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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 08/10/19 1150793 5 players the Coyotes could add if the price is right 1150794 Coyotes' new owner Alex Meruelo says staying in city's arena long term will be 'difficult.' Can Glendale sway Bruins 1150795 Bruins summer series: Torey Krug at a crossroads this season Flames 1150796 Flames go anti-establishment regarding the NHL’s growing bias toward tall 1150797 Marko Dano looking forward to rejoining Jackets, making his mark 1150798 This part of Joe Pavelski's skill set could help the Stars improve their offense in 2019-20 1150799 Dallas had the NHL’s best goalie tandem in 2018-19. How strong is the organization’s pipeline? 1150800 Healthy Mike Green will boost Red Wings’ defensive production 1150801 Revisiting the Oilers’ 2016 draft and the opportunities missed Kings 1150802 KINGS ENCOURAGED BY KALIYEV AT WJSS; HOW THE HLINKA RESTARTS THE SCOUTING SEASON 1150803 What the Puck: Another bleu-blanc-rouge brush off for Andrei Markov 1150804 Ex-brothers-in-law battle over Canadiens season tickets spills into courtroom 1150805 Devils goalie depth chart: New look behind , entering 2019-20 1150806 Rangers president John Davidson expects to see Chris Kreider in camp Flyers 1150807 Where is the Kate Smith statue? Flyers’ plans still undetermined. 1150808 Flyers mascot gets belly button pierced ... seriously 1150809 5 youngsters on Flyers that need to own their roles in 2019-20 season 1150810 How Checking For Charity has both stayed local and blossomed 1150811 Meet Cody Sabol, the speed painter who's made art for Sidney Crosby, Joe Musgrove and more 1150812 How do the Penguins stack up against an improved ? 1150813 Sharks jersey rankings: Why original teal sweater is San Jose's best 1150814 So they won a , but were the 2018-19 Blues the best in team history? 1150815 Alex Ovechkin enjoys the sights and tastes as NHL Ambassador in China 1150816 20 Burning Capitals Questions: Who plays more in 2019-20 - Christian Djoos or Jonas Siegenthaler? Websites 1150817 .ca / The Gretzky : A day that shook Edmonton's sporting foundation 1150818 TSN.CA / Ewen trial against NHL to take three weeks with more than 20 witnesses

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1150793 Arizona Coyotes A smooth-skating forward who can play both center and wing, Sheahan is still young at 27 and could be a valuable bottom-six guy with two-way upside.

5 players the Coyotes could add if the price is right 2. Alex Petrovic, defense

Richard Morin, Arizona Republic Published 11:38 a.m. MT Aug. 9, 2019 | 2018-19 stats: Zero goals, two assists in 35 games. Updated 11:39 a.m. MT Aug. 9, 2019 Last contract: One year, $1.95 million. The Coyotes made a big trade to get winger Phil Kessel from Pittsburgh, azcentral's Richard Morin and Bob McManaman break down the trade. It was a rough season for Petrovic but the 27-year-old could still be of Brian Snyder, Arizona Republic use to a team in need of a young, right-handed defenseman. Someone will buy low on him. CONNECT 3. Magnus Paajarvi, left wing TWEET 2018-19 stats: 11 goals, eight assists in 80 games. LINKEDIN Last contract: One year, $900,000. COMMENT A good skater with scoring upside, Paajarvi is still unsigned but is just 28 EMAIL and a capable bottom-six winger. However, the option remains for MORE Paajarvi to relocate back overseas if he does not get the price he desires. With about one month remaining until training camp, the Coyotes already have 21 players under contract and one of the highest salary cap center Brian Boyle (11) celebrates after scoring a commitments at $81.3 million, just shy of the $81.5 million cap ceiling for during the first period against the at 2019-20. Bridgestone Arena on March 29, 2019.

Once the Coyotes move Marian Hossa ($5.28 million cap hit) to long- Nashville Predators center Brian Boyle (11) celebrates after scoring a term injured reserve, there will be considerably more room with which goal during the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Coyotes President of Hockey Operations and General Manager John Bridgestone Arena on March 29, 2019. (Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel, Chayka can work — but are there any more roster additions incoming? Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODA)

Several high-profile free agents such as Dion Phanuef, Patrick Marleau 4. Brian Boyle, left wing and Derick Brassard still remain unsigned, as well as a slew of lower-tier 2018-19 stats: 18 goals, six assists in 73 games. skaters. Last contract: Two years, $5.1 million. "I think the cap didn't rise as much as some people would have hoped or expected," Chayka said when reached by phone Friday. "It was kind of The 34-year-old won't be as expensive as his last contract and would be below where those projections were. A lot of these (restricted free a great veteran presence on any team. He is regarded as one of the agents) are top players in the league and that's kind of created a lack of brighter personalities in the sport. And he can still score. juice in the market. 5. Justin Williams, right wing "It's kind of a combination of things that have led to there not being a lot of dollars available out there. Certain players are feeling that squeeze out 2018-19 stats: 23 goals, 30 assists in 82 games. there." Last contract: Two years, $9 million.

Coyotes GM John Chayka answers questions from Matt McConnell (R) He's no spring chicken at 38, but his 23 goals last season would have led at Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa in Glendale, Ariz. on June the Coyotes without trouble. And there's no player you'd rather want in a 28, 2019. Game 7 than Williams, the clutch, seasoned veteran.

Coyotes GM John Chayka answers questions from Matt McConnell (R) Arizona Republic LOADED: 08.10.2019 at Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa in Glendale, Ariz. on June 28, 2019. (Photo: Patrick Breen, Patrick Breen/The Republic)

Chayka said he's confident with his current roster and offseason additions in Phil Kessel and Carl Soderberg.

Chayka isn't necessarily breaking down doors to add another player. One of those two empty roster spots could also go to , the No. 5 overall pick in 2018.

However, a league source said the Coyotes were interested in right- handed defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the on Monday.

"If there's a good fit and good chance to add to our group," Chayka said, "then it's something we're open to. Saying that, I think the majority of our group is in place. You can add a player, but unless that player projects significantly better than the current players we have, is that really adding value to your team?"

The Coyotes weren't willing to meet Shattenkirk's price, but could they have interest in other defensemen with a similar portfolio? Or a depth forward who fits their organizational needs?

Here are five remaining unrestricted free agents who, at the right price, could be of use to the Coyotes:

1. Riley Sheahan, center

2018-19 stats: Nine goals and 10 assists in 82 games.

Last contract: One year, $2.1 million. 1150794 Arizona Coyotes "We are committed to working with them to do everything possible to make them a success here in Glendale and the state of Arizona," Phelps said.

Coyotes' new owner Alex Meruelo says staying in city's arena long term Challenges with attendance, location will be 'difficult.' Can Glendale sway him? The challenges that Meruelo listed for the Coyotes' success at the arena Jen Fifield, Arizona Republic Published 6:15 a.m. MT Aug. 9, 2019 | are similar to what Coyotes officials have been saying for years. Updated 9:52 a.m. MT Aug. 9, 2019 The location has been a challenge since the Coyotes moved to Glendale, CONNECT said Doug Moss, who was president and chief operating officer of the TWEET franchise from 2003 to 2010.

LINKEDIN Moss said it was hard at the time to get fans out to the West Valley, and the low attendance made it harder to attract sponsors. COMMENT There's a large hockey fan base in the East Valley, Moss said, and many EMAIL of the home games are on week nights, so it's hard for fans to get off work early enough to make it to the game on time. Combine this with the MORE Coyotes' record at the time, he said, and fans weren't inspired to make Corrections and Clarifications: A previous version of this article was the drive. incorrect about an event at the arena. "The team has to be really, really good on the ice to compel people to The Arizona Coyotes have a new majority owner in billionaire go," he said. entrepreneur Alex Meruelo, but views on a long-term commitment to Gila Current team executives seem to get that. River Arena in Glendale apparently haven't changed. "The most important thing for us right now ... is achieving our core goals. At a news conference last week, Meruelo said he's committed to keeping Those are building hockey fandom in Arizona, building a competitive the Coyotes in Arizona — but he didn't say the same about keeping the team on the ice, and positively impacting our community. Ultimately, we team in Glendale, calling it "a difficult situation." have to figure out our long-term arena solution. But that problem is The reasons he ticked off aren't new: The team loses money there. The solved by achieving those three goals I laid out," Coyotes current fan base is elsewhere in the Valley. Corporate sponsors are harder to President and CEO Ahron Cohen told The Republic last month. come by in Glendale. And the team doesn't have a long-term lease. The Coyotes also should soon benefit from the opening of South A Glendale spokeswoman told The Arizona Republic that city leaders Mountain Freeway later this year. The extension of Loop 202 is expected hope to sit down with Meruelo "to see how we can help him achieve his to improve travel time between the east and the west Valley. goals of success." Attendance at Coyotes games has been, and still is, among the lowest of Glendale and the Coyotes' relationship splintered four years ago after the the NHL. Last season, it ranked third to last, with an average of 13,989 financially struggling city prematurely ended the team's $15 million a year fans per game. The arena can accommodate just over 17,000 fans. arena management contract, in favor of hiring an arena manager for a The low attendance during Moss' day made it hard for the team to attract third the cost. sponsors, he said, when other stadiums in the Valley have larger crowds. But the city that borrowed $180 million to open the arena in 2003 has a Generally in the Phoenix area, Moss said the fact that every team plays lot to lose if the team leaves. The Coyotes bring a stream of hockey fans at its own venue presents a challenge, because it creates more and spending to the adjacent Westgate Entertainment Center. Glendale competition for sponsors. relies heavilyon that sales tax revenue to cover the arena debt payment, which is $10.6 million this fiscal year. He pointed out how, in many other large markets, such as Boston, Dallas and Detroit, professional hockey and basketball teams play in the same The arena won't be paid off until 2033. Meanwhile, the Coyotes are on a space. year-to-year arena lease and continue to look for another arena option in Arizona. Phoenix considered a combined basketball/ hockey arena downtown, or renovating Talking Stick Resort Arena to accommodate hockey during NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in June that Meruelo is other renovations, but ultimately decided it was too expensive. "committed" to finding a new arena in Arizona, adding that Glendale's arena "is not viable long-term." Moss said the speculation of whether the Coyotes would stay in the arena long term — which began back in Moss' days — also didn't help So far the team hasn't come up with another option as public opinion on when trying to sell season tickets. funneling taxpayer dollars into sports stadiums has deteriorated — especially in Arizona. "People just weren't sure if they would be there," he said.

Whether a miracle off ice could keep the team in Glendale remains to be The Republic recently reported ticket sales have jumped as the team seen. The city expects to schedule a meeting with Meruelo soon. finished just two points out of a playoff spot last season, and made solid acquisitions in the off-season. City manager: 'Committed to working with' Coyotes Coyotes new owner Alex Meruelo speaks to local media at a press The new majority owner may be a chance for Glendale officials to rebuild conference at , in Glendale on August 1, 2019. Thomas the relationship between the city and the team. Hawthorne, Glendale for years stepped up to support the Coyotes, including paying What can Glendale offer? the $25 million in 2011 and again in 2012 to manage the arena as the league searched for a new owner. But the Despite the arena being 16 years old now, Moss considers it a beautiful relationship fractured in 2015, when the city voided the team's arena arena. The way it's built with open concourses and steep seating, he management contract, effectively ending a subsidy to the team. said, everyone has a good view of the ice.

At the time, Glendale was navigating its way out of the recession with Still, professional sports venues are often considered old after a couple sports debt that weighed heavily on the city's bottom line. decades.

Glendale's top executive, mayor and most city council members aren't Last year, the city partnered with arena manager AEG and the Coyotes commenting on Meruelo's recent thoughts about the arena. Many gave to buy a larger video scoreboard for the arena. The city put in $1.55 the same reason: They want city staff to have the chance to meet million. Meruelo before they say anything. Phelps said earlier this year that the arena could benefit from In a video posted on the city's Facebook page, Glendale City Manager reconfigured suites, more club areas, enhanced food and beverage Kevin Phelps, with a Coyotes cap in hand, welcomed Meruelo. service and more team stores. "There are a of things that could be done to help the revenue picture," he said at the time.

Glendale will have to decide how much it is willing to keep investing to stay competitive with other NHL arenas, said David Swindell, an economist and director of the Center for Urban Innovation at Arizona State University.

"You have a lot of sunk costs in that facility right now," he said. "Does the city take the risk of losing the team, or continue to make investments?"

Swindell also said that it's hard for the arena manager to plan programming when the Coyotes are on a year-to-year lease.

"If the team leaves, we really have to think hard about how we can reprogram the utilization of that facility," he said. "Not just that facility, but the entire Westgate complex."

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Westgate 'stronger than it has ever been'

With about 40 home games a season, the Coyotes provide a consistent stream of visitors to the arena and Westgate,the restaurant and entertainment complex that opened next door as part of the original Coyotes deal.

By comparison, the Arizona Cardinals play about eight games a season at nearby State Farm Stadium.

AEG has brought in more concerts, more people and higher ticket sales to the arena in recent years.

The Arizona Rattlers will call the arena home for its upcoming Indoor Football League season, while Talking Stick Resort Arena is being renovated.

Some restaurant owners and managers at Westgate say they love having the Coyotes next door, and if the team left it would significantly hurt their businesses.

But some also say that large non-hockey events happening at the arena bring the same crowds to Westgate as Coyotes game, and they are encouraged to see events at the arena and Westgate increasing.

Westgate will "continue to do very well regardless of the tenant situation in the arena," said Dan Dahl, director of real estate for YAM Properties, owner of Westgate.

Dahl says that Westgate is stronger than it has ever been.

Asked how much Westgate businesses rely on Coyotes for revenue, Dahl said that YAM Properties doesn't release business revenue information.

Jason Bond, general manager of State 48 Funk House, which opened in Westgate last fall, said the games provide a major boost.

Bond just doubled his staff to prepare for the football and hockey season.

Justice Briand, manager at Saddle Ranch, said hockey games keep the restaurant packed, consistently.

Toni Stork, owner of Shane's Rib Shack, said the games bring people in from across the Valley who haven't been to her business before.

But she also said the restaurant sees just as much of a boost during other events at the arena and at Westgate, and there are more events and more people coming each year.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150795 the Black and Gold that guys like McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk don’t appear poised to replace just yet. That kind of talent subtraction for a playoff-caliber team like the B’s, coming off a Stanley Cup Final run, Bruins summer series: Torey Krug at a crossroads this season would not play well with a fan base expecting excellent again next year.

By Joe Haggerty August 08, 2019 6:33 PM The Bruins may face a massive dilemma when it comes to Krug around this time next year, but that’s a situation they appear prepared to approach with a player that’s a massive part of Boston’s overall success year in, year out. Today’s piece on Torey Krug is the fifth in a 10-part series over the next two weeks breaking down the core Bruins group of players, and where Key stat: 24 – Torey Krug played in all 24 playoff games for the Bruins they stand heading into next season after last spring’s Stanley Cup and shook off a massive hit from Jake Muzzin early in the Stanley Cup playoff run. playoffs in order to do so. The ability to withstand playoff hockey physicality for four rounds of the postseason answered one of the biggest Torey Krug might have been the Conn Smyth winner had the Bruins won questions around the undersized Krug’s game. the Stanley Cup a couple of months ago. Krug in his own words: “In order for a team to win hockey games in May Okay, it was probably going to be no matter what or June, you need everybody pulling on the rope and everybody to raise happened in Game 7 had the Bruins come out victorious against the St. their level of play. I’m just trying to be another guy raising that level and Louis Blues. But Krug had a monster postseason with two goals and 18 setting the bar to a higher standard. We’re all pulling and all trying to do points in 24 playoff games, finished with a plus-4 rating and averaged our jobs. That’s what I was trying to do and hopefully open some eyes for 22:21 of ice time during Boston’s run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. sure.” A lot of it was about the 28-year-old Krug staying healthy during the The biggest question he faces: Will Krug be a part of the long term plan postseason for the first time in five years, and holding his own in the for the Bruins, or will be price himself out of Boston with the way he’s defensive zone when push came to shove against bigger, stronger played in the final year of his contract? It’s a fundamental question players. Krug doesn’t always win those battles during the regular season between a very good player in his prime in Krug and a Bruins team that while playing a top-4 role for the Black and Gold, but he stepped up in doesn’t have much more room for big money deals unless they start the postseason to be arguably Boston’s best defensemen among a trading some players. talented group. SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.10.2019 B's Summer Series: Rask still has one big mountain to climb

Coming off three straight 50 plus point regular seasons as well, Krug is at the top of his NHL game and in the prime of his career.

So why are there so many whispers about trades when it comes to Krug and a Bruins team that’s bumping up at the top of the salary cap?

Some of it is because Krug is among the most valuable pieces on the team as an offensive D-man with stats that stack up against the best in the league. Some of it is about Krug’s contract situation as well as he enters the final year of his deal with a big raise on the horizon for a player making $5.25 million next season.

The Bruins will be hard-pressed to pay Krug market value after next season once they sign RFAs Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo, and at some point dealing him for value would make perfect business sense for the Black and Gold.

The problem with that?

There really doesn’t appear to be a ready-made replacement for Krug when it comes to replacing his 50 points of production from the back end, replacing his spot as the quarterback on the No. 1 power play unit or bringing the kind of feisty, competitive personality that he brings to the table either. Cam Neely said as much while discussing Krug with NBC Sports Boston last week during a wide-ranging discussion of all things Bruins.

