Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips April 21, 2020

Columbus Blue Jackets

PAGE 02 The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ signing of Mikhail Grigorenko on hold after NHL rejects the deal

PAGE 04 The Athletic: After three seasons in Russia, Mikhail Grigorenko back in NHL with Blue Jackets

PAGE 06 The Athletic: NHL voids Mikhail Grigorenko’s contract with Blue Jackets

PAGE 07 The Athletic: From Nash to Zherdev to Foligno: The 10 best goals in Blue Jackets history

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites

PAGE 13 The Athletic: LeBrun: Alex Pietrangelo on chance to defend, his next deal and uncertain times

PAGE 16 TSN.CA: Seravalli: An audit of our 31 bold predictions for the NHL season

The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets’ signing of Mikhail Grigorenko on hold after NHL rejects the deal

By Brian Hedger – April 20, 2020

It was a good deal while it lasted. The Blue Jackets, however, must wait until July 1 to officially sign Russian forward Mikhail Grigorenko to the one-year, $1.2 million contract for the 2020-21 season. Nearly 12 hours after announcing the signing on Monday, the Jackets issued a news release late Monday night stating the deal was rejected by NHL Central Registry. "The contract subsequently has been rejected ... due to a misunderstanding with regards to the filing window," the statement reads. "We have been in contact with the league and Dan Milstein, Grigorenko’s agent, and the contract will be re-filed on July 1." Grigorenko, who finished his contract with CSKA Moscow this season in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, is thought to be an unrestricted free agent until a deal is re-filed and accepted. Despite the freeze in the NHL’s 2019-20 regular season for the COVID-19 pandemic, the league hasn't yet postponed its July 1 start of free agency. Regardless of the date, officially signing Grigorenko would be a move that carries little risk for the Blue Jackets and the potential for a nice payoff. It all depends on Grigorenko, a skilled 25-year old forward who has played the past three seasons in the KHL. "I think he’s improved as a hockey player," general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said during a conference call with reporters. "We’ve watched him the last couple years and have had interest in him the last couple years. "He’s improved, but time will tell on the North American side." The first time around in the NHL didn’t exactly work out for Grigorenko, who was selected No. 12 overall by the in the 2012 draft and made his debut the following season. But the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Grigorenko could never stick in Buffalo, playing parts of three seasons (2013-15) while splitting time among the Sabres, the of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the of the . Grigorenko totaled six goals and eight assists and had a minus-14 rating in 68 career games with Buffalo. He was dealt to the in July 2015 in a package that netted star center Ryan O’Reilly for the Sabres. Grigorenko played two full seasons for the Avs, totaling 16 goals and 34 assists in 149 games before returning to Russia. He was considered a bust, but Grigorenko was still just 22 when he signed with CSKA Moscow. "He went back to recharge his career," said Milstein, who also represents Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov. "He’s a player who can play in all roles, so he became a very universal player. He is mature now, so he’s coming back for an opportunity." The Blue Jackets would be thrilled if that opportunity leads to a longer tenure than one year in Columbus. They already have Gavrikov, who was impressive as a rookie this season, plus three highly-regarded Russian prospects: Daniil Tarasov (2017, third round) and forwards Dmitri Voronkov (2019, fourth round) and Kirill Marchenko (2018, second round). Grigorenko won’t turn 26 until May 16, so the Jackets see his glass as half-full. "We believe he has a lot of those ingredients that make a player successful over here," Kekalainen said. "He’s had some success over here. He was drafted 12th overall and went back to Europe. (He’s) not the first player to do that and will not be the first player to come back and have success if that’s in order for him, which is something we’re hoping for and projecting." Statistically, there is evidence that might be a possibility. Grigorenko struggled with the Sabres but still excelled at lower levels. The Avalanche gave him his first shot to play full time in the NHL, but his offensive production still lagged. His best season was 2016-17, when he totaled 10 goals and 13 assists in 75 games in his final NHL season before going to Russia. Grigorenko rediscovered his offensive touch there, becoming one of CSKA’s top players. He had a scoring line of 17-35-52 in 55 games last season and 19-22-41 in 47 games this season. He also helped Russia win bronze medals in the past two world championships and won an Olympic gold with Gavrikov in 2018. Grigorenko met with Kekalainen in Russia twice in the past year and spoke by phone recently with Gavrikov, former Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin and coach John Tortorella. "He could be making three times the amount of money in Russia, but he chose to come to North America to continue what he began," Milstein said. "He’s got unfinished business here."

The Athletic: After three seasons in Russia, Mikhail Grigorenko back in NHL with Blue Jackets

By Aaron Portzline – April 20, 2020

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Earlier this season, Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen traveled during one of his trips abroad to watch Mikhail Grigorenko and CSKA play a marquee KHL matchup against St. Petersburg SKA. “I was going to meet with (Grigorenko) afterward, but the coach (Igor Nikitin) put a curfew on him after the game, so he couldn’t leave the hotel,” Kekalainen said. “So I didn’t meet with him. We texted each other. We talked again after the season and now … well, here it is.” The Blue Jackets ended a near two-year pursuit of Grigorenko, a former NHL first-round draft pick, by signing him to a one-year, one-way contract worth $1.2 million on Monday. He will be an unrestricted free agent when the deal is up. Current Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and former defenseman Fedor Tyutin both spoke with Grigorenko about the organization, the city, the coaching staff, etc., before the signing was finalized. “Mikhail could have made many times more (money) staying in Russia,” agent Dan Milstein said. “He could have waited for other (NHL) teams or for the environment (relating to the coronavirus pandemic) to improve. “But he feels this is a great opportunity to show the team and everybody the hockey player he has become in the last three years, and he wants to stay here (NHL) a long time.” Grigorenko, 25, can play all three forward positions, Kekalainen said, and is at home on the half-wall during the power play. “He has a lot of tools that can make him successful in the NHL,” Kekalainen said. “He found his offensive side again in the KHL with a couple of really good years. He played for Russian in the (2019) World Championships, even when they had all of their NHL guys playing. “He’s going to get a good opportunity to provide some offense, which is something I think we need. He can play center, too, which is intriguing for us.” Grigorenko was the 12th overall pick by Buffalo in 2012 but spent the next three seasons bouncing between the NHL, AHL and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was traded in 2015 to Colorado, part of the blockbuster trade that sent center Ryan O’Reilly from the Avs to the Sabres. In two full seasons with the Avs, Grigorenko totaled 16-34-50. Colorado did not extend a qualifying offer after the 2016-17, allowing him to return to Russia as a free agent. The two knocks on Grigorenko back then were his average skating and his lack of physicality in board battles. He’s 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, but he played much smaller. Grigorenko appeared to rescue his game with three strong seasons in Russia. He’s played at nearly a point-a-game clip (.91) over the last two seasons (93 points in 102 games), winning a title with CSKA in 2019. But he’ll start from square one in the NHL. “He’s going to have to prove himself all over again,” Kekalainen said. “Like everybody else, it’s up to him to earn his ice time from (coach John) Tortorella. “He one-times the puck pretty good. He can see the ice and make plays. He’s got good hands. He’s a big guy. He’s got all the ingredients. It’s up to him to put it all together.”

