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Columbus Dispatch

Columbus Dispatch

News Clips October 12, 2016

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: Front office uses loophole for roster moves PAGE 04 Columbus Dispatch: Folignos donate $1 million to hospitals PAGE 06: The Hockey Writers: 3 Wishes For The 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects PAGE 09: The Plain Dealer: Ryan Craig ready to celebrate and defend AHL title

NHL/Websites PAGE 11: USA Today: 5 questions for the start of the NHL season PAGE 13: TSN.CA: Congressional committee wants answers from NHL on concussions PAGE 16: .CA: NHL Roster Deadline Roundup: Latest news and moves

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http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/blogs/puck-rakers/2016/10/dubois-up-wennberg-down-...- but-wait-a-minute.html

Front office uses loophole for roster moves By Aaron Portzline – October 12, 2016

The Blue Jackets turned creative Tuesday, reaching the NHL’s 23-player roster limit with an eye-opening move that ultimately isn't a big deal. It was all about the salary cap.

Center Alexander Wennberg, the club’s third-line center, was sent to minor-league Cleveland so that the Blue Jackets could get under the roster limit. But Wennberg won’t be gone long. He might not even set foot in Cuyahoga County.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen wouldn’t confirm plans, but sources told The Dispatch that Wennberg will be recalled this afternoon and play in Thursday’s season opener against the at Nationwide Arena.

The Blue Jackets kept center Pierre-Luc Dubois, the No. 3 overall draft pick in June, on the roster. More specifically, the Blue Jackets kept Dubois’ contract on the books when the NHL stamped rosters as official at 5 p.m.

When Wennberg is recalled today, expect Dubois to be sent back to his junior club, Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The league’s collective bargaining agreement is almost as convoluted as the U.S. tax code, but here’s a simplified explanation for the loophole the Blue Jackets are exploiting:

• The Blue Jackets have a big-ticket veteran player, right wing David Clarkson ($5.25 million), whose career might be finished because of a chronic back injury. He is being placed on long-term injured reserve. Per the collective bargaining agreement, clubs get salary-cap relief for the amount of money the injured player’s salary puts them over the $73 million salary cap.

• The Blue Jackets wanted to get as close to the salary cap as possible to maximize the relief brought by Clarkson’s injury. As it stands, they’ll get nearly all of his $5.25 million in cap room.

• Dubois has an NHL salary of $3.425 million ($925,000 base salary, with $2.5 million in potential bonuses), while Wennberg has a $1.4 million hit ($925,000 base, plus $475,000 in potential bonuses).

• By starting the season with Dubois ($3.425 million) on the roster, and swapping him out for Wennberg ($1.4 million) as soon as today, the Blue Jackets are adding the difference between the two — $2.025 million — to their available cap space for performance bonuses.

Other NHL clubs have made similar moves — San Jose last season, for instance — while the league has threatened to close the loophole, saying the players must be sent down for one full day to make the move legal.

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If the Blue Jackets opened the season tonight instead of Thursday, it wouldn’t have been possible.

The other moves from Tuesday were infinitely easier to understand.

Veteran center Gregory Campbell cleared waivers and was sent to Cleveland.

Minor-leaguer T.J. Tynan, out since breaking an arm during an offseason conditioning skate, was medically cleared and sent to Cleveland.

Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo (groin) and defenseman Cody Goloubef (oblique) were placed on the injured list, as were the following prospects: forward Keegan Kolesar (hernia) and defensemen Dillon Heatherington (wrist) and John Ramage (shoulder).

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http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2016/10/12/folignos-donate-hospital.html

Folignos donate $1 million to hospitals By Aaron Portzline – October 12, 2016

The gift they’ve been given can never be repaid, Nick and Janelle Foligno said.

Thanks to surgeons and doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus and Boston Children’s Hospital, Milana Foligno is a vibrant, soon-to-be 3-year-old girl with a bright future.

She squirmed and smiled Tuesday as the Folignos announced a $1 million donation — $500,000 for each hospital — during a news conference at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

“It feels like Milana’s first surgery was 100 years ago, and it feels like yesterday,” Nick Foligno said. “You see her running around today … we couldn’t be more proud of her, and we want to do as much as we can to make sure everybody, every family, has a happy ending.

