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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 9/10/2020 Bruins 1178657 Bruins’ wins NHL Coach of the Year 1178686 IMPORTANCE OF LOANING PLAYERS TO EUROPEAN honors CLUBS 1178658 NHL has yet to nail down dates for the draft and free agency 1178659 Bruins GM does not sound hopeful about 1178687 Led by Minnesota, influence of college hockey keeps re-signing Torey Krug growing in NHL 1178660 GM Don Sweeney isn’t concerned about Tuukka Rask’s 1178688 Wild offseason update: End of an era for Mikko Koivu? future with the Bruins Plus, trade/buyout banter 1178661 Bruce Cassidy captures Award 1178662 Charlie McAvoy hoping to add more pop Canadiens 1178663 Sweeney knows B's have to make some changes 1178689 Stu on Sports: A flashback to last year's Canadiens golf 1178664 Sweeney says B's have 'zero reservations' about Rask tournament moving forward 1178665 Bruins' Bruce Cassidy wins 2020 1178666 For guiding Bruins’ regular season rebound, Bruce 1178690 Source: expected to join Predators as Cassidy wins Jack Adams Award assistant coach 1178667 Trade winds? Bruins are all ears prior to free agency 1178668 Agent: No talks from Tuukka Rask on an early retirement 1178691 7 takeaways from Devils hiring Mark Recchi to assist | ‘I’m not a yes man!’ 1178669 Sabres' goaltending prospects face challenging 1178692 How new assistant coach Mark Recchi can help the Devils development curve rebound 1178670 NHL reportedly sets dates for entry draft, start of free agency 1178671 2020 NHL organizational rankings: No. 5 Buffalo Sabres 1178693 Islanders give up with 8.8 seconds left, fall into 2-0 hole against Lightning in Eastern Conference Final Flames 1178694 Islanders victimized by some questionable calls 1178672 Calgarian coach and former professional Brar humbled by 1178695 This Islanders’ loss much more painful than a blowout Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award 1178696 Islanders stunned by Lightning in heartbreaking Game 2 loss 1178697 Islanders are facing a great test of their character 1178673 2020 NHL organizational rankings: No. 6 Carolina 1178698 Islanders stunned by Lightning in Game 2 as Nikita Hurricanes Kucherov scores in waning seconds 1178699 Patrick Flatley sees similarities between Islanders' 1993 playoff run and this one 1178674 Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury, Robin Lehner could be 1178700 Islanders killing unit much better in Game 2 vs. goaltending options for Avalanche Lightning 1178675 Stay longer or thank you, next: What’s ahead for the 1178701 OK after going through concussion protocol Avalanche’s UFA class? 1178702 Doc Emrick will call Islanders-Lightning series starting in Game 4 1178703 Thirty seconds that scar: Half a minute of breakdowns cost 1178676 Blue Jackets assistant coaches on ’s the Islanders techniques, tricks & temper Senators Stars 1178704 GARRIOCH: Fans of the won't have as 1178677 Stars' named a finalists for the Jim Gregory long a wait for NHL draft of the Year award 1178705 Can Brady Tkachuk become a cornerstone for the 1178678 Game 7 heroics, lots of poker and little-glory support: The Senators? life of Stars' black aces in quarantined 1178679 Dallas' trip to NHL’s final four serves as reminder of Flyers postseason droughts for other local pro teams 1178706 Flyers’ edged by Boston’s Bruce Cassidy 1178680 Shapiro: Nill’s GM of the year nomination is about more for NHL’s coach of the year than the deals he’s made 1178707 Alain Vigneault’s demands of Flyers' top players could be a hint of what’s next | Mike Sielski Red Wings 1178681 What are chances of Red Wings landing top free agent like Torey Krug? 1178708 Analysis: Taking stock of the Penguins’ tradable assets 1178709 Yohe: What we know about the Penguins’ offseason plans Oilers 1178710 Marshall: The Penguins gave up a lot for Kasperi 1178682 assistants and Kapanen. Is he worth it? happy to be back in old stomping ground 1178683 NHL deputy commissioner not shying away from Daly St Louis Blues grind of hub city 1178711 Blues' O'Reilly up for two NHL awards 1178684 Deck stacked against Vegas when it comes to Ex-Oiler Factor 1178685 There are no good shortcuts for the Oilers with Jesse Puljujarvi 1178712 Lightning-Islanders Game 2 report card: A storybook ending 1178713 Never forget what the Lightning did on the night their scorers disappeared 1178714 Lightning willing to do whatever it takes to win games 1178715 Lightning rally to beat Islanders, build on series lead 1178716 Lightning-Islanders Game 2 live playoff updates 1178717 Lightning’s Brayden injured in Game 2 vs. Islanders 1178718 Lightning’s Alex Killorn ejected for hit on Islanders’ Brock Nelson 1178719 Lightning’s , Islanders' share hockey prep school background 1178720 Lightning’s Julien BriseBois voted finalist for general manager award 1178721 Stop me if you’ve heard this (Lightning) line before 1178722 Why this ‘gutty’ Game 2 win could be defining one in Lightning playoff run 1178723 Brayden Point unmasked: The making of the Lightning’s humble star Maple Leafs 1178724 Leafs pass relatively quiet first month of their off-season, but expect that to change 1178725 Trade Targets Part 2: Scouring the East for the the Leafs need Canucks 1178732 Patrick Johnston: Canucks, NHL hope fans are back filling stands next season 1178726 Golden Knights diversify attack on power play 1178727 Robin Lehner or Marc-Andre Fleury? It’s a nice problem to have 1178728 3 takeaways from Golden Knights’ Game 2 victory over Stars 1178729 What I’m hearing about the Golden Knights and pending UFA Robin Lehner 1178730 Pros and cons of the veteran head coaches linked to Capitals vacancy Websites 1178733 The Athletic / Q&A: Bill Daly on NHL’s priorities and potential start date for 2020-21 season 1178734 The Athletic / ‘I was sure she was going to be dead at 25’: A figure skater’s redemptive journey 1178735 .ca / 25 NHL trade candidates you'll hear about this off-season 1178736 Sportsnet.ca / How Ryan Reaves is keeping Stars 'off- balance' with intimidating play 1178737 Sportsnet.ca / 5 off-season targets Jets could consider to bolster defence corps 1178738 Sportsnet.ca / The top possession playoff teams since '08 and why Vegas is among the best 1178739 Sportsnet.ca / Stars seeking rebound effort against Golden Knights as Game 3 underdogs 1178740 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks challenged to find improvements in uncertain off-season 1178741 Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights forwards take charge with rediscovered scoring touch 1178742 TSN.CA / Seravalli: sit in best position to end ’s Cup drought Jets 1178731 Patrik Laine’s 2021 arbitration rights add another layer to his uncertain future SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1178657 home. "Are they getting to their game faster than Tampa is getting to theirs?

“That’s what they did to beat us. We were never truly at our game for Bruins’ Bruce Cassidy wins NHL Coach of the Year honors long stretches of time. When you get two really good teams and there’s not a lot to pick from, that’s usually the difference.”

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff Cassidy added, as he often does, that he also was watching the Lightning-Islanders series because he is simply a fan of the NHL. Updated September 9, 2020 "I’m not going to lie, I like watching hockey,'' he said. “Two good teams . . . I’m not invested in either side, so the refereeing doesn’t affect me . . . I don’t care about that part of it, just want to watch the game and A, be More than a week after his club was eliminated from the entertained and B, steal some ideas from either side . . . and then watch playoffs, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy on Wednesday was named the the coaches a little bit.” Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL’s Coach of the Year for 2019-20.

Cassidy, 55, won the award 17 years after being dismissed as the Capitals' coach early in the 2003-04 season as one of the youngest Boston Globe LOADED: 09.10.2020 coaches in the .

“I’m 17 years older, you should learn,” said Cassidy, asked how he would counsel the younger version of himself some two decades later. “No matter what career, or any walk of life, you should be better at what you do, if you use your eyes and ears. Obviously, a better balance with my family life, allowed me to park hockey. Some days I probably overanalyzed it when I was younger. I tried to do too much sometimes instead of letting the job sort of organically flow and stick to your principles and ideas and what you believe in.”

Cassidy, promoted to bench boss in Boston in February 2017, became the fourth Boston coach to win the Adams, following in the footsteps of (1976), (1998), and Claude Julien (2009), the latter of whom he succeeded abruptly in 2017 and rallied the then- moribund Bruins to a playoff berth.

Cassidy, who grew up in Ottawa a fan of the Bruins and , credited the likes of his junior coach, Brian Killrea, and ex-Blackhawks coach , his first NHL coach, for helping shape his coaching methods and philosophy.

“I’m a lifelong Bruins fan,” he added. “I was a Bobby Orr guy, growing up in Ottawa — Ottawa didn’t have a team then, so we were free agents in that regard," Cassidy said. "My mom was a Habs fan, and my dad Toronto, so I happened to pick Boston. So to follow those guys [Cherry, Burns, and Julien] is an unbelievable honor.

"And I even look back before them, I still have a relationship with , who is good to talk to periodically. You go back to — there have been so many good Bruins coaches over the years. And I was fortunate to work in Providence as a head guy and come up to talk to Claude, so I am thankful for what he was able to teach me while he was here.”

Cassidy said he learned the news earlier in the day when he received a phone call from GM Don Sweeney and club president .

The NHL’s Professional Broadcasters Association selects the annual Jack Adams Award winner. Cassidy earlier this year was named a finalist with John Tortorella (Columbus) and Alain Vigneault (Philadelphia). None of the three was able to get their squad into the Eastern Conference finals, which pitted Tampa Bay (Jon Cooper) vs. the New York Islanders (Barry Trotz).

“It’s an exciting time,” said Cassidy, reflecting on how he felt when he received the news. “Tonight, I am watching the Islanders and Tampa — what are the Islanders doing, and if they beat [the Lightning], what did they do better than us?”

Cassidy noted that Neely and Sweeney were appropriately excited when they conveyed the news.

“This is for the whole organization,” added Cassidy. “It’s a team award. It’s everyone contributing. I get my name on the trophy, which is great, and I am honored to have it. But up and down the organization, I think everyone should be acknowledged when the coach wins.”

Under Cassidy’s leadership, Boston was the only club to reach the 100- point plateau in the COVID-19-shortened regular season, which went into cold storage on March 12. The Bruins rubbed out Carolina in five games in the opening round of the playoffs, then fell to Tampa in five games, unable to generate presence and production around the Lightning net.

“What are the Islanders doing different?” asked Cassidy, talking with the media via a Zoom call while watching the Islanders-Lightning series at 1178658 Boston Bruins It proved to be a prudent decision by the Bruins. The underproductive Kovalchuk and the Kings mutually terminated the deal not even midway through its second season.

NHL has yet to nail down dates for the draft and free agency Also lost to the pandemic: the annual draft combine that brought many of the best North American and international players to Buffalo for physical testing and interviews. Typically held in late May, the combine was By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff among the very early casualties of the pandemic.

Updated September 9, 2020 “The in-person and the opportunity to meet in that environment has certainly changed for all of us in every walk of life,” said Sweeney. “I think

we’ve managed that pretty well and pretty effectively.” The NHL still has not announced its dates for the upcoming amateur draft The deal to acquire Kase, which included unloading Backes on the or free agency period, despite increasing speculation in recent days that Ducks, will have the Bruins ceding their first-round pick, No. 27, to both events will be staged across a four-day period at the start of next Anaheim. Unless Sweeney swings a deal to reacquire a first-rounder, it month. will be the second time in three years the Bruins have been on the TSN reporter Frank Seravalli tweeted Tuesday that the draft, originally sideline for the opening round. They moved their top pick in 2018 to the scheduled as a two-day event in Montreal June 26-27, now will be staged Rangers in the Rick Nash acquisition. virtually on Oct. 6-7. As the draft order currently stands, the Bruins own five picks: Nos. 58, Free agency, according to Seravalli, will commence Oct. 9, slightly more 89, 151, 182, and 213. They swapped out their fourth-rounder, No. 120, than three months after the usual July 1 feeding frenzy that typically sees as part of the February 2019 deal in which they acquired Marcus clubs dole out hundreds of millions of dollars for deals that can extend to Johannson from the New Jersey Devils. a maximum of eight years.

The league also has not made public its plans for the 2020-21 season, Boston Globe LOADED: 09.10.2020 be it the start of training camp or regular-season games. Late in May, when the league and the players' union revealed plans to stage this year’s playoffs in two bubble cities, general guidance from league sources was that training camp for the following season would begin around Nov. 15, followed by a Dec. 1 start date for regular-season play.

A league official informed the Globe Wednesday none of the upcoming key dates have been finalized.

The Bruins, who in February dealt their first-round draft pick this year to Anaheim, in part to acquire winger Ondrej Kase, have taken a decidedly bargain approach to free agency over the last three July buying sprees.

General manager Don Sweeney saw only modest return on investment for the hefty $30 million he lavished upon ex-St. Louis David Backes on July 1, 2016. He then barely dipped a toe into the 2017 pool, and his 2018 signing of spare defenseman John Moore (five years/$13.75 million) stands as the lone hefty payout he has made since his costly UFA misfires on Matt Beleskey in 2015 (five years/$19 million) and Backes (five years/$30 million).

“We actually have the [salary] space to do the things that are necessary to do internally,” Sweeney said during a Wednesday morning Zoom call, when asked if he plans to be more active in the free agent market. “Whether or not we do those or execute those, that still remains to be seen.”

Much of Sweeney’s shopping interest, and spending potential, rests in whether the club retains the services of defensemen Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara, both of whom are currently unrestricted free agents. The pair earned a combined $9 million in 2019-20.

Based on market comps, it would take most of that $9 million to bring back just Krug, while Chara, the captain who will turn 44 in March 2021, likely would come with around a $3 million cap hit.

“We’re going to explore ways to improve our club between now and [the start of free agency] and see what transpires,” noted Sweeney. “We’re looking to make some changes in our group.

"I feel very good about our overall organization, where we are and how competitive we are. But … I’m not doing my job if I’m not looking to improve our hockey club on a daily basis.

"I know our group needs to be pushed and have hopefully some internal growth with some players that are coming up on waivers and they have to have an opportunity to make our hockey club.”

Because of the pandemic, the one-week interview period leading to free agency has been eliminated.

In 2018, for instance, the Bruins brass took time to sit down with free agent in the week leading to July 1 as they considered an offer for the legendary scorer. In the end, Kovalchuk signed with Los Angeles, the Kings willing to commit to him for three years/$18.75 million while Sweeney was unwilling to go beyond two years. 1178659 Boston Bruins If internal competition doesn’t heat up, trades and free agency are options. Sweeney said there has been plenty of talk. He believes he has a read on how other GMs value his collection of talent.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney does not sound hopeful about re-signing Torey The Bruins are hopeful that Jack Studnicka, who doesn’t need more AHL Krug seasoning, can handle full-time duty (on the wing for now). They need Anders Bjork and Kase to be more than middle-six speedsters. and Anton Blidh should be pushing Chris Wagner, Nick Ritchie, By Matt Porter Globe Staff and Sean Kuraly in the bottom six. The defense would be better if Clifton and Lauzon prove worthy of jobs. Updated September 9, 2020 “Otherwise,” Sweeney said, “we make hard decisions.”

Exploration explanation The Bruins took a breath after their swift and decisive exit from the playoffs, but general manager Don Sweeney is scheduling Zoom calls in Sweeney on Chara, who made it clear he wants to return for a 22nd NHL the coming weeks with players, including free agents. season and 15th as Bruins captain: “I respect Zdeno’s comments. He has always been an iconic player for us, an important player for us, and He and Torey Krug may not have much to discuss. we’re going to explore opportunities.” … The league has eliminated the Sweeney, in his end-of-season video conference with reporters free agency interview period, which let teams meet with players a week Wednesday, didn’t allude to either side’s willingness to reach a before the signings began … Sweeney said the Bruins project to keep compromise on a deal that would keep the No. 1 power-play quarterback seven forwards, three defensemen, and a goalie on their protected list for with the only franchise he has known. the Seattle expansion draft, to be held before the Kraken debut in ’21-22. Teams have the option to protect eight skaters and a goalie instead … Last week, Krug said negotiations were at a standstill, and had been for Sweeney wasn’t writing off Miller, whose knee injuries have kept him out the entire season. He also made it clear he would not accept short of action for 17 months, but hasn’t explored bringing him back. “We think money or a one-year deal. the world of him,” Sweeney said. “We missed him the last couple of years, certainly in the playoff environment. He’s a tremendous “I’ve taken shorter-term deals, less amount of money my whole career competitor, tremendous person, and we wish him nothing but health and now,” Krug said. “This is my time in terms of my value at its peak.” the opportunity to play again.” Sweeney was unfazed.

“He’s entitled to say whatever the hell he feels he wants to say,” Boston Globe LOADED: 09.10.2020 Sweeney said. “I’m not going to comment publicly on any different contract negotiations other than hoping to find a landing spot when I have a good player and [person] that I feel are important to our organization, and Torey is such.”

The Bruins successfully courted Krug in 2012, when he was an undersized, undrafted captain at State. Now 29, Krug is looking for a life-changing payday. It’s unlikely he will find it in Boston.

The Bruins are battling a flat salary cap, which will stay at $81.5 million until leaguewide revenue reaches its pre-pandemic level, and future raises due younger standouts. As special a puck-mover as Krug is, paying open-market prices — seven years, at around $7 million per — would hurt the Bruins from a balance and depth standpoint, particularly when Matt Grzelcyk or Charlie McAvoy could, with more training, become acceptable distributors on the man-advantage.

“I would be the last person to begrudge any player trying to make the best decision for [them] and their family,” Sweeney said, "and in a perfect world, it’s with us, but we know that the world is anything but perfect right about now.

“Listen, I respect Torey coming in as a rookie free agent and making our hockey club. I only hope that we made the moves to accommodate what he and his family and agent feel he has earned.”

Pushing it

If they cut ties with their unrestricted free agents — Krug, Zdeno Chara, Joakim Nordstrom, and Kevan Miller — the Bruins would have about $15 million to re-sign Grzelcyk and Jake DeBrusk, plus low-cost depth pieces like Karson Kuhlman and Zach Senyshyn.

That space could be reduced by nearly $2 million in performance bonuses due DeBrusk ($394,000 for time on ice and a pro-rated 20 goals), Chara ($1.5 million for playing in 10 games and the Bruins making the playoffs), Jeremy Lauzon ($25,000 for games played), and Connor Clifton ($20,000, games played), according to PuckPedia. The Bruins could carry 100 percent of the overages next season or split it 50/50 over the next two years.

They must be mindful of raises due Ondrej Kase and Brandon Carlo (in 2022) and David Pastrnak and McAvoy ('23). They have no proven NHL signed beyond 2021.

Sweeney acknowledged that his roster needs upgrades.

“We’re looking to make some changes in our group,” he said. “I feel very good about [the] overall organization we are and how competitive we are. I know our group needs to be pushed.” 1178660 Boston Bruins

GM Don Sweeney isn’t concerned about Tuukka Rask’s future with the Bruins

By Matt Porter Globe Staff

Updated September 9, 2020

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, his hands greasy from working under the hood, said goaltending is not a reason for the flashing yellow warning light on the dash.

Sweeney said in a Wednesday Zoom conference he is not concerned about Tuukka Rask, and that the starting netminder’s leaves of absence in recent seasons and surrounding chatter about retirement were isolated incidents rather than a worrisome trend.

“I have zero reservations about where Tuukka will be, both on and off the ice for us,” Sweeney said.

Rask left the team on Aug. 15, before Game 3 of the first-round series against Carolina, saying in a statement he needed to be with his family. Bruins president Cam Neely later said Rask left to address an emergency at home. Coach Bruce Cassidy acknowledged Rask’s departure put the Bruins in an uncomfortable spot.

Sweeney said he hasn’t spoken with Rask since he left the bubble, but he understands the netminder and his family are doing well.

For now, the Bruins intend to split Rask and Jaroslav Halak in 2020-21. Both goalies have a year remaining on their contracts, with cap hits of $7 million and $2.25 million, respectively.

‘“I have zero reservations about where Tuukka will be, both on and off the ice for us."’

Bruins GM Don Sweeney

“I think we’re in a really good spot with our goaltending,” Sweeney said. “We’ll address needs as we see them going forward.”

While Sweeney could explore Rask’s trade value, the ’s age (33), contract, and latest departure make it unlikely he would receive a bonanza in return. At age 35, Halak’s days as a No. 1 are behind him. The prospects who will vie for the net in Providence — Dan Vladar, , and Kyle Keyser — are in great need of AHL seasoning.

For now, it’s Rask or bust.

“If you look at Tuukka’s actual play, he was a Vezina finalist this year,” Sweeney said. “To me, that pretty much dictates everything.”

Boston Globe LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178661 Boston Bruins “For my wife Julie, I met her in Washington so that was the best thing to come out of my experience there. We met and we settled down and we had children, so she knows all of the ups and downs,” said Cassidy. “We Bruce Cassidy captures Jack Adams Award had Shannon when I took the job in Providence so we were apart for a little bit. So she knows what it meant to me to try to get back into the game, how much I love the game of hockey and how much I want to coach. For her, she’s witnessed the highs and lows and she really By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald enjoyed this moment, probably more than I did, simply because she’s PUBLISHED: September 9, 2020 been there watching it every day.

“And my kids are big hockey fans, and they’re dad fans, so they like to see their dad happy and their mom… It’s a nice day for the Cassidy Bruce Cassidy now walks among some of the best coaches the the family. Obviously, we have to get to work on some of the Bruins’ issues, Boston Bruins have ever had. but today we’re getting to enjoy it.”

Cassidy became the fourth B’s coach to win the Jack Adams Awards as It was tight vote among the league’s broadcasters. Cassidy garnered the the league’s top coach, joining Don Cherry, Pat Burns and Cassidy’s most first-place votes (37) and second-place votes (29) for 288 overall immediate predecessor, Claude Julien. points in the voting, beating out second-place finisher Alain Vigneault off the Flyers, who finished with 252 overall points. Columbus coach John A Bruins’ fan since he was a kid growing up in Ottawa, winning the award Tortorella finished third with 198 points. meant that much more for Cassidy. Cassidy finished second for the award in 2018. “I was a Bobby Orr guy growing up in Ottawa. Ottawa didn’t have a team then, so we were free agents. My mom was a Habs fan, my dad Toronto so I happened to pick Boston. So to follow those guys, to do it here is an unbelievable honor,” said Cassidy, who led the B’s to the Presidents Boston Herald LOADED: 09.10.2020 Trophy this year. “I even look back before them, I still have a relationship with Harry Sinden, who’s good to talk to periodically. You go back to Milt Schmidt, you go way back there are some many good Bruins’ coaches over the years.

“Obviously I was fortunate enough to work with Claude both in Providence as a head guy to come up and talk to him and as an assistant. I’m thankful for what he was able to teach to me when I was here. I knew Pat but not as a colleague. Don Cherry is a guy I’ve talked to over the years, watched his ’70s teams, loved watching them play, they played hard. It’s an honor to be included with those three names.”

Cassidy pointed to Darryl Sutter, who coached him with the Indianapolis Ice of the old International Hockey League, and , his junior coach with the Ottawa 67s, as two of the biggest coaching influences on him.

“(Sutter) was tough but fair, so I always thought that was a good approach to start with,” said Cassidy. “Brian Kilrea in junior, I thought never tried to make a player something he wasn’t, let them play to their strengths, so I took that from him. And after that, you just learn along the way. I’m thankful for the opportunity. It started in Providence with Pete Chiarelli and Donny (Sweeney) was our assistant GM and I got to work with two really good people and was fortunate enough to get the chance in Boston.”

In the pandemic-shortened regular season, Cassidy led the B’s to their third straight 100-point season, with a winning percentage of .712. In his three full seasons behind the bench, the B’s are second in the league in wins (143) and points (319) and tops in the league in goals against (2.52).

The B’s enjoyed a quick return back to elite status since he took over for Julien in February 2017, after they’d missed the playoffs the previous two years before he took over.

“Obviously I felt bad for Claude. He’d won a Cup in Boston,” said Cassidy. “But then you’ve got to get to work. It was a second chance and you’ve got to put those feelings aside and get down to business. I thought we used our practice time well. I tried to get the Bruins back to the team they were, change a few things, play a little faster, create things offensively. That’s how I looked at it at the time. We had some good personnel. We were certainly worthy of being a playoff team and after that, we sat down and asked how can we make the team better now. We had to bring some young guys along. And it was a risk, obviously, the (Jake) DeBrusks, the (Anders) Bjorks, Charlie (McAvoys) and (Brandon) Carlos. They’re all good players but at the time you’re bringing a lot of youth into the lineup and you had to move some older players out, which can be challenging.”

Cassidy credited his family — wife Julie, daughter Shannon and son Cole — with helping him put hockey in perspective when needed, knowing when to “park it.” He said they were enjoying this win as much he was. It was 14 years between his first NHL head coaching job in Washington and his wife was with him all the way. 1178662 Boston Bruins play is only because of how good our first unit is. We have five guys on that unit who are incredible hockey players and they’re always scoring. It’s such a credit to them. We win a whole lot more hockey games Charlie McAvoy hoping to add more pop because of them. I don’t see that as anything other than just how lucky we are as a group to have those guys and the chemistry they have is something that I’m sure every team strives for.”

By STEVE CONROY | [email protected] | Boston Herald The B’s core of , Zdeno Chara, and David Krejci have been together for a decade. They all believe they still September 9, 2020 have more to give and they were indeed some of the B’s best players in the playoffs. But they won’t be around forever. Perhaps there’s one more year to push for another Stanley Cup At the age of just 22, Charlie McAvoy is clearly the Bruins’ No. 1 defenseman. McAvoy is part of the next generation of Bruin leadership. Whether it can achieve the kind of success that the current group has remains an Whether you first saw it in McAvoy when he was at Boston University, or unanswered question. But McAvoy, for one, thrives on being counted on. in his breakout performance at the World Junior Championships, or in his eye-opening contributions in his first playoff series against Ottawa in “That’s what I want. That’s what I’ve come to kind of desire and want, is 2017, we all suspected this day would come. to be in that situation,” said McAvoy. “To get that chance to go out there every shift and do what I can to help the team win. I know that we have a In leading the B’s in overall and even-strength ice-time, the former Terrier lot of great players who are kind of in this class, this next tier of guys. has shown that he can handle facing the opposition’s top lines. And I know that we need to continue to pull on the rope more and that’s kind of what I expect out of myself. I’m sure the other guys are the same But while McAvoy has elevated himself to top-dog status, he is still at an way. I see every offseason as an opportunity to get better. And that’s age at which you can reasonably expect there’s growth ahead. McAvoy really what you’re goal needs to be, how am I going to get better and how himself knows as well as anyone that there’s room for that, especially in am I going to be a better hockey player next season? Growth and the offensive production department. maturity … don’t happen without putting the work in. I’m excited for this McAvoy spent much of the 2019-20 season solidifying his play in his own offseason to grow and I know things that I want to get better at and end. But while defending well, he suffered through a stupefying goal expectations I have for myself going into next year. I’m going to do drought that did not end until he scored the game-winner in everything in my power to be ready to go and I know that this kind of on Feb. 5, the B’s 55th game. group, this up and coming group here, we all have the same goals and the same aspirations. We want to win a Stanley Cup and we know that By the end of the truncated regular season, McAvoy wound up with that doesn’t happen unless we’re getting better and we’re doing our job. I passable offensive numbers (5-27-32 in 67 games). But it’s easy to think it’s our responsibility to continue to grow and get better and believe there’s more production in those hands and legs. McAvoy continue to blossom into the players that we want to be.” … certainly thinks so. The NHL adjusted a couple of important dates. The draft will take place “Offensively, it’s something I’ve been doing my whole career… from on Oct. 6 and 7 and the opening of free agency is scheduled for Oct. 9. youth hockey all the way through juniors and everything like that, I love playing on the offensive side as a defenseman. It’s something that I still love to do obviously,” said McAvoy last week. Boston Herald LOADED: 09.10.2020 “I’m holding myself responsible to the fact that I want to contribute more and for me this offseason, I’m going to work a lot on that and try to figure out ways that I can grow and continue to move forward. That might be the next part of my game and development, is to contribute more. It’s something that is tough because when it comes, it comes. It’s not something that you force as a defenseman.

“I take much more pride in my D-zone and being able to say I did a great job defensively first. The offensive side is awesome and it’s something that obviously helps us win games when our D are able to contribute. I want to work on that. I want to figure out ways that I can continue to grow in that regard, whether it’s shooting the puck more or other kind of cerebral stuff, knowing maybe better spots to join, things like that. That’s stuff I think you figure out as you go and I’m looking to just continue to grow and mature.”

Shooting is a good place to start. Throughout his career, McAvoy has seemed a touch reticent to shoot, despite having a pretty good wrist . He landed 101 shots on net in 67 games this year. Compare that to some of his age group peers — Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot hit the net 186 times in 71 games, Columbus’ Zach Werenski 187 in 63 and Philadelphia’s 150 in 69 — and it’s clear that his trigger finger could be a little more itchy.

An increase in shot quantity could be coming. After continually seeing his team gashed on tips of point shots by the Lightning, and seeing similar goals being scored around the league in the playoffs, coach Bruce Cassidy talked in his season-ending press conference about focusing more on his low-to-high offense and getting more out of his blue-liners.

Part of McAvoy’s relative lack of offensive production surely has to do with him being on the second power-play unit, which doesn’t get a ton of time behind the explosive first unit. With the very possible departure of Torey Krug, more PP time could be in the cards for either McAvoy or Matt Grzelcyk or perhaps both. But up until now, it’s been hard for him to lobby for more time with the top unit being so good.

“From a power-play standpoint, I know that when we get out there, we do our best to contribute,” said McAvoy. “But for the longest time since I’ve been here, we’ve had the best power play in the NHL and a lack of power 1178663 Boston Bruins Lightning defenders when it matters most at playoff time, especially considering that the B’s will need to get through Tampa just about every year as a divisional rival?

Sweeney knows B's have to make some changes The 23-year-old left wing is going to end up getting something in the $4-5 million range for his second contract, and might just be at his peak value in terms of trade discussions. That’s an interesting development with a by Joe Haggerty Bruins club that’s got a number of good, young wingers at the NHL and AHL level.

DeBrusk might just become a trade chip given his overall value, given the It’s encouraging to hear that Don Sweeney isn’t under any illusions about demand for him as a young goal-scoring winger and given the where the Boston Bruins stand right now. inconsistency he’s never quite grown out of during his first three years in The Bruins general manager understandably broke down the second Boston. round series against Tampa through the filter of Boston at less than full There’s also the center position where Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci strength with the departure of Tuukka Rask. Those were the same things and Charlie Coyle have given the Bruins strength, production and we heard from other Bruins folks over the last week as if fickle puck excellent two-way play down the middle over the last couple of seasons. bounces were the difference in not being able to win more than one But it also appears that Studnicka is going to be ready to play very game vs. the Lightning in a seven-game playoff series. quickly and would be best suited to be a top-9 center at the NHL level. Sweeney also mentioned how things might have been different if the Could the Bruins explore dealing Krejci in the final year of his contract to Bruins had won the two overtime games, and maybe that is true. clear the $7.25 million cap hit off the books while getting younger and But it’s also obvious in watching the B’s fall to the divisional rival more explosive down the middle after everybody looked slow and tired Lightning twice in the last three postseasons – and in just five games against the Lightning? The 34-year-old playmaking center is entering the each time – that there needs to be some significant adjustments made final year of his deal and can be dealt to half the teams across the NHL with Boston’s roster if they hope to get a different outcome the next time given his contract’s no-trade language. Krejci showed once again during they come face-to-face with Tampa Bay. To not admit as much would be the playoffs that he could still help a team good enough to reach the akin to banging your head against the wall while hoping there will be a postseason, but it also appears the writing is on the wall that he’s different result other than a brain-splitting headache. approaching his final year in Boston either way.

“We’re going to explore ways to improve our club between now and [the Watching the Bruins look older, slower and not nearly as deep or well- Oct. 9 start of free agency] and see what transpires. We’re looking to rounded in their playoff series against Tampa Bay, the solution should be make some changes in our group. I feel very good about the overall to start cracking up the older core group while they can still get value for organization where we are and how competitive we are. But I’m not doing veteran players. my job if I’m not looking to improve our hockey club on a daily basis, It certainly sounded like Sweeney was weighing significant roster moves without being dissatisfied,” said Sweeney. while considering the young players needed to step up and produce if a “I know our group needs to be pushed and have hopefully some internal seismic move or two does come down with the NHL roster. growth with some players that are coming up on waivers. They have to “I don’t know what transactions may or may not take place for our hockey have an opportunity to make our hockey club. Otherwise, we [have to] club, or any others. Obviously, there are trades that have happened even make hard decisions.” while the playoffs are going on, which is again very unique to everybody. Clearly, one of those hard decisions will be with respect to Torey Krug. In There’s been plenty of talk of teams trying to move pieces around and a perfect world they would love to retain the 29-year-old offensive players to improve their own clubs. We’re going to do the exact same defenseman, but it sure doesn’t feel like they are in a good salary cap thing. Having conversations, I’m pretty aware of how teams are valuing place to sign him to a big money, long term deal. players on our roster,” said Sweeney.

Let’s assume that Krug is a goner that will sign for something in the “I have to look at it and say ‘okay, does that mean we have the internal neighborhood of $7-8 million per season elsewhere unless the Bruins growth available to fill that spot? Anytime you look at moving players in clear major space off their cap. If the Bruins intended to give that kind of and out, you’re robbing Peter to pay Paul in the situation. We have to money to a free agent defenseman then a chase for pending UFA Alex understand that. Pietrangelo would make a lot more sense given the investment involved. “Where we have depth in our organization and where we’re trying to But that’s a hockey story for another day. improve is an area that we have to understand. There is always exposure So then what is Sweeney referencing when he mentions “making some and risk associated with that. Generally, you know your own players changes”? better than anybody else’s but you’re trying to learn what the other player can bring to the table and where they fit. We did that at the deadline. It Clearly some of it is about Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka pushing at worked in the Carolina series and it didn’t work in the Lightning series the NHL level next season to bring equal parts size, strength and skill to perhaps as an organization. We didn’t play our best hockey and we the Boston lineup. Sweeney mentioned Zach Senyshyn as well, but this weren’t at full strength. It’s really incumbent upon me as a manager to humble hockey writer will believe it when he sees it with that player. improve our club. It’s on me to explore every opportunity we have to improve [the hockey club]. There are certain players I certainly want to Studnicka looked like he belonged jumping into Boston’s lineup against avoid [moving] because they are part of what we are trying to accomplish Tampa Bay in the playoff bubble, and it appears that he’ll provide right now, and in the future. We’ll try to do that, but I have to explore to production, energy and young legs at center or on the wing next season. continue to improve our club.” Frederic could bring similar versatility while adding size, strength and a Sweeney’s comments were far from an ironclad guarantee he’s keeping mean streak that Nick Ritchie couldn’t quite summon effectively during the core group together, and instead sound like a realist’s look at what his time in the lineup. happened over the last few weeks against the rival Lightning. But where will the Bruins open up NHL roster space for these players? The Bruins need some changes moving forward as they run headlong It will be from areas of abundance on the NHL roster. The Bruins have into the offseason, and it sure sounds like Sweeney is poised to make plenty of young winger candidates in Studnicka, Frederic, Anders Bjork some. and Ondrej Kase, and they have a player in Jake DeBrusk due for a considerable raise this offseason. DeBrusk has averaged 20 goals per season in his three NHL campaigns and he’s got 14 goals in 49 playoff SportsNet.com LOADED: 09.10.2020 games, which is even an uptick in goal-scoring when it comes to the postseason.

But against the Lightning in those two postseason showdowns, DeBrusk has a grand total of two points and is a minus-5 in the 10 playoff games. What good is DeBrusk as a goal-scorer if he can’t get inside the 1178664 Boston Bruins it hasn’t affected his play on the ice. We have good goaltending and we’ll continue to do so."

One could argue it did impact his play after posting an .899 save Sweeney says B's have 'zero reservations' about Rask moving forward percentage while not looking fully focused in the two first-round playoff games he suited up for vs. Carolina, and Rask’s absence certainly impacted the team when the Bruins fell in five games to the Tampa Bay by Joe Haggerty Lightning in the second round of the postseason.

But it’s also 100 percent hockey truth that the Bruins do not have a sufficient succession plan in place were they to move on from Rask at While Tuukka Rask never ended up speaking during the customary end- this point in time, so they are married to the 33-year-old Finnish of-the-season media availability after opting out of the 2020 Stanley Cup goaltender for at least next year regardless of what happened this past Playoffs in the middle of Boston’s first round playoff series, Don Sweeney postseason. said he has “zero reservations” about his No. 1 goaltender both on and off the ice moving forward. Breaking down Bruins' contracts for 2020-21 season

There were certainly some questions about Rask’s future in Boston, Perhaps an opportunity will arise where those circumstances will change despite unified support and unquestioned respect for his choice to be over the next year as Rask moves into the last year of his contract, but it home with a family that needed him in this most unusual NHL playoffs doesn’t feel like the Black and Gold are in that place right now when it setup. comes to their top goaltender.

But Sweeney seemed to put those swirling questions to bed while admitting he hasn’t yet spoken with his goaltender. The Bruins are getting around to their usual exit interviews with players in the next Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 09.10.2020 couple of weeks as a most unusual offseason commences for the Black and Gold.