“[Krug] had a fantastic playoff…there’s no question,” said Neely. “It’s the delicate balance you have. You’ll have players on expiring contracts and we talk internally about what we’re going to do and how it’s all going to pan out.

“With Torey he’s one of the top PP defensemen in the league and our power play has been pretty damn good, and has won a lot of games for us. Grzelcyk is coming along, but I don’t know if he sees the ice the way that Torey does. And Charlie just hasn’t shown that he’s a No. 1 power play defenseman just yet. Maybe some of that is just opportunity that hasn’t been there yet because of the way Torey handles the first unit. Torey has been a big part of our success the past few years.”

B's Summer Series: Bergeron still at the top of his game

Could Krug be traded if a deal materialized that brought the Bruins a young stud top-6 winger that could solve their right wing needs there for the next decade?

Certainly that would have to be discussed given Boston’s needs on the wing when it comes to added scoring punch up front, and in the spirit of improving the team rather than making salary cap-related decision.

But dealing Krug at this point in time coming off a Stanley Cup Final berth and his epic postseason performance would create a giant roster hole for 1150796 As someone who experienced a late growth spurt, Schneider has seen both sides of it.

“As a kid, it affected me in my (WHL) draft year. I was about 5-8, 5-9. Flames go anti-establishment regarding the NHL’s growing bias toward And that summer I hopped up to just under 6-feet. I went to a camp and tall goaltenders they said, ‘Oh, we like your size.’ So it did make a difference. The next By Darren Haynes Aug 9, 2019 11 year, when I was eligible to play at 16, it was the same thing. I was 6-2 and they’re like, ‘Oh, we like where you’re at.'” Schneider said. “You Thirty-five years ago, Tyler Parsons would have been understand that there’s all these different points of view. But, as a goalie, considered a giant by NHL standards. it’s about stopping the puck. If you can stop the puck at 5-11, if you stop the puck at 6-7, that’s all that matters.” At a towering 6-foot-1, only two of 50 goalies to appear in 10-or-more games that season, were taller — Tom Barrasso (6-foot-3) and Mike Liut Tyler Parsons and Jordan Sigalet at the Flames recent development (6-foot-2). camp. (Darren Haynes)

But that was then and this is now. Goalies, in general, tend to view with disdain the NHL’s ongoing mandate towards reducing the size of their equipment. “Their sticks get better Last season, of the 70 goalies to appear in at least 10 NHL games, a every year and our gear goes down (in size),” Parsons quipped with a whopping 51 of them were taller than Parsons. It would seem 6-foot-1 is chuckle. the new 5-foot-7. But Parsons also realizes it is what it is. For goaltenders, 6-foot-1 has fallen from the 89th percentile in 1984-85 to the 15th percentile last year. “It’s just the game and you play it and it’s your job — and you can’t change it — so you just have to cope with it and make your game better.” And every year, the gap in the percentages increases. In fact, Parsons views the gear restrictions as a good thing for smaller Consider what unfolded at the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver. Dustin Wolf guys like him, who are more reliant on their athleticism and mobility. from Everett (WHL), who led the entire in save percentage at .936, was minutes away from going undrafted before the “Where a lot of these guys got away with wearing bigger gear their whole Flames grabbed the 18-year-old with 214th pick — just four from the final careers, then they switch to this and now they have tons of holes. They selection. He was the 22nd and last goaltender off the board. look like they don’t even know how to play hockey,” Parsons said. “Honestly, I think it’s more beneficial for guys like me and Wolf with the What’s the issue? Well, it’s certainly not his IQ. Wolf won the 2019 CHL gear restrictions. It makes you be more reactive. It makes you be more Scholastic Player of the Year Award. mobile. It’s making it more skill-based instead of just being big and The issue — blatantly — is his height. Listed by the NHL at 5-foot-11, positional and letting the puck hit you.” Wolf was the first sub-6-foot goalie to be drafted in four years. Going Playing a style that has been likened to Jonathan Quick, Parsons thinks back to 2013 when the Nashville Predators selected diminutive Juuse his skill set is going to benefit him as the NHL game continues to evolve. Saros in the fourth round, 156 goaltenders have been picked over the past seven drafts. You can literally count on one hand the number of “It’s all about being mobile, and fast and athletic and being very reactive. guys, at the time of being selected, that stood shorter than 6-foot: Having good eyes to track the puck. Just reading the plays and being very smart out there. As a goalie, you’ve got to be the smartest man on 2019 – Dustin Wolf, 5-foot-11, Calgary, 7th round the ice,” the Detroit native said. 2015 – Erik Kallgren, 5-foot-11, Arizona, 7th round | Signed an entry- The latest piece of equipment to come under scrutiny — chest protectors. level contract with the Coyotes in April 2019 Their mandated reduction in size last season created some issues that 2014 – Alex Nedeljkovic, 5-foot-11, Carolina, 2nd round | Signed a two- Sigalet witnessed first-hand, with veteran goaltender Mike Smith and year extension with the Hurricanes in June 2019 throughout the league.

2013 – Juuse Saros, 5-foot-10, Nashville, 4th round | Signed a three-year “You saw a lot of goals last year, the first half of the season, because of extension with the Predators in July 2018 the smaller chest pad,” he explained. “Guys started to get used to it as the season went on, but the whole start of the year, they’re all 2013 – Anthony Brodeur, 5-foot-10, New Jersey, 7th round complaining about it and overthinking it too much.”

Of that handful of undersized keepers, the only one that has flopped has It’s a topic Sigalet can relate to and he doesn’t disagree with Parsons’ been Brodeur, son of goaltending great . Drafted out of take on how it could benefit smaller goalies, who are more reliant on their Shattuck St. Mary’s, Brodeur played two years in the QMJHL before reflexes. going to the University of Ottawa where he’s played U Sports for the past three seasons. “My first year playing pro hockey is when they changed the size of the leg pads and the glove and blocker. I was a small, athletic guy, I felt it was But an important distinction with Brodeur is he topped out in junior at an my advantage even then. Some of the bigger goalies, they’re going to .887 save percentage in his 18-year-old season with Gatineau. Wolf’s have more holes, not being able to rely on blocking and using their size.” eye-popping .936 save percentage came at age 17. Sigalet, at 5-foot-11, is also on the smaller end of the size . Parsons thinks the extreme in which the NHL’s group-think has shifted is ridiculous. “If you have the hockey sense, I don’t think it matters how big you are,” Sigalet said, a seventh-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2001 who went “Honestly, all of those people are so close-minded,” Parsons said. “The on to play three seasons in the AHL. “It’s a game where you’ve got to be game is evolving. You just see it with the players. Fighting is coming out able to move now and you’ve got to be smart. You’ve got to be able to of the game. You don’t have these huge defencemen any more. You read the play and beat plays.” have these skilled, agile, quick-moving defencemen. It’s all about speed and fast-pace and with all these goalie restrictions, if you’re 6-7 and you Those attributes are all boxes ticked by both Parsons and Wolf. look like a toothpick in the net, you’re going to really be exposed.” Jordan Sigalet with one of his newest pupils, Dustin Wolf. (Darren At 6-foot-2, Flames prospect Nick Schneider has one inch on Parsons Haynes) and three on Wolf, but he downplays any distinct advantage that gives “Super impressed by Dustin,” Sigalet said back at July’s development him. camp. “I see a lot of similarities between him and Juuse Saros when I “That’s the old-school way of thinking. I don’t think height is as big a deal watch his game. Just how explosive he is, how smart he is with his size. as a lot of people think, just due to the fact that all this work in the goalie He doesn’t play small at all. He’s a really smart goaltender that’s patient industry to find out all these different angles the puck travels, all this sort on his feet. Holds his edges really long, he’s not just dropping. You have of stuff,” the 22-year-old said, coming off his first pro season in the to be smart and play that way when you are that stature now with the ECHL. “If you’re a smaller guy, you just have to play a different way. You way guys shoot.” have to be a little quicker in the net.” That positive first impression continued off the ice, too. “Unbelievable kid. He’s a sponge, he wants to soak everything all in. I effortless out there. He’s not lazy, but he just makes things look easy. think that’s a steal for us in the seventh round.” There’s no extra movement in his game.”

How/where you were acquired, that’s an important aspect of it too. The Zagidulin comes to the Flames with a similar profile to Rittich. When both weight of expectations is heavier the higher you’re selected. goalies came to North America they were on the rise, had impressed at lower levels in their home countries and were now starting to earn a Parsons, for example, was drafted 54th in 2016. He was the second greater share of their team’s playing time in the top league. goaltender selected, going six picks after Philadelphia selected . In 2014, Mason McDonald was selected 34th overall by Calgary. “There are similarities in their games. They’re both very good at taking That year he was the first goaltender taken, two picks before Vancouver away low ice, they’re quick and explosive side-to-side, but there’s a chose . different style there (with Zagidulin),” Sigalet said. “He’s been hidden behind a veteran starter over there in the KHL so I don’t think he was “There’s less expectations on him,” Sigalet admitted, on one of the seen a lot. I watched about 15 games. I watched him all the way through benefits of Wolf sliding under the radar on draft weekend. “Inside, he the playoff time there, too, when the other guy was struggling a little bit. obviously wants to prove people wrong and he will, but it probably gives him a little bit of fire, just that people passed over him.” “You’re rolling the dice a little bit, but you see enough of them on video that you think it’s going to translate over here.” For perspective, defenceman Micki Dupont, drafted in the ninth round in 2000, represents the last time a Flames player selected in the final round With Zagidulin, 24, Schneider, 22, Parsons, 21 and now Wolf, 18, that’s of a draft, actually played NHL games for Calgary — and he only played four goalies, all at a different stage in their development. 18 of them. The last guy before that was 1996 ninth-rounder Ronald Petrovicky. Not to say that their arrival in the NHL, should they make it, will come in chronological order. Wolf realizes the deck appears to be stacked against him, but he won’t let it phase him. The aforementioned Hart, soon turning 21, is a perfect example. The only goalie picked ahead of Parsons and Wolf’s goalie partner two years ago, “Being a smaller guy, you’re on a chopping block, a little bit. You just try he skyrocketed to the NHL with the Flyers, requiring less than 20 games to make the most of it. Obviously, I’m not going to grow 4-5 inches over a in the AHL. summer. So I’m just going to keep growing my game.” “Pretty awesome to see him have so much success like he did in his first One area he’s working at is staying more upright. If you’re smaller, you at few games and as the season grew on,” Wolf said. “It would definitely be least want to play as big as you can. pretty cool to, in two years, play in the NHL. But I’m just going to take it one day at a time. Go back to junior next year and most likely the year “I want to continue to grow my skating and also, sit more upright with my after and just try to keep getting better.” stance. Being a smaller guy, you want to cover as much net as possible and try not to get scrunched down so much the closer it is, and even on Who knows, maybe the path to the NHL for Wolf, or Parsons, will end up far away shots,” Wolf explained. being a short one — in more ways than one.

As someone cut out of the same fabric as him, Parsons was impressed The Athletic LOADED: 08.10.2019 by Wolf, seeing him for the first time at development camp.

“A great, young goalie. I like that’s he very competitive like me, he battles, he moves very well,” Parsons said. “He’s a great kid who has a great work ethic and he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

Dustin Wolf after making a save at development camp. (Darren Haynes)

That future, when it comes to Calgary’s goaltending, is very much an unknown.

The team is set for this season with David Rittich and Cam Talbot sharing the crease, but beyond that, it’s anybody’s guess. Rittich will still have another year to go on the contract he just signed, but Talbot is only on a one-year deal.

Can Parsons ascend to the NHL and if so, how fast?

“Everyone’s got a different path. Sometimes if you get there too early, you get thrown to the wolves and you lose your confidence. You’ve definitely got to be patient, it may take him two, three, four, five years,” Sigalet said. “You see a lot of teams end up developing goalies for other teams at the end of the day. They let them go too soon and then they take off later in their career. So you want to be cautious of that, but Tyler’s getting close, for sure.”

What caught Sigalet’s attention at development camp was Parsons’ overall demeanor. He’s in a much better place now and it’s obvious.

“This is the best I’ve seen Tyler Parsons look since he’s been in the organization,” Sigalet said. “If he can stay strong mentally and physically and stay away from injuries, it’s going to be a huge year for him, he’s going to really take off.

“It’s going to be exciting to see how he does at main camp. You see him this time around, he looks like a goalie that’s NHL ready. I’d have no problem putting him in the net for a game. He’s come a long way. It’s been a big summer for him.”

Meanwhile, the wild card is the newcomer, free agent signing Artyom Zagidulin, who just turned 24 and stands at 6-foot-2.

“Really impressed,” Sigalet said about the Russian, who he finally saw live for the first time at development camp. “I didn’t know what to expect the first day. It took him about three days to get here. Visa issues. Then the first day, brand new skates, pads, gloves, blocker, stick. Everything is shrunken down over here and his paddle has to be shorter here. But he’s 1150797 Columbus Blue Jackets and it’s always good to be part of a team that’s thinking about playoffs. It’s going to be a fun ride, I believe.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.10.2019 Marko Dano looking forward to rejoining Jackets, making his mark

Adam Jardy The Columbus Dispatch @AdamJardy

Aug 9, 2019 at 9:34 AM

Aug 9, 2019 at 3:06 PM

In 35 games during the 2014-15 season, Marko Dano played a contributing role on a Blue Jackets team that finished the season like a house on fire.

As a first-round pick in the 2013 draft, Dano had eight goals and 13 assists during that rookie season and was logging ice time for a team that, while already eliminated from postseason play, finished the year on a 15-1-1 tear. During those 17 games, Dano had 10 assists and four goals, shaking off a midseason injury and demotion to the minors in the process.

Then, he was traded to Chicago during the offseason in a multi-player deal that included Brandon Saad. And ever since, Dano has bounced from Chicago to Winnipeg to Colorado, searching to duplicate the production he enjoyed during his lone season with the Jackets.

Now he gets another chance after signing a one-year, two-way deal with the Jackets on Thursday.

“I left when I had a good thing going there and I wasn’t producing and playing as much as I was in Columbus so when I heard that Columbus might be interested I was really glad that we ended up signing,” Dano told The Dispatch in a phone interview from his home in . “I’m glad to be back. It hasn’t really been the best time for me since I left, but I learned a lot over the years and I grew a little bit and I believe that I’m a better player than I was when I came to the league and I’ll get a chance to play a little bit and be able to help the team.”

Since his year with the Blue Jackets, Dano’s most impactful season came with the Jets in 2016-17, when he played in 38 games and had four goals and seven assists. Last season, he made only eight appearances for the Avalanche and did not score. During the summer, Dano said he’s been working out back home as usual but with the uncertainty that came with being unsigned.

Now 24 years old, Dano said he’s a more mentally mature and experienced player than when he was shipped to the Blackhawks.

“I’ve been through a lot,” he said. “Hopefully when I get the real opportunity I can cash it in. The challenge is every game you’ve got to bring your best game. There’s going to be a battle for a spot in the team, but there’s an open spot so that’s a good thing. It’s a big opportunity for all of us and hopefully it will work out for me.”

Four players remain from Dano’s year with the team: forwards Cam Anderson, Nick Foligno and Boone Jenner and defenseman David Savard. He hasn’t spoken with the quartet since the signing, Dano said, but he knows nearly a dozen guys currently on the roster from his time around the league.

He hasn’t met coach John Tortorella, but he said he’s been told what kind of grueling training camp to expect when he reports to the team this fall.

“I’m excited to come down and talk to him and get to know him a little better,” Dano said. “I heard some good things and I heard some bad things that some guys don’t like him, but I’ve heard that he’s a fair coach and I’m looking forward to working with him. If you’re doing the right things that he’s asking you to do, it’s pretty easygoing from what I’ve heard. That’s what I’m going to try to focus on and hopefully we can have a good relationship.”

He also rejoins an organization that is in a much different place than it was when he left, having reached the postseason for three straight seasons and coming off its first-ever series win.

“When I got there, they had some idea how they wanted to progress and build the team and now they’re right there,” he said. “I’m happy to be joining a team that has playoff expectations and they won a series last year and had a tough second round. The team’s expectations are high 1150798 Dallas Stars On the power play, Pavelski profiles as a net-front player on the power play because of his rebounding and tipping, but his versatility makes him valuable in the Stars' power play, which thrives on motion not only of the This part of Joe Pavelski's skill set could help the Stars improve their puck but also of the players. When the players were fluid in the offensive offense in 2019-20 zone, that's when the Dallas power play was dangerous both in the regular season and during the playoffs. This Story is About... "All those guys should be able to be interchangeable because we can set STARS up the players where we want them to, but we got to be able to have a shot-first attitude," Montgomery said. Share This Story On... Pavelski and Tyler Seguin can both play on their one-timer side in the left Twitter circle. ("It's a legitimate bomb, which is going to give us a nice option Facebook moving him and Seggy around," Montgomery said of Pavelski's one- timer.) Email Jamie Benn, Pavelski and Alexander Radulov can occupy the net-front. Comment on This Story Seguin and Radulov can flip-flop to give a different look. Pavelski can provide versatility and movement in the offensive zone on the power By Matthew DeFranks , Sports Reporter Contact Matthew DeFrankson play. Twitter:@MDeFranks The Sharks were mobile in their power play, and the Stars want to do the Before the Stars signed Joe Pavelski to a three-year contract worth $7 same thing. million annually, coach Jim Montgomery dissected the film. Video coach Kelly Forbes assembled all 38 of Pavelski's goals into a package that "When the bodies are moving, the puck's moving, it gets hard for Montgomery could sort through by strength and analyze the clips. killers to keep track of everybody," Montgomery said. "That's where you find the open lanes, seams for tips and one-timers." The broad takeaway was simple: The Stars needed Pavelski's scoring, and the variety of ways he can do so. The other conclusions were more Dallas Morning News LOADED: 08.10.2019 nuanced: how he positioned his body, how he drove the net, the surprising effectiveness of his one-timer and what particular areas of the game Pavelski's skills could help the Stars, who finished 29th in the NHL in scoring last season.