The Athletic: NHL voids Mikhail Grigorenko’s contract with Blue Jackets

By Aaron Portzline – April 20, 2020

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The contract signed by the Blue Jackets and Mikhail Grigorenko was voided by the NHL on Monday just a few hours after the club announced the 25-year-old forward’s return to North America. As first reported by TVA Sports’ Ren Lavoie, Grigorenko was not eligible to sign a contract for 2020-21 until July 1. The contract was filed by the Blue Jackets on Monday morning and announced in a news release around 10 a.m. Soon thereafter, the NHL informed the team the contract was rejected by the league’s Central Registry because it didn’t conform with the collective bargaining agreement. According to Article 50.8(d): “No club or player may enter into a standard player’s contract (SPC) that does not cover at the then-current league year. The foregoing does not apply to an SPC entered into pursuant to section 50.5(f) above, or to unsigned draft choices or draft-related unrestricted free agents, who shall be permitted to sign an SPC during the period from March 1 through June 1 immediately preceding the league year in which such SPC is to take effect.” Grigorenko does not qualify for any of those exceptions. He was drafted in 2012 by the Buffalo Sabres and has spent the past three seasons playing in Russia. The Blue Jackets said in a statement late Monday that, after speaking with the NHL and Grigorenko’s agent, Dan Milstein, the contract (one year, $1.2 million) will be refiled July 1. “Earlier today, the Blue Jackets announced the signing of forward Mikhail Grigorenko to a one-year contract for the 2020-21 season,” the statement read. “The contract subsequently has been rejected by NHL Central Registry due to a misunderstanding with regards to the filing window. We have been in contact with the league and Dan Milstein, Grigorenko’s agent, and the contract will be filed on July 1.” But until July 1, neither side is bound to the one-year, $1.2 million contract. Neither Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen nor Milstein was available for comment late Monday.

The Athletic: From Nash to Zherdev to Foligno: The 10 best goals in Blue Jackets history

