of shorthanded ice time per game. He isn’t quite time per game. the scowling deterrent that Miller was instilling fear into opponents, but the 6-foot-4, 219-pound defenseman certainly isn’t afraid to stir things up But McAvoy was also minus-5 in the last three games, all losses, against a bit. the Islanders as the Bruins fell in that series. It felt like the Islanders did a successful job of wearing him down over time without fear that other B’s “When things started heating up with Boston, I said, ‘Yeah, that’s where I defenders were going to make them pay. The Islanders were able to want to go. I love that city. I’ve heard it’s an unbelievable group of guys,” stifle smaller D-men like Grzelcyk and Mike Reilly with their Identity said Forbort, who picked fellow Minnesota native Karson Kuhlman’s brain Line’s bruising style of play, and a consistent approach to make Boston’s about the Boston Bruins ahead of choosing them in free agency with a defensemen pay the price. Once bigger, stronger bodies like Carlo and three-year, $9 million contract. “They had a need for defensive Miller, that routinely retrieved pucks as heavy forecheck contact was defensemen with size. Just kind of worked out.” coming, were removed from the equation, the job was made that much easier. Will Forbort pan out for the Bruins as a reliable shutdown defenseman after getting inconsistency from Lauzon (youthful mistakes) and Miller The offseason made matters worse as the rugged, intimidating Miller (injury problems) last season? The B’s are taking a “hope for the best, retired due the physical toll on his body during a seven season NHL prepare for the worst” approach, which is usually the most pragmatic way career, and the big, strong Jeremy Lauzon was plucked away during the to view most things in life. Seattle Kraken expansion draft. The Bruins lost their muscle, snarl and backbone with Miller and Lauzon gone, so a couple of things became “The exciting part of this year is that there’s going to be some new people very clear: A) the Bruins absolutely needed to make sure they locked up that we’re relying on, and we think that they’re up to the task. Time will Carlo for the foreseeable future as the last shutdown defenseman tell,” said Cassidy. standing and B) they needed to add back end beef. Time will absolutely tell, but there’s little doubt adding Forbort and a full They did exactly that with free agent defenseman Derek Forbort. season of Reilly on the left side are going to make the Bruins better after they clearly struggled at times last season following the departures of He wasn’t the sexiest name on the free agent market to be sure, and Zdeno Chara and . That’s a good place to start for a young, Forbort wasn’t going to be a seismic add to the NHL roster as other improving blueline group with an impact player on the verge of greatness names around the league like Seth Jones and Dougie Hamilton were in McAvoy. during NHL free agency. He wasn’t even the most widely linked name to the Bruins as others like Alec Martinez and Jamie Oleksiak preempted Boston’s interest by choosing different destinations. Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 08.19.2021 But Forbort absolutely fits a need for the Bruins as a big, strong, tough defenseman that will block shots, kill penalties and do all the dirty work Boston was short on against the Islanders in the playoffs. He’ll also free up McAvoy to be even more of an offensive playmaker after the No. 1 defenseman was weighed down by his heavy responsibilities against the Islanders this past spring.

The Bruins also saw what the rest of us saw during the postseason, and at times during the regular season as well: Grzelcyk is better off in a third pairing role where he flourished prior to Torey Krug’s departure. It’s part of the season why they talked about the need for “aggressive” help on the back end after losing several regulars from the roster. The lighter workload is required for a 5-foot-9, 174-pound defenseman and defensive matchups against top line offensive players turned out to be too much of a consistent ask from Grzelcyk as well.

“We all know Gryz and Charlie can play together. It didn’t work as well in the playoffs as we would have liked. There’s a lot of demands on Grzy, so we brought in a guy in [Derek] Forbort that’s bigger and more of a defender than Gryz. I shouldn’t say that…he’s a bigger defender, a different type of defender,” said Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “So we want to see how that would look with Charlie. Now whether he can do that every night or not remains to be seen. That’s a big ask. But we know Gryz can slot in there at times. So I think you’ll see some toggling [of D-men up and down the lineup]. We did not see a lot of [Mike] Reilly with Charlie and we probably won’t. I think he was a good fit with Carlo and Clifton. So I think we’ll see, Gryz and Forbort, move up and down with Charlie and we’ll see how it all best works out. 1191448 Boston Bruins • The Bruins prefer Trent Frederic to play center, his natural position. But they may feel better about Nosek, also a natural center, starting the year in the middle.

Projecting a Bruins opening night lineup without David Krejci and Tuukka • Also in the mix for bottom-six work: Karson Kuhlman, Chris Wagner, Rask Anton Blidh, Oskar Steen, Cameron Hughes.

The lines are fluid. The defensive pairs, in comparison, appear more certain: By Fluto Shinzawa Defense Aug 18, 2021 LD RD

Derek Forbort On Oct. 16, the Bruins will open a regular season in a manner they’ve not experienced in 15 years: Rolling out a lineup missing David Krejci and Charlie McAvoy Tuukka Rask. Mike Reilly The door is open, per general manager Don Sweeney, for Krejci and Brandon Carlo Rask to rejoin the 2021-22 Bruins. It remains to be seen what degree of physical and mental readiness both veterans will be in by then, to say Matt Grzelcyk nothing of where the Bruins will be in their playoff fight. Connor Clifton As for the latter, the Bruins’ fate will depend on how stable their opening night lineup will stay throughout the season. Injuries, especially on • Peanut butter and jelly do not go as well together as Matt Grzelcyk and defense, partly guided the Bruins to their second-round exit. But in Charlie McAvoy. They will be a pair at some point, either full-time or retrospect, they were also compromised by how poorly they transitioned situationally when the Bruins require offense. But to start, the Bruins want from the farewells of Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug. In that way, their to explore the shutdown potential of McAvoy with Derek Forbort on his upcoming season could end even sooner if the holes Krejci and Rask left flank. leave behind are not filled adequately. • The day he signed his three-year, $9 million extension, Mike Reilly said Up front, here’s how a Krejci-less attack may look: he’s seeking early chemistry with Brandon Carlo in training camp. That should be the plan. Forwards • During the shifts he’s not sharing with McAvoy, Grzelcyk will most likely LEFT WING CENTER RIGHT WING ride with Connor Clifton. This will give the Bruins three lefty-righty pairs.

Brad Marchand • Contending for depth roles: John Moore, Jakub Zboril, Urho Vaakanainen, Brady Lyle. Patrice Bergeron As for the no-Rask netminding: David Pastrnak Goalies Taylor Hall G Charlie Coyle Jeremy Swayman Craig Smith Linus Ullmark Jake DeBrusk • The Bruins invested $20 million in Linus Ullmark, which is not Erik Haula insignificant. But if Jeremy Swayman shows anything in camp resembling Nick Foligno his 10-game 2020-21 segment, the Bruins will have no choice but to declare the kid their starter. Trent Frederic • Troy Grosenick will be first up from Providence in case of injury. Tomas Nosek

Curtis Lazar The Athletic LOADED: 08.19.2021 • Assuming good health, the No. 1 line is not doing anything but playing together. Of course, this invites opponents to sic their top defensive performers on Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. It’s where the other lines have no choice but to pull their weight.

• Charlie Coyle will be at the head of the line to take Krejci’s shifts. Like Krejci, Coyle is a right-shot center. They both prefer to handle the puck — Krejci with craftiness, Coyle via pure possession. The 29-year-old Coyle has never fulfilled second-line performance, either in Boston or Minnesota. But he will have the help of Taylor Hall, who is a line-driving left wing.

• Bruce Cassidy declared Jake DeBrusk as his No. 3 left wing. Whether the coach’s pronouncement holds true is unknown. Chatter persists that his hometown Oilers remain interested, and Calgary to a lesser degree. The Bruins would be trading low on DeBrusk. But Erik Haula, Nick Foligno and Tomas Nosek, three of their free agency pickups, are all left- shot forwards like DeBrusk. By removing part or all of DeBrusk’s $3.675 million average annual value, the Bruins would make space for Krejci and/or Rask.

• If the Bruins deal DeBrusk, Foligno could move to his strong side. This would vacate a spot for Jack Studnicka to play right wing. 1191449 Calgary Flames In terms of his next contract, we are looking at a pretty small sample size of games (73), and a very up-and-down entry-level contract. So finding comparables isn’t easy.

What I’m hearing about Dillon Dube, Nikita Zadorov and the Flames’ RFA Something like Ethan Bear’s two-year, $2 million-per-year deal comes to negotiations mind, with somewhat similar production. There are also plenty of players with similar stats on closer to $1 million deals but don’t have the same ceiling as Valimaki. If the Flames want to show that they believe in Valimaki and still see him as part of the future, signing him to a near By Hailey Salvian league-minimum deal wouldn’t be a great vote of confidence. Aug 18, 2021 One interesting deal I found, albeit an outdated one, was the two-year contract TJ Brodie signed with the Flames in 2013 that carried a $2.125 million AAV. At that point in his career, Brodie had scored 28 points in As the Flames work to check boxes on their offseason to-do list, one 104 games, similar to Valimaki’s totals. major item remains a work in progress — re-signing their restricted free agents. If I had to guess, Valimaki probably comes closer to Haydn Fleury than Bear. But, like Dube, his next contract should start to look better after To date, five RFAs — Tyler Parsons, Oliver Kylington, Luke Philp, (hopefully) two healthy seasons with steps in the right direction. With Matthew Phillips and Colton Poolman — have signed one-year, two-way these two, we should find out soon. contracts. Dominik Simon and Artyom Zagidulin were not qualified and became free agents last month. Carl-Johan Lerby and Alexander Yelesin Nikita Zadorov were extended qualifying offers by the Flames, but have reportedly As mentioned, Zadorov filed for arbitration and has a hearing scheduled signed in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and Kontinental Hockey for Aug. 26. League (KHL), respectively. In a text to The Athletic on Aug. 1, Zadorov’s agent, Dan Milstein, said That leaves six RFAs for the Flames, including NHL-rostered players in they filed due to how recently the Flames had acquired him via trade with Dillon Dube, Juuso Valimaki and Nikita Zadorov, as well as Connor Chicago in late July. Mackey, Glenn Gawdin — who could push for NHL spots this season — and Justin Kirkland. “There wasn’t enough time to negotiate a new contract with the Flames,” he said in a statement also posted to Twitter. “Discussions are ongoing One source told The Athletic that some deals, for Dube and Valimaki for and both sides are hopeful to have a contract in place soon.” example, could be done this week while a new contract for Zadorov could come sometime before his arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug. 26. That was more than two weeks ago. And it doesn’t sound like there have been serious talks between the two sides. That could change very Let’s take a look at what some of the key RFAs might end up signing for. quickly this week, especially with the clock ticking toward Zadorov’s Dillon Dube, Juuso Valimaki arbitration date, which is still eight days away.

Of the Flames’ group of RFAs, Dube and Valimaki are arguably the most And we might not even get that far. Typically, an arbitration date is the important pieces for the Flames. Both players have been tapped as impetus to get a deal done. History would suggest that’s the case in future core pieces for the team with high ceilings in their respective Calgary. positions. The Flames haven’t gone to arbitration since 2018 when Brett Kulak was They are both likely to sign two- (maybe three-) year deals as soon as awarded a one-year, $900,000 deal. Between 2009 and 2020, 18 Flames the end of this week. players filed for arbitration — 17 of them reached settlements with the team. This offseason, 20 players league-wide filed for arbitration. All but Let’s start with Dube. Zadorov and Philadelphia’s Travis Sanheim have settled before their hearings. He’s a great skater, can make plays with pace and projects to be a top- six forward. He was used up and down the lineup at different points of But, as Zadorov’s hearing looms, it’s worth wondering what his next the season while also dealing with some injuries early on and healthy contract could look like. scratches under Darryl Sutter. But he had a career-high 11 goals and 22 points in 51 games, which is a 17-, 35-point pace over 82 games in Considering Zadorov is just one year from unrestricted free agency, he what should have been his first “full” NHL season after spending time has a bit more leverage than the average RFA. If this heads to with the in 2018-19 and 2019-20. arbitration, he’d get a one-year award and walk right to free agency in 2022. The Flames just gave up an asset (a 2022 third-rounder) for Using his age, position and statistical profile, there are some pretty clear Zadorov, and they aren’t likely to want to lose him after one season. But comparables for Dube that suggest he’s due for a two-year deal worth at the team also won’t want to commit too much term or money with young least $2 million per year. In 121 NHL games played over his entry-level players coming up and bigger priorities to come on the books (e.g., contract (ELC), Dube has 18 goals and 43 points. That’s very close to Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau and Mangiapane extensions). Andrew Mangiapane’s production (45 points in 122 games) before signing his two-year deal worth $2.425 million last year. Of course, that The Flames, as usual, will need to find a balance on this contract. was Mangiapane’s second contract out of his ELC after sitting out and Zadorov’s qualifying offer from Chicago was $3.2 million. And it’s ultimately signing for the value of his qualifying offer in 2019-20, a believed that his camp is asking for something closer to $4 million, as season in which he had 17 goals and 32 points in 68 games. reported by The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers before the Again, we can see a lot of these deals for young players are falling in the trade to Calgary. two-year, $2 million-average-annual-value (AAV) range. The ideal In this case, it’s not too hard to figure out what he might be worth — scenario for the Flames is that Dube signs a similar deal to Mangiapane’s something you can bet Milstein is preparing to present to the arbitrator that ends up being a steal when he breaks out. Then the two sides can later next week, if necessary — given how many blueliners have already start to talk about bigger contracts two years down the road. signed new deals this offseason. Valimaki is much more difficult to predict. If we skip over the massive contracts given to , Dougie After a solid 20-year-old season, he looked to be on the fast track to Hamilton and Darnell Nurse, comparable contracts for Zadorov range becoming a solid top-four defender. But a long injury layoff robbed him of anywhere between $3 million and $5 million. Below are some deals his 2019-20 season. He spent most of last season trying to find his way signed in the past few months for blueliners around Zadorov’s age (26). in the NHL again, and it didn’t go great. Valimaki mostly played on the There isn’t a perfect comparable in terms of the player or playing style — third pair and was also a healthy scratch a handful of times under Sutter. Zadorov is not Jamie Oleksiak, I am well aware — but this does give us a That said, Valimaki is only 22 years old, and one bad year isn’t enough to look at the current market for a defender. And Zadorov’s camp is aware wholly question the bright future many projected for him just one year of some of the more lucrative deals, although we should keep in mind ago. that these were UFA deals where teams typically pay more. Another fair comparable is the five-year, $4.025 million deal Marcus Pettersson signed with Pittsburgh last season. He was younger (24), but one year from UFA status at the time, like Zadorov is now.

Every contract in the table above would be considered an overpay, as per Dom Luszczyszyn’s Game Score model, which predicts Zadorov to add 0.0 wins in 2021. That’s a bottom-pair projection worth $1.6 million.

But it is not realistic to expect him to make under $2 million. And it’s worth mentioning that Zadorov should be a fit on a Flames team that improved thanks to their free-agent additions. A Darryl Sutter specialty, if you will.

Zadorov is a physical, defensive-minded player, with a tantalizing mix of size (6-foot-6, 235 pounds) and nastiness, which was appealing enough for the Flames to look past his offensive deficiencies.

We can also use Evolving Hockey’s contract projection tool here. The model’s most likely deal for Zadorov is three years at $2.8 million per season, which is closer to Dom’s model, but still pretty far from what his camp is likely looking for.