“We’re not the only family affected by this. Not by a long . But Columbus is our home, the people here have been so great to us, and we want to make a difference in our community.”

In Columbus, the gift will be directed to the hospital’s center for cardiovascular research, including a new Foligno Family Cardiovascular Research Lab.

In a release, the hospital said the donation will be used to “sponsor new ideas, purchase new equipment, and support the next generation of scientists and clinicians with the ultimate of advancing the treatment of children and adults with heart valve disease.”

Milana was born Oct. 14, 2013, and diagnosed the next day with a congenital heart defect.

She had emergency surgery 3½ weeks later in Boston because the procedure she needed was not being performed by surgeons in Columbus. It is now.

“The field is growing and growing, with new advances taking place all the time,” Janelle Foligno said. “These hospitals, they do amazing things. They change lives. They save lives.

“Hopefully we can help families in a similar situation, and hopefully we can shine a light on both of these hospitals and the amazing work they do.”

The Folignos were surrounded by Blue Jackets players and management, surgeons and doctors from Nationwide Children’s, and Dr. Sitaram Emani, the surgeon who performed Milana’s first surgery in Boston.

Roster settled The Blue Jackets’ roster was settled at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

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Forwards: Josh Anderson, Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Matt Calvert, Brandon Dubinsky, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nick Foligno, Sam Gagner, Scott Hartnell, Boone Jenner, William Karlsson, Brandon Saad and Lukas Sedlak.

Defensemen: Scott Harrington, Jack Johnson, Seth Jones, Ryan Murray, Markus Nutivaara, Dalton Prout, David Savard, Zach Werenski.

Goaltenders: , Curtis McElhinney.

Slap shots The Blue Jackets were off Tuesday, but will return to practice at 11 a.m. today. … Two Columbus products were late cuts by NHL clubs: forward Trent Vogelhuber was reassigned to San Antonio of the by the and forward Sean Kuraly was sent to AHL Providence by the Boston Bruins.

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http://thehockeywriters.com/3-wishes-for-the-2016-17-columbus-blue-jackets/

3 Wishes For The 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets By Mark Scheig – October 12, 2016

What a difference a year makes.

The Columbus Blue Jackets enter the 2016-17 season with very different expectations than at this time last year. Remember how most everyone saw them as a contender in the Eastern Conference? Now you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks they finish outside the bottom-10 of the league.

Many expect the Blue Jackets to finish last in the Eastern Conference. There’s even one who thinks that coach John Tortorella is gone after just a month. Everywhere you look on a national scale, the Blue Jackets are out of the , and the season hasn’t even started yet.

But There’s Good News… I have some good news for you. The Columbus Blue Jackets have not been eliminated from the playoffs as of this writing. In fact, if you take a real close look at this team, there is hope, even for this season.

Now with that said, many things have to fall in their favor.

Just like a genie’s bottle, I’ve been granted three wishes. I’m going to use these wishes on different areas of the Blue Jackets that will help them realize success this season. If they can get these three things right, they’ll compete all season long.

Here’s my roadmap to Blue Jackets success in 2016-17:

First Wish – Sergei Bobrovsky Stays Healthy We know the past. We know the injury history of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Is this finally the year he avoids injured reserve?

My first and most important wish is for Bobrovsky’s health. As long as he is in net and healthy, the Blue Jackets are in every game.

A good litmus test was the World Cup of Hockey. We got to see right away where Bobrovsky was at health-wise. He did not disappoint. He was Russia’s best player in the tournament.

He made saves that not many goalies in the world could make. More importantly, he had no setbacks. He constantly put pressure on the leg by stretching out and making sudden movements. He looked fast and confident. He did this against the best players in the world.

The important question now is, can this carry over into the season? The team worked with Bobrovsky throughout the offseason to make some adjustments to his routine so he could maximize his chances of staying healthy. So far, it’s working.

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The fact that the Blue Jackets kept Curtis McElhinney as his backup seems to imply that the team plans on relying heavily on Bobrovsky to carry the load all season. This is great. But for everyone’s sake, let’s hope this wish comes true.

Second Wish – Limit The Dumb Penalties My second wish focuses on the team’s propensity to take needless penalties. When you spend over 13 minutes a night in the box, good things don’t happen.