Rask has one year left on his current deal for next season, and at the very least the Bruins seem to be planning on continuing for at least that one more year with Rask and Jaroslav Halak while reassessing where they're at during the 2020-21 season.

Haggerty: Another frustrating postseason experience for Pastrnak

“We checked up on him to make sure him and his family are doing well, and our reports are that they are indeed doing well. I have zero reservations about where Tuukka will be both on and off the ice for us. We feel we’ve had strong goaltending the last couple years, and we've done a good job of mapping out the health of both players and preserving when they're at their best,” said Sweeney during a Wednesday Zoom call with reporters.

“We continue to want to do that going forward and I think we're in a really good spot with our goaltending. We’ll address needs as we see them going forward. I think we've got a couple of younger players in [Daniel] Vladar and [Jeremy] Swayman and [Kyle] Keyser coming back off injury that will battle for playing time. We’ll allow those guys to continue to battle for playing time.”

It would be natural for the Bruins to have some reservations about Rask given there are now two tangible instances when their No. 1 goalie experienced difficulties balancing his personal and professional life, both with the leave of absence during the 2018-19 regular season and opting out of the playoffs this summer.

But we’re also talking about a goalie who was a finalist this year, is the B’s all-time winningest goalie during the regular season and has formed the NHL’s best 1-2 punch with Halak when both goalies are focused mentally and physically.

Up to the Rask?

Tuukka Rask's all-time Bruins rank in wins, saves and save percentage.

Sweeney, when asked about Rask’s desire to play, once again answered while inserting the phrase “zero reservations” into the conversation.

“I have zero reservations. If you look at Tuukka’s actual play – I do believe he’s a Vezina finalist this year. For me, that pretty much dictates everything. Obviously, his own personal life, we all have matters that at times we have to deal with and he’s been given the opportunities in a couple instances to make sure he feels good on and off the ice. I think any player, any manager, any person involved in sport or in life has to respect that people have to tend to their own personal business,” said Sweeney of Rask, who posted a 26-8-6 record with a 2.12 goals against average and a .929 save percentage this past season.

"How he chooses to do that is his own decision and his alone. We provide resources for all our players to work through any issues that they may or may not have on and off the ice, and then provide support [for them] accordingly. We’re not going to deviate from that. You have to respect his privacy and allow him the latitude to take care of it. Ultimately 1178665 Boston Bruins

Bruins' Bruce Cassidy wins 2020 Jack Adams Award

by Justin Leger

Although the season didn't end as Bruce Cassidy hoped it would, the Boston Bruins still was rewarded for his efforts during the 2019-20 campaign.

Cassidy earned the Jack Adams Award on Wednesday, which is given annually to the coach who has contributed the most to his team's success. The award is on by the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association.

Cassidy edged out Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella and head coach Alain Vigneault for the award. It's the first Jack Adams Award of Cassidy's career.

Led by Cassidy, the B's earned the Presidents' Trophy with a 44-14-12 regular-season record for 100 points in 70 games. Boston's season came to an end in the Eastern Conference Semifinals as it fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178666 Boston Bruins But Cassidy, who joins Don Cherry, Pat Burns and ex-colleague Claude Julien as Black-and-Gold Jack Adams winners, has the brainpower and bench presence to lead the Bruins through what could be a transitional For guiding Bruins’ regular season rebound, Bruce Cassidy wins Jack period. He is in a better place to do so than when he was fired by Adams Award Washington in 2003-04 and wondering if he’d ever get another NHL opportunity.

“I’m 17 years older,” Cassidy said. “You should learn in that time, no By Fluto Shinzawa matter what you’re doing. Any career, any walk of life, you should be better at what you do if you use your eyes and ears. Obviously better Sep 9, 2020 balance in my family. Family life has allowed me to sort of park hockey some days when I probably overanalyzed it when I was younger. I think that was the biggest thing back then — trying to do too much sometimes As usual, Bruce Cassidy was going long. instead of just letting the job sort of organically flow. And stick to your principles and ideas and what you believe in.” Cassidy has few peers around the league when it comes to thinking carefully about reporters’ questions and answering with depth, reasoning Cassidy has meetings scheduled with Sweeney to break down 2019-20 and candor. On Wednesday, Cassidy’s media briefing started at the and discuss changes for next season. But on Wednesday, when he beginning of first intermission of Game 2 of Lightning-Islanders. It bled received the news from Sweeney and Bruins president Cam Neely, into the second period because of Cassidy’s detailed responses. Cassidy took time to enjoy the award with wife Julie and children Shannon and Cole. He believes he shares the honor with his family, It was good of moderator John Dellapina to cut the obliging Cassidy colleagues and players. loose. The Jack Adams Award winner had work to do. Cassidy was especially grateful for Julie, a former federal lobbyist he met Cassidy, the coach declared to have contributed the most to his team’s in Washington. In 2008, Julie parked her career with Motorola when success by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association, was studying the Tampa Cassidy applied for the head coaching position in Providence. Bay team that had ended the Bruins’ season in five second-round games. At the same time, Cassidy was monitoring Barry Trotz’s hard- As he put it, Wednesday was a nice day for the Cassidy family. nosed Islanders — the teams were tied at 1-1 after 20 minutes — to see if they were doing something his team did not do against Jon Cooper’s mighty Lightning. The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 An NHL coach is never truly off the clock.

“How do they do that?” Cassidy asked of the reason one team finds its game before its opponent. “Is it just imposing their will? Is it how they manage their personnel? And I watch because I’m a fan. I’m not going to lie. I like watching hockey. Two good teams. I’m not invested in either side, so the refereeing doesn’t affect me. As a head coach, it always does to your team. Don’t care about that part of it. Just want to watch the game and A, be entertained, and B, steal some ideas from either side. And then watch the coaches a little bit. They’re on camera a lot. How are they reacting to certain things? Because they’re two excellent guys, Coop and Barry, that you can learn from every day.”

Alain Vigneault and John Tortorella, who finished second and third in the Jack Adams voting, had reasons for their placement. Vigneault, the first- year Philadelphia coach, presided over a team in organizational turnover. Tortorella helped Columbus brush off the flights of Artemi Panarin, and Matt Duchene.

But Cassidy bested his counterparts by repairing the heartache of a Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss and leading the Bruins to the Presidents’ Trophy. It was not easy. Not only did Cassidy have to manage workload after a compressed offseason, he had to motivate them once more to take on the regular-season mountain.

“It’s not automatic,” Cassidy said of a postseason return. “I think the veteran guys knew that. They know how hard it is. But sometimes the younger guys that haven’t been in the league that long, it’s like, ‘Well, we’re going to get back here every year. We’ve just got to show up and play.’ It didn’t work that way. I think that was the challenge to get them to focus on a 60-minute game.”

That didn’t come naturally. The Bruins covered some early blemishes through pure skill, their dominant power play and a knack for third-period rallies. This caught up to them in December and January.

But Cassidy did his part to initiate a revival by benching players, challenging others and rewarding call-ups. General manager Don Sweeney then followed up by acquiring Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie for what he believed would be upgrades at No. 2 right wing and No. 3 left wing. The pandemic scuttled the regular-season break-in period and the normal postseason schedule.

The second-round exit has sharpened some of Cassidy’s requirements. He is responsible for devising manners to produce more 5-on-5 offense. Cassidy may consider switching from zone defense to man-to-man. He has to watch over a graying roster that may not include 43-year-old Zdeno Chara, Cassidy’s trusted defensive strongman. The power play, Cassidy’s baby, will have to find a way to account for the likely departure of Torey Krug. 1178667 Boston Bruins quality and quantity of Bjork’s attempts, albeit within a limited window (78:10 of ice time, compared to David Krejci’s 153:13).

But Bjork scored zero goals. He was benched after his three-penalty Trade winds? Bruins are all ears prior to free agency doozy in Game 3 of the first round.

One GM may classify Bjork as a third-line checker. Another may see top- By Fluto Shinzawa six potential in the 24-year-old. The latter could be willing to part with assets to put Bjork in a different jersey. Sep 9, 2020 “Bjork was one of the players that had more primary scoring chances than several others 5-on-5, and failed to finish,” Sweeney said. “At some point, he’s either going to have to score, or be even better as a stronger Free agency opens on Oct. 6. It will be Don Sweeney’s first opportunity checking forward and penalty-killing player. That’s to be determined. to do some shopping. Again, that’s his first playoff experience.” The Bruins general manager has spent targeted dollars in years past for In the secondary tier, Studnicka is the unlikeliest to go. The 21-year-old depth. On July 1, 2019, he signed Par Lindholm, Brett Ritchie, Maxime did not look out of place in the playoffs at right wing. The Bruins expect Lagace and Brendan Gaunce. Unlike some of his cap-strapped Studnicka to assume some of Krejci’s and Patrice Bergeron’s counterparts, including Julien BriseBois in Tampa Bay, Sweeney should responsibilities. have cash to spend in free agency. Vaakanainen, 21, has not shown enough hardness on the puck and That may change, though, if something else catches his eye first. battle engagement to break through as a full-time NHL defenseman. But “That will depend on if we make any roster moves prior to that,” Sweeney he was drafted in the first round in 2017. The left-shot Vaakanainen, a said Wednesday of spending on the free market. “There are a lot of possible Krug replacement, thinks the game well and makes clean outlet teams that are up against the cap in a flat-cap environment. We actually passes. Another team may think highly of Vaakanainen’s ceiling. have the space to do the things necessary to do internally. Whether or Frederic’s offensive potential is more muted. He projects to be a third-line not we do those or execute those, that still remains to be seen.” NHL center. But Frederic, according to Providence coach Jay Leach, The NHL salary cap will remain flat at $81.5 million because of the offers some Tom Wilson-like qualities because of his skating, hands and pandemic’s financial body blow. Some GMs, like BriseBois, will have to willingness to bite. unhitch, with great reluctance, good players from their rosters. Tampa, “Where we have depth in our organization and where we’re trying to for example, is just about guaranteed to unload Alex Killorn and his $4.45 improve is an area we have to understand,” Sweeney said. “There’s million average annual value to re-sign Mikhail Sergachev and Anthony always exposure to risk associated with that. Generally, you know your Cirelli. It may be that breathing room under the cap puts Sweeney in an own players better than someone else’s. You’re trying to learn what the advantageous position. other player can bring to the table and where he fits. We did that at the The Bruins, however, will still have to give to get. deadline. It worked in the Carolina series. Didn’t work in the Lightning series for us as an organization. We didn’t play our best hockey and we “There’s been plenty of talk of teams trying to move pieces around and weren’t at full strength. It’s really incumbent on me as a manager to players to improve their own clubs,” Sweeney said. “We’re going to do improve our club.” the exact same thing. Having conversations, I’m pretty aware of how teams are valuing players on our roster. So I have to look at it and say, Decision pending on Chara ‘OK, does that mean we have the internal growth available to fill that Zdeno Chara wants to return to the Bruins next year. Whether the feeling spot?’ Anytime you look at moving players in and out, you’re robbing is mutual remains unknown. Peter to pay Paul in that situation.” The Bruins started pro scouting meetings. They will meet with the Sweeney’s counterparts want young, productive and relatively coaches this week. In the weeks to come, they will conduct video inexpensive players off the Black-and-Gold roster. David Pastrnak and meetings with each player. Perhaps by then, Sweeney will have a Charlie McAvoy fit this profile. By now, other GMs should know better sharper idea of how to proceed with Chara. than to inquire about their availability. “He’s always been an iconic player for us, an important player for us,” When they raise other names, however, Sweeney has to listen. Sweeney said. “We’re going to explore opportunities with him and other This means Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo and Anders Bjork. It means, to players that have (unrestricted free agent) or (restricted free agent) a lesser degree, Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen and Trent Frederic. status. And hopefully check off the boxes like we have with several other players and continue to move forward to improve our hockey club. DeBrusk is coming off an inconsistent third NHL season. He is up for an Addressing Zdeno’s contractual situation is part of that process.” extension. No movement with Krug The Bruins remain high on the 23-year-old’s ceiling. They believe 40-goal seasons are within DeBrusk’s powers. If he plays to his potential, Last week, Krug disclosed that negotiations with the Bruins have been DeBrusk will be a very good No. 2 left wing behind Brad Marchand. The few and far between all year. The scarcity of contact indicates the Bruins do not have many second-line wings pushing DeBrusk. As such, difference of opinion between player and club. unless Sweeney can net a do-it-all left-shot defenseman, the likelihood of “I would be the last person to begrudge any player trying to make the trading DeBrusk is low. best decision for them and their family,” Sweeney said. “In a perfect Carlo, however, may have a greater chance of changing addresses. The world, it’s with us. But we know the world is anything but perfect right 23-year-old did not play to his capabilities in the playoffs. Offense may about now.” never be part of his profile. But Carlo is a big, smooth-moving, low- Zboril, Senyshyn will have chances maintenance right-shot defenseman. Players with such skill sets are always in short supply. Jakub Zboril and Zach Senyshyn, the No. 13 and 15 picks from 2015, will require waivers to be assigned to Providence. This means any team can The Bruins, however, have Connor Clifton as right-side depth. Jeremy claim the former first-rounders for nothing if they don’t make the varsity. Lauzon can play the right side. Carlo is entering the final season of his two-year, $5.7 million contract. Zboril, Providence’s best all-around defenseman before the shutdown, could contend for some of Krug’s shifts. He would have a greater Carlo and DeBrusk have given their prospective suitors a good idea of opportunity to make the team if the Bruins do not re-sign Chara. what they are and what they’ll become. No such clarity exists with Bjork. Vaakanainen is Zboril’s primary competitor. According to Natural Stat Trick, Bjork averaged 0.93 expected goals per Senyshyn will contend with Studnicka, Karson Kuhlman and Chris 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play against Carolina and Tampa in the playoffs. It Wagner for third- or fourth-line duty at right wing. was second-highest on the team after Studnicka (1.01), indicating the “They have to have an opportunity to make our hockey club,” Sweeney said. “Otherwise, we’ll make hard decisions.”

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178668 Boston Bruins

Agent: No talks from Tuukka Rask on an early retirement

By Fluto Shinzawa

Sep 9, 2020

Tuukka Rask has one season remaining on his eight-year, $56 million contract with the Bruins. As of now, Rask intends to fulfill the terms of his deal.

“There has been no such discussions that he wouldn’t return,” Markus Lehto, Rask’s agent, wrote in an email.

On Aug. 15, Rask opted out of the playoffs prior to Game 3 of the opening playoff round against Carolina. Rask returned to Boston from Toronto that day to be with his family. According to Bruins president Cam Neely, Rask informed the team of a family emergency.

General manager Don Sweeney has not spoken with Rask since the goalie informed him he was leaving the Toronto bubble. From Sweeney’s understanding, all is well with Rask’s family. The GM intends to proceed with Rask and Jaroslav Halak. Both will be unrestricted free agents after next season.

“I have zero reservations where Tuukka will be on and off the ice for us,” Sweeney said.

The chatter around the team, even before the playoffs, was that Rask would consider retiring upon the expiration of his contract instead of pursuing an extension or seeking a new deal elsewhere.

Even if Rask, 33, intends to return next year, the Bruins may consider alternatives to stabilize the position. Rask was granted a leave of absence in November 2018 to attend to a family matter.

Rask, like every player, was granted the right to opt out of the playoffs — following a four-month NHL pandemic hiatus — without repercussions. But coach Bruce Cassidy acknowledged Rask’s departure had an effect on the team.

Halak had to take over No. 1 duties. Dan Vladar, who had never made an NHL appearance, was shifted to backup status. Vladar made his debut in relief during the Bruins’ 7-1 Game 3 shelling against Tampa Bay.

Trading the Vezina Trophy finalist, however, would not improve the team. The Bruins would not receive market value because of Rask’s age, his $7 million average annual value and his most recent departure. Halak, 35, is not suited to be a full-time starter. Vladar is not ready to be an NHL backup.

“If you look at Tuukka’s actual play, he was a Vezina finalist this year,” Sweeney said. “For me, that pretty much dictates everything.”

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178669 Buffalo Sabres “Goalie coaches don’t get the respect they deserve,” said Hirsch. “I’m not sure if some teams really know the difference between a good goalie coach and someone who is somebody’s buddy. Teams are doing a better Sabres' goaltending prospects face challenging development curve job with it now, but it plays such an important role in a young guy’s development. … You need someone who can really talk to these kids and relate to them and get their trust.”

Lance Lysowski Teams began to hire goalie development coaches over the past 15-20 years and coaching staffs now have experienced people working with Sep 9, 2020 their NHL goalies. Last August, the Sabres hired Mike Bales, who coached the Pittsburgh Penguins’ goalies to back-to-back Stanley Cups. Development doesn’t stop once the goalie reaches the NHL, as As Seth Appert made the six-hour trek from his home in Michigan to illustrated by Ullmark’s significant improvement under Bales in 2019-20. Rochester recently, the Amerks’ new coach called many of his prospective players to introduce himself and check in during a long, The challenge, though, is developing trust with a goalie and knowing how unusual offseason. to work with each athlete differently. The position has long been known for having eccentric personalities and a coach must adjust his or her Appert, now a central figure in the Buffalo Sabres’ new plan to develop teaching style to help the athlete improve. prospects in the , also wanted to begin the long process of establishing trust, especially with a position group that holds “It’s something where I think I’m good at in my job, and what a good particular importance to the organization: goaltending. goalie coach should be, is the buffer,” said former Los Angeles Kings development coach Dusty Imoo, who has worked with Cal Peterasen, Appert placed calls to top prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in Finland Jack Campbell and Vezina Trophy finalist , among and Jonas Johansson in Sweden, both of whom are expected to be on others. “I know the feeling that the heat is on and the pressure is on. ... Rochester’s roster in 2020-21. Luukkonen has been tabbed one of the Everybody has terrible nights. If you have a coach who really doesn’t best drafted goaltending prospects in the National Hockey League, while waver win or loss, and keeps them on track, it can really help. The losing Johansson appeared in six games with the Sabres last season and will and the playing bad is part of development. It’s part of learning your likely be the organization’s No. 3 goaltender. position and how to cope.”

“I think as a head coach I found our goaltenders (in the past had) a high The mental side of the position, Imoo said, is what separates average level of comfort because there’s a relationship and an understanding,” goalies from those who stick in the NHL. It’s a quality that Botterill wanted said Appert, a former collegiate goalie with a strong track record when he was evaluating his first draft as Sabres general manager in coaching the position. “Usually with goalies comfort leads to success.” 2017.

The position has been a black hole for the organization over the past six Though Luukkonen had a poor showing at the IIHF World Junior seasons. Since was traded to St. Louis on Feb. 28, 2014, the Championship in 2017-18, Botterill expressed confidence the teenager Sabres have used 14 goalies, none of whom produced consistent results, would rebound in a big way. One year later, Luukkonen led Finland to a while allowing the second-most goals in the NHL and registering the gold medal in one of the more impressive goaltending performances the fewest points as a team during that span. tournament has seen in some time. Teams are searching for a goalie who is stoic in the face of chaos because composure is necessary in big Among the 14 goalies drafted by the Sabres since Miller joined the games, specifically the . Those qualities are vetted organization in 1999, only two other than Miller have played more than throughout the pre-draft process, and development coaches keep a 19 games in the NHL: Jhonas Enroth and Linus Ullmark. watchful eye on how goalies are handling the ups and downs of a Now, the Sabres finally have three promising prospects in the pipeline – season. Johansson, Luukkonen and Erik Portillo, the latter two of whom were “I would say that is the key,” Imoo said of composure. “There isn’t one drafted by former general manager Jason Botterill – but the next step is thing that you can say that if this kid has this then he’ll play in the NHL. developing them into NHL-caliber goaltenders, a delicate process that You need to be able to play the game and all these things, but the mental requires time, coaching and smart decision-making. aspect and dealing with all the outside noise that comes with the territory “If we build that relationship and if we can build trust, then they can come of being a pro goalie will definitely separate a ton of goalies. Lots of guys to me when things are awry, or I can call them when I see things I don’t do really well in the American league, get their shot and can never quite think should be happening,” said Appert. “It starts with picking the right hold their own on a consistent level up top. Lots of times it’s not because guys. Well, the Sabres have done a great job of that. These two guys they’re not good enough. I know lots of goalies who aren’t nearly as good have a massive ceiling and I’m excited to help them get there.” skillwise who do well in the NHL.”

Coaching Getting games

Patience is the overarching theme with goaltending development around Though fans are expressing hope that Luukkonen can take over the the NHL. The patience to wait possibly several years for a prospect to Sabres’ net as soon as 2021, history tell us he may need more time to develop, the patience to not rush the goaltender to the AHL, or worse, develop. The 30 NHL goalies to appear in at least 35 regular-season the NHL, and the patience to recognize that the prospect is going to fail games in 2019-20 averaged 99 games in the minor leagues before they from time to time. stuck at the highest level.

The process requires the presence of a strong development coach, said Jordan Binnington, who led St. Louis to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Corey Hirsch, who worked as an NHL goalie coach with the Toronto last June, needed 204 games between the AHL and ECHL. Chicago Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues from 2009 to 2014. Blackhawks starter Corey Crawford, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, played 255 games in the minors. , who has started for A development coach works with prospects in the AHL, the ECHL and the Dallas Stars in the playoffs, spent 260 games there. drafted goalies who are competing in junior or professional leagues around the world. In addition to on- and off-ice position-specific technical Hirsch theorized that goalies need between 120 to 150 games in the instruction, the coach helps the young goalie navigate the mental aspect minors, not counting time in juniors. Imoo, meanwhile, explained that he of the position and is typically tasked with determining how many games measures NHL readiness by how goalies respond to tough losses and the prospect should play in a season. their ability to adapt to the team environment.

Seamus Kotyk, formerly an amateur scout, was elevated to Sabres' “I looked at the bulk of work that’s happening and seeing their path and goalie development coach ahead of the 2017-18 season. He helped how they’re doing through the bad times and good times,” Imoo said. prepare current starter Linus Ullmark for a full-time NHL role, worked “How they are developing as people, as teammates and some move way closely with Luukkonen during a breakout 2018-19 and recovery from faster than others. Some are ready skillwise, like totally could play in the double-hip surgery, and guided Portillo, a third-round pick in 2019, to NHL but aren’t quite ready as far as the mental aspect of their game. And United States Hockey League goaltender of the year honors this season. then that guy needs more games.” Johansson was also named an AHL all-star during his first full season While NHL teams have been practicing less in recent years, the AHL still with Rochester. plays most of its games on the weekend, providing goalies with ample time to work with the development coach multiple times per week. But Hirsch said nothing replicates game experience in the minors, where goalies can make mistakes without fear of being pulled.

“You can practice in your crease and do all your drills, but until you see a certain situation over and over again, that’s when you really become a good goalie,” said Hirsch.

Luukkonen, a second-round draft pick in 2017, has appeared in only 34 games between Rochester and Cincinnati, though he’s had success at the international level and was named the Hockey League’s most valuable player in 2019. Last season, Luukkonen’s first post-surgery, the Sabres’ development staff determined that approximately 40 games is an ideal number for Luukkonen to play during his trek through the minors.

Portillo, a third-round pick in 2019, might spend four seasons at the University of Michigan before he joins the Sabres. Rushing a prospect is a risk the Sabres have taken in the past. When Robin Lehner was injured in 2015, former general manager Tim Murray decided to promote Ullmark, despite the latter undergoing hip surgery only six months earlier.

Ullmark recorded an impressive .916 save percentage in 20 games before he was returned to Rochester, but Botterill showed a more conservative approach with goaltenders.

“It’s tricky because it takes patience,” said , a former NHL goalie and current MSG analyst. “In a league now where parity is so close and the competitive level is so high, a lot of teams don’t have the patience. The Sabres were patient with Linus and I think that was probably the biggest takeaway from his development. They’re being patient with UPL. … I still think there is a year or two of development with him, but they’ve been patient with him and that’s the key.”

'For the world to see’

New Sabres General Manager has yet to publicly comment on his goaltending situation.

Ullmark, a 27-year-old pending restricted free agent, is the projected starter for 2020-21. Carter Hutton, who was signed by Buffalo following a successful stint as a backup in St. Louis, is entering the final year of his contract and a vision issue hindered his performance last season.

The Sabres will likely be among the teams rumored to explore what’s expected to be a deep goaltending market this offseason. Though Adams is equipped with approximately $34.4 million in salary-cap space, would he be willing to hand significant money to an older goaltender when it’s the one strong position in his prospect pipeline?

It became a strength after Botterill took a gamble by drafting Luukkonen with his second pick in 2017, a bold move considering general managers usually wait until the later rounds.

“If you draft a player in the first round and he ends up playing on your third or fourth line, it’s not a disaster,” former NHL General Manager said. “He’s still in the NHL. You don’t want that. Most people you pick in the first round should play in your top six or your top four, but that won’t always happen. If a goaltender doesn’t make it and he ends up being the third goaltender in your organization or even a backup and you drafted him high, it’s there for the whole world to see.”

And now the pressure is on the Sabres’ new hockey operations staff, including Kotyk and director of player development Matt Ellis, to help the three goaltending prospects realize their potential.

“There are other positions in sports that are very, very difficult," Dudley said, "but being a goaltender in hockey, there can’t be a position that is more demanding from a pressure standpoint."

Buffalo News LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178670 Buffalo Sabres

NHL reportedly sets dates for entry draft, start of free agency

Lance Lysowski

Sep 8, 2020

With the NHL on track to complete the Stanley Cup playoffs late this month, the league is reportedly adjusting its offseason calendar.

According to TSN’s Frank Seravalli, the annual entry draft, which was postponed from its original start date in June, will be held Oct. 6-7 and free agency will open Oct. 9. The Buffalo Sabres hold the eighth pick in the first round, and according to CapFriendly.com, new General Manager Kevyn Adams has approximately $34.4 million available in salary-cap space.

When the new collective bargaining agreement was announced in July, the NHL included a tentative calendar that included a Oct. 9-10 draft. Free agency was scheduled to start Oct. 9, or at least seven days after the playoffs are completed. The 2020-21 season is tentatively scheduled to begin Dec. 1.

The Sabres, though, have the third-most unrestricted free agents among 31 NHL teams and their $1.275 million cap overage from last season is the fifth-highest mark, according to CapFriendly.com. However, the team could choose to split the latter figure over the next two seasons, which would give Adams more money to spend this offseason.

The flexibility is important given the Sabres’ list of talented restricted free agents, including Sam Reinhart, Victor Olofsson and Linus Ullmark.

Buffalo News LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178671 Buffalo Sabres Cozens was one of the top players in the WHL and for Canada’s U20 team on its run to gold. He’s a complete player. Cozens’ skating jumps out instantly especially for someone who is 6-foot-3. He can gain the 2020 NHL organizational rankings: No. 5 Buffalo Sabres zone with ease due to his speed, size and skill, and is able to circle the zone with the puck. He’s not a true top skill/playmaking-type, but he can show top-end flashes of hands and finding seams. Cozens has a great shot, and can score from mid-distance. He has great power in his game By Corey Pronman and when he uses his speed and frame to get to the net he’s a force, but Sep 9, 2020 he does drift to the perimeter trying to use his shot. Off the puck, he works hard, kills penalties and shows he could be a top two-way center in the NHL.

Corey Pronman’s annual deep dive into the farm system of every NHL 3. , D, Buffalo-NHL organization will be slightly different this year. First, it is occurring before the draft because of the change in schedule this season. But this allows June 17, 1999 | six-foot | 192 pounds you to see where teams stand going into the draft, and Pronman will Tier: High-end/very good bubble update the rankings after the draft. Second, it will include all skaters in the organization who are 22 or younger as of Sept. 15, 2020 Skating: 55

, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played. This allowed us to Puck Skills: 55 incorporate a lot of great young players who were on the fringe of graduating based on our old definition. Check out the full explanation of Physical Game: 45 Pronman’s eligibility and the full ranking of all 31 systems here. Hockey Sense: 65

Buffalo has some very promising young players either on the way or Jokiharju’s second NHL season and first with Buffalo was solid, staying currently on the roster. I’m sure these words ring hollow to Sabres fans to up with the big club all season and playing regular minutes. Jokiharju an extent who for years have been hearing about the young talent they isn’t a spectacular player but he does a lot well. He’s mobile, he has skill have only for it to not translate to NHL success. I do think they have a and he’s a very smart puck-mover. His outlets are excellent and he path to a better day. Rasmus Dahlin, I still think, is going to be a top NHL shows great poise with the puck. He makes a lot of tough plays under defenseman. With time, Dylan Cozens looks like he could be a great pressure. Even though he’s not the biggest, he can hold his own NHL player. Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson have needed extra defensively due to his mobility and brain and killed penalties for the time but they are both too talented not to help a team. Ultimately Dahlin Sabres. I have a question on whether his offensive upside is all that will need to realize his potential for the Sabres to become truly a good exciting, but he’s always found a way to produce over the years and earn team, but I think that’s still a realistic outcome. the trust of coaches.

Key graduates: , Victor Olofsson 4. Casey Mittelstadt, C, Rochester-AHL

2019 ranking: No. 18 Nov. 22, 1998 | 6-foot-1 | 203 pounds

Player Ranking Tier: Very good NHL player

1. Rasmus Dahlin, D, Buffalo-NHL Skating: 50

April 13, 2000 | 6-foot-2 | 205 pounds Puck Skills: 65

Tier: Special NHL player Physical Game: 50

Skating: 55 Hockey Sense: 60

Puck Skills: 70 Mittelstadt is a difficult player to figure out. In terms of his skill level, he Physical Game: 55 looks like a no-doubt top-six forward. His hands are elite, showing the in- tight ability to beat pro defensemen and make highly-creative plays Hockey Sense: 65 routine. He’s a great playmaker with the ability to find seams, improvise well and create chances at an NHL level. He has a sneaky-good shot but Dahlin has been one of the top teenage defensemen in modern NHL didn’t show it much at the NHL level. The stat sheet does not line up with history, with 0.68 points per game (projecting to 56 points in 82 games) the talent. In college, the AHL and NHL his production has not really as a 19 year old this past season. His skill level is incredible. You see dazzled. Part of that may be due to his footspeed, which is fine, with any time he touches the puck that he is a threat with the way he can flashes of above-average but closer-to-average for me. I don’t think he’s stickhandle through traffic. The spectacular flashes haven’t been there in soft. I do think he competes fine and even was on the PK in the AHL. the NHL as often as the SHL but he can still dazzle. He’s an incredibly He’s a puzzle for me, but still a player I think will become an NHL scorer, imaginative offensive player who has the potential to be a top-scoring even if his stock is down from his days as a top-10 pick. defenseman for many years. Dahlin is a good but not explosive skater, more relying on great edgework and good top speed to be elusive. I don’t 5. Tage Thompson, RW, Rochester-AHL know if he’s ever going to be truly elite defensively due to the fact he’s not this big, hard, extremely mobile defender. I do think with his 6-foot-2 Oct. 30, 1997 | 6-foot-6 | 205 pounds frame, good feet and his great IQ, he will be good enough defensively to Tier: Very good NHL player get the most out of his special offensive gifts. I’d like to see Buffalo take the reins off him a bit, and have him attack with the skill and confidence Skating: 45 he did when he was younger. Puck Skills: 60 2. Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge-WHL Physical Game: 70 Feb. 9, 2001 | 6-foot-3 | 185 pounds Hockey Sense: 55 Tier: Elite/high-end bubble Shot: 70 Skating: 60 Thompson was off to an excellent start to the 2019-20 season, looking Puck Skills: 55 like one of the best players in the AHL. In his first game in the NHL this year, he injured his shoulder, which ended his season. When healthy Physical Game: 60 Thompson’s toolkit looks very interesting from an NHL perspective. He’s Hockey Sense: 60 6-foot-6, can power his way past opponents and to the net as well as having a high skill level to dangle around them. He combines his skill and Shot: 60 good hockey IQ with an elite wrist shot that pro goalies have a very hard time picking up. His stride looks fine for a guy his size, with flashes of world juniors where he was the MVP of the OHL. I like his 6-foot-4 frame good power, but for the NHL he does lack the ability to separate and and his ability to read the play. I thought the speed of the pro level was push defenders back. I liked Thompson’s progression a lot prior to the an adjustment for him. He has good but not great quickness and saves injury but he does need to get it done at the NHL level at some point. that required him to move a lot I thought challenged him at the higher levels. 6. Ryan Johnson, D, Minnesota-Big Ten Jacob Bryson, D, Rochester-AHL: Bryson was a top-four defenseman for July 24, 2001 | six-foot | 172 pounds Rochester as a rookie pro. He’s an elite skater who sees the ice very Tier: Legit NHL player well, who helped both special teams for his AHL team. He can defend at his size due to that combination of IQ and mobility. For 5-foot-9 there is a Skating: 60 lack of a truly dynamic offensive element you’d ideally want.

Puck Skills: 55 Rasmus Asplund, C, Rochester-AHL: Asplund is a very smart two-way forward with good speed and skill who has done well in the AHL, but for a Physical Game: 45 player his size there is a lack of a “wow” factor to his game that makes Hockey Sense: 60 you wonder if he can stick at the top level.

Johnson’s first season at Minnesota didn’t lead to great numbers. I liked Brett Murray, LW, Rochester-AHL: Murray’s bounced around a lot the him in most of my viewings between Minnesota and USA’s U20 team last few years, and played all last season in the AHL in a unique scenario with the odd bad night but no goals and eight points are obviously not where his NHL rights were still owned by Buffalo, he was playing for their appealing boxcar stats. Johnson’s skating jumps out right away when AHL team, but not signed to an NHL deal. He was successful in the AHL you watch him. His edgework, first step and top gear are all very good despite not doing so well in college. He’s big, good in front of the net, and and he will be a player able to skate at the NHL level with ease. His has some skill. His heavy feet are his main obstacle to reaching the top skating helps create offense through his exits and entries and ability to level. walk the blue line. It also allows him to be an effective defender with how Arttu Ruotsalainen, C, -: Ruotsalainen was a top scorer in Liiga well he closes gaps. His defensive play in college wasn’t the best, but and an important player for a top team. He’s a highly-skilled and he’s a young 2001 and projects out well due to his skating, brain and intelligent player who can make high-end plays and has a good shot. compete. The offense is the question with Johnson. He shows flashes of He’s very small though and while he skates well he lacks the true top creativity and makes a good first pass but I don’t think his skill jumps off quickness you want in a small player. the page. Dawson DiPietro, LW, Western Michigan-NCHC: DiPietro’s scoring 7. Oskari Laaksonen, D, Ilves-Liiga numbers at Western Michigan don’t stand out, but whenever I watched July 2, 1999 | 6-foot-2 | 165 pounds him I thought his skill level was very impressive. He’s a very creative and slick puckhandler who can make plays and score. He’s not that big and Tier: Legit NHL player needs a step for the pro level though.

Skating: 55 Brandon Biro, LW, Penn State-Big Ten: Biro was a productive college player for four seasons at Penn State. He’s a good skater with a high skill Puck Skills: 55 level who can score goals. At his size, the overall skill plus speed Physical Game: 45 combination may not be enough for the NHL, but he should be a decent pro. Hockey Sense: 60 Player Eligibility: After his development was on a straight shot up the two seasons after his draft, Laaksonen hit a bit of a wall in 2019-20, seeing his ice time limited All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2020 at times on a good Ilves team. He didn’t get a ton of power-play time and , regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played, are included. saw little penalty-kill duties. I do like the player still because I see a Skaters older than 22 as of that date are not included if they have played defenseman with size, mobility and very good offensive instincts. 25 NHL games in a season or 50 career games. Goalies no longer Laaksonen has great ability to see seams in the offensive zone and qualify to the list if they have played 10 games in a season or 25 in a makes great outlets from his own end. He has the skating to jump up into career. No player age 26 or older as of Sept. 15, 2020 attacks and navigate the offensive zone. Defensively he’ll need to improve to earn the trust of his coach more but with the puck on his stick , are included. he can look like an NHLer. Previous ranking: 8. Mattias Samuelsson, D, Western Michigan-NCHC There is more fluctuation from last year’s ranking to this year’s because March 14, 2000 | 6-foot-4 | 220 pounds now all skaters in the organization under age 22 are factored into the ranking to account for the entire picture of the organization’s young Tier: Legit NHL player players, not just those outside of the NHL. Skating: 50 Tool grades: Puck Skills: 50 Tool grades are based on the 20-80 scale. In this scale, 50 projects as Physical Game: 70 pro average, 55 as above-average, 60 top third, 70 as elite and 80 as among the very best; 45 is below-average and 40 is fringe pro quality. Hockey Sense: 55 The shot is only graded if it is notably good.