Pavelski's 38-goal season last season (with a 20.2 shooting percentage) was the fourth time in the last six seasons he scored at least 37 goals, and since he entered the league in 2006-07, only nine players have more goals scored than Pavelski. His laurels are impressive, but what areas can he impact the Stars?

RELATED: What game film, analytics and Stars coach Jim Montgomery say about how Joe Pavelski fits in Dallas' offense

Pavelski's goals from last season came in five categories: tips and redirections, rebounds and loose pucks, from the left circle, odd-man rushes, and other. Each one has a place in Montgomery's Stars offense.

In Montgomery's first season in Dallas, the Stars adopted an offensive philosophy that prioritized quality over quantity. They looked for pockets of ice in the slot rather than blasting away from the blue line.

Over the summer, Montgomery and his staff have analyzed how to optimize the Stars' offense. At their core, the Stars under Montgomery will always be a possession and pressure team, but they've dissected other teams in the league to glean ways to score.

He noted that Boston likes to hold pucks and spread the defense out. St. Louis likes to operate from behind the net. Tampa Bay generates a lot of offense off the rush and on the power play.

"We just want to figure out how we want to do it, and we've got a real good handle on it after analyzing the top five scoring teams from o-zone play, not just [total] goals," Montgomery said. "What we do as a team, that's a big focus of our staff's is improving our o-zone goal production, and [Pavelski] and Corey Perry and us having a little bit more structure in what we're going to be doing, in how we're going to be doing it, and all five guys being able to play faster because of it, I think is going to allow us to be able to score a lot more goals."

So how does that relate to Pavelski? The Stars may not be firing as many pucks from the blue line as San Jose did, but that doesn't mean Montgomery and Dallas will be limiting Pavelski's puck-tipping ability.

"He always knows where the puck is, so he can always know when to go to the net, where to put his stick to give a defenseman an outlet for a tip and also where to find those little pockets of open space to get his stick open," Montgomery said.

"He's never blind to the puck, so he's never guessing. As easy as that many sound, you don't know how many times as a coach, any coach at any level, is telling his players 'Don't turn your back on the puck.' It's a lazy habit, and that's what gives Joe an extra foot to 2 feet of space is that he doesn't turn his back on the puck." 1150799 Dallas Stars injuries. It really comes down staying healthy, and even if his numbers drop compared to last season, the Stars should still be in pretty good hands.

Dallas had the NHL’s best goalie tandem in 2018-19. How strong is the Anton Khudobin organization’s pipeline? Projected role: NHL back-up By Sean Shapiro Aug 9, 2019 25 Realistically, we could list Khudobin as the 1B in a tandem. But while his Goaltending helped define the Dallas Stars during the 2018-19 season. games played should be closer to Bishop’s — ideally, 37 starts — he is Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin were arguably the best tandem in the the clear-cut No. 2 on the depth chart, and it’s well known which goalie NHL. Their efforts helped keep the Stars afloat early, and the team will get the call in the postseason. thrived in front of them in the second half of the season. During the Khudobin played a career-high 41 games last season with a .923 save playoffs, Bishop played at an all-world level and almost singlehandedly percentage and somehow finished with an under .500 record (16-17-5) eliminated the eventual Stanley Cup champions before Dallas fell in due to poor goal support throughout the regular season. Khudobin is a Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues. stark contrast to Bishop from a style and positioning perspective, much of From an organizational standpoint, this is a big year for goalies in the which is due to his 5-foot-11 frame, making him eight inches shorter than Stars system. Bishop and Khudobin are still the backbones for the NHL Bishop. club, but with both turning 33 this year, there is a cognizant eye toward While Bishop is able to play much deeper in the net and is less chaotic, the minor leagues as the Stars’ long-term future in the crease needs to Khudobin is a challenger and has to play at the top of the crease or start taking shape. above to compensate for his smaller stature. This is possible because of The Stars are in an interesting place after not taking a goalie in the past his superb athleticism and ability to read the play with his footwork. He two drafts. All of their goalie prospects are in the pro system already, and also has an extremely high battle level, which the Stars like to champion in theory, the heir apparent to Bishop is already on an NHL contract. as a reason the team works so hard in front of the Russian goalie when he plays. With that in mind, let’s take a deeper look at the Stars’ goalie pipeline and what to watch for during the 2019-20 season. Khudobin is actually the perfect backup for Bishop since he’s a rhythm goalie who builds off each start. Throughout his career, Khudobin has Ben Bishop struggled when he’s been shelved for a while and is then forced into action. But when put in a position with regular use, he seems to get Projected Role: NHL Starter stronger with each game — which is why he was so well-suited to carry In my opinion, Bishop should have won the Vezina Trophy last season as the load when Bishop got hurt. the NHL’s best goaltender. He finished second in the voting, but it really Khudobin is also an ideal teammate. He pushes players in practice and is wasn’t close as 28 of the 31 general managers gave their first-place vote quirky on the bench, which can be amusing for more than just his to Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. (We know Jim Nill teammates. gave Bishop his first-place vote; I’m still on the lookout for which other GMsslotted Bishop first). What to watch for: As stated earlier, it would be best for the Stars in the long run if Khudobin is in more of a planned tandem with Bishop this Vasilevskiy didn’t have the workload of a typical Vezina winner, but he season. Not only would that help ease the health burden on the team’s still had more wins and games played than Bishop. In an award that’s starter, it would also keep Khudobin in more of a rhythm and, in theory, greatly based on workload, Bishop’s injuries — which cost him a few should lead to better results for the backup. — doomed his chances of winning the hardware. If there’s a noticeable difference when Khudobin plays, it’s in the Stars’ It was also likely Bishop’s final chance to win the Vezina trophy. Bishop transition game and their zone exits. While he’s an above-average puck- likely isn’t going to post a .934 save percentage this coming season; a handling goalie, Bishop is elite at it. The Stars defense moves the puck regression toward his career norm of .921 should be expected. Without better and successfully exits the zone more often because of the options that outlandish save percentage, he’s not going to be in the Vezina Bishop creates. conversation. Khudobin isn’t going to become Bishop’s equal handling the puck; that’s Because of Anton Khudobin’s ability to carry a significant workload and not a fair expectation. But it’s an area that can improve a bit to better help the potential movement toward more of a natural split with Bishop’s injury the defensemen. It’s also important for Khudobin to avoid taking a dip in history, he’s not going to play enough games to be worthy of a first-place his play like the last time he played more than 30 games in a season. vote from most GMs. Bishop could certainly be a Vezina finalist again in his career but winning the award seems unlikely — especially with Khudobin posted a career-best .926 save percentage with the Carolina Vasilevskiy primed to win close to 40 games behind the Tampa regular- Hurricanes in 36 games during the 2013-14 season. The following year season juggernaut. he played 34 games for Carolina and his save percentage dipped to .900. That kind of drop off wouldn’t be good news for Dallas. Here’s the thing: The Vezina trophy isn’t important to the Stars. Sure, it would be nice to get some recognition for Bishop’s play, but the franchise Landon Bow is in a better position if he’s not playing 55-plus regular-season games. In theory, the Stars want Bishop fresh for the 25 or so games it takes to win Projected role: AHL tandem a Stanley Cup. That trophy takes precedence over the Vezina. Bow has spent most of his offseason living in Dallas and working out in What to watch for: Bishop needs to stay healthy, which has proven Frisco, where he’s been skating with the Benn brothers and working one- increasingly difficult during his time in Dallas. While certain injuries are on-one with Stars goalie coach Jeff Reese. It’s a smart decision for a unavoidable — like the time Dan Hamhuis fell on his knee in a freak goalie who was the clear-cut No. 3 last season and was the black ace accident two seasons ago — Bishop’s ailments during the 2017-18 goalie during the NHL playoffs. season felt like they could have been avoided with better preparation. Bow was frequently called up last season to back up Khudobin when Stars coach Jim Montgomery admitted this himself when he said the Bishop was injured and got into a pair of NHL games in relief. In his first team might have to look into how Bishop trains in the summer. NHL game, he stopped Sidney Crosby on a pseudo breakaway. His first It’s also an admission of how the Stars need to handle Bishop’s NHL goal allowed was a power-play tally by Hart Trophy winner Nikita workload, which is why they have a competent backup in Khudobin. Kucherov in Tampa. Bishop shouldn’t play in games on back-to-back days and would be “He probably wouldn’t have won the Hart without that goal,” Bow joked aided by more rest throughout the season. The Stars should target a goal earlier this week in Frisco. of 45 starts for maximum freshness in April, May and maybe even June. Bow’s personality fits his journey from undrafted AHL signing to the No. 3 From a technical standpoint, there isn’t much for Bishop to improve on. on the NHL depth chart. Expectations were always against him — he His propensity to allow the occasional bad goal greatly decreased last was the No. 3 goalie on the depth chart in the 2016 Traverse City season, and as the admiral of the Dallas defense, his communication skills were among the big reasons why the Stars survived a rash of Prospects tournament — and most still expect him to eventually be Carter Hart, who finished the season as the ’ NHL passed by Jake Oettinger and Colton Point. starter, hit a major rut last season in the AHL.

Bow is aware of all of this and has been able to take it all in stride. He I’m fascinated to see how quickly Oettinger adjusts. His AHL play will takes the impending competition seriously but is able to keep things light start to answer the question of when fans can start to pencil him in as the throughout. heir apparent to Bishop in the NHL crease.

Bow has always been a big goalie, but he’s developed into one who is Oettinger is the shiny prospect in the goalie cupboard right now. He well-positioned and takes better advantage of his size. His skating has doesn’t have many flaws and hasn’t been exposed by pro-level shooters greatly improved in each of the past two seasons, and that’s what he’s yet. This season will partially be about being exposed and learning how been working with Reese this summer. to adjust and tweak his game to really take a jump.

His AHL numbers have been just OK: He had a .893 save percentage for Of course, if there is no needed adjustment period, the Stars really have a Texas team that struggled defensively last season, and that needs to a top prospect who could challenge for the NHL backup role in his early change if he’s going to force himself into the conversation for the NHL 20s. backup role during the 2020-21 season. (Photo courtesy of Texas Stars) What to watch for: Bow knows the AHL goalie competition starts in NHL training camp. How the trio of younger goalies performs – particularly Colton Point when they get NHL preseason action – is going to indicate who gets the Projected role: AHL challenger/ECHL starter first crack to start in the AHL for the Texas Stars. Those struggles young goalies experience when making the jump to pro Texas will feature a shared workload, likely between Bow and Oettinger, hockey? Point went through them last season as he struggled in the AHL while the competition for the first NHL call-up is going to rage throughout and ECHL after a dominant college stint at Colgate. the season based on performance. Bow has also enjoyed spending more time around Bishop from his time as a playoff black ace, and they’ve Point doesn’t fit the typical goalie profile. He’s built more like a linebacker skated together this summer in Frisco. and plays like more of a battler than a technical savant like Oettinger. Point is similar stylistically to former Stars goalie Antti Niemi, who had a Bow is trying to bring some of the elements of Bishop’s game into his rather succesful NHL career even if his departure in Dallas was less than own. They’ve worked together on puckhandling, and the veteran goalie ideal. has been more than happy to act as a tutor for the younger goalie in that capacity. Point has embraced the competition with Oettinger. One of the reasons he turned pro before last season was to get ahead of Oettinger on the “One thing about it is how simple he is with the puck,” Bow said. development curve, a decision that he hasn’t regretted even with his “Sometimes I’ll take the extra stickhandle, and that’s what gets you struggles to put up better numbers in the pro game. caught. You have to be able to play it right away simply like Bish can.” There’s a maturity level the Stars are hoping to find with Point, who has The puckhandling, if truly improved, could be a nice bonus for Texas. worked on getting in better shape and dealing with the mental side of a Either way, Bow will be judged most on his ability to stop the puck, which position where there is nowhere to hide when struggles arise. That may could be his ticket to either a short- or long-term future in the Stars be the biggest test in figuring out who Point really is. Is Point the player organization. who made the Canadian World Junior team and was one of college (Photo courtesy of Texas Stars) hockey’s best during the 2017-18 season? Or is he the big goalie who struggled to adapt in his first pro season? Jake Oettinger What to watch for: Point is going to play this season. With Philippe Projected role: AHL tandem Desrosiers gone, the Stars are better situated to make sure all of the prospects are playing in either the AHL or ECHL, which means he’ll get There’s a lot of excitement around Oettinger heading into this season. more than the 20 combined games he played in last season. The Stars’ other first-round selection from 2017 – they also took some guy named Miro in that draft– is embracing his first full pro season, and Wherever he starts, Point will be tasked with finding a better consistency he will be the Stars’ representative at the NHLPA rookie showcase late level. From time to time, he’s a gamer; he’ll turn in huge performances this month. and look unbeatable. But in the next game, he could struggle and get beaten early on a weaker shot. That needs to change. Oettinger played six games for the Texas Stars last season after his NCAA career came to an end and had decent results in his AHL cameo. Seizing opportunity is also going to be key, and it’s a lesson he can take Oettinger is robotically smooth in his approach to the position – there from Desrosiers, whom the Stars let walk after he failed to make the aren’t many wasted movements, and his ability to read the game at a grade as a goalie prospect. Desrosiers was good, but never good young age is incredibly high for a 20-year-old goalie. enough to really force the issue in the AHL. He didn’t make necessary adjustments to his game — his stance was too compact, and he never The importance of reading the game – a hallmark of Bishop’s game, for adjusted. example – is something Oettinger says he really started to understand during his freshman season at Boston University. In a phone call from When those opportunities present themselves, Point needs to seize Minnesota this week, Oettinger discussed how he went from playing as them. He needs to take a mental approach that every game is one of more of an individual to being more of a hockey player during his college those opportunities to impress. career. (Photo courtesy of Texas Stars) “Now that I’m at this level, a lot of it is how you read the play. Every goalie at this level has a pretty good foundation, but I think the great ones Tomas Sholl are really good at reading the play and picking up different situations and Projected role: ECHL tandem stuff and picking up different reads,” Oettinger said. “Once I got to the college level, you have to have a plan going into a game, and you’ve got Sholl isn’t on an NHL contract, but he will likely be the sixth goalie in to do things the same way every time.” Dallas’ training camp after signing an AHL contract with Texas this summer. Oettinger’s summer has consisted of working out with his goalie coach back in Minnesota and making a couple of cameos in Da Beauty League, Sholl took advantage of Point’s struggles last season in Idaho and ending a summer four-on-four league for elite players based in Minnesota. In up playing 39 games for the Steelheads with a .928 save percentage. early September, he’ll be playing with the Stars prospect team in Frankly, I was surprised he signed an AHL deal with Texas. Considering Traverse City and could use that as a springboard into training camp. Dallas’ depth chart, he likely would have more options for AHL callups if he signed an ECHL deal — meaning any AHL team could call him up. What to watch for: The jump from college to the pros isn’t easy. Many young goalies, including top picks like Oettinger, have been eaten alive in Sholl wasn’t even the starter in college at Bowling Green, so the fact he’s their debut season by AHL shooters before adjusting. Even a goalie like even on the radar for a piece like this is a testament to the work the 25- year-old has done in the past two years after signing a professional contract in the Southern Professional Hockey League. What to watch for: Sholl will be in training camp with the Stars, and if all goes according to plan for Dallas, he’ll spend the entire season in the ECHL. Sholl’s most important task to the Stars organization, at least according to plan, is to push Point and help the true prospect better find his game through competition.

That being said, the same thing was said about Bow a couple of years ago. He turned a similar situation an NHL contract.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150800 Detroit Red Wings

Healthy Mike Green will boost Red Wings’ defensive production

Updated Aug 9, 3:54 PM; Posted Aug 9, 6:05 AM

Mike Green missed more games due to injury/illness than any other Red Wing in 2018-19. (Mike Mulholland/MLive)

Mike Green missed more games due to injury/illness than any other Red Wing in 2018-19. (Mike Mulholland/MLive)

By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

(Another in a series of player profiles prior to training camp.)

Mike Green

Position: Defense

Age: 34 (on Oct. 12)

Height/Weight: 6-1/207

2017-18 stats: 43 games, 5 goals 21 assists, 26 points, minus-1 rating, 28 penalty minutes.

Career stats: 830 games, 147 goals, 343 assists, 490 points, plus-17 rating, 560 penalty minutes.

Contract: One year remaining at a $5.375 million cap hit.

2018-19 in review: Missed a team-high 39 games with injury or illness. … A virus caused him to miss training camp and the first games of the season as well as the final 17 games. … Missed 13 games with a foot injury Dec. 14-Jan. 8. … Fewest games played since 2012-13 (35). … Fewest goals since 2011-12 (three). … Fewest points since 2012-13 (26). … No power-play goals for first time since 2006-07. … Second among team’s defensemen in points despite missing nearly half the season. … Led team’s defensemen in shots per game (2.14). … Third on team in average ice time (21:40). … Red Wings were 20-19-4 with Green in the lineup.

2019-20 outlook: Green is expected to be healthy and ready to go in training camp after an injury-riddled, illness-plagued stretch during which he also missed the final nine games of 2017-18 due to a neck injury.