What was frustrating was the kind of penalties the team kept taking. Whether it was a lazy slashing , or an extra punch to the face, or a too many men call, the team was very undisciplined. Any little stretches of momentum the team had were quickly erased and handed back to the opposition. By the time the Blue Jackets got things under control, they were down multiple goals.

Penalties will happen. But if the team can make a concerted effort to avoid the needless and lazy penalties, they’ll spend less time in the box. They’ll spend less time short-handed. They’ll keep momentum for longer stretches.

This has to start with the leadership. The leaders need to take this upon themselves and make it a habit game in and game out to avoid lazy penalties. Hopefully, we see a level of accountability if this continues to happen.

Even if it’s a small drop in penalty minutes from last season, the effect will be dramatic. Emotions are part of the game. But the best teams can control themselves in the heat of the moment. It’s no wonder many disciplined teams stay in most games. They’re not consistently down a man or more.

Third Wish – Put Nationwide On Their Side Home ice has not been kind to the Columbus Blue Jackets. If they hope to make something out of this season, they need to start doing a better job of defending Nationwide Arena. Even some fans have taken this message to heart.

Meet Kevin Valentin. He is a die-hard fan of the Blue Jackets. Back in 2014, he wanted to do something fun for the home opener. He came up with a wonderful idea that still exists on opening night. He created the “March of the Union Blue Soldiers.”

The Blue Jackets and the state of Ohio have a rich history in battle. With the help of friends Marc Humker, Craig Morris and Mark Rucker, Kevin decided to create the march. Starting at 5:30pm on opening night, fans meet near the arena and then march together with different flags (the State of Ohio, Blue Jackets, and American) to the arena in solidarity. This is their way of going to battle with the team and defending Nationwide Arena.

My third wish is for the Blue Jackets to follow Kevin’s example and defend Nationwide Arena. Given the brutal early schedule the team has, home-ice is more important than ever. The Blue Jackets must win games at home against teams they should beat. The crowds in Columbus can be overwhelming if the team is doing well.

If they can manage to tread water through the tough schedule, the month of February presents an opportunity. From February 9th-25th, the Blue Jackets play seven-in-a-row at Nationwide, which includes their one-week bye from February 20th-24th.

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If they can’t get things right at home early, then February doesn’t matter. The Blue Jackets must find a way to jump on teams early and keep the pressure on for 60 minutes.

There you have it, my three wishes for the upcoming season. A healthy Bobrovsky combined with fewer penalty minutes and more success at home equals a chance for a playoff season. Can they make this happen? Maybe. We’ll all find out together starting Thursday night.

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http://www.cleveland.com/monsters/index.ssf/2016/10/ryan_craig_is_ready_to_celebra.html

Ryan Craig ready to celebrate and defend AHL title By Branson Wright – October 12, 2016

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ryan Craig did not have to wait nearly as long as Cleveland sports fans who had not seen a championship by a professional sports team in this city since 1964.

Craig was the team for the Lake Erie Monsters, who won the American Hockey League championship in June, just weeks before the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA championship. The Monsters, now renamed the , are an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL and were new to town last year after the AHL realigned.

Craig won his first title after 14 years on the ice, but he knows the glow of a championship will quickly fade after Friday night's pregame ceremony in celebration of last year's title.

"We're excited about what we accomplished last year but that's last year," said Craig. "The guys that are coming back know how hard we worked to get into that position to win a championship and they're excited to do it again. The challenge ahead is to pull the new guys along, but there's some fresh faces here that want to [win a title]."

But remembering and celebrating last year's title is a reason many fans will come out to The Q at 7 p.m. for Friday's season opener against Rockford IceHogs.

The Monsters will raise the Calder Cup Championship banner, and prior to the game, there's an outdoor Fan Fest on Gateway Plaza with the opportunity for fans to take a photo with the Calder Cup. The Cleveland Indians open the 2016 ALCS on Friday night against the Blue Jays at Progressive Field

Monsters fans won't enjoy the celebration alone.

"I haven't gone through the title raising banner as defending champs, so it's exciting and a new challenge and a fresh start," Craig said. "We'll have a few minutes to reflect on last year when the banner is going up and share it with the great fans of Cleveland that support us. Hopefully we can go on that and keep having great crowds all year and keep winning hockey games."