By Aaron Portzline – April 20, 2020

We started this project back in October when the Blue Jackets’ Sonny Milano scored a ridiculous against the Dallas Stars, an effort described repeatedly as “one of the best goals in the history of the franchise.” But then news happened on the beat, more games were played and Milano’s highlight seemed less and less relevant. Plus, we wanted to take the appropriate time to sift through nearly 20 years and 4,000 goals before we whittled the list to an exclusive number. Well, most of us have plenty of time now. These are the 10 best goals in Blue Jackets history. Please note, they are not the “biggest” goals in franchise history and they don’t attempt to recognize the biggest moments in franchise history. No, these are the top individual efforts, for some the rare moment when everything clicked in a memorable sequence. Many of the names won’t surprise you. Nash. Foligno. Panarin. But you may be as surprised by who is there — Grand-Pierre? Malhotra? Savard? — as who isn’t. No Atkinson. No Sanderson, Vyborny or Whitney? Five of these goals were game winners, one of them a game-ending goal. Three of them were between- the-legs goals, revealing that members of the committee are suckers for the razzle-dazzle. Two were scored by defensemen, but not the defensemen you’d expect. Three of them were scored within the past 12 months and four of them have come in the past two-plus seasons, but half the list comes from the Blue Jackets’ first decade on the ice … so get ready for some standard definition highlights. Enjoy this happy stroll down memory lane: 10. David or Serge? | April 10, 2019, at Tampa Bay The setup: After a dreadful first period (down 3-0), the Blue Jackets had steadied the ship in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series versus Tampa Bay. But they were still down 3-1, needing something to happen pretty quickly. David Savard is regarded as a physical, shutdown defenseman, not the type to be picking off passes in the neutral zone and going the distance. Inside the play: What the highlight doesn’t quite capture is the way Savard anticipated Viktor Hedman’s pass, leading to a turnover in the neutral zone. What it shows in vivid detail is how silly Savard made Hedman look as he came into the attack zone with speed, turning the Lightning standout inside-out. (Or was that outside-in?) Savard then caps the sequence with nasty, bar-down wrister past goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Quotable: “I didn’t see it live. From my angle, I couldn’t see down the bench, so I didn’t see him dangle, I just saw him score. All of the other guys were like, ‘Oh, my God, that was unbelievable!’ I was like, ‘What happened? What did he do?’ They were like ‘He just toe-dragged Hedman!’ I saw the replay and I was like, ‘Holy shit, that’s pretty sick.’” — Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski. What it meant: Sergei Bobrovsky made a huge save in the second period to keep it a 3-0 game. Nick Foligno scored in the second to get Columbus’ comeback started. But it was Savard’s goal that truly generated momentum and allowed for an incredible 4-3 win on the way to a sweep. It’s the only playoff goal of Savard’s career. He hasn’t scored since, either. 9. Flick of the wrist | April 12, 2018, at Washington The setup: The Jackets fell behind 2-0 after the first period of Game 1 against the Capitals (sound familiar?) but roared back. Panarin assisted on third-period goals by Thomas Vanek and Seth Jones to send the game into overtime. Inside the play: The play starts on the other end of the ice when Pierre-Luc Dubois makes an initial attempt to get the puck out of the zone and ahead to Panarin. Washington’s Jakub Vrana seals the puck off with his skates along the wall, but Jackets defenseman Ian Cole makes a sprawling play to shove the puck ahead to Panarin, who grabs and goes. Panarin has sneaky speed. Just ask Washington’s Dmitry Orlov, who gets walked around by Panarin in the left circle. What impressed players and coaches so much about the goal was how quickly Panarin went backhand to forehand to inside the far post with the puck. Serious hands, people. Quotable: “He scores a goal right there that a lot of people can’t score in this league. The way he switches it up on his stick and just gets it off so fast (clapping his hands together) … that’s special.” — Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella. What it meant: Panarin was just OK in two playoff series with Chicago before his trade to Columbus, but this was the first time he played a starring role in the postseason. It also marked the first time the Blue Jackets ever led in a playoff series. 8. SuperMan-ny | Jan. 21, 2004, vs. St. Louis The setup: It was a quiet winter night in Nationwide Arena, the Blue Jackets and Blues locked in a 1-1 tie into the third period. Todd Marchant scored in the first for Columbus and Chris Pronger scored early in the second. Both the Blues and Blue Jackets killed off minor penalties already in the third. Inside the play: Malhotra had been claimed off waivers from Dallas exactly two months earlier, and he was regarded mostly as a bottom-six forward. But this play certainly hinted at his athleticism. The initial shot is a resignation that Malhotra wasn’t able to get wide on Blues defenseman Jame Pollock, but it’s the Superman dive forward — serious launch — that surprised everybody. It especially surprised Bryce Salvador, who appeared the target of Chris Osgood’s rebound kick. Also impressive: Malhotra sweeping the puck into the net at midair past a shocked Osgood. Quotable: “The rebound was just sitting there, juicy.” — Malhotra told The Columbus Dispatch. What it meant: There aren’t many NHL players who could score that goal, and it was an eye-opening effort early in his Blue Jackets career. Malhotra was regarded, chiefly, as a third- or fourth-line player, in addition to being an exceptional killer. But he always played an elevated role in Columbus. The Blue Jackets kept trying to find a center who could play with Rick Nash, but they kept coming back to Malhotra. 