It’s likely he ends up in the $3.5 million-to-$4.5 million range on a multiyear deal, when you factor in Zadorov’s leverage with an arbitration hearing and that the Flames would be buying some of his UFA years.

Glenn Gawdin

On the surface, Gawdin’s contract should be pretty simple. Like Phillips, Poolman or other prospects, you just sign him to another one-year, two- way deal, right? Not quite.

What makes Gawdin a bit more interesting is that after this season, he will become a Group 6 UFA and will no longer be in team control. Whereas Phillips (2025), Philp (2023) or Kylington (2024), for example, all have at least two more seasons before they become free agents. So, one-year deals are risk-free. But should the Flames opt for a one-year deal with Gawdin, they risk losing him in 2022.

The organization has done a nice job with Gawdin, first signing him as a free agent in 2017 and spending the past three seasons developing him in Stockton to be ready for the full-time jump to the NHL. And this season could be when he grabs a spot out of training camp, with a potential opening on the fourth line, either at centre or the wing.

It would make little sense to invest time into a player then lose him for nothing. Unless, of course, the Flames do not believe there is a full-time NHL job for Gawdin. But that would be hard to know at this point with such a small NHL sample size — seven career games and an average of 6 minutes, 55 seconds of on-ice time.

What we do know is that in his most recent organizational ranking, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman tapped Gawdin as a “Legit NHL Player” and someone who has steadily emerged as an NHL candidate since his 2015 draft year.

Gawdin has high-end hockey sense and a high competitive level. While playing for Stockton, he developed into an all-situations player, playing on the power play, kill and relied upon for faceoffs, particularly in the defensive zone.

Gawdin was an AHL All-Star in 2019-20 and finished the season with 16 goals and 47 points in 53 games to lead Stockton in scoring. Last season, his production wasn’t nearly as high — four goals and 13 points in 22 games — but former Stockton coach (now Flames assistant) Cail MacLean said in a May interview with The Athletic that was mostly due to a shift in focus for Gawdin to improve his game on the other side of the puck, which is critically important for prospects wanting to make the jump to the NHL.

All that being said, this could easily become a non-issue. The Flames could sign Gawdin to a one-year “show-me” deal and keep him in the NHL to start the season to get a better look at his upside. If they like what they see, they can always extend him midseason. And, of course, he could always re-sign in Calgary as a UFA in 2022.

The most straightforward solution, though, would be to extend Gawdin to a multiyear extension this summer. A two-year, two-way deal could keep him with the franchise through 2023.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191450 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks sign Entwistle to two-year extension

BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS

The Blackhawks agreed to terms with forward MacKenzie Entwistle on a two-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday. His cap hit is $800,000.

The new deal ties Entwistle to Chicago through the 2023-24 season. His entry-level contract that carries a cap hit of $811,667 was set to expire at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

Entwistle, 22, registered two points (one goal, one assist) in five games with the Blackhawks last season. He spent the majority of the year on the taxi squad or with the Rockford IceHogs of the , where he accumulated four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 22 games.

Entwistle was one of nine Blackhawks to make their NHL debuts last season and one of seven to score their first NHL goal. He's likely to start the upcoming season in Rockford, given the crowded forward group.

Entwistle was originally acquired by the Blackhawks in the Marian Hossa deal on July 12, 2018. He was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the third round (No. 69 overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191451 Chicago Blackhawks

Nylander, Blackhawks agree to one-year contract extension

BY CHARLIE ROUMELIOTIS

The Blackhawks agreed to terms with pending restricted free-agent forward Alex Nylander on a one-year contract extension, the team announced Monday. His cap hit is $874,125.

Nylander, 23, missed the entire 2020-21 season with a knee injury but is expected to be ready to go for training camp in September, according to Blackhawks President/GM Stan Bowman.

"With Alex’s pedigree and being only 23-years-old, we feel as if there is still plenty of room for growth in his game," Bowman said in a statement. "He is just scratching the surface of the type of player we feel he is capable of becoming. This will be an important season for him to perform consistently and contribute offensively.

"His size and skill are a unique combination that make him an intriguing option for our coaching staff to utilize anywhere in the lineup."

Nylander was acquired by the Blackhawks in July of 2019 from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Henri Jokiharju. The former No. 8 overall pick in 2016 registered 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 65 games during his first season with the Blackhawks in 2019-20.

While he played a middle-six role with the Blackhawks one season ago, Nylander's spot on the roster isn't guaranteed. It's a crowded forward group and he'll have to earn his way into the everyday rotation.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191452 Chicago Blackhawks the area because we won tickets to the Hawks vs. Lightning, and the night before the game we decided to stop in that bar to try and catch him. To our luck, there he was, sitting at the bar chatting it up with fans like they were his best friends. Eventually, when his conversation ended, my Remembering Blackhawks legend Tony Esposito: ‘Tony was a great dad approached him because me and my friend were too nervous, mind goalie and a great human’ you we had to be around 12 years old. He got up with my dad and actually came over to our table to greet us, and my family and I spoke

with him for about 10 minutes. He signed our my hat and my mom’s By Scott Powers jersey. One of the most personable NHL players, and people for that matter, that I have ever met, and I will never forget my interaction with Aug 18, 2021 him.” — Joey Engel

“I met Tony Esposito at a signing at a local Galyan’s (before Dick’s Sporting Goods bought them out). I was likely around 11 years old at the If you’re younger than 45, the likelihood you saw Chicago Blackhawks time. Like most signings, there was a long line and limits on one goalie legend Tony Esposito at his peak in person is pretty slim. autograph per guest and security wanted to keep the line moving. When Esposito recorded 15 during the 1969-70 season. He won the we finally got to the front of the line, though, Tony didn’t really seem to in 1970, 1972 and 1974. He finished in the top 10 in the care about any of that. He was happy to sign a jersey and puck for me, Hart Trophy voting seven times, with the last one coming in 1980. He and while my mom tried to get a picture with me in front of the table while retired in 1984. he signed, very joyously he invited me behind the table with him for a proper picture and was making conversation with me. It was a brief Some millennials may have been taken at a young age to see Esposito interaction, but it left me with the impression of Tony being an incredibly at the Chicago Stadium. There would be more from Generation X who friendly and inviting person.” — Dan Bridge would recall seeing him. He’d definitely be in the wheelhouse for baby boomers. Regardless of whether you saw Esposito play firsthand, most “Tony was one of the first ‘legacy’ players I had ever met, and, boy, did Blackhawks fans have a general sense of how good Esposito was in net. he ever set the standard high. Tony was signing copies of a book at the His Hall of Fame status, his No. 35 jersey hanging from the United UC and was more than happy to take photos with any passerby. My Center rafters and just how he’s been celebrated by the Blackhawks to fiancée and I stopped to have him sign the book and take the photo, but this day has given fans, new and old, an idea of what Esposito meant to what really stuck out to me was his genuine interest in talking to us. He the organization. As always, reading Bob Verdi on Esposito is a great wanted to know what we did for a living and was elated when he found reference point to all that, too. out my fiancée was a kindergarten teacher. Even after the signing was done, he stood and talked to us for a few minutes, asking why we chose Despite that limited range of fans who actually saw Esposito play, his the careers we chose. I know it’s a mundane story, but it was the most recent passing due to pancreatic cancer shook Blackhawks fans of all memorable player encounter I’ve ever had. Such a genuine and ages. While Esposito’s on-ice excellence may have been largely known incredibly kind person.” — Justin Hedman by just reputation for a lot of fans, so many more fans over the years got to experience who Esposito was off the ice. His death was mourned for “In March 2016, the seven Paprocki brothers had supper at the Stadium the person he was maybe more than the player he was. Club before the game, and Tony Esposito was eating at the table next to us. We asked him if he’d mind taking a photo with us, and thought that Fans were recently asked to share their memorable interactions with would be the end of our encounter. But Tony came over to our table Esposito. The following stories paint a picture of someone who loved life, multiple times before we were done eating. I think he wanted to hang out was giving of his time, enjoyed telling stories immensely and always with us. Once he questioned what was up with all the little appetizer wanted fans to leave his presence happy. plates my brothers were using and pointed to my dinner plate filled with “My grandpa Lou Cuddy used to work security back in the day when beef, shrimp, lamb, etc., and said, ‘Now that’s how you do it!’ A little later Tony, Stan (Mikita), Bobby (Hull) and all the other legends were in their he stopped by again and liked that we all had beers, and he wanted to prime. My grandpa grew very close to these guys and they all had great know who the big beer drinker of the group was. Of course, all fingers relationships together. Back in 2007 or 2008, I got the opportunity to pointed to me right away. The next time he stopped by we asked him meet Mr. Esposito at the Blackhawks Convention. After a few days about his championship ring. Instead of just showing us the ring, he searching for him, my grandpa pointed out Tony to me and I approached proceeded to fake-punch me in the cheek with it. Finally, as dinner was him for an autograph. I knew it was a long shot since they haven’t seen winding down, I felt two hands massaging my shoulders. It was Tony each other in years, but I asked Mr. Esposito if he knew my grandpa. He again, just wanting to see how we all were doing. I kind of wanted to ask looked at me perplexed because why would he know some random kid’s him if he’d like to play poker or go bowling with us some time. I think he grandpa, but he then asked, ‘Well, son, what is his name?’ I told him who might have joined us.” — Al Paprocki my grandpa was and his eyes lit up as this was a name he hadn’t heard “I was a season-ticket holder for the Blackhawks, and a friend worked at in years. I pointed him in the direction of my grandpa and they were able Wirtz Beverage. He invited me for lunch with Tony O. It was just the three to chat with each other and catch up. of us. I grew up in New York loving the Rangers in the late ’60s and early “Ever since that day, I have had the utmost respect for Mr. Esposito. He ’70s. The lunch lasted three hours. We discussed players from the took the time out of his day to greet me and talk to my grandpa even Original Six, and he had story after story. He was so entertaining. He was when hundreds of people were hounding him for pictures and enjoying the stories, and we just kept talking. At another Blackhawk autographs. Hands down, an all-around guy and I am grateful that I was function, I introduced him to my wife and he could not have been nicer. able to meet him and have such a good memory.” — Ryan Cuddy Quality individual that loved people and loved hockey. I will never forget the lunch and his personality.” – Kelly Cunningham “So before I had my son and before COVID, I was an avid attendee of the Hawks convention, every summer, all days. First year, we didn’t even “I was 13 in the fall of 2004 when I saw in the newspaper that Tony was get a hotel room, we just slept around the hotel. Anyway, we would wait going to be at a signing event at a Home Depot in Glendale Heights. I by the back door at the hotel waiting for players to come in or out, and talked my dad into taking my sister and me there. We stood in line in the Tony Esposito was coming back from dinner — he told us we should drywall aisle starting at noon. The line moved slowly and we were order some! – and at the time there were probably 25-30 people outside worried we wouldn’t be able to see him, as the event was supposed to with my friend and I. He stopped and talked to EVERY SINGLE PERSON end at 2. Shortly before 2, a Home Depot employee came and said Tony that was standing outside. He signed whatever, took photos, listened to had canceled his flight to stay and greet the fans who were still in line. I people’s stories, responded and shared his own stories. He never one thought that was really kind of him. When we got to meet him, at 4 p.m., time made anyone feel like they were inconveniencing him by taking up we found out why the line moved so slowly; he was genuinely enjoying his time. He truly loved the fans and will always be remembered as an chatting with the fans and getting to know them. We were supposed to INCREDIBLE player and a true class act.” – Kate Halterman only get one picture of him signed, but he saw I brought a jersey and trading card and he gladly signed them both. Then he posed for a picture “I had the pleasure of meeting Tony in a local bar in St. Pete Beach with my dad, sister and me. Florida, just outside of Tampa. It’s right down the street from a place that I have stayed with my family for years, and we had just recently found out Fifteen years later, I went with my family to a Blackhawks vs. Red Wings that he lived nearby and frequented this bar. I actually happened to be in game at the to celebrate my grandpa’s 80th birthday. We went out for dinner after the game. As we were being led to our table by the hostess, Tony and his wife walked in the front door. I stopped my grandpa and said we should go say hi. He and Tony chatted for a bit about what it is like to grow old. Tony said his secret to staying healthy is to keep moving. Later, when we were seated at our table, Tony came to find us and gave my grandpa a Blackhawks winter hat as a birthday present. It was a giveaway from a previous game, but he treasures the hat to this day. He also took Tony’s advice to heart; he’s gone for a couple walks around the block every single day since then. Tony was a great goalie and a great human.” — Ben Jenkins

“Me and my daughter met him at the Hawks store on Michigan Avenue. Didn’t know me from a hole in the ground, but still asked me how I was, what I did for a living. He talked to us for about 10 minutes. Most authentic former athlete I have ever met.” — Bill Demma

“Some years ago, I attended a sports card show at St. Joseph High School because Tony was the autograph guest. Bought my tickets and waited in line with everyone else. However, the line didn’t move quickly. The promoters finally had to tell Tony to talk less with the fans because the line wasn’t moving. Finally got my turn. Tony signed my Northland goalie stick, picture and card. Shook my hand and was very friendly to me. I had, at last, met my childhood hero.” – Mike Walsh

“Back in 2013, I won a Chicago Tribune raffle and the grand prize was two tickets to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and a pre-game dinner with a Blackhawks ambassador. We showed up to the Stadium Club and Tony walked in the door. He was as gracious as ever. I think Tony was really happy that my friend and I were normal guys that did not want to bug him about hockey. Tony was a talker and had a LOT of opinions. Tony said that when he came in for games, the Hawks would put him up at the Hotel Lincoln. He went on for about 10 minutes about all the yuppies and how everyone had a dog. He could not get over how everyone had a dog. We spoke briefly about hockey, but he said that his brother was the best hockey player he ever saw. At the end of the dinner, he made sure my friend and I left with two drinks each because he said, ‘I think those are like 20 bucks inside.’ As he was leaving, he told my friend and I, ‘Good luck dodging the strollers and dogs in Lincoln Park.’”– Adam Maciorowski

“I live in Markham, , which is a border city to Toronto. I have been a Blackhawks avid fan for over 50 years, I’m currently 61, and I’m fortunate enough that I attend most of the Blackhawks games in Toronto. In fact, once a year I was lucky enough to sit first row behind the Blackhawks bench in Maple Leaf Gardens, no glass between the players and fans back then. (I still have) a ticket from October 11, 1975, and of course, Tony was in net.

“In 2011, I had the distinct honor and pleasure to meet Tony Esposito at Frozen Pond, a local sports memorabilia store. Tony was there with Phil signing autographs. I brought my Tony bobblehead which he graciously signed, and he asked me if I was at the game in which it was given out. I also showed him the sweatshirt from Tony Esposito Night on March 19, 2008. We spent at least 15 minutes talking about his successful career, major milestones and achievements. In fact, he asked me about my family and what I did for a living, such a down-to-earth person. There is no question that Tony was the greatest Blackhawks goaltender of all time. He revolutionized the game and his record of 15 shutouts in a single season will stand forever.” — Joel Lustig

The Athletic LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191453 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche to take part in 2021 Rookie Faceoff in September

By Aarif Deen

August 18, 2021

The Avalanche’s rookies are set to return to on-ice action in less than a month.

Colorado will participate in the 2021 Rookie Faceoff in Arizona from Sep. 17-20 and will be joined by the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings.

Listen to “Cup Contenders” on Spreaker.