Calder Cup Craig and his teammates spent plenty of time with the Calder Cup trophy during the summer. The Calder Cup lived with Craig for two days at his lake house in Manitoba, Canada. He shared and celebrated the trophy with his friends and family.

He's certain the Calder Cup was celebrated in a variety of ways.

"Everyone that gets the Calder Cup washes it out pretty good because everything goes in it from guys' kids eating cereal and ice cream out of it to who knows what kind of booze was put in it," Craig said. "

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I'm sure it saw a lot of golf, was on a lot of boats, in the water and probably saw a lot of late nights. It's great to enjoy the cup and that's the fun part of it."

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2016/10/11/season-wednesday-thursday-sidney-crosby- concussion/91911372/

5 questions for the start of the NHL season By Kevin Allen - October 12, 2016

Carey Price is healthy again and Sidney Crosby is not as the NHL season opens Wednesday with four games, including Arizona native Auston Matthews’ much-anticipated debut with the .

The defending Stanley Cup champion start the season at home Thursday against the Washington Capitals, but Crosby, their captain, has been diagnosed with a concussion. The open in Buffalo, and Price will be in the net after missing most of last season with a knee injury.

Here are five burning questions heading into the season:

1. Can the Penguins be the first team to repeat as Cup champs since 1997? Crosby suffered the concussion during Friday’s practice, and there is no timetable for his return. But he did skate Tuesday, and met with the news media. Those are good signs.

Presuming Crosby’s injury will be short-term, the Penguins have a strong chance to repeat. The Pens essentially have the same team they had in June. The only question: Who plays in net? The Pens have two quality options in Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury.

2. What should we expect from Connor McDavid in his second season? A good number of bettors in Las Vegas believe he will be MVP. Bovada oddsmakers reported Tuesday that 16% of the MVP bets have been placed on the star.

Although the Oilers are not a stellar team, McDavid, 19, should be able to contend for the scoring title. If he stays healthy, 90-100 points is within reason. He is a game-breaker of the highest order.

3. How much of impact will Matthews have? Even though he hasn’t yet played an NHL game yet, the first overall pick in June might already be America’s best center. He's certainly the Maple Leafs’ most talented player.

He showed how advanced he is by playing sharply against NHL competition at last spring’s World Championships and at the recent World Cup of Hockey. It wouldn’t be unthinkable for him to register 25 goals and 60 points in his first season.

4. Can the extend their playoff streak? Most projections have the Red Wings finishing out of the playoffs for the first time in 26 years.

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But here is how they could get in: Petr Mrazek has to play like one of the NHL’s top eight goalies. Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist have to score 25-plus goals. Ken Holland has to trade for a defenseman. Defenseman Brendan Smith has take his game to another level. Mike Green needs a 50-point season. And a younger player, such as Andreas Athanasiou or Anthony Mantha, must emerge as a contributor.

5. Is Jaromir Jagr still an impact player at 44? He turns 45 in February, and he’s still vital to the Florida Panthers’ success. He was 22nd in the NHL scoring race last season with 27 goals. The Panthers need similar production from him this season. His training habits are both eccentric and legendary. You can find him working out sometimes at 2 a.m.

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http://www.tsn.ca/congressional-committee-wants-answers-from-nhl-on-concussions-1.583417

Congressional committee wants answers from NHL on concussions By Rick Westhead – October 12, 2016

The ’s policies on head injuries and concussions are attracting more scrutiny in Washington, where Democratic members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce have joined the call for the league to explain how it cares for brain-injured players.

In an Oct. 6 letter to commissioner Gary Bettman, the four Democratic Representatives — Frank Pallone Jr. (New Jersey), Gene Green (Texas), Diana DeGette (Colorado), and Jan Schakowsky (Illinois) — ask for answers about how the NHL documents diagnosed concussions in games and practices.

The politicians also ask Bettman the average length of time a player diagnosed with a concussion is benched before returning to play, and how concussed players are monitored over time.

In Major League Baseball, it’s mandatory that concussed players be placed on a disabled list for seven days before they return to games, the Representatives wrote, adding that U.S. Soccer protocol calls for players to be symptom free for 72 hours before a return to play.