7. The Foligno Flip | Dec. 3, 2013, vs. Tampa Bay The setup: The Blue Jackets were (once again) off to a slow start (11-14-3) under coach Todd Richards, but they were engaged this night in a physical, tight-checking game against the Lightning. Ben Bishop and Sergei Bobrovsky were locked in a goalie duel for much of the night. Inside the play: Foligno gets the goal and the glory, but go back a couple of seconds before the finish and admire Johansen’s work as the Lightning are trying to leave the zone. Ryan Johansen swats the puck off Valtteri Filppula’s stick, then cuts between Filppula and defenseman Matt Carle to gather. In one motion, he backhands the puck through Carle and delivers it directly to Foligno for a wide-open look in front. Bishop is a huge goalie (6-foot-7), so there’s not much to shoot at unless he’s moving. Foligno brought him across the crease, switched the puck to his backhand between his legs and fired it wide of Bishop on his stick side. Quotable: “(That came from) practicing in your driveway or watching on YouTube. It’s just one of those things that in the spur of the moment you think of. Luckily, it went in.” — Foligno told The Columbus Dispatch. What it meant: Foligno’s goal should have been the stand-alone memory in a 1-0 Blue Jackets win, but it was slightly overshadowed by bad news later in the game. Bobrovsky (18 saves) left the game with a groin injury at 4:13 of the third period and missed a month. Curtis McElhinney (eight saves) came on in relief, the only combined in franchise history. 6. Sonny side up | Oct. 16, 2019, vs. Dallas The setup: The Jackets had a 2-1 lead thanks to first-period goals from Zach Werenski and Alexander Wennberg, but now the game was drifting into the nervy moments. Sonny Milano hadn’t played much to that point (only 8:03 total in the game), and it’s likely he wouldn’t have seen many more shifts if this remained a one-goal game late in the third. Inside the play: Of course, a goal like this happens with the Blue Jackets’ fourth line and shutdown defensive pair on the ice. Riley Nash gets the puck out of the defensive zone quickly and finds Jakob Lilja in the neutral zone. Lilja wisely sends it quickly on to Milano along the left wall. Milano, without breaking stride, made Dallas defenseman Roope Hintz look like a cat chasing a flashlight, pulling the puck through Hintz’s legs in a backhand-to-forehand move to cross the blue line. Hintz and partner Esa Lindell gave chase as Milano closed in on Stars goaltender Ben Bishop — yep, him again — carrying the puck on his backhand as he angled through the left circle. Milano pulled the puck back through his legs as he skated through the hash marks, now almost in the right circle. The velocity on the puck compared with most between-the-legs shots was extraordinary. This was Milano’s only shot on goal in the game. It was also his first goal of the season and his last game-winning goal as a Blue Jacket. Quotable: “That’s the best shot I could have had, so I just did it. You’re not planning anything, you’re just trying to score. I could have gone backhand, maybe, but … I knew one guy was on me. I felt pressure. I don’t really know, I just went through my legs. I thought it would be the best chance to score.” — Milano. What it meant: The Blue Jackets needed that goal because the Stars scored with five seconds left in regulation to make it 3-2. That’s how the game ended. Alas, Milano’s highlight did nothing to solve the five-year-long Milano conundrum in Columbus. The Blue Jackets always knew he could score YouTube- highlight goals, but he never quite could hold down a top-six job. The coaching staff never had confidence in him. He was traded for fourth-liner Devin Shore in February, a humbling fall for a former first-round pick. 5. Hyphenator strikes | Oct. 12, 2002, at New Jersey The setup: One day earlier, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre learned that his father, Allaix, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and needed surgery immediately. Blue Jackets coach Dave King gave Grand-Pierre the option to skip the game, but he asked to play. The Jackets fell behind 2-1 early in the third, but at 4:58 Grand-Pierre unfurled the best individual effort of his career. Inside the play: Grand-Pierre would later say he “blacked out” on the play. How else to explain it, really? Grand-Pierre tended to get rid of the puck quickly, but he carried it through traffic here, winding and working his way into the attack zone. That’s Scott Stevens, the most-feared hitter of his generation, whom Grand-Pierre sidesteps atop the right circle. That’s another Hall of Famer, goaltender Martin Brodeur, he beats from in tight, rattling his water bottle. Quotable: “I saw open ice, so I attacked. I remember getting past the blue line and there’s Ken Daneyko and Scott Stevens. I was going so fast and I’m coming in on those guys, and I was like (laughing), ‘OK, we’re going to toe-drag this bitch through this traffic.’ I had no idea it was Stevens. No idea. I realize I could have died right there on the ice, carrying the puck that long in his direction. But, hey, I’m alive. It worked! I was so surprised and I was going way too fast to even have time to shoot, so I just kind of chipped it on net and it went bar-down on Marty.” — Grand-Pierre. What it meant: The Blue Jackets ended up losing 3-2, but this was more than just the game. Instead of heading to Columbus with the team after the game, Grand-Pierre flew to Montreal to be with his father post-surgery. Allaix, who is alive and well today, greeted him as such: “Nice goal last night, kid.” It was the most beautiful goal of Grand-Pierre’s career. It was the first point (primary assist) of Lasse Pirjeta’s brief NHL career. 4. Bread-winner | April 5, 2019, at New York Rangers The setup: With two games left in 2018-19, the Blue Jackets still hadn’t clinched a playoff spot and the New York Rangers were embracing the spoilers’ role. It was 1-1, getting late in the third period and the Blue Jackets had just come empty on a power play. Nervy moments, indeed. Inside the play: Savard wisely feeds Panarin as they come through the neutral zone, and he keeps skating into the zone and through the circles, perhaps providing some distraction for the defending Rangers. We’ve all seen players drop the puck ahead to themselves to get through traffic, but I don’t recall an example where the pass is put so far out ahead. Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren drops to a knee to block Panarin’s shot, but he may have served only as a partial screen for goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. It’s only fitting that the shot goes bar down. Nasty. Quotable: “I don’t think Panarin and all (the Blue Jackets’) top guys were dead-on tonight. But when it came time for a big play, we got it, and that’s what defines those types of players.” — Tortorella. What it meant: The Rangers scored with seven seconds left in regulation to force overtime, so Panarin’s goal — while not the game winner — was vitally important. Panarin won the game for the Blue Jackets eventually, scoring in the second round of a shootout. The win clinched a third consecutive playoff spot for the Blue Jackets. For the Rangers, it was just an inkling of what was coming their way. Panarin signed as a free agent with the Rangers last summer. 3. Ridiculous roofer | Oct. 25, 2007, vs. St. Louis The setup: The Blue Jackets were staked to a 1-0 lead midway through the second period on the second goal of rookie Jared Boll’s career (and his first eventual game winner). The Jackets went on the power play at 16:31 of the period on a Jay McKee tripping penalty, putting Rick Nash net front on the man advantage. Inside the play: The Blue Jackets’ power-play unit had Ron Hainsey on the point, Sergei Fedorov, Michael Peca and David Vyborny across the circles, with Nash leaning and banging down low. Not bad. Question for Hainsey: Were you playing the bank, or was that shot a touch offline? It looks coordinated, the way Nash spins to play the carom. Nash’s reach off the backhand to corral the puck is pretty impressive. That’s a long draw through his legs to his forehand, but he does it so quickly. Most would have skated the puck around the net and simply regrouped. Instead, Nash roofs it at an almost impossible angle. Quotable: “If I tried it 50 times, it might only work once. You practice it. You never think you’ll actually use it in a game. That was just the perfect situation. I had to get the puck up and to the net as quickly as I could. That was the easiest way to do it.” — Nash. What it meant: The Blue Jackets were in a transitional phase, with new GM Scott Howson cleaning up the oil spill left by previous GM Doug MacLean. Nash, in his first full season under coach Ken Hitchcock, became a 200-foot player. The highlights never stopped though. In 2007, between-the-legs shots were still exceedingly rare. Nash’s goal came two years after Marek Malik’s revolutionary shootout move for the New York Rangers. 2. Zig, zag, Zherdev | Dec. 26, 2005, vs. Chicago The setup: The Blue Jackets and Blackhawks were two of the NHL’s worst clubs, but every game holds the potential to be memorable, right? Chicago led 3-2 in the final minute when the Blue Jackets pulled goaltender Marc Denis for an extra skater, hoping to end a six-game losing streak. Inside the play: I’m not sure the NHL has ever seen a player who could dangle and toe-drag the puck quite like Zherdev. It drove the Blue Jackets crazy, mostly, because Zherdev’s attempts to make NHL defensemen look silly usually backfired with god-awful turnovers. This was a 200-foot goal, though. Zherdev skated away from pressure in his own zone and picked up considerable speed through the neutral zone, leaving Blackhawks defenders flat-footed as he crossed the blue line. Two key elements that are easy to miss in the old days of standard definition. Zherdev nutmegged Blackhawks defenseman Jim Vandermeer to go backhand-to-forehand at net front, and he scores off his own rebound as he gets tripped up by Nikolai Khabibulin’s left pad. Quotable: “I just saw the replay. It’s borderline Bobby Orr, and I don’t think (Zherdev) even knows who Bobby Orr is.” — Blue Jackets goaltender Marc Denis told The Columbus Dispatch. What it meant: In those days, it felt like the Rick & Nik Show was going to be the best show set in Columbus since “Family Ties,” but Zherdev could never keep up his end of the bargain. He created more frustration than highlights during his four seasons in Columbus, but we should all be grateful for this memory. The Jackets went on to win in overtime on a Jaroslav Balastik goal. 1. The goal | Jan. 17, 2008, at Phoenix The setup: Nash took a high-sticking penalty on Phoenix’s Derek Morris with 3:12 remaining, leading to a power-play goal by Martin Hanzel that tied it 3-3 with only 1:38 to play. So Nash had a little extra juice in the closing minute. The teams were skating four-on-four after Columbus’ Adam Foote and Phoenix’s Joel Perreault went off for roughing in the final minute. Inside the play: Nash’s instincts help him get a jump. The very moment he sees the puck heading toward Peca, he flies the zone, in stride with Coyotes defenseman Derek Morris. Credit to Peca for one-timing the pass. If he waits for even a tenth of a second longer the angle isn’t there. The play opens up when Morris tries to take the body on Nash at the top of the circles, leaving poor Keith Ballard to handle the rest of the play by himself. Nash gets a huge break when the pokecheck by goaltender Mikael Tellqvist caroms up into his legs and carries with him across the crease. Quotable: “It all happened so fast. It just seemed like the puck was on a string. I just kept making dekes and it found its way into the net.” — Nash told The Columbus Dispatch. What it meant: It felt like a big win at the time because it kept the Blue Jackets, who were still searching for the franchise’s first playoff berth, only one point back of Colorado for eighth place in the Western Conference. Ultimately, the would have to wait another season, but highlights of the goal certainly elevated Nash’s status within the league. It didn’t quite get the attention of Alexander Ovechkin’s unconscionable behind-the-head goal scored two years earlier, but it remains one of the great goals in recent NHL history. Between this and his between-the-legs goal versus the Blues only three months earlier, Nash was a darling of the highlights in 2007-08.