Each team will play three games. All of the Avs’ contests will be played at Ice Den in Scottsdale.

The Avalanche open the rookie tournament against Los Angeles at 4 p.m. MT on the 17th before taking on the Ducks (Sep. 19 at 5 p.m. MT) and Sharks (Sep. 20 at 10 a.m. MT).

This is the fifth time that Colorado has taken part in a rookie tournament. The team hosted and won the inaugural Rookie Showcase in 2016 in Westminster before participating in the Sharks’ Prospect Showcase in 2017, the 2018 Vegas Rookie Faceoff and the 2019 Rookie Faceoff in Anaheim.

Rosters for the rookie showcase and full training camp — which is expected to follow this tournament — have yet to be announced.

NHL Approves Jersey Advertisements

Jersey advertisements are coming to the NHL.

The NHL Board of Governors reportedly voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the use of advertisements on jerseys starting with the 2022-23 season.

Ads on NHL jerseys are approved for the 2022-23 season, a source confirmed to ESPN.

Each team would be allowed to put sponsor patches on both their home and away jerseys, similar to what is seen in the NBA. The NHL, which has yet to make an official announcement, approved helmet ads for the 2020-21 season and later confirmed that they are here to stay moving forward.

According to Sportico, the new jersey ads can measure up to 3.5×3 inches.

The NBA’s ads, which began in 2017-18 when Nike became the league’s official apparel company, have brought in over $150 million in revenue.

milehighsports.com LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191454 Colorado Avalanche

Analyzing Avalanche prospect Drew Helleson

Published 14 hours ago on August 18, 2021

By Adrian Dater

When you think about top Colorado Avalanche defensive prospects, it’s easy to forget the name Drew Helleson. After all, Bo Byram and Justin Barron – both first-round picks who played on World Junior Canadian teams – are already in the pipeline. But make no mistake: Helleson is very much a part of the Avs’ future.

Colorado drafted Byram fourth overall, in 2019, and Barron in the first round in 2020. Helleson, some thought, might be taken in the first round as well in 2019, but he slipped to No. 47 in the second round. The Avs were quite pleased he was still available at that pick.

The defenseman played for the U.S. at the Under-20 World Juniors, where he would win gold. He completed his sophomore year at Boston College in 2021, following a successful showing for the U.S. in Edmonton for the WJC, where the Americans beat the Canadians for the gold medal.

Helleson is a strong skater and exudes patience with the puck. At the time he was drafted, he was described by EliteProspects.com as a “capable defensive defenseman with an impressive compete-level and really good hockey sense. Skates well and is a decent puck handler, but stands out as a solid defenseman who rarely makes mistakes and can shut down the top players on the opposing team.”

Scouts don’t seem to have changed their opinion of him much since.

While he played just 22 games for Boston College last season, he scored four goals and had 11 assists – a very robust point-per-game average of .70. Of course, his game will only continue to improve but, given the impressive youth the team already has on the back end, the right-shot D- man will have to wait a bit still before getting a realistic shot with the Avs. The Avs are already favorites for the Stanley Cup next season at Fox Bet sportsbook.

Helleson is slated to go back to BC for his junior season, but don’t be surprised if he signs a pro deal with the Avs at the end of the Eagles’ campaign. After that, he would likely become another Eagle – a Colorado Eagle.

The Avs are loaded with defensive talent and he might have to wait another two or three seasons before getting a real chance in the lineup. You’ve still got D such as Cale Makar, Devon Toews and Sam Girard, all in the their 20s still. Then there’s Byram, who should be a regular in the top six this season. These are good problems to have as an organization, and quite possibly, that’s the best thing for Helleson’s development, too. If you rush a D-man too fast, it can have dire consequences.

“I want to be a little bit more offensive, you know, join the rush a little bit and contributing more in that aspect,” he said back in 2019. “I think the D-game is my strength, so if I can become a little bit more of a two-way defenseman then that will be big for me. I’m in no rush to get there. When I’m there, I want to make sure I’m ready and prepared for it. So if that takes three or four years, then that’s what it is. If it’s next year, two years — it doesn’t bother me. I just want to make sure I’m ready to be there and once I get there, I want to be able to contribute — that’s the goal.”

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191455 Detroit Red Wings But the unit might have even more talent and flexibility heading into 2021-22.

"You're not winning without a good D-core, and once you are a solid How the Red Wings' defense has evolved from a weak link to a strength defensive hockey team, you're going to be competitive, and you can win a lot of nights," Yzerman said.

Leddy's impact TED KULFAN | The Detroit News Leddy is in his prime, has been a potent offensive defenseman throughout his career, and is a significant addition to a team that is looking to be competitive in the standings. Detroit — How the Red Wings’ defense has evolved over the last 17 months is startling. Leddy provides veteran presence, skill, and should improve the power play. Simply comparing the two Wings’ lineups from then to now, you see you it plainly. "We're excited, obviously, with Nick. It adds a player who's been a legit top-four defenseman for a long time in this league," Blashill said. "I've Here is how was playing on defense for the Wings on March 10, 2020, known Nick a long time as a player. Obviously an excellent skater. The against Carolina, the last Wings’ game before the pandemic would people that I know in New York say he's an excellent person. temporarily shut sports down two days later: Alex Biega, Madison Bowey, Trevor Daley, Jonathan Ericsson, Filip Hronek and Gustav Lindstrom. "He's been part of an organization that wins in a fashion that we're going to have to win like. We're excited about it. We believe we're on the The healthy scratch was Cody Goloubef, who played sparingly for the upswing and when you add players like Nick Leddy, it hopefully Wings in the month he was with the team. accelerates that a little bit." It’s a mix of young players learning on the job (Hronek, Lindstrom), Here comes Seider? journeymen defensemen clawing to stay in the NHL (Biega, Bowey), and two veterans past their prime (Daley, Ericsson). Moritz Seider has been one of the top two or three prospects not in the NHL for the past two seasons. In 17 months since, general manager Steve Yzerman has transformed the defense into an NHL-quality unit. Seider, 20, projects as a top-pairing defenseman who can anchor the Wings’ defense for a decade. Seider had a superb season playing in Barring injuries in training camp, the Wings have an extremely Sweden this past winter, and progressed steadily as a rookie pro in the competitive defense unit heading into opening night of the 2021-22 AHL playing in Grand Rapids two seasons ago. season. All indications are that Seider is ready for the NHL. Nick Leddy, Dany DeKeyser (who essentially missed that entire 2019-20 season due to back surgery), Marc Staal, Jordan Oesterle, Hronek, But, given the way the Wings’ defense looks, the Wings aren’t Lindstrom, Troy Stecher and, likely, Moritz Seider, will comprise the necessarily going to just hand Seider a lineup spot. Wings’ defense. “If (Seider) is in the top six and he’s earned that spot, he’ll play,” There's little comparison between the two units. Yzerman said. “I’m not sure if he’s not in the top six how much we’re going to want to sit him in the press box (and not play). We anticipate him On paper, this Wings’ defense is deeper, NHL-proven, and balanced making a really good push to play." (Leddy, DeKeyser, Staal, Oesterle are left-handed shots, the others all righties), and heads into next season as a potential strength.

“We have experience, we have some depth,” Yzerman said during a Detroit News LOADED: 08.19.2021 Zoom media conference after free agency concluded. “ I like to think with our D, we’re in a little bit better position than we were a year ago.”

There are several reasons why the Wings feel so much better these days about their defense.

Adding Leddy and Oesterle, re-signing Staal

This past shortened NHL regular season saw the Wings develop a huge hole on the left side by trading away Patrik Nemeth and Jon Merrill, and with Staal headed to free agency.

Yzerman needed to rebuild the left side. Mission accomplished.

Staal, a positive veteran influence, wanted to remain with the Wings, and was re-signed before he hit the free-agent market.

Coach Jeff Blashill talked often late in the season about the positive impact Staal had, and Staal, for his part, didn't seem to want to leave the Wings.

Staal also embraces the mentor role.

"I had some great veteran players when I was coming up in New York," Staal said. "It definitely helps to lean on them and pick their brain of how you get through an 82-game schedule. It's hard for a young player to gain that consistency early on his career, so that's part of it where I'll try to help."

Leddy was a top-four defenseman for a New York Islanders team that reached the Final Four the last two seasons, and remains one of the more dangerous offensive defensemen in the league.

The Wings were better on defense during the shortened 2020-21 season than the season before, given Yzerman added Staal, Merrill, Stecher and Nemeth to the unit. 1191456 Florida Panthers

FHN Today: NHL allowing ads on jerseys starting in 2022

Published 18 hours ago on August 18, 2021

By George Richards

According to a report by Sportico.com, the NHL Board of Governors has agreed to allow ads on game jerseys starting with the 2022-23 season.

The NHL replaced team logos and wordmarks on player helmets with advertising last season; those ads will return in 2021-22.

It was assumed ads on game sweaters would be coming to the NHL sooner than later.

The NBA has allowed corporate sponsorship on their jerseys since 2017. Why wouldn’t the NHL follow suit?

According to Sportico, the NHL patch will be 3×3.5 inches.

Teams can start negotiating with prospective corporate sponsors immediately.

Last season, the Florida Panthers had the iconic Ford logo on their game helmets and Baptist Health on ones worn in practice.

When it comes to an ad on the Florida game jersey, who would you like to see?

We would think Ford is the odds-on favorite although the team has a new partnership with BMW (after all these years, Lexus is out) which could create some fun competition.

How about your favorite source for Florida Panthers news?

Leave your suggestions in the comment section.

FLORIDA PANTHERS LINKS

Florida GM Bill Zito told FHN on Monday that Joe Thornton deciding to come and continue his quest for the Stanley Cup with the Panthers is a testament to the players Florida already has. (FHN)

— The 2022 Champions League, a “first-of-its-kind youth hockey tournament,” is the only youth hockey event to have international teams face off to decide one World Champion.

And it’s coming to the IceDen in Coral Springs in December. (Panthers)

— Some guy from FHN went on a podcast to talk about the Panthers. (DKSports)

— Goldie joins the Defo Show. (WINZ)

— Zito went on NHL Network Radio. (NHLNR)

— Ryan Clark of The Athletic joins Randy and Katie to talk about the Kraken. (Panthers)

Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191457 Florida Panthers leadership will mesh well with Hornqvist. They won’t conflict. We think they’re going to work well together.

”On and off the ice, he is going to help us. Just come, be Joe and play FHN+ | Zito credits Panthers players for luring Joe Thornton to Sunrise some hockey. Have fun and play hockey. Be one of our guys.”

When it comes to where Thornton fits in on the ice, like Hornqvist, he gives Quenneville options. Published 20 hours ago on August 18, 2021 In our way-too-early lineup breakdown which published Sunday, we By George Richards penciled Thornton in as Florida’s third line center. And he may start there, sure. But he certainly will not spend an entire season playing

there. When Joe Thornton finally signed his one-year contract with the Panthers Thornton, Zito figures, will be all over the place depending on the on Friday, he said one reason he was joining the Panthers was because situation. he thought he would “be a great fit with this group.” “The beauty of it is he can almost literally play any forward position on The future Hall of Famer said that the conversations he had with general the ice,” Zito said. “Do I think he’s going to be our No. 1 center for the manager Bill Zito as well as Joel Quenneville and Roberto Luongo led whole year? No. But in a game, could he play first-line center for a few him to believe the Panthers are ready to make the next step. shifts? Yeah. Could he play fourth-line left wing? Yeah. He has the skill Watching the Panthers in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning set and the hockey ability to play anywhere and that allows both him and also got him thinking. the coaches to work together to find places to utilize him to best help the team.” “I see the team on paper, I watched the team last year,’’ Thornton said. “I love the team and that’s it. I love what they’re building and I’m excited to As for Thornton, Florida offered him a contract early on in the free be part of it. Everything is ultimately about winning the Stanley Cup and agency period and he signed the deal on Friday. the Panthers are right there. … It was a great series, and I love their When asked why he would come chase the Cup with a team that has not team. It left a big impression me.’’ won a playoff series since 1996, Thornton said he is not worried about Thornton, 42, knows he has a really small window remaining in trying to the past. win the Stanley Cup. It is the future of the Panthers that gets him excited. Zito said on Monday that Thornton deciding to come and continue his “They’re close, they really are,’’ Thornton said. “It doesn’t matter what quest for the Stanley Cup with the Panthers is a testament to the players happened in years past, this is a new team.” Florida already has.

“It is flattering but it certainly says a lot about that room and the guys on this team,” Zito told FHN. “He did a lot of work. I talked to Joe, his brother Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 08.19.2021 John is his agent, and I know he had really good conversations with Q who coached him at World Championships and Lu who he played with on those national teams. It speaks to our team that he wants to join that group and it is a nice feeling.”

Florida is, indeed, a Cup contender.

Having a respected player such as Joe Thornton say he believes that can go a long way for a Florida team seemingly poised to take the next step in its development.

Laying the odds on the Florida Panthers

“I think it reinforces the message that we have been trying to set forth since we got here and that is: Every day, we’re trying to get better,” Zito said. “Every day we’re trying to do something indivudually and collectively to get closer to winning a Cup. His addition reflects that and I hope he feels the same way.

“I think it sends the message to the guys that you have someone who loves the game, doesn’t take anything for granted and brings it every single day. That’s what our group does. Every day we’re trying to something to get closer to it.”

The Panthers are loaded at forward, strong defensively and solid in net with Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight expected to Florida’s goalie combo.

As far as where Thornton fits in, well, certainly he brings plenty of value into the locker room.

Last September, Zito acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion Patric Hornqvist in a trade for defenseman Mike Matheson and Hornqvist’s value to the team was evident from the start.

Not only did he start help change the beaten-down culture around the Panthers, but he contributed on the ice as well.

Zito said while Thornton and Hornqvist have different personalities, there is little doubt Thornton could rub off on the Florida players in the same positive sense.

“He brings leadership, experience and guidance,” Zito said. “His personality is a little bit different from Hornqvist and having Luongo around was really helpful because he said Thornton’s experience and 1191458 Los Angeles Kings

LA Kings to participate in 2021 Rookie Faceoff in Arizona

By Zach Dooley

The LA Kings will be one of six teams to participate in the 2021 Rookie Faceoff Tournament, hosted this season by the Arizona Coyotes in Glendale and Scottsdale. The Kings and Coyotes will be joined by the Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights, the same field that participated in the events hosted by Anaheim in 2019 and Vegas in 2018.

The Kings are slated to play three games during this season’s tournament, one game at Gila River Arena in Glendale, AZ, home of the Coyotes, and two at the team’s practice facility, the Ice Den, located in Scottsdale, AZ. The full event schedule for the Kings is as follows –

In the past, teams have practiced on the off day of the event, with the expectation that the Kings will do so on Saturday, September 18 with a time to be announced.

All games are scheduled to be streamed live by the Coyotes, by visiting nhl.com/coyotes/tickets/rookie-streams. Per the website, streams of all three Kings games will be available within the team’s broadcast market. Specific broadcast information will be made available closer to the event.

Tickets for the Kings game against Arizona, at Gila River Arena, are available now. Tickets are $10 apiece with general admission seating in the 18,000+ seat venue. Those tickets can be purchased HERE if interested. No information yet on the additional two games to be played at the Ice Den.

A formal roster for the Kings, and the other five participating teams, for the Rookie Faceoff will be announced later on this month, but the Kings are expected to have four first-round selections participating in the tournament – Brandt Clarke (8th overall, 2021), Quinton Byfield (2nd overall, 2020), Alex Turcotte (5th overall, 2019) and Rasmus Kupari (20th overall, 2018).