“The NHL’s 2013-14 protocol has ‘no mandatory period of time that a player must be withheld from play following a concussion,’” wrote the representatives in a five-page letter obtained by TSN. “Nevertheless, you continue to praise the league’s player-safety measures as the ‘most proactive.’

“Given the greater awareness of the risks posed by repetitive head injuries — as well as the advancing science — the NHL must do its part to reduce the risk of head injuries and to make hockey, at all levels, a safer game. We urge the NHL to take a more active role is setting clear policies that bolster player health and safety.”

The Representatives ask the NHL to respond by Oct. 24. An NHL spokesman did not reply to an email seeking comment.

The NHL is locked in a high-stakes lawsuit with a group of former players who charge the league put profits ahead of their safety, marketing violence and urging injured players to return to action before they had properly recovered. The players have asked the court to order the NHL to pay for medical monitoring as they age.

The NHL says the litigation is without merit and that players should have “put two and two together” about the possible long-term health problems caused by repeated head trauma.

For months, the NHL has been in a back-and-forth debate with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, Connecticut.)

Blumenthal has said Bettman and the NHL have their heads in the sand regarding the connection between concussions and long-term brain damage.

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After Blumenthal first wrote to Bettman and asked the NHL commissioner to explain why he has disavowed a link between concussions and long-term brain damage, Bettman responded that a link between concussions and the brain-withering disease CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, has not been established.

In his letter to the senator, Bettman condemned “media hype driven in part by the plaintiffs’ counsel.”

Furthering the war of words, Blumenthal in August called on the NHL to fund research on concussions and brain trauma and said the league should “cease its attacks on the media, media consultants and lawyers and others who are advocates or activists.”

Pallone, one of the four Representatives who sent the NHL its most recent warning letter, oversaw a recent study that concluded that the NFL and its head, neck and spine committee worked to improperly influence the government research, trying to steer the study toward a doctor with ties to the league, The Times reported.

Pallone, Green, DeGette and Schakowsky cited a number of internal emails sent between NHL executives, including one 2011 email from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly to Bettman and others where Daly wrote, “fighting raises the incidence of head injuries/concussions, which raises the incidence of depression onset, which raises the incidence of personal tragedies.”

“Despite this candid discussion in email of the dangers of fighting and the related incidence of head injuries, the NHL continues to publicly deny a connection between head injuries and long-term complications such as CTE,” the representatives wrote.

The politicians asked the NHL to provide them with details of the league’s concussion protocol for the 2016-17 season and answer several questions, including:

- Who is responsible for implementing and enforcing the concussion protocol during practices and games? What is the penalty if a team fails to enforce the concussion protocol?

- How does the NHL document diagnosed concussions — both in game and in practices?

- What is the average length of time a player diagnosed with a concussion is benched before returning to play? How is a player diagnosed with a concussion monitored over time? What precautions are taken to limit the risks of a subsequent head injury?

- What new programs, initiatives and protocols is the NHL considering for the 30 NHL teams to protect players from the risks of repetitive head trauma?

- What new programs, initiatives, and protocols is the NHL considering for its affiliated development leagues, the AHL and ECHL, to protect minor league players from the risks of repetitive head trauma?

- How does the NHL work with youth hockey leagues to ensure players and parents understand the risks posed by the game? Does the NHL provide any training or guidance to parents and coaches on how to prevent and treat head injuries?

Michael Carrier, a political science professor at Rutgers Law School in New Jersey, said it’s possible that the representatives might ask Congress to hold hearings into the NHL’s oversight of player safety.

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“They are asking these questions with the threat of the antitrust exemption hanging over the NHL,” Carrier said in an interview.

The NHL, along with other major sports leagues, is exempt from antitrust laws in the U.S., Carrier said. Without that exemption, broadcasters might sue the NHL for signing exclusive TV contracts, and team owners might enjoy more freedom to challenge the NHL over moving their franchises to different markets.

Even so, Carrier said it would be unlikely that Congress would look to repeal the exemption because that would be such a drastic change, and because many NHL team owners have political influence of their own.

“It’s far more likely that we could see Congress hold hearings, subpoena information from the NHL, and really put them under more pressure to explain their position on head injuries,” Carrier said.