Samuelsson is a tough evaluation because there isn’t a lot about his Tier Definitions: game that stands out at first glance and he doesn’t have great numbers. Coaches tend to play him a ton of minutes wherever he goes though, and Special NHL prospect: Projects as a true NHL star, someone who is he wore the captain’s letter at Western Michigan and with USA’s U20 among the best players in the league. team. He’s a big defender who is very hard to play against due to his Elite NHL prospect: Projects as an impact player, someone who is top size, physicality and ability to close on checks. He’s quick enough for his 10-15 percent in the NHL at his position. size to be able to skate at the NHL level but not a burner. Samuelsson makes a good first pass with flashes of skill but his offense isn’t High-end NHL prospect: Projects as a first-line forward or a top-pair consistent. I think there’s enough to his game to become a third-pair defenseman. defender who plays in defensive situations. Very good NHL prospect: Projects as a top-six forward, top-four NHL potential defenseman or starting goaltender in the NHL.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G, Rochester-AHL: Luukkonen was good in the Legit NHL prospect: Projects to be a full-time NHL player in the bottom ECHL as a rookie pro, and in the AHL he was so-so when he was half of a roster. recalled. He was coming off a fantastic 2018-19 between the OHL and NHL potential: The prospect has a chance to make it as a full-time player if some improvements are made.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178672 with Concordia University before turning professional in 1996-97. He made his mark in the , playing seven games for the Nashville Nighthawks and another 40 with the San Antonio Iguanas. Calgarian coach and former professional Brar humbled by Willie O'Ree He also played eight games in the ECHL for the Toledo Storm. Community Hero Award From there, Brar toiled in the WCHL with the Tacoma Sabercats and finished his career during the 2002-03 season with the .

Kristen Anderson • Postmedia He continues to play hockey in the Heritage League, leading the Calgary loop in scoring with 44 goals and 52 assists in 31 games this year. Brar Publishing date:Sep 10, 2020 was scheduled to travel to Europe this summer for the World Masters Ball Hockey tournament, representing Team Canada, but it was

postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Hockey League His philosophy behind sharing his love for the game is simple — and it awards were postponed, which meant that instead of the usual has very little to do with the X’s and O’s. proceedings in the middle of the glitz and glamour of the Strip, the announcements were much more anticlimactic and online-only. “As coaches, sometimes we get so inundated with the specifics of coaching,” he said. “Just seeing the game at their level, seeing the sport Yet that didn’t stop Dampy Brar’s media whirlwind tour and overwhelming at their level, seeing the pressures they face. Just to relax and be response this week when he was announced as the 2019-20 Willie comfortable with them — be real with them. I think that’s the biggest O’Ree Community Hero Award winner, a prestigious award recognizing thing. You don’t need to do anything out of the ordinary, just be yourself.” an individual who — like O’Ree, the first Black player to play in the NHL — has used hockey to make a positive impact on his or her community, That also goes for his approach to being a role model, which Brar is — culture or society. and has been — for the East Indian community along with many other minorities involved the game. Calls, messages, and words of congratulations flooded in for the Calgarian who has made an impact on not only the East Indian and He wants youth to enjoy the sport, no matter what race or gender. It is as South Asian community with his involvement in Apna Hockey, but the straightforward as that. youth of this city through coaching and mentoring in the game of hockey. Brar, alongside Lali Toor, founded Apna Hockey, which is an He and his family might not have been in Vegas, sitting in the crowd initiative providing a network and support for South Asian players. along with the who’s who of the NHL. But the significance of the award, which was announced Tuesday, and trophy, which will be mailed to In 2018, Brar worked alongside Hayley Wickenheiser and the Wickfest Brar’s household, is massive. team to bring the first-ever women’s hockey team to Canada from Leh Ladakh, India, where he travelled to provide mentorship and support as “When you start reflecting back, your main purpose is to mentor the kids an advocate for women’s hockey. — on ice, off ice, help them with preparations for practices, games, life skills, applicable skills to your life, respect to other people,” said the 44- He also dedicates his time to his own kids’ hockey programs, coaching year-old former professional player and local youth hockey coach. “You his 12-year-old son Saiva and nine-year-old daughter Saachi at the AMP really don’t think about achieving awards and accolades. But when this Academy. came forward, you reflect about if you’re still doing enough. Are you still “You always remember who your biggest influences were in your sporting doing the right thing? career and you usually reflect on the person that was real and genuine “As a kid, you always think about being in the NHL, right? You still do, with you,” Brar said. “The responsibility as a coach, if you take it a step even though time has passed. But I never thought of ever being part of further and not only worry about the on-ice, on-field part of the sport and the awards … now I’m part of that. It’s a first. It’s very special and very you focus on making these kids into good people — especially now with inspirational for other people.” what’s happening in the world today. I think that’s a big reflection on your responsibility.” Brar said the outpouring of support from family, friends, fellow hockey parents, and peers upon receiving the award hammer home the type of The conversation of diversity in hockey is topical and important, given the impact he’s made. racial injustices specifically taking place in North America and the recent formation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance. The group has brought “I have to really credit the coaches that coached me that were part of my together current and former NHLers to eradicate systemic racism and hockey career at a young age and when I played junior hockey and intolerance in hockey, committed to inspiring a new and diverse college, and (pro) down south,” he said. “I had a big supporting cast generation of hockey players and fans. throughout my career.” It’s something Brar feels deeply passionate about, which is why him And that started with his parents, dad Ram and mom Satwant, who winning this award will have a ripple effect. moved from India to Sparwood, B.C., in the early 1970’s. Brar, a first- generation Canadian, was continually encouraged by his parents to stick “From the phone calls I got from people yesterday … it wasn’t just the with the game. South Asian community or Punjabi community that will be affected or give a voice to that community,” he said. “Other people are noticing from His longtime involvement in the game has also been supported by his different communities. A lot of people were saying that this will give wife, Gurdeep (Dhaliwal), who has been a longtime mentor and role South Asian kids the confidence to join a program and love the game.” model for East Indian women and young girls as Miss Calgary in 2001 and the runner-up for Miss Canada. She was also recently a supporting The Willie O’Ree Community Award is voted on by the public and, by actress in a Punjabi movie, she models and also had a radio station and definition, is an accolade awarded to an individual who — through the television program. sport of hockey — has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society. She was the one who kickstarted the process and nominated Brar for the award. From there, the votes started flowing in online from his current The award honours former hockey player Willie O’Ree who, in 1958, and former players, their parents, fellow coaches, and family and friends became the first Black player to compete in the NHL. He serves as the all over the world. NHL’s Diversity Ambassador, travelling across North America to schools and hockey programs to share his story and experiences as well as to “We are the first-born () in both of our families,” he said. promote messages of inclusion, dedication and confidence. “Having a wife that nominated me and we can go back-and-forth with certain discussions, I’m so honoured to have her support. Also up for this year’s award was Alexandria Briggs-Blake, president of the Tucker Road Parent Hockey Organization, and John Haferman, co- “It was nice to see how much support there was and how communities founder of the Columbus Club. come together for a purpose or a cause. I would not be sitting here as the winner if it wasn’t for that support.”

After playing for the Fernie Ghostriders of the now-defunct Rocky Calgary Sun: LOADED: 09.10.2020 Mountain Junior Hockey League, Brar played a year of college hockey 1178673 Carolina Hurricanes make highly-skilled plays at full speed. Necas is a great passer and shooter, which is why Carolina used him on the flank on the power play. All these elements in his game make him a dynamic player with the 2020 NHL organizational rankings: No. 6 Carolina Hurricanes ability to break open a game on any given shift. His main weakness would be the fact he can be a bit of a perimeter player, instead of using his skating to get to the net and he could improve his play off the puck.

By Corey Pronman 3. Jake Bean, D, Charlotte-AHL

Sep 9, 2020 June 9, 1998 | 6-foot-1 | 187 pounds

Tier: High-end/very good bubble

Corey Pronman’s annual deep dive into the farm system of every NHL Skating: 55 organization will be slightly different this year. First, it is occurring before the draft because of the change in schedule this season. But this allows Puck Skills: 55 you to see where teams stand going into the draft, and Pronman will Physical Game: 50 update the rankings after the draft. Second, it will include all skaters in the organization who are 22 or younger as of Sept. 15, 2020 Hockey Sense: 60

, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played. This allowed us to Bean led all defensemen in scoring in the AHL and was one of the best incorporate a lot of great young players who were on the fringe of overall defensemen in the league as a 21 year old. He’s a very smart graduating based on our old definition. Check out the full explanation of puck-mover who makes great outlets and shows a high level of poise Pronman’s eligibility and the full ranking of all 31 systems here. from the offensive blue line. Bean is a good, not amazing, skater who will be able to skate at the NHL level. He has the speed and edgework to I’ve liked a lot of the Hurricanes’ moves of late in how they’ve targeted make a lot of the plays defensemen need to make. Defensively Bean high-end skill and filled their prospect pool. They have a number of took on a lot more responsibility in 2019-20, playing big minutes for players I think will help the team and several who I think can play Charlotte and showing he could kill penalties at the pro level. He’s taken important roles on the team. The direction of the team’s future changed time but the 2016 13th-overall pick looks on track to become a top-four when they won the second pick at the 2018 NHL Draft and picked Andrei defenseman in the NHL. Svechnikov, who has emerged as one of the best young players in the game. The combination of a star plus depth equals a strong young 4. Ryan Suzuki, C, Saginaw-OHL foundation of talent. May 28, 2001 | six-foot | 181 pounds Key graduates: Sebastian Aho Tier: Very good NHL player 2019 ranking: No. 8 Skating: 55 Player Ranking Puck Skills: 60 1. Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Carolina-NHL Physical Game: 45 March 26, 2000 | 6-foot-2 | 194 pounds Hockey Sense: 60 Tier: Special/Elite bubble Suzuki had a tough start to the season, with slow production in Barrie Skating: 55 and a scary eye injury that he recovered from. Upon being traded to Saginaw he started to roll. Suzuki’s talent stands out whenever he has Puck Skills: 65 the puck on his stick. He’s a highly-skilled player who can beat defenders Physical Game: 60 with his hands and is a better passer than he is a puckhandler. He makes quick, creative passes with consistency and can run a power play off the Hockey Sense: 60 flank. He makes high-difficulty plays while moving quickly, showing a good skating stride that will translate to the next level. Suzuki isn’t a Shot: 60 physical player but he works hard and is responsible defensively. Svechnikov has looked of late like a legit second-overall pick and 5. Dominik Bokk, RW, Rogle-SHL showing the promise he’s excited scouts with since he was a young teenager. He’s a complete hockey player. Svechnikov is an extremely Feb. 3, 2000 | 6-foot-2 | 187 pounds skilled forward who can beat NHL defensemen clean with his hands. He’s a very creative handler and passer who can make elite plays with Tier: Very good NHL player the puck. He’s a great passer and finisher, with a shot that can score Skating: 55 goals from the dots. He’s a good skater with NHL caliber speed, but lacks the explosiveness to pull away from guys, using his strength and frame to Puck Skills: 60 power his way to the net rather than jet around defenders. He attacks the middle of the ice effectively, shows no fear of playing a physical game Physical Game: 40 and can overpower opponents. He looks like a true star. Hockey Sense: 60

2. Martin Necas, RW, Carolina-NHL Shot: 60

Jan. 15, 1999 | 6-foot-2 | 190 pounds Bokk started off the season slowly, but had a very good world juniors and Tier: High-end NHL player had a great second half in the SHL. His talent jumps out to you when you watch him. Bokk is highly skilled, quick, and makes difficult offensive Skating: 60 plays at a pro pace. He’s a highly creative playmaker who makes unique plays with the puck. He’s a great passer and shooter, who can score Puck Skills: 60 from range with a hard, accurate shot. Bokk’s talent has never been in Physical Game: 45 doubt, but he plays on the perimeter a bit too much, needs to be better off the puck and his overall consistency needs to improve. Hockey Sense: 60 6. , LW, Tapaara-Liiga Shot: 60 Jan. 11, 2001 | six-foot | 165 pounds Necas had a successful rookie NHL season, scoring over half a point per game and could have hit 20 goals in a full season. He’s easy to spot on Tier: Legit NHL player the ice as Necas’ game is full of speed and skill. His skating stride is Skating: 50 easy and explosive with the ability to turn around NHL defenders. He can Puck Skills: 60 and ability to control possession with his skating and skill. Honka’s main downside is his defensive play. He has a tough time defending size and Physical Game: 45 speed, and can at times be too risky with the puck in his own end.

Hockey Sense: 60 10. Joey Keane, D, Charlotte-AHL

Puistola bounced around between four pro clubs in Finland. He was just July 2, 1999 | six-foot | 185 pounds OK at the Liiga level, showing great flashes. His skill and goal-scoring ability define him. Puistola can make pro defenders miss with his great Tier: Legit NHL player hands and is always a second away from a highlight-reel play. He’s not a very physical player, but he scores a lot by going to the net and showing Skating: 55 great ability to knock in shots and second chances. He can score, but he Puck Skills: 55 also makes top-end passes frequently and his creative puck game translates to his playmaking. Puistola’s main hangup is his mediocre Physical Game: 45 stride which has led to his struggles at the top Finnish level where he Hockey Sense: 60 can’t get around defenders like he can at the junior level. Keane was an AHL All-Star as a rookie pro for Hartford before being 7. Morgan Geekie, C, Charlotte-AHL traded to Carolina. He’s shown excellent puck-moving skill at the pro July 20, 1998 | 6-foot-3 | 192 pounds level. His offensive IQ is very high, and he has the ability to play with pace. He’s a good skater and will be able to handle the NHL speed. His Tier: Legit NHL player defensive play was just OK as a rookie pro. I liked his compete and Skating: 45 defensive play in junior so I think that aspect will come along with time and he will become a solid two-way defenseman at the pro level. Puck Skills: 55 11. David Cotton, LW, Boston College-Hockey East Physical Game: 55 July 9, 1997 | 6-foot-2 | 201 pounds Hockey Sense: 60 Tier: Legit NHL player Shot: 60 Skating: 50 Geekie had another great season in the AHL, including a successful brief call-up to Carolina and appearing in eight postseason games. Geekie is a Puck Skills: 55 forward with size who can make plays and finish them at a high level. He Physical Game: 60 has a hard shot that can score from mid-range. He has the patience and vision to find seams in the offensive zone. He works hard to win pucks Hockey Sense: 60 and makes plays in the hard areas. A lot of things about his game are Cotton has been a top player in his conference the past two seasons and impressive except for his skating. His stride has good flashes but there was a leading player on a top Boston College team this past season. He are also times it breaks down and looks slow. I think despite the skating is a big-body forward with pretty good skill and sense who makes a lot of he can make it because he has so many other positive elements, but the plays around the net. The knock on his game has always been his heavy pace of the NHL will be a challenge. feet, which I don’t think have improved a ton but are good enough to 8. Jamieson Rees, C, Sarnia-OHL handle the pro level given his other plus-attributes. He has the skill, the size and he has the work ethic, so there’s a lot of reasons to think he Feb. 26, 2001 | 5-foot-11 | 172 pounds could play NHL games even as an older college prospect.

Tier: Legit NHL player 12. Jack Drury, C, Harvard-ECAC

Skating: 50 Feb. 3, 2000 | six-foot | 185 pounds

Puck Skills: 60 Tier: Legit NHL player

Physical Game: 45 Skating: 50

Hockey Sense: 60 Puck Skills: 55

Rees was one of the top scorers in the OHL on a per game basis, being Physical Game: 50 a driving player for Sarnia. He’s a very entertaining player to watch. Rees is full of skill and energy. He will embarrass defenders with a deke Hockey Sense: 60 through them, and then carry them on his back as he drives to the net. Drury was a top player in the ECAC, scoring 20 goals and playing all He plays physically, arguably too physically at times as he’s been situations for Harvard. He didn’t score all those goals because of a great suspended several times for crossing the line. Rees is a very creative shot, but because Drury works very hard and is great around the net. offensive player who makes tough, unique plays frequently and makes a There’s not a lot of flash to Drury’s game. He doesn’t go end-to-end or lot of great plays around the tough areas of the ice. Rees’ drawbacks are dangle through defenders and his skating could use an extra gear. He’s his size and skating. For a smaller player, he lacks the ability to pull away very competitive and smart, though. He’s reliable off the puck, kills from checks at the NHL level. penalties well, and shows great vision to make tough plays at a quick 9. Anttoni Honka, D, JYP-Liiga pace.

Oct. 5, 2000 | 5-foot-10 | 179 pounds NHL potential

Tier: Legit NHL player Pyotr Kochetkov, G, Podolsk-KHL: Kochetkov had a bumpy season, where it looked early on like he could be a go-to player in net for SKA. Skating: 60 But he struggled and was traded and never really got into a long, Puck Skills: 60 consistent stretch of good performance. He has all the tools you want in a pro goalie between his size, quickness, intelligence and Physical Game: 30 competitiveness. He reads tough passing plays very well. He makes tough saves consistently, showing the ability to keep pucks out you are Hockey Sense: 60 sure are going in. He’ll need to be more consistent, let in fewer long- Honka was a solid player in Liiga and a top defenseman for Finland’s range shots and put together a full season at the KHL level. U20 team. With the puck on his stick, his talent is evident. Honka is a Tuukka Tieksola, RW, Karpat-Jr. A Liiga: Tieksola had a great season at very slick puckhandler. His passing is excellent, showing great poise and the Finnish junior level, with his great skating and playmaking on display creativity from the offensive blue line and he makes a ton of great outlets. consistently. He’s an intriguing undersized forward due to his talent level. He’s not extremely fast, but he’s quick and elusive, showing great edges He will have to get it done at a higher level to really be on the NHL radar, but he did look good at a U19 international tournament late in the season.

Dominick Fensore, D, Boston University-Hockey East: Fensore is a tremendous skater who has skill and moves the puck very well. He’s super tiny though (5-foot-7, 150 pounds) and while the offense is good, I question if it’s so good that it’ll overcome his likely defensive deficiencies at the pro level.

Jesper Sellgren, D, Lulea-SHL: Sellgren is a highly-mobile and intelligent two-way defenseman who helped Lulea be a top team in the SHL. He’s small and lacks a real “wow” factor to his game offensively, making me wonder what his NHL role would be.

Stelio Mattheos, RW, Charlotte-AHL: Mattheos missed most of the season after being treated for testicular cancer. He did return in January and held his own at the pro level. He has an intriguing combination of size, sense, speed and goal-scoring ability.

Player Eligibility:

All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2020

Previous ranking:

There is more fluctuation from last year’s ranking to this year’s because now all skaters in the organization under age 22 are factored into the ranking to account for the entire picture of the organization’s young players, not just those outside of the NHL.

Tool grades:

Tool grades are based on the 20-80 scale. In this scale, 50 projects as pro average, 55 as above-average, 60 top third, 70 as elite and 80 as among the very best; 45 is below-average and 40 is fringe pro quality. The shot is only graded if it is notably good.

Tier Definitions:

Special NHL prospect: Projects as a true NHL star, someone who is among the best players in the league.

Elite NHL prospect: Projects as an impact player, someone who is top 10-15 percent in the NHL at his position.

High-end NHL prospect: Projects as a first-line forward or a top-pair defenseman.

Very good NHL prospect: Projects as a top-six forward, top-four defenseman or starting goaltender in the NHL.

Legit NHL prospect: Projects to be a full-time NHL player in the bottom half of a roster.

NHL potential: The prospect has a chance to make it as a full-time player if some improvements are made.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178674 Colorado Avalanche

Vegas’ Marc-Andre Fleury, Robin Lehner could be goaltending options for Avalanche

By MIKE CHAMBERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post

September 9, 2020

If the Avalanche is considering adding talent and depth to its current basement-price goaltending, general manager need look no further than the Western Conference finals.

There, the Vegas Golden Knights feature two puck-stoppers worth keeping tabs on, at least one of whom may not be long for Sin City.

Marc-Andre Fleury, the three-time Stanley Cup champion with Pittsburgh, started 48-of-71 games for Vegas in the regular season but has mostly played the backup role in the playoffs. Robin Lehner, who was acquired at the Feb. 24 trade deadline from Chicago, has started 12-of-16 postseason games for the Golden Knights entering Tuesday.

Fleury started Game 1 against Dallas on Sunday — just his second since the 16-team playoff format began — and Lehner got the nod Tuesday.

Fleury, 35, and Lehner, 29, won’t likely be teammates next season, and one of them could end up in Colorado. If it’s Fleury, it will come via trade, because he’s under contract for the next two years at a $7 million annual cap hit. If it’s Lehner, a pending unrestricted free agent, it will happen in free agency.

If Lehner re-signs with Vegas, Fleury will likely request a trade. Even if that doesn’t happen, he might ask for a trade anyway. On Aug. 22, Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, tweeted a graphic of Fleury being impaled by a sword with “DeBoer” on the blade. Peter DeBoer is Vegas’ head coach, replacing on Jan. 15.

Adding Fleury or Lehner, among others, makes sense for an Avalanche team that has now seen playoff runs end with its third-string goaltender in a starting role twice in the past three years. The Avs’ goaltending was questioned by critics throughout the season, and Pavel Francouz’ shoddy four-game performance against Dallas in the conference semifinals heightened those concerns.

Philipp Grubauer, who went 4-0 in the playoffs before suffering a lower- body injury against Dallas in Game 1, has had trouble staying on the ice. And even before his three injury stints this season, many wondered if he was good enough to lead the Avs to the Stanley Cup.

Grubauer and Francouz are both under contract next season at a combined cap hit of $5.33 million — nearly $7 million less than Fleury ($7 million) and Lehner ($5 million). Grubauer earned $3.33 million this season and Francouz $950,000 — making them one of the NHL’s lowest-paid tandems. Francouz signed a two-year extension worth $4 million in February.

They both might stick with Colorado next season, but Francouz could be playing for the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League if the Avs can acquire a guy like Fleury or Lehner.

Lehner figures to be one of the top free-agent goalies on the market, along with Washington’s and Vancouver’s Jacob Markström, who are both 30, Chicago’s Corey Crawford, 35, and Calgary’s Cam Talbot, 32. The Avs’ Michael Hutchinson, who went 2-1 in the Dallas series, is also on that list as a depth goalie.

As far as developing goalies, Avs draftees Adam Werner, 23, and , 20, are signed to entry-level contracts. Werner played 31 games for the Eagles last season and will probably be the No. 1 guy there again next season. Annunen will return to his professional team in Finland if the Avs want him to play maximum minutes.

Those guys might be the future of Colorado’s goaltending. But not anytime soon.

Denver Post: LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178675 Colorado Avalanche with Conor Timmins until the 21-year-old rookie was injured. Connauton then received the nod for Game 7 with Barberio going the entire playoffs without logging a single game.

Stay longer or thank you, next: What’s ahead for the Avalanche’s UFA The Avalanche are already facing a number of items they must address class? with their defense. Graves and Nikita Zadorov are both RFAs. Cale Makar has one year remaining on his entry-level contract but is expected to become one of the team’s highest earners on his next contract. It is By Ryan S. Clark another example of how the front office has to think about how it spends money in the short-and long-term. Sep 9, 2020 Re-signing Barberio could happen. Or it might not. Sakic and his staff

could take another course of action. Do they entrust the seventh A top-nine winger. More like two, actually. There is the speedy, two-way defenseman role to another veteran they can allure on a more team- bottom-six winger. Plus the two veteran seventh defenseman. Don’t friendly contract? Could that veteran be Connauton. Could it be someone forget the third goaltender, too. else? Is this a role they fill internally by going with some potential rotation comprised of Bowen Byram, Anton Lindholm, Jacob MacDonald and This is a more descriptive way of examining the personnel Colorado Timmins? Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic and his front office staff must evaluate when it comes to what they will do with their current unrestricted Kevin Connauton free agent class. Opting to keep or move on from UFAs is something What he provides: Having Barberio gave the Avalanche one seventh Sakic has done for a while now. Although, what possibly makes this defenseman capable of being more of an offensive-minded option. year’s round of decisions different is the hypothetical crossroads the Connauton provided a different look as a more defensive-first option. Part organization is facing as a whole. of the reason why Sakic acquired Connauton in the Carl Soderberg trade Is the franchise best served by working to keep some of its venerable — aside from freeing up cap space — was to add another depth figures? Are they better served by trusting their prospects and using defenseman. those savings elsewhere? Or could it be a mix of both in terms of finding Connauton did add that depth when called upon. He only played four the strongest plausible strategy? times with the Avalanche and spent most of the season with the Decisions. Decisions. Colorado Eagles. The role he played as an eighth defenseman meant he received less NHL playing time than Barberio. But his presence provided Conversations are always happening within the Avalanche’s front office Eagles coach Greg Cronin and the organization with an experienced about the club’s collective future. It’s just that this particular discussion player who helped them be in position to clinch a consecutive playoff concentrates on whether or not those plans will include Mark Barberio, berth before the season was eventually canceled. Kevin Connauton, Michael Hutchinson, Vladislav Namestnikov, Matt Nieto and Colin Wilson. Those are the six players who are part of the Still, he was part of the team’s postseason roster. Connauton made his organization’s six-member unrestricted free agent class. mark when he was used to fill in for Johnson and then, Timmins for four games against the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference semifinal. He Each of them serves in a role. Some longer than others. All of them were was on the ice for four of the Stars’ goals across all sequences, brought in to fill specific needs. Those needs still remain but what can be according to Natural Stat Trick. The Avalanche finished a plus-3 in terms said about the players who occupy those positions? Sakic and his of creating high-danger scoring chances versus that of high-danger assistant general managers — Craig Billington and Chris MacFarland — scoring chances allowed when Connauton played. have $22.364 million in projected salary cap space, according to CapFriendly. They will use those funds to improve upon a team that fell What must be determined: Does Connauton receiving the nod over an overtime goal shy of reaching the Western Conference finals. Doing Barberio in the playoffs offer any potential insight into the organization so, however, means keeping other items in mind. Like determining how keeping him for at least one more season? Connauton’s situation is much of their cap space they set aside for restricted free agents like similar to that of Barberio in that either player is expected to serve as a Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Graves and Valeri Nichushkin while operating seventh defenseman with the notion their playing time will be dictated under a flat salary cap. Or assessing how the money they spend this largely by the actions of others. offseason will impact them later down the road. The contract Connauton signed when he was with the Here’s a glance at what lies before the Avalanche’s front office when it was for two years with an AAV of $1.375 million. Part of the allure with comes to how they might hypothetically evaluate their UFA class. keeping Barberio or Connauton would be their collective experience. Barberio has played in 272 NHL games while Connauton has been Mark Barberio featured in 314 contests over his career. It gives the Avalanche even more experience on their blue line. But it is also a franchise that has What he provides: Barberio’s job as the team’s seventh defenseman shown a willingness to trust young defensemen as part of its long-term means he is essentially an insurance policy. He is at ’s blueprint for success. disposal either in the event of an injury or if Bednar needs to shuffle his defensive pairings for a number of reasons. The 30-year-old puck-mover If they have taken that approach with figures like Graves, Girard, Makar went from appearing in a combined 80 games over his first two seasons and Zadorov as everyday players, then, could they same be done when it with the club to being used 33 times across his most recent two comes to finding a seventh defenseman? Then again? An argument campaigns. Barberio sustained injuries during the 2018-19 season that could be made that having experience beyond Ian Cole and Johnson to limited him to 12 games while the 2019-20 campaign saw him make 21 complement that youth might also be another facet the club deems worth appearances. having with whomever it selects to be its next seventh defenseman.

He was able to fill in whenever the team had injuries to players like Erik Michael Hutchinson Johnson or Cale Makar during the regular season. Or when Bednar witnessed inconsistencies from one of his defensemen. That is how What he provides: A few teams were able to get by with having two Barberio fit into the team from an on-ice perspective. From an off-ice goaltenders throughout an entire season. But there were some teams standpoint, he was another veteran presence within a setup that has that needed five goaltenders in order to make it through a season. The gained more experienced figures over the last few years in free agency. Avalanche were one of those teams. Initially, the team traded for Antoine Bibeau. The plan was for him to be the team’s third goalie, who could be Yet there are a number of items that must be considered when it comes used to backup Pavel Francouz and Philipp Grubauer. Bibeau sustained to whether or not he returns. Barberio signed a two-year extension a long-term injury and it forced Sakic into making a trade to acquire carrying an average annual value or — AAV — of $1.45 million, and it is Hutchinson. possible that the front office could deem they might be able to find his replacement at a cheaper price. Hutchinson struggled with the but found success in his only regular-season start with the Avalanche in a win over the Detroit What must be determined: One of the questions raised about Barberio Red Wings. The plan was for Hutchinson to serve as the third goalie during the postseason went back to why he was not used by Bednar. behind Francouz and Grubauer. But the season was placed on pause Johnson’s injury resulted in Bednar turning to Connauton before going and that dynamic did not come into play until the postseason arrived and Assessing what happens with Namestnikov could be a numbers game Hutchinson performed in that role. that goes beyond money. Getting RFAs like Burakovsky, Tyson Jost and Nichushkin under new deals is a start. It will add to the fact Matt Calvert, Grubauer and Francouz were injuries against the Stars. It thrust Joonas Donskoi, Landeskog and Rantanen are already under contract. Hutchinson into becoming the starting goaltender for a Stanley Cup The front office could come to the conclusion Donskoi, Jost and contender. He helped them win Games 5 and 6 en route to them Nichushkin could all factor into being potential third-line wingers. But they reaching Game 7 where they were eliminated in overtime. One more win are not alone. Martin Kaut, the team’s first-round pick in 2018, was would have pushed the Avalanche into the conference finals. It also deployed on the third line whenever he was called up from the Eagles. would have placed Hutchinson in a tie with Semyon Varlamov for the Kaut finished with three points over nine games and could be part of next fifth-most playoff victories in team history by a goaltender. year’s team.

What must be determined: Making a decision on Hutchinson is just one Matt Nieto of a few the front office must make when it comes to assessing its goaltending depth. Bibeau is a Group 6 UFA. Hunter Miska, who joined What he provides: Knowing they could play Nieto alongside Pierre- the team in the Edmonton bubble to be Hutchinson’s backup, is an RFA. Edouard Bellemare and Calvert — when the Avalanche were healthy — It leaves Adam Werner as the franchise’s lone goaltending depth option created a formidable fourth line that gave Bednar a number of options. It under contract ahead of the 2020-21 campaign. was a line that could use its speed to consistently check while also employing a patient approach. They could be trusted against another Bibeau only played twice for the Avalanche and logged the same amount team’s top line while also generating offense as evidenced by the fact of games with the Eagles because of injuries. His NHL experience Bellemare produced a career-high in goals and points while Calvert was amounts to four total games with most of his time coming in the AHL. on pace for his first 20-goal campaign until he was injured. Miska’s lone NHL appearance came in relief during the 2018-19 season when he was with the Coyotes. Werner, who just completed his first full Constantly having to manage injuries meant Bellemare and Calvert season in North America, has appeared in two NHL games. primarily played on the third line. It left Nieto as the anchor on a fourth line that was shuffling through its personnel at different parts of the Meanwhile? Hutchinson is more of a proven commodity at the NHL level. season. Yet it still did not impact the areas that made Nieto a trusted He has appeared in 127 contests over his career. Sakic acquired presence. The former Boston University star, along with Girard, were the Hutchinson to serve as a backup plan in the event Grubauer or Francouz only Avalanche players to feature in all 70 games. Nieto once again were injured down the stretch run. The entire organization learned even displayed responsibility by only being assessed three penalties more about Hutchinson when he filled in against the Stars for three throughout the entire season in addition to being their most-used forward starts. But was it enough for him to return for another year? Especially on the penalty kill. upon knowing his $700,000 salary makes him an even more attractive option in terms of possibly filling a need at a low cost? Then the Avalanche got healthy and Nieto’s place within the team was no longer a guarantee. Finally having a full complement of players meant Vladislav Namestnikov Bednar had to chose either Jost or Nieto to be the team’s 12th forward. What he provides: Namestnikov immediately gave Bednar another top- Then, as was the case during the regular season, the Avs took on more nine forward who could move throughout the lineup once he arrived from injuries. It led to Bednar tapping into his depth and using both players. the Ottawa Senators on deadline day. But it was more than that. He Nieto played in 14 of the club’s 15 postseason games while Jost added another interior scorer to a team that was seeking to add that appeared 12 times. dimension to its overall profile. Namestnikov only played in nine regular- What must be determined: A healthy lineup projection reveals all the season games because of the NHL’s COVID-19 pause. Still, his arrival fourth line might need is another winger. Bellemare and Calvert are came at a time that allowed the organization to see how he fit in with an under contract for one more season until they become UFAs next injured roster while also sifting through the potential possibilities of how offseason. Nieto is in the final season of a two-year extension that saw he would function on a healthy team. him earn $1.975 million annually. It is possible Nieto could find more The Avalanche and Namestnikov received that chance in the money elsewhere. And even if he was willing to stay for a more team- postseason. Bednar used Namestnikov on the third line with injuries friendly deal? The landscape shows Sakic and the front office could have altering those plans. It led to Namestnikov being a second-line fixture. options when it comes to finding his replacement. Adding him to a line gave that specific combination a proven, two-way Jost could be a possibility to join the fourth line depending upon what forward who would work for possession while also having the quickness happens with the top nine. If not Jost, then, there is always the possibility to get into the offensive zone to be in position. Either to score a goal that Logan O’Connor could make the foray into becoming a full-time NHL himself or help facilitate a scoring opportunity for someone else. His time player. O’Connor was a collegiate free agent who decided to forgo his with the Avs amounted to him scoring eight goals and 11 points over 19 senior season at the University of Denver to sign a two-year contract with playoff and regular-season games. the organization. Continuing his development with Eagles coach Greg Each season has allowed cornerstone figures like Gabriel Landeskog, Cronin and his staff allowed O’Connor to become a more reliable two- Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to receive more postseason way forward who could also score. He went from playing five games with experience. Yet the front office has supplemented that playoff service the Avalanche in 2018-19 to being featured in 16 games during the 2019- time by adding players who have gained those games elsewhere. 20 season. Injuries in the playoff also led to him receiving a five-game Namestnikov has experienced what it was like to play in the Eastern cameo where he served in a fourth-line role. Conference finals. It’s possible that having more players like him, among O’Connor is also a RFA. He was earning $925,000 annually and could others in that same situation, could potentially prove useful for a team also see an increase in salary. It could still come out to the club saving trying to take that next step of reaching the Western Conference finals. up to $1 million in salary cap space when comparing O’Connor’s next What must be determined: Being an experienced, interior scorer with contract to what Nieto made in the final year of his extension. They could two-way ability are qualities many contenders seek. That is why the also find another option that is roughly around the same price as Avalanche wanted from him and it could play a part in why they might not O’Connor, if not, cheaper. Prospect forward Shane Bowers and his able to hold onto Namestnikov. Unless both sides agree upon a team- $925,000 cap hit could make the team out of camp. But they could also friendly deal. Namestnikov is in the final season of a two-year contract turn to veteran winger T.J. Tynan, who is set to earn $800,000 next that saw him carry an AAV of $4 million. It is possible he could be in line season. for a slight increase or stay around the same amount under a flat salary Colin Wilson cap. What he provides: Getting Wilson to return on a one-year deal worth $2.6 Projecting what they could spend on their RFAs is one exercise. Actually million was a decision designed to strengthen the top-nine options. agreeing upon what the real contractual figures will offer the front office Wilson gave the Avalanche another forward they could use on the finality when it comes to what is financially feasible. It is possible they second-team power-play unit while also having someone who could could use those savings toward striking a new deal with Namestnikov. move throughout the lineup, if needed. Knowing they had Wilson But they could also use those funds elsewhere in an area that they reinforced how the Avs had depth on top of the other pieces they added believe to be a stronger investment. in the offseason. But that depth was tested in late October. It was an already ominous day when the Avalanche announced Landeskog sustained an injury that kept him out for an extended period. Wilson getting injured a few hours later during practice only compounded matters. The day he gingerly skated off the ice to go receive treatment proved to be the last time anyone saw Wilson wearing the club’s logo for the rest of the regular season.

Wilson used the rest of the season to rehabilitate his injury. The Avalanche faced questions about Wilson being a potential option for the playoffs. But that possibility never happened as he was still recovering during training camp and was not added to the team’s playoff roster.

What must be determined: Essentially going all but nine games of the regular season allowed Bednar and his staff along with the front office to gain a stronger feel for a life without Wilson. They turned to Nichushkin to fill void and what they received was a sizable, two-way forward who could score goals in critical moments. Players such as Compher, Donskoi, Jost and Namestnikov were also able to occupy spots on the third line when they were needed.

Sakic and the front office are at the vanguard of an offseason that sees them further invest in the depth that buoyed the team at times this season. It is plausible they could take the $2.6 million saved in letting Wilson walk and investing it in those RFA deals for players like Burakovsky, Graves or Nichushkin. But they could also use that money and apply it in another area they feel needs to be strengthened.

Next season could see Wilson eventually return to the NHL. He could be used on the third line to provide another dimension to what his teammates already offer. What he does in the regular season could pave the way for the postseason where he continues to show why the nickname “Playoff Colin Wilson” is indeed a thing. This could be the future that awaits Wilson in the coming months. But it’s a possibility that particular visage might exist elsewhere and not with the Avalanche.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178676 Columbus Blue Jackets stretches that were phenomenal and seemed to right the ship a little bit when it was listing one way or the other.

It was a different year for sure, regardless of if there was a pause for the Blue Jackets assistant coaches on John Tortorella’s techniques, tricks & pandemic or not. It started out differently and with all the injuries and all temper the different lineups we put together, it was quite a challenge. But it’s a real credit to the players in the room that they achieved what they did, considering what we were putting on the ice every night with our roster. By Aaron Portzline Larsen: It’s not like we had to sell it to the players. They felt it. The Sep 9, 2020 players felt it. They understood it going into the season.