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191459 Nashville Predators

Philip Tomasino poised to make jump to Nashville Predators after shining in development camp

MIKE ORGAN | Nashville Tennessean

A youth movement is expected to be a significant component in what Nashville Predators general manager David Poile called a "competitive rebuild," and Philip Tomasino is expected to be a key young player heavily involved.

The Mississauga, Ontario, native, who turned 20 on July 28, was the 24th overall selection by Nashville in the 2019 NHL Draft and at this point is perhaps the most likely among the franchise's prospects in development camp to make the 2021-22 roster.

The camp is taking place at Centennial SportsPlex and wraps up Thursday with a Future Stars game at Ford Ice Center Bellevue.

Tomasino, a forward, said he has reached a comfort level in the organization that could help him make the leap from the American Hockey League to the NHL.

"Knowing all the guys and the staff is a lot different for sure," Tomasino said. "When I first came here I was not as comfortable as I am now. It's good to be back (at developmental camp). The first day (Monday) was a long day, but overall I think it was a good day for all of us."

Tomasino played in 29 games last season with the of the AHL. He recorded 13 goals and 32 points.

The season before, he had 40 goals and 100 points in the . The 2020-21 OHL season was canceled because of COVID-19.

Moving so quickly to the AHL might have played a role in the development that Tomasino, who was 19 at the time, has made in a relatively short time. With the OHL shut down, a special provision was made allowing prospects who would not normally be eligible because of their age to play in the AHL.

"It was awesome; I mean usually I don't get that opportunity because as a junior, a 19-year-old, you're not allowed to play in the AHL," Tomasino said. "Getting that year of experience a year early was awesome. I feel like I'm ready to make that step (to the NHL), and I feel like I can make a big difference on the team next year and I'm looking forward to hopefully getting that opportunity."

ESTES: Nashville Predators don't know if Juuse Saros is THAT goalie, but he deserved a chance to be

Tomasino also represented Canada in the 2021 World Junior Championship. He had four goals and six points in seven games while helping the Canadians win the silver medal.

Tomasino's improvement from last year's camp to this year's has been similar to other top prospects Predators director of player development Scott Nichol has seen over the years.

"At this stage, it's their off-ice development," Nichol said. "They look a little different. They know how to train a little bit harder. They know how to dial in their nutrition. They're leaner. That's their biggest gains from their first year of pro to their second year because they've lived it."

Nichol said Tomasino has positioned himself to make the Predators' opening night roster. Tomasino has put in extra time on the ice this week, which Nichol said has helped him.

"It's good to be a young player right now in our organization," Nichol said. "(Tomasino) is going to have just as good of an opportunity as anybody. He came early to camp. He's going to stay and skate with some of the guys and then we've got rookie tournament, and that's really his tournament to shine, be a leader and have the puck on his stick."

Tennessean LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191460 Nashville Predators

Don't be surprised to see Preds prospect Farrance in NHL this season

MICHAEL GALLAGHER

AUG 18, 2021

The last time defenseman David Farrance attended a Nashville Predators development camp, he was a 20-year-old soon-to-be Boston University junior trying to fill the shoes of former Terrier teammate turned Preds blueliner Dante Fabbro.

That 2019 season after his last development camp was Farrance’s best at BU. He led the Terriers with 43 points and 23 assists and tied fellow Preds prospect Patrick Harper for second on the team with 14 goals. He also had the second-most shots on goal (107) on the team.

Now, two years wiser and with two games of NHL experience, Farrance isn’t just in Nashville for a few days of coaching like many of the team’s other prospects. The 22-year-old is in line to get an extended look at the upcoming rookie camp and then training camp and has an outside chance of factoring into Nashville plans in a bottom-pairing role.

“It’s been a good experience to see all the new guys and some old faces, too, doing a couple drills out there and getting some chemistry with a couple of the guys,” Farrance told reporters on Tuesday.

“I’m excited to get going with main camp and rookie camp. I’m sure that’s going to be fun. But right now, it’s development camp, so I’m just focusing on this and getting to enjoy some time with the guys.”

Currently, the Predators' blueline looks awfully crowded. The top five spots are occupied by Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Alex Carrier, Dante Fabbro and Phillippe Myers.

That sixth spot, though, is a wild card. The players competing for it — Matt Benning, Mark Borowiecki, Ben Harpur and Matt Tennyson — don’t exactly inspire confidence that they can hold onto it for a full 82-game season.

Although he’s expected to spend this season with the , it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Farrance to be playing regular NHL minutes in 2021 or early next year. After all, the Predators used 15 different defensemen last year in a 56-game schedule, and only Borowiecki and Benning have ever played in 70 or more games in a single season.

Despite having just two games of NHL experience, Farrance didn’t look out of his element in either. He played just 13:46 in his first-ever NHL game, but his second was much more notable.

Playing the Central Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes in the regular- season finale, Farrance had 28 shifts and 22:29 of ice time, finishing with two shots on goal and a plus-2 rating. He led all Predators with 4:09 of ice time on the power play.

“I definitely think (my second NHL game) I was a little bit more comfortable,” Farrance noted. “Was just kind of playing my own game. I really sorted out myself what works and what doesn’t, and it was a lot more comfortable for me.”

Farrance, who was recently ranked the 50th-best prospect in the NHL by The Athletic, was one of more productive defensemen in the NCAA over the last two years with 59 points in 45 games. He has above-average skating, passing and playmaking ability and can fill a Ryan Ellis-like role on the power play.

While Nashville’s bottom pairing will likely be some combination of Myers, Benning or Borowiecki, no one should be surprised if Farrance works his way into the equation by season’s end.

Nashville Post LOADED: 08.19.2021

1191461 Philadelphia Flyers energy and anticipation and whatever role they want me to play, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability."

Accomplished in Columbus, Atkinson can help Flyers in 2 big ways Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.19.2021

BY JORDAN HALL

FLYERS

It was not easy for Cam Atkinson to say goodbye to Columbus.

He had spent a decade with the Blue Jackets, a team that was birthed in 2000 and just celebrated its 20th season. In Columbus, Atkinson started a family with his wife Natalie and their two boys Declan and Caden. The 5-foot-8 winger went from a 2008 sixth-round draft pick of the Blue Jackets to becoming a face of the organization.

In the franchise's history, Atkinson ranks second in games played (627), points (402) and goals (213). No Blue Jacket has more goals (10), assists (16) or points (26) in the playoffs than Atkinson.

On a Saturday morning in July, Atkinson found out his time in Columbus was coming to an end. The Flyers acquired Atkinson in a trade as general manager Chuck Fletcher continued his active offseason by dealing Jakub Voracek to the Blue Jackets.

"It was definitely bittersweet," Atkinson said two weeks ago on NBC Sports Philadelphia's Flyers Talk podcast. "Columbus has been home for us for 10 years, have the Battery Hockey Academy, which is one of my businesses, as well, out there. We've invested so much time in Columbus. I mean, Columbus is home, really, both of our boys were born there, lifelong friendships outside of hockey, as well. As of now, we plan on going back to Columbus every summer and potentially when I'm done playing hockey for good. I know a lot can change in a short period of time, but that's our outlook right now."

Atkinson has Flyers connections. He's close with former Flyer and current analyst Scott Hartnell. Atkinson said his wife and Hartnell's wife Katie are best friends and that his 3-year-old son Declan is going to school this year with Hartnell's son Wesley. Atkinson, who was also a college teammate of Kevin Hayes, said he turned the page pretty quickly to his next chapter with the Flyers.

"You almost have to," he said. "As soon as I talked to Chuck Fletcher and the rest of the crew, just my emotions and my adrenaline and my energy, I was so excited to join not just any organization, but the Flyers — with all the history and realizing that their team is so special and the moves that they've made already to bring in some veteran guys, guys that know their roles specifically.

"I'm going to help as much as I can, any way I can and in all situations. Just that chance to win a Cup, that's what gets you most excited. Definitely looking forward to the start of it all."

Atkinson has the potential to help the Flyers in two crucial areas: scoring goals and killing penalties.

The Flyers were an inconsistent goal-scoring club last season while they allowed the NHL's most goals per game (3.52) and owned the 30th- ranked penalty kill (73.1 percent). The Flyers' PK slumped badly last season and much of it revolved around personnel. With the addition of the 32-year-old Atkinson, what the Flyers could likely benefit most from is his acumen on the PK. Atkinson has a history of keeping the opposing power play on its heels. Over the last five seasons, he's tied with Brad Marchand and Sebastian Aho for the NHL's most shorthanded goals at 12. In that same span, the Flyers are last in the NHL with 20 shorthanded markers.

"It's not a secret, I love scoring goals and I've been fortunate to do that at every level," Atkinson, who had a 41-goal season in 2018-19, said. "Just going to a new team brings me new motivation, new energy and just a fresh start — I'm just super excited about that. I like to think that I anticipate plays very well. It doesn't always work out, but most of the time it does. I just trust my gut, just playing with energy.

"There's so much skill on this team that you put me with any of these guys, I think we're going to form chemistry pretty quickly. There's no question I like to shoot the puck a lot more than passing. I know there's a lot of guys on that team that like to pass, so I'm looking forward to it. Just 1191462 Philadelphia Flyers but I think as a group, considering again the way the forwards have played up-ice a lot of the time, we’ve put a lot of pressure on our defensemen and our goaltending. I think both groups have done a pretty good job.” The Carter Hart conundrum: What went wrong for the Flyers goalie, why he still got paid and what comes next In February and then especially March, though, things really did start to go bad for Hart.

It was the outdoor Lake Tahoe game Feb. 21 that started to raise By Charlie O'Connor questions. In fairness, it was far from ideal circumstances. The Flyers were just coming out of a COVID-19 outbreak and season pause, Aug 18, 2021 dressed a severely limited roster and were playing in a nightmare situation for a goalie, considering the odd sightlines, constantly changing lighting and almost total lack of practice time before puck drop. That said, Think back to January, just seven months ago. In the wake of an it was a nationally televised game, and Hart struggled mightily, allowing impressive 2019-20 regular season and a stellar playoff run in the multiple weak goals (particularly to the glove side) and finishing with just Toronto bubble, Carter Hart was gearing up for what had the potential to 17 saves on 23 shots. Suddenly, the entire hockey world knew that Hart be a coronation year. The Philadelphia Flyers were dark horse was not living up to preseason expectations, that the highly touted championship hopefuls. Hart appeared poised to take another step youngster was sitting on an .891 save percentage over a month into the forward in his age-22 season, potentially even into Vezina Trophy- season. contending status. And it was all going to culminate with a big raise once his entry-level contract expired in the summer. Briefly, it looked like Hart was going to shake off the outdoor fiasco; after two games off, he returned to shut out the Buffalo Sabres. And when Well, Hart did indeed play games for the Flyers in 2020-21. And he did February came to a close, a strong case could be made that Hart’s poor recently get that summer raise — even if it ended up not being nearly as surface-level statistics were unfairly deflated, dragged down by shoddy significant as he hoped it would be in January. That’s because essentially defense and an unfavorable environment in Lake Tahoe. everything else about Hart’s just-concluded campaign failed to go according to plan. Then March happened.

The Flyers didn’t merely fail to live up to preseason expectations; they From the start, it was a disaster, but the depth of Hart’s struggles were one of the most disappointing teams in all of hockey. And as for became obvious March 9 against the Sabres, when he lasted just one Hart, he didn’t just struggle; he put up the worst results of any starting period and allowed three goals on eight shots. After the game, head netminder in the NHL. For both the Flyers and Hart, 2020-21 was an coach Alain Vigneault decided not to go the “we needed to be better in abject disaster. front of our goalie” route and instead made it clear he pinned the early 3- 1 deficit largely on his netminder, saying, “I replaced him because I didn’t But one bad season does not a career make, and the Flyers confirmed think he had been good enough” and “I believe he has to battle a little bit their continued trust in Hart by signing him to a three-year, $11.937 harder in goal at this time.” million extension last week (cap hit: $3.979 million). Both team and player will be looking to rebound in a big way, and Philadelphia’s financial Next, Hart stepped up to the podium, and even over a remote video feed, commitment made it clear it still views Hart as a key part of the future, it was immediately apparent how deeply his struggles were affecting him. even if the contract was not the mega-deal Hart’s camp likely would have Just watch the clip. foreseen seven months earlier. Hart looked like a wreck. But the Flyers were stuck. The NHL had So what exactly happened to Hart last season? Is his new contract a fair crammed 17 contests into 31 March days to make up for those lost deal for team and player, given his track record? And most important: during the pause, and Elliott — who actually had performed well by the Should fans expect a bounce back from the now-23-year-old netminder numbers in January and February — was not going to be able to hold up in 2021-22? physically as the workhorse netminder during such a demanding slate of games. Don’t forget that at the time, Philadelphia still had a realistic Revisiting a really bad year chance of making the playoffs. So the Flyers chose to keep throwing Hart out there despite obvious signs that his technique and the mental side of Let’s get it out of the way: There’s pretty much no way to look at Hart’s his game were not right, and they crossed their fingers that he could play 2020-21 statistics and come away with a positive. his way out of his funk, even without much on-ice practice time because He wasn’t just bad. He was one of the worst — if not the worst — goalies of the relentless schedule. The result for Hart? A 2-6-0 March record and in hockey. His .877 save percentage ranked 74th among 78 goalies who a ghastly .815 save percentage. played at least 300 minutes and dead last among the 51 who cracked After Hart allowed five goals on 11 shots against the Rangers on March 1,000. And no matter which public shot-quality-adjusted metric is used, 25, the Flyers finally bowed to the inevitable and gave him a break, sitting he ends up at the very bottom of the all-situations charts: him for a week’s worth of games and letting him focus on technical (In the only stat in which Hart didn’t rank last, the only two goalies placing adjustments and getting into a positive frame of mind. It appeared to worse than him in 2020-21 were Brian Elliott and Martin Jones — the work, at least to a degree. Hart returned looking much sharper in a 3-2 Flyers’ backup last season and their backup this season. But that’s a shootout loss to the Islanders on April 3 then five nights later got an discussion for another day.) win against the Isles. And April 15, he delivered his best performance in over a month, a 31-save gem against the Penguins in But was Hart’s season really that bad? After all, statistics can be Pittsburgh. It was night and day comparing Hart’s postgame demeanor misleading, particularly when it comes to goaltenders because public March 9 with his glowing smile in the wake of that April 15 victory. data does not yet account for important shot-quality elements like pre- shot passes or screens or multiple deflections. Might Hart’s awful But the smile wouldn’t last long. April 15 proved to be his final game of numbers be more of a product of circumstance than of awful play? the 2020-21 season, as he ended up suffering an MCL sprain in his left knee during the win — an injury originally thought to be minor. Had the Well, yes. And no. It’s best to break the season down into stages to fully Flyers been in the midst of a playoff push, perhaps he would have grasp what transpired. pushed to return. Instead, they chose to play it safe, sitting him down for A brief glance at his numbers in January — .900 save percentage, 3.34 the remainder of the season when his recovery proved a bit slower than goals-against average — might lead one to believe Hart was a mess out expected. of the gate. That really wasn’t the case. Sure, he had a couple of rough So what happened? nights — namely, a 6-1 loss to Boston that ended with Hart uncharacteristically slamming his stick in frustration against the goalposts There wasn’t one single reason Hart’s season played out the way it did. and crossbar — but for the most part, his poor results early in the season Only a mass confluence of factors could turn a goalie previously viewed were a product of shoddy defense, especially on the part of the forwards. as one of the most talented in hockey into the NHL’s worst starter. Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said as much Feb. 2. Poor team defense didn’t do him any favors, particularly in the early “Obviously our goaltenders have been consistently good for us this year, stages of the season, when Hart’s numbers were not reflective of the and they give us a chance,” Fletcher said. “There hasn’t been perfection, actual quality of his play. Fletcher more or less acknowledged as much with his offseason approach, completely restructuring the defense and perform like above-average starters for extended periods of time at the emphasizing repeatedly the need to allow fewer dangerous scoring ages of 20 and 21 like Hart did. His ugly 2020-21 statistics clearly chances. All too often, Hart was left hung out to dry by blown coverages, brought the price down — signing a long-term, market-setting mega-deal missed reads or flat-out poor efforts by skaters in front of him. right now wouldn’t have made sense for either side anymore — but expecting the Flyers to maneuver him into Blackwood territory was a That said, Hart wasn’t blameless. A case can be made that his technical stretch. issues were exacerbated by the poor defense — both because it forced him to regularly make 10-bell saves and because it increased his And even given the rarity of offer sheets, the threat of one likely did give frustration — but those issues were still there. Hart’s glove side was a Hart’s camp some extra leverage. In theory, another team could have legitimate weakness in 2020-21, even before March, and too often his signed Hart to an offer sheet with a cap hit up to $4.11 million and only depth in net and angles appeared to be off. By March, weak goals had owed the Flyers a second-round pick as compensation — a small price to become the norm and Hart was clearly in need of serious fixes, which pay for an organization that viewed Hart’s 2020-21 as unrepresentative were impossible given the circumstances. of his talent. Had the Flyers held that Hart was only worth the low end of his plausible $3 million to $4 million AAV range, it would have been an Had Hart’s late March “reset” come after that demoralizing Buffalo game, implicit bet that Hart’s camp would be unwilling to go the offer-sheet that’s seven games’ worth of .812 save percentage hockey that might not route. Instead, they simply paid him a bit less per year than a second- happen. Instead, Hart just kept being thrown out there, and he kept round compensation offer sheet would have netted him and avoided the getting crushed. risk of such drama — or a nuclear situation in which another team chose It’s also become abundantly clear that Hart wasn’t faring well mentally to really open the checkbook for Hart and squeeze Philadelphia’s cap during the season — specifically when it came to the challenges of even further. playing through a pandemic. Hart’s post-March 9 news conference hinted Still, the size of Hart’s new contract is noteworthy, as it slides right into that he wasn’t in the best frame of mind, and after the season mercifully the ceiling-adjusted middle ground between Murray (who received a ended, he opened up about his struggles. three-year deal with a $4.19 million cap hit in today’s dollars after “It was a little bit difficult this year, when you live alone and you just go backstopping his club to a Stanley Cup) and Vasilevskiy. Those are lofty back and forth from the rink to your apartment every day,” he said. “You comparables, making Hart’s new contract a definite bet from a Flyers go home, and you’re just in your own thoughts the whole time because standpoint. There’s real risk. you’re just sitting in your apartment — alone.” What comes next for Hart