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-roster-deadline-roundup-waivers-ahl-cuts-2016-17-opening- setoguchi-maple-leafs/

NHL Roster Deadline Roundup: Latest news and moves By Luke Fox – October 12, 2016

The final cuts are upon us.

All 30 NHL clubs must finalize their opening-night 23-man rosters by 5 p.m. ET Tuesday in preparation for the 2016-17 season’s official puck drop Wednesday night.

Keep it here Tuesday for a roundup of the latest transactions and waiver wire pickups. Everything is happening.

4:59 p.m. • The reached a last-minute agreement with RFA Rasmus Ristolainen.

• Free agent defenceman Eric Gryba, has signed a two-way contract with the Edmonton Oilers. His PTO paid off.

GRYBA'S NEW DEAL WITH EDM IS FOR $950K IN THE NHL, $250K IN THE AHL, AND A WITH $450K GUARANTEE.

HE'LL NEED WAIVERS TO GO DOWN HOWEVER.

— MARK SPECTOR (@SPORTSNETSPEC) OCTOBER 11, 2016

•, another unrestricted free agent on a PTO in Edmonton, turned around and signed to Calgary on a one-year deal instead.

• After trying out for Vancouver, free agent Tuomo Ruutu was released by the Canucks Tuesday.

• The Toronto Maple Leafs claimed centre Seth Griffith on waivers from Boston. Griffith, a 23-year-old native of Wallaceburg, Ont., leaves the Bruins having scored six goals and 10 points in 34 NHL games.

ALSO APPEARS JOSH LEIVO WON'T BE ON #LEAFS ROSTER. POSSIBLE HE'S DESIGNATED NON-ROSTER AND ON WAIVERS TOMORROW. NO OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION.

— CHRIS JOHNSTON (@REPORTERCHRIS) OCTOBER 11, 2016

NEELY ON ROSTER: "THE GUYS THAT ARE CURRENTLY HERE, THEY DESERVE TO BE HERE."

— BOSTON BRUINS (@NHLBRUINS) OCTOBER 11, 2016

BRANDON PRUST HASN'T MADE THE TEAM. WILL CONTINUE TO PRACTICE WITH THE TEAM BEYOND TOMORROW. WILL NOT TRAVEL WITH THE TEAM- PER LAMORIELLO.

— DAVID ALTER (@DALTER) OCTOBER 10, 2016

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• RFA Nikita Kucherov signed a team-friendly three-year deal with Tampa. Steve Yzerman committed robbery.

• The assigned forward Linden Vey to the AHL's Stockton Heat. The 25-year-old played in four pre-season games for the Flames after arriving as a free agent in July.

• The claimed forward P.A. Parenteau off waivers from the .

WITH PARENTEAU CLAIMED, DEVS HAVE 15 HEALTHY F, EIGHT D. THEY NEED TO MAKE TWO CUTS BY 5 P.M TODAY. DON'T SEE THEM CARRYING SPEERS AND WOOD.

— ANDREW GROSS (@AGROSSRECORD) OCTOBER 11, 2016

• The grabbed defenceman Klas Dahlbeck off waivers from the .

“Klas is a big, left-shot defenceman who was a steady presence on the blue line last season for Arizona,” said Carolina GM Ron Francis. “We wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to add to our organization’s depth on defence.”

ANOTHER SETBACK FOR MURPHY. FRANCIS SAYS D-MAN WILL START SEASON ON IR.

— CHIP ALEXANDER (@ICE_CHIP) OCTOBER 11, 2016

• A minor trade saw the Hurricanes acquire forward Connor Brickley from the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Brody Sutter.

• The Pittsburgh Penguins claimed goaltender Mike Condon off waivers from Montreal.

• Teemu Pulkkinen, formerly of the Detroit Red Wings, was claimed on waivers by the .

"Teemu's been a prolific goal scorer at every level," said Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. "It's hard to score goals in this league, and we thought his talent is high-end and worth the waiver claim."