When you go into a season and you’re saying we have to change a bit and maybe pull back offensively … and I say that very cautiously COLUMBUS, Ohio — Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella has been because we never tell our players “don’t attack.” We want to be nominated five times for the Jack Adams Trophy, given to the NHL’s best aggressive. We’re one of the top forechecking teams in the league. coach. If he wins the award Wednesday night, he’d join Pat Burns as the That’s what we do well. But we had to be careful about unleashing only coach to win the trophy three times. everybody. That might be the second line on Tortorella’s Hall of Fame plaque one We bumped around a little bit at the start of the season. It was a time of day, right below “Stanley Cup winner” and just above “winningest U.S.- great adjustment for everybody. You have to remember, having Panarin born coach in NHL history.” … he’s one of the top-five most skilled players in the world. Look how he The Blue Jackets qualified for the playoffs for a fourth straight season — put that New York (Rangers) team on his back. Do all the analytics you they had never done it in consecutive seasons before he arrived in 2016 want — I’ve done some myself when he’s on the ice and when he’s not — and they were a tough out in the postseason, beating Toronto in the on the ice. It’s almost two goals difference per 60. qualifying round and losing to Tampa Bay in the second round. So now Look at (Pierre-)Luc (Dubois) and Cam (Atkinson). They were But the 2019-20 Blue Jackets were expected to finish near the bottom of trying to find their way without Panarin. You play with him for two years, the Eastern Conference after several big-name losses in free agency the it’s a big change. Guys were trying to find themselves, and then we got previous summer. The departures of two-time Vezina Trophy winner injuries. That’s a lot to work through. Sergei Bobrovsky, point-a-game left winger Artemi Panarin and No. 1 How far out did you as a coaching staff start working on the approach for center Matt Duchene were expected to be the death knell. this season? Was it all summer or just before training camp started? And that was before the Blue Jackets piled up an NHL-high 419 man- Larsen: We were all very realistic with what was going to happen. Once games lost due to injuries, including long-term maladies for some of the you start getting into late May and June (last summer), you can see few difference-making players on the roster — Seth Jones, Josh what’s going to happen (with the free agents). We didn’t know who we Anderson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, both goaltenders and more. might acquire, but … It’s difficult to say if this is Tortorella’s best coaching job. The Blue Playing the Tampa series (in the 2019 playoffs) and how we played that Jackets made a 32-point improvement from the previous season when series, it put a stamp on how we needed to play as a team, no matter he won the award in 2016-17, and the Tampa Bay Lightning finished with what was in our lineup the next season. So that was something we could the second-best record in the NHL (before winning the Cup) in 2004. lean on. It’s made even more difficult by the fact that Tortorella loathes talking We didn’t need to change a ton. Torts mentioned it in camp repeatedly about himself — almost as much as he dislikes meeting with the media that we had to protect our goalies. We didn’t know what we had (in after playoff losses. Korpisalo and Merzlikins). We had to have support in front of them. So we talked to the two assistant coaches who have worked closely with You hope it works right away, but we bumped around a bit. But here’s Tortorella during his time in Columbus, , who has coached something I think people miss with us. We’ve never told our players how defensemen the last four seasons, and , who has coached to play offensively. We have a standard for our group. We have the forwards the last five. culture and identity in how we play. There’s a very clear picture of what We asked Shaw and Larsen, among other things, to take us deep inside we look like when we’re on. We track pucks, we’re above the puck … but Tortorella’s coaching performance this season, how he settled on the we always preach forechecking, and if you have a chance to go, you go. “above the puck” mantra, how he thrives in breeding an “us-against-the- We’re never going to pull a guy like Z (Zach Werenski) or Jonesy (Seth world” feeling in the dressing room (they disagreed on this) and if they’d Jones) back. So I don’t think it was really a sell job with the players. We ever tried to help him learn to handle his postgame press conference with just had to be responsible and be smart about how we attack the game. less vitriol. Another key point I’d make: We use patience as a word all the time, but Here’s the conversation: that doesn’t mean passive. It’s a mental grind to be patient. You’re on What was different or unique about Tortorella’s coaching job this your toes. Don’t linger behind, hope the play is coming to you, don’t do season? the fake backcheck and try for a breakaway. No. That’s passive.

Shaw: Well, we knew it was going to be tough without the two Russians. We (watched) video with them repeatedly to show them that patience We knew we had to find a new game plan. Not totally different, but some does not mean passive. We’re not a passive team. The picture got things were going to have to change for us to compete because we knew clearer to them as we got along in the season, and we had a crazy streak on a night-to-night basis, on raw skill, we didn’t match up with a lot of the of success (in December through January). top-echelon teams. We lost two regulation games to one team in 26 games. That’s insane. We had to drum a consistent game plan in and get “buy-in” and try to get That’s insane if Tampa Bay did it. And to do it with the lineup we had — enough guys believing in it and contributing. It seemed like it was maybe and that’s no slight against the players — it’s just reality. We were a harder sell than I expected, to be honest. I can’t speak for all of the missing key guys for a long time. The guys who came in believed they coaches. could win every game. Nobody else believed it, but they did. We all did.

But when we had all the injuries, there was no choice. The players who Shaw: There were inklings that the two Russians weren’t coming back, were left, who were still healthy, and all the new faces — the patchwork so we talked about it as early as they made it apparent that it would be quilt we put together — they didn’t have a choice but to play that way. hard to sign them and keep them in the fold. That urgency gave us a focus again. It gave us an identity, something to We started going down that path even late (in the 2018-19 season), strive for every night. through the summer — we knew we had holes, but we knew guys would The players did a fantastic job of rallying around the goaltending because get opportunities. We wondered who was going to take it and run with it it was the goaltending that triggered us on a few different occasions. and who would stumble a bit and need more guidance than the last guy. () early on, Elvis (Merzlikins) went through a couple of That’s what we were looking at as far as the roster and the way we Neither of you knew Tortorella before you worked under him. What has needed to play. been the biggest surprise?

What we all leaned back on was the Tampa series (in 2019). The first Larsen: I’ve told Torts this: I was guilty of thinking I knew what he was all period of Game 1 in the playoffs, we were a little shell-shocked. Torts’ about just based on what I’d seen. He coached against me when I was a talk before the game was excellent. The focus on the belief and what we player. He probably didn’t remember me. He says he does, but I don’t do well … it’s awesome. When I see those highlights, man, it still gives believe him. I was in Atlanta and I was really an irrelevant player when me a chill. we played those games (versus Tampa Bay).

It’s too bad we couldn’t keep going and get through Boston (in the I watched all the stuff with the media, how he reacted, and you see him second round in 2019). You get past them, who knows? It was fun blowing up at Larry Brooks (of the New York Post), and you see the turning the game of hockey on its head in the first round, and I think there Calgary situation, and you see he’s been fined X amount of times … and was a lot from those series — even though we had the (star) players — shame on me, really, for judging a person or having a feel for what he is that showed us a system of play that we could really use: how he without meeting him. prepared us, the messaging, the simplicity. I might never forget that. That’s the epitome of what Torts can do as a coach, and this season was When Richie (former Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards) was let go just a longer version of it. (early in 2015) and Tortorella was hired, I was like everybody else. I was like, “Wow. What am I getting myself into?” I called Glen Gulutzan, who We weren’t picked to win many games, especially when the injuries was his assistant in Vancouver. I knew Gully. I said, “Gully, what am I in started piling up. That’s why he’s getting nominated for this trophy, for?” He said, “You’re going to love him. You’re going to absolutely love because of how crazy it is that he was able to keep us afloat and keep us him.” pointed in the right direction. We got into talking more about him, and he said to give it time, and Is there anybody better — has there ever been — at putting a chip on his everything he said was spot on. What people don’t understand is that club’s shoulders and fostering an us-against-the-world mentality? Torts is one of the most caring guys I’ve ever met. He’s genuine. He’s real. He’s going to be honest with you. A lot of people are scared of Shaw: No there isn’t. It’s certainly his strength. He can take a message honesty and he’s not — at all. Sometimes honesty sucks. It’s hard. He like that — we were a team that was on a good trajectory as an doesn’t let problems fester. If there’s a problem, we deal with it. Not organization and then we lose two players, I guess three if you count tomorrow — we deal with it now. Duchene — and all of a sudden we’re picked 14th or 15th in the conference again. One of his favorite things is that conflict is a good thing when handled properly. I don’t know if I understood that when we first came. Everybody A lot of the guys — the Jenners and Folignos and Atkinsons — they just has this perspective of how he coaches and who he is. but he’s a very, tried to get away from that stinky pile of you-know-what (the chronic very deep thinker. He puts a lot of thought into everything he does, and I losing). They felt like they’d worked their way into a little higher-rent don’t think people really give him credit for that. They think he’s brash, district as far as wins and losses, and then all of a sudden the who-saids aggressive, wears his emotions on his sleeves. But he’s so much more come out and say that we’re no good again. than that, and that’s why he’s been nominated (for the Jack Adams) five It made me mad. I can’t imagine what the players felt like. For the four times. That’s why he’s won it twice. That’s why I feel like he should win it years I’ve been here, it’s felt like nothing but a positive trajectory for the a third time. He’s really good at what he does. group of players in that room. Shaw: What a big-hearted person he is. We were up at a store here in But like you said, Torts has a strength and it’s in the mental part of the Canada, my wife and I just a couple of days ago. I had a Blue Jackets game. It’s in the “will” part of the game. It’s in the “compete” part of the shirt on, and the cashier was like, “Hey, all right, Blue Jackets. Are you a game, drawing that out of the players, getting them to a level that maybe fan?” I said, “Well, I work with ’em.” “So you know Torts?” I said, “Yeah.” they didn’t feel they could ever get to before, or maybe they didn’t feel This guy … he’s not very impressed with that (laughs), he’s kind of on the like they could sustain it for the length of time that he can get it out of a anti-Torts side of the fence. player. My wife gets involved with it. “Not at all,” she starts telling him. “This guy It’s a real strength for sure. It never was more apparent than this year, for has as big a heart as anybody. He’s big into dog rescue, big into horse sure. rescue. This is a guy that is one of the more honest guys, period, in the game of hockey. He’s got a lot of positive attributes.” Larsen: See, I think that gets blown out (of proportion) in the media way more than he approaches it. We don’t go in with us-against-the-world. He says, “Oh, that’s great to hear.” So we got him pointed in the right That’s not how he does it. I know it gets boring, but we try to be very direction. businesslike. There’s a lot that people don’t know about him. If all you see is the guy in Did you put your work in that day? He’s been here five years now, going the media scrums and now the Zoom calls, you’re not seeing the real into six. Culture is one thing, and everybody loves that word. It’s an easy Torts. That’s not the real Torts. The real Torts is a big-hearted human word to say. You know the coaches here before wanted culture, too. But that hates to lose but drives players as well as any coach that relies on culture without an identity is just a room full of good guys. motivation maybe ever in this game.

You need the identity to attach yourself to it. Now, under Torts, they have That’s over a long course of time, too, where the athletes have changed, a compass, they have direction. and I think that’s a credit to him, too. He has adapted and brought his style and tweaked it here and there. Still the same demands, but with a If you look at Torts’ first year here (2015-16), it was a feeling-out process. little different messaging sometimes. He didn’t really know many of the guys. That’s where it started. We wanted to cultivate an identity. That was the most surprising thing to me. I was a little surprised, too, in that I thought he was going to be taller (laughs). If you don’t really know Everybody knows who the best teams are, and you always know what him … he insists on keeping the private side private. He does a good job you’re getting. It’s how people talk about you, not how you talk about with it. But he’s just a good man. yourself. That’s taken a long time, and credit to the players. But I think I know what a lot of people in the league would say about our team if they Have you ever tried to help Tortorella with his public image? Have you were asked what it’s like to play Columbus? I think I know how they ever tried to cool him down before he starts answering questions would answer that, and seven to 10 years ago, you wouldn’t. postgame?

But it takes time to get to that point. The us-against-the-world thing, I Shaw: Over four years, I’ve learned with Torts that there are times you’re think the media kinda blows that up way more. It’s more just us. We don’t better to not offer anything. He needs the time to get through the game care what anybody says and yeah, we may see or hear things that kind mentally, get through the disappointment, say, of a bad game. You can of irritate us. Players read stuff. They get it. Everybody had us as a sense when he would be welcoming of information, and I’ll start making lottery pick, and that was with a full lineup. You just kind of chuckle at suggestions again. that. Early on, I would say something and he would have a response, and I’d say, “OK, I’ll just wait till next time.” But, yeah, everybody has their way to get over a game, some cathartic way. Part of his remedy, it seems, is to have that sort of attitude in the press or toward the press.

It helps him get over the disappointment of games that don’t work out very well, and it helps him move on. Everybody’s different. I’ve seen coaches handle it lots of different ways. But that point of view, I think it’s a real tool for him. I’d rather he do it, and then we can move on and get focused on the next event. That’s part of his process.

Larsen: We’ve had (that conversation) jokingly. I just shake my head. He’s a grown-up. He’s going to handle his business the way he handles it. And I’ll tell you, there’s a reason why he does everything. There really is, and I’ll probably just leave it at that.

I would handle things a lot differently than him. It’s just who he is, and that’s what I love about him. He’s an emotional guy, and if you catch him at the wrong moment … he hates losing. Hates it. The losing eats him up. He doesn’t sleep at night sometimes because of it.

It bothers him if the organization looks bad, it really does. But he’s very secure in his own skin. He doesn’t have an ego. Maybe some people wouldn’t believe that, but it’s the god’s honest truth.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178677 Dallas Stars Injury updates: Nill said goaltender Ben Bishop and defenseman Stephen Johns were still unfit to play. When Nill spoke to reporters, he had not talked to the team’s trainers after Dallas' optional practice.

Stars' Jim Nill named a finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of “Just had an optional skate today, so we’ll see where Ben’s at,” Nill said. the Year award “With Stephen, he’s unfit to play and that’s all I can comment on right now. Sorry.”

By Matthew DeFranks The NHL has begun making clips of practice available to reporters, and footage of Wednesday’s practice showed Bishop on the ice, along with 7:16 PM on Sep 9, 2020 Taylor Fedun, who has missed the last three games.

Stars general manager Jim Nill was named one of three finalists for the Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.10.2020 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award Wednesday afternoon, joining Lightning GM Julien BriseBois and Islanders GM .

The award was voted on at the end of the second round of the playoffs by GMs, NHL executives and a panel of print and broadcast media. The winner will be announced Saturday prior to Game 4 of Stars-Golden Knights.

“What’s great about this is this is really about the organization,” Nill said. “This is an organizational award. It starts with support from your ownership, having a great management team, scouts, coaches and on down to the players. In the end, it’s all about the people you surround yourself with.”

The Stars are in the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2008, and are tied 1-1 entering Thursday night’s Game 3 against the Golden Knights. Nill is in his seventh season as the Stars' GM and is the prime architect of the team’s farthest postseason run in more than a decade.

Of the 31 players on the Stars playoff roster, only four players (captain , forward Radek Faksa, and defensemen John Klingberg and Esa Lindell) were not drafted, traded for or signed to an NHL contract by Nill.

Nill is responsible for signing veteran forwards Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry last summer, for inking backup Anton Khudobin to a two-year contract in 2018, for drafting Miro Heiskanen with the No. 3 pick in 2017, for selecting Denis Gurianov and Roope Hintz in the 2015 draft, and for trading for in 2013.

The Stars are a roster skilled enough to compete in high-scoring series against Calgary and Colorado, but built to grind teams down like they did during the regular season and what will likely be required against Vegas.

“You’ve got to be skilled enough to get in the playoffs, and then once you get here, you’ve got to be heavy and hard enough to survive,” Nill said. “It’s a battle. It’s a war.”

Additionally, Nill fired Jim Montgomery in December for unprofessional conduct, and installed as the team’s interim coach.

“It was a challenge,” Nill said. “But I think that, in the end, having the right people, being surrounded by the right people and making the right decisions, what’s right for the organization, was the most important thing.”

When asked about how this playoff run impacts the decision to keep Bowness as the team’s coach next season, Nill said “I want to talk to Rick. Does he want to continue to be the head coach? For what he’s done right now, he’s made a strong statement.”

Outside of hockey, Nill has been one of the team’s guiding hands throughout the coronavirus pandemic. He and former CEO Jim Lites each took voluntary 50% paycuts in March when the NHL stopped playing in an effort to keep more people in the organization employed for longer.

Nill was key in how the team handled Stephen Johns' head injury with humanity across the last two seasons. He is also one of just two GMs included on the league’s Executive Inclusion Council, which will be committed to “developing tangible action steps and benchmarks that will advance both the inclusion and diversity of the sport.”

“There’s bigger things than just hockey,” Nill said. “If we can slowly start to impact this world by making the right decisions, really it’s about showing respect for your neighbors. If we treat our neighbors like we treat ourselves and show the love to people, we’re slowly going to get through this. A long ways to go, but we’re going to get through this.” 1178678 Dallas Stars The team has developed a routine of playing card games daily. Shnarps and Texas Hold 'em became favorites upon discovery of gambling chips in the hotel lounge.

Game 7 heroics, lots of poker and little-glory support: The life of Stars' “The $20 bills get passed from one person to another quite often,” black aces in quarantined playoffs Bayreuther said.

Unlike other playoffs, when black aces don’t travel with the team, the By Callie Caplan black aces have been at every team meal, along for every trip to the Tim Horton’s food truck for morning coffees, and they’re included in every 11:49 AM on Sep 9, 2020 inside joke about their captivity.

The circumstances have been difficult at times. Bayreuther, for example, recognizes that getting out of bed is harder some days because of the Just after Joel Kiviranta scored the Stars' Game-7-winning overtime goal physical toll and separation from his fiance, Erin, and black against the Avalanche, the group of inactive players watching from a goldendoodle, Boogie. suite in the Rogers Place arena celebrated with an enthusiasm they hadn’t yet felt so strongly in the playoffs. Bowness and the Stars' staff has been cognizant of that, and recently surprised the black aces with a nine-hole golf outing as reward for their They were thrilled about the Stars' berth in the Western Conference background efforts. finals, and for a handful of them, the significance of who scored prompted even more reason for cheer. They know the players' goal is to be on the ice, but that’s not the team’s hope. So the black aces in the meantime have cherished their roles as Kiviranta, who was filling in for the injured Andrew Cogliano, is one of the the Stars' biggest supporters in an arena with no fans. Stars' eight “black aces,” hockey jargon describing minor league call-ups who only see the postseason ice when a team is desperate. “There’s two ways to look at being an ace,” Dellandrea said. "You’re either sitting here saying ‘This is tough. All I want to do is play’ and just While the 24-year-old Finnish forward’s hat trick gave viewers a glimpse kind of be rattled about it. into the importance of the black aces' role, it also offered tangible results for the players' otherwise anonymous existence in isolation. “[Or] I think we’ve done a good job of just coming in every day and bringing a good attitude and upbeat mood and bringing some energy to “This year more than any other year, the black ace has such an important the guys. They’re older, and they’re battling these games and they’re label,” defenseman Gavin Bayreuther said. “Teams and management tired and whatnot, so just for us to be able to always bring energy and be and coaches realize that, and the players — especially the big boys — excited for them and cheer them on, I think it goes a long way.” are just so good to us, and we’re very thankful for that. They treat us as part of the team, and I think that’s something you don’t see in a normal black ace playoff series.” Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.10.2020 Black ace used to be a negative term in hockey. In the 1940s, former NHL player and coach coined it in hockey circles to describe inactive players, in reference to the “dead man’s hand” in poker.

But not anymore.

There’s now a certain pride in the duty of being a player no one wants to see take the ice but must always be ready to do so.

In traditional NHL postseasons, teams can carry unlimited black aces on their rosters. With the 2020 postseason occurring in hub cities amid the coronavirus pandemic, the league limited rosters to 31 players, 20 who dress for games.

The Stars' black aces this summer are forwards Kiviranta, Jason Robertson, Nick Caamano and Ty Dellandrea; defensemen Bayreuther and Thomas Harley; and goalies Landon Bow and Jake Oettinger.

Their preparation looks different than the Stars' regulars.

On non-game days, black aces skate for a few minutes with the team, but otherwise conduct their own practice afterward. They emphasize exercise and exertion more than players in the lineup because they don’t face intense game action at least every other day.

But several opportunities to observe, and contribute, have been worth the daily behind-the-scenes grind since the Stars resumed training in mid July.

Kiviranta (five games), Harley (one) and Oettinger (one) have played as substitutes.

The 20-year-old Dellandrea, the Stars' 2018 first-round pick, has observed the poised, determined demeanor of veterans, such as Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski, during the six-week playoff run.

Bayreuther has cherished the opportunity to listen to the injured Ben Bishop’s perspectives while sitting next to him during games.

“You never know if you’re going to play, and you’re asked to do the same thing every day,” interim head coach Rick Bowness said. “It’s a certain mental and physical drain on them. Give them credit. They’ve never complained. They show up, and they work, and that’s really all you can ask.”

As players who hope — and project — to be central to future Stars playoff runs, the black aces have appreciated the chance to learn their off-ice fit, too. 1178679 Dallas Stars

Dallas' trip to NHL’s final four serves as reminder of postseason droughts for other local pro teams

By Tim Cowlishaw

9:45 AM on Sep 9, 2020

I’ve stated this many times, but it happens so rarely around here these days, it’s worth repeating. If you want to produce a successful season for your fans, get to the final four — conference championship, conference finals, league championship series, whatever the case may be.

The Stars are tied with Vegas 1-1 in the Western Conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and it’s a first for this franchise in 12 years. But it’s also the first for Stars, Cowboys, Rangers or Mavs in nine seasons.

Not since the rather glorious calendar year of 2011 when Dirk sang "We Are the Champions'' in an unknown key from the balcony of the AAC and the Rangers (still too soon?) went toe-to-toe with St. Louis for seven games has any of the four local clubs been one of the last four teams standing.

While the three teams just mentioned have at least achieved this partial goal in the last decade, I think most of you know the Cowboys are coming up on the 25th anniversary of their last NFC Championship Game visit.

And while the Stars were barely active in Tuesday’s game, falling behind early and making crucial mistakes throughout to allow Vegas to even the series, the truly unfortunate part of playoffs in the time of the coronavirus is what comes next.

Games 3 and 4 should be at on Thursday and Saturday with Victory Plaza rocking and fans screaming, and unfortunately we know it’s going to be awhile before that scene can be repeated here or anywhere else in this country.

It’s hard to quantify what the extreme social distancing of the two bubble sports has had on fans' interest. NHL ratings have generally been down 20 percent to 30 percent in most cases during the playoffs, but it certainly didn’t help that, with two games in the same arena, the Stars were forced to play a Game 7 against Colorado at 3 p.m. on a weekday.

The NBA, too, has had some low ratings but the numbers have picked up lately and, in fact, the Game 7 between Houston and Oklahoma City was ESPN’s highest-rated first-round game in three years and the most watched cable sporting event since the NFL draft.

Regardless, the Stars must plow forward now and recognize that the exhausted looking Golden Knights team that showed up for Game 1 Sunday after playing back-to-back games against Vancouver on Thursday and Friday is a thing of the past. A series that has been the opposite of the fire wagon hockey the Stars and Avs played (57 goals in seven games) shouldn’t bother a team that won as many low-scoring games as Dallas this season.

Let’s see what happens when both teams score a goal in the same game. The fact that hasn’t happened yet tells you this is true playoff hockey no matter what the stands look like or where these games are having to be staged.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178680 Dallas Stars As the Johns situation showed us, we need to remember that the world “general manager” is more all-encompassing than making trades or deciding which player makes the roster out of training camp. It’s a job Shapiro: Nill’s GM of the year nomination is about more than the deals that comes with supporting the lives of both players and staff, and he’s made navigating hundreds of tiny storms that never see the light of day.

“I’m sure we haven’t seen half of all the stuff he has to deal with,” Star captain Jamie Benn said. “You really can’t say enough good things about By Sean Shapiro Jim, someone who cares about every player, every person in this organization. A big family guy.” Sep 9, 2020 Nill has also extended that protection to the families of those in the

organization. In the Montgomery situation, Nill refused to reveal why the Most NHL awards are based on the regular season. Stars actually fired the coach out of protection for Montgomery’s family and young children. In so doing, Nill was battered by both social and Aside from the Conn Smythe, ballots for player and coach awards like traditional media. Revealing what actually happened with Montgomery the Hart Trophy or Jack Adams Award must be cast before the would have cooled off even the most ardent critics, but Nill refused to postseason begins, which in 2020 means votes were tallied in mid-June. share any further details because he wanted to protect the four youngest Montgomerys who didn’t do anything wrong. But in the case of hockey’s executives, the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award is voted on after the second round of the When the Stars were rocked by the financial implications of the playoffs. Because of recency bias, it’s an award more about end results pandemic, something that continues to impact the organization, Nill than the process. That’s why Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill is volunteered to take a 50 percent pay cut together with then-Stars CEO one of the three finalists alongside Tampa Bay’s Julien BriseBois and Jim Lites to help Dallas prevent more employees from going on COVID- New York Islanders head honcho Lou Lamoriello, each of whom happens 19-related furlough. to have their team in a Conference Final. Being a good person isn’t a reason to win an NHL award, but treating Whether you think Nill should or shouldn’t win this award, whether you people the right way shouldn’t be forgotten, especially in a year when like each decision or not, you need to give him credit for how the Stars we’ve seemingly been more divided than ever. have survived and now thrived into the NHL’s final four during the hectic 2019-20 season. Nill gambled on age and experience. It wasn’t exciting, As a hockey decision-maker, Nill has made mistakes in both the recent and Twitter hated the strategy, but his decisions have paid off. and distant past, but that shouldn’t detract from the successes of this playoff run which Nill should be credited for. Committing to Anton Joe Pavelski wasn’t a goal scorer during the regular season, but he’s Khudobin for two years before the 2018-19 season was a long-term been a force in the playoffs and saved the Stars’ season with a hat trick gamble that has paid major dividends while being able to sweet talk an in Game 4 against the Calgary Flames. undrafted player like Joel Kiviranta into signing with Dallas laid the groundwork for one of the most remarkable Game 7 stories in NHL Corey Perry was a low-risk signing who looked horrible in the regular history. season, but Nill has always stated that Perry was signed for the postseason. Sure enough, Perry drawing four penalties in one game Nill has preached patience, sometimes to a fault, and fans have gotten against Colorado was an affirmation of why he could be, and has been, frustrated with one of his signature lines when it comes to sticking with valuable to the Stars in this playoff run. the current group or not making a major move at the trade deadline: “I like where our team is at.” You can wish for more, you can be critical of And the biggest gamble that Nill took, the one that was ripped the most things, but in the end, a GM’s job is to get his team to this point. That’s among Stars fans, is standing by Rick Bowness, the organization’s what Nill has done. eldest, most experienced person. “You start with a game plan and it looks good on paper, but you never When Jim Montgomery was suddenly fired in December for know how it’s gonna come together,” Nill said. “There’s been some blips unprofessional conduct, Nill made the decision to entrust the job to and some roadblocks, but overall to be sitting where we are right now, Bowness through the end of the 2019-20 season. He never wavered we are in a good spot.” from that stance, even if he would have been within his rights to as other big-name coaches became available and the Stars took a hard slide before the stoppage. The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 It turns out Bowness was the right man for this playoff run in the Edmonton bubble. Bowness’ hockey decisions can be questioned — the Game 5 start for Ben Bishop against Colorado will not be forgotten — but in this bubble, the Stars have needed a coach who cared about them as people before players.

Bowness hasn’t been afraid to talk about his players’ mental health. He’s not afraid to check in with them and discuss what this has been like without their families or loved ones. Bowness said the other day that he doesn’t care about being labeled a “player’s coach” or anything like that, but this group has taken on an edge where they want to win for the universally beloved hockey lifer who helped hold the Stars together as a team.

“We are reaping the rewards right now of him having a chance to put his stamp on this team,” Nill said. “I’ve been very impressed, we are down to the final four … what he’s done right now, he’s made a strong statement. The most important thing is watching how the players react, and when you see how players react to a coach and the decisions he has to make, that’s important.”

Bowness and Nill combined to help author one of the NHL’s best stories this season as Stephen Johns returned to the ice after missing 22 months with post-traumatic headaches. Nill set the tone for the organization that Johns was going to be treated as a person first, and a hockey player second in this process, while Bowness was a key part of the support system that Johns and his girlfriend Taylor Zakarin needed as they navigated a difficult path. 1178681 The Bruins do not want to lose Krug and have the cap space to sign him. My guess is Krug remains in Boston, forcing the Red Wings to pursue

one or two second- or third-tier free-agent defensemen, or perhaps use What are chances of Red Wings landing top free agent like Torey Krug? some of their draft picks to trade for one.

Michigan Live LOADED: 09.10.2020

By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

The Boston Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs last week, and now speculation about Torey Krug’s future will intensify for another month before the start of free agency on Oct. 9.

The small but skilled defenseman could be one of the premier players in a weak unrestricted free-agent market. What are the chances of his hometown Detroit Red Wings landing him? Will there be another suitor for Krug? Or will the Bruins re-sign him?

That is the focus of today’s reader question:

Q: I’ve noticed plenty of talk and rumors online about the Red Wings wanting and needing to sign a big-name unrestricted free agent this off- season. They have the cap space to make a splash or two by signing a big name, but is this the best route to go to try to establish long-term success? It seems as though a lot of “marquee” free agents get too much money and too much term as UFAs and then teams who sign them end up with terrible looking contracts halfway through the deals. If the Wings do try to make a splash, who do they try to sign, and more importantly, who is actually likely to sign with the league’s worst team? – Saskatoon Wingnut

A: Teams must rebuild through the draft, but they need to complement their roster with a few smart free-agent signings and productive trades.

There are only a few potential “marquee” unrestricted free agents, with center of Arizona and defensemen Alex Pietrangelo of St. Louis and Krug topping the list.

If the Red Wings were to make a splash in free agency, Krug likely is the only high-end player they would have a chance of signing.

The salary cap will remain flat at $81.5 million for 2020-21. Uncertainty about revenues moving forward (how many games will be played next season, and whether fans will be in attendance) could prompt some clubs with cap space to avoid pursuing higher-priced free agents, limiting the market.

The Red Wings have plenty of cap space and need help everywhere, particularly on defense and in goal. Despite finishing with by far the worst record in the league and being in the middle of a rebuild, they surely will make a pitch for Krug if he hits the market. He is from Livonia and played at Michigan State, which could help their cause. He played for Red Wings coach in 2008-09 with the USHL Indiana Ice, winning the Clark Cup championship.

What would it take to sign Krug, who is 29 and coming off a four-year, $21 million contract ($5.25 million cap hit)? Perhaps something the neighborhood of six years at $7 million per season.

How much cap space do the Red Wings have? It’s difficult to pinpoint but after they re-sign their restricted free agents, including Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi, they figure to have around $20 million. They are not likely to spend to the cap, but that is plenty to address their needs (a defenseman or two, a forward and a goalie).

No doubt the Red Wings would like to add a player like Krug to bolster their defense and spark their dreadful power play. He has averaged 53 points over the past four seasons and plays an abrasive, physical game despite his 5-9, 186-pound frame.

Of Krug’s 337 career points, 160 have come on the power play (24 goals, 136 assists). The Red Wings have the worst power play in the league over the past four seasons combined (16.4 percent).

Would it be the right move? Yes. Long-term contracts often become an albatross for teams in the final couple of seasons, but that’s the cost of doing business. The Red Wings need to add some talent, in addition to developing their own, to make significant strides.

But would Krug want to leave a Stanley Cup contender, the top team in the league during the regular season, for a club that figures to struggle for at least a couple more years, even if it is his hometown team? 1178682 Neither Laxdal nor Nelson coached in Rogers Place while they were in Edmonton, limited to Rexall Place, but memory of their time with their respective clubs line the walls of the new building.

Dallas Stars assistants Todd Nelson and Derek Laxdal happy to be back Nelson is in the Oilers team picture, which hangs with the others down in old stomping ground the hallway from the dressing room and Laxdal is in the celebration shot after the Oil Kings won the . Both have been big contributors to the Stars’ success this season.

Derek Van Diest “We have an excellent coaching staff. Todd and Derek run the power play together and they’ve done a great job with that,” Bowness said.

“They have good insights to the game, they’re both experienced coaches Derek Laxdal and Todd Nelson both enjoyed their time coaching in who have coached at different levels, both at juniors and in the minors Edmonton and are back in the city trying to win the ultimate prize. and now in the NHL.

Laxdal and Nelson are both part of the Dallas Stars coaching staff under “They have a vast experience that we draw on. They’re big part of our Rick Bowness and working at getting the organization into its first Stanley coaching staff. We get together every day, we’re watching video together Cup final in 20 years. on the power play, penalty kill and five-on-five and they give us good insight, so I love the balance of this staff.” Dallas faces the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday (6 p.m.) at Rogers Place with the best-of- The Stars have a great mix of young talent and veteran savvy on their seven series tied 1-1. roster, which has taken them to this point in the playoffs. They were considered underdogs in the first-round series against the Calgary “It’s been a lot of fun, obviously, we’re doing pretty well in the playoffs, Flames and few gave them much of a chance against the Colorado which helps,” Nelson said. “It’s nice to be back. Just going out to Avalanche. Terwillegar to practise out there for the first time a month ago, and getting to see parts of the city was kind of neat.

“The disappointing thing is that we’re not able to see friends and family. I “Looking at our group, we’ve been getting better and better every series,” have some family here and the only way I get to see them if they drop off Laxdal said. “We’re getting a lot of contributions from everyone up and something at the hotel or something like that. But it’s been good to be down the lineup and we have to continue moving forward.” back and it brings back a lot of familiar memories.” With both Nelson and Laxdal having multiple championship rings from other leagues, a Stanley Cup title would look good on already impressive coaching resumes. Both have aspirations of taking over an NHL bench in Nelson, a product of Prince Albert, Sask., spent five seasons with the the near future and both would make excellent candidates for teams in Oilers organization, hired as head coach of their American Hockey need. League team in Oklahoma City and then promoted to Edmonton a quarter of the way into the 2014-15 NHL season. Nelson took over from Right now, however, the focus is on the Stars and helping them get to , who was fired 31 games into the year. their end goal with a team built to win a championship this season.

Dallas Stars assistant coach Todd Nelson, right, talks with head coach “We’re all trying to win the Stanley Cup and to be part of the final four is Rick Bowness of the Dallas Stars against the Colorado Avalanche in great,” Nelson said. “We hope to move on and we have a very tough Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NHL opponent with the Vegas Golden Knights and we know it’s going to be a Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 22, 2020 long series.”

Following that season, Nelson was hired by the Detroit Red Wings to Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 09.10.2020 coach their AHL affiliate, taking the to a league title in 2017. He is in his second year as an assistant with the Stars.

“I felt after my third year in Grand Rapids, I started to get a little complacent and comfortable, and I wanted to challenge myself and I wanted to get back to the league,” Nelson said of the NHL. “When Jim Montgomery gave me a call, I talked about it with him and it seemed like the right fit. I’m glad I did it.”

Montgomery had been the head coach of the Stars for two seasons, but was fired in January and replaced by Bowness, who was promoted from assistant coach. Bowness had a spot to fill on his coaching staff and turned to the Stars’ AHL team, coached by Laxdal.

After winning the Memorial Cup with the Oil Kings in 2014, Laxdal joined the Stars organization as coach of their AHL affiliate, taking the team to the final in 2018.

“I’m very honoured that (Stars general manager) Jim Nill has given me the opportunity to be a part of the Dallas Stars from the AHL to the NHL,” Laxdal said. “Coming back to Edmonton has been great, I had a great four years here. We had a lot of success with the Oil Kings, winning a couple of championships and three finals.

“I was here for part of the designing of the new Oil Kings dressing room and to see the final product and see Rogan (Dean, Oil Kings head equipment manager) and see Brian (Cheeseman, Oil Kings head athletic therapist), they’re here working here down below helping all the teams, so it’s kind of nice to get back.”

Dallas Stars assistant coach Derek Laxdal speaks with Denis Gurianov (34) during second period NHL Western Conference final playoff action against the Vegas Golden Knights, in Edmonton on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020 1178683 Edmonton Oilers “I’m pleased with what we’ve been able to accomplish but like the players we have to keep our eyes on the prize, the successful awarding of the Stanley Cup. But no positive tests in the approximately 30,000 (29,890) administered to players, club officials and staff has definitely exceeded NHL deputy commissioner not shying away from Daly grind of hub city our expectations.”

It’ll be interesting to see if any of the inspired ideas produced to get to this point in hockey and the other pro sports become staples going Terry Jones forward.

“Have there been things we learned that we can carry over? Yes. But for Bill Daly is the NHL’s second banana, best known as the guy who held the moment it’s a different problem to solve entirely,” said Daly of the up the gold card with the Oilers logo at the NHL Draft Lottery that next season currently being contemplated to begin in December. resulted in Connor McDavid coming to Edmonton.

He’s also known as the guy who presents the trophies at the Eastern and I asked the deputy commissioner if he’s at the spitballing stage of Western Conference finals that generally nobody wants to hold or touch. tackling that one. Daly, who has been in Edmonton doing his time in quarantine, completed “Spitballing is the right term at this point. There are lots of possibilities.” the isolation process and has now emerged to examine the Hub City bubble of the entire Stanley Cup playoff concept that has been the In the meantime, he’s happy to be here in the home arena of Connor ultimate success story of all the leagues’ return-to-play projects in North McDavid that he made ecstatic when he held up that gold card with the American pro sports. Oilers logo.