If healthy, he’ll be one of the team’s few scoring threats from the blue line, man the point on one of the power-play units and be among the club’s leaders in ice time. He is likely to be paired with either Danny DeKeyser or newly acquired Patrik Nemeth (and Filip Hronek paired with the other), giving the team righty-lefty, offensive-minded/defensive- minded combinations with its top two pairs.

If the Red Wings are out of the playoff picture in late February, they’ll look to trade Green for a draft pick, assuming he’s healthy. He has a limited no-trade clause (can veto a move to 10 teams).

Key question: Is there any reason why Green should not be traded by the deadline?

Michigan Live LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150801 Edmonton Oilers G Tyler Parsons, London Knights (OHL). He looks substantial based on numbers. .921

LD Kale Clague, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL). Fast offensive Revisiting the Oilers’ 2016 draft and the opportunities missed defenceman.

By Allan Mitchell Aug 9, 2019 27 R Maxime Fortier, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL). Speed and skill.

I’ve always believed an NHL general manager should hire the best C Dillon Dube, Kelowna Rockets (WHL): Speedy scorer, range of skills. available scouts and then listen to them. If a scout has convictions on a player in his area and the cross checker and the scouting director concur, L Vladimir Kuznetsov, Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL): Big, strong and then the GM needs to have a damned good reason to dismiss their skilled. opinions. That morning I wrote, “I think Tyler Benson will be an Oiler by the time The 2015 Draft was taken from the scouts, Peter Chiarelli trading picks your first cup of coffee is finished this morning,” which turned out to be 16, 33, 57, 79, 86, 107 and 184 in an effort to improve the team true. Oilers fans were focused on three names: Benson, goalie Carter immediately. It worked, but only for one season (2016-17) before the Hart and (especially) former McDavid linemate, Alex DeBrincat. The holes returned and reminded everyone that there are no shortcuts in a young winger scored 51 goals in 2014-15 (age 16) but many believed he rebuild. Get good players, keep good players. was being zoomed by McDavid. The following season, 2015-16 and his draft year, DeBrincat scored 51 again but another centre (Dylan Strome) The 2016 draft: Round 1 received much credit.

The draft that brought Jesse Puljujarvi to the Edmonton Oilers was filled DeBrincat had some things that scouts didn’t like, including size (5-foot-7, with a great deal of promise. By 2006 Oilers fans were draft experts on 165 pounds) and premium linemates (making him a complementary subjects like the lottery, NHL equivalencies, traditional scouting draft player on historic lines). The classic example of ‘getting it wrong when reports and projecting teenage hockey players. figuring out who’s zooming who’ occurred in 1979, when the Toronto Draft weekend began on Friday afternoon with a rumor that the No. 4 Maple Leafs had to choose between two Brandon Wheat Kings (winger overall selection was in play—likely for immediate help on the blue line. Brian Propp and centre Laurie Boschman) at No. 9 overall. Here’s an Kevin Shattenkirk’s name was mentioned and 15 minutes before excerpt from Punch Imlach’s “Heaven and Hell in the NHL”: television coverage there were reports that Chiarelli (Edmonton), Brad When our first choice came, one player available was Laurie Boschman. Treliving (Calgary Flames) and Jarmo Kekäläinen (Columbus Blue He’d played with Brandon, centering a line with Brian Propp and Ray Jackets) were talking. Sonny Milano’s name was out there as being dealt Allison on the wings. Even though Boschman was the center, I said or close to being traded, but as the draft began, each team held its pick. “Propp got all the goals. I think we should go with the goal scorers.” But A late rumor had Edmonton dealing down and taking Mikhail Sergachev the scouts said Boschman did all the work and was the smart one on the later in the top 10 but soon after all hell broke loose. line. I’d been in that situation in Buffalo once, picking a kid named Claude A massive script change occurred when Kekäläinen and Columbus Deziel who had scored a lot in junior on a line centered by Pierre chose Pierre-Luc Dubois (witness Puljujarvi’s reaction) which set the Larouche. Later, Deziel never played in the NHL. Larouche did and stage for the Oilers to take the big Finnish winger. There’s a sense scored plenty. So when the Leafs scouts told me Boschman was the guy among some Oilers fans that the scouts didn’t do their due diligence on who made their line work, I had to think of Larouche. Puljuarvi, thus finding themselves without vital information on him when “Can he skate?” I asked. Columbus went in another direction. This strikes me as a revisionist history since most of the hockey world expected JP to be chosen there. “Good skater,” they said.

In truth, it was easy to feel good about the pick. Edmonton didn’t need to So that’s how Boschman was taken and when you figure Propp got 34 hit a monster shot with the Puljujarvi selection, because the previous goals for Philadelphia and Boschman got 16 for the Leafs, maybe we first-round selections (Leon Draisaitl in 2014 and Connor McDavid in were wrong in the choice. 2015) delivered stunning value. The Oilers merely needed to acquire a solid NHL player, a Jere Lehtinen, and the young Finn may yet deliver on Benson appears to be on the verge of making the NHL and could be a that promise (although it is unlikely to occur in Edmonton). solid contributor in a couple of years. No one can argue that DeBrincat’s resume was lacking on his draft day and this is an area where analytics The 2016 draft: Round 2 (or even basic math) would benefit Edmonton a great deal. It’s my opinion, the Oilers scouting department as it stands is a good one, but The second round in 2016 was unusual for Oilers fans, as the team kept the math of the draft is either not being uncovered or not being its selection for the first time since 2013. There were several quality respected. I believe this to be true. players available at the beginning of Day 2 (with notes I made entering Saturday of the draft): The 2016 draft: Round 3

R Alex DeBrincat, Erie Otters (OHL): Small sniper. McDavid linemate Although I am an advocate for waiting five years after a draft to evaluate 2014-15. players, the third round of Edmonton’s 2016 draft is descending quickly with a disconcerting vapor trail. Markus Niemelainen (No. 63), Matthew C Pascal Laberge, Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL). Skill, size, consistency Cairns (No. 84) and Filip Berglund (No. 91) are not progressing in a way an issue. one associates with a future NHL career, representing an enormous G Carter Hart, Everett Silvertips (WHL): .929 in playoffs. opportunity lost for the Oilers. Berglund holds the most promise but the Oilers need to sign him or risk free agency, with the signing deadline of R Taylor Raddysh, Erie Otters (OHL). Power W who can score. June 1, 2020.

R Vitalii Abramov, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL). Explosive scorer. Only five third-round picks have played in the NHL from the 2016 draft, Dynamic. so there’s time for Edmonton’s trio. However, the arrows do not point in a strong direction at this time. LD Cam Dineen, North Bay (OHL): Impressive offence. The 2016 draft: The rest C Rasmus Asplund, Farjestads (SHL). He is 6.0, 180 and quality two-way forward. Edmonton had several depth picks in 2016 and chose Dylan Wells (No. 123), Graham McPhee (No. 149), Aapeli Rasanen (No. 153) and Vincent C Janne Kuokkanen, Karpat (Fin Jr). Skilled C, good speed. Playmaker. Desharnais (No. 183). C Will Bitten, Flint Firebireds (OHL): Fast skater, scoring playmaker. The most promising in this group is Wells. After an uneven junior career Intriguing. with the Peterborough Petes, Wells delivered a strong AHL perfomance C-R Nathan Bastian, Mississauga Steelheads (OHL): Big skill F with in the regular season (12 games, .909) and had a great playoff game smarts. (.921). He also played in the ECHL (22 games, .912) and is in a battle for the starting gig with the Bakersfield Condors this fall. Although Wells L Tyler Benson, Vancouver Giants (WHL). Physical two-way forward. hasn’t pulled away from college man Shane Starrett or fellow rookie Injured a lot. Stuart Skinner, he has shown well enough to be in the conversation. This year will probably offer some separation.

McPhee and Rasanen are in the middle of NCAA careers with , both men suffering an offensive power outage (along with the rest of the team) in 2018-19. It puts possible signing and an NHL trajectory in doubt, which is especially concerning for McPhee. He is about to enter his senior season with the Eagles.

Desharnais completed a successful college career with Providence, saving his strongest showing for his final year. He signed an AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors and should get plenty of minutes in 2019-20.

Oilers and the 2016 draft

Three years in, Edmonton’s draft is disappointing. Puljujarvi was handled poorly and is now at an early career crossroads. The Oilers’ third round appears to have been flattened, although we’re just three years in and those words may look unfair a year from now. McPhee and Rasanen were headed in a good direction until this past season but now both forwards have some question marks.

On the positive side, Ken Holland appears to be unwilling to deal Puljujarvi for less than full value. Benson had a helluva AHL debut and Wells quietly adjusted to the AHL (it’s a big leap from junior for goaltenders).

Edmonton chose nine players out of 211 overall in 2016, that’s 4.2 percent. The team has enjoyed 139 games (all from Puljujarvi) and that represents 4.5 percent of all games played. However, a re-draft would have Puljujarvi taking a large fall from his draft number and Benson has yet to make an impact in the NHL.

I’ve always believed it’s fair to wait five years, but we can also count arrows. Edmonton’s 2016 draft was not successful. We’ll have another look next August.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150802 of work to do in the coming years. You’ve got to get stronger, you’ve got to get the leg strength, you’ve got to grow. Jeez, he’s so young. But if he matures, and it looks like he will, we’re pretty excited about what we’ve KINGS ENCOURAGED BY KALIYEV AT WJSS; HOW THE HLINKA got there. RESTARTS THE SCOUTING SEASON LAKI: Trying not to stray too much towards the individual guys, but we’ve JON ROSENAUGUST 9, 20190 COMMENTS got to talk some Alex Turcotte here. He skates with Cole Caufield again, and it looks like this is a player who could potentially be penciled into a PROSPECTS AND SCOUTINGVIDEO top center role even as an underager this year. There’s no reason asking about his character — you see it and experience it everywhere you go – Just as it is for players in their draft and world junior years, there really but in that kind of tournament, it’s his first time skating with the USA isn’t much of an off-season for the scouts or hockey operations jersey again since the draft, what was it about his all around game and executives, no matter how dark the dregs of August may get. European- how he plans on using this college season ahead of him and almost based scouts covered national U-20 games in Finland one month after certainly a world juniors season to forge that next step in his career? June’s Draft, and the past week has offered a pair of international tournaments widely covered and scouted by NHL teams. NE: You know what’s really neat, Jon, is when you see how players are treated by their coaches. And you can see right away what a coach Director of Player Personnel Nelson Emerson was at both of those thinks of a player. Where he pencils him in, what line he puts him on, is tournaments – this week’s (formerly the Ivan Hlinka he out there at the end of periods and things like that. So, a lot of our Memorial Tournament) in Piešťany, Slovakia and Břeclav, Czech guys that were in that tournament, I was thinking, ‘man, these coaches Republic, and last week’s World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, are pulling for these kids to set out a great camp here … because they’re Michigan. It was at the WJCC where the Kings had an NHL-high seven putting them in great situations.’ So, Turcotte is a kid like that. Obviously, prospects and would’ve had an eighth if Finland found it necessary to call the U.S. program thinks very highly of him and I think it’s because of his on Rasmus Kupari, a veteran of the previous two World Junior all-around and everything he does as a player. It’s his off-ice stuff, it’s on- Championships. ice, it’s how he acts around the locker room or around his players, he’s The Hlinka tournament is chronologically the first tournament on the so competitive but he’s such a good teammate. That box gets checked calendar for players entering their draft year, and it was at last year’s right away and then he goes on the ice and the thing about him – and I tournament in Alberta that Vasili Podkolzin (and 2020 top prospect Alexis sat with Tony Granato during the game – we’re just looking at how Lafrenière) erupted offensively and fellow high picks Kirby Dach, Ryan competitive he is every shift. There’s really never a drop off from shift to Suzuki and Arthur Kaliyev made similarly productive statements. shift, so he’s coming at you in waves. Every time he goes on the ice, he’s kind of playing the same way. There’s no taking a couple shifts off in the “You put a name with the number or get a good indication of the player game or having a period off, it’s kind of the same stuff, and he’s and then you can go into the season knowing who the kid is and just gets relentless and I think that’s how he plays with Caufield – he does a lot of you more familiar with them,” Emerson said of how the Hlinka serves as the work and was able to do a lot of things whether it’s skating or a scouting reset heading into the next season. passing. He can make plays and he played the power play. All the little things and then he does the same thing in his own end. So, he’s beyond But I also wanted to learn more about the Kings prospects at last week’s his years in maturity and I think that’s the reason why the coaches love WJSS, the stats and details of which are below. Kaliyev led all Kings at him and obviously one of the reasons why we picked him so high. the tournament with five points, showing that his game was at a good place one month after development camp. Rena Laverty/USA Hockey

“I think that’s people saw there or what you see with him in the OHL is LAKI: With the Hlinka tournament, how does the staff reset? The scouts what he is and he’s a goal scorer. The puck finds him around the net. do their job, the draft takes place, and then after not too long there are a He’s in the right spot on rebounds. He’s got a good stick. He’s got a good few European events and camps over the summer. How do you refocus? shot,” Emerson said. “One of the exciting things for us, and we had a What are those start-of-the-year meetings like? Is there a syllabus for number of our scouts there and we’re all watching him, is the pace of how the team plans to attack scouting for the 2020 NHL draft? skating was fine. He was keeping up with the high pace. That was another exciting factor and fundamental that we were really happy with.” NE: Obviously Yank is a good one to talk to for that. He does a terrific job with putting together his curriculum and his expectations for scouts. His More from Emerson in a Q-and-A with LA Kings Insider: track record shows that, but after the draft they’re wiped out just from the long season and the preparation going into who you’re going to pick all LA Kings Insider: For all these young kids, the Plymouth tournament is the different scenarios in a draft, right? They’re tired, so these guys need their first real public showing after they’ve been drafted. Is there anything time off. And they do get that for five weeks, six weeks, but then all of the specific that you’re looking for in a player in his first international event sudden we have four to six guys at the Plymouth tournament watching after he was drafted and attended his first development camp? and I was there too, but we had our scouts there. And then again we Nelson Emerson: A couple things. I think the first thing you’ve got to note have I think five, six guys at Hlinka. So, they need that time off, but how is, Jeez, they have these tournaments and it’s a big deal and it’s in the they do it is they go in and they have their list right now as who might be middle of summer. It’s summertime hockey. And what’s crazy is when on it for the coming season. And they have certain guys, ranks and you go into the rink and all of the sudden it’s Canada–U.S. or Sweden– ratings, and they just do it. It’s not set in stone right now. It’s all just Finland, it’s serious. These kids, they’re not playing summer hockey. names and just kind of prospects – if there’s an A or B or C prospect, that They’re playing for real. And they’re competing and they’re working and type of thing. You kind of just go and you take a look and it just helps you skating. And it is. It’s an evaluation. These kids are trying to make the get organized for the season. And I think that’s how Mark has it. And the world junior team come next Christmas. So, it’s for real. I don’t know if it’s [scouts] that go to the Hlinka [may say], ‘hey, this guy is in that spot now, good or bad for hockey that they’re having this in the middle of the we’ll have to keep an eye on him.’ Or, ‘this guy is a mid-level prospect, season. There’s no offseason for these young kids to train and grow as but maybe he’s got a chance to move up, so he’s in this area.’ Then players and all that, but after I say that, what we’re looking for and what you’ve got the C-level guys that are there, but hey, some of those Cs can we saw and what you’re trying to see is you draft a young kid at 17, he’s move to As. That’s what’s crazy about it. Like a guy like Jackson already 17 when we drafted him. He’s so young. What you’re looking for LaCombe last year. He’s a good example. It was Anaheim’s pick and the is what you saw when he was with his club team – if it translates into a way he played in Hlinka last year and then all of the sudden he becomes bigger time type hockey. That’s how and then you start evaluating from a high pick in the draft eight months later. So, things change so much. there. That’s what’s crazy. But Yank is so organized with all of that and we kind of allow him to do that and he does a good job. With Artie (Arthur Kaliyev), what you’re looking for is, number one, we drafted him because he can score. Is he going to be able to do that? Is 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase Statistics he going to get opportunities, and obviously what we saw, he had some Aidan Dudas, CAN: 3 GP; 0-3=3; +3; 1 SOG great success at this event, so yeah, he checked that box. But a couple of the other boxes — we know he’s got a lot of work ahead of him in the Akil Thomas, CAN: 3 GP; 1-2=3; +2; 6 SOG next few years with the compete and skating and work ethic and playing a faster-paced-type of hockey that we see in the NHL. And we saw Tobias Bjornfot, SWE: 5 GP; 0-2=2; -3; 6 SOG actually a good indication that that’s going to happen. So, you’ve got a lot Samuel Fagemo, SWE: 4 GP; 4-0=4; +2; 11 SOG Kim Nousiainen, FIN: 5 GP; 0-0=0; -2; 4 SOG

Arthur Kaliyev, USA: 5 GP; 4-1=5; +2; PPG; 22 SOG

Alex Turcotte, USA: 5 GP; 1-3=4; +4; 6 SOG

I had the chance to watch some great ⁦@usahockey⁩ the last two days at the World Junior showcase with legendary stick handling coach Real Turcotte and ⁦@HockeyHallFame⁩ er and ⁦@LAKings⁩ great Luc Robitaille. pic.twitter.com/ziVExWzE6c

— Coach Tony Granato (@TonyGranato) August 1, 2019

There were some interesting bits from The Athletic’s always great Corey Pronman ($), who sat down for a Q&A with Sweden head coach Tomas Monten on the potential make-up of the world junior team. Stay for the notes on Samuel Fagemo, who Monten referenced as a player he’d be excited about as a top forward at this year’s tournament, as well as Tobias Bjornfot, who isn’t flashy but profiles as “a modern defenseman and the kind of defenseman that will make your team better.”