BOUDREAU ON PULKKINEN: "FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, VERY HIGH SKILLED. HE'S FAST. HE CAN SCORE. HE HAS A TREMENDOUS SHOT." #MNWILD #NHLFI

— MINNESOTA WILD (@MNWILD) OCTOBER 11, 2016

• The Calgary Flames announced their captains for this season:

#FLAMES CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED . MARK GIORDANO CAPTAIN. ASSISTANT CAPTAINS SEAN MONAHAN AND TROY BROUWER

— ROGER MILLIONS (@ROGMILLIONS) OCTOBER 11, 2016

TRELIVING SAYS DECISION ON SMID’S LTIR STATUS IS STILL BEING MADE. SAYS IT’S AN OPTION BUT CARRIES ADDED COMPLICATIONS WITH IT. #FLAMES

— PAT STEINBERG (@FAN960STEINBERG) OCTOBER 11, 2016

• In the most remarkable redemption tale of the pre-season, Devin Setoguchi inked a one-year, $575,000 contract with the today.

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Setoguchi, a 29-year-old recovering alcoholic, hasn't played an NHL game since 2014 with the Calgary Flames. Last fall he tried out for the Toronto Maple Leafs but failed to make the cut.

CONGRATS TO MY BUDDY DEVIN SETOGUCHI. WAS A LONG ROAD BUT HE DID WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO TO GET BACK! PROUD OF HIM! #LEGKICK

— JASON DEMERS (@JASONDEMERS5) OCTOBER 11, 2016

• Sidney Crosby spoke today to update his concussion status.

CROSBY: "I FEEL PRETTY GOOD. I WAS HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SKATE TODAY."

— PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (@PENGUINS) OCTOBER 11, 2016

• Curtis Lazar, a 2013 first-rounder, put up 20 points in his first full season with the in 2015-16. The depth forward will start the season with AHL Binghampton in effort to get him in game shape.

“We received some good news regarding Curtis on Monday in that he has been medically cleared to take contact,” said Senators general manager Pierre Dorion. “We feel that Curtis is an important part of our team, but given that he’s been unable to participate in games or to take any contact in training camp, we know this is the best move to get him ready to be able to be a big contributor in Ottawa. We expect to have him back here soon.”

#SENS GM PIERRE DORION SPEAKS TO MEDIA ABOUT THE DECISION TO ASSIGN FORWARD CURTIS LAZAR TO BINGHAMTON. PIC.TWITTER.COM/OLZQ52BBVY

— OTTAWA SENATORS (@SENATORS) OCTOBER 11, 2016

• The Detroit Red Wings have sent winger Anthony Mantha, 22, down to Grand Rapids. A 20-goal scorer in the AHL last season, Mantha appeared in 10 big-league games and was hoping to make the cut.

• Jake Allen, the St. Louis Blues' undisputed No. 1 goalie, is healthy and ready for the season opener. The Blues assigned goalie Jordan Binnington to the AHL Chicago Wolves.

• The sent six players down to the AHL Barracuda — Ryan Carpenter, Nikolay Goldobin, Barclay Goodrow, Dan Kelly, Kevin Labanc, Mirco Mueller — in order to knock their roster down to 23 players.

• The assigned forwards Brandon Mashinter and Mark McNeill to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Mashinter, 28, scored one goal in three pre-season games this year. McNeill, 23, skated in three pre-season contests and registered one assist.

• More injury updates:

BLASHILL SAYS HE EXPECTS BRENDAN SMITH (MID BODY) TO BE READY FOR THURSDAY OPENER

— HELENE ST. JAMES (@HELENESTJAMES) OCTOBER 11, 2016

FRANCIS CONFIRMED THAT TYLER GANLY HAS SHOULDER SEPARATION THAT WILL REQUIRE SURGERY. OUT 3-4 MONTHS.

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— CHIP ALEXANDER (@ICE_CHIP) OCTOBER 11, 2016

CAPUANO SAID HE WILL KNOW MORE TOMORROW IF HALAK WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY IN THE OPENER

— MARK HERRMANN (@MARKPHERRMANN) OCTOBER 11, 2016

AV SAYS KEVIN KLEIN IS DEALING WITH BACK SPASMS THAT HAVE KEPT HIM OUT OF PRACTICE THE LAST TWO DAYS. UNSURE OF STATUS FOR THURSDAY. #NYR

— (@NYRANGERS) OCTOBER 11, 2016

NIKLAS KRONWALL IR RETROACTIVE TO SEPT. 22, SO CAN COME OFF ANYTIME READY. #REDWINGS

— HELENE ST. JAMES (@HELENESTJAMES) OCTOBER 11, 2016

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