As NHL deputy commissioner, Daly is low profile but his value has “It was obviously an important moment in the history of this franchise. I showed itself from beginning to end heading this project. was privileged and honoured to be part of it, just like I’m privileged and honoured to come to work every day and do what I do.” “Bill is tireless. He has been an amazing leader on all we’ve done since we paused,” said NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer. “Bill led the See you back here for an NHL Entry Draft, NHL All-Star game and team that put together our health protocol and is the real reason this has possibly to present the Western Conference trophy a few times in the been a success to this point. My events team is here to execute his plan. coming decade, Bill. My admiration for him and his work ethic is beyond words.” Enjoy being in your bubble.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 09.10.2020 Daly said if there’s ever been a project where credit needs to be shared, this is it.

“This has been an overall team effort and an enormous undertaking,” he said in a one-on-one interview after emerging from quarantine to become an official resident of Hub City.

“The general public — and even some who are directly involved — likely under•estimate the time, brainpower and resources that have been devoted to pulling this off and making it a success to this point. It’s one of the biggest projects I’ve ever been involved with,” Daly said of the tournament that is believed to have come with a $70-million U.S. price tag.

“It not only has included our staff but the staff of the Oilers Entertainment Group and MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) in Toronto. We couldn’t have accomplished what we are accomplishing without their efforts and relationships. It’s been a true team effort.”

While the focus has been on Toronto and Edmonton and the NHL’s record of zero positive tests since the teams entered the two Canadian bubbles, Daly said the real triumph was getting the 24 playoff teams to the hub cities.

“For me, the biggest test was to pull off the individual training camps in the club cities and then transition to the bubbles in Edmonton and Toronto in a healthy fashion.

“That was the period of the biggest risk for us and we got through it. And that was a credit to the players and everyone else involved in doing things right and minimizing their risks. It’s really paid off.

“Once we got to the bubbles and we remained healthy, I knew we had a good chance to pull this off. That was probably the first time I started getting sleep at nights.

“I knew then we were in the good hands of our medical professionals and I saw that our players and club staff were committed.”

While Vegas and then Vancouver were projected to be the Western Hub, Daley again held up the card for Edmonton, not just as West host but whole hog host.

“Ultimately, Edmonton was an easy decision. The city had done a tremendous job in minimizing incidence of the virus and taken a very proactive and responsible approach to containment. Alberta Health, in particular, was level-headed, co-operative and very easy to work with. We all shared the same goal — keeping people protected and healthy. 1178684 Edmonton Oilers the following year, when split and joined the , where previous Edmonton playoff hero was also employed, and won it all.

Deck stacked against Vegas when it comes to Ex-Oiler Factor In 2009, the Pittsburgh Penguins were loaded with Ex-Oilers , Petr Sykora, Miroslav Satan and Mathieu Garon and won the Cup and the Los Angeles Kings followed in 2012 with , Matt Greene, Colin Fraser, and and again in 2014, with Stoll and Terry Jones Greene. Justin Schultz won back-to-back Cups with Pittsburgh in 2016 and ’17. And last year, triumphed with the St. Louis Blues.

With one virus already to deal with, it’s a good thing hockey doesn’t also That’s the evidence. have another one here this year like the one baseball had to contend with Now, here we are in 2020 with the remaining games of the Stanley Cup for decades. playoffs being played on Edmonton ice. I speak of the Ex-Cub Factor. The Dallas Stars have been here for the past 45 days with Andrej Sekera However, there is an Ex-Oiler Factor. and Andrew Cogliano in the line-up.

There’s clearly no Ex-Cub Factor at play in the Stanley Cup playoffs that The New York Islanders with Jordan Eberle, who promptly scored his began with the final four in Edmonton on the Labour Day weekend. first-ever playoff goal in Edmonton Monday.

It was Chicago’s celebrated newspaper columnist Mike Royko who wrote And the Tampa Bay Lightning shipped in from Toronto with Patrick that “Cubness” was a “virus” where having ex-Cubs could infect an entire Maroon. team with the will to lose when they got to the World Series. At the time, So they’re covered. the Chicago Cubs had not won a World Series since 1908 and it was documented that “Cubness attacks all who’ve played for the Cubs, even But Vegas? for a single day.” Nobody. For the Ex-Cub Factor “there’s no inoculation, no cure … when traded to another team, ex-Cubs become carriers of a debilitating disease.” Maroon could secure special ‘Ex-Oiler Factor’ status as he attempts to win Stanley Cups with two different teams in consecutive seasons. I take a swerve here in our coverage of this behind-closed-doors event to mention all of this because I believe the opposite is true in hockey. And Only four players have done it since in the 1930s. because the entire remainder of the Stanley Cup playoffs is here, I is the most recent with New Jersey in 1995 and then believe you should be made aware of it. Colorado.

Ab McDonald did it with Montreal and Chicago in 1960 and 1961, and It’s the Ex-Oiler Factor. Eddie Litzenberger and turned the trick together in Chicago in 1961 and Toronto in 1962. It appears to work just the opposite. None of them were ex-Oilers. But Arbour was a former Edmonton Flyer. With the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders having just joined the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights in immersing themselves in Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 09.10.2020 the Edmonton bubble, it seems like the appropriate time to introduce the Ex-Oiler Factor and alert one and all that the Golden Knights are in a tad of trouble here.

The Ex-Cub Factor was a curse. The Ex-Oiler Factor is a key. Instead of not wanting one, you need one. And the Vegas Golden Knights don’t have one.

Consider the history.

The Oilers won the last of their five Stanley Cups in 1990. he very next year, an ex-Oiler, , won the Cup with Pittsburgh. In 1993, after only a single season with the Oilers, Vincent Damphousse joined the and won the most recent Stanley Cup won by a Canadian franchise.

In 1994 there was a major outbreak of the Ex-Oiler Factor condition when , , , Craig MacTavish, , , and Mike Hudson combined to help win the their first Stanley Cup in 42 years.

Two years later, Dave Hannan hoisted the Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. Brent Gilchrist won it with Detroit in 1998 and Tony Hrkac the following year with Dallas.

Then in 2000, there was a three-year outbreak with , Ken Sutton and winning it with New Jersey in 2000, Shjon Podein, Bryan Muir and Greg de Vries with Colorado in 2001 and Jiri Slegr, Fredrik Olausson and Boyd Devereaux in 2002 with Detroit.

Kirk Maltby became the ultimate champion of the Ex-Oiler Factor in that Red Wing era. He won Stanley Cup rings with Detroit in 1997, ’98, 2002 and ’08, which isn’t bad for a guy who never had a 20-goal or 40-point season.

The Ex-Oiler Factor got quirky in 2006, when the Oilers made it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final only to watch former teammates and Ray Whitney carry the Cup. And the Ex-Oiler Factor kicked in again 1178685 Edmonton Oilers When McCurdy notes that right now it’s difficult to imagine an outsized return for Puljujarvi, he’s right. The answer to that dilemma is obvious: don’t trade him right now. Build up his value.

There are no good shortcuts for the Oilers with Jesse Puljujarvi Building up that value might include giving Puljujarvi minutes next to Connor McDavid, or time on the power play (where much of his draft- year goal-scoring happened). That’s a suggestion that will aggravate some readers but it’s consistent with how the Lightning handled Drouin. By Jonathan Willis Sep 9, 2020 I’d also suggest that the bar to play with McDavid hasn’t been very high.

Eleven forwards spent 30-plus minutes with McDavid at 5-on-5 this year, Very early into taking the Oilers’ general manager job, was a list that includes Patrick Russell, Joakim Nygard and Sam Gagner. asked what it was going to be like working in a fishbowl. He shrugged the Getting the odd shift or the odd game on McDavid’s line is something question off. Detroit, he said, was a fishbowl, too. So the reporters at the has done as a matter of course with all his forwards. press conference tried a different tack, asking whether fan expectations Puljujarvi’s case for those minutes is better than most. had influenced his decision-making process. The main recipient of those sweet McDavid minutes in 2019-20 was of “I try to make my decisions with no emotion,” he said. “I try to live in a course , who went from being a disgruntled fourth-liner with cocoon, as much as I can.” practically no points to being the proud recipient of a four-year contract with a $3.2-million cap hit. That’s a pretty good example of a team What he meant by that, he explained, was that in the lead-up to free building up a player’s value by using him in a specific way, even if said agency opening he and the staff were working 12-hour days, seven days team ultimately decided to pay for that value rather than trade it. a week, talking to agents and executives from other teams and collaborating. They then took the information collected during that Edmonton has the choice between being vindictive with Puljujarvi or process and tried to make decisions based on objective fact, rather than getting the most out of him. It will be one or the other; the Oilers won’t be responding to pressures from the media or the market or anywhere else. able to do both. As tempting as petty vengeance is, my assumption is that Tampa Bay is pretty happy with the choice it made. Emotional pressure isn’t just external, however. It can build internally, too, which is why I was reminded of those comments last week while The Oilers have taken the other road in the past, notably with Sheldon reading Bruce McCurdy’s comparison of the rosters of Edmonton and Souray. The end result was that they wasted a lot of money and gifted Tampa Bay. Specifically, McCurdy referenced how Holland protégé Dallas a perfectly serviceable NHL defenceman at a discounted price. had handled Jonathan Drouin walking out on the The team got worse but had the satisfaction of seeing Souray play a year Lightning mid-contract. in the AHL for $4.5 million. That trade-off of hockey upside for emotional satisfaction is the sort of decision that gave the 2010s Oilers the It was a brutal situation. Years after being drafted third overall – and reputation they had. delivering disappointing early returns – Drouin refused to report to Tampa Bay’s farm team. Drouin’s camp wasn’t quiet about it either. His agent, A possible third way was suggested by Oilers radio commentator Bob Allan Walsh, didn’t tweet out a picture of Yzerman running his client Stauffer on Thursday: trade one presently undervalued player for through with a sword but he did release a statement which said that another. “there is no reason for Jonathan to continue with the Tampa Bay FLORIDA GM STARTED @ACME_SPORTS NOW PART OF Lightning organization in any capacity.” @WASSERMAN ALLAN WALSH STATEMENT ON JONATHAN DROUIN MARKUS LEHTO WITH WASSERMAN REPS BOTH JESSE PIC.TWITTER.COM/MBA4TXQIJN PULJUJARVI AND PANTHERS PROSPECT HENRIK BORGSTROM. — RENAUD LAVOIE (@RENLAVOIETVA) JANUARY 21, 2016 DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO GIVE PULJUJARVI AND BORGSTROM The Lightning simply could not get fair value for Drouin at that point, and (6’3”, LEFT C) A FRESH START AFTER SOME TOUGH TIMES? right then it seemed unlikely they ever would. Seventeen months later — BOB STAUFFER (@BOB_STAUFFER) SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 they traded him for Mikhail Sergachev. Stauffer’s suggestion, Henrik Borgstrom, had an awful year and that’s the It’s difficult to overstate the amount of patience required to cause that point. One season ago he was coming off two great years in college and sequence of events. It also took a level of humility that can be difficult to a successful professional debut. This summer he’s a 23-year-old fresh off find in high-end executives. Whatever anger or disappointment Yzerman an AHL campaign in which he didn’t quite manage a point every other felt when his player quit on his team, he didn’t allow it to push him into game. Put another way, his AHL point totals were basically flat year over making a bad trade. year, except that last season he played 24 games and this season he Nor were the Lightning vindictive upon Drouin’s return. He did play 10 played 49. games in the AHL after taking two months off, but in just his second It’s not necessarily a poor idea, and if a team is determined to make a game back in the NHL he led all Lightning forwards in ice time, playing a trade from a bad position, finding someone else in an equally unpleasant whopping 19:27. He averaged 17 minutes per game on a skill line and spot is about as good as it gets. Borgstrom’s an extremely attractive with power play time in the playoffs that year. reclamation project, and he’s not the only one out there. “Some parallels there to the Jesse Puljujarvi situation, though J.P. did not What needs to be understood is that making such a trade doesn’t change walk out on a current contract the way Drouin did,” writes McCurdy. “Still, the need for patience or for dispassionate assessment. Bringing in a Ken Holland played it in a similar manner, holding his cards and different player changes the individual but it doesn’t change the task. pressuring the player to return to his original team before considering a One way or the other, the Oilers will have to build back a young player’s deal. Hard to imagine he’ll turn his asset into a Sergachev, though, isn’t value from a low ebb. it? Wow.” It can be tempting to imagine the change coming magically in the One thing Yzerman didn’t do was trade Drouin the instant he returned to aftermath of a trade, but that’s not how it works. is no the fold. Drouin had a lovely playoff run for the Lightning that spring, with fool and he found Borgstrom wanting; the player’s response was a lousy 14 points in 17 games. Tampa Bay could have dealt him at the draft that year in the AHL. That problem may or may not be more difficult than summer but didn’t. Not until the following year, after a 53-point season trying to get Puljujarvi comfortable in North America, but either way the fully restored his value, did the Bolts make the deal for Sergachev (who’d coaching staff will have their work cut out for them. had a solid but unspectacular post-draft season in the OHL). Drain the emotion out of the situation, and it doesn’t really matter if the Yzerman didn’t allow the player or his agent or other managers to dictate player’s name is Puljujarvi or Borgstrom or Julien Gauthier or Lias terms. He waited until he was able to set the terms of the deal himself. Andersson or any of the others that have been floated over the course of It’s the approach Sun Tzu would have advocated: “Therefore the clever the last 18 months. combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy’s will to be imposed on him.” If the Oilers are to turn the Puljujarvi situation to their advantage, they’ll have to do what the Lightning did so successfully with Drouin. It won’t be easy; if it were then what happened in Tampa Bay would be the rule rather than the exception.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178686 Los Angeles Kings Ultimately, the core motivation is readiness for when the Kings regroup and removing any potential limitations imposed by the pandemic. The anticipation is that these players will have made bigger gains than if they had remained off the ice and will be well positioned to compete for a IMPORTANCE OF LOANING PLAYERS TO EUROPEAN CLUBS roster spots throughout the organization.

That’s an important step on the road back.

BY EDDIE FISCHERMANN FOR LAKINGSINSIDER.COMSEPTEMBER LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 09.10.2020 9, 2020

The LA Kings are committed to injecting talented youth into their lineup over the next few seasons and under normal circumstances, this is the time of year when younger players typically start returning to their respective NHL cities to skate with teammates and set their sights on competing for a roster spot with the big club.

Due to the impact of the pandemic and the extended period of time between meaningful on-ice sessions, it has led the Kings, and other NHL teams, getting creative with their European prospects in particular.

With the European hockey calendar emerging, teams across the league have been loaning some European players to clubs in different European Leagues. For LA, that means the upcoming season for Tobias Bjornfot, Johan Sodergran, Samuel Fagemo, Carl Grundstrom and Jacob Moverare will begin in September, with leagues in Sweden and Finland beginning play on the 2020-21 campaign. While nothing is certain, it would not be a surprise to see more follow in those footsteps. These loans provide players with valuable practice time and game situations while a clause in their agreements allow them to come to North America when camp starts.

Simply put, it’s a smart way to prevent developmental delays and to maintain the same growth pattern of players at their age level.

In the case of Bjornfot and Sodergran, it means a return to their roots in Sweden with the intent of building on the momentum both experienced in 2019-20 during their first pro season in North America with the (AHL). After training camp with the Kings last season, Fagemo returned to Europe where he had a strong season with Frolunda (SHL) and enjoyed a breakout performance at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship, leading the tournament in goals and points while helping Sweden to a bronze medal. Grundstrom will return to Sweden for the first time since the 2017-18 season, when he came over to North America following his season with Frolunda to help the (AHL) win the Calder Cup. Moverare will move from the SHL to Liiga to play in Finland after posting the best year of his career last season with Frolunda.

In terms of their loan assignments, it was recently announced that Fagemo will play with Sodertalje, Sodergran will join Almtuna and Grundstrom will join IF Bjorkloven. All three teams are part of Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second-highest division. Bjornfot will return to Djurgadens IF of the SHL, Sweden’s top league, where he was a full-time member just two seasons ago before he came over to the United States to join the Kings organization. Moverare will play for SaiPa, a team that competes in Liiga in Finland.

It’s important to note that the Kings are working with their prospects in North America as well, but with restrictions for border crossings and quarantining, the European model is a valuable asset for those players currently overseas.

In both Europe and North America, these emerging young players can make great strides off the ice and in the gym, but they also need practice time and game situations if they want to make overall improvements.

Over the last two seasons, players like Jaret Anderson-Dolan in 2018 and Bjornfot in 2019 not only earned the chance to start the season with the Kings, but were able to learn on-ice nuances from examples set by veterans like Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Dustin Brown, and Jonathan Quick. Though their stints with the Kings were short-lived, their brief NHL experiences provided valuable lessons that continue to play key roles in their overall development.

Training camp is slated to begin in November and players will benefit from the added ice time they are getting now. Alleviating a longer layoff will be important to help prevent players from being a step behind when the pressure of a training camp environment is thrust upon them and they join their veteran NHL teammates. 1178687 Minnesota Wild In the West, Vegas and Dallas each have nine NCAA players on their roster. For the Stars, veteran forward Joe Pavelski (8-4-12) of Wisconsin has been the standout. The Golden Knights have received a big boost from Schmidt, the former Gopher from St. Cloud who has two goals and Led by Minnesota, influence of college hockey keeps growing in NHL six assists; (Boston College), who has eight goals and two assists; and Paul Stastny (Denver), who has four points in the past three

games. In addition, Bemidji State’s Zach Whitecloud is emerging as a By SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 reliable blue-liner.

Snee envisions a day in the not-too-distant future when it won’t be a story that college players are exceling in the NHL. In the meantime, he’s Mike Snee had a Philadelphia Flyers-New York Islanders playoff game enjoying what he’s seeing. on the TV last week when a string of last names uttered by the play-by- play announcer caught his attention. “It validates our story,’’ he said. “We don’t have to work hard to find the exciting angle, because the players provide it for us.’’ “I swear, I heard four Minnesota names,’’ Snee said. “There were six guys in that game who played in six different high schools, and two of Star Tribune LOADED: 09.10.2020 them were two of the best quarterbacks in the state – [Matt] Niskanen and [Anders] Lee. I just thought, ‘Man, these are the glory days of college hockey in the NHL and Minnesota in the NHL.’ ’’

Snee has a special interest in the subject. He's the executive director of College Hockey Inc., a St. Paul-based organization that spreads the gospel of college hockey as a path to the NHL, encourages top players to use that route and helps colleges add varsity programs. What’s been happening since the NHL returned to play with an expanded, 24-team playoff field on Aug. 1 has been music to his ears.

“You turn on one game, and Nate Schmidt is doing something spectacular,’’ Snee said. “And and Cale Makar are rewriting records books.’’

According to College Hockey Inc., the 24 NHL playoff teams included 218 players from 43 colleges. The University of Minnesota had a league- high 17 alums in the playoffs, with Boston University (16), Michigan (15) and North Dakota and Boston College (14) right behind. The Pittsburgh Penguins led NHL teams with 18 college players on their roster, three more than the Wild, the next-closest team.

The college influence is growing. In 2018-19, 33% of NHL players played in the NCAA. Fifteen years earlier, that figure was 21%.

“There probably was a bias against college hockey in a previous generation, for a variety of reasons,’’ Snee said, pointing to the and ’80s. “I don’t think that exists anymore.’’

It’s not only the raw numbers that stand out, it’s the impact, too. Two of the most dynamic players in the first two round of the playoffs were rookie defensemen Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. Both play with speed and skill rather than beef and braun. Hughes, 20, who played two years at Michigan, ranks second among NHL defenseman with 16 points in the playoffs. Makar, 21, who played two years at Massachusetts, had 15 points in the postseason.

“Imagine if they were still playing college hockey,’’ said Snee, above. “It’s so much fun to watch the impact those two have on the ice and how often they are part of the attacking offense.’’

The success of Hughes and Makar, Snee said, bodes well for 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner Scott Perunovich of Minnesota Duluth, a second-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues. Like Hughes (5-10, 170 pounds) and Makar (5-11, 187), the 5-10, 174-pound Perunovich is not large in stature but is big in production. He had 105 points in three seasons in the Twin Ports.

“Maybe if Perunovich were coming out in 2004, there might have been more skepticism because of his size,’’ Snee said. “Now, he looks exactly like a successful NHL player.’’

The four teams remaining in the playoffs are relying on NCAA talent. The Islanders have six collegiate players, including a trio of Minnesotans playing prominent roles – forwards Lee (Edina and Notre Dame) and Brock Nelson (Warroad and North Dakota) and defenseman Nick Leddy (Eden Prairie and the Gophers). Nelson has eight goals and seven assists in the playoffs, while Lee has contributed seven assists, including two in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. Leddy has been steady on the blue line and has three goals and two assists. In addition, Andy Greene (Miami of Ohio) has added grit and veteran leadership.

For Tampa Bay (five NCAA players), veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh (Cretin-Derham Hall and Wisconsin) scored his first goal in Game 1, while fellow blue-liner Kevin Shattenkirk (Boston U.) has nine points in the postseason. 1178688 Minnesota Wild — Sign as a free agent with another NHL team, something he may not want to do. Remember, in February, after declining to waive his no-move clause, Koivu said he couldn’t envision himself wearing another team’s uniform; Wild offseason update: End of an era for Mikko Koivu? Plus, trade/buyout banter — Wrap up his playing career by signing back with his hometown Finnish Elite League team, Turku, something he did not rule out back in the springtime.

By Michael Russo Sep 9, 2020 If Koivu’s playing career is over, Guerin indicated last month during a The Athletic podcast that the Wild would be willing to find Koivu a role in

some capacity inside the organization that would allow him to work either A month into the Wild’s offseason, we thought it would be a good time to in Minnesota or overseas. provide an update on what’s been going on beyond the hiring of assistant Koivu just completed his 11th season as full-time Wild captain and was coach Brett McLean and goalie coach Frédéric Chabot. the NHL’s fourth-longest tenured captain behind Boston’s Zdeno Chara, First, the most significant, albeit not unexpected, news: It’s very likely that Pittsburgh’s and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews. But the NHL we have seen the last of Mikko Koivu in a Wild sweater and that his fifth actually considers Koivu the captain in 2008-09 because he wore the “C” contract — a two-year, $11 million deal signed in 2017 — will be the final every month but two during ’s old rotating captaincy pact he signs with the franchise that drafted him sixth overall 19 years system. ago. According to the NHL, Koivu is one of 12 players in NHL history who The Wild are looking to upgrade up the middle and get younger and were captain or co-captain for all or part of 12 or more consecutive faster. With Koivu now 37, the Wild are expected to move on from the seasons with one franchise. club’s all-time leading scorer after his role diminished significantly last The Wild have never retired a player’s jersey, but if they were to start, season. Koivu’s No. 9 could very well be the first to rise to Xcel Energy Center’s It’s believed general manager Bill Guerin informed Koivu in their end-of- rafters when it’s all over. season exit meeting last month because Koivu, who remains in the Twin Trade banter/contract negotiations Cities, has told confidants and others over the past few weeks that his time playing for the Wild is over, sources said. According to multiple league sources, Guerin has had a lot of trade conversations that have bordered from sensible to ridiculous. If so, it really would be an end of an era. This is the time of the offseason where GMs often try to acquire a Rolls- Koivu has been a fixture with the Wild for almost as long as the Royce for a Pinto, especially when you’re calling a GM that was as franchise’s inception. candid as Guerin was publicly about his disappointment with the Wild’s He was selected in the first round in the 2001 NHL Draft in South Florida. season overall and their four-game bow-out against the Vancouver That was 7,018 days ago. Canucks in the qualifying round.

Four years later, Koivu debuted and for the past 15 years wore a Wild There’s probably nobody on the Wild roster that’s untouchable, although sweater. up-and-coming Kevin Fiala and soon-to-be-debuting, long-awaited prospect Kirill Kaprizov would be the closest to that label. He has played for the only two majority owners the Wild have known, all four general managers and all six head coaches. The good news about trade conversations, even when they’re nonsensical, you quickly discover what player or players interest another Koivu has had 210 teammates. team and seeds can be planted that may eventually sprout a deal. In all likelihood, the most popular players Guerin is being called about are The franchise’s one and only permanent captain is also the franchise’s defensemen Matt Dumba and Jonas Brodin. all-time leader in games played (1,028), points (709), assists (504), even- strength assists (298), even-strength points (433), power-play points If Guerin is to consider trading either, one would assume his biggest (251), power-play assists (191), shorthanded assists (15), shorthanded desire would be a top-six center as part of the trade package. points (25), plus-minus (plus-70), shots (2,270), shifts (25,769), multi- point games (153), shootout goals (42) and faceoff winning percentage If Guerin would consider trading Dumba — and we’re hearing that his (.537). He’s tied for first in overtime goals (five) and ranks second in name is being talked about a lot — one would assume Guerin will first goals (205), penalty minutes (592), power-play goals (60), even-strength want to have a Brodin contract extension agreed upon. goals (135) and shorthanded goals (10) and third in game-winning goals Jonas Brodin (33). Jonas Brodin (David Berding / USA Today) He has won 10,354 faceoffs, 6,941 more than the next closest teammate. He has logged 19,718 minutes, roughly 3,230 more than the next closest Determining that market value and what Brodin could command in a new teammate. deal is probably Guerin’s biggest priority right now. Brodin is entering the final year of his contract, and if re-signing him is going to be out of Back in November, Koivu became the 54th NHL player and 20th center bounds of what Guerin feels the value is for a solid defensive to appear in his first 1,000 games with the same team. In that game defenseman that doesn’t produce a lot offensively, a trade is possible. against Dallas, Koivu scored the shootout winner with his signature move and was mobbed on the bench after. If Koivu retires from the NHL, Koivu But there’s probably a price for anybody on the Wild roster, including would become the 39th player to play 1,000 or more games all with one young forwards Jordan Greenway, Luke Kunin and Ryan Donato. franchise. Remember, too, Guerin wants better goaltending next season. And if 1,000TH GAME: ✅ there’s a chance Kaapo Kahkonen could be on next year’s roster, Guerin could look to move one or both of his goaltenders, Devan Dubnyk and 700TH POINT: ✅ Alex Stalock.

SHOOTOUT WINNER: ✅ It’s also very likely that Guerin will look to revisit a trade of Zach Parise to the New York Islanders. A deal came close before the trade deadline last MIKKO KOIVU WAS ON ONE TODAY. winter. No trade can be made until the Islanders’ season is over, and it’s PIC.TWITTER.COM/NBD3EJR0HL uncertain if GM Lou Lamoriello even remains interested in acquiring — NHL (@NHL) DECEMBER 1, 2019 Parise, whom he drafted and made captain in New Jersey.

One of the sport’s top two-way forwards during his career, Koivu has The all-time leading goal-scorer amongst Minnesota-born players led the these options for his future if his time with the Wild is in fact over: Wild in goal-scoring last season, but Parise is 36 with five years left on his contract and will start to see a decreasing role in the coming years. — Retire from hockey and move on to his post-playing career; So, like Koivu, Guerin may feel it’s time to change things up inside the Wild and entertain a chance to get younger and move Parise’s contract.

It’s early, too, but as of now, the Wild haven’t made a lot of headway toward re-signing potential unrestricted free agent Carson Soucy.

Buyout options

While the NHL Draft will take place Oct. 6-7 and free agency begins Oct. 9, the first buyout window opens Sept. 25 and lasts until Oct. 8.

Two buyout candidates include Dubnyk and center . Neither is guaranteed to be bought out, but if the Wild can’t trade either player and want to free up roster spots to acquire replacements, buyouts are an option.

The likeliest would be Dubnyk because his game has slipped the past two years and Guerin has made it crystal clear that the goaltending must improve next season.

Dubnyk, 34, is entering the final year of his six-year, $26-million contract signed after his masterful second-half debut with the Wild in 2015. Saving the Wild’s season after his arrival earned Dubnyk the Masterton Trophy and a Vezina Trophy nomination.

Dubnyk has a modified no-trade clause in which he can be traded to 19 teams submitted last summer.

The way his contract was structured a few days after the NHL Awards Show in 2015, Dubnyk’s cap hit was set at $4.33 million but his salary was set for $2.5 million next season. That makes him a fairly reasonable buyout option if Guerin’s so inclined. A buyout would cost the Wild $1.667 million and they’d be charged a cap hit of $2.667 million next season and $833,333 in 2021-22.

The inexpensive salary could also make him attractive to other teams via trade.

Rask, 27, scored five goals in 43 games and didn’t play in the playoffs. Instead of two more years of $4 million cap hits, a buyout would cost the Wild four more years of $1.33 million cap hits. But in a league where it’s hard to acquire centers, Guerin could determine that Rask would be a good insurance policy to keep around and a buyout simply isn’t worth it.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178689 Montreal Canadiens The word “hero” is used far too easily in the world of sports, but Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is a real hero as far as I’m concerned.

The Kansas City Chiefs offensive-lineman opted out of the 2020 NFL Stu on Sports: A flashback to last year's Canadiens golf tournament season and in a first-person story published on SI.com Wednesday he explained why and how he made that decision.

The full story is a must read. Stu Cowan • Montreal Gazette Duvernay-Tardif, who has a medical degree from McGill University and a Super Bowl ring from last season with the Chiefs, spent nine weeks during the NFL offseason working part-time at a long-term care facility on Wednesday marked one year since the Canadiens held their annual golf Montreal’s South Shore in the Montérégie region. That experience had a tournament at Laval-sur-le-Lac, the unofficial start to their NHL season. huge impact on the 6-foot-5, 321-pounder. Nobody could have predicted back then that a year later a Stanley Cup champion for the 2019-20 season would still not be decided or that there wouldn’t be another team golf tournament this year because of COVID- Duvernay-Tardif writes about how he spent his shifts at the facility 19. dispensing medications, drawing blood and caring for elderly patients. He also learned that touch and eye contact really matter, as does taking the In some ways, that golf tournament seems like it was 10 years ago. time to listen to patients and “not acting like a doctor.” He used his phone At this time last year, the Canadiens were optimistic heading into the so that lonely patients could FaceTime with their family members. 2019-20 season, following a campaign in which they posted a 44-30-8 Looking forward to balancing the next year between studying at Harvard record and missed the playoffs by two points. It was a 25-point T.H Chan school of Public Health and working at a Long Term Care improvement over the previous season, when the Canadiens finished 29- Facility in . #backtoschool @HarvardChanSPH 40-13. — Laurent D. Tardif (@LaurentDTardif) September 9, 2020 “If you look back a year ago when I was standing here, there were a lot of question marks about this team,” GM said at the golf tournament last Sept. 9. “I think a year forward this team is in really good shape, not only short term but long term, and that’s a lot to say about the “Connection, real connection, became part of my job description, more Montreal Canadiens future.” important than drawing blood and putting in urine catheters and crushing up medicine,” Duvernay-Tardif writes.

“The truth is, if I hadn’t worked in that long-term care facility, I would Added owner/president at the golf tournament: “I think last probably be in Kansas City right now, practising and grinding though year we made a lot of progression. We started the season with quite a bit training camp,” Duvernay-Tardif adds. “Instead, this week I’m starting my of uncertainty, quite a lot of change and the players on the team showed studies at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard, online. As that they are a good team and they delivered throughout the year. much as I benefited from my stint in the facility, the time I worked there Obviously, it’s not enough to miss the playoffs by two points, but they did not count toward whatever medical discipline I ultimately will practice. sure showed that they are a team and I’m looking forward to a hungrier I’m targeting classes in health and social behaviour at a population level, team, having learned from last year, and maybe a few additions. I’m nutrition from a global population standpoint, biostatistics and hoping for a really good season. epidemiology. And I still plan to work at the long-term care facility.”

“I think there’s pressure every year to make the playoffs and we want to make the playoffs just as much as everyone else, obviously,” Molson said. “And so yes, the pressure’s there to make the playoffs. We’ll start Duvernay-Tardif walked away from one year of the five-year, US$42.36- the season with that as the goal and we’ll see what happens.” million contract he signed with the Chiefs in February 2017.

The Chiefs will kick off the NFL season Thursday night when they play host to the Houston Texans (8 p.m., TSN1, CTV, NBC, RDS2). The Canadiens did make the playoffs, but only because COVID-19 expanded the postseason to 24 teams instead of 16 and their 31-31-9 SI Daily Cover: On Thursday, the Chiefs will begin their Super Bowl record was enough to squeak in as the last qualifier. defense. Meanwhile, @LaurentDTardif will be battling on the front lines of COVID-19. Goalie was asked at the golf tournament if simply making the playoffs was too low of a bar for the Canadiens to set. The offensive lineman with a doctorate in medicine details his agonizing decision to opt out: https://t.co/RBNO2Pld4w pic.twitter.com/ZBLdlGFy51 “I think every team wants to be (a Stanley Cup contender) but in order to be a contender you need to make the playoffs,” he said. “That’s kind of I — (@SInow) September 9, 2020 think the mindset of most guys. I don’t think anybody’s coming here to be average.” Remember Eugenie Bouchard? The Canadiens ended up being the definition of average this season with a .500 record in the regular season and the playoffs (5-5). Canadian tennis fans have been focused on the U.S. Open in New York, where 21-year-old advanced to the quarterfinals The question now is when will next season even start? before losing in five sets to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in the wee Also, what will Bergevin do at the NHL Draft on Oct. 6, where the hours of Wednesday morning in a match that took more than four hours Canadiens hold the No. 16 overall pick, and on Oct. 9, when free agency to complete. begins? Montreal’s Félix Auger-Aliassime, Canada’s other rising young star on the men’s side at age 20, advanced to the Round of 16 before losing in straight sets to No. 2 seed Dominic Thiem of Austria on Monday. Leylah Canadiens fans will be hoping for more than just an average season Annie Fernandez, a 19-year-old Laval native, lost to No. 2 seed Sofia whenever the puck drops again. Kenin of the U.S. in the second round of the women’s competition.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC At last year’s U.S. Open, , at age 19, became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam championship when she beat Serena Stu on Sports: Top Canadiens draft picks play key roles with Lightning Williams 6-3, 7-5 in the women’s final. Andreescu hasn’t played a match Stu on Sports: Former Hab Jacques Lemaire has shot at another Cup since last October because of a knee injury and couldn’t defend her title ring this year.

Duvernay-Tardif headed to Harvard The future definitely looks bright for Canadian tennis. Meanwhile, Westmount’s Eugenie Bouchard (remember her?) has advanced to the second round of the Istanbul Tennis Championship after winning two qualifying matches. Bouchard, 26, beat Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, ranked No. 133 in the world, 6-2, 6-4 Wednesday in the first round of the WTA clay-court event.

Bouchard will face Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round. The Russian is the top seed at the tournament, is ranked No. 34 in the world and has a 3-0 lifetime record against Bouchard.

Bouchard was once ranked No. 5 in the world and advanced to the Wimbledon final in 2014 before losing 6-3, 6-0 to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Bouchard is now ranked No. 272 and must qualify for most events on the WTA Tour. She failed to qualify for the U.S. Open.

Four years ago, I was covering the U.S. Open when Bouchard lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova in the first round. Siniakova was ranked No. 72 in the world at the time — 33 spots below Bouchard.

Here’s link to column I wrote after that match under the headline: “Genie Bouchard left searching for answers after latest setback”.

The feel-good story of the NHL playoffs so far was the return of Oskar Lindblom to the Philadelphia Flyers lineup for Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Islanders.

Lindblom, 24, was diagnosed in mid-December with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue around the bones. Lindblom finished his radiation treatments in early July and two months later returned to play in Game 6 and Game 7, in which the Flyers were eliminated by the Islanders.

On Wednesday, Lindblom returned home and was greeted at the airport by his dog. The video below put a big smile on my face.

Oskar Lindblom and his dog Tage reuniting for the first time since leaving for the NHL bubble pic.twitter.com/z9j0pg18Ya

— Brooke Destra (@BrookeNBCS) September 9, 2020

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178690 Nashville Predators

Source: Dan Hinote expected to join Predators as assistant coach

By Adam Vingan Sep 9, 2020

The Predators are expected to hire Dan Hinote as an assistant coach, a source told The Athletic.

Hinote will replace Dan Muse, whose contract was not renewed last month, as part of ’ staff. Muse, whom Hynes inherited from predecessor , has since been hired as a head coach in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP).

A veteran of 503 NHL games and a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001, Hinote most recently served as associate coach for the U.S. National Under-17 Team. As part of the Under-18 staff in 2018-19, he worked with 2019 No. 1 draft pick Jack Hughes (New Jersey) as well as first-round picks Cole Caufield (Montreal), Spencer Knight (Florida) and Alex Turcotte (Los Angeles).

Hinote was an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2010 to 2014 and was responsible for the forwards and penalty kill. Those were Muse’s responsibilities with the Predators.

Hynes is also an NTDP graduate, working there from 2003 to 2009.

Assistant coach Dan Lambert remains on the Predators’ bench. Interim assistant coach Rob Scuderi returned to his previous role in player development.

SOUNDS LIKE DAN HINOTE IS GETTING THE NASHVILLE ASSISTANT COACH JOB UNDER JOHN HYNES. REALLY LIKE THIS HIRE FOR THE PREDS.