The Athletic: LeBrun: Alex Pietrangelo on chance to defend, his next deal and uncertain times

By Pierre LeBrun – April 20, 2020

Rewind to last June 12 in Boston. The comes out onto the ice. The home crowd is devastated but committed to the customary booing of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman as he gets set to award the best trophy in sports to the St. Louis Blues. There are delirious fans from St. Louis who made the trip and you can hear them loud and clear as Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo raises Lord Stanley over his head. That moment capped an unbelievable Game 7. Now imagine that entire night without a single fan in the building. One of the NHL’s loudest rinks muted, save the hollers and celebrations taking place on the ice. “Win or lose, playing in that game with the fans in Boston, if you’ve ever been to a game in Boston, it’s pretty rowdy,’’ Pietrangelo told me over the phone Friday. “Whether you’re feeding off the momentum for your own team where you’re trying to make the building quiet, it’s still something you think about during the game and prior to the game, the energy before the game makes it a little easier to get up for.’’ It is difficult to consider what that experience would have been like without fans in the building, however, that’s the likely scenario facing the NHL if they can resume the season at some point this summer. “I think the weird thing for me if this situation was last year, what do you do with your family,’’ Pietrangelo wondered. “The first thought after you win is where’s my family? My dad and my wife my brother and my brother-in-law’s, they were all there in Boston. “It’s certainly a logistical thing that really needs to be thought through on both sides.’’ Don’t get Pietrangelo wrong, like the rest of the reigning Cup champion Blues, he hopes to have a chance to defend their title. And while Pietrangelo is not unique among his NHL brethren in his desire to play again this season, he too shares their concerns about the safety of everyone involved in the face of this pandemic. “It’s not easy because everyone is in different situations,” the native of King City, Ontario said. “Some guys have parents and grandparents and kids and pregnant wives, the list goes on and on. I don’t think anything will be decided on without some good, long smart discussions from both sides with people in health organizations who can really steer us in the right direction. “And I’ve said this before, we have some really smart minds working on this, I don’t think anyone is going to make a rash decision,’’ Pietrangelo added. “I think both the NHLPA and the league are seeing this as an unprecedented situation. We really need to think this through, which has really been happening, there have been some really good discussions between us and the PA, and between us and the league. But again, it’s hard to say anything concrete when you still have social distancing and stay at home orders. Until we have more concrete evidence of what we can do, I don’t think many decisions can be made.’’ If there is no season resumption, there’s the question of whether or not Pietrangelo has played this last game in a Blues uniform. Last week, my TSN colleague Frank Seravalli put out his ranking of the top 25 pending UFAs, and sure enough, Pietrangelo was No. 1 on the list. No. 2 was Taylor Hall, whom I spoke with last week, and one of the things I appreciated from that interview was Hall’s grounded perspective on the unknown ahead for him. The reality, he said, was that the NHL business was going to be affected by this and that will likely impact his future contract, but that in the scope of what’s happening in real life right now, he felt lucky just to do what he does for a living. “There are so many variables that you can bring into this that you don’t really know,” Pietrangelo, 30, said of his pending free agency. “There are so many unknowns. We were thinking about it for a while, my wife and I certainly had some discussions between us. But it certainly gets pushed aside when you’re sitting at home chasing around these little rug rats all day. I’ve got family members going through it right now, they’re being laid off, they’re not being able to work the same way they were a few months ago. So he’s (Taylor Hall) right, we’re blessed to even be in this situation, to be discussing potential opportunities we can have when the employment rate (in the U.S.) went up by five million of whatever it was in one week. Those are staggering numbers.’’ So yes, the father of two-year-old triplets has perspective, too. I asked Hall last week about the notion of signing a shorter-term deal to get through the brunt of the damage to the industry and then signing a bigger deal in a few years on the other side of this. Hall didn’t hesitate, he said he’d rather go for long-term security now. I asked Pietrangelo the same question. “I’m going to explore all options, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you’re not sitting back there with your agents and your family laying out everything on the table, thinking about every possibility, that’s really what you should be doing,” Pietrangelo said. “When you have a growing family, it’s one of those things where if you can put yourself into a position where you’re somewhere long term, it’s a little bit easier than having to pick up and move potentially every couple of years.’’ As Pietrangelo said, it’s hard to know at this point what a long-term deal would look like given this current landscape, so you can’t predict anything. But all things being equal: “I know for me with a family, it’s certainly important to be able to have some security time-frame wise so we can settle in.’’ And of course, staying in St. Louis is still a strong option. “Army (Blues GM Doug Armstrong) said the same thing at the beginning, our goal is to try and get something done here,” Pietrangelo said. “That’s been the goal from the beginning. We’ve both said the same thing. That’s both of our mindsets.’’ I sense that there hasn’t been much dialogue during this pause between Pietrangelo’s reps at Newport Sports and the Blues. A deal of this importance, in my mind, needs to wait until both sides have a better idea of the landscape, the salary cap, all the dynamics that may affect what the NHL world looks like on the other side of this nightmare. “We try to work behind closed doors with regards to player contracts. As always, when we have something to report, we will do so immediately,’’ Blues GM Doug Armstrong said via text message on Sunday. Armstrong did get some work done last week, signing pending UFA blueliner Marco Scandella to a four- year, $13.1-million extension. However, I don’t think this deal has much bearing on what happens with Pietrangelo. Scandella fits a need on the left side. “Army’s got a job to do, Marco’s got a job to do, he has taken care of himself and his family and Army has got to do what is best for the organization,” Pietrangelo told me. “Look, I understand the business side of this game. I’m always happy for guys, that’s just how I am as a person, Scandy and I get along really well and we were shooting texts last night, he’s excited to come back.’’ Scandella was a clever pick-up by Armstrong after the scary situation with . The Blues will have star winger Vladimir Tarasenko back from injury if and when the season resumes this summer. The champs are set up for another run. “Look, our mindset is still that we’re going to have a chance to play again and repeat,” Pietrangelo said. The frustration, Pietrangelo says, is that the team had momentum when the season was paused, it was trending in the right direction a month away from the playoffs. Now they wait, like everyone else. “The reality of this whole thing is that it’s out of our hands and it’s in the hands of people that it should be, the doctors and the people who are in these positions for a reason,” he said. “The hard part is that it’s out of our hands but the easy part is that it’s out of our hands. So you just have to trust that this is bigger than hockey, this is bigger than all of us. That’s just the reality of it. Sitting at home with three kids and my wife, you realize how important that is. I think all of us are in the same mindset, we want to play again, we were born to play, this is what we do for a living; and if we don’t, it will certainly be a long offseason. “But then again, this is something that’s so out of the ordinary.’’