Hart noted that by the end of the season, he was doing much better and It’s no stretch to say that this is the most important season yet of Hart’s had started to lean on his teammates more off the ice to work toward professional career. getting into a better frame of mind and avoid the spiral resulting from professional failure plus personal loneliness. What made Hart’s track record so impressive heading into 2020-21 was that he’d yet to hit a single significant speed bump in hockey, dating to In other words, it was something of a perfect storm of awful for Hart. his days as a child. He excelled in the WHL from the start — his First, poor team defense unfairly deflated his start-of-season numbers. progression in Everett was more from “very good” to “head and shoulders Then, before that team defense could fully come around, a teamwide better than everyone else.” After some early struggles, he figured out the COVID-19 outbreak led to an even-more-heavily-compressed schedule, AHL before December of his first pro season and earned an NHL call-up. and Hart’s technique started to slip. Then, the ensuing ridiculous Once there, he immediately established himself as at least a league- schedule plus barely any practice time plus a lack of other goalies average netminder before even reaching legal drinking age in the United capable of shouldering the load plus legitimate mental challenges led to a States. He rose to above-average status in his second year. He thrived in March collapse. Oh, and by the way — the team defense still allowed far his first taste of the NHL postseason. too many impossible-to-stop scoring chances. And just when Hart finally started figuring things out, an injury ended his season. Entering 2020-21, there was no logical reason to expect Hart to struggle because he simply had never done so before. These aren’t excuses. They’re explanations. Remove just one or two of these variables from the equation, and Hart could have delivered a run- Well, now he has. of-the-mill disappointing season. Remove three or four, and he might even have performed well. In fairness, it took quite a lot to drag Hart down: poor defensive play, a compressed schedule, roster-building mistakes, a pandemic. But he was Put them all together, however, and you get an .877 save percentage. dragged down, to the point of producing league-worst results. Regardless of the circumstances, if a netminder posts a sub-.880 save percentage A look at the contract over a full season, it’s going to raise red flags. Great goalies, simply put, On July 16, I took a look at what Hart’s looming next contract might rarely play that poorly. resemble and came to the following conclusion: But the Flyers aren’t giving up on Hart. Even though Fletcher has said he Given the comparables, somewhere in the $3 million to $4 million range views Hart and Jones as a “tandem,” Jones’ $2 million cap hit and the for a cap hit feels like a reasonable estimate on a two- or three-year fact he’s been one of the worst-performing goalies in hockey over the contract for Hart. past three seasons make it clear Hart’s still “the guy” in Philadelphia — and the front office’s willingness to hand him a contract comparable to The three-year deal with a $3.979 million cap hit — a nod to his No. 79 Murray’s and Vasilevskiy’s second deals rather than play hardball with jersey number — fell into that range but on the high end. So was it a him into the late summer implies the same. more expensive contract than expected? Did the Flyers “lose” the negotiation? Now, it’s up to Hart to reward that faith. If he delivers a bounce-back season, suddenly 2020-21 looks like a glaring career outlier, an example In my July breakdown, I noted that the logical push/pull comparable of a cavalcade of outside factors combining to ruin the season of one of battle between the Flyers and Hart’s camp would likely be Andrei the game’s best young talents. Hart’s work ethic has never been in Vasilevskiy’s three-year, $10.5 million deal signed in 2016 (a $3.90 question, and by all accounts, he’s been toiling away diligently in Canada million cap hit in today’s dollars, adjusting for cap-ceiling inflation) and this summer to prove that last season was a one-off disaster, not a sign the three-year contract handed to MacKenzie Blackwood in 2020 (a $2.8 of further struggles to come. million cap hit). The Flyers could argue that in the wake of Hart’s down year, Blackwood was the better comparable; Hart’s team could contend But the goaltending position is an unforgiving one. Just ask former Calder that Hart had far more NHL experience and success than Vasilevskiy did Trophy winner Steve Mason, who took years to return to form after his in 2016, and therefore the Tampa star’s second contract was a better game collapsed. Or even the multiple-Cup-title winning Murray, who has model. Clearly, the Vasilevskiy argument won the day. yet to pull out of his current spiral, which occurred during what should be his prime years. Sometimes, goalies just can’t figure it out again. The hard truth is this: The good-to-great first 88 games of Hart’s career weren’t going to be thrown out entirely just because he had 27 bad ones So for Hart, this upcoming season is pivotal in determining his career in a contract year. Before 2020-21, Hart was on track for a massive trajectory. He can re-establish himself as one of the best young goalies in payday, more in line with Sergei Bobrovsky’s second deal than even hockey, or he can show himself to be a sinking player with a bad contract Vasilevskiy’s or Matt Murray’s. Goalies in today’s game simply don’t whose team needs to pair him with an established, above-average partner to contend for the playoffs. The future should remain bright for Hart, and it’s not difficult to envision him reaching the heights that seemed so attainable just a few short months ago. But now, a far gloomier career path looms as well. In 2021- 22, he’ll have to prove he can avoid it.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191463 Pittsburgh Penguins “As we prepare to break ground on the FNB Financial Center, we are in active discussions with several different restaurant, retail, and smaller scale music and entertainment concepts that will bring new energy and activity to the lower Hill,” Mr. Acklin said. That empty feeling: Tenants sought for two Uptown restaurant spaces, including former TGI Fridays at arena At its full build out, the former arena redevelopment — which also has been slow to take hold — is expected to include 1,200 residential units, a hotel, a live music venue, 810,000 square feet of office space, a food hall and 190,000 square feet of retail. Mark Belko “That’ s going to be a small city up there,” Mr. Glickman said. 4-5 minutes 8/18/2021

Post Gazette LOADED: 08.19.2021 A hunt is on to fill two prominent restaurant spots on Fifth Avenue in Uptown, including a former TGI Fridays that for a decade was as much a mainstay at PPG Paints Arena as Sidney Crosby himself.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in “active discussions” with potential replacements for the street-level space vacated by Fridays, said Kevin Acklin, the team’s chief operating officer and general counsel.

TGI Fridays had occupied the spot since the arena opened in 2010 before closing a year ago during a time when the venue was all but shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s not the only vacant restaurant spot near the arena looking for a shot in the arm.

Directly across the street, a 6,500-square-foot first floor space last occupied by Buford’s Kitchen is being marketed to potential tenants by David Glickman, director of retail services for the Newmark real estate firm.

The space also has been empty for about a year, Mr. Glickman believes. Before Buford’s, it was occupied by Blue Line Grille, a bar and restaurant that was one of the first new ventures to open on Fifth following the construction of the new arena.

In addition to the restaurant, that $4 million plus four-level development included 10 loft apartments and a rooftop lounge overlooking the arena.

Mr. Glickman is marketing only the street-level restaurant space.

The building itself recently sold for $3.2 million to a new owner under the name of MVHP Buford5thave LLC, according to Allegheny County real estate records.

Despite the presence of the new arena, the surrounding area has been slow to develop over the past decade, although there have been some improvements.

Mr. Glickman believes it could be primed to take off with the construction of the new 26-story First National Bank office tower at the former Civic Arena site about a block away, which is expected to start in about a month or so.

‘That’s a major change for that area,” he said. “I think that entire area is going to explode.”

Other factors that could fuel more development, he added, include the new UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Tower being built at UPMC Mercy and the continued growth of Duquesne University, which already has property on Fifth.

A second-generation restaurant space like Buford’s could be in a good spot to take advantage of the development taking place, Mr. Glickman said.

“There’s such a time and money savings with a second-generation space rather than doing a kitchen from scratch,” he said.

Mr. Acklin also sees potential for the corridor.

“As we advance redevelopment on the lower Hill, we look forward to further investments with adjacent property owners to bring new energy to the entire Fifth Avenue corridor adjacent to PPG Paints Arena,” he said.

The Penguins also are looking for a replacement for Punch Bowl Social, an entertainment and dining venue that had signed a letter of intent in 2019 to take 23,000 square feet of space at the former arena site.

However, Punch Bowl Social filed for bankruptcy during the pandemic and ended up being acquired by its lender. 1191464 Pittsburgh Penguins In other words, as long as the Penguins keep Malkin’s contract at an even salary without bonuses, the Penguins can sign Malkin to a longer deal, and he can retire or leave for the KHL, as his wife said he would do to finish his career. Penguins First Step Toward Malkin, Letang Contracts; New Rule Makes it Easier Does that change a three-year deal to a four-year deal and lower AAV? We think so.

Evgeni Malkin, Possibles: Published 16 hours ago on August 18, 2021 The 2020 CBA §50.5(d)(i)(B)(5) could, in fact, allow the Pittsburgh By Dan Kingerski Penguins a bit of bargaining power to sign Malkin to a fourth-year that neither the team nor player has any intention of fulfilling, but keeps the

options open. The Pittsburgh Penguins seemingly took the first step toward Or it allows Malkin to accept he cannot take the NHL rigors any longer negotiations with core players Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Bryan and head to Team Putin at will without damaging the Penguins cap Rust when they hired a new Director of Hockey Operations on Tuesday. structure. The team hired Alex Schall, who will be responsible for contract negotiations and salary cap management. If the league perception is somewhat correct, and Malkin is only worth a few million on a short-term deal, that extra year could make the And three big expiring contracts are staring the Penguins in the face. difference. For example, a five-year, $20 million deal will pay $12 million New Director of Hockey Operations Alex Schall was the agent for James in three years but cost only $4 million against the salary cap in those van Riemsdyk and when each signed their contract with the three years, not years four and five. Philadelphia Flyers, and then-GM , who is now the Penguins Tada! Player gets paid for three years. The team gets away without GM. So, one would think that Schall earned some serious respect points penalty, and if there’s interest in continuing, it’s there without drama. for how he handled negotiations. The ultimate “what if” involves Malkin’s now surgically repaired knee. If Schall did get van Riemsdyk $7 million per season on a five-year it’s not up to par or falters again after the contract is signed, the Penguins contract. would not be on the hook for millions. Now, Schall will play an integral role in what could be the most-watched That’s a huge change in the rules and makes the Penguins able to repay veteran contracts in the NHL. Players will three Stanley Cup rings and a Malkin’s loyalty without as much fear. future display at the don’t often hit the open market. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have one year remaining on their deals. Kris Letang, More Complicated Top-line winger Bryan Rust who has evolved from fourth-line speedster to top-line scorer, will also be a UFA after the coming season. We haven’t yet completed our survey of league sources on Kris Letang, though we expect far more varied answers. Letang is still an elite We’ll dive into Rust’s situation in the coming days. His contract valuation defenseman with a right-handed stick, and even mediocre RHDs are and age merit a full review. For now, we’re looking at the effects and getting paid handsomely on the open market. hurdles of signing Letang and Malkin. Letang has finished in the top-10 of Norris voting in two of the last three Decisions, Decisions… years. In 2020, he finished “only” 17th. In 2019 and 2021, he also finished in the top-10 of All-Star voting (end of season votes, not fan And it surely seems the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise will come to the voting). fork in the road. His elite conditioning, the Penguins’ lack of an heir apparent, and high- The summer of 2022 could be the turning point in the franchise. The level performance probably mean Letang has all the leverage in Penguins have about $46 million committed to 10 players, which means negotiations. the Penguins could see a greater than 50% turnover by 2022-23. Just how badly does he want to remain with the Pittsburgh Penguins? That’s more than a wholesale line change, but what will become of Eight years ago, Letang took what everyone knew to be a team-friendly Malkin, Letang, and Rust? deal. He was coming into his prime but settled for a $7.25 million AAV. PHN spoke with numerous industry sources in June regarding Evgeni Will he be so team-friendly for a team on the verge of significant Malkin and his next contract value. The league view is not nearly as rosy turnover? as you may expect, and it bordered the same pessimism shown in comments and message boards. Despite message board and comment sections, the hockey world well regards Letang and properly praises his contributions. Perhaps his Read the full exposition and Malkin valuation here. flowing hockey hair and fawning female fans early in his career created a Schall will be on the front lines, presumably trying to get Malkin under contentious fanbase in Pittsburgh that dwells on imperfections, real and contract. Hextall has said on multiple occasions that mid-August would imagined? be when the Penguins revisit contract discussions with the trio. Everyone has thus far been tightlipped around the situations. We’ve So, here we are. heard second-hand whispers, but Hextall’s changing inner-circle also means there are new opinions and thoughts from Hextall loyalists, who Mid-August. are good at keeping quiet. What was chatter then is now no more relevant than an old photograph. First, there are a few conditions the Penguins must meet with Kris Letang’s or Evgeni Malkin’s contract to avoid disaster down the road. The deals should not be front-loaded or include signing bonuses, performance bonuses, or the like. Why? The league rules on contracts Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 08.19.2021 for players who are 35-years-old or older have been tweaked.