More from Pronman on WJCC standouts:

Philip Broberg, D, Edmonton/Tobias Bjornfot, D, Los Angeles

The Broberg-Bjornfot pair came together toward the second half of the tournament and was excellent. Broberg was arguably the best defenseman at the camp, making a ton of plays with his skating and skill particularly off the rush. His first game he had a rough couple of turnovers in bad spots, but the rest of the way his play was very strong. Bjornfot was his typical not flashy self, but with his great skating and brain he made stops and enough offensive plays to help drive play. This could be a possible pairing at the tournament in December.

Rena Laverty/USA Hockey

USA's power play units in this game:

PP1: Turcotte, Caufield, Farabee, Miller, Brink

PP2: Zegras, Robertson, Kaliyev, Wahlstrom, York

That's a whole lot of guys that can shoot the puck spread out over both units.

— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) August 3, 2019

Arthur Kaliyev brings Team USA to within two with a PP tally late in the sandwich stanza. A great feed from Trevor Zegras and the blistering one- timer from Kaliyev. #WJSS #LAKings #LetsGoDucks #NTDP pic.twitter.com/YjiVq5k5CT

— Stars n’ Stripes Hockey (@StarsStripesHKY) August 2, 2019

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150803 Montreal Canadiens In a December 2017 interview with Le Journal de Montréal’s , Markov blasted Bergevin.

“As an athlete and as someone who spent 16 years with the team, I What the Puck: Another bleu-blanc-rouge brush off for Andrei Markov would’ve liked it if they’d shown me some respect,” said Markov. “That’s The time for the Habs to re-sign Markov was in summer 2017, not this all I asked of the team. I’ll be honest with you. There were almost no talks summer. He's 40 and I don't think there's a place for him on this team. with the Canadiens. I received two or three offers from them. They said ‘you sign or you don’t sign’. No one listened to me and no one wanted to BRENDAN KELLY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: August listen to me.” 9, 2019 That’s how Bergevin treated one of the most significant players of the SHARE modern Habs era. He treated him with utter disrespect. Those were Markov’s words, but Bergevin has never countered with a detailed ADJUST explanation of what happened. COMMENT So Markov is not coming back to play his 1,000th game with the I don’t believe you’ll ever see Andrei Markov in the Canadiens’ lineup. Canadiens. There will be no Disney-like moment, like they dreamed up last year with Tomas Plekanec. The Like any self-respecting Habs fan, I love Markov and what he’s done for reality is that the GM should’ve signed him in 2017. Instead Bergevin put the franchise. Along with Carey Price, he is a defining player of the 21st- his money on another left-side defenceman and we all know how the Karl century Montreal Canadiens and for most of the 16 seasons he played Alzner experiment worked out. for the bleu-blanc-rouge, he was a monster on the blue line, defensively and offensively. Was there a better passer on the team during the last 20 The Markov ship has sailed. years? To ask the question is to answer it. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.10.2019 But the time for the Habs to re-sign Markov was in summer 2017, not this summer. He’s 40 and I don’t think there’s a place for him on this team and even if there was, general manager Marc Bergevin would never give it to him.

Bergevin manages with his emotions, and there is no love lost between him and Markov. The veteran Russian defenceman was back in town this week after two seasons in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan and he was trying to make nice with his former boss during an interview with colleague Stu Cowan.

That has led to a week’s worth of speculation about whether Bergevin would also make nice and possibly offer him a one-year contract or, at least, a tryout at training camp. I’m here to say that isn’t happening. For once, I think Bergevin would be making the right decision, but for the wrong reasons.

There’s simply no place for Markov on this team. They have to build for the near-term future and they don’t need more old defencemen who have lost a step or two. They already have one of those guys — Shea Weber — and you might have noticed a number of speedy forwards just zipping by him last season. Weber still adds to the equation, but he adds a lot less than he used to and chew on this factoid: Montreal is on the hook for another seven seasons with Weber at an annual cap hit of almost US$7.9 million! What the something!

The left side of the Canadiens’ D has been a mess since Montreal and Markov parted company, but look at the three guys on the left for next season and you’ll realize that Markov is not in a position to replace Victor Mete, Ben Chiarot or even Brett Kulak.

But that’s not why Bergevin won’t sign him. He won’t offer a contract because Markov dissed the GM publicly and when Bergevin gets into a quarrel, it always ends in bitter fashion. Talk to P.K. Subban, Alex Galchenyuk, Alexander Radulov and Max Pacioretty in private and see what nice things they have to say about Bergevin. I’d guess they wouldn’t have many bon mots for their former boss.

Remember what happened in summer 2017? Bergevin was in negotiations with Markov and fellow Russian teammate Radulov. Except they weren’t really negotiations. Bergevin said he had the cash to sign one or the other and that it was “first come, first served” to get a deal. Who talks about star players like that? In the end, both of the walked — Markov went to the KHL and Radu signed with the Dallas Stars.

Montreal Canadiens’ Andrei Markov, left, takes the torch from P.K. Subban during ceremony prior to the team’s home opener against the Boston Bruins in Montreal on Oct. 16, 2014. JOHN MAHONEY / THE GAZETTE

It’s interesting to note that the Habs haven’t made the playoffs since those two left the organization. It’s even more interesting to note that the Habs’ power play sucked eggs last season and sure could’ve used a seasoned defenceman on the point who was known as one of the best at lasering a pass to a scorer in the slot on the PP. Habs management also left $8 million on the table in each of those two seasons. In other words, they had the dough to pay Markov. 1150804 Montreal Canadiens

Ex-brothers-in-law battle over Canadiens season tickets spills into courtroom

By The Canadian Press

Fri., Aug. 9, 2019timer1 min. read

MONTREAL — Quebec Superior Court has awarded nearly $45,000 to a man whose former brother-in-law deprived him of their Montreal Canadiens season tickets over a family dispute, ruling that he had no right to unilaterally deny access to the coveted seats.

The ruling this month by Justice Jeffrey Edwards framed the case as determining the true value of Habs tickets and the prejudice that arises from being deprived of them.

The dispute between Louis Terzopoulos and Petros Sakaris dates back to 2014, when Sakaris refused to provide Terzopoulos access to the tickets they had shared for 19 years.

The pair had been splitting season and playoff tickets since the 1995-96 season, beginning during the Canadiens final year at the Montreal Forum.

The tickets were transferred to the Canadiens’ current home, now known as the Bell Centre, and were described in testimony as among the best seats in the house: above the penalty bench, on the centre-ice red line.

While Sakaris denied there was an agreement to share the tickets, the judge ruled there was overwhelming evidence that a contractual agreement existed between the pair.

The men were married to two sisters when they first obtained the tickets — but the ruling suggests Terzopoulos’ marriage breakup was the trigger for Sakaris denying him the tickets.

The legal fight between the two isn’t over — Sakaris’s attorney says in an email he plans to appeal.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150805 New Jersey Devils Now he’ll enter his first full pro season with a chance to get quality playing time in the AHL. It remains to be seen what the Devils will do in the event of an injury to Schneider or Blackwood, but Cormier could be Devils goalie depth chart: New look behind Cory Schneider, Mackenzie an option if the Devils need a short-term plug-in. Blackwood entering 2019-20

Updated Aug 9, 7:03 AM; Posted Aug 9, 6:05 AM Joining Cormier in the AHL will be Senn, a 2017 fifth-round pick out of Switzerland. Senn was 21 when he’s drafted, and now as a 23-year-old, he’s ready to make the transition to North America. He should get plenty Cory Schneider and Mackenzie Blackwood will enter the 2019-20 season of game opportunities in Binghamton. as the Devils' two NHL goalies. Akira Schmid Cory Schneider and Mackenzie Blackwood will enter the 2019-20 season as the Devils' two NHL goalies. The previous four goalies are the only ones the Devils have under contract for the 2019-20 season, so we’ll take a quick look at the two By Chris Ryan prospects they have who are not signed to deals and will continue developing elsewhere, barring an unexpected change in front of them. NJ Advance Media’s look at the Devils’ potential position-by-position depth chart has reached its final stage. Schmid was taken in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, and after bouncing quickly during stops in the WHL and NAHL last season, he After exploring centers, left wings, right wings and defensemen, it’s time found a home in the USHL, posting a 2.18 GAA and .926 save to explore the team’s goalie picture entering the 2019-20 season. percentage with the Omaha Lancers. That’s likely where he’ll start the In terms of NHL roster spots, there shouldn’t be much competition. Cory 2019-20 season. Schneider and Mackenzie Blackwood will be the guys, barring any Cole Brady injuries. Brady, a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, won’t factor into either of But there’s plenty to discuss about the in-season competition between the Devils’ pro teams during the 2019-20 season. He’ll play his freshman those two, plus the new faces that will suit up in the AHL. season at Arizona State. Cory Schneider Star Ledger LOADED: 08.10.2019 Schneider looked more like his old self during the second half of the 2018-19 season, snapping an 18-month winless drought while posting a 6-8-3 record with a 2.46 GAA and .921 save percentage after the All-Star Game, when he returned from an abdominal strain. Schneider may no longer be the dominant goalie he was during his first few seasons in New Jersey, but if he can play at that sort of pace, the improved lineup in front of him should set up the Devils for success. false

Devils defense depth chart: How P.K. Subban changes everything for 2019-20

The New Jersey Devils added defenseman P.K. Subban in an offseason trade, giving the team's blue-line depth chart a new look for the 2019-20 season.

The biggest question facing the Devils’ goalie situation entering the season is how they’ll divide up the workload. Even if he’s healthy, the Devils aren’t going to push Schneider to play 60-plus games. His final game total should come down to performance, both by him and the next goalie.

Mackenzie Blackwood

After bouncing back during his time in the AHL last season, where he earned an All-Star berth with Binghamton, Blackwood continued his success once called up the NHL. Blackwood’s performance with the Devils from December through April gave the team plenty of confidence to ride with him as a NHL option again entering 2019-20.

The size of Blackwood’s role in the NHL this season is to be determined. As mentioned above, Schneider probably won’t be a goalie who plays 55 or 60 games, but is there a chance that Blackwood could make the case to play more than Schneider?

Buy Devils gear: Fanatics, NHL.com, Lids, Dick's Sporting Goods

The team evenly divided games between Schneider and Blackwood during the final six weeks of the 2018-19 season, with each goalie getting every other start. With much more to play for now, the Devils are going to ride the hot hand more often than not. If Blackwood has stretches where he plays exceptionally well, he’ll get the chance to earn more games.

Evan Cormier

Right now, the Devils have two goalies lined up to share the work in Binghamton. One will be Evan Cormier, who at this point last year wasn’t even in the Devils’ organization anymore. But Blackwood’s call-up to the NHL and Eddie Lack’s injury last season opened up a need for the AHL team, and that’s when the Devils looped back to the 2016 fourth-round pick, giving him a tryout before signing him to a three-year NHL contract. 1150806 New York Rangers

Rangers president John Davidson expects to see Chris Kreider in camp

Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers skates

Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers skates in the second period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on April 5, 2019. Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated August 9, 2019 9:20 PM

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John Davidson believes Chris Kreider’s future is with the Rangers.

For the short term, at least.

The Rangers still have a huge decision to make about the 28-year-old left wing, who is entering the final season of a four-year, $18.5 million deal. His next contract could have an annual average value of about $7 million.

“I totally expect him to be in camp,” Davidson, the new Rangers president, told NHL.com. “It’s hard to make promises. Things change, but Chris is a valued member of the New York Rangers and I look forward to him having a great camp and a great run with us.

“He’s got one year left and that should be a whole lot of importance to him to come in and have a great camp and a great year,” Davidson added. “We’ll just see where it all goes.”

The Rangers, who have about $1 million in salary-cap space remaining under the $81.5 million ceiling, still could trade Kreider during the season.

The Rangers bought out the final two seasons of defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk’s four-year, $26.6 million deal on Aug. 1. That saves the club $5.17 million against the cap for this season but will cost the Rangers $6.08 million against the cap in 2020-21 and $1.433 million in each of the following two seasons.

The Rangers still have two restricted free agents to re-sign, defenseman Tony DeAngelo and forward Brendan Lemieux. The Rangers signed playmaking wing Artemi Panarin to a seven-year, $81.5 million deal on July 1.

Kreider had 28 goals and 24 assists in 79 games last season, matching his career high for goals. His 52 points were second on the team to Mika Zibanejad’s 74 and one shy of Kreider’s career high.

Kreider has 133 goals and 138 assists in 460 regular-season games. He was selected 19th overall in 2009 and made his NHL debut in the 2012 playoffs with five goals and two assists in 18 postseason games.

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1150807 Philadelphia Flyers The Inquirer asked readers in April what the fate of the statue should be, from reinstating it to melting it down. The majority of people who voted want the Flyers to put Smith back. Where is the Kate Smith statue? Flyers’ plans still undetermined. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.10.2019 by Patricia Madej,

It’s been more than three months since she was last spotted. So where exactly is Kate Smith? The Flyers removed the bronze statue of the singer from outside Xfinity Live! in April and stopped playing her version of ’s “" at the Wells Fargo Center amid controversy over racist song lyrics from the 1930s that the team said did “not reflect [its] values as an organization.” The Flyers haven’t disclosed their plans for the statue, prompting speculation — and some offers. During a recent radio program, Steve Kalafer, owner of the Somerset Patriots, an unaffiliated pro baseball team that plays in an independent league, made a $5,000 offer to whoever can find the statue. Kalafer offered to purchase the 8-foot-tall statue from the Flyers in May, sending a $50,000 check to be designated to a “social justice” charity of ’s choosing in exchange for the statue, which would be placed outside TD Bank Ballpark. He said he has not heard back. “It’s just disgraceful that we live in a world where these large companies would rather dishonor and disband a tradition than question something,” he said. “It’s disturbing, and it’s un-American.” He’s not the only one. Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. previously told 6ABC that the Shore town, where Smith’s version of the song plays on the boardwalk, would be “interested in having it.”

An official in Lake Placid, N.Y., where Smith is buried, expressed a similar desire. “The statue has been placed in a secure location,” the Flyers said in a statement this week, and would not comment on further questions. “We have not determined any future plans.” I miss the statue of Kate smith — Owen galt (@owen_galt) August 6, 2019 WHERE IS THE KATE SMITH STATUE? LETS FIND HER — mark cumberland (@PRCphilaclasses) August 5, 2019 A look back Marc Mellon, the sculpture’s artist, said the Flyers haven’t been in touch regarding his work’s fate. He said he believes the organization “responded to real, heartfelt upset [by] those who wanted the statue removed.” Mellon stressed the need for more conversation around the issue. “There’s such raw feelings across the board.... If we could fix this, maybe we could fix some larger issues,” he said. “And the fixing doesn’t mean just putting the statue up somewhere else.” The Flyers’ move followed the ’ decision to stop playing the 1939 version of “God Bless America" after it was alerted of the other songs’ lyrics, reported. Recent outcry surrounded the lyrics to songs Smith sang in the 1930s, including her recording of “That’s Why Darkies Were Born” and her singing of “Pickaninny Heaven” in the 1933 film Hello, Everybody! Smith died in 1986 at age 79. Her version of “God Bless America” became a good-luck charm for the Flyers, and she performed it ahead of the team’s first Stanley Cup win. Her statue was placed outside the Spectrum in 1987 and moved to outside Xfinity Live! after the Spectrum was demolished in 2011. Taking a poll The issue is larger than Smith’s statue, representing a broader discussion on how to confront the past. It has similarities to the controversy the statue and mural of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank L. Rizzo stirred after a deadly rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, which sparked a national conversation about monuments. 1150808 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers mascot Gritty gets belly button pierced ... seriously