TSN.CA: Seravalli: An audit of our 31 bold predictions for the NHL season

By Frank Seravalli – April 20, 2020

With the National Hockey League season on pause, there’s no better time than now to flog yourself in public. Let’s take a look back and audit our 31 bold predictions from September, where some have reached final verdicts while others are still pending with varying levels of confidence. There was certainly some good (St. Louis), some bad (San Jose) and some just plain ugly (Edmonton) preseason picks: 1. ANAHEIM - With fans expecting a retooling season, the Ducks will be one of the surprise teams in the West. Verdict: Swing and a miss Editor’s Note: This bet looked pretty good for the first three weeks of the season with Anaheim off to a 6-2 start. Brighter days are ahead for the Ducks with Trevor Zegras on the way, a lottery ticket in the first round, plus an extra first-round pick from the Ondrej Kase deal near the deadline. 2. ARIZONA - The Coyotes will miss the for the eighth straight season. Verdict: Right on Editor’s Note: The Coyotes’ season has been confounding. Without Taylor Hall: 19-12-4. With Taylor Hall: 14-17-4. Yes, No. 1 netminder Darcy Kuemper was out, but the Coyotes were consistent in goals against with and without Kuemper. A rocky summer could now be in store for GM John Chayka, currently without a first-round pick from the Hall trade, along with a serious investigation looming on Arizona’s alleged illegal physical testing of draft prospects. 3. BOSTON - Torey Krug will remain with the Bruins past TradeCentre but walk as a free agent on July 1. Confidence Level: Not particularly high Editor’s Note: Even with the salary cap remaining flat, there is a path forward for the Bruins to keep Krug. Getting Anaheim to take $4.5 million of David Backes’ cap hit for next season was the key. Jake DeBrusk is due a new deal and Matt Grzelcyk will probably double his pay, but the B’s should have enough room. 4. BUFFALO - Jason Botterill’s future as Sabres GM will be up for debate after Buffalo doesn’t come close to the playoffs for the third straight season on his watch. Verdict: It’s up for debate Editor’s Note: The heat has been turned up on both Botterill and the Pegulas in Buffalo. There have been pluses (Ralph Krueger) and minuses (Jeff Skinner’s contract) for Botterill in the last year, more pluses than minuses in fact, which will probably allow him another year to right the ship. 5. CALGARY - Kiss goodbye those dreams of another 100-point season, the Flames are taking a step back this year. Verdict: Spot on Editor’s Note: The Flames hit the pause on pace for 93 points over a full 82-game season. There have been some rocky stretches, but considering the spot they were in on the night Bill Peters’ racial slurs came to light (11-12-4), Calgary has handled a tumultuous season – one with playoff expectations and a number of free agents – really well under interim coach Geoff Ward. 6. CAROLINA - Can I get an encore? The Canes want more. They’ll get it as they return to the Eastern Conference Final for the second spring in a row. Verdict: So, you’re saying there’s a chance? Editor’s Note: Watch out for the Hurricanes if the NHL resumes. They’ve got one of the youngest forward corps in the league (read: should be back in shape quickly) and they’re likely to be healthy for the first time in a long time with Dougie Hamilton and Sami Vatanen ready to return. Brett Pesce (shoulder) is on track to return next season. 7. CHICAGO - Robin Lehner will continue to author one of hockey’s best stories as he carries the Blackhawks back to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus. Verdict: Hmmm Editor’s Note: Does it count if Lehner continues to author that story in Vegas instead of Chicago? No, probably not. The Hawks hung in the mix most of the season, teasing fans by hovering around four points out most of the postseason. But it seems like the only way Chicago gets in is if the NHL expands to a 24-team playoff, which is unlikely. 8. COLORADO - The Colorado Avalanche will hoist the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history. Confidence Level: As good a Cup pick as any Editor’s Note: The argument for the Avs chance to win the Cup this season is the same one might make for Nathan MacKinnon to win the Hart. After MacKinnon, almost all of Colorado’s key contributors have missed significant time: Mikko Rantanen (28 games), Nazem Kadri (19), Gabriel Landeskog (16), Andre Burakovsky (12), Cale Makar (eight) and starter Philipp Grubauer (one month). 9. COLUMBUS - The Blue Jackets will slide back into no-man’s land, but it won’t be because of GM Jarmo Kekalainen’s gamble on inexperienced goalies Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins. It’ll be because Columbus won’t generate enough scoring. Verdict: Half right? Editor’s Note: Columbus was far from no-man’s land. Shame on me. They’re unlikely to make the playoffs if qualifiers are decided by points percentage or 68-game rollback. But it has been a serious struggle to score. Only the Red Wings, one of the worst teams in the salary cap era, have scored fewer goals that the Blue Jackets in the East this season. 10. DALLAS - GM Jim Nill will take home the GM of the Year Award. Verdict: He’s in the mix Editor’s Note: Nill didn’t finish in the top three in the PHWA’s Midseason Awards voting. Joe Sakic took the prize there – and he may well again when it’s all said and done – but Nill is certainly deserving of consideration. The Stars will be a tough out in the playoffs, if they happen, because Nill has built his team based on a blueprint for the postseason’s style of play. 11. DETROIT - #APrayerForLafreniere. The Red Wings will win the 2020 Draft Lottery and pick No. 1 overall for the second time (Joe Murphy, 1986) in the entry draft era. Confidence Level: 18.5 per cent Editor’s Note: Indeed, the Winged Wheel will finish 31st and earn an 18.5 per cent shot at Alexis Lafreniere. What I didn’t account for in this prediction was that the Senators would have a better likelihood – potentially at 25 per cent – as a combination of their own pick (13.5) and the Sharks’ pick (11.5), because I didn’t see San Jose finishing 29th. 12. EDMONTON - Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will see a drop in points, but the Oilers will be better for it this season, hitting the 90-point mark. Verdict: Public humiliation Editor’s Note: Draisaitl was only on pace for one of the best individual scoring seasons in the salary cap era and McDavid was right behind him at 97 points. Hey, at least the Oilers were on pace to be north of 90 – and in the playoffs! 13. FLORIDA - Despite spending to the cap, signing Sergei Bobrovsky and hiring the best coach of his generation in Joel Quenneville, the Panthers will still miss the playoffs. Verdict: Yes guy Editor’s Note: It’s difficult to say with certainty in year one because of the position, but Bobrovsky’s contract may go down as one of the big-money mistakes of the salary cap era. Now, after likely failing to make the playoffs for the eighth time in 10 seasons, GM Dale Tallon could well have run out of chances with owner Vinnie Viola. 14. LOS ANGELES - Breakout star Jack Campbell will become an NHL starter this season, if not with the Kings, then elsewhere. Campbell will become quite the trade chip for GM Rob Blake. Verdict: Close, but no cigar Editor’s Note: Campbell was traded to the Maple Leafs on Feb. 5 along with Kyle Clifford in exchange for Trevor Moore, a third-round pick and a conditional third-round pick. He provided much needed stability in the backup position for Toronto, going 3-2-1 with a .915 save percentage. It’s just that he won’t be a starter, at least not in Toronto, and he’s signed to an extension that pays him a manageable $1.65 million for each of the next two years. 15. MONTRÉAL - Claude Julien will win the Jack Adams Award for the second time in his career as coach of the year. The playoff-bound Habs will become the most exciting team in the NHL to watch. Julien: ‘I need to be ready for any scenario the NHL comes up with’ Canadiens head coach Claude Julien says that he has spoken to the team to see how they have been handling the layoff. Julien also says that his coaching staff has continued to Watch video and stay sharp for when training camp inevitably gets going again. Verdict: Simonac! Editor’s Note: Wrong on all counts. GM Marc Bergevin said in March that Julien is not in danger of losing his job, but that tells you how much he had a shot at the Jack Adams. The Habs will miss the playoffs for a franchise record-tying third straight spring, but brighter days are ahead with Nick Suzuki here and Alexander Romanov on the way. 16. MINNESOTA - It won’t take long for rookie GM Bill Guerin to realize that the Wild require seismic changes. Guerin won’t be afraid to make them. Verdict: Oooooh man Editor’s Note: Guerin was *this close* to making a seismic change on TradeCentre before his deal to send Zach Parise to Long Island fell through. The story goes that the Wild and Islanders just couldn’t work out the finances. But unloading one of his $98 million twin pillars in Parise would have been seismic, with Guerin already looking toward the future after getting a first-round pick, Alex Galchenyuk and prospect Calen Addison back for Jason Zucker. 