Previously, if a team signed a 35+ contract, that contract counted against the cap until it expired regardless of the player’s status. Even if the player was bought out or retired, the contract counted against the cap.

As of 2020, the league amended the harsh penalties. Our friends at Pension Plan Puppets, one of the stalwarts of the blogging community, laid it out well. Now, as long as the contract meets NHL rules and doesn’t unfairly front load the contract allowing a team to pay a player more than the AAV, a player over 35-years-old can sign but not finish his contract without drastic penalties to the team. 1191465 Pittsburgh Penguins

Dan’s Daily: Penguins Important Hire, Gretzky Becomes High-Tech Collectible

Published 20 hours ago on August 18, 2021

By Dan Kingerski

Ads on NHL jerseys are coming in 2022-23. While PHN and this keyboard warrior simply shrugged, there is some pushback in the fandom world. We’re more interested in taking bets whether UPMC or Highmark will get the jersey ad for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who made a subtle but important hire on Tuesday. Wayne Gretzky is becoming a high-tech collectible in yet another new technology platform, and there is a San Jose Shark wearing No. 66.

You almost want to yell for more NHL trade rumors, don’t you? The good news is September, and camp prep begins in a couple of weeks. The bad news is you have to read about people spending ridiculous sums of money on a picture for their phone.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Penguins hired a new Director of Hockey Operations, Alex Schall, responsible for contract negotiations, salary cap management, and other important issues beneath GM Ron Hextall. Schall and Hextall have been on opposite sides of the bargaining table in the last few years.

TSN: The debate over ads on NHL jerseys. It’s probably a done deal and will be forever, but even TSN had some pushback.

Sportsnet: I’m sorry that I missed this story a few days ago. In addition to a statue, the Winnipeg Jets have applied to rename the street in front of the arena for Dale Hawerchuk.

DraftKings sent PHN the story, hoping we would write it. We didn’t. I don’t get it. Wayne Gretzky is now an NFT on the DraftKings platform, which essentially means for $15-$2000, you can buy a Gretzky trading card for your phone.

If overage guys chasing Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for autographs to sell on eBay didn’t ruin the collectibles world, this surely will. What fun is a picture on your phone? Kids will never again know the excitement of opening a new pack of hockey cards. Or the torture of sitting with a pile of baseball cards trying to trade with your friend for your favorite player. Cmon, Andy van Slyke for Barry Bonds was a totally reasonable offer.

San Jose: Ozzy Wiesblatt is beginning his quest to make the Sharks. The Big Teal also has a prospect who wants to wear No. 66. How do we feel about that?

If it’s essentially retired, shouldn’t the NHL make it officially retired? I think I feel a column coming on…

Washington: Anthony Mantha’s sister isn’t quite the goal scorer that he is. Instead, she’s a referee, and she’s preparing to work the 2021 IIHF Women’s Hockey Worlds.

Vancouver: The announced that all fans must show proof of vaccination to get into the building. Are the Vancouver Canucks next?

I think, by now, my support for getting the vaccine is pretty well known. It’s a hard choice to exclude people, but this thing will keep circling the globe like a tornado taking lives with it. Eventually, it could mutate into something REALLY evil if we don’t get ahold of it now.

Florida: Is Sasha Barkov going to sign a hefty new contract when he returns from Florida? Our George Richards surely hinted at it.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191466 Seattle Kraken Penny told The New York Times in 2017: “I went to a lot of his hockey games. I used to always try to wave at him and get his attention. I learned pretty quickly that doesn’t make him very happy when I do that.”

The Kraken’s Jamie Oleksiak gets his own summer moment to shine Their parents had also been athletes. along with gifted athletic family Richard Oleksiak, 73 and a 6-foot-8 Buffalo native, is in the sports Hall of Fame at that city’s powerhouse Nichols prep school and played rugby and lettered in track at Colgate University. Aug. 18, 2021 at 6:00 am Updated Aug. 18, 2021 at 7:29 pm Alison Oleksiak was an elite swimmer in Scotland and nearly competed By Geoff Baker at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow before the U.S.-led boycott.

Seattle Times staff reporter Richard Oleksiak said the couple insisted their children be well-rounded. They accompanied Jamie to Ecuador, as Penny had become a

spokesperson for the group undertaking projects there. It has been a few offseasons since behemoth Kraken defenseman Jamie His dad said Jamie quickly took charge. Oleksiak literally began forging his own path. “It’s kind of funny when you see the pictures, because Jamie’s there That’s when the 6-foot-7, 255-pounder stepped off a plane in 2018 in looking like a giant among these jungle residents,” he said. “But he really Ecuador, took a motorized canoe two hours up the Amazon River and worked his butt off. … He did all the heavy lifting and the big digging and hiked to a small jungle village. There, Oleksiak, already an outsized sort of set the standard for all of us.” curiosity in a South American country where the average male stands 5- 4, spent 10 days clearing brush, digging ditches and hauling rocks to Oleksiak wasn’t a giant while growing up in Toronto. He played on an build a school and bathroom facilities for the remote river community as Under-16 team alongside future Dallas teammate Tyler Seguin and on a part of a charity mission in which his family was involved. private high-school squad with current defenseman Dougie Hamilton, but he hardly seemed a future NHL prospect. “The wild West is a really good way to describe it,” said Oleksiak, who was dubbed “El Toro” (the Bull) then by some wide-eyed locals. “It was But upon heading south, Oleksiak stood out in multiple ways — sprouting really cool, something you don’t do every day. This wasn’t the usual to 6-5 his first USHL season. He was 6-7 his freshman campaign at vacation most people go on where you sit at the beach. It was a nice Northeastern, but the previously skinny, self-described “Bambi on skates” change of pace, and I think that’s what made it so rewarding.” had by then added 20 pounds of muscle.

These days the 28-year-old Oleksiak, who is the NHL’s heaviest player, NHL scouts noticed, and Dallas made Oleksiak the highest draft pick in goes by his longstanding “Big Rig” nickname from United States Hockey Northeastern history at 14th overall in June 2011. League (USHL) junior days and is forging a much different personal path. A left-handed shooter who can play both sides of the blue line, he’ll be After some inconsistent seasons, Dallas traded Oleksiak to Pittsburgh in counted on as a top-four defensive mainstay by a Kraken squad that last 2017 — a year after his sister’s Canadian athlete-of-the-year victory over month gave the free agent $23 million over five seasons as its Penguins icon Crosby, which guaranteed some locker room mirth. expansion-draft pick from the Dallas Stars. Oleksiak would be traded back to Dallas roughly a year later.

It was a rare shining moment for a player whose career trajectory had Oleksiak gained confidence in the 2019-20 season, his tough corner only recently headed upward again. Oleksiak’s signing even briefly work and shutdown play helping the Stars make the Stanley Cup Final generated more headlines than those about his youngest sister, Penny, before losing to Tampa Bay. whom he rarely casts a shadow over regardless of height. “Playing in highly stressful scenarios, I’d say that really helped me Penny Oleksiak is a household name in their native Canada, as the improve my game,” Oleksiak said. country’s most decorated Olympian with seven swimming medals despite His past season included a career-high six goals, with eight assists in a being only 21. Last month she claimed three more medals — a silver and pandemic-shortened, 56-game schedule. And though he’ll never be two bronze — in the Tokyo Games to go with the gold, silver and two mistaken for an offensive force like former Toronto youth teammate bronze captured five years ago in Rio. Hamilton, Oleksiak is surprisingly athletic for a big man and unafraid of The Rio Olympics transformed life for the Oleksiak family. Soon after, the pinching forward. teenager dubbed “Canada’s Golden Penny” did something her NHL His workouts in Toronto this summer with personal trainer Andy O’Brien brother never dreamed of: Beating out Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney focused more on hockey-related movement than heavy weights. He also Crosby for the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s athlete of the year. has incorporated swimming, teaming with Penny’s original pool coach. “We text and talk with each other all the time,” said Oleksiak, who That drew immediate media attention in Canada, especially when he attended the Rio Games but not Tokyo because of COVID-19 quipped — obviously joking — about racing his medal-winning sister. restrictions. “We don’t really talk much about our sports careers. In fact, we try to talk about other stuff as much as possible. But sometimes He readily admits: “I’d need a really good head start.” Penny might have a question about training, and we’ll talk about that part of it.” Oleksiak’s future is clearly on the ice. The Kraken has provided long-term contract security, the opportunity for an expanded role — especially on Penny is vacationing in Mexico, and their family is respecting her desire the penalty kill — and a fresh start building upon a name he’d finally for a post-Olympics break beyond the spotlight. But Oleksiak’s father, started making for himself in Dallas. Richard, shared details of a Toronto upbringing in which all the children were accomplished athletes. “I don’t think I’ll have to stray too much from my game,” he said. “But you saw that with Vegas. A new team, a lot of guys coming in and getting a Jamie was the eldest and left home at 14 to play for an Under-18 squad chance to do some things they hadn’t already. I think I’m up to that in Detroit, then with the USHL’s Chicago Steel at 16. A middle sister, challenge.” Hayley, now 26, was a competitive figure skater and rowed for Northeastern University.

Their half-brother, Jake, 44, from their father’s previous marriage, was Seattle Times LOADED: 08.19.2021 recruited for NCAA Division I hockey at Clarkson University before an injury. And a half-sister, Claire, 39, skied competitively.

“All five kids are really close, which you love to see,” Richard Oleksiak said. “But Penny and Jamie, they text all the time. I think she really did look up to him as a role model.” 1191467 St Louis Blues Like Suter, Chara could provide a veteran to partner with Parayko, not to mention that the 6-foot-9, 250-pound defenseman could give the Blues the presence in front of their own net they’ve been desperately lacking.

The offseason isn’t over, but is it time to be concerned about the Blues’ He averaged 18:19 of ice time per game in Washington last season and defense? had a 52.33 Expected Goals For percentage, according to NaturalStatTrick. And 2:41 of those 18 minutes of ice time came on the Capitals’ PK, which was No. 5 in the league (84 percent).

By Jeremy Rutherford There’s also the leadership element. Aside from Boston fans, perhaps no one has more respect for Chara than Blues fans, who watched him suffer Aug 18, 2021 a broken jaw in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2019 and return for Game 5. He could barely speak the remainder of the series but postponed surgery until after the playoffs so that he could stay in the Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has done a lot of work this lineup. offseason on his forward group. He traded for Pavel Buchnevich, signed unrestricted free-agent Brandon Saad and re-signed restricted free- It would be a reunion for Chara and Krug, who spent nine seasons agents Ivan Barbashev, Zach Sanford and Jordan Kyrou — as well as together with the Bruins. They would essentially be switching roles, with Buchnevich — leaving Robert Thomas as the lone unsigned RFA. Krug logging the top-pair minutes and Chara backing him up in the top four. Of course, there’s the unsettled Vladimir Tarasenko situation, too, but by and large, Armstrong has spent the majority of his summer accounting At this point, though, St. Louis seems like a long shot for Chara. A league for the players up front. source said that he has yet to make up his mind where he’ll play in 2021- 22 but that his family will be the No. 1 priority in that decision. His family So what about the defense? remains in Boston, which is why he signed in Washington last season, and the plan again is to stay close to them, so the Eastern Conference You could make the case that the Blues’ poor play in their own zone — sounds like the best bet for him. forwards and goalies included — was their biggest issue last season. In the shortened 56-game schedule, they gave up 2.98 goals per game, Chara and the Capitals haven’t closed the door on one another, but with which was their highest average since 2006-07 (3.02). the Caps having just $1.4 million in salary-cap space, even a minimal, bonus-laden contract might be difficult to fit in. That’s 13 years of solid defensive hockey. In fact, in those 13 years (2007 to 2020), the Blues’ goals-against average of 2.55 was the second- So while his preference is to play in the East, that may not be possible, lowest in the NHL behind Boston (2.44). It may be the chief reason they and if so, a source says that St. Louis and Colorado are potential options made the playoffs in nine of those 13 years. in the Western Conference. There’s just one month left before NHL teams report to training camp, so his decision should be coming soon. The Blues did qualify for the playoffs last season despite their defensive woes, but they couldn’t keep the puck out of their net in a first-round- But again, it doesn’t sound like his choice will be the Blues. What, then, sweep loss to Colorado either. The Avalanche had 20 goals in the four are we to think about the Blues’ defense? Is this the group? games, and while six came on the power play and another half-dozen were empty-netters, the Blues’ 5.00 GAA was the worst among the 16 That means that unless Armstrong has a late-summer trade in mind — postseason teams. like the one in September 2019 with which he acquired Faulk from Carolina for Joel Edmundson — the Blues may be returning to the ice In the three months since their exit, the Blues haven’t made any moves next month banking on the health of Parayko and the potential of Niko to bolster their defense. Actually, they’ve lost more than they’ve gained. Mikkola, Jake Walman and Scott Perunovich.

Defenseman Vince Dunn was taken by Seattle in the expansion draft, Parayko played in just 32 of 56 games last season because of back and while Jaden Schwartz is a forward, analytically he was one of the issues. But, according to Armstrong, he’s healthy and will be ready to go Blues’ best defenders, so his free-agent signing with the Kraken is likely this season. If so, the top four is an established group, with Robert to have an impact on team defense. Bortuzzo bringing a lot of experience to the final pair. But after those five defensemen, the team’s next four options have just 179 combined NHL It’s not as if Armstrong didn’t try to improve the group. games: Steven Santini (119 games), Mikkola (35), Walman (25) and The Blues inquired about Ryan Suter, who was surprisingly bought out Perunovich, who has never played a game in the league and is coming by Minnesota this offseason. There appeared to be mutual interest off shoulder surgery. between the Blues and Suter, but in the end, he accepted Dallas’ four- The speculation surrounding any Blues’ trade targets on defense this year, $14.6 million offer. summer has been limited, but one name that has surfaced is the New Suter will turn 37 years old in the middle of the upcoming season (Jan. York Islanders’ Scott Mayfield, a St. Louis native. 21), so the term he got from the Stars probably scared the Blues a bit. The 28-year-old is a right-shot defenseman who has played 285 regular- But on a shorter-term deal, the veteran of nearly 1,200 NHL regular- season games in the NHL and another 51 in the playoffs for the Isles, season games could have been a good fit. who advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in 2019-20 and the Suter, a left-shot defenseman, averaged 22:11 of ice time per game for Stanley Cup semifinals in 2020-21, losing to the eventual champion Minnesota last season, which would have ranked third on the Blues Lightning both seasons. behind (24:16) and Torey Krug (22:33). Scott Mayfield may be an option for the Blues if they’re looking to make a He’s not the Suter of old, but if Krug and Faulk make up the team’s top trade. (Brad Penner / USA Today) pairing, Suter and Colton Parayko could have taken some of the load off Mayfield was in the Isles’ third pairing last season, but he played in all 56 them in the second pair and allowed Marco Scandella to slip into the regular-season games, averaging 19:29 of ice time per game (including third-pairing spot vacated by Dunn. 2:18 short-handed). He wouldn’t be the left-shot, second-pair player the Suter also averaged two minutes per game on the penalty kill last Blues appear to need, but perhaps he would provide an everyday option season, which would have come in handy on a Blues’ PK unit that in the bottom pair on the right side. dropped to No. 25 in the league (77.8 percent). If that sounds to you like Bortuzzo’s spot, you’re right. The 32-year-old, With Suter off the board, the Blues apparently haven’t given up on the who’s played seven seasons in St. Louis, has a lot of respect within the idea of adding a veteran defenseman — someone in the mold perhaps of organization, but the club could be trying to upgrade. Sources with at retired Blues Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson. For the second least one other NHL team said that the Blues were shopping him around straight summer, they’ve expressed interest in Zdeno Chara, according the time of the NHL draft and the start of free agency last month. to a league source. Bortuzzo played 40 games last season, but even when the Blues had A year after Chara’s 14-year stay in Boston ended, leading to a one-year injuries on the blue line, they elected to suit up the inexperienced deal with Washington in 2020-21, the 44-year-old veteran of 1,600-plus Walman and made Bortuzzo a healthy scratch. regular-season games and 200 playoff games is a free agent again. Here’s an interesting hypothetical: The Islanders have been one of the teams tied to the Tarasenko trade rumors, so could a potential trade for the left winger bring Mayfield home in return? Would Mayfield be an addition to the Blues’ defensive group, or would he be swapped for Bortuzzo?