By Jordan Hall August 09, 2019 12:50 PM

Gritty is ready for crop top season. Or swimsuit season. Or is it called beach season? Are any of these things actual things? Whatever it is when trendy people are ready to show some skin, Gritty is ready for it. Why? The guy got some Gritty bling. He pierced his belly button. I did something. #HotGirlSummer pic.twitter.com/r3LY4WE92d — Gritty (@GrittyNHL) August 9, 2019 I'm sure he consulted Claw'd over the decision. As you can see, Gritty's belly button changes colors, too, which is rather fascinating. The orange fella is really getting to work this summer, clearly gearing up for a big Year 2. Piercing his ears (if he has them) could be next on his to-do list. Look out, Philly. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150809 Philadelphia Flyers Aside from Carter Hart, Myers had the longest stint with the team after being called up from its AHL affiliate. Just like every other player who transitions to the NHL, Myers made some mistakes, but overall he was 5 youngsters on Flyers that need to own their roles in 2019-20 season able to do a lot of little things that helped him mesh with the defense. Overthinking when entering the zone is something that can happen to anyone — even a split moment of hesitation can affect the direction of By Brooke Destra August 09, 2019 1:55 PM play. While this happened from time to time, Myers was able to recover because of his ability to cover so much ground in a very little amount of time. With the moves Flyers general manager made this Travis Sanheim offseason, it seems like he is putting a lot of faith in the younger core (see story). While this is a big responsibility, these up-and-coming Sanheim went from a roster-spot filler one year to one of the most players are going to need to step up if the Flyers want to shift into a win- important players on the blue line for the Flyers. With a new contract now mentality. under his belt heading into this season, he has the perfect opportunity to have a breakout year. Oskar Lindblom After a full 82 games played, averaging just under 20 minutes of time on After having a taste of the NHL in 2017-18 playing 23 games, last season ice per game and ending the season second overall in points by a was Lindblom’s official rookie year and he sat out only a single game out defenseman on the team, there is no time to go backwards. of 82. His level of responsibility for the team and as a bottom-six player significantly increased as the season progressed, but there is much more He has always flown under the radar as far as up-and-coming players go, that he can improve on heading into October. but after the productive season he had, he now has the chance to prove that he can handle top-pairing minutes and responsibilities. There were a few stretches throughout last season when Lindblom showed everyone glimpses of the offensive powerhouse he could be one So Sanheim needs to step up in a different way. He needs to be a leader day, but a lack of confidence seemed to hold him back. ... and he has the potential to do so. In the span of four games (against Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose and Carter Hart Arizona), the 22-year-old saw some of the longest stretches of time on ice in his career and tallied six points (two goals, four assists). The future of the franchise currently falls on the 20-year-old goaltender who played just 31 games with the Flyers last season. What stood out the most from his play and what the Flyers could desperately use heading into next season were the high-threat chances After the expectations of playing a full season in the AHL went away he was able to set up behind the net. He was able to sense exactly because of the goalie instability in net, Hart jump-started a lot of optimism where the play was headed, make clean passes and did it so effortlessly around the organization — something that had been fading for quite that the opposing goaltenders couldn’t even see it coming. some time. The only issue, and it was a big one, was the level of inconsistency and Heading into this season, Hart is expected to carry the team and could never knowing if he was going to be reliable that night or fall short. possibly get around 50 starts depending on how well he adjusts to being Following his highly successful road trip performance, he then went the go-to man between the pipes (see story). through a 30-game stretch in which he contributed points-wise only four A team can’t get anywhere without a goaltender to help it along the way times ... not good. and after decades of the Flyers not having a franchise goalie, Hart has On his A-game, Lindblom is one of the better two-way forwards on the the chance to be that saving grace. team and was a solid addition to the penalty kill once he was added to it. Last season had a few bumps in the road, but that was expected in his This is a big year for Lindblom as he is due for a new contract at the end first season playing at the professional level. He was pulled three times of the 2019-20 season. If he finds a way to add confidence and when starting, but we can chalk that up to growing pains. consistency to his game, he should be getting a solid pay raise. Solid goaltending gives any team the chance at making a run to the Nolan Patrick postseason, so hopefully for the Flyers, Hart will be able to lead them Patrick has the potential to have his best season yet for a few reasons. there to have that opportunity. Yes, he was the second overall pick in the 2017 draft but his transition Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.10.2019 hasn’t been as smooth sailing as many hoped. Enter Kevin Hayes. Hayes signed at probably the best possible time and will most likely start the season at 2C. This moves Patrick down to the third line, where he now has a little more wiggle room to grow into the player he’s expected to be (see story). Of course, when the time comes, it’s almost evident that the two centers will switch lines, but for now? Patrick needs to seize this opportunity every time he hits the ice. Patrick has also had his fair share of injuries/setbacks, which could be taken into account to his overall performance. Less time on ice this season may help him focus on getting the offensive side of his game going. Significant droughts without producing offensively also raise a flag of concern and that was a big issue last season for Patrick. From Nov. 13 to Jan. 12, he went 24 games without a single goal. If Patrick can stay healthy for an entire season, if he can grow his confidence on his new line and is able to be more of a leader on the ice, we should see a much different player with more positives than negatives. Philippe Myers Myers earned his roster spot toward the back end of last season and is expected to be a regular heading into October — and rightfully so (see story). The 6-foot-5 defenseman did everything he needed to do in order to stand out when playing with the Phantoms. He earned his call-up mid- February and was with the Flyers up until the second-to-last game of the season before being sent back down to Lehigh Valley. 1150810 Philadelphia Flyers something that would be ideal. I know for the past, jeez, since I’ve started and especially in the past five years it’s gotten even more competitive. I always look forward to this time of year just because it’s such a good How Checking For Charity has both stayed local and blossomed skate. It’s competitive. You get that game-like timing and start to get into it a month before (NHL teams hold training) camp and just kind of gets you ready. Like, ‘OK, it’s around the corner. Step it up a notch.’ I always look forward to it. If something more came out of it, I definitely wouldn’t Dave Isaac, Cherry Hill Courier-Post Published 2:47 p.m. ET Aug. 8, expect it right now but I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it, that’s for 2019 sure.” Courier-Post LOADED: 08.10.2019 Somehow, South Jersey’s annual charity hockey tournament has managed to both explode in name recognition and popularity while staying close knit. Checking For Charity will hold its annual tournament this weekend in South Jersey, as it has done since 2009, and will include NHLers like New York Ranger Chris Kreider and San Jose Shark Kevin Labanc as well as Flyers prospects Joel Farabee and Kirill Ustimenko. The tournament has six divisions ranging from a 50+ group all the way up to the pro/am A Division and at the core of that top tier are stars of South Jersey. The brightest star, Carneys Point native John Gaudreau, will captain a team as will his buddy from Sewell, Tony DeAngelo, who broke off of Gaudreau’s roster last year to create his own and won the tournament. T.J. Brennan, the Moorestown native who has played the last two seasons for the , will lead a team of his own and try to erase the heartache of losing to DeAngelo’s squad in the final. It’s become a local staple of the summer and a sign that hockey season will soon be on its way. “I’m sure (tournament organizers’) hands are full,” Brennan said. “With how quickly it’s grown it seems like there’s probably so much work and ideas and more people. It’s all positive stuff but it’s probably a lot of work. Everyone seems so excited about it. It’s so magnified because you know the teams are gonna be in it and it’s gonna be exciting and people are gonna be caring. It’s like, ‘Crap I’ve got to make sure we’re focused and we’ve got the right players and we don’t embarrass ourselves.’ That just speaks to how much it’s grown and how highly everyone really thinks of it.” Brennan remembers Phil Passarelli working in the pro shop of the Igloo in Mount Laurel when Brennan was growing up playing hockey locally. Now Passarelli is a portfolio manager for Legacy Global Hockey and the director of hockey operations for the tournament, which has raised nearly $500,000 since its inception through tournaments in South Jersey and on the West Coast. This year’s iteration has 42 teams in the six divisions and will hold games at the Flyers Skate Zones in Pennsauken and Voorhees as well as the Igloo. More than 30 charities will be represented across the weekend and under the tournament’s format, the more successful teams earn more money for their charities. Brennan’s team, named Carefree Livin’ after his brother Shane’s company, will benefit Phantoms Charities. Donations can also come from fans who show up to the games over the weekend. Others, like DeAngelo, promote webpages set up for donations as well. His team benefits the Wounded Warriors Foundation and since setting up a page on the foundation’s web site, he has raised over $1,000 with an end goal of $5,000. Every year the tournament gets a little bit bigger, represents a few more charities and shows just how much South Jersey has become a hockey haven. Not quite on the level of Minneapolis or Boston, but some of the locals have dreamed of summer shinny like Da Beauty League in Minnesota or the Foxboro Pro League in . “You’ve got the Stevens brothers down here (John and Nolan both play in the and are the sons of ex-Phantoms player and coach John Stevens, who recently joined the Dallas Stars as an assistant coach). Some of the Flyers work out here throughout the (summer) season,” Gaudreau told the Courier-Post last month. “You’ve got some guys up in North Jersey that would make the drive down. Maybe that’s something you could put together here in the near future because I know people enjoy coming and watching those games. it’s good for us, too. There’s not many players in South Jersey (compared to Boston or Minnesota) so when you can put a group like that together, it would be really cool.” “Of course, that sounds like something great,” Brennan added. “I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to something like that at all. To me this (Checking For Charity tournament) is like a start of our version of that if we could stretch it out, that would be great. We’d probably have to put some heads together and figure some stuff out but it seems like that’s 1150811 Pittsburgh Penguins Some of Sabol’s relationships with athletes run deeper than just that of an artist and client. He said Heyward and his wife, Allie, gave him a wedding gift, and when Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams found out Sabol Meet Cody Sabol, the speed painter who's made art for Sidney Crosby, was about to become a father, he simply responded, “Congrats on the Joe Musgrove and more sex.” Earlier this week, Sabol completed a new painting commissioned by Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Roster. Aug 9, 2019 3:14 PM He's also in the process of painting “Area 51 cleats” for Williams, which seems fitting given the pitcher’s notoriously offbeat sense of humor. Cody Sabol’s Instagram direct messages could function as a Rolodex of Though Sabol doesn’t preach nearly as much as he used to, he did use the best professional athletes in Pittsburgh. this pulpit to offer a bit of advice on how to make a living as an artist, speed or otherwise. The 24-year-old speed painter is a hot commodity these days for his specific brand of artistry, which ranges from portraits to custom cleats “Don’t listen to the starving artist lie,” he said. “If you want to go out and and even weirder requests. be an artist, it’s absolutely attainable. For a guy who wasn’t even looking for it and just stumbled across it, it’s absolutely there. Just put your head For example, one of his latest projects was a baseball glove painted to down and work, and you’d be surprised about what you’ll be able to look like Thanos’ infinity gauntlet from the “Avengers” movies, created for accomplish.” Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove. It received some national attention during the team’s Aug. 5 game against the Brewers. Sabol certainly has a few goals he would still like to achieve. For one thing, he’d love for Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to check out — ESPN (@espn) August 5, 2019 the portrait of him that Sabol created. Sabol — a North Huntington native and Norwin High School alum — has “I did it just because I know people love JuJu and I wanted to do the halo, become so sought after for his work that he cut back on his job as as a [for] good juju,” Sabol said. “I want JuJu to see it and be like, ‘Dude, preacher to focus full-time on his art. that’s the sickest thing I’ve ever seen.’ ” “It became a real thing as far as people reaching out,” Sabol said. “‘Hey, Considering all the other Pittsburgh athletes who have seen Sabol’s we want you to paint this live, do this mural, do this custom painting.’ I work, that can probably be arranged. was working at a church before this and I was thinking, ‘This thing’s getting really big and taking time away from my ministry.’ It was the Joshua Axelrod: moment I realized I could be a full-time artist.” Post Gazette LOADED: 08.10.2019 For the uninitiated, Sabol is a live speed painter, and what exactly that entails is best described by the man himself. “The simple equation is trying to paint the most realistic picture in the least amount of time,” he said. “I’m able to perform it at a variety of different events, like fundraisers, concerts, festivals, church services, wherever it fits. It can be an onstage, big thing or something muted off to the side. It can really fit any event.” &nbsp; This was never the plan for Sabol. He graduated from Kentucky Christian University in 2017 with degrees in biblical studies and preaching ministry. Somehow, he also found time to play quarterback and outside linebacker for the school’s football team. He had no designs on pursuing art as a full-time career. “I just didn’t think it was possible,” Sabol said. “I didn’t think that would be what I was going to do because you hear the stereotype of the starving artist. I didn’t think I could do it.” In 2017, his life was changed forever by none other than two-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel. Sabol on a whim painted a portrait of the well-known Team USA photo of Kessel that he hoped might garner some love. The painting wound up being featured everywhere from WTAE to NHL.com and found its way into the possession of Kessel himself, who still had it in his Marshall home as of a few weeks ago. I’m still honored to this day https://t.co/IMkItzI8uS — Cody Sabol (@Cody_Sabol) July 24, 2019 “That’s the painting that started everything, put me on the map,” Sabol said. Since then, Sabol’s DMs have been inundated with requests by athletes, organizations and event planners who want him to make something for them or perform live at a public function. Some of the biggest names he has worked with include the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby, the Pirates’ Josh Bell and the Steelers’ Cam Heyward. He's gotten even more messages since that Musgrove infinity gauntlet glove went viral earlier this week. “It was so cool to see how many people liked it and how many people were retweeting it,” Sabol said. “Then I got a bunch of DMs asking how much it would cost to, like, paint my son’s tee-ball glove.” Sabol has often partnered with charities such as the Ronald McDonald House, Penguins Foundation or American Heart Association to ensure a portion of the proceeds his art earns goes to a good cause. 1150812 Pittsburgh Penguins Stealing defenseman Jacob Trouba will also bolster the Rangers’ power play, which will look completely different than it did last season.

The Rangers aren’t a Cup contender yet. They are a threat to the How do the Penguins stack up against an improved Metropolitan Islanders’ run of the metropolitan area, though. Division? Maybe not the biggest threat, however.

Former Penguins coach Michel Therrien made habit of saying “you know By Rob Rossi Aug 9, 2019 49 what to expect from the Devil” — and he said it out of admiration for the suffocating trap that was a staple for so many years in New Jersey. Used to be no NHL division was more predictable than the Metropolitan. Who knows what to expect from these Devils? Like the Rangers (and Islanders, really), goaltending is what will be questioned most often in The Capitals would finish in first place. The Penguins would round into New Jersey. But if the Devils get even average performances from their form in time for the . Then a heavyweight bout goalies, look out. between those franchises would turn the second round into an unofficial Eastern Conference final. Winning the draft lottery afforded them the pick between Hughes and Kakko. They picked Hughes, who projects as a true No. 1 center and But the old order was upended last season. major offensive contributor as a rookie. His addition allows the Devils to slot former first overall pick Nico Hischier into a No. 2 center role, for The Capitals and Penguins lost opening-round series to the Hurricanes which he was born to play. Think of Hughes-Hischier as a poor man’s and Islanders, respectively. When the Blue Jackets upset the top-seeded version of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for the Penguins — not as Lightning, they gave the Metro three of the East’s final four playoff teams dominant, but capable of jumpstarting a return to contention for a proud — and assured the conference a champion not from Pittsburgh, franchise. Washington or Tampa for the first time since 2013. Also, the Devils might actually be able to claim they (not the Rangers) As Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford likes to say: Nothing lasts added the best wingers this summer. Nikita Gusev was regarded as the long in the NHL. best player not in the NHL and was the KHL’s MVP last season. In New Jersey, he’ll be only a second-line left winger because Taylor Hall is back That would appear to especially be true of the once predictable Metro. after an injury-plagued season. Still, perhaps the hat trick of second-round showdowns between the Hall was the NHL’s MVP the last time he was healthy. That means the Capitals and Penguins allowed the division’s deceptive depth to hide in Devils’s two top left wingers are in their primes and have already plain sight? The Metro has sent five clubs to the playoffs in three of the received the highest individual honor in hockey’s two best leagues. past four years, with each of its eight franchises qualifying for the playoffs at least once in that span. Oh, and the Devils added P.K. Subban to a defense corps that lacked an anchor. Subban has his critics, but he remains among a handful of the “Our division has been pretty tough, certainly tougher than a lot of you most skilled players at his position. guys think,” Rutherford said. “It’s not getting any easier, either. I don’t think any team goes into next season feeling a playoff spot is There isn’t a lot of actual distance between the home rinks of the guaranteed. That would be a mistake. Islanders, Rangers and Devils. There might not be much separating them in the standings next season. “There isn’t a lot of difference between the teams in our division. I think it’ll probably be tighter than it was last year.” The winner of that battle of the metropolitan region figures to win a playoff spot in the Metro. Another postseason with five Metro qualifiers If Rutherford is correct, nobody should think his Penguins are a lock to could mean two of the three get in. extend the league’s longest playoff streak to 14 seasons. Given how different the Rangers and Devils look compared to last We’ve covered their offseason. But how did it compare to those for Metro season, it’s futile to predict how the Penguins — not without their own foes? changes — will fare against those clubs. But neither the Rangers nor Rivalries renewed Devils figure to be pushovers, and their emergence as playoff contenders makes qualifying a lot harder for the Penguins. A great coach can change everything for a franchise, as Barry Trotz proved last season with the Islanders, unless you were the one person Storms are threatening who had them challenging for a division title the season after John They won’t sneak up on opponents, but the Hurricanes probably won’t Tavares bolted for Toronto in free agency. need to for another run at the postseason. They’re young, talented and Yeah, nobody was that person. deep. And really well coached. The Islanders resembled Trotz’s former Predators squads, squeezing out Few franchises are set up for better long-term success, at least in terms regular season victories with a stifling defensive system that created of roster talent. transition opportunities for forwards. In a lot of ways, Trotz seemed more More important is Carolina’s apparent stability. at ease behind the bench of that type of squad than the more offensively gifted Capitals clubs he steered from 2014-18. The Hurricanes made a couple big statements by matching the Canadiens’ offer sheet for emerging star center Sebastien Aho and Trotz’s clubs have missed the playoffs in only three of his past 15 fending off the Wild’s advances of general manager Don Waddell. Count seasons. His teams have finished first or second 10 times in that span. those as great decisions by brash owner Tom Dundon. Aho and Waddell Only a fool would figure the Islanders aren’t a legitimate playoff were crucial keeps if the Hurricanes were to build off a surprise run to the contender so long as Trotz is their coach. His emergence with the conference final last season. Islanders is a particular problem for the Penguins, who struggled to Regression isn’t uncommon for clubs that experienced joyride-like generate much of anything against Trotz’s system in a four-game playoff success as the Hurricanes did, and expectations add weight. sweep last season. Still, to watch the Hurricanes even once from January into May was to Still, the Islanders regional reign might be short-lived, too. witness a club with speed to burn and skill to surge. The Hurricanes No team added better wingers than did the Rangers, who signed Artemi figure to be able to create more than enough offense to overcome Panarin as a free agent and drafted Kappo Kakko second overall. obstacles that may develop in the form of getting too full of themselves (and goaltending). Panarin is the rare winger capable of dominating offensively without an elite center, and his lust for a big city would seem to suggest the bright The Penguins have made their summer all about getting tougher to play lights of Broadway won’t prove problematic as he enters his prime. And against. Those moves will be tested by the Hurricanes, who can come in all anybody needs to know about Kakko’s talent is that he turned the waves and exploit clubs whose strength is not defending in their own Jack Hughes sweepstakes into a two-prospect show. He is as good a bet zone — clubs such as the Penguins. as any rookie to win the Calder Trophy and, along with Panarin, provides It’s a different kind of storm for the Blue Jackets, who finally won a playoff the Rangers an offensive upgrade that should scare opponents that don’t series only to watch stars such as Panarin, center Matt Duchene and show the Islanders’ particular zeal for defense. goalie Sergei Bobrovsky depart as free agents. Columbus was not caught off guard by the exits. Doesn’t make the If any non-playoff club from last season is positioned to keep the losses easier. Penguins out of the Cup chase, it’s probably the Flyers. The Blue Jackets return a good core, including Seth Jones — a franchise The Athletic LOADED: 08.10.2019 defenseman if ever there was one. Also, don’t discount the motivation that coach John Tortorella will instill in his club, which is being written off by everybody outside Columbus. But the greatest three-year run in franchise history netted only one playoff series victory, which doesn’t seem like enough given the retooling that is required now in one of the NHL’s better nontraditional markets. At a quick glance, the Penguins would figure to benefit from the Blue Jackets taking a step back this season. If only the Penguins of the past couple of years had shown any inclination to take seriously so-called lesser opponents. (They didn’t.) Points won’t come easy in the Metro. Squandering ones against the Blue Jackets wouldn’t be prudent for the Penguins. Blue chippers If goalie is the most important position for a hockey club, the Capitals and Flyers are in fine shape in the Metro. They might be in the best shape, actually. Obviously, the Capitals are in great shape. Their goalie is Braden Holtby. He has won the Cup. He has turned in five consecutive seasons of at least 30 wins. He is adept a making crucial stops in critical moments, as a goalie must playing behind a group of forwards that isn’t the most responsible in terms of decision-making. Also, when he does have a bad day or week or month, Holtby has an offense led by the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov to pick him up. There isn’t a more talented trio of offensive players in the Metro, if the NHL (at least outside of Tampa). The Capitals underachieved last season. They barely won a division they had owned in previous years. They lost a Game 7 at home in Round 1 a year after winning just about every must-have game on their Cup run. Washington remains loaded, talented and capable of mixing it up with the most skilled and the heaviest of opponents. If any Metro club feels like a safe pick for a postseason spot, it’s the one only a season removed from its greatest moment. The Penguins and Capitals match up so well with one another, and that doesn’t figure to change this season. Stylistically, this is the NHL’s most interesting rivalry. Games will be beautiful messes and must-see television. When was the last time there was that type of goalie in Philadelphia? Here’s a hint: people were listening to cassette tapes on Walkmans. Carter Hart hasn’t really done anything to deserve being compared to Holtby, let alone be declared one of the most important players in a division is stacked with all-time greats, former MVPs, scoring champions and young franchise-caliber players. He has played in all of 31 games, and his goals-against average (3.01) and save percentage (.917) were merely all right in those contests. Hart, though, has the goods to cause salivation from opposing scouts and GMs. He projects as a plays-a-lot/win-a-lot goalie for a franchise that has lacked one for nearly 30 years. And the team around him is better than it showed much of last season. After years of doing heavy lifting, Flyers captain has more help than he’s had since the lockout-shortened 2012 season. New coach is a proven winner. His teams made the playoffs in 10 of Vigneault’s past 12 seasons, including trips to the Cup final with the Canucks and Rangers. His experience coaching in tough markets such as Montreal, Vancouver and New York will make it easier to handle the pressure that comes in Philadelphia, where the Flyers haven’t won the Cup since 1975. The Flyers’ offseason was underwhelming, with the exception of a big deal for center Kevin Hayes. He’s a nice player who is being paid like a star. But clearly the Flyers believe Hayes’ addition bolsters a promising core of younger players poised to take big steps together. Of those players, Hart is the great hope for a return to greatness. How he holds up against the Penguins, whose best players maintain a deep distaste for all-things-Flyers, will show a lot about Hart’s readiness to meet the hype that accompanies him. Vigneault’s track record indicates the Flyers will improve defensively, so the Penguins can expect to see fewer scoring chances when facing Philadelphia. They’ll have to make the most of the chances they generate against Hart. 1150813 San Jose Sharks