— CRAIG CUSTANCE (@CRAIGCUSTANCE) SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

The Athletic LOADED: 1178691 New Jersey Devils POWER PLAY PHILOSOPHY Recchi wants his power plays to start with a setup, then a lot of

improvising. 7 takeaways from Devils hiring Mark Recchi to assist Lindy Ruff | ‘I’m not “Obviously, the puck’s got to move,” Recchi said. "I think we can have a a yes man!’ real good structure. Lindy and I have talked about it. You’ve got a guy like Jack Hughes, who I think can be a quarterback on one of the units, and you just kind of go from there. By Randy Miller “You have a basic setup and then you can have your movements from there. You’ve got to play hockey. They’re talented. There’s a reason they’re on the power play. You’ve got to be able to make plays and make Devils coach Lindy Ruff didn’t wait long to make a move on filling one of the right decisions and you’ve got to compete like crazy because the his assistant openings after hearing the mid-August news that Pittsburgh penalty killers, especially now more than ever, are so aggressive.” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan had blown up his staff. SIZE DOESN’T MATTER Right away, Ruff called Hall of Fame right wing Mark Recchi, whose contract wasn’t renewed after three seasons of running a Penguins' Recchi scored 577 goals and 1,533 points in 1,652 NHL games over 22 power play that included superstar centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni seasons despite being a smallish player at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds. Malkin. He learned early in his career how to not allow bigger players to take him “You still interested in coaching?” Ruff asked. off his game, and he plans to teach that skill to the Devils' smaller forwards who have a lot of offensive skill – Hughes, Nikita Gusev and “Absolutely,” Recchi answered. Jesper Bratt, among others. Sign up for Devils Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes “I can teach them how to position yourself,” Recchi said. “You can’t worry observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers about a big physical guy. You can be strong on pucks in different ways at Before the call ended, the sixth-winningest coach in NHL history and different times and I think I can help.” 12th-highest points producer of all-time set up a time to meet again soon Buy Nico Hischier Devils gear: Fanatics.com, Dick's Sporting Goods, for a virtual interview. MLBShop.com, Lids “Then I started looking at the Devils' roster, and it just really excited me,” TEACHING WINNING Recchi said. With the Devils missing the playoffs seven times in the last eight Recchi, who lives in Pittsburgh, was so giddy about this potential seasons, GM Tom Fitzgerald has talked about his young core needing to coaching opportunity that he phoned Ruff back and offered to make a learn how to win. three-hour drive to Ruff’s Buffalo-area home for a face-to-face meeting. That led to an interview at a Buffalo-area restaurant, and there Recchi Recchi seems like a perfect fit to be big part of the Devils' nurturing talked about his passion for working with young players, how he likes to because he won Cups playing for the Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and run a power play and a lot more. Boston Bruins, then two more working as Pittsburgh’s player development coach. “We had enough food for an army,” Recchi said. "It was great. We had a great time.” “Definitely the mental part of the game is going to be a big part of that, and being through the grind of 22 seasons, I think I can help the younger Ruff loved what he heard, and on Tuesday the Devils announced the players with the mental preparation,” Recchi said. "You’ve got to learn hiring of Recchi as an assistant coach. some nights you just don’t have it. It’s an 82-game schedule and it’s Here are takeaways from Recchi’s interview with Devils media: hard. But you have to figure out how to help your team even when you don’t have it. It could mean just playing well defensively. “I think that’s WHAT RECCHI WILL BRING very important.”

Recchi will be in charge of the Devils forwards, run their power play, do a LOVES TUTORING UP-AND-COMERS lot of mentoring to younger players and, when needed, give some tough love. Recchi loved being a young player with the Penguins and being taught a ton by experienced future Hall of Famers Brian Trottier, Joe Mullen and He also plans to be hands on working with Ruff. Paul Coffey.

“I’m not a yes man,” Recchi said. “I’ll give my opinions and how I feel, As Recchi gained experience, he started mentoring the next generation and we’ll just work together. I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully of players, and he enjoyed it so much that he got into coaching. we’ll just make this team better and better.” “I’ve been around a lot of really good players and it’s been fun to work WHY PENS DUMPED RECCHI with them and play with them and help them,” Recchi said. “I’m excited about this opportunity with these young players and listening to how they Five days after the Penguins were knocked out of the playoffs in the see the game and then obviously getting a good feel how they play the qualifying round by the heavily underdog Montreal Canadiens, Recchi game.” was let go on Aug. 12 along with fellow assistants and Jacques Martin. RUFF ADMIRER

These were not surprising dismissals because the Stanley Cup-hopeful Recchi always thought highly of Ruff facing his well-coached Buffalo Penguins' front office was angry about a third consecutive early playoff Sabres teams for many years. exit following two championships. He’s fired up about being on his staff, in part because they both love Recchi was a scapegoat because the Penguins' power play converted aggressive offensive play. just 3-of-17 chances in four games against the Habs after finishing a disappointing 16th among 31 teams in the regular season with a 19.9 “Playing against his teams for so long, I have a great feel for what he success rate. does,” Recchi said. "I know he lets his players play. He lets his skill guys play. I think that’s important. You’ve got to be fair with them, but there’s a The Penguins' power play was a lot better in Recchi’s first two seasons, give and take for both sides, and I think Linda is great at that. finishing third with a 23.8 percent conversion rate in 2017-18 and eighth at 22.8 percent in 2018-19. “I’m looking at helping Lindy, but I’m also looking at learning from Lindy. You never stop learning in this game, and I’m going to continue to learn “I thought at times we executed well this year in the playoffs,” Recchi and continue to work my tail off to grow as a coach." said. “You’ve been off for four and a half months (due to the pandemic) and it was really the first time in a long time that we’d had the whole Star Ledger LOADED: 09.10.2020 group together, but there’s no excuses. It didn’t go in.” 1178692 New Jersey Devils goal on 26.2 percent of their opportunities. The Penguins had the fifth- best power play two years ago before dropping to the middle of the pack (19.9 percent, 16th) this past season.

How new assistant coach Mark Recchi can help the Devils rebound The power play also became a focal point of the Penguins’ struggles during an unceremonious qualification-round loss to the Canadiens, which led to assistant coaches Recchi, Sergei Gonchar and Jaques Martin being let go. The Penguins went 3-for-17 on the power play in the By Corey Masisak Sep 9, 2020 series. Going 1-for-7 in the Game 1 overtime loss and registering just one shot on goal with the man advantage in the 2-0 Game 4 defeat were easy talking points in the dissection of what went wrong in the aftermath. Mark Recchi was the highest-scoring, draft-eligible player from the in the 1988 NHL Draft. Though 66 players were “I thought at times we executed well in the playoffs and there were times selected before him, in part because of his height, he kept on scoring, where it just wasn’t quite there,” Recchi said. “You’ve been off for four collecting more points than all but 11 players in NHL history en route to a and half months, and it was really the first time in a long time that we had plaque in the . the whole group together. But there’s no excuses. It didn’t go in (enough).” Recchi became the highest-scoring coach in Devils franchise history Tuesday when the club announced him as an assistant on Lindy Ruff’s The first place to start in any discussion of Pittsburgh’s power play over staff, surpassing . the past 15 years is the individual talent. When the first names on the white board are Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang, the expectations The Devils believe Recchi will help their collection of talented, young naturally are sky high. But the Penguins’ power play has not always been forwards — many of whom are are also undersized by traditional NHL elite, and Recchi’s first two years in charge represent the best and third- standards — develop into impact NHL scorers. best percentages of the Crosby-Malkin era in Pittsburgh.

“We’ve got some smaller players who are very skilled, but the bottom line ’s arrival helped, giving the two future Hall of Fame centers an is if you compete and play the right way, I think you’re able to do that,” elite shooter to feed. Patric Hornqvist’s work in front of the net and Recchi said. “I can teach things like how to position yourself and get into retrieving pucks was also a key component. people’s hands … you can’t worry about being a big, physical guy or whatever, but you can get into people’s hands and be strong on pucks in Here is a more detailed look at how the Pittsburgh power play has different ways. I think I can help, and that’s going to be a big part of it is performed over the past three seasons: helping our young players.” Goals Recchi has spent six seasons in coaching, all with the Penguins. He was 61 a development coach for the first three years, in which span Pittsburgh won back-to-back Stanley Cup trophies in 2016 and 2017. Then he was 1st an assistant on Mike Sullivan’s staff, and each year the Penguins exited the playoffs earlier than expected. 52

If Devils forwards like Jesper Bratt, Joey Anderson and Nick Merkley 6th need proof of Recchi’s influence beyond his playing resume, they need 36 look no farther than his experiences coaching Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust and , three wings who are sub-six feet and were not T-18th selected in the first two rounds of the NHL draft but all blossomed into key scorers for the Penguins. Goals against

When it comes to working with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, Recchi’s 3 list of former teammates and pupils includes some of the best franchise T-6th centers in league history: , and Bryan Trottier in Pittsburgh, in Philadelphia, Saku Koivu in Montreal and 15 Patrice Bergeron in Boston. Recchi has also played with and coached Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. 31st

“I’ve been around a lot of good players, and it’s been fun to work with 4 them and play with them and help them,” Recchi said. “I’m excited about T-6th this opportunity with these young players and listening to how they see the game and then getting a good feel with how they play the game.” Shooting %

Recchi has ties to key people in the Devils organization. General 16.35 manager Tom Fitzgerald, assistant GM Dan MacKinnon and assistant coach Alain Nasreddine all came to New Jersey from Pittsburgh. 1st Recchi’s only connection to Ruff was through hockey friends. Their 17.05 decision to work together was sealed over lunch near Ruff’s home in suburban Buffalo after Recchi decided to make the drive from Pittsburgh 3rd to meet with the head coach in person. 13.14 “Lindy called me not long after we didn’t get renewed here (in Pittsburgh) 16th and just asked me if I was still interested in coaching,” Recchi said. “I said yeah, absolutely. Then I started looking at the Devils roster and it High-danger chances just really excited me.” 163 In addition to developing New Jersey’s young forwards, Recchi’s other top responsibility will be the power play. The Devils made the playoffs in 7th 2017-18 thanks to Taylor Hall’s MVP campaign, two strong stretches of 128 goaltending at the beginning and the end of the season and their special teams finishing in the top 10. 14th

The Devils’ penalty kill has remained one of the best in the league the 127 past two years, while the power play has declined. The team finished each of the past two years 21st in power-play efficiency. T-7th

Recchi was in charge of the power play in Pittsburgh for the past three High-danger goals seasons. It was the best in the league in 2017-18, with them scoring a 38 1st When the Penguins’ power play was rolling, they didn’t need a lot of shot attempts or chances to score. 24 Yielding too many shorthanded goals was a problem in Recchi’s second T-8th year in charge, but they rectified that this season.

21 They created plenty of chances this season (sixth in expected goals per 7th 60 minutes), but did not finish as many as in the previous two.

Corsi For/60 “Obviously the puck’s gotta move,” Recchi said. “Every team has different structure. I think we can have a real good structure with New 96.2 Jersey. Lindy and I have talked about it, and you’ve got a Jack Hughes who can be a quarterback on one of the units and you go from there. 24th Puck movement is important. You can’t get stagnant.” 85.98 Pittsburgh’s basic setup over the past three years, when everyone was 25th healthy, included Letang at the top of the zone, Hornqvist in front of the goalie, a shooter on the left wing (Kessel on his off-wing side the first two 95.12 years), Malkin on the right wing and Crosby near the goal line. Figuring out where Crosby and Malkin fit together on the power play has not 16th always been a smooth and easy deal in their 15 years together, but this Shots For/60 configuration worked well in recent years.

55.46 When watching clips of Penguins’ power plays from the past few years, one element that immediately stands out is the freedom Crosby and 14th Malkin have to move around. It rarely looked like the standard 1-3-1 formation the Devils have deployed with Geoff Ward and Rick Kowalsky 50.82 in charge. 14th “You’ve got to have some creativity,” Recchi said. “You have a basic 50.71 setup, then you can have your movements from there and you’ve got to play hockey. You can have some simple structure for them, and then 22nd after that, they’ve got to make plays. … You’ve got to be able to make Goals For/60 plays and compete like crazy because the penalty killers, now more than ever, are so aggressive and you’ve got to be on the top of your toes.” 9.07 Here’s a clip of a goal the Penguins’ power play scored against the 2nd Bruins in 2017 when Boston was one of the best PK teams in the league:

8.67 Having Crosby and Malkin work together on one side of the ice with Kessel on the other is a challenge for any opponent, but this was an 5th especially crafty play in which Malkin’s cutting to the net created space 6.66 for a Kessel snipe.

17th Both penalty killers on Kessel’s side of the ice got distracted by Malkin, but watch that angle a few times, and it’s clear that Crosby knew he was xGoals For/60 going to feed Kessel before Malkin got to the middle of the ice.

7.22 There’s plenty of crisp passing and world-class skill involved in this goal, but it’s also not hard to envision how the Devils could emulate it. 7th Hischier seems well-suited for Crosby’s role. He has spent some time in 6.48 the “bumper” spot — the high slot, or the middle of the “3” in the 1-3-1 — 13th and as the player closest to the goaltender. Crosby is an elite passer, but hanging out in that space along the goal line to the left of the goaltender 7.17 also allows him to clean up rebounds and move to the edge of the crease quickly to redirect perimeter shots. This type of setup could give Hischier 6th more space to operate and freedom to use his hockey sense to help set High-danger CF/60 up goals.

24.23 Hughes doesn’t have Malkin’s powerful shot, but he spent a lot of time in his rookie season on the right side of the 1-3-1. He and Hischier have the 8th ability to develop the same type of chemistry and act as duel quarterbacks. 21.33 When Crosby and Malkin where on the ice together this past season, 13th Malkin had the freedom to move around and a lot of Crosby’s shots came 84.67 from the side of the net or near the crease.

17th Kyle Palmieri has enjoyed success in that spot as well as a strong-side shooter. The Kessel goal above is an example of the type that Palmieri High-danger GF/60 can score, where he has a second to collect the pass, change the angle slightly and snap off a wrist shot instead of trying to hammer home a one- 5.65 timer. T-1st This is one of just two power-play goals the Penguins scored against the 4 Devils in the past three seasons (11 games). This sequence started with Malkin on the right side, Crosby down by the goal line and Letang at the 6th top of the zone. Some perimeter passing and player movement changed 3.89 up the look, and then those guys went to work.

7th Kessel shifted down to a spot on the other side of Crosby, holding Ben Lovejoy’s attention and opening up lots of space for Malkin. Crosby’s A few takeaways from the chart: shot fake was enough to freeze Blake Coleman, and when he saw Kessel get his stick into position at the side of the net, Crosby found it PP TOI with a perfect pass. PP TOI/G The Devils were a great penalty-killing team in 2018-19, and their top four are on the ice for this play, and the Penguins still managed to Phil Kessel execute. They pinged the puck around, they moved some bodies to find 250 enough open space and Kessel got into position despite having a defender all over him. Sure, Crosby made a ridiculous pass and they still 3:03 needed a little help with the bounce to score, but that is a play Hughes or Sidney Crosby Hischier can make and Palmieri or maybe Nikita Gusev can finish. 242 So, what went wrong for the Penguins this past season? Not having Kessel hurt and injuries across the board were a problem. 3:03

Here is the Penguins’ top PP unit from 2017-18 when all five players Evgeni Malkin were healthy for most of the year: 220 And here is the top five from this past season: 3:14 Those five players spent four minutes together during the 2019-20 regular season at 5-on-4. Guentzel scored 40 goals last year and Kris Letang seemed like the obvious replacement for Kessel, but he’s a lefty. Rust is 203 right-handed and earned a lot of time on PP1 when Guentzel was hurt. 3:07 Here’s another way to look at the continuity issues through ice time: Patric Hornqvist 2017-18 180 PP TOI 2:37 PP TOI/G Jake Guentzel Phil Kessel 170 295 2:04 3:36 Marcus Petterson Sidney Crosby 67 285 1:10 3:35 Justin Schultz Evgeni Malkin 65 280 2:15 3:28 Dominik Simon Patric Hornqvist 58 235 0:49 3:21 Derick Brassard Kris Letang 50 235 1:15 2:58 2019-20 Jake Guentzel PP TOI 142 PP TOI/G 1:44 Kris Letang Justin Schultz 195 139 3:11 2:12 Evgeni Malkin Olli Maatta 187 109 3:23 1:19 Patric Hornqvist Conor Sheary 161 94 3:06 1:11 Sidney Crosby Bryan Rust 147 53 3:35 0:46 Bryan Rust 2018-19 141 10.03

2:33 1st

Justin Schultz High-danger CF/60

116 28.22

2:37 6th

Jake Guentzel High-danger GF/60

114 4.7

2:55 8th

Jared McCann That looks eerily similar to another Montreal playoff series, when the Canadiens stunned the top-seeded Capitals in 2010 by “shutting down” 104 their vaunted power play in the last three games. Washington had loads 1:34 of shot attempts and scoring chances but couldn’t capitalize.

Alex Galchenyuk For Recchi and the Penguins, was it Carey Price’s goaltending? Bad luck? Frustration setting in, which led to shooting wildly instead of finding 66 the best scoring opportunities? It was a little bit of each, plus sloppy execution. 1:28 Recchi will have some immediate areas to address with the Devils. Marcus Pettersson Palmieri has had more success as a shooter on his strong side, but that’s 61 also where Hughes is likely to play. If the Devils shift Palmieri to his off wing, where does that leave Gusev, who found a home there after Taylor 0:52 Hall was traded?

Neither Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel or Hornqvist played more than 55 Part of what made having Crosby and Malkin on one side of the ice games this season. All were available for the qualification-round series together so successful was also having the three right-handed shots against Montreal, and so was Jason Zucker, a trade-deadline addition. (Kessel, Letang and Hornqvist) available for potential one-timers. Recchi will have plenty of options for Letang’s spot — lefties Will Butcher and Ty Recchi and the Penguins did more shuffling during the Montreal series. Smith, righties Damon Severson and P.K. Subban — but the Devils also Having more options, including Zucker and Rust coming off a career-high didn’t have much continuity in that spot until later in the 2019-20 season. 27 goals in just 55 games, likely played into that, as well as less time for patience in a short series. They don’t have an obvious option for the net-front spot where Hornqvist typically played, either. Maybe that player will arrive during the offseason Here is the same chart from earlier, with just the 2020 qualification round: via trade or free agency. Maybe Palmieri goes there, with Gusev on the Goals wing. Or, maybe one of the young forwards surprises and claims that spot with a strong training camp. 3 This will be a different type of challenge for Recchi, but helping the young T-7th forwards develop and improving the power player are critical to the Devils’ rebuilding efforts. Goals against The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 0

T-1st

Shooting %

9.68

17th

High-danger chances

12

T-2nd

High-danger goals

2

T-3rd

Corsi For/60

129.33

1st

Shots For/60

72.89

1st

Goals For/60

7.05

11th xGoals For/60 1178693 New York Islanders

Islanders give up goal with 8.8 seconds left, fall into 2-0 hole against Lightning in Eastern Conference Finals

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

EDMONTON, Alberta — Even though the Tampa Bay Lightning seem to possess some overtime magic in the playoffs, this was not the the time for more hockey.

Losing leading scorer Brayden Point to injury and Alex Killorn to ejection and after going into the game with just 11 forwards, the Lightning played much of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final with nine. Extra minutes would have taken their toll against a New York Islanders team that responded in a big way from a series-opening blowout.

Instead of going into OT, Nikita Kucherov scored with 8.8 seconds left to break the tie and give Tampa Bay a 2-1 victory Wednesday night and a 2-0 series lead. The relief was visible on the bench as coach Jon Cooper pumped his fist three times, and the Lightning are now two wins away from the Stanley Cup final.

“Any goal is a good goal and a huge goal in the series, especially that one,” said Kucherov, who scored the near-buzzer-beater off a pass from defenseman Ryan McDonagh. “We were short (at forward), and we tried to play disciplined defensively and we knew our chances were going to come. We just had to wait and we got rewarded and definitely it was huge for us. We’ll take it.”

The Islanders are stunned after allowing game-winning goal with just 8.8 left in Game 2 of Eastern Conference Finals against Lightning.

Tampa Bay won thanks to some timely scoring, 27 saves from Andrei Vaslievskiy and two big penalty kills. But the biggest question moving forward is the status of Point, who trails only Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for the most points this postseason.

Point was injured going down awkwardly late in the first period, came back for two shifts in the second and then left the game for good.

“We all know the character of that kid and what a competitor and gamer he is,” Cooper said. “So for him not to come back, I know it was tough on him and clearly it was tough on us as well.”

This was a much tougher game to win for Tampa Bay than its 8-2 romp over New York on Monday night.

Two nights after Point scored 1:14 in, Matt Martin did the honors 1:24 in to give the Islanders the lead. A broken play helped defenseman Nick Leddy get behind the net, and he fed Martin for his fifth goal of the playoffs on a rare play in which Vasilevskiy lost sight of the puck.

Six minutes in, Killorn hit New York’s Brock Nelson into the glass from behind and was ejected and given a 5-minute major penalty for boarding. The Lightning killed the entire Islanders power play.

[More Sports] Islanders crushed by Lightning in conference finals opener »

After Nelson returned later, Barclay Goodrow cross-checked him in the back of the neck, a play that went uncalled. Coach Barry Trotz called it “a little bit of a target to the head.”

“Obviously we didn’t love (Killorn’s) hit on him,” Martin said. “The refs made the right call. And, yeah, we didn’t like the cheap shot cross-check to his head, either. Unfortunately it is what it is. They missed that one.”

Norris Trophy finalist defenseman Victor Hedman scored to tie it late in the first, and there were no goals throughout the second into the third. The Islanders got a lengthy power play that included 38 seconds of 5-on- 3 time, but Tampa Bay’s penalty kill stepped up again with McDonagh and Cedric Paquette in the box.

“Just a gutsy 5 on 3 there by the guys,” McDonagh said. “You never want to put your team down, especially late in the game. Between Vasy and all the killers, it was definitely the difference in the game.”

New York Daily News LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178694 New York Islanders

Islanders victimized by some questionable calls

By Mollie WalkerSeptember 10, 2020

The Islanders found themselves on the wrong end of a missed penalty and an inaccurate call in Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.

After Alex Killorn was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a late hit from behind on Brock Nelson in the first period, the Islanders’ center was cross-checked in the back of the neck by Barclay Goodrow in the second period on his first shift after coming back from concussion protocol in the locker room. There was no call on the play.

“Obviously, we didn’t love the [first] hit on him, the refs made the right call,” Matt Martin said on a Zoom call following the 2-1 loss in Edmonton. “And yeah we didn’t like the cheap shot, cross-check to his head either. Unfortunately, it is what it is. They missed that one.

“Thankfully, Brock is OK. He’s a huge part of our team, plays in all situations, but yeah we didn’t like it, that’s for sure.”

Nelson assured that he was feeling good after going through the necessary protocols and precautions ordered by the doctors.

“Yeah it’s just one of those days, kind of felt like you were getting hit quite a bit,” he said. “But that’s part of the game.”

Coach Barry Trotz noted that the first hit Nelson took was a “dangerous play” but added the referees made the right call on Killorn. As for the second hit, Trotz felt like Nelson was targeted.

“The second one, I just thought that was a target at the head,” Trotz said. “They knew he was hurt, they targeted him a little bit. The league handles it, they look at it thoroughly.”

After acknowledging how much he’s learned from the referees and linesmen inside the NHL’s bubbles and his new-found appreciation for their job, Trotz pointed to an inaccurate icing call that led to the Lightning’s game-tying goal in the first.

Islanders defenseman Devon Toews looked to have made an ill-advised dump of the puck from the red line, but a replay showed that Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk got a stick on it. The Lightning won the ensuing faceoff and Victor Hedman put one away to tie the game 1-1.

“On their first goal, we were sure that they tipped it and it shouldn’t have been an icing call,” Trotz said. “That’s why our bench was so upset. There’s going to be things that are missed, not called. You have to play through it. That’s playoff hockey. We win the faceoff, we’re not even talking about it.”

Andrew Ladd made his 2020 playoff debut, replacing Derick Brassard on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s wing.

“I knew he was ready,” Trotz said of the 34-year-old Ladd. “The coaches said he was ready and he’s scored a lot of goals in the net front. He can help us on the power play, good wall play and all that. I just felt it was his time. I trust him. He’s got about 900 games of NHL experience and all that. That line was good today. All that being said, he prepared for this moment and I thought he acquitted himself very well.”

It was Ladd’s first game action since March 10 and his first postseason appearance since April 2016 when he was with the . Additionally, Leo Komarov was inserted back into the lineup for the first time since Game 6 against the Philadelphia Flyers.

New York Post LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178695 New York Islanders Nelson missed over 23 minutes of playing time after he absorbed Killorn’s blow, getting back onto the ice at 9:01 of the second. Fifteen seconds later, he was crosschecked in the neck by Barclay Goodrow, No. 29’s face again getting the brunt of it against the wall. No call was This Islanders’ loss much more painful than a blowout made this time.

“We didn’t like the [Killorn] hit but the refs made the right call,” said Martin. “And then, yeah, we didn’t like the cheap-shot crosscheck to his By Larry BrooksSeptember 10, 2020 head, either.”

There was a lot to like about the Islanders game but nothing to like at all So the first one was a fiasco for darn near the full 60 minutes whereas about the final 20 seconds. So after 8-2 and 2-1, it is 2-0. You do the the second one devolved into slapstick only after 59:40 of play and for math. only about a sum of 12 seconds, at that. New York Post LOADED: 09.10.2020 But that was enough. That was enough to undermine a dedicated, workmanlike effort in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals that had been played to Islander dictates. That was enough to spoil the whole darn thing.

Because suddenly, in a 1-1 game that seemed under control while inexorably ticking toward overtime, the Islanders slipped on a boatload of banana peels. Yanni Gourde had a semi-breakaway up the middle with 20 seconds to go, only to be stopped by Semyon Varlamov. After the Lightning retrieved, Ondrej Palat had a point-blank shot alone in the slot, only to send it wide.

Andy Greene then threw it to no one up the boards. Oh, that’s not exactly accurate. Greene actually threw it up the wall to an aggressive, pinching Ryan McDonagh, who wears the wrong uniform. The former Ranger then fired an impeccable cross-ice pass to Nikita Kucherov, who rifled it home with 8.8 seconds remaining while the Islanders five of Andrew Ladd, J-G Pageau, Leo Komarov, Greene and Ryan Pulock were all in no-man’s land.

So, 2-1. Worse in its way than 8-2. Because this was a night the Islanders limited Tampa Bay to all of 21 shots, including 15 through the first 50 minutes. They held the Lightning without a shot from 5:11 to 18:25 of the first period. Of course when Tampa did finally get a puck on net after that span of 13:14, it went in after a faceoff loss following an unforced icing that probably was called incorrectly.

Splat.

This was a contest in which the Lightning could not get into open ice. And this was a game in which the Lightning went with nine forwards for the final 35 minutes following the first-period game misconduct assessed to Alex Killorn for his hit to the head on Brock Nelson and the second period injury that forced first-line center Brayden Point from the match.

Still, it is now 2-0 in the series that will continue with Friday’s Game 3. Teams have overcome that deficit before in best-of-sevens, and if the Lightning are without Point for an extended period of time that could, and/or should, become a significant factor. But the Islanders could, or should, have won this one. And did not.

“We battled hard and I knew we would,” said Matt Martin, whose goal from the inner rim of the right circle gave his team a 1-0 edge just 1:24 into the match. “I said the other night I have a ton of confidence in this team and that we believed we could win the series, and we still do.

“It’s a good effort, unfortunately we came up a little short. But when you play like that more often that not, you’re going to win.”

But you’re not going to win many games in May — er, September — by time and again squandering opportunities on the power play. The Islanders got away with a loose man-advantage the last round against the Flyers, but just barely. After erasing a 3-0 deficit in Game 2, the team failed on a late third-period man-advantage before losing in overtime. The scenario repeated itself late in regulation of Game 5, when the Islanders failed on a late third-period power play after rallying from 3-1 to tie, again to lose in overtime. The difference this time is that the game didn’t get to extra time.

The difference this time is that the Islanders were feeble on the five- minute major advantage they received at 5:55 of the first when Killorn played the bongos with Nelson’s head against the glass. Vasilevskiy faced four shots. Then, the Islanders botched a 38-second two-man advantage midway through the third period on this 0-for-4 night.

“We’re trying to get a little bit too fine, I think,” Trotz said of the power play that is 10-for-64 on the tournament. “Sometimes you’ve got to get a little greasy. I think we were trying to pass it in the net tonight.” 1178696 New York Islanders “Obviously we need results right now, we need to find a way to win hockey games. This one got away from us and now we shift our focus to the next one.”

Islanders stunned by Lightning in heartbreaking Game 2 loss New York Post LOADED: 09.10.2020

By Mollie WalkerSeptember 9, 2020

The Islanders looked like a different team compared to their series- opening clunker, but that’s what made a tight loss in Game 2 all the more gut-wrenching.

With 8.8 seconds left in regulation, Nikita Kucherov stole Game 2 for the Tampa Bay Lightning as they took a 2-1 victory and a 2-0 series lead over the Islanders at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday night.

Coming into Game 2, the Islanders held a 4-1 record in games following a loss in these playoffs. They have managed to stay in control of nearly every series this postseason by responding to each loss with an emphatic win. But now it’s the Lightning who have taken control.

“We’ve lost some overtime games, we’ve lost in different ways that have punched us in the stomach a few times in the last series,” Barry Trotz said on a Zoom call following the loss. “This one is a little bit of a shot to the gut. And every time that we’ve done that, we’ve gotten up. We had our energy, we had our game. We just didn’t get the result.”

Tied 1-1 at the start of the third, and facing a Lightning team that was down to nine forwards after losing Alex Killorn to a game misconduct and Brayden Point to injury, the Islanders survived an early Lightning power play before whiffing on a crucial five-on-three opportunity.

Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov, who finished with 19 saves, came up with big stops on Mikhail Sergachev and Yanni Gourde before Kucherov found the back of the net off a stellar cross-ice feed from former Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh.

Trotz and Matt Martin, who matched his regular-season goal total with his fifth of the playoffs Wednesday night, agreed there were positives to take from the loss. Like how the Islanders penalty kill went 3-for-3 and the fact it was a low-scoring game compared to Monday night’s 8-2 blowout.

But the Islanders are already looking ahead, like they have after every game, no matter the outcome.

“I said the other night I have a ton of confidence in this team, we believe we can win this series and we still do,” Martin said. “It’s a good effort, unfortunately came up short, but play like that, more often than not, you’re going to win.”

The Islanders looked like they had something to prove from the start. They said they’d tighten things up after Game 1 and they followed through, at least for the first half of the first period Wednesday. There was urgency and there was focus in their start, which paid off as Martin flipped the puck over Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy less than a minute and a half into the game to take an early lead.

A few minutes later, Killorn laid a late hit from behind on Brock Nelson and earned a five-minute major and a game misconduct as Nelson went to the locker room in pain. After dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper was down to 10 forwards very early.

After an ill-advised icing from Devon Toews — though replays showed Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk got a stick on it — the Isles were unable to change and soon allowed defenseman Victor Hedman to tie the score off the faceoff at 18:25.

Nelson wasn’t on the Islanders’ bench to start the second period but he came back a little less than halfway through. It was a physical second period as things began to get chippy. Both teams exchanged 30-plus hits through 40 minutes as Tampa Bay lost Point to injury.

“After a blowout loss, I just liked our response as a group,” Martin said. “We came out and played the right way for 60 minutes. When you come out and you have four lines rolling and everyone is buying in and doing what it takes to win games, sometimes you live with the result. 1178697 New York Islanders Easy to say, difficult to do. “The first game wasn’t us,” Trotz said. “That was a team that was tired.

Today we got our energy back, and we’ll be ready for the next game. Islanders are facing a great test of their character This group has a lot of character and a lot of fight in them.”

So we have heard. Now we will see.

We have been hearing, talking, reading and writing about the Islanders’ Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.10.2020 character under coach Barry Trotz for two full seasons now, and it mostly has been true.

But we are about to witness the ultimate test of it, because on Wednesday night they suffered what until proven otherwise must be considered a devastating and perhaps insurmountable blow.

They rebounded from a Game 1 rout against the Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals, played mostly well, then saw Nikita Kucherov score with 8.8 seconds left in regulation time for a 2-1 loss and a 2-0 series deficit.

Game 3 is Friday night in Edmonton.

“We’ve lost in different ways that have punched us in the stomach a few times in the last series [against the Flyers],” Trotz said. “This one’s a little bit of a shot to the gut. Every time we’ve done that, we’ve gotten up.”

Trouble is, the Lightning are the best team the Islanders have faced and they now must beat them four times in five games to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1984.

Impossible? No. Improbable? Yes.

The Lightning played much of the game with only nine forwards, and the Islanders had the verve they lacked in that 8-2 loss on Monday 48 hours after beating the Flyers in Game 7, then traveling across Canada.

But the Tampa Bay goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, might be the best in the league, and their stars find a way to shine at the right times. Victor Hedman and Kucherov are two of them, and they scored the two Lightning goals.

The Islanders caused plenty of their own problems, too, failing to score on a five-minute power play and later on a 38-second two-man- advantage.

They also did not get any breaks from the officials.

The first Tampa Bay goal was set up by an icing call that appeared not to be icing because the Lightning’s Kevin Shattenkirk touched the puck on its way down the ice.

And after Alex Killorn was kicked out of the game for boarding Brock Nelson, Barclay Goodrow cross-checked Nelson in the back of the head – apparently targeting him because of the earlier injury – and was not penalized.

“You have to play through it,” Trotz said of the officiating. “It’s playoff hockey. We win the faceoff [after the questionable icing], we’re not even talking about it. Those are moments where you just fight through it.”

Trotz made the right decision going back to Semyon Varlamov in goal after Thomas Greiss gave up three goals in Game 1 and Varlamov allowed five in relief.

But even that was an example of what the Islanders are up against. Varlamov was good but not perfect, which he might have to be because of the star in the opposite net.

In short, the Lightning are the better team, and the Islanders had a chance to put a scare into them by tying the series but failed to do so. And here we are.

“After a blowout loss, I just liked our response as a group,” said Matt Martin, who scored the only Islanders goal. “We came out and played the right way for 60 minutes. When you come out and have four lines rolling and everybody’s buying in and doing what it takes to win games, sometimes you live with the result.

“But obviously we need results right now. We need to find a way to win hockey games.”

Said Josh Bailey, “It’s no time to get down. There are a lot of teams out there that would like to be in our spot right now. I think you have to turn the page like we’ve done all playoffs.” 1178698 New York Islanders Goodrow beat Mathew Barzal – taking a defensive-zone faceoff in Nelson’s spot – on the draw and Hedman’s low shot from the left point through traffic slid past Varlamov’s right pad as he failed to cover the near post. Islanders stunned by Lightning in Game 2 as Nikita Kucherov scores in waning seconds “I think we feel like we played a pretty solid game,” said Josh Bailey, who shoveled a puck that wouldn’t settle high with an open look at the net in the second period. “We’ve just got to stick with it. This is no time to get down.” By Andrew Gross Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.10.2020

The familiar way the Islanders played looked nothing like the series- opening clunker. That was the response coach Barry Trotz expected.

But this one was even more painful.

Nikita Kucherov’s goal with 8.8 seconds remaining in regulation lifted the short-handed Lightning, down to nine forwards after losing two during the game, to a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night with a 2-1 win at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

“It’s a tough way to lose,” said Matt Martin, who gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 1:24 of the first period with his fifth postseason goal, matching his regular-season total. “We believed we could still win this series and we still do. You play like that, more often than not you’re going to win.”

Needless to say, Friday night’s Game 3 is a 99.9% must win.

Semyon Varlamov made 19 saves after relieving Thomas Greiss midway through the first period of Monday night’s 8-2 loss in Game 1. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 shots for the Lightning.

“We’ve lost in different ways that have punched us in the stomach a few times in the last series,” Trotz said of three overtime losses to the Flyers in a seven-game, second-round win. “This one’s a little shot to the gut. Every time we’ve done that, we’ve got up. I liked a lot about our game, other than probably the last 30 seconds.”

The Lightning won Monday’s Game 1, 8-2, with a 3-for-6 power play and five-point games from Brayden Point (he exited in the second period of Game 2 and did not return) and Kucherov.

Still, Game 2 was about the missed opportunities for the Islanders. They could not convert on a five-minute power play in the first period after Alex Killorn was assessed a boarding major against Brock Nelson and ejected for intent-to-injure. They did not get off a shot during 38-seconds of a five-on-three in the third period, too often choosing to look for the perfect pass instead of getting to the net.

“You’re hoping to get a look there,” said Nelson, adding he felt “good” after going through concussion protocol and returning in the second period. “It stings giving one up with nine seconds left. That said, you turn the page.”

The Islanders made many of the corrections they wanted, getting pucks deeper in the offensive zone and establishing a strong forecheck, tightening their structure and not allowing the Lightning to stretch them out in the defensive zone for shots through traffic. They won puck battles in an increasingly chippy game. The penalty kill was successful on all three tries.

But, on the winning sequence, Kuckerov was left wide open at the right post for a one-timer off defenseman Ryan McDonagh’s feed.

“They hit the middle, they dumped it in, they changed sides, they threw it to the front of the net,” Trotz said. “We missed a little coverage in the middle of the net there. Great pass from the corner, between two of our guys in coverage. He doesn’t need much of a window.”

The Islanders emphasized getting off to a stronger start after the Game 1 debacle and held a 13-4 shot advantage in the first period.

But defenseman Victor Hedman tied the game on the Lightning’s fourth shot at 18:25 after defenseman Devon Toews iced the puck inches from the red line. Replays seemed to show the puck deflecting off defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk’s stick – which would have negated the icing – but the Lightning got the call.