Mayfield has two seasons left on a contract with a $1.45 annual average value (AAV), and Bortuzzo will be entering the final year of his deal with a $1.375 million AAV.

Again, it wouldn’t fill what looks like a hole in the Blues’ second pairing, but it could help.

The defense will need it because, as it stands, the Blues look like they’ll have to ride Faulk, Krug and Parayko, and forgetting about Parayko’s situation for just a moment, it should be a legitimate concern whether Faulk and Krug can handle similar loads to the ones they did last season over an 82-game schedule in 2021-22.

Armstrong did some much-needed retooling with the Blues forwards this summer, and perhaps there’s more to come if Tarasenko moved. But will it matter if the defense — which looks a lot like the group from a year ago — isn’t any better?

The Athletic LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191468 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Steven Stamkos sells Davis Islands home for $16 million

By Emily L. Mahoney

Published Yesterday

Back-to-back Stanley Cup champ Steven Stamkos notched another win this week: a top-dollar sale of his Tampa home.

The Lightning captain’s waterfront Davis Islands house at 78 Martinique Avenue sold Monday for $16 million, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

That’s the third-highest sale in Hillsborough County so far this year, behind two of Tampa Bay’s priciest deals ever: Derek Jeter’s $22.5 million sale of his Davis Islands mansion and the $16.7 million paid for a sweeping 36-acre estate in Thonotosassa.

Stamkos and his wife, Sandra, purchased the property as vacant land in 2017 for $3.85 million, records show. The home was completed in 2018 and now has six bedrooms, seven and a half bathrooms, and 8,516 square feet, according to the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser.

The back of Steven Stamkos' home features a pool. [ Courtesy of Soleil Design Build ]

Allan Mezrah, an agent with the Toni Everett Company who represented both the buyers and sellers, said the home was never listed on the market. But the buyers, who are listed on the deed as John and Kathy Shields, wanted to move to Tampa from the Boston area and were looking for a newer home with open bay views, just like the one Stamkos had built.

Mezrah was skeptical that the Stamkoses would sell, since the house was relatively new and they “were very happy living there,” he said. But he texted Stamkos and asked him if he had “a move-out number.”

“He gave me a number and the guy met it,” Mezrah said. “There’s a lot of money and big time people moving to Florida and when they come to Tampa, they seem to want to be in Davis Islands.”

All this happened back in March, according to Mezrah, but they delayed the sale to give the hockey star enough time to finish his Stanley Cup winning season and the ensuing celebrations without distraction. After knocking on doors and looking at other homes, Stamkos is getting ready to move to another house similarly not listed on the market, Mezrah said. His contract with the Lightning will keep him on the team through the 2023-2024 season.

“I can tell you he is not leaving the island,” said Mezrah, who said he’s known the couple for 13 years.

The home’s features include lots of glass showcasing the waterfront views, and a trophy room.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191469 Tampa Bay Lightning (bagpipes) at our wedding when we walked out of church and you do that exit, we had guys playing. That’s the last time I heard them.

Speaking of surprises, what was your reaction when Zach Bogosian and Q&A with Ryan McDonagh: On his speech, broken hand and bagpipes Pat Maroon crashed your Cup party? on Stanley Cup Day I knew Zach was going, he lives in that area, but I did not catch wind that Big Rig was going to be there. It was a big shock, I was definitely surprised. I really appreciated that he made the trip in such a short By Joe Smith offseason. It meant a lot to me. We’ve been through a lot the last couple years, to be able to have him there and spend the night with me with the Aug 18, 2021 Cup, I’ve got to return the favor somehow. (Maroon’s Cup day is in mid- September in St. Louis). That’d be a wild time I’m sure.

Ryan McDonagh said the Lightning didn’t have many players-only Looks like you’ve already been playing this summer, back in Da Beauty meetings this past Stanley Cup season. League?

“Quite frankly, we’ve got a pretty experienced group,” McDonagh said. I just got out there once. I wasn’t even planning on skating at home, but “Knock on wood, when things go well, you don’t need to have those one of the trainers shipped my gear up and it showed up on my doorstep. talks.” It was fun, though, it was early enough in the night (5 p.m.), my wife brought my kids up there so it was great for them to see dad on the ice in But midway through the Stanley Cup semifinal series against the a different environment. My older daughter gets it, but we’re trying to get Islanders, McDonagh, 32, felt something needed to be said. The series our youngest boy (Murphy, 2) into hockey. We’ve got him wearing was becoming a dogfight, with New York evening the series at 2-2 with a skates. 3-2 win in Game 4. The Lightning had called this year “the last day of school,” knowing there would be several players having to leave after the How are you feeling? Know you were playing through a broken hand in season due to the salary cap. the playoffs.

But McDonagh said they really hadn’t talked about it as a group yet, what I skated last week and didn’t notice anything. Part of the reason I had to kind of special opportunity they had. wait a few weeks was for that to heal. I didn’t have to do any surgery. It happened Game 7 against the Islanders on a block shot, right before that So on Tampa Bay’s charter flight back to Tampa, McDonagh approached goal on the PK that hit me in front of the net. I don’t even know who shot captain Steven Stamkos about addressing the team about it. Stamkos it. Unfortunately, it’s the third time breaking my hand, they were in agreed. McDonagh said the tendency is to have players-only meetings different spots. We were too far along in the playoffs (for me to sit), I just when you’re “desperate” but after morning skate for Game 5 struck a had that adrenaline going. better tone. There’s been a lot of turnover this offseason. Yanni Gourde, Barclay The coaches cleared the room, and it was just the players. McDonagh Goodrow, Blake Coleman… spoke. So did Stamkos. Some other vets chimed in. The message? It’s the nature of our business, rarely ever are you going to be able to “We’re too good to let this go.” have the same identical team. For us to have the team we won with in Edmonton to come back, that doesn’t happen very often. That was part Several Lightning players said that speech became a rallying point. of my message, how lucky we are to have so many guys on the team the “A reminder that these moments don’t come around too often,” Blake year before that had won. We had a great chance as ever to do it. You’re Coleman said. “Don’t lose sight of how special this group is, and leave it happy for the guys that go on and sign great contracts, and everyone all out there.” deserved it.

Tampa Bay beat the Islanders 8-0 in Game 5 before losing 3-2 in But you guys added some solid vets in Corey Perry, Pierre Edouard overtime in Game 6. They won 1-0 in Game 7 to advance to the Stanley Bellemare, you feel good about it? Cup Final. No kidding. Bogosian too. Brian Elliott, another great veteran goalie. I’m McDonagh felt their players-only talk “nudged” them along at the right really excited to see those guys and help them settle into Tampa. There’s time. no reason we shouldn’t be just as confident again. It’s a long season, a full 82 this time, we’ve got to stay healthy, play well. But we’ve got the “We just wanted to make sure we didn’t leave anything out there and just guys. You’re talking about guys that have been around the league and make our mark,” McDonagh said. “I just tried to make that message hit are pretty hungry. home, and it’s a little more personal when it’s just the players.” You had a heck of a run in the playoffs — I had you on my Conn Smythe McDonagh returned to Tampa this week where his oldest, Falan, is ballot. How did you feel about your game? starting pre-Kindergarten soon. He and his wife, Kaylee, are expecting a third child, a daughter, in December. On Tuesday, McDonagh took some The most important thing is you want to feel healthy, feel good on the ice time to catch up with The Athletic on his speech and a ton of other topics. and, for the majority of the playoffs, I felt pretty good. It was just, you try to grasp these opportunities many times with a team you can win with, How was your Cup day in St. Paul? and there are some years you just don’t have enough. I feel like, deep It was awesome. We were a little stressed out trying to plan and get a down, if we played how each one of us is capable of, and it takes more good setup in a short amount of time. We tried to plan a private party and from everyone, I was just trying to do my part. accommodate the public. It went smoothly and we weren’t late for This is a really good team and you’re being asked to do certain things anything. We started off the morning with a floatplane to our lake house that maybe I wasn’t asked to do on other teams. I think it was just a in Wisconsin (on Balsam Lake). We did family pics at our place there, perfect lineup for our team, where guys could slot in different spots, then flew back on the same puddle jumper to save the hours of driving. where guys gelled so well. You could go on the ice and, almost in a We went to my parents’ house and saw neighbors, went to my old high sense, play free. You feel confident and, just mentally, I was in a good school and did a more public walkthrough. We went to my rink and had spot in terms of letting the game come to you. We were in a really good some hockey alumni I played with, and some other alumni. Joe Mauer spot. came out and he got to see it, which was pretty cool. Then we had that surprise entrance into the local bar, the Shamrock. The Athletic LOADED: 08.19.2021 Your entrance was unique with a bunch of bagpipers leading you in. How did that come about?

That was a surprise. I don’t even think my wife knew. It was all the restaurant owner who set that up. I did not expect that. We had 1191470 Vegas Golden Knights 10. Daniil Chayka (NR) — A second-round pick in 2021, Chayka, 18, helped Russia to gold medals at multiple international youth tournaments. The puck-moving defenseman is expected to play a leading role for Guelph (Ontario Hockey League) this season. Peyton Krebs remains No. 1 on list of Golden Knights’ top prospects Note: Rookie status means a player “must not have played in more than 25 NHL games in any preceding seasons, nor in six or more NHL games in each of any two preceding seasons. Any player at least 26 years of By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal age by Sept. 15 of that season is not considered a rookie.” Players who August 18, 2021 - 3:15 PM have exceeded rookie status are no longer considered prospects.

Peyton Krebs has something that no other Golden Knights youngster LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.19.2021 possesses.

“If there’s players that have that ‘it’ factor, he seems to be one of those players that really just finds a way to be a really effective, productive player,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said.

The No. 17 pick in the 2019 NHL draft, Krebs remains the organization’s top prospect entering the 2021-22 season.

He picked up an assist in his NHL debut May 3 against Minnesota and made a strong impression on the coaching staff before suffering a season-ending broken jaw when he was struck by a shot from teammate Shea Theodore on May 8.

Krebs, 20, produced five points in five games with the Silver Knights in the American Hockey League, then claimed player of the year honors in the major junior .

The forward also practiced with the Golden Knights during the NHL playoffs for the second straight postseason.

Krebs is part of a deep group of forwards but is expected to push for an NHL roster spot when training camp opens next month.

“It becomes more and more clear when you watch him play that his instincts and passion for the game really separate him,” McCrimmon said. “He’s a coach’s dream in terms of understanding the game and doing things the way you want them to be done and providing energy.”

Here is a look at the rest of the Knights’ top 10 prospects, with last year’s ranking in parentheses:

2. Kaedan Korczak (5) — The right-shot defenseman was on the verge of making his NHL debut last season after being selected in the second round in 2019. Korczak, 20, appeared in all five Silver Knights playoff games and drew praise from coach Manny Viveiros.

3. Ivan Morozov (6) — The second-round pick in 2018 is under contract in Russia for one more season. Morozov, a 21-year-old center, had 31 points in 55 games for SKA St. Petersburg last season and also represented Russia at the 2021 world championship.

4. (4) — The Knights’ first-round pick in 2020 had a solid freshman season at Michigan. Brisson, a 19-year-old center, shared the team lead with 10 goals in 24 games and was especially effective on the power play, notching seven of his 21 points.

5. Lukas Cormier (10) — He was named defenseman of the year in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after posting 54 points in 39 games. Cormier’s stock continues to rise, and the 19-year-old could represent Canada at the next world junior championship.

6. Jack Dugan (3) — The winger was second on the Silver Knights with 33 points in 37 games and ranked second in scoring among rookies in the AHL last season. Dugan, 23, continues to improve defensively and should get a long look in training camp.

7. Zach Dean (NR) — A first-round pick in 2021, Dean, 18, posted 20 points in 23 games last season for Gatineau after being slowed by a broken wrist he sustained during the preseason. The speedy center made the QMJHL all-rookie team in 2019-20.

8. Lucas Elvenes (2) — The 22-year-old forward remains a promising point producer despite slipping on this list. Elvenes finished fourth on the Silver Knights with 24 points in 37 games and averaged 0.75 points per game in his first two AHL seasons.

9. Logan Thompson (NR) — The undrafted Thompson continued his remarkable rise when he was named goaltender of the year in the AHL. The 24-year-old made his NHL debut in relief last season and is No. 3 on the organization’s depth chart. 1191471 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights to take part in Arizona prospect tournament

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

August 18, 2021 - 12:34 PM

The Golden Knights will take a closer look at their prospects before training camp begins.

The Knights will participate in a rookie tournament in Arizona this preseason, just like the one they hosted in 2018 and went to in Anaheim, California, in 2019. They will play three games before returning to Las Vegas before camp.

The Knights will play Arizona at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at Gila River Arena, San Jose at 2 p.m. Sept. 19 at Ice Den Scottsdale and Los Angeles at 11 a.m. Sept. 20 at Ice Den Scottsdale.

Also, the Silver Knights announced their three-game preseason schedule Wednesday. They will play the Tucson Roadrunners once on the road at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 6 and twice at Orleans Arena at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 and 11 before beginning their second American Hockey League season.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191472 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights to take part in preseason rookie tournament in Arizona

By Justin Emerson (contact)

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021 | 10:35 a.m.

In another sign this season’s hockey schedule will start to look normal again, next month will feature the return of the Rookie Faceoff tournament, in which the youngest Golden Knights players will travel to Arizona for three exhibition games.

Golden Knights Rookie Faceoff (all games in Arizona)

Sept. 17 —Vegas at Arizona, 7:30 p.m. (Gila River Arena)

Sept. 19 — Vegas at San Jose, 2 p.m. (Ice Den)

Sept. 20 —Los Angeles at Vegas, 11 a.m. (Ice Den)

The Golden Knights will face rookie squads from the Coyotes, Sharks and Kings from Sept. 17 to 20, playing against Arizona at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., and against San Jose and Los Angeles at the Coyotes’ practice facility in Scottsdale, Ariz.