Sharks jersey rankings: Why original teal sweater is San Jose's best

By Alex Didion August 09, 2019 7:00 AM

Editor's note: The Sharks have been in existence for 28 years and have worn a variety of jerseys in that span -- teal, black and white. NBC Sports ranked the five best sweaters since San Jose first took the ice in 1991. We conclude our series with the best-ever Sharks jersey: The original teal sweater. It’s finally that time. We’ve been giving you our top-five jerseys in Sharks history all week, and today is the day we finally reveal our No. 1 selection. Without further ado, the best jersey in San Jose Sharks history is … the original teal sweater. They say in life it’s all about a first impression, and the Sharks made a profound impact on the NHL with the team’s initial teal uniforms. They debuted right along with the franchise on Oct. 4, 1991, as San Jose lost 4-3 in Vancouver against the Canucks. Teal was a color the NHL was lacking at the time the Sharks joined the league, and the first release sold like hotcakes, instantly becoming one of the best-selling sweaters in the NHL. The team’s original logo, featuring the Shark biting through the stick, was also a cult classic that even made an appearance in a classic hockey movie that spawned one of its in-state rivals. Okay, we officially have a favorite.#NHLMovieNight pic.twitter.com/PJDWgJ5Vz8 — San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 3, 2017 Although merchandise was flying off the shelves and the team sold out every home game at the Cow Palace, the success on the ice was not there for the first year of the expansion Sharks. The Sharks finished with just 39 points, which put them 35 points behind the next-closest team in the Smythe Division and was the worst mark in the NHL. San Jose did bring back the jersey as an alternate for the Sharks’ 25th anniversary season in 2015-16, much to the delight of hockey sweater enthusiasts everywhere. The team made slight changes before the 1997-98 season, switching to a darker shade of teal and modifying the name on the back from being straight and outlined in black to an arched, single-color format. Overall, the team made three playoff appearances in the seven seasons they sported these threads, including a pair of conference semifinal appearances. If you're somebody that isn't into nostalgia, then clearly our top two choices would not agree with you. But jerseys across all major American sports were better in the 1990s as far as I'm concerned, so our top two selections are a perfect fit. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150814 San Jose Sharks goalies a chance and capitalizing on our chances. That came right from Bowman. He preached that kind of hockey, and he got the kind of players that could play it.” So they won a Stanley Cup, but were the 2018-19 Blues the best in team The Blues won the West Division with 88 points, 19 more than the history? second-place Oakland Seals. They won eight consecutive games in the postseason, sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings, and outscoring those teams by a combined 25 goals, 33-8, but were Jeremy Rutherford Aug 9, 2019 58 swept themselves for the second straight year by the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup final.

A little more than a decade later, the Blues were all about scoring goals, When the final seconds ticked off the clock at the TD Garden in Boston but they still had spectacular goaltending. on June 12, the Blues had their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. became the franchise’s first 50-goal scorer (54), and the The club rushed the crease to celebrate, players heaved their equipment offense had five 30-goal scorers, including Jorgen Pettersson (37), Brian in the air and NBC’s Doc Emrick hailed them as champions. It was a Sutter (35), Perry Turnbull (34) and Federko (31). There were 10 players scene many Blues fans felt they’d never witness in their lifetime. who reached the 20-goal plateau, including (24), Tony Curry (23), Larry Patey (22), Blake Dunlop (20) and (20). Just in case you still don’t believe it, or were one of the almost 50,000 people who “liked” the video on Blues’ social media and simply want to The Blues’ 4.4 goals-per-game average was the highest in their history, watch it again, OK, we’ll oblige. setting franchise records in even strength goals (251) and power play goals (85). THE MOMENT MANY HAVE WAITED A LIFETIME TO SEE HAPPEN!!! CELEBRATE, ST. LOUIS!!!!!!! PIC.TWITTER.COM/XTZDHSIO8Z “The depth of our team was so good that year,” Federko said. “We had all these guys who were high first-round picks that (former Blues GM) — ST. LOUIS BLUES  (@STLOUISBLUES) JUNE 13, 2019 Emile Francis was able to bring in through trades and give them another The 2018-19 Blues will go down as legends, and their parade down chance. I think it was our depth — we had a good checking line, good Market Street will long be remembered as the day they rewarded a city of penalty killing, good power play — and obviously ‘Lutey’ was long-suffering hockey fans. They automatically entered the conversation unbelievable.” as one of the best teams in franchise history and many will argue the Lutey would be Mike Liut, who went 33-14-14 and won the Lester best because they won the Cup, and really, how can you debate that? Pearson Award as the NHL’s MVP, as voted by the players. Well, because it would be fun. “It really came down to that: Liut kept us in most games,” said Berenson, Of course, there’s no scientific way to select the most fabulous Blues who coached the 1980-81 team. “I can’t say that we were outplayed teams from the past 52 seasons, so what The Athletic did was pick five dramatically, but we were often outchanced. It was a race to see who that were well-revered and represented the different eras of the could score the quickest and fastest goals, and once we got up on organization’s rich tradition. teams, they opened up a little more and we could really fill the net. But Liut was the MVP on that team, there’s no question.” We chronicled the strengths and successes of each of our finalists, and spoke with a player from each of the five clubs. Each comes with a depth This Blues club set a single-season record with 45 wins and was the first chart supplied by Tim Beever of @STLBlueshistory; yes, we realize that to eclipse 100 points (107). After a first-round victory over the Pittsburgh lineups changed throughout the season as players were injured and Penguins in the postseason, which ended with a Game traded, but we wanted to give you a refresher on the previous rosters. 5 game-winner in double-, the team fell in the quarterfinals to the We’ll also take a look at how the five clubs compare in an era-adjusted New York Rangers. model designed by The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn. “Unfortunately we lost (Turnbull) in the playoffs, and we got bullied in that One of the purposes of this project was to promote conversation, so we series,” Federko said. “I’ve always said that if we had Bobby Gassoff welcome your picks for the best club in Blues’ history in the comments (who passed away in a tragic accident in 1977), there’s no question in my section, and you’ll also have a chance to vote on Twitter @jprutherford. mind that we would have been a much better hockey club. Because in So without further ado, we present the cases for these teams: 1968-69 that era, you needed that guy who made sure everybody respected your (as told by Red Berenson), 1980-81 ( and Berenson), team, and ‘Gasser’ was that guy. He would have been the front and 1990-91 (), 1999-2000 (Al MacInnis) and 2018-19 (Joel center of our defense, and it would have been a different story.” Edmundson). Hull & Oates! The expansion Blues went to the Stanley Cup final in each of their first It was a magical time for and Adam Oates, and thus the Blues, three years of existence, and we could have gone with any of those who had also acquired a future Hall of Fame defenseman in Scott teams (1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70). The reason we went with 1968-69? Stevens. Because that was legendary Blue Bobby Plager’s pick, and that’s good enough for us. “We had some good players and a really good group of guys, but obviously Hull and Oates were pretty spectacular,” Stevens said. These days, the NHL plays an 82-game schedule, but back then the league played 76 games, and in 1969, the Blues allowed just 157 goals, Hull scored 86 goals, which remains the third-highest single-season total which still stands as the record in the shorter season. Goalies Glenn Hall, in league history, including 50 over the course of 50 games. Oates then 37 years old, and Jacques Plante, 40, led the NHL with 13 shutouts finished with 90 assists, and more than half of his 54 primary helpers and won the Vezina Trophy, which went to the netminders who allowed came on goals by Hull. Oates assisted on 20 of Hull’s league-leading 29 the fewest goals in the regular season. Hall had eight of those shutouts power play goals. with a 2.17 goals-against average, while Plante had the other five with a 1.96 GAA. “Just so consistent,” Stevens said. “They hung out a lot and just had such chemistry on the ice. Oates could make that perfect pass right in his “The team in ’68-69, it started with our goalies, Hall and Plante,” wheelhouse. He was that good at finding Brett, and Brett was so good at Berenson said. “Then the experience we had on defense with guys like finding that quiet soft spot on the ice. You could always count on them.” Doug Harvey, a Norris Trophy winner when he was in his prime, and Al Arbour, Jimmy Roberts, Jean-Guy Talbot and the Plager brothers. It was The Blues were 39-18-9 (87 points) and in first place in the NHL the toughness with players like Noel Picard and the Plagers. We had a standings in early March, but made one of the worst trades in club history lot of physical, intimidating players.” at the trade deadline. They sent , , and Robert Dirk to the in exchange for The club set a record of 12 straight games without a loss, which wasn’t and Dan Quinn. matched until 2000-01, and did not lose two straight games at the Arena all season. They wound up with eight All-Stars in the West Division that “It was tough because we pretty much gave up our second scoring line,” season, including Hall, Plante, Harvey, Arbour, Picard, Berenson, Stevens said. “Hull and Oates were so good, but Courtnall, Ronning and Roberts (who also played on the wing) and Ab McDonald. Momesso scored (a combined 51 at that point in the season) and won a lot of games because everyone was trying to shut down Hull and Oates. “ did a good job of signing and recruiting players that had That line was good at making the other team pay, carrying the offense been on winning teams,” said Berenson. “I think that had a lot to do with when we needed it.” our success; these guys knew how to win and they knew what it took, and they preached that to all of our young players. Most of us were pretty The Blues went 1-4-2 in their next seven games after the trade, then good two-way players, thriving on playing good defense, giving our rattled off a franchise-record seven-game winning streak to end the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs, they overcame a 3-1 “We had (Berube) in there and his intensity is contagious, and we kind of series deficit to beat the Detroit Red Wings, but in the Norris Division thrived off that,” Edmundson said. “And the last piece was (goalie Jordan finals, they fell behind 3-1 to the and couldn’t Binnington) coming up and stealing the show.” come back. The spectacular season came to a disappointing end. Binnington, who began the season fourth on the Blues’ goalie depth It was also an unhappy end in St. Louis for Stevens, who was awarded to chart, went 15-2-1 in his first 18 starts with a 1.49 goals-against average, New Jersey in a controversial ruling by abitrator Judge Edward Houston a .942 save percentage and five shutouts. He helped the defense build a as compensation for the Blues signing from the streak in which the team did not trail for a span of 517 minutes and 28 Devils. It worked out well for Stevens, who won three Stanley Cups, but seconds, the eighth-longest stretch since league expansion in 1967-68. not for the club that lost him. “We just rallied around him,” Edmundson said. “He’s been one of my best “We thought we’d be there for four years, and it only turned out to be friends since 2011 — that’s when we got drafted together — and it wasn’t one, but it was one great year,” Stevens said. an easy process for him. There were definitely some dark days, but over the past two years, he’s kind of dialed it in and become a professional. I This is a year in which the Blues set a franchise record for most points in knew he had it in him the whole time, but the way he did it in the NHL, it a season (114), which still stands today, and yet it’s a year any fan who was remarkable. Crazy, actually.” remembers the finish would rather forget. The Blues had a chance to win the Central Division on the final day of the If the early years were about Hall/Plante, Sutter/Federko and Hull/Oates, regular season, but finished third. The team won three games in this team was led by Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger. One defenseman or Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs, which would be a trend in the the other seemed to be on the ice for the entire game; MacInnis postseason, going 10-3 on the road, including a win in Boston in Game 7 averaged 5:59 per game on the power play and Pronger was at 5:43, of the Stanley Cup final. while the remainder of the blueliners combined for 6:16. “When we got rolling, we knew there was no team that could really stop Pronger finished with 62 points in 79 games and a plus-minus of plus-52. us,” Edmundson said. “Once we got through the first round against He went on to win both the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman Winnipeg, one of our toughest opponents, we knew we had it in us to win and the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP, becoming the first player to do it all. We would have been really shocked and disappointed if we didn’t that since Bobby Orr in 1972. win the Cup — that’s how confident we were.” “Prongs, the season that he had was incredible,” MacInnis said. “I So there’s our list. What do you think? remember that season particularly because there was no question he was the most valuable player in the league. He was obviously a huge If you believe that we left off a well-deserving club, you’re probably part, carrying the team.” referring to 1967-68, 1969-70, 1985-86, 2000-01 or 2015-16. Two of those teams went to the Stanley Cup final and three others went to the The Blues set a franchise record with a 10-game winning streak on the Western Conference final, whereas one of ours was upset in the first road, helping establish a new mark for single-season victories (51), en round and two lost in the second round. route to the organization’s first Presidents’ Trophy for the most points in the league. Here’s our response: As mentioned earlier, we wanted to put together a list that “well-represented different eras of the organization’s rich Scott Young closed with a career-high 40 goals, while his center, Pierre tradition.” Turgeon, pumped in 52 assists and 82 points. In the Blues’ first three years of existence, the roster was relatively “We had some pretty good balance and character guys, like good similar, so picking the 1969 team covers a majority of those players. teammates,” MacInnis said. “We had some good top-end players, like Turgeon, Young, (Pavol) Demitra and (Lubos) Bartecko. But you also The 1985-86 team gets a lot of attention because of the Monday Night had some good hard-working guys like (Craig) Conroy, (Mike) Eastwood, Miracle victory over the Calgary Falmes in Game 6 of the conference (Scott) Pellerin and (Jamal) Mayers … guys who excelled at their role finals, but as Federko, who was on both clubs, said recently: “We had and knew their job. much more talent on that ’80-81 team. Our ’85-86 team, it was kind of like the team the Blues had this year, where everybody played for each “With (coach) Joel Quenneville, team defense was huge. He always had other. We were a good team talent-wise, but the heart was bigger than his team compete hard without the puck, defend hard and kind of let the anything.” offense look after itself. Like I said, we had balanced scoring at the top, but he made sure that everybody was playing hard away from the puck. I A solid argument could be made for the 2000-01 team that lost in the would say team defense was probably the No. 1 thing that made us conference finals to the , but again, it was much the successful.” same roster from the previous year when the Blues won the Presidents’ Trophy and Pronger held up both the Hart and Norris trophies. Likewise, But that success ended in the first round of the playoffs. The Blues forced the 2015-16 team that fell to San Jose in the conference finals could be a Game 7 after falling behind, 3-1, in their series against the San Jose in the conversation, but some of those players were on this year’s team. Sharks, but in part due to a 65-foot shot from Owen Nolan that got by goalie Roman Turek, who had a club-best 42 wins in the regular season, For those of you who agree with the final five, how do we decide which they became just the second team since the Presidents’ Trophy was one is the best? The Cup is going to be the clinching factor for many of established in 1985-86 to be ousted in the opening round. you, but just to add a little context to the argument, we summoned Luszczyszyn, our resident analytics expert. He designed an era-adjusted “I can’t remember a lot to be honest, but obviously we would have been model that compares goal-differential in an apples-to-apples manner. the heavy favorite going in,” MacInnis said. “I wish I could comment why or what happened, but I just don’t remember exactly. In saying that, we “Often, the best indicator of a team’s strength is goal differential,” were the favorite, and we should have had more success.” Luszczyszyn said. “That figure varies from year to year, though, as league-wide parity differs, as does the amount of goals per game. That For any team waiting more than a half-century for its first Stanley Cup, can be controlled for, though, in order to put every season in the same it’s going to be special when it finally happens. But the story of the Blues’ context to create era-adjusted goal differential. That’s what the below worst-to-first, history-making tale was something straight out of chart aims to measure, putting past historic Blues’ seasons into the Hollywood. context of the 2018-19 season.” The Blues began the season with a record of 7-9-3, triggering the firing of So using the model, the 1999-2000 Blues are the best, but for those still coach Mike Yeo on Nov. 19 and the promotion of Craig Berube. But more clinging to the champs, Luszczyszyn makes a qualifier. than a month later, on Jan. 3, the club stood in last place in the NHL standings with 34 points. “Last year’s Stanley Cup-winning club finished the season at plus-24, which pales in comparison to the other top seasons,” he said. “But as “I think there was a lot of different reasons why we came together everyone knows, everything changed in the new year for St. Louis. In the halfway through the year,” Edmundson said. “We had a lot of new faces 45 games since Jan. 1, the Blues had a plus-44 goal differential, good for in the dressing room, and you definitely play better when you know all of a pace of plus-80, which would’ve eclipsed every other season in Blues your teammates and you want to win for them, and you’ll do anything for history.” the guy next to you. I think it took us a while to bond as a team, but once we became best friends, things just started clicking.” Well, there you go. That familiarity with one another made a difference, yes, but Berube’s The Athletic LOADED: 08.10.2019 influence on the dressing room was next-level as well. He created a new level of accountability, along with a positive approach that helped develop a resiliency not seen from this roster. 1150815 Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin enjoys the sights and tastes as NHL Ambassador in China