“We were sure they tipped it and it shouldn’t have been an icing call, that’s why our bench was so upset,” Trotz said. “Those are moments where you fight through it. You have to get it done. But we didn’t get it done in that moment.” 1178699 New York Islanders And, as Tonelli was planning to text Lee, to understand nothing is decided in Game 1.

“We have a lot of respect for these guys,” left wing Anthony Beauvillier Patrick Flatley sees similarities between Islanders' 1993 playoff run and said of the alumni. “They’ve done a lot of good things. They’re winners. this one We want to do the same thing. We want to be successful as a group. We want to have the same kind of respect these guys had.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.10.2020 By Andrew Gross

Anders Lee likely received a text from John Tonelli – the retired No. 27 reaching out to that jersey’s current captain occupant – prior to the Islanders’ Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Lightning on Wednesday night.

“I was talking to JT,” former Islanders captain Patrick Flatley told Newsday on Wednesday morning. “He was telling me in 1980, they lost to Philly 8-3 (in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final). I think he was going to send Anders a note just to say, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it, you can come back.’”

The Lightning won Monday night’s Game 1, 8-2, at Rogers Place in Edmonton, marking the most goals the Islanders have allowed in a playoff game since that loss at Philadelphia on May 15, 1980. Those Islanders responded with a 6-2 win in Game 3 as the Cup Final shifted back to and won their first of four straight Cups in six games, with Tonelli setting up Bobby Nystrom for the overtime, series- winning goal.

Flatley was the captain the last time the Islanders reached the conference finals, in 1993 and said there are similarities between that playoff run and this one.

These Islanders beat the Flyers in an emotional, seven-game, second- round series at Toronto – the Flyers forced a seventh game after trailing 3-1 in the series – while Flatley’s team eliminated the two-time, defending Stanley Cup-champion Penguins on David Volek’s overtime goal in Game 7 before being eliminated in five games by the eventual Cup- champion Canadiens.

“It was a very emotional Game 7 and we went straight to the Pittsburgh airport where I recall some delays,” said Flatley, adding Game 1 at Montreal was scheduled at noon on May 16, 1993 to accommodate television, less than 48 hours after the win over the Penguins. “We got in late, much like the Islanders did. So, that first game, we got thumped (4- 1).”

The Islanders then lost the next two to the Canadiens and goalie in overtime.

“I remember going out for one of the overtime games and I said to (goalie) , ‘Hey, are you going to win one of these games or what?’ ” said Flatley, who lives near his friend and former teammate in the Toronto area. “He got so ticked off. He’s like, ‘What’s the matter, why can’t you score on this guy.’ I was just trying to lighten the mood.”

Flatley, who was in his first NHL season in 1984 when the Islanders made their last appearance in a Cup Final, said the key for any team in the playoffs is maintaining health. They were a banged-up bunch by the time they faced the Canadiens in the conference finals.

Most notably, leading scorer Pierre Turgeon, who had 58 goals and 74 assists in the regular season, was playing essentially with one arm after Dale Hunter’s infamous, post-goal, blindside hit on him in the first round.

“That’s over and I have nothing but respect for Dale,” said Flatley, who said he has since met Hunter and called him a “nice fellow, a great coach, a great everything.” “But that play, in itself, it hurt our team immeasurably. Do I still get ticked off? Yes, I do.”

But Flatley could have never imagined it would take the franchise 27 years to get back to the conference finals.

“No, I would not have, it’s hard to believe,” said Flatley, adding losing Healy through the expansion draft to the Ducks before he was eventually traded to the Rangers, was hard to overcome the next season. “He was a big part of that team. Not only for his goaltending, he was definitely one of our leaders. He kept the room light. He was missed.”

As for the current series, Flatley said it will be critical for the Islanders to wear Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman down physically while slowing their top line through the neutral zone. 1178700 New York Islanders

Islanders penalty killing unit much better in Game 2 vs. Lightning

By Colin Stephenson

The Islanders entered Game 2 of their Eastern Conference final series against the Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday focused on playing better on the penalty kill, after having surrendered three power play goals in Game 1. The good news for them is they cleaned up their issues in that department, killing all three power plays the Lightning had in Game 2.

Unfortunately for coach Barry Trotz’ team, though, their special teams glass proved to be half-empty, as their power play let them down in what ended up being a shocking, 2-1 loss that came when Nikita Kucherov scored the game-winning goal with 8.8 seconds left.

The Islanders had plenty of chances to win the game before Kucherov did, but their power play went 0-for-4, including failing on a five-minute major and a 38-second, five-on-three in the third period. And now they trail the best-of-seven series, two games to none. Game 3 is Friday night.

It would never have come to this if the Isles power play had just scored one time. But despite putting 13 shots on goal during their many man advantages, the extra man unit came up empty.

“We were trying to get a little bit too fine, I think,’’ Trotz said when asked what went wrong with his team’s power play. “Sometimes you’ve got to get a little ‘greasy,’ and we were trying to pass it in the net, I think, tonight, a little bit.’’

Trotz did give credit to Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner and a finalist again for the 2020 award as the NHL’s top goaltender.

“When we had some really good looks, Vasilevskiy was pretty big,’’ Trotz said. “But we had a five-on-three… It was only for 38 seconds, but they got through that, and we weren't able to take advantage of it.’’

Before the game, it had been the penalty kill that the Islanders were worried about. But that part of the game was no problem at all. They dominated the Lightning power play, allowing a total of only four shots on goal in Tampa’s three chances. That the Lightning lost first-line center Brayden Point in the second period to an injury certainly was a factor in that, but the Islander penalty kill was hardly threatened.

The Isles were ahead, 1-0, on Matt Martin’s goal at 1:24 of the first period, when Tampa Bay’s Alex Killorn was given a major penalty and a game misconduct at 5:55 of the period for hitting Brock Nelson from behind into the boards. The Isles had a chance to go up 2-0 — or more — with the man advantage. But they couldn’t do it. They got five shots on Vasilevskiy — several more were blocked — but they came away empty. Then, after Victor Hedman’s goal late in the first period had tied it, 1-1, the Isles failed to capitalize when Yanni Gourde was sent off for roughing Scott Mayfield in the second period. In the third, Ryan McDonagh was called for holding Nelson at 7:48 and Cedric Paquette was sent off for hooking the stick of Mathew Barzal at 9:10.

Trotz called timeout to rest his first power play unit, but the group didn’t get a shot on goal during the two-man advantage. Vasilevskiy snuffed the three shots they did get on the five-on-four advantage after it was over.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178701 New York Islanders

Brock Nelson OK after going through concussion protocol

By Andrew Gross

Brock Nelson had a cut under his right eye and an OK from the doctors after going through concussion protocol in the Islanders’ 2-1 loss to the Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

He was blindsided by Alex Killorn — who was assessed a boarding major and a game misconduct — into the glass at 5:55 of the first period. On his first shift back, he took an unpenalized cross check from Barclay Goodrow at 11:14 of the second period and again had his head smacked into the glass.

“The penalty was called correctly,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “A player unsuspecting. That’s a dangerous play and we’ll let the league deal with that. The second one, I just thought it was a little bit of a target to the head.”

“I felt like I was getting hit quite a bit,” Nelson said. “You fight through it and get to your game.”

Clutterbuck OK

Cal Clutterbuck logged 10:29 with six hits after Trotz called him a “game- time decision.” Clutterbuck exited Monday’s Game 1 at 11:50 of the second period after blocking defenseman Mikhail Sergachev’s hard power-play shot and did not skate on Tuesday.

Ladd returns

Trotz inserted Andrew Ladd for his first NHL playoff game since April 25, 2016 with Chicago.

Ladd, who spent the majority of this season with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport after two knee surgeries last season, had five hits in 11:51 in his first game since March 10 and was on the ice for Nikita Kucherov’s winning goal with 8.8 seconds left.

Leo Komarov also went in with Derick Brassard and burly Ross Johnston not dressing.

Lamoriello nominated

The Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello is a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award along with the Lightning’s Julien BriseBois and the Stars’ Jim Nill.

The winner will be announced on Saturday.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178702 New York Islanders “These people have been really good to me,” he said of NBC Sports executives. “This is what I love doing. I love doing the Final and I’m getting a chance to do it and that’s not owing to me, that’s owing to them.” Doc Emrick will call Islanders-Lightning series starting in Game 4 It doesn’t hurt that many viewers want him on the job.

“God bless them for saying that,” Emrick said. “Of course it makes you Doc Emrick said he was “honored to be asked,” but many Islanders fans feel good if someone says that about you. You realize that not everyone will consider it an honor to have him. can like you, but if somebody does, that’s wonderful, and I look forward to doing it.” Starting with Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday, NBC’s lead play-by-play man will pick up the Islanders-Lightning series, then Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 09.10.2020 call the Stanley Cup Final, all from a studio in his home near Detroit.

John Forslund, who has been calling the series, will shift to the Western Conference finals between the Golden Knights and Stars when Kenny Albert leaves the Edmonton bubble to join Fox’s NFL coverage after Game 3 on Thursday.

As much as Forslund is a respected hockey voice, some Islanders fans have wondered why having enjoyed their deepest playoff run in 27 years, they have not gotten to hear Emrick on the team’s games.

They need not wonder any longer.

“I’m very happy that I get to continue to work through these circumstances in this very unusual year,” he told Newsday on Wednesday.

Emrick called the Bruins-Lightning second-round series, which ended in five games. He said he did not switch immediately to a conference final in part because of new equipment being installed in his home studio.

One change is that he will be linked electronically directly to NBC’s Edmonton operation rather than being routed through its headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, which should smooth logistics and avoid video delays.

Analysts Eddie Olczyk and Brian Boucher are on site in Edmonton, but Emrick does not expect any glitches there, particularly given how long he has worked with Olczyk.

“Fourteen years means a lot, so that’s going to make a great difference, I think,” Emrick said.

Emrick said he preferred to pick up the Eastern finals rather than replace Albert in the West because he had been calling Eastern games earlier in the playoffs, including those of the Lightning.

As a 74-year-old cancer survivor, he chose not to travel to Toronto or Edmonton to call games in person during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emrick said he is in good health but added, “You realize that as time passes your colds hang on a little longer in the dead of winter than they used to, and you just don’t take as many risks.

“We haven’t been going out and going thick into restaurants or doing any of that. We have been very careful, so we’re continuing to do that.”

Emrick said the thing he misses most about being on site is the chance to interact with coaches and players, but such opportunities are limited even for those inside the bubble.

As for being able to see the action clearly, he said, “The screen they give me is really good, so I don’t know that there’s that great of a difference for me.”

Emrick likes what he has seen from these Islanders.

“I love them a lot, because 17, 53 and 15 remind me of 8, 16 and 21 for the Devils; they remind me of the Crash Line that I used to see playing,” he said, referring to the Isles’ fourth line of Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck and the former Devils Mike Peluso, Bobby Holik and Randy McKay.

Emrick was the longtime Devils announcer in an era when current Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello ran that franchise.

“It’s a team that’s structured in a lot of ways similarly to a team that was very successful and brought [Stanley Cup] rings to a lot of people, myself included,” he said. “So it’s a style that can work.”

Marv Albert, 79, Turner’s lead basketball voice, skipped the NBA bubble in Orlando because of COVID concerns. Emrick said he was grateful to be able to avoid health risks and still work. 1178703 New York Islanders “We missed a little bit of a coverage. We duplicated,” he said of Palat’s chance. “It went around, Kucherov went around the net, great pass from the corner between two of our guys in coverage. He doesn’t need much of a window.” Thirty seconds that scar: Half a minute of breakdowns cost the Islanders It certainly was a surprise that Trotz had a makeshift line of Komarov, Pageau and Ladd on the ice in the waning seconds. Komarov and Pageau have been on the ice to preserve leads or maintain ties late often By Arthur Staple Sep 9, 2020 in the postseason, but Ladd was making his playoff debut. Trotz hasn’t hesitated in prior playoff games to shorten his bench in the late stages of regulation to get his most defensively responsible forwards on the ice; Put aside the Lightning treating Brock Nelson’s head like a pinata. Leave normally, Pageau flips with Matt Martin to get out with Casey Cizikas and the Islanders’ power-play failures out of it for the moment. Cal Clutterbuck.

It was very much Islanders hockey in Game 2. It was greasy and it was Perhaps, with Nelson having missed so much time going through the stifling, and the Islanders were the ones dictating the pace for the most concussion protocol, Trotz didn’t want to risk overtaxing some of his part, helped by Tampa Bay’s bench being short two forwards, including other forwards. But Komarov, at 8:15, and Ladd, at 7:58, played the least Brayden Point, who torched the Isles in Game 1. As the third period even-strength ice time of anyone on the Islanders on Wednesday. That wound down, the game looked to be headed for overtime, where the fully was a rare misstep by Trotz and, coupled with all the small mistakes on rostered Islanders should have had an advantage. the ice, led to the Islanders being down 2-0 in the series.

But then. The Islanders let the Lightning play their game in Game 1 and the result was ugly. The Islanders played their way in Game 2, at least for 59:30, The last 30 seconds of the third, really from about the 19:33 mark until and the result was still the same. That has to sting almost as much as Nikita Kucherov’s dagger with 8.8 seconds to go, was anything but those final 30 seconds, which may live on long after this series is over. Islanders hockey. If you’ve watched them under Barry Trotz the last two seasons, you know they have no qualms about playing out a cautious The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 final minute to get to overtime or a shootout and are willing to take regular-season points wherever they can. In the playoffs, they lost three straight overtime games to the Flyers, but Wednesday was different, a chance to even the series and make the Lightning’s remaining regulars skate another few miles.

They didn’t get there, somehow losing 2-1. And it wasn’t just one breakdown.

It all started with an overeager forecheck by Leo Komarov, who returned to the Islanders lineup after sitting out the last two games. He’d had a decent night in Game 2, effective on the penalty kill and going relatively unnoticed at five-on-five. But with less than 30 seconds remaining and the score tied — and, more important, his defensemen in the middle of a change — Komarov went behind the Tampa Bay net in pursuit of a puck he wasn’t going to reach.

Ryan McDonagh let the puck go past him and Ondrej Palat quickly hit Yanni Gourde, who was speeding down the middle of the ice between Andy Greene and Ryan Pulock, who had just jumped on. Greene wasn’t in position yet and Pulock was already out wide, so Pulock tried to reverse and close the gap. He did it just enough to keep Gourde’s backhand to a low-danger try that Semyon Varlamov turned to the corner.

That was crisis No. 1. With the Islanders forwards flooding back to the zone and trying to find their spots, Gourde retrieved his miss and dropped it for Kucherov. Pulock had Gourde and Greene had Kucherov. That should have left J-G Pageau to the net front as the defensemen pursued along the wall; Pageau and Andrew Ladd, playing his first game in six months, turned to skate toward the net front but curled away in a moment of confusion.

That left Palat alone and Varlamov got just enough of his try from point- blank range. Crisis No. 2 barely averted, and the Islanders were just hoping the clock would save them.

THE LIGHTNING HAD A PAIR OF CHANCES RIGHT BEFORE THE KUCHEROV GOAL #GOBOLTS PIC.TWITTER.COM/XXOEYZAIYP

— OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

It was not to be. Greene got to the rebound and, pestered by Gourde, sent a weak play around the wall. Pageau was still trying to find a spot and realized McDonagh was getting the puck on the boards with space, but he didn’t close fast enough. Kucherov, who became Pulock’s man, skated from behind the net and settled into the off-wing circle between Pulock and Ladd. They both had a great view of the winner.

KUCHEROV WITH 8 SECONDS TO GO! #GOBOLTS PIC.TWITTER.COM/QRHRBD6IJZ

— OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Trotz didn’t have many words to break down those breakdowns in such a short, crucial span. 1178704 Ottawa Senators If they do, the Senators would be quite happy to get forward Tim Stuetzle of Adler Mannheim in the Deutsch Elite League at No. 3. At No. 5, it’s anybody’s guess because nobody is sure what Detroit will do at No. 4, but Swedish forward Lucas Raymond would be on the radar screen and GARRIOCH: Fans of the Ottawa Senators won't have as long a wait for if Erie defenceman Jamie Drysdale is there he’s going to be a candidate NHL draft as well.

“There’s good solid depth high. There’s probably 10-to-12 guys in other years that could be top five or six players,” the executive said. “It Bruce Garrioch probably (drops off) around 12, but there’s been other years where it’s been at No. 8. This one has a little more depth and that’s a big part of it.

Fans of the Ottawa Senators can start counting down the days to the “There’s always a certain level of expectation built in and then two or NHL draft. three years later it may not have been as deep or it may have even been deeper. Some of the forwards are pretty deep.” While the league had tentatively set the date for early-October, officials at the league’s head office wanted to wait to see if all remained on track in The pick from the Isles is a wildcard. The organization has discussed the the bubble and there was no outbreak of COVID-19. The NHL is hosting possibility of going to get a veteran goaltender and the pick acquired for the conference finals in Edmonton and so it has finally gone ahead with moving centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau could be used to go that route. setting a date for the draft that will be held virtually. There will be a lot of options with that selection and because this is a deep draft it could also big dividends for the club to keep it. The league informed the 31 teams Tuesday it’s decided to move the annual crapshoot to mid-week for the first time in its history. The first Ottawa Sun LOADED: 09.10.2020 round will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6 and the second is set for Wednesday, Oct. 7. Originally, the NHL was going to hold the draft on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 but that was going to run into the new dates for free agency to begin.

Of course, this is one of the most anticipated drafts in Senators’ history because the club has nine picks in the first three rounds and 13 total. The club has three selections in the first round, including the No. 3 and No. 5 picks, and another that belonged to the New York Islanders. They’ve advanced to the East final in the bubble which means that pick will fall somewhere between No. 28 and No. 31.

It was originally scheduled for June 26-27 at the in Montreal. At this juncture, the draft is supposed to be held in Montreal next year.

“Timing of the draft has to do with the projected timing of the playoffs and the awarding of the Stanley Cup,” Daly said in an email to Postmedia Wednesday morning. “We don’t have the luxury of time to push it to a weekend in terms of where the draft falls on the critical dates calendar.”

In other words, adjustments need to be made and there has to be flexibility. This whole situation has been unpredictable and if it means the NHL has to hold its draft midweek then that’s the way it’s going to be. The way we operate has completely changed because of the threat of the novel coronavirus.

The sense among executives is the players wanted the draft moved so free agency can get under way. Right now, the league is scheduled to open training camps on Nov. 17 and the season is supposed to get started Dec. 1. The players want free agency held sooner rather than later because if that works out the timetable will be short and they want to know where they’re going to end up.

“I think the players want to get going on that,” said a league executive Wednesday. “The players want to get as many days as they can and the league is probably just trying to save a couple of days. The league will probably get as much coverage doing (the draft) midweek as they would with a Friday-Saturday.

“If the schedule is going to be done by then and nobody is going to be at the draft any way so there’s no sense doing a Friday and Saturday morning. It’s not when it typically is in the third week of June so I think it’s a combination of those things. They probably wanted to buy a couple of days on the calendar by getting the draft done and then getting to free agency.”

Whether its Saturday or midweek, there’s no shortage of excitement in Ottawa.

Dorion told reporters it’s one of the deepest drafts he’s seen in 20 years and the organization is confident they’ll be able to get strong prospects to help the rebuild. Rimouski Oceanic winger Alexis Lafreniere will go at No. 1 to the New York Rangers and from there’s a bit of a guessing game. The thinking is the Los Angeles Kings will take Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield at No. 2. 1178705 Ottawa Senators Suffice to say, Granato has seen a lot of the Tkachuks over the years, and enough of Brady to give him a massive stamp of approval.

“He will be a captain of an NHL team, and he could change a franchise. Can Brady Tkachuk become a cornerstone for the Senators? He has that charisma, that competitiveness,” he said. “He has all the intangibles that factor in with winning and factor in with positive progression (on a team) and he can really inspire people around him to demand more out of themselves.” By Hailey Salvian Sep 9, 2020 It’s those intangibles, along with his skill set, that leads many who have

coached Tkachuk to believe he’s just scratching the surface on what he When Bill Daly flipped the final NHL Draft Lottery card to reveal a can accomplish in the NHL. placeholder team as the winner of the first overall pick in 2020, it was Evaluators tend to agree too. This week, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman difficult for Senators fans to avoid a feeling of loss. ranked Tkachuk at the top of the Senators’ organizational rankings Yes, Ottawa had secured two top-five choices — Nos. 3 and 5 — in one (where the Senators were slotted seventh in the league). According to of the deepest drafts in years. But the real prize was No. 1 and the Pronman, Tkachuk is in the “Elite NHL Player” tier. He’s the only of the hockey player it represented: Alexis Lafrenière. Senators’ young core with that ranking.

Lafrenière, arguably the most dominant and skilled player in junior Further, one NHL scout told The Athletic that Tkachuk “is a centrepiece hockey, had been the consensus pick in this draft since he broke into the you build around.” QMJHL, becoming the first 16-year-old since Sidney Crosby (2003-04) to “I see him being a warrior for a team that wins it all someday,” the scout score more than 40 goals. He’s the kind of player who projects to be a said in a message. “His compete level and enthusiasm he plays with is star. A difference-maker. Just what a rebuilding team, such as the off the charts. He is the epitome of hard to play against. His offensive Senators, needs to turn things around. game translates to the playoffs because he’s excellent around the paint The Senators, of course, have an abundance of young skill at varying and inside the home plate area.” levels of development. Josh Norris and Drake Batherson are primed for In his two seasons in Ottawa, Tkachuk has scored 22 and 21 goals, with full NHL campaigns, while Shane Pinto and Jacob Bernard-Docker are relatively little help as skilled linemates such as Stone were traded away. developing together at the University of North Dakota. And this year’s A lot of the offence Tkachuk produced was on a team in the basement of draft is bound to add to that pipeline, with those two top-five picks set to the league. And he did it while only being 19 and 20. This season he lead a class of 14 draft selections in October. finished with 44 points to lead the 30th place Senators. The knock, however, over the last few years — as the likes of Erik And while he may not have displayed the best slap shot or wrister, Karlsson, Mark Stone and Matt Duchene have been dealt — has been Tkachuk has established himself as one of the best shot generators in that the Senators lack a cornerstone player upon which to build the the league and a world-class player when it comes to net-front play. foundation of a contending hockey club. Lafrenière was the only player in this year’s draft considered a slam-dunk to fill that kind of role. Hence the He can tip in pucks — which he works on every practice — he has good feelings of loss back in June. hands in tight, can knock in rebounds and fearlessly parks himself in front of the opposing netminder, which isn’t an easy place to stay. But what if the Senators already have that cornerstone player? What if it’s Brady Tkachuk? From 15 feet and in, Tkachuk generated the most shots on goal (113) in the league and scored 13 goals from that distance (34 percent of shots). Drafted fourth overall in 2018, Tkachuk is already a fan favourite after That was without an elite centre to create shooting lanes. So he can only two seasons in Ottawa. He’s had back-to-back seasons with 22 and 21 get better from here, as the Senators add more talent up the middle. goals. He’s established himself as a menace who nobody wants to match up against, and one of the best shot generators in tight all before his 21st “There are stars that play different ways, and for what his skill set is, and birthday. his role, I think he’s going to be one of the elite players in the league,” said Albie O’Connell, who coached Tkachuk at Boston University. “I’m Tkachuk is confident. Genuine. He has all the intangibles it takes to be sure they’ve got a bunch of (options coming), but he’s the building block the next captain of the Senators and the foundational piece to build on for the future. I think guys that play with him love him, guys in the locker that’s needed to turn things around. room love him, and the guys on his line really like him because he can Now, no one is suggesting that Tkachuk will end his career with more play a lot of different ways.” points or trophies than Lafrenière. But if you’re talking about a When evaluating, or even just talking about Tkachuk, it’s easy to forget cornerstone — a guy who can change games, lead a room, score big that he’s only 20. And that there was a time when he wasn’t always goals and become a perennial MVP of his own team — there’s a strong projected as an elite player. case to be made that Tkachuk fits the bill. It’s probably not fair to say Tkachuk was a relative unknown. But his rise “To be in that upper echelon of a team, I believe you have to have an from his under-17 year to the NHL happened fast. assortment of players and I think to lump Brady into Lafrenière’s category might not be fair,” said , who coached Tkachuk in the “Some other guys were always really good and then they just kind of kept U.S. National Team Development Program. “As far as power forwards being really good at the level they were at, whereas (Brady) made some are concerned and guys that can drive culture and fit into a variety of massive jumps,” Wroblewski said. “He was a solid U17 player. But then spots and really dominate in the trenches, you’re gonna have a hard time he was the captain, and one of the most dominant players in his age finding a player better than Brady Tkachuk. group on the planet by U18.”

“And if you’d like to talk about a cornerstone piece. Building a team With the U17 team, Tkachuk scored nine goals and 25 points in 55 around Brady Tkachuk … you can’t go wrong with that.” games with the national team program and only four goals and eight points in 32 USHL games. At the U18 level, he more than doubled his Back in 2018, had just finished his final season with the offensive production with 25 goals and 54 points in 61 games with the USNTDP and was already telling his new colleagues with the Chicago national team and 12 goals and 23 points in 24 USHL games. He was Blackhawks that Brady Tkachuk was a first-overall draft pick. the captain and arguably the best player at the U18 world championship “No disrespect to anybody and I certainly don’t know the draft like the in 2016-17, he again topped his offensive production the following year at scouts that study it,” Granato recalled saying at the time. “But I would the 2018 world junior championships with three goals and nine points in have no problem taking Brady Tkachuk No. 1.” seven games.

Granato, the longtime NHL assistant coach, has known Tkachuk since he After his U18 season, Tkachuk committed to Boston University, his dad’s was a kid. First, when Brady and brother Matthew would play mini-sticks alma mater. in the St. Louis Blues dressing room when their dad Keith played. Then, At BU, he scored only eight goals and 31 points in 40 games. O’Connell he got to see Brady as a 15-year-old who would occasionally skate with says that doesn’t tell the whole story. Tkachuk was snake bitten in his Matthew’s under-17 team. And finally, he coached Brady when he became a member of the U17 team himself in 2015-16. first 13 NCAA games and made strides in his game in the latter half of Again, Tkachuk scored 13 goals in tight this year, and 21 total. Without a the season. consistent capable NHL centre. The Senators are bound to draft one of Byfield or Stutzle, both of whom project to be No. 1 centres in the NHL. “At one point it got a bit comical, like how didn’t that go in?” O’Connell What do you think Tkachuk will do when he’s older, bigger, stronger and laughed about the scoring drought. “But he was always in and around it with a bona fide star up the middle? and he was always creating offence in different ways through skill and his physicality. He very easily could have had 15-20 goals.” When asking scouts who Tkachuk could be comparable to if he tops out in the league is a difficult question. Despite his stat line, Tkachuk was drafted fourth overall by the Senators. O’Connell said Tkachuk wavered on whether to go pro but ultimately He plays physical, he has grit, he has the skill, too. Just like his dad, who decided the opportunity in Ottawa was too good to pass up. scored 538 goals and 1,065 points in his 1,201 NHL game career.

He went from eight goals in the NCAA to 22 in the NHL. Wroblewski said Tkachuk could end up like his old roommate Mark Stone because of how hard they both play. But still, he said it’s tough to “It’s a staggering statistic,” laughed Wroblewski. compare.

You could argue that Tkachuk has thrived at the NHL level. And has truly “Brady is a bit of a throwback to some of the old school days, a little bit become a pain to deal with on the ice. like his old man. He’s got plenty of finesse, but his calling card is always One common “knock” against him is that some only know him for his going to be that that grit and that sandpaper,” he said. “They really don’t physicality. He finished second in the league in hits (303) behind only make them like him anymore. And when you can grab that commodity of Ryan Reaves. But he shouldn’t be pigeonholed as just an agitator or a hard, disciplined and relentless, grinding type of player with that much pest. character, they’re just hard to come by these days.”

Granato said it can be difficult for some to see how skilled Tkachuk really O’Connell agreed that Tkachuk is a “bit of a unicorn” in today’s skilled is, without having been around him for years, or seen him in practice. and fast league. But said he will go down as one of the best power forwards in the game. Where the Senators are at in the rebuild, and the emphasis on hard work and culture building, Tkachuk is building out a role for himself, as he “Will he be the best player in the league? I’m not sure. I don’t know if he’ll knows it’s not the right time to opt for high-skilled plays. get the most points, but he could be one of the most valuable guys in time for any given roster for what he brings to the table daily,” he said. “He knows well enough intuitively that ‘OK, I need to establish grit and competitiveness in this league, so teams, and people in the league know “He’s going to lead his team, and when the referees show up, he’s going I’m consistently going to the net front, finishing hits, competing hard,'” to show up every night … He’s not looking to play a nice easy game and Granato said. “When he settles into that, you’re going to see him make just get points. He’s trying to play the game hard and in the right way. I even more skilled plays more consistently. And he’ll discern … when to think the sky’s the limit for Brady.” be finesse and when did the physical.” The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 His coaches say he’s only going to get better and prove naysayers wrong. Just as he’s done before.

When NHL free agency opens this October — the date depends on the end of the Stanley Cup Final — the Senators will be eligible to sign Tkachuk to a contract extension, as he will officially be in the final year of his entry-level contract.

It should, and likely will be, a priority to lock him into a long-term deal, given Tkachuk’s importance to the rebuild.

Yes, help is on the way from the deep prospect pool. And yes, the Senators are about to get two top-five picks in a deep draft who could project to become stars in the league, like Quinton Byfield or Tim Stutzle.

But still, one scout says Tkachuk is comparable to the players available at Nos. 3 and 5, and that the 20-year-old will be “equally important to their rebuild.”

Projecting his next deal could be tough. Thomas Chabot’s new deal will make him the highest-paid player on the Senators with an eight-year extension with an $8 million AAV.

If Tkachuk is going to be the face of the franchise, does he deserve that much? Likely not, as Chabot is the star defenceman on the team with Norris Trophy hype around him.

According to Evolving Hockey’s contract prediction tool, the most likely extension for Tkachuk is a six-year deal at $6.56 million. That’s if Tkachuk signs as soon as he can, though, which he isn’t all that likely to do.

Consider this. His brother Matthew had comparable offensive production in the first two years of his ELC with 13 goals, 48 points as a rookie and 24 goals, 49 points in Year 2.

In the third year of his contract, Matthew set career highs with 34 goals, 77 points and held out for a pretty significant three-year, $7 million AAV extension. In comparison, Brady scored 22 goals and 45 points in Year 1 and 21 goals and 44 points in Year 2.

If what Brady Tkachuk’s coaches say is true, and he has another gear, expect him to bet on himself in Year 3 of his ELC to make a big jump in production, and pay bracket. But that’s OK, the Senators have the money to spend, and Tkachuk is worth it.

Especially if he takes massive jumps in his game, both from his own improvement and the improvement of those around him. 1178706 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers’ Alain Vigneault edged by Boston’s Bruce Cassidy for NHL’s coach of the year

by Sam Carchidi,

Boston’s Bruce Cassidy edged the Flyers’ Alain Vigneault for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year Wednesday night.

The NHL’s Broadcasters’ Association voted for the award, which was based on the regular season.

Cassidy, who directed Boston (44-14-12) to the Atlantic Division title and a league-best 100 points, was named on 82 of the 132 ballots and received 37 first-place votes and 288 voting points.

It was the first time Cassidy had ever won the award; he finished second to Vegas’ Gerard Gallant in 2017-18.

Vigneault, in his first season with the Flyers, received 32 first-place votes and 252 voting points.

Columbus’ John Tortorella finished third, collecting 28 first-place votes and 198 voting points, and former Flyers coach , now with St. Louis, finished fourth with 126 voting points, including 12 first-place votes.

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The Flyers finished second in the with a 41-21-7 (89 points) record, one point behind Washington in the pandemic- shortened season. The Flyers' .645 points percentage was their third- best in the last 30 years.

The Flyers were on pace for 106 points − 24 more than last season – and they made, by far, the biggest improvement in the NHL this year.

Vigneault, 59, won the award in 2006-07 with Vancouver, which collected 105 points and finished first in the Northwest Division. That team, like the Flyers this year, lost in the second round of the playoffs.

Flyers coach Alain Vigneault yells from the bench during an early-season game against the Washington Capitals at the Wells Fargo Center.

Flyers coach Alain Vigneault yells from the bench during an early-season game against the Washington Capitals at the Wells Fargo Center.

Bill Barber was the last Flyers coach to win the Jack Adams Award; he was honored after the 2000-01 season. (1973-74), (1979-80), and (1984-85) were the other Flyers coaches who won the award.

When Vigneault was named a coach-of-the-year finalist for the fifth time (with four teams) in July, he praised his players and his staff. He also got emotional talking about how the Flyers responded after the devastating December news that Oskar Lindblom was battling a rare type of bone cancer.

“I’m so proud of this group and everybody associated with it,” Vigneault said at the time. “That was a very challenging time for our group and we responded by doing our jobs, staying focused. ... Considering what could have happened, this is extra special. Oskar is healthy now, our team did well, so this is very special for me.”

The Flyers won their first playoff series since 2012 by beating Montreal in Round 1, then were eliminated in Game 7 by the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178707 Philadelphia Flyers Vigneault is just a year into his tenure, and the general manager who hired him, , wasn’t responsible for signing Giroux, Voracek, and van Riemsdyk to the onerous contracts that, vis-a-vis the salary cap, they carry. Giroux has two years and $16.55 million left on his Alain Vigneault’s demands of Flyers' top players could be a hint of what’s deal, which has a no-trade clause. Van Riemsdyk has three years and next | Mike Sielski $21 million; Voracek, four years and $33 million. Each of them is 31 or older.

Given the trio’s cap hits and the stages of their careers, it would be a by Mike Sielski challenge for Fletcher to trade any of them, and there’s no guarantee that doing so would benefit the Flyers in the short or long term. But Vigneault made it clear that he believes those three have more and better For the opening rendition of a refrain that Alain Vigneault would sing contributions, tangible and intangible, to make. throughout his first season as the Flyers' head coach, go back to a Friday afternoon in late September, after a practice at the Skate Zone in If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have scratched van Riemsdyk multiple times for Voorhees, after most of the players had left for the day. rookie Joel Farabee, and he wouldn’t have felt it necessary to have Oskar Lindblom skate with the team after its Game 5 loss to the The night before, the Flyers had lost a preseason game, badly, and now, Canadiens and suit up in Games 6 and 7 against the Islanders. It was with reporters gathered around him, Vigneault made an announcement: dramatic and inspiring to see Lindblom skate and play again after Instead of limiting the Flyers' veteran players to just three preseason completing his cancer treatments, of course, but it also showed how games, he would have each of them play four or five, so dissatisfied was desperate Vigneault was to deliver an emotional lift to his players, he with their preparation for the start of the regular season. You didn’t presumably because they and the leaders in the locker room weren’t need to be a mentalist to know who he was talking about: , generating one themselves. Jake Voracek, James van Riemsdyk, a few others. You have to wonder if Alain Vigneault is tired, after a season of saying “When you’re in the playoffs and you go for a round, two rounds, three the same thing over and over again, of having to resort to such tactics, rounds, four rounds, that’s intense hockey,” Vigneault said then, and and how tired. through his words and actions, he kept saying it from the beginning of the Flyers' season to its end last Saturday in a lethargic loss in Game Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 09.10.2020 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Islanders.

Flyers forward Jake Voracek did not score a goal in the team's second- round series against the Islanders.

He said it in late October, after back-to-back lopsided losses: “We need our top players to lead the way for us, lead the way by how they have to play on the ice. We need G to be a top-end performer like he’s been for the past few years. We need Jake to be a top-end performer like he’s been for the past few years”

He said it before Game 5 against the Islanders: “Now it’s their turn to put the big-boy pants on and to get out there. I’m looking at the eight teams that are in the playoffs right now. The eight teams, you’re looking at their top line and their production. I believe our guys have more to give and more to do.”

He said it before Game 7: “I used the big-boy-pants analogy the other day. Top players got to be at your best, and they’ve got to come through for you.”

He said it after Game 7, when he was asked if the struggles of the Flyers' first- and second-line players were the difference in the series: “There are individuals on the team [who] I’m going to take a little bit of time to reflect on what needs to be done here moving forward.”

So what conclusion will he draw? Giroux had one goal in 16 postseason games. Voracek did not score a goal and had just one assist in the seven games against the Islanders. Van Riemsdyk had two goals in 12 playoff games – and sat out the other four not because of injury but because Vigneault chose not to put him in the lineup.

They weren’t the only culprits in that lifeless 4-0 season-stopping loss. They weren’t the lone reason that the Flyers labored to beat the 12th- seeded Canadiens in the first round and were fortunate to push New York as far as they did in the second. But the Flyers came within one victory of the conference finals in spite of those players as much as they did because of them, and that truth could very well frame the team’s entire offseason.

Just heard @nufced make exactly the point I was thinking: Vigneault wasn't thrilled with the guys who are supposed to be the #Flyers' top players. Will be an interesting offseason.

— Mike Sielski (@MikeSielski) September 6, 2020

It has been said before, but it is worth repeating: Vigneault’s presence and performance this season – he was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s best coach – changed the club’s power dynamic. He doesn’t have to defer to any player, even to Giroux and Voracek, who have been the Flyers' centerpieces for years. He’s the franchise’s most accomplished coach since Peter Laviolette was fired in 2013, and he has a measure of leverage that his predecessors never did. 1178708 Pittsburgh Penguins can be slotted in at center or wing. If it works, great. If it doesn’t, he’s on the final year of his contract anyway.