There was no rookie tournament last year with the lack of a preseason. The Golden Knights last participated in a rookie showcase two years ago in Anaheim, Calif., headlined by Cody Glass, Nicolas Hague and Dylan Coghlan, all of whom played with the NHL squad last season.

While rosters have not been announced, the Golden Knights have plenty of exciting young players they could send to Arizona. Peyton Krebs, a 2019 first-rounder, is on the cusp of a regular spot in the NHL, and Kaedan Korczak from the same draft class could go as well.

The tournament could also be the first chance to see top prospects Lukas Cormier (2020 third-round pick) and Zach Dean (2021 first- rounder) in Vegas uniforms.

Training camp for rookies opens for the Golden Knights on Sept. 15, with the first on-ice workout the next day. Main camp opens Sept. 22, and the first preseason game will be Sept. 26 against the Sharks at T-Mobile Arena.

The Golden Knights open the regular season Oct. 12 at home against the Seattle Kraken.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 08.19.2021 1191473 Washington Capitals Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.19.2021

What do the Caps need to improve on the most from last season?

BY J.J. REGAN & ANDREW GILLIS

CAPITALS

Believe it or not, summer is winding down and it is time to think about the 2021-22 season. Andrew Gillis and JJ Regan will discuss the biggest questions surrounding the Caps heading into the new season.

Today's topic: What do the Capitals need to improve on the most from last season?

Andrew: Improved offensive metrics from the entire lineup. Stick with me, I’ve got reasons here.

The Capitals lost defensive stalwart Brenden Dillon in the salary cap crunch, but they were still strong as a team at slowing down opposing offenses. I don't expect that to change much this season.

I am also a believer in the tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov in net. I think Samsonov can continue to improve as a goalie and put up decent numbers, which for a Capitals team that can prevent shots and score with the best of the league, that’s good enough.

But at five-on-five, they were slightly above average in terms of puck possession metrics, which has never mattered much to the Capitals since their scoring talent is as good, or better, than anyone in the league in the Alex Ovechkin era. Still, problems might be on the horizon. Or, worse yet, here already.

Yes, they were third in the league in goals a season ago, but that had a lot to do with their second-best shooting percentage of 11.41 percent. The Capitals’ top three goal-scorers last season (Alex Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom) will be 36, 33 and 34 on Opening Night. The drop-off, eventually, could be coming.

In order for the Capitals to mitigate that, they’ve got to tilt the ice more than they did a season ago to keep the pressure off some aging veterans and their younger goaltending pair. That means the third line of Conor Sheary, Lars Eller and Daniel Sprong will have to have a strong season, and Anthony Mantha and Tom Wilson will need to take another step forward.

If they can do that, I think they'll be just fine.

JJ: The biggest issue the Caps had last year was durability. They dealt with injuries all season long up and down the lineup and the team completely ran out of gas in the playoffs.

When your entire top unit power play is out of a game just a few games from the start of the playoffs, that's a bad sign.

With a normal summer to train plus a regular-season schedule that is not quite as condensed and closer to what the players are used to, this should not be quite as big of an issue in 2021-22. If you want a specific area in which the team itself needs to improve, then I look at goaltending. It was far too inconsistent last year.

Vitek Vanecek went had a .908 save percentage with a 2.69 GAA while Ilya Samsonov had a .902 save percentage with a 2.69 GAA. On most nights, both netminders were good enough, but rarely did either netminder really steal a game. To advance in the playoffs, you need a netminder who can steal a few saves and a few games. Samsonov elevated his game in the three postseason games in which we saw him, but you want to see both goalies be able to play at a high level more consistently than last season.

What was the big conversation heading into the 2021 trade deadline? It was if the Caps would get a goalie to bolster a tandem that did not appear strong enough for a contending squad. If the Caps are facing the same questions at the 2022 trade deadline, then it means another inconsistent performance between the pipes for two goalies reaching an age where you can no longer just write them off as young goalies anymore. It's time to perform.

1191474 Vancouver Canucks No. 1, we really care about this team, to this day, even though we’ve been away for a couple of years. That was No. 1.

No. 2 is that if you stay away for too long, the game gets away from you. Henrik Sedin on joining the Canucks’ front office and why the core group There’s new guys coming in, a new generation, we still felt like we knew needs ‘to take charge and lead the way’ the players and the league and what it was all about. The timing was perfect for us.

You mentioned in your introductory availability — when you spoke after By Thomas Drance taking the job — that you reached out to Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden about taking the job. What can you share about the advice they gave you Aug 18, 2021 prior to joining the front office?

They were very excited. They just told us to come in with open eyes and Henrik Sedin was frank over the course of a 25-minute conversation with open ears, and try to learn as much from Day 1. It was important for us to The Athletic this week. get into a role where we felt we could contribute and that took a while to figure out where we wanted to be. I think we found a great spot for us. The newly hired Canucks senior adviser is also a former captain and the leading scorer in franchise history. He might be new to the management I’ve said before, we’re not ready for a future goal of becoming something. side, but he knows the game, knows what it takes to win in the We’re here to help. If this is our role in 10 years or if it’s something else, contemporary NHL and understands the process of improving as a player we’re totally fine with that, so long as we feel like we’re helping. and as a team. I’m curious if you reached out to any of your peers, your former “For the team to take the next step,” Sedin said toward the end of the teammates, who have gone on to coaching or management roles. Just to interview, “it’s all about your best players becoming even better.” ask Alex Burrows, Roberto Luongo or Manny Malhotra for their take prior to joining the club? It was a pointed comment. Yeah, we talked to all of them, via text or via phone calls. Nothing The Canucks have significantly upgraded their supporting cast this specific. Just that we’re all in this now and we can all reach out to each offseason, but their two most important players — Elias Pettersson and other if we have questions or concerns or anything. Quinn Hughes — remain unsigned. During a recent interview in Sweden, Pettersson said he wanted to play on a winning team above all else, We’re still good friends and we can see past what teams we’re looking comments that seemed to put pressure on the Canucks to turn around for and just try to pick at each other’s brains. this listless rebuild. Does it surprise you at all that so many players from that 2011 club — “It doesn’t really matter who you bring in, whether it’s Oliver Ekman- whether it’s Alex and Manny behind the bench, you and Daniel but also Larson, or (Jason) Dickinson, or (Conor) Garland, or anyone,” Sedin said Chris Higgins with the Canucks’ front office, Luongo, who won gold at the when asked about what he was looking forward to in his first year on the Worlds, but also Kevin Bieksa in front of the camera — seem poised to job. go on to do interesting things in this game?

“The core group is here. They need to take charge and lead the way.” I would say no. It was a special team, the leadership was so strong. There wasn’t just one or two or three guys that led that team, it was a The discussion was fascinating and touched on everything from Sedin’s group of us. favourite Vancouver restaurants and hiking trails, to specific meetings he’s attended in the Canucks front office, to his reaction to the departure To see the kind of roles they’re taking, I could see Burrows as a great of his longtime teammate Alex Edler. coach. Lu with the way he thinks the game, I think he’s in a great spot right now. So I’m not surprised. We had a special group, and we all For those who would rather read than listen, here is an extended Q&A of learned a lot from each other. highlights from the conversation. OK, Lightning Round: quick questions, question answers. Favourite part This interview has been edited for length and clarity. about playing in Vancouver?

How different has this summer been for you since you started your new That you get to live in Vancouver. job on July 1, from the summers you’ve had since your retirement? Hardest part about playing in Vancouver? Well, first of all, we haven’t been able to get back to Sweden like we usually would have, mostly because of COVID. When you lose.

Then we started up July 1 for real, and it got busy right away. It was a Best pure athlete among anyone you’ve ever played with in the NHL, just special summer in the NHL, and we got to see a lot. It was great to see an absolute freak athlete who could do anything, pick it up and be great everything from the inside and learn, and it was fun to be a part of. at it?

We’ll come back to what exactly you did learn and see, but I want to That’s a tough one. Manny Malhotra, I’ll give him the nod. focus first on the years you took away from the game. I remember in Best passer among anyone you played with? November 2019, we sat down with your brother Daniel to watch your shifts, and you guys were bringing up plays that had happened the night Nick Backstrom or Peter Forsberg. before in a game between the Coyotes and the Capitals. So you were still paying close attention, but how important was it to take some time Best pure goal scorer? away after your playing careers before jumping back in? Markus Naslund or Daniel Alfredsson. It was very important. Hardest goaltender to score on in practice? We wanted to feel the urge to come back once it happened. We didn’t Louie. want to jump in right away and just start working hard for a few years and then you get tired of it. So we wanted to do other things, enjoy this city, Best all-around person you’ve encountered in the business? be around our kids, see what they’re about, drive them to soccer and to school and just be more of a family guy. That was really nice. Trevor Linden.

In deciding to come back: Why now? And how much was it a sense of a Underrated NHL defenseman who has always impressed you when responsibility that you felt toward this city, toward this organization, you’ve seen them play? having put two decades of your life into this team, how much was that Alex Edler, when he was at his best. He could do everything. And I think decisive in convincing you to get back into it? when you play with a guy like that, you really enjoy it. I think around the There were two things, I feel like. league, he was appreciated. How much did you notice Edler’s game evolving over the years? that’s something you can build on or, you know, so much goes into it. Is it Because in his prime, when he was a 50-point guy and an All-Star, just a freak year? A guy having a good season? Or is it something that versus the last couple of seasons, when maybe the speed wasn’t quite when you look through, you think they can get even better. there, but he was just so much meaner and so much more considered defensively, did you notice and appreciate that watching from afar? I’m going to be curious to see if you and Daniel end up charting different paths because you’re very different people, even though you’ve often For sure, to see where he came from when he started out, to see this been lumped together in the minds of Canucks fans. I’ll be fascinated to long, lengthy guy that wasn’t in great shape and to see where he got to see if one of you ends up specializing in one area and the other was unbelievable. He was just one of those guys who came in every year specializes in a different area of hockey operations. It’s early days, but is and wanted to be a little bit better than he was the year before. And he there any sense already that this may be how it develops? did that. That’s impressive. I don’t know. Like you said, we’re different people. That might happen, Was it tough for you to see him depart the organization in your first year but it is too early to say that. returning to it? Was that bittersweet? In everything we’ve done, it takes a while for us to separate and go into Yes and no. It’s a guy you want to work with, but also, knowing that him different paths. Usually, we work together, work together, then eventually and his family are happy with their decision, it made it easier for all of us. get on different paths. It takes us a bit of time to separate in that way.

Let’s go through your first few weeks in the front office. When you’ve got What can you tell us about how your role has functioned within the day to the resume that you have, what’s your first day like? Do you get day? onboarded? Do you get a welcome packet? Do you have a meeting with HR? They’ve been so welcoming. Weisbrod has really let us be part of the whole draft in the weeks leading up to the draft, sitting in on all the We’ve been through the office a few times before too, and we know most meetings. Then when free agency started up and negotiations started up of the people. It was just a matter of coming in, put the work in, put in the and everything, we sat in there with Jim. Listening to other GMs calling, hours and showing that we’re there for the right reason. agents calling, all that kind of stuff, which is so interesting to sit in and listen to. We didn’t really want an office, but they gave us an office each. So that was nice. We’ll see how much we’re going to use them. Really good A lot of people dream of being in that spot, and we’ve been in there, and people there, it’s been fun. Jim has been so good. He’s had his speakerphone on, we’ve listened to all the conversation. It’s been amazing so far. In those first two weeks before things got really busy in the second half of July, how did you and Daniel begin to ease your way into your new Was it eye-opening to be on that side after having spent a career in the roles? Were there particular meetings you had or processes you were game? introduced to that you found particularly interesting? A little bit. The older you get the more you realize what’s going on above Yeah, right away, the draft was coming up, we wanted to really watch you. It’s still on a different level, everything that goes into getting a player. every player in this year’s draft — at least the top players and the other Jim always said you work on 100 deals to get one to work, and that’s players that our scouts had looked into. really what happened.

So we watched a lot of tape, a lot of video on those guys, a lot of games. I think a lot of Canucks fans remember that after your final home game, So pretty much all day every day we looked at players and that was a lot there was a warm greeting with you and Daniel and Oliver Ekman-Larson of fun. We sat in on the scout meetings where they interviewed all the shared. What can you tell us about your relationship with Oliver and was players before the draft, so that was good. There was a lot of Swedish that an area you were able to provide a line of sight into, as your club guys so that was fun to listen to. It was really interesting to see how that made that massive deal? thing all worked and to talk to players and see what questions were asked, how they responded to it, and for us to listen to the scouts and We don’t know Oliver really well. We played together on the national what they had to say about the players and see if that matched with our team a couple of times. I always liked him as a player, of course, we all view of the players. like him, he’s a top defenceman in this league.

Have you had time to sit down with (assistant general manager) Josh His game has gone a little sideways, maybe, the last couple of years. I Weisbrod or (assistant general manager) Chris Gear or (senior director of think that’s another thing where you have to see why that happens and hockey ops) Jonathan Wall or whomever, and talk about, in particular, try to get a read on why things are happening. He’s around 30 years old, their area of expertise? he’s not old for being a defenceman. And if you look at him, there’s reasons why his game has gone a little bit down lately, but I’m confident We spent a lot of time with Weisbrod before the draft because he’s in he can bounce back. That’s why we’re so happy to have him here. charge of that position. Just talking to him about players and those kinds of things. Your club is now dealing with negotiations, with a pair of star players both represented by CAA. You were once one half of a set of star players We spent a lot of time with J-Wall and that analytics department, and it’s represented by CAA in negotiations with the Canucks. Is it odd to be on so interesting to see what they have to say about players, players from the other side or is that an example too where your experience as a other teams, players from our team. It’s really, really interesting. player can help you provide value or insight in your new role?

And Chris, he puts in the hours to put the contracts in place. So there’s a Yeah, like you said, that’s been very interesting too. To be on the other lot of things we still have to learn, but we spend a lot of time with those side with JP (Barry) and Pat (Brisson). We worked very closely with JP guys. over the course of our careers, we know what he’s about, he’s very honest. Have you already begun to sense that there’s certain parts of hockey operations that capture your attention more than others? He’s going to work for the player, but he understands the situation for the team and where the team is, too. So I think it’s good for both sides to Yes, there is. have experienced agents working like that. It can only be good.

For us, it’s very interesting to evaluate each and every player that you What are you hoping for out of the team this year? Not just in terms of have on your team and on other teams. And what the projection is and on-ice performance, but also in terms of your experience. What are you how to get the sense, pretty quick, on how to evaluate the player, what hoping to get in Year 1? they can bring to the team, and when you can make the decision on whether you want to keep building around a player, or keep a player or For us, it’s just about being part of everyday business. Go out to maybe move on. Evaluating those kinds of things is very interesting to Abbotsford, watch practices. Be around the team up here. See how they us. deal with everyday pressure and how to deal with pressure in a Canadian market. If I asked Daniel the same question, would he have the same hook, or is there something else that’s of interest to him? And we all know, for the team to take the next step, it’s all about your best players becoming even better. That’s the only way around it. If you Talking to him, he’s also really into the analytics part of it, and guys want to win, your top guys have to get better. around the league, seeing how they’re doing analytically. And to see if That’s not only for this team, it’s for every team around the league.

It doesn’t really matter who you bring in, whether it’s Ekman-Larson, or Dickinson, or Garland, or anyone.

The core group is here. They need to take charge and lead the way. That’s going to be exciting to follow.

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