By Julia Karron August 09, 2019 12:35 PM

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was sent to China as part of the NHL's envoy to grow the game in Asia as an ambassador. While he's mostly been working, helping kids in clinics, he's had the chance to tour the country as well see some of its most acclaimed sites. Ovi started his time as a tourist in the Forbidden City at the Emperor's Palace. "This place is unbelievable" @Ovi8 visits the Forbidden City in Beijing to take in some Chinese history during his trip#Gr8inChina pic.twitter.com/vZebr529jm — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 9, 2019 "This place is unbelievable," Ovechkin noted. Next, he got the chance to ride a toboggan at the Great Wall of China. OVI TOBOGGAN! #Gr8inChina pic.twitter.com/4dUyxO3NIC — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 8, 2019 "Was fun, was really fun," Ovi reflected. How was it? pic.twitter.com/lHkfAO6Uda — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 8, 2019 Ovechkin also got a chance to walk along the Great Wall, adorned in his Caps jersey. Finally, the Great Eight sat down with another Russian legend, Alexei Kovalev, to feast on Peking duck at DaDong restaurant, which has continuously been voted as having the best duck in Beijing.

Try the 閭 it's delicious!  Tag along with @Ovi8 in Beijing as he heads to DaDong for a traditional Peking Duck dinner#Gr8inChina pic.twitter.com/2Pie0FM9og — Washington Capitals (@Capitals) August 8, 2019 Ovi sat at the head of the table and was able to slice some of the famed duck, and shared the meal with the NHL's Joe Loreski, VP of International Marketing, and Sandy Ma Yun, the Director of International Strategy. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.10.2019 1150816 Washington Capitals One caveat: Djoos was awarded a one-year, $1.25 million contract in arbitration in July. That means he and the Capitals couldn’t come to an agreement on his worth and he is probably being paid more than the 20 Burning Capitals Questions: Who plays more in 2019-20 - Christian team is comfortable with. Djoos or Jonas Siegenthaler? Needing to shed more than $1.37 million in salary-cap space before the final roster is set at the end of the preseason, Washington could deem Djoos expendable in a trade. A defenseman like Tyler Lewington, 25, By Brian McNally August 09, 2019 11:41 AM could take that No. 7 spot and would cost only $675,000. That’s big savings for a team where every penny will count to get some breathing room. But before that happens, Djoos should at least get to prove his worth in training camp. His salary isn’t the only way for the Capitals to get The long, endless summer is only halfway done. The Capitals last played out of cap jail. a game on April 24 and will not play another one until Oct. 2. But whether it’s just during camp or throughout most of the season, But with free agency and the NHL Draft behind them now, the 2019-2020 Djoos and Siegenthaler will both have their chance. With prospects lining roster is almost set and it won’t be long until players begin trickling back up behind them, it’s time to take advantage of the opportunity. onto the ice in Arlington for informal workouts. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.10.2019 With that in mind, and given the roasting temperatures outside, for four weeks NBC Sports Washington will look at 20 burning questions facing the Capitals as they look to rebound from an early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs, keep alive their Metropolitan Division title streak and get back to their championship form of 2018. The list will look at potential individual milestones, roster questions, prospects who might help and star players with uncertain futures. Today, we look at the upcoming training camp fight for playing time on the third pair alongside veteran Radko Gudas. The Capitals made some changes on their blueline this summer with Matt Niskanen dealt to Philadelphia for Radko Gudas. With John Carlson and Nick Jensen, that gives three veteran options on the right side. With the hopeful return of Michal Kempny (torn hamstring) and also Dmitry Orlov both on the left side, that leaves one spot for two obvious candidates: Christian Djoos and Jonas Siegenthaler. That becomes maybe the most interesting battle of camp next month. The top nine is basically settled. There could be a good push on the fourth line. But Siegenthaler and Djoos are two young defensemen in an organization that has invested heavily at that spot in recent years. The Capitals will have 2018 first-round pick Alex Alexeyev, 2018 second- round pick Martin Fehervary – both 19 - and 2016 first-round pick Lucas Johansen all at AHL Hershey this year, among others. That means this season is critical for Siegenthaler and Djoos to establish themselves lest a younger prospect swipe that spot sometime over the next year. You don’t take players that high in the draft and not give them a shot in the NHL at some point. All three aren’t going to be total busts – although Johansen, 21, has some work to do this season as the oldest prospect of the three. Djoos, 25, looked like a mainstay after playing in 22 of 24 Stanley Cup playoff games in 2018. At 6-foot, 170 pounds, he’s never going to be much of a physical presence. But he’s a fine skater and has provided good value already as a seventh-round draft pick in 2012. But after playing in 63 games in 2017-18, including most of that Stanley Cup run, Djoos appeared in just 45 last season. A Dec. 11 thigh injury turned into compartment syndrome, a scary issue where blood becomes trapped in the muscle and immediate surgery is needed. He eventually returned to the lineup after missing 24 games but wasn’t totally right in his first eight games back. Djoos then sat for 11 of the next 12 before jumping back into the lineup for eight of the final nine games and the first three of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The problem: He was eventually benched for Siegenthaler after Game 3 of the first-round series loss to the and didn’t play again. Maybe an offseason healing will get Djoos back on track. But Siegenthaler, 22, will have his chance, too. He held his own in rough circumstances in the Hurricanes series. Kempny had been lost for the season on March 20 and the Capitals were scrambling to keep their blueline together. Siegenthaler played on the top pair with Carlson. That experience left a better taste after an up-and-down rookie season where he made his NHL debut on Nov. 9 before being sent back to Hershey. He played 26 games, a pretty small sample size. Djoos got in 63 as a rookie even before the Stanley Cup playoffs that spring. So who will actually win this battle? If both are on the roster, you could easily see a scenario where both players get into 50-plus games, especially as they fill in for any of the five veterans if/when they get hurt, suspended, etc. What’s harder to tell is which one will take advantage. They’re two different players. Djoos could be a better matchup against certain teams while Siegenthaler at 6-3, 206 could be better against others. 1150817 Websites There wasn’t a person in Edmonton who didn’t think owner Peter Pocklington wasn’t capable of selling Gretzky at some point, as the Oilers longtime owner was The Grinch incarnate. Once considered a flashy Sportsnet.ca / The Gretzky Trade: A day that shook Edmonton's sporting entrepreneur, if you lived here, by 1988 you knew that Pocklington was foundation forever being chased for unpaid debts, real or perceived. He was ruthless in business, as the bitter, six-month long Gainers strike had proven. Peter Puck had the gall of 10 men, accepting a $55 million Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec August 9, 2019, 10:10 AM loan from the Alberta government of the day to help save Gainers, then walking away from the meat packing plant within three years.

But Gretzky was different. This column was originally published on the 25th anniversary of the Gretzky trade. No. 99 wasn’t Pocklington’s to sell, was he? Gretzky belonged to Edmonton, where he’d shown up during the The micro-cassette still sits in my desk drawer, though we’re not sure we days, and Sather had shrewdly shielded The Great One from the still possess the micro-cassette recorder to play it on. National Hockey League’s Draconian expansion draft. How could any self-respecting sportswriter, particularly one born and There was just one other thing an Edmontonian could say that his city raised in Edmonton, part with that tiny cassette simply labelled: “The possessed that was better than anything anyone else had of the sort, and Trade.” that was a stupid mall. Gretzky actually made Oilers fans the envy of nearly every hockey fan in the game, and the Oilers were a travelling Full disclosure: It was not recorded live at the Molson House, the venue road show that did for this smallish Northern Alberta city what no travel where famously broke down, admitting, “I told Mess I board could dream of. wouldn’t do this.” No, I was a junior reporter at the Edmonton Journal, told to stay back at the office and work the phones. Soon, he would be coming through town with a divisional rival, dressed in black and silver. And for every Oilers fan, it must have truly sucked. So instead I called Walter Gretzky at the house in , as was my assignment, and informed him that his son had been traded to Los “We really didn’t know how to react the first time we played against Angeles. Wayne,” remembers MacTavish. “I remember Kevin (Lowe) … taking a vicious run at him, and that kind of set the tone on the mentality going “You sure about that?” Walter said. forward, on how we were going to deal with (Gretzky). “I’d better be,” I thought, before saying, “Well, the press conference goes “It was at that point I really felt from a player’s perspective that there was in a couple of hours.” a separation between Wayne the friend and Wayne the L.A. King.” Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and Wayne Gretzky would not win another Stanley Cup after leaving fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the Edmonton. Obviously, Edmonton would never have another player like country’s most beloved game. No. 99. He might have known of the deal, but Walter played it like he’d never It was, alas, a deal that hurt both sides. heard anything or the sort. “How could I be informing him about The Trade?” I thought. Then again, nothing went the way it was supposed to Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 08.10.2019 go that August day, a day that was a blur on so many levels. Not because it was the most impactful trade possibly in the history of hockey, but more because it was pure heresy to trade the best player in the world. Edmonton had won four Stanley Cups in the past five years; Gretzky was the best player on earth, the first-line centre on the previous summer’s Canada Cup. He’d won seven Art Ross Trophies in a row, and only lost the 1987-88 race by 19 points to , only because Gretzky played 13 less games than Mario. He had won the Hart Trophy eight straight times, where no one else had ever won it more than four straight times ( and Phil Esposito). Gretzky was king. Why on earth would anyone want to make him a King? It was the day that shook Edmonton’s sporting foundation, a moment that changed the course of the franchise abruptly. Within years the Oilers were an also-ran without a chance. Peter Pocklington sold Gretzky; Glen Sather recouped enough actual players to help win one last Cup in 1990, and by 1993, the Oilers fell off the edge of the earth. No Gretzky, soon no Messier, no Kurri, no Fuhr… No chance. Outside of one fluky run in 2006, the franchise has never recovered. But to understand the impact that Aug. 8, 1988, had on this city, you have to recall what 1988 was like. There was no Internet for the masses, no Twitter. Nobody had a cell phone yet, and in fact, as reporters dispatched for Molson House and the early afternoon news conference, I for one was still naïve enough to wonder if somehow it was all a hoax. “It was back in an era where there wasn’t much technology, and the media wasn’t breaking all the stories. It was a pretty well kept coup, from what I remember,” said Craig MacTavish, a third-line centre on that 1988 Oilers team. “Quite a shocking time, for not just Edmontonians and the Edmonton Oilers players, but for the entire country.” Former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington and his company face new securities charges in the . The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Pocklington, his medical device company and others with defrauding investors by hiding his previous charges and misappropriating investor funds. Pocklington is seen making his way to the 1984 Stanley Cup Reunion media availability in Edmonton on Wednesday, October 8, 2014. (Jason Franson/CP) Former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington. (Jason Franson/CP) 1150818 Websites

TSN.CA / Ewen trial against NHL to take three weeks with more than 20 witnesses

Rick Westhead

A trial in the wrongful death lawsuit against the National Hockey League filed by Kelli Ewen, the widow of former NHL enforcer , will take about three weeks and is expected to feature more than 20 witnesses, according to newly filed court documents. As part of the lawsuit, filed in California district court on April 30, lawyers for Ewen and the league were required to advise the court about the particulars of the case, including how long a trial might take, the main arguments to be made, and prospective witnesses. On Thursday, the sides filed a 17-page brief called a joint case management statement that outlined the issues for a potential trial. According to the statement, key witnesses in the case will include Boston University neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee, who has discovered the brain-withering disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in former NHL players including Todd; NHL personnel, including commissioner Gary Bettman; and NHL team personnel who witnessed relevant information regarding Todd’s head injuries during his time in the NHL. The league wrote that other witnesses may include NHL club doctors and trainers, NHL Players’ Association personnel, Todd’s family members, and his post-hockey career business colleagues. Ewen is seeking “compensatory damages and all other damages permitted by law.” It’s not clear when the trial might start, but it won’t be before September of 2020 when discovery is scheduled to wrap up. Todd, who fought his way through a dozen NHL seasons, battled depression, anxiety and memory loss for the last 20 years of his life. Ewen says her husband was certain he had CTE. On Sept. 19, 2015, Todd, then 49, killed himself in the basement of his family’s home in St. Louis. “[Kelli Ewen] alleges the NHL fostered an environment that encouraged and pressured players like Todd to fight opponents for entertainment and to increase revenue, also increasing the risk that players developed long- term brain damage, all while downplaying the risk of repeated head trauma,” her lawyer, Brian Gudmundson, wrote in Thursday’s court filing. “To this day, the NHL carries the dubious distinction of being the last ‘league of denial’ and denies that repeated head trauma poses any risk of permanent brain damage.” A lawyer for the NHL wrote that Ewen’s lawsuit should be dismissed because the league’s collective labour agreement with the NHLPA addresses issues such as player health and safety. Ewen's claim should have been a matter for a private grievance, not a trial, the NHL says. Todd’s case has played a key role in the debate over CTE and concussions in hockey. Ewen asked Dr. McKee to re-test her husband’s brain after Toronto neuropathologist Dr. Lili-Naz Hazrati declared in February 2016 that Todd didn’t have CTE. Dr. McKee found Stage Two CTE in Todd’s brain in February 2018. Dr. Hazrati later said she accepted Dr. McKee’s findings. “...although I respect Ann's findings and [am] not contesting any of it, I am just surprised to see that Todd had so very little [of the] disease for an enforcer,” Dr. Hazrati wrote in a Nov. 26, 2018 email to TSN. Bettman used Todd’s case in his defence of the NHL to U.S. lawmakers. In a July 26, 2016, letter to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who had asked for information from the NHL about the impact of concussions in hockey, Bettman blamed the media for stoking fear of the long-term effects of head injuries and ended his letter by retelling Todd’s story. Other NHL players who have been diagnosed with CTE include , Derek Boogaard, Jeff Parker, Wade Belak, Larry Zeidel, Reggie Fleming, Rick Martin, Steve Montador and Zarley Zalapski. Four unidentified former junior hockey players who all died of suicide before the age of 30 also tested positive for the disease. TSN.CA LOADED: 08.10.2019