17. NASHVILLE. Hear that sound? It’s the Stanley Cup window slamming shut for the Predators, who have been going in the wrong direction since their 2017 Stanley Cup Final appearance. The Preds will be in a dog fight for a wild-card spot. Verdict: Mostly accurate Editor’s Note: The Preds are in the dance in most post-pandemic playoff scenarios – including points percentage – but it was a grind to get there. John Hynes replaced Peter Laviolette behind the bench in January. Nashville avoided a sell-off at the deadline. But with one of the older lineups in the NHL, a bevy of long-term contracts, and a thin prospect pipeline, the pied piper will eventually need to be paid. 18. NEW JERSEY - Taylor Hall will ink a massive eight-year, $88 million extension with the Devils in the first month of the season, putting aside the Trade Bait talk early. Verdict: I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul. Editor’s Note: The Devils were never competitive enough to warrant Hall’s attention on an extension. Hall was traded to Arizona on Dec. 16 before the NHL’s holiday roster freeze. Coach John Hynes was fired on Dec. 3, GM Ray Shero was fired on Jan. 12, and the Devils still have both an interim GM and interim coach. Hey, they’ll always have the 2018 Hart Trophy. 19. NEW YORK ISLANDERS - The Isles will still be the same stingy team under Barry Trotz, but they won’t be able to keep last season’s magic alive. They’ll fall short of a playoff spot. Verdict: Nail-biter Editor’s Note: This looked incredibly foolish at U.S. Thanksgiving. The Islanders were off to a 16-3-1 start. Their slide since then, with a 19-20-9 mark and an 0-3-4 tumble into the pause, avoided a lot of league-wide scrutiny. The Islanders just squeak in with the eighth spot in the East on points percentage, but who knows if those last 14 games are played? 20. NEW YORK RANGERS - Going up against two Hughes (Jack and Quinn), Kaapo Kakko will capture the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. Verdict: No guy Editor’s Note: At least I had the good sense to mention Quinn Hughes in the Calder Trophy conversation. Kakko’s 18-year-old season was paused with 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points, definitely underwhelming number. There is much to learn, but Kakko does have more goals (by three) and points (by two) than Jack Hughes, his cross-Hudson rival and the player picked one spot ahead of him last June. 21. OTTAWA - The Sens will not finish last in the Eastern Conference. Verdict: Better cash than trash Editor’s Note: Admittedly, the bar wasn’t exactly high here, not with Steve Yzerman’s long-term plan that has a few years to run in Detroit. But these Sens were a scrappy, competitive bunch – one that could be back in the playoff mix as soon as next season. Ottawa has arguably the deepest prospect pool in hockey and it’s about to get a lot better with two top-five picks in the Draft – and maybe even Alexis Lafreniere. 22. PHILADELPHIA - Carter Hart will win the Vezina Trophy after leading the Flyers back to the playoffs. Verdict: Worth a try Editor’s Note: The better and bolder prediction would have been Alain Vigneault for the Jack Adams Award. Vigneault may be the front-runner. Hart has been pretty darn good (24-13-3, .914 save percentage) in his sophomore season as a 21-year-old. But he was exceptional just before the pause with a 9-2-0 record and .934 mark, a big reason why the Flyers hit the break as the NHL’s hottest team. 23. PITTSBURGH - Evgeni Malkin is a monster again. He’ll take home the Hart Trophy for a second time. Verdict: An apple a day keeps the doctor away Editor’s Note: Malkin just hasn’t been healthy enough to be in the mix. With 74 points in 55 games, Geno was tied with Nathan MacKinnon for fifth in the NHL in points-per-game (1.35). That’s a 110-point pace over 82 games. Not too shabby. The time Malkin – and other key Pens – have missed is part of Mike Sullivan’s case for the Jack Adams. 24. SAN JOSE - The Sharks are still a playoff team, but they’ll be taking a step back from last season’s trip to the Western Conference Final. Verdict: Yikes Editor’s Note: There are no words. 25. ST. LOUIS - There will be no Stanley Cup hangover for the Blues, who have as strong a chance to repeat as any champion in the salary cap era. Confidence Level: I’d make that bet Editor’s Note: The Blues have been a machine; probably the NHL’s most consistent team – even more consistent than the Bruins. They’ve had one three-game losing skid and three winning streaks of at least seven games. Now, the best in the West will have plenty of rest after playing deep into last June. Who’s betting against them? 26. TAMPA BAY - After owning their historic first-round failure, Tampa Bay is ready to move forward. The loaded Lightning, who bolstered their roster with battle-tested players, will get back to the Stanley Cup Final. Confidence Level: Pretty, pretty, pretty good Editor’s Note: Tampa Bay is all-around tough. They are tough to out-skill, tough to out-skate, and just generally tough to play against. Now, they seem mentally tough, too. A wobbly start to the season, coupled with last year’s epic collapse, could have broken the Bolts. But they’re a toss-up with Boston for the top team in the East – and a second-round matchup with the Bruins would be an epic battle. 27. TORONTO - Stuck between the Bolts and Bruins, it’s going to be more of the same for the Buds. Another first-round exit is on the horizon. There is no doubting the Leafs’ firepower and motivation this season (Auston Matthews will hit 50 goals), it’s the lack of depth on defence (Nos. 4-7) that makes breaking through to the other side of the Atlantic Division bracket a real challenge. Confidence Level: Sounds about right Editor’s Note: So, the Leafs appeared to finally avoid the Bruins in the first round. Their reward: Tampa Bay. Yes, Toronto was 2-1 against Tampa this season, but the Buds would still enter as considerable underdogs against the Bolts. Another bad break in the pause: Matthews was on pace for 55 goals, one better than Rick Vaive’s club record of 54. It would’ve been a fascinating Rocket Richard race. 28. VANCOUVER - Elias Pettersson will notch his first 100-point season, joining the conversation among the Top 10 players in the game. Verdict: Not quite Editor’s Note: ‘Petey’ already matched his Calder season point total, in three fewer games, but he was still a bit of a way off from the Century Club. With 66 points in 68 games, Pettersson was on track to finish with 79 in 81 games. Seems like it’s only a matter of time now. 29. VEGAS - Powered by one of the best duos in hockey in Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, the Golden Knights will win the Pacific Division for the second time in three seasons. Verdict: Show me the money Editor’s Note: With an impressive bounce-back season for Pacioretty (66 points) and Stone’s (63 points) continued excellent two-way game, they were definitely among the top duos in the NHL this season. They owned more than 60 per cent of the shot attempts when they were on the ice together, over 735 minutes. Oh, and the Golden Knights – even with their struggles and coaching change – are still the class of the Pacific. 30. WASHINGTON - The “Great Eight” will now be the “Third Nine,” as Alex Ovechkin will tie Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy with a record ninth career 50-goal season. Verdict: Awarded on goals per game Editor’s Note: This has to count, right? Yet again, Ovechkin was pacing the league with 48 goals. At 34, Ovie was on track for 57 goals, which would have been the second-highest total of his illustrious career. If the NHL season never resumes, we will wonder if Ovechkin was robbed from his ninth 50-goal season because of a one-game suspension for sitting out All-Star weekend. 31. - The Jets will fail to make the playoffs, regardless of whether Dustin Byfuglien decides to return or hang up his skates. Even with him back, the Jets don’t have the defence corps to make it through the murderous Central Division alive. Verdict: Technically right, feels wrong Editor’s Note: If the season resumes, and it’s a 16-team playoff, the Jets are likely to miss any way you slice it. But that would sell short one of the best stories of the NHL season. The way Winnipeg battled – through the Byfuglien saga, through injuries, through schedule adversity – was something to behold. They entered the pause winners of four straight and in a playoff spot in the standings. Maybe they will remain there, forever frozen in time, if hockey isn’t to be played again in 2019-20. And then I'll be wrong, again.