Finally, McCann is one of the most curious cases on the team. During the Analysis: Taking stock of the Penguins’ tradable assets first 44 games, he tallied 14 goals and 14 assists while using his versatility to plug a key hole at center. Then he went from invaluable to invisible, finishing the final 22 games and the three postseason games in which he played without a goal. He was a health scratch in the other MIKE DEFABO playoff game. As a restricted free agent, his value depends on which half of the season you believe tells the true story.

By acquiring Kasperi Kapanen, Penguins general manager Jim Penguins haven’t been afraid to give up picks, but that might change Rutherford believes he solidified the top-six with an infusion of speed and As it stands now, the Penguins have already spent three of their seven youth. draft picks in 2020 and four of their eight picks in 2021. Time will tell if the deal pays off. But one thing is for sure: It came at a In 2020, the Penguins are left with picks in rounds three, four, five and cost. six. In 2021, after giving up their first-round pick for Jason Zucker, they The Penguins’ draft board shrunk after they gave up yet another first- have a pick in rounds two and five and a pair of seventh-round picks. round pick, and one of the thinnest prospect pools in the league got a There’s still value in those mid-round picks, as the Penguins have shown little shallower with Filip Hallander gone. with selections such as Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. But when it If Rutherford hopes to continue to make changes this offseason, he comes to the trade market, if the Penguins want to use one to upgrade doesn’t have a lot of ammunition left. Obviously, he’s not going to trade their win-now roster, they might have to fleece another team like they did Sidney Crosby. Rutherford also said he plans to keep the core and the in the John Marino trade. top-four together. No offense to Zach Aston-Reese or Sam Lafferty, but Of course, the Penguins could begin to look to 2022 or 2023. They still it’s not like those members of the bottom-six are going to move the are holding all of their picks in both of those drafts. But with the veteran needle on the trading block. core aging, at what point is it time to use picks for the future? What else can we expect from Penguins GM Jim Rutherford this Is it worth thinning the prospect pool more? offseason? While the depth of the Penguins prospect pool is among the worst in the Matt Vensel league, the club does have several promising players at the top who NHL analysts weigh in on Penguins' past — and future could bring in a nice return.

So what’s left to move? Let’s take stock of the remaining assets at Forwards Sam Poulin and Nathan Legare — the first and second-round Rutherford’s disposal if he hopes to make another win-now move this picks in 2019 — are at the top of the list. Poulin might get a shot with the offseason. Here they are ranked from most likely (or almost inevitable) to NHL club as soon as this season. The Penguins are also very high on left least likely (or almost impossible). winger Drew O’Connor, a speedy Dartmouth product with 6-foot-3 size who signed as a college free agent a few months back. Murray vs. Jarry debate should be settled On the blue line, left-shot defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph is knocking If the Penguins hope to make another splash this offseason, a goalie is on the door to play in the NHL, but he’s currently blocked by fan favorite likely going to be the bait. Jack Johnson. Do the Penguins wait for an injury to give Joseph a shot in the league or do they grease that path with a trade? Technically, both restricted free agent goalies could be available for the right price. However, because a salary cap crunch is the biggest factor Top-six change would be a surprise, and there’s really only one motivating a move, Matt Murray is more likely to go. candidate to go

What’s he worth? That’s a tough question. It’s hard to imagine the Penguins getting better by giving up Guentzel. Again, Rutherford said he wants to keep Crosby and Malkin. And why Murray has proved inconsistent in the regular season and because he is would they give up Kapanen or Zucker after they just paid big for them? a restricted free agent, the taker will need to negotiate a new deal to make the trade worthwhile. At the same time, there won’t be many two- So the only real candidate from the top-six would be Bryan Rust. He was time Stanley Cup winners on the market this offseason, especially ones part of trade rumors last offseason, and his stock has never been higher who are just 26 years old. after leading the Penguins with a career-high 27 goals. Maybe with another right winger in the fold in Kapanen, the Penguins would be willing Don’t be surprised to see a member of a possible third line traded to part with Rust for the right return? Penguins defenseman Juuso Riikola played sparingly last season. It doesn’t seem likely. In the immediate aftermath of the Kapanen deal, Matt Vensel Rutherford said the new right winger has no impact on Rust’s place on the team. Moving Rust would leave a bigger hole than it would solve, Penguins re-sign Juuso Riikola, despite playing him sparingly in second unless someone makes an offer that’s too good to pass up. half of 2019-20 It would take a change of heart for Rutherford to shake up the core A possible Penguins third line could feature two of the heftier contracts and one of the biggest unknowns. For those reasons, Patric Hornqvist, While Rutherford’s plan is to keep Crosby, Malkin and Letang together Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann are three of the most likely trade for another run, the general manager noted that if a team makes an candidates. incredible offer that helps the Penguins now and into the future, he’d take a look. At 33, Hornqvist is the fifth-highest paid forward on the Penguins roster with a deal that carries a $5.3 million average annual value. His physical Of the three, Letang feels like the most likely candidate there. He was an playing style and injury history makes you question how gracefully his All-Star again this past season, But at times, his decision making was as grimy game will age over the next three years of his current contract. confounding as it was dynamic. At 33, he stays in excellent physical These are all reasons the Penguins might look to move him. But they’re condition. For the right team, he would be an immediate difference maker also the same reasons it might be hard to pull it off. It’s also worth noting and a fan favorite. Hornqvist has a no-trade clause that would have to be waived. The problem with this type of deal is it would have to be part of a much Bjugstad is set to be paid $4.1 million next season in the final year of his larger vision. Even with Marino’s emergence, dealing Letang would leave deal. He had more surgeries (two) than goals (one) during an injury- a massive hole on the right side of the blue line that already needs one marred 2019-20 season in which he was limited to just 13 games. But righty with the Penguins planning to move on from Justin Schultz and an with core muscle injury and a spinal issue healed, he’s 100%. A team even bigger question mark on the power play. But it would also create that wants to buy low might find value and versatility from a player who $7,250,000 that could be used to get younger and begin the rebuilding process on the fly. Mike DeFabo

Post Gazette LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178709 Pittsburgh Penguins “I just think the guy is a good player and I don’t think his health has ever let him show exactly what he can do with the Penguins,” Rutherford said.

Bjugstad’s time with the Penguins, statistically speaking, hasn’t been Yohe: What we know about the Penguins’ offseason plans quite the bust that many portray it to be. The 28-year-old has scored 10 goals in 45 games with the Penguins, which might be slightly below expectations but still represents an 18-goal total over an 82-game schedule. He’s a plus-7 in those 45 games. By Josh Yohe Sep 9, 2020 His biggest problem is that he’s played only 45 games. After spinal

surgery earlier this summer, Bjugstad projects to be 100 percent healthy The Penguins are interested in reloading, not rebuilding. This, by whenever the next NHL season begins. definition, makes their offseason a little more difficult to navigate. “If he’s on our roster, I’m OK with that,” Rutherford said. “I think the guy is Rebuilding makes a team’s game plan pretty simple, as a general a really good player and I’d be fine with him competing to be our No. 3 manager can simply shed big-priced talent and load up on prospects and center. He’s played center a lot in his career. We liked him as a right draft picks. wing when we traded for him because he was thriving there in Florida. Jim Rutherford intends for the Penguins to claim the Stanley Cup in But he’s probably played his best hockey in our system when he’s been 2021. It’s how he’s wired and it’s how the organization operates. at center, and that’s fine. He might still be here, or he might not be. If he is, he’ll get the opportunity to be that guy because we think he’s a good Given how far the Penguins fell short of expectations in each of the past player.” two seasons — and given Rutherford’s predictions that border on promises — significant changes are imminent. • Rutherford recently said that he “wouldn’t be against changing up” the blue line. The Penguins have since given Juuso Riikola a two-year Here’s what I have learned after conversations with sources around the contract. The coaching staff is always quick with the hook for Riikola league and with Rutherford himself: when he’s in the lineup, which made the deal a bit of a surprise. It also makes things a little cloudy on the Penguins’ blue line. And more than a • The Penguins are committed to trading one of their top goaltenders, but little crowded. heavy indications are that Matt Murray will be the goaltender traded. Numerous people in the Penguins’ organization are resigned to this The Letang situation remains fluid but it also remains likely he’ll be with inevitability. the Penguins next season. On the left side of the blue line, the Penguins now employ Brian Dumoulin, Marcus Pettersson, Jack Johnson, Riikola • Rutherford has little interest in moving Tristan Jarry, who has quickly and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, the team’s best defensive prospect who gained the entire organization’s confidence. Multiple Penguins sources should be ready for NHL action in the 2020-21 season. confirmed that Bill Guerin, now Minnesota’s general manager, inquired about Jarry before dealing Jason Zucker to the Penguins. Rutherford That’s a lot of bodies. On the right side, the Penguins are pretty well set wasn’t going to part with Jarry in that deal. with Letang, John Marino and the recently re-signed Chad Ruhwedel, who is serviceable as a No. 6 defenseman and a luxury as a One year ago, Rutherford attempted to trade Jarry because the reinforcement. organization was convinced Murray had righted himself and that Jarry deserved an opportunity to play elsewhere. Now, the Penguins are Rutherford doesn’t seem interested in moving Johnson, whose salary believers in Jarry’s ability to guide them on a championship run. pays him $3.25 million annually for the next three seasons. He just re- signed Riikola. He recently gave Pettersson a hefty contract. Dumoulin • Kris Letang, as The Athletic’s Rob Rossi wrote in this thorough remains one of the NHL’s most steady defenseman and Letang’s examination Tuesday, is at a crossroads in his career. Sources around preferred partner. the NHL have told me they have discussed Letang’s value with Rutherford. However, this isn’t uncommon and there’s no indication that On paper, it’s a good defensive group and “changing up” the group would the Penguins are actively shopping the defenseman. seem contingent on trading a good player from that group.

Members of the Penguins’ front office spoke with Letang before Todd “I want to make this team better, and we need to make changes,” Reirden was hired as an assistant coach to confirm that he was on board Rutherford said. “The last couple of years haven’t been good enough. So with the decision. Letang gave Reirden an eager endorsement. changes are going to be made. It’s just the way it is.”

“I think you’re going to see a better version of Kris Letang with Todd The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 coaching the defense,” Rutherford said. “I’m excited to see how he looks when next season begins. He hasn’t played poorly at all, but we know he can be better.”

• Jared McCann is a player the Penguins are willing to move. They like McCann but have soured on his ability to be their No. 3 center moving forward. There is a division in the organization, as some believe McCann is better at center while others believe his ideal position is at left wing. The Penguins don’t need anymore left wings — they’re fairly loaded there with Jake Guentzel, Zucker, Zach Aston-Reese and top prospect Samuel Poulin — and if McCann isn’t able to give the Penguins what they need as a third-line center, moving him might be the most prudent move.

McCann is a 20-goal scorer, fast, capable of playing multiple positions and is only 24. He could bring some value in return but simply might not fit into the Penguins’ desired roster construction.

• The Penguins would like to move Nick Bjugstad because of his $4.1 million salary-cap hit. His name has been mentioned in conversations between Rutherford and other general managers in the past couple of weeks.

But Rutherford doesn’t sound opposed to keeping him around. Perhaps these sentiments are merely to preserve relations with Bjugstad if the Penguins are forced to employ him again next season.

It should be noted, though, that Rutherford has always had a fondness for the 6-foot-6 Bjugstad. 1178710 Pittsburgh Penguins influenced by Kapanen’s speed and head-to-head approach on the puck carrier. Kapanen handcuffs this defenseman to secure the turnover. It’s easy to see, given his skill set, why he produces so many broken plays.

Marshall: The Penguins gave up a lot for Kasperi Kapanen. Is he worth In this next clip, Kapanen isn’t the player who initiates the turnover but it? notice how quickly he can identify and reach open space as the play switches from defense to offense. It’s the first step and the overall quickness that stand out in this sequence. These elements might have come in handy against Montreal, where the Penguins failed to provide By Jesse Marshall Sep 9, 2020 adequate pressure on the Canadiens’ attack.

This is where the water gets a little bit murky for Kapanen’s scouting The Penguins were targeting a winger to complement the top half of their report. The speed and transition often get mixed up in translation and forwards, and they found their man before the chaos of draft-day trades cause issues when the game is clicking at a high level. The post-mortem and free-agent bidding wars. on Kapanen in Toronto focuses on his ceiling and whether he had a future as a top-six player. Shortly after making the trade to bring Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh, GM Jim Rutherford said they planned to play the newly re-acquired Kapanen couldn’t stay in the Leafs’ top-six, even when the team faced a winger somewhere on the right side within the Penguins’ top-six forward lot of injuries, because he struggled at times defensively and couldn’t group. consistently make these darting cuts in traffic. He struggled to improvise on the rush, to make the right play when the play doesn’t exist in the “He’s young at 24. We’ve got control for four years,” Rutherford said. “He playbook. can play in our top six, he can kill penalties. We’ve been looking for ways to strengthen our top six. We feel now that we’ve got to a point that we’ve In this clip, consider Kapanen’s recovery after he makes a bad pass out got the six guys that can go there.” of the zone. As the play transitions from offense to defense, Kapanen gets lost and is caught flat-footed. Once the direction of the play Rutherford likely wouldn’t have sacrificed the 15th overall pick in this changes, the trouble begins. year’s draft had he not felt that way. Although it was a pick the Penguins weren’t likely to keep based on precedent if nothing else, the perceived This brings us back to the discussion about value. Remember, the value for them in this deal is receiving a player they view as a top-six Penguins gave up the 15th overall selection in a deep draft to acquire a forward asset who can impact the team before the window closes. player that may or may not be a top-six forward. The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn has created a model that quantifies the value of a draft pick The question is: Does that value line up with the actual performance of in wins using 13+ years worth of draft data. Dom’s goal was to assign a the player? value to specific draft picks from a future wins perspective.

Toronto saw Kapanen as a third-line forward by the end of his tenure with We can use this study and Dom’s work with Game Score Value Added them. That doesn’t mean instant failure playing with Sidney Crosby or (GSVA) to judge the number of future wins a player or draft pick projects Evgeni Malkin. But Leafs centers and to a roster over the next seven years. Game Score is weighting a player’s are no slouches. Kapanen’s inability to be consistently lethal with them performance in offensive and defensive buckets to come up with an that caused him to slide down the depth chart. overall impact number on the game. You can check out Dom’s methodology in the linked article. Despite what opinion the Maple Leafs might’ve held, we can use data to determine our own value of Kapanen. One useful tool to accomplish that Let’s start by taking a closer look at Kapanen’s expectations based on is Bill Comeau’s SKATR evaluation tool. This compares multiple data age, on-ice behavior and production. buckets offensively and defensively to derive a ranked percentile for the skater in each bucket and overall. This allows us to see whether a skater To start, focus on Kapanen’s play-driving percentiles on the left-hand falls inside or outside the top half of the league, the cutoff mark for a top- side of Dom’s chart. Kapanen rounds out in the 14th percentile of six forward. The SKATR score at the top will list Kapanen’s overall forwards defensively and the 55th percentile of forwards offensively, percentile rank for forwards over the last year. teetering on the line of the 50th percentile again.

Kapanen rounds out in the 57th percentile of forwards in 2019-20. That’s Here’s where we round out the discussion on value. Kapanen projects to good enough for the top-six grouping of forwards, but it’s precariously give the Penguins three wins over the next seven years. Based on Dom’s close to falling into that bottom half of the league. Kapanen’s trend will model in GSVA with draft picks, the 15th overall selection the Penguins need to reverse in Pittsburgh if he’s going to be a steady presence in the traded for Kapanen projects to 4.9 wins over the next seven years, top forward group. holding slightly more value than Kapanen’s acquisition. And that doesn’t even factor in the prospects who were part of the deal. A slight improvement, specifically in quality chances in a game, could put him in a more comfortable position. Luckily for Kapanen, he has a lot of That doesn’t mean the Penguins got ripped off and the trade was a traits that not only fit in with the Penguins forwards but might help them disaster. We’re talking about 1.9 added wins over seven years. The sustain pressure in the offensive zone. I often use Corey Sznajder’s zone Penguins weren’t likely to hold on to that pick, but it’s fair to ask if they entry and exit data given the amount of information it provides us. You could’ve received more back from a value perspective. can support his project via his Patreon page. In the games tracked this The tools are all there from a skating and forechecking perspective. If season via Corey’s project, Kapanen stands out among the Penguin Kapanen can piece it all together and fit into a top-six role with the forward group in a few different categories. Penguins, his added value easily will exceed that of a potential draft pick. Let’s focus specifically on the forecheck and the process of attacking the If not, the Penguins will have traded a valuable asset for a third-line opposing team. As opponents looked to break the puck out of their zone, winger. Penguins forwards averaged 6.53 disruptions per 60 minutes of even- The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 strength hockey and 8.54 individual pressures per 60 minutes (disruptions per 60 measure how often a player can break up the play while individual pressure tracks pressure regardless of outcome). Kapanen would have led the Penguins forwards in both categories, averaging 8.82 disruptions per 60 and 11.69 pressures per 60, though it’s worth noting the Leafs’ system applies more forechecking pressure than the Penguins’. These numbers are encouraging regardless of system.

Kapanen’s speed and straight-line approach to forechecking should fit in perfectly with the Penguins’ aggressive style. Consider how the clip below fits with what the Penguins are trying to achieve.

It isn’t just Kapanen’s speed that’s a problem, it’s how he darts directly at players or open space and puts pressure on them in a direct fashion. The defenseman makes a huge mistake in the above clip, but that mistake is 1178711 St Louis Blues

Blues' O'Reilly up for two NHL awards

Tom Timmermann 1 hr ago 0

The first of two postseason awards that Blues center Ryan O’Reilly is up for, the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward, will be announced on Thursday evening, during NBCSN’s pregame show at 6 p.m. prior to Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.

In previous years, the NHL has had one postseason ceremony to announce its award winners and present the trophies, but that’s been scrapped this season because of the pandemic. The other award O'Reilly is a contender for, the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play, will be announced on Friday.

Along with O’Reilly, Patrice Bergeron of Boston and of Philadelphia are candidates for the Selke. O’Reilly won the award last season and was runner-up for the Lady Byng for the second consecutive season. (He won the Lady Byng in 2013-14 when he was with Colorado.) The last player to repeat as Selke champion was Bergeron, who won in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Bergeron has won the award four times.

O’Reilly led the NHL in faceoff victories (880) for the third consecutive season and was seventh in takeaways.

Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado and Auston Matthews of Toronto are the other top vote getters for the Lady Byng.

O’Reilly had 10 penalty minutes, the sixth time in his 11-year NHL career he’s had 10 or less in a season. Matthews had eight penalty minutes, the fewest among the league’s top 100 scorers. MacKinnon had 12, the second-fewest among the league’s top 25 scorers. O’Reilly and Matthews were both in the top 10 in the NHL in ice time among forwards.

O’Reilly is the only Blue who is a candidate for any of the league’s postseason honors.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178712 Tampa Bay Lightning Icing the Isles It might not have seemed like a big deal at the time, but Devon Toews'

failure to get to the red line before flipping the puck into the Lightning Lightning-Islanders Game 2 report card: A storybook ending zone late in the first period led directly to Tampa Bay’s first goal. The icing created a faceoff in the New York zone. Yanni Gourde won the puck cleanly back to Victor Hedman, whose blast from the left point went in off the post on the short side, with Barclay Goodrow providing a screen in By Frank Pastor front.

Grade: A For some time now, Lightning coach Jon Cooper has been framing this Pointedly, a loss season as a story. Brayden Point skates during the first period against the New York Last season’s playoff collapse is “in the history books forever,” Cooper Islanders on Wednesday. He left later with an undisclosed injury. [ said before Wednesday’s game. There is no escaping that. MARKO DITKUN | Special to the Times ] Cooper didn’t want his players to forget about the experience, but he There couldn’t have been a worse sight for Lightning fans than Point didn’t want them dwelling on it either. He preferred that the team “write its leaving for the dressing room in the second period. Point, with points in own story” this season. seven straight games and coming off a five-point night in Game 1, has When the Lightning didn’t get the results they thought they deserved been Tampa Bay’s most productive player throughout the postseason. earlier this season, veteran additions Pat Maroon and Kevin Shattenkirk He went down awkwardly after being driven into the boards by Cal helped them “turn the page on last year," which Cooper said happened Clutterbuck, then hit from behind by Ryan Pulock in the first period. Point sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving and continued through was late to come out for the second period and played only a couple of the first two rounds of the playoffs. shifts before leaving for the locker room. If the injury is anything serious, the news can’t be any worse for the Lightning. Game 2 of their Eastern Conference final against the Islanders more closely resembled a horror story. Grade: F

The Lightning allowed a goal 84 seconds into the game, lost forward Alex Fireworks and fisticuffs Killorn to a game misconduct before the contest was six minutes old and There wasn’t any scoring in the second period, but there were plenty of saw Brayden Point leave with an injury in the second period. Then, with fireworks. Lightning defenseman Luke Schenn challenged Matt Martin to the game in the balance midway through the third, they had to kill a 5-on- a fight, and Martin obliged him. Yanni Gourde threw a few punches at 3. Scott Mayfield behind the Islanders net and was penalized for roughing. But, ultimately, this story had a feel-good ending, courtesy of Nikita Barclay Goodrow was lucky to avoid a penalty when he cross-checked Kucherov’s goal in the closing seconds. Nelson in the back of the head and into the glass. Maroon wasn’t so fortunate, joining Martin in the box after the two briefly mixed it up shortly Ryan McDonagh, who assisted on the goal, summarized the game with a afterward. The Schenn fight was fine, as he thought Martin had taken superlative worthy of any book jacket. liberties earlier with defenseman Mikhail Sergachev. But Goodrow and Maroon have to be smarter, especially with the Lightning down to nine “Dramatic, and a gutsy win for everybody," the Lightning defenseman forwards at that point in the game. said afterward. Grade: C Here is how we graded the Lightning’s performance in the 2-1 win. Killing the 5-on-3 Early deficit Things looked bleak for the Lightning when Cedric Paquette joined You had to know the Islanders would come out strong after being McDonagh in the penalty box midway through the third period, giving the clobbered 8-2 in Game 1. They entered the game with a 4-1 record this Islanders a 5-on-3 advantage for 38 seconds. And there were a few postseason after a loss, many of them by large margins, and it took them tense moments, such as ’s two chances from in close after all of 1:24 to get onto the scoreboard. Unlike Game 1, when everything McDonagh turned the puck over following his exit from the box. But the went up the boards, the Islanders got out of their zone cleanly and used Lightning managed to kill both penalties, with Hedman picking off a pass the middle of the ice, Matt Martin passing to defenseman Nick Leddy on and carrying the puck into the Islanders zone to kill valuable time. the rush. Leddy skated behind the net, centered a pass that Lightning defenseman Zach Bogosian knocked back to him, then set up Martin in Grade: A front. Martin chipped the puck off Tyler Johnson’s stick up over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s right shoulder for a 1-0 lead. Vasy on the spot

Grade: D Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning makes a save on a shot from Josh Bailey (12) of the New York Islanders during the second Killer of a penalty period. [ MARKO DITKUN | Special to the Times ]

Killorn put his teammates in a bad spot when he hit Brock Nelson late Vasilevskiy made the save of the night in the second period, squeezing and from behind at 5:55 of the first period, sending Nelson head-first into Ryan Pulock’s shot between the pads after Pulock beat Hedman up the the boards. Killorn received a five-minute major penalty and was ice on a breakaway. assessed a game misconduct. While Nelson later returned to the game, Killorn’s night was over and he could face additional discipline from the Grade: A league. The Lightning, who started the game with only 11 forwards in Great ending order to play an extra defenseman, were down to 10 before the game was six minutes old. Kucherov’s winning goal was a team effort, starting with Vasilevskiy working the puck around the boards to Ondrej Palat in the Lightning Grade: F zone. Palat hit Gourde in stride with a stretch pass, and Gourde put a Important kill backhand shot on net that Semyon Varlamov got a glove on. A cycle play got the puck out to Palat, who missed wide of the net on a turnaround Faced with the possibility of falling behind by two goals, the Lightning shot. When Islanders defenseman Andy Greene tried to ring the puck penalty killers responded in a big way. They were aggressive, jumping around the boards from behind the net, McDonagh intercepted it in the plays, closing gaps, being active with their sticks and largely preventing left corner and sent a cross-ice pass to Kucherov, who beat Varlamov the Islanders from getting set up on the power play. The Islanders had over the left pad with a one-timer from the lower right circle. five shots on goal but could not get a puck past Vasilevskiy, who was not severely tested. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020

Grade: A 1178713 Tampa Bay Lightning He made a glove save, he blocked a shot with his left leg, he smothered a puck directly in front of the net, he took a shot off his mask. And all of that was just during the five-minute power play that Killorn’s penalty caused. Never forget what the Lightning did on the night their scorers disappeared And now the Lightning have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, although that’s not as comfortable as it sounds. Point’s injury is a huge concern, and the Islanders have now shown their own resilience after a Game 1 blowout. John Romano | Tampa Bay beat the Islanders 2-1 in Game 2 Wednesday night when three of their top four scorers were unavailable. “There’s no quit in our group,” McDonagh said. “We’ve got a lot of gutsy players.”

Yes, they do. In retrospect, this was probably their best win. More Remember this one because the history books will not do it justice. impressive than the blowouts, more important than the five-overtime Remember this one because, more than any other, it explains who this game in the first round. team is. So remember this game. Remember this one because someone needs to be around to tell the Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020 story of how the Lightning fell behind in the first two minutes, played without three of their top four scorers, took penalty after penalty, and didn’t hold the lead until there were nine seconds remaining.

Yes, the Lightning beat the Islanders 2-1 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final Wednesday night but, more than that, they showed that, on their best nights, they sometimes have as much heart as skill.

So applaud Nikita Kucherov for scoring the winner, but don’t forget goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who carried the Lightning on his shoulders for much of the evening. And give Victor Hedman a pat on the back for taking away New York’s momentum with a tying goal, but don’t ignore the penalty killers who held the Islanders scoreless for nearly 11 shorthanded minutes.

And say a small prayer for Brayden Point after he went hard into the boards, but remember to appreciate the nine forwards who had to outlast 12 forwards in the Islanders lineup.

“In the end, it was gutty,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “That’s what that effort was. It was just gutty.”

And is there a greater compliment for a hockey team?

“Never really thought about it that way. And in the moment of asking me that, I don’t know if there is. Gutty might be that slang word for it, but it consumes character, resiliency, perseverance, adversity. That’s really what it was. Yeah, I’m just unbelievably proud of the guys.”

You see, everyone knows this team has stars. Kucherov is the league’s reigning MVP. Hedman won the Norris Trophy for the league’s top defenseman. Vasilevskiy is a Vezina Trophy winner.

But we sometimes forget about Yanni Gourde and Antony Cirelli flying down the ice like their hair is ablaze. We forget about Luke Schenn trading punches in defense of a smaller teammate. We forget that Erik Cernak or Ryan McDonagh might be big shots on some other roster, but they quietly play their roles on Tampa Bay’s blue line.

“That’s why you play the game. All that hard work, preparation from the coaching staff on down to every player,” said McDonagh, who was responsible for the cross-ice pass that set up Kucherov’s winning goal. “We’re all working toward the same goal, the ultimate goal. A dramatic finish like that, it’s a fun moment to be a part of.”

Even if you brush off all the other details, remember this one:

No . No Brayden Point. No Alex Killorn.

And, as it turns out, no giving up.

Stamkos has been gone the entire postseason, Killorn was ejected early in the game for a cheap hit and Point was essentially shut down after crashing into the boards late in the first period.

That’s your second-, third- and fourth-leading scorers this season. We all love Ringo Starr, but the Beatles don’t change the world without the other three guys.

“We were kind of fighting the circumstances of the game, whether it was a lot of (penalty) kills, not many guys on the bench,” forward Blake Coleman said. “Those are the games that feel the best.”

And if you’ve been waiting for the night when you could say Vasilevskiy stole a game, this was it. He gave them a chance at a point in the first period when they really didn’t deserve it. 1178714 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning willing to do whatever it takes to win games

By By Jason Hills, Times Correspondent

EDMONTON — The Lightning are showing this postseason they aren’t just a team filled with high-end skill and pizzazz. They’re willing to put in the blue-collar work to score goals and get the job done.

Of the 42 goals they’ve scored through the 12 games against Columbus, Boston and the New York Islanders, almost half have been scored by a tip in front of the net, a screen in front of the goalie or crashing the blue paint to jam home a loose puck.

That shows this team is willing to do whatever it takes to win games.

In Wednesday’s 2-1 win over the Islanders to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference final, all the talk would go to Nikita Kucherov’s final-seconds heroics that gave the Lightning a dramatic win, but their tying goal with 1:35 left in the opening period was a perfect example of doing the little things to get rewarded.

Forward Barclay Goodrow set a perfect screen in front of Semyon Varlamov, and the Islanders goaltender couldn’t see a thing as a Victor Hedman blast whizzed by him.

“Up until that point, (the Islanders) pushed hard in the first,” Hedman said. “They got the first goal and had that five-minute power play (on a major penalty to forward Alex Killorn for a hit). We were on our heels, but we got that goal. Nothing fancy about the play, but Goodrow was going hard to the net, and I was hoping for a bit of a tip, but the puck had eyes. It was a big goal for us.”

The Lightning are led by superstars Kucherov and Brayden Point, and they’re doing a great job leading the way offensively. But their forward group has a mix of players who are willing to pay the price and go to the net.

In their series-clinching overtime win over Columbus in the first round, three of their five goals were scored with tips or screens in front of the net.

In the Lightning’s Game 5 double-overtime win over Boston to clinch the conference semifinal, all three of their goals were scored in that same fashion. Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak had no chance with the massive body of forward Patrick Maroon planted in front of him as Hedman’s shot from the top of the slot went by him for the winner.

“It’s honestly been fun to watch,” Maroon said. "Our energy’s been there, our work ethic has been there, and we’ve been hungry on pucks. Our goal right now is to play big. … Good things happen when you go to the net, and you’re going to get pushed around, the (defense is) going to make it hard for you to get there.

“But if you can find ways to get to the net, good things happen. With our (defensemen), the way they can get shots through, our mentality as forwards is to get in front of the net. We have to make it hard on their (defensemen) and just try to create as much traffic as we can.”

In past playoff runs, teams seemed to play that way against the Lightning, and now Tampa Bay is learning to play that way, too. They no longer can be pushed around like they used to be.

They have the grit and toughness, and guys willing to pay the price.

“The skill level with our team has always been there. (Adding) guys like (Maroon) and Barclay allow us to play with our chests puffed out,” said Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. "We know we have a little sandpaper in our lineup now and we’re not going to be pushed around.

“The toughness we show in games and … how we … stand up for ourselves, in my mind, is a huge difference (from previous years).”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178715 Tampa Bay Lightning NIKITA KUCHEROV

2-1 #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/wqoXVZgTtb

Lightning rally to beat Islanders, build on series lead — Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) September 10, 2020

With the goal, Kucherov tied his postseason points mark from 2015 with 22 points logged so far in the 2020 playoffs (six goals, 16 assists). He is With nine seconds to spare, Nikita Kucherov helps Tampa Bay avoid tied for fifth among the franchise’s top scorers in a single postseason. overtime and go up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference final. Andrei Vasilevskiy stood tall in between the posts again, notching his The odds were stacked against them from the start. Yet, in typical 12th win of the postseason (through 15 games) and his league-leading Lightning fashion, they made it work. 23rd win, which dates to the 2018 playoff run. He made 27 saves on 28 shots against the Islanders. Down two forwards in an 11-7 adjusted lineup, the Lightning defeated the Islanders 2-1 on Wednesday night in Edmonton for the 2-0 series lead in “It gives you a ton of confidence (playing in front of him),” McDonagh said the Eastern Conference final. Coach Jon Cooper called it a “gutty” effort. of Vasilevskiy. “We know we’re going to make mistakes and we feel really confident back there he sees. He’s like a third defenseman ... huge It came down to the last 10 seconds of the game, and some good eye for us.” contact between Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh to make the difference. About eight minutes into the third period, McDonagh made an aggressive defensive play on Nelson as the Islanders forward charged toward With nearly 11 seconds remaining, McDonagh crept up the left side along Vasilevskiy to take a shot. the boards, intercepting the puck as it made its way around the back of the ice. He skated nearly to the goal line before finding Kucherov on the But the Lightning defenseman was called for holding, putting the right side, wide open for the shot. He made eye contact with the right Islanders on the power play. Less than a minute and a half later, Cedric wing and shuffled out the puck. Paquette was called for hooking on Mathew Barzal, forcing 5-on-3 play for the next 38 seconds. The penalty kill found its success for the fourth As Kucherov moved slightly away from the post, he one-timed it past time of the evening. New York’s Semyon Varlamov in goal for the 2-1 lead with nine seconds remaining in the third period. “That 5-on-3 (penalty) kill and the play from Vasy was phenomenal,” Hedman said. “I saw Mac coming down low and picking up the puck and I kind of made eye contact with him and I knew what he was going to do and probably #TBLightning's McDonagh makes an aggressive play, but gets called for he knew what I’m going to do," Kucherov said. "He made a nice pass holding against Nelson. #Isles on the power play. #TBLvsNYI across the ice and all I had to do was hit the open net.” pic.twitter.com/E8KxdZAf7S

Cooper couldn’t speak highly enough about the right wing’s effort, — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020 especially in the absence of Brayden Point (one of Kucherov’s linemates) and Alex Killorn (who plays in all situations for the Lightning). The win wasn’t as flashy or pretty as Game 1′s, but it tested the team’s depth and put everything they’ve said to this point into action. “(Kucherov) put the team on his back,” Cooper said after the win. “...In the end, you need to get the next (goal) and Kuch did it and a ton of “I think it was one of those games that we were kind of fighting the credit to him for it for being a part of this and leading us.” circumstances of the game and whether it was just a lot of (penalty) kills, not a lot of guys on the bench, up front, those are the games that feel the Only two players in NHL history have scored a later game-winning goal in best," Blake Coleman said after the win. “And obviously, it all came out regulation during a Conference Finals / Semifinals contest than there at the end.” @86Kucherov. #NHLStats #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/wUVuI8WXn4 Up next — NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) September 10, 2020 vs. Islanders, 8 p.m. Friday Hedman also sang high praises about the right wing’s effort. Rogers Place, Edmonton “A lot of credit goes to our forwards today, (Kucherov) was unbelievable,” Hedman said. “He was all over the ice and when you have your most TV: USA Network skilled player do that, it rubs off on everyone else, so our forwards Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020 showed a lot of resiliency today.”

Unlike Monday’s 8-2 romp, nothing came easy for the Lightning. New York’s Matt Martin got on the board in the first 1:24 of the game to open up the scoring with a 1-0 lead.

Things continued to worsen as Killorn took a boarding penalty on Brock Nelson, which also resulted in a game misconduct. Tampa Bay had to continue the game with 10 forwards.

Hedman gave the team some energy heading into the first intermission with the tying goal thanks to an assist from Barclay Goodrow with 1:35 remaining in the first period. With the goal, Hedman now leads all defensemen in the league with seven in the postseason (one goal ahead of Vegas' Shea Theodore).

#TBLightning's Hedman gives his team some life with 1:35 remaining in the opening frame. Goal goes in off the post to tie up score 1-all against #Isles pic.twitter.com/t0ee7RyUYh

— 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020

About six minutes into the second period, things took a turn for the worse as Point went down the tunnel with an injury, forcing the Lightning to skate with nine forwards on their bench for the remainder of the evening.

And almost 40 minutes went by before Kucherov clinched the win.

“There’s no quit in our group,” McDonagh said after the game. “And we have a lot of gutsy players, and it’s fun to be a part of the group for sure.” 1178716 Tampa Bay Lightning — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020 Hedman picks off a pass and carries the puck out of the zone.

Lightning get one man back. Lightning-Islanders Game 2 live playoff updates McDonagh turnover leads to two chances for Anders Lee from in close.

Beauvillier shot goes high off the glass. Nikita Kucherov scores with 8.8 seconds remaining to lift Tampa Bay to a 2-1 win. Lightning have killed both penalties.

So, how much fun was that? Varlamov turns aside Sergachev shot from the left circle.

Eight goals. Three power-play scores. Records galore. A Game 1 win. Devon Toews wrist shot from the right circle gloved by Vasilevskiy.

With their ninth postseason victory (not counting the round robin) Monday Pat Maroon hits Andy Greene into the boards. in the opening game of the Eastern Conference final, the Lightning are more than halfway to the 16 needed to win the Stanley Cup. And, with Palat shot steered wide by Varlamov. just two losses through the first 11 games, they are doing so in Cernak clears the zone. dominating fashion. Point springs Gourde on a breakaway, but Varlamov gets a glove on Can we just give Brayden Point the , already? Gourde’s backhand shot.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There is still a series to be played Palat misses the net on a turnaround shot from the slot. against an Islanders team that has risen to big challenges before. And, as Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after Monday’s game, “This is a one- Lightning goal! Kucherov scores with 8.8 seconds remaining off a cross- off. ... We’re not gonna see scores like this again.” ice pass from McDonagh. Lightning 2, Islanders 1.

But will we see similar results? Kucherov scores with less than 9 seconds left in regulation to break the tie. The Lightning win 2-1 #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/fgfJ83xBii Follow along tonight, beginning at 8, as the Lightning seek their sixth straight victory in Game 2 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. — Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) September 10, 2020

FINAL SCORE: Lightning 2, Islanders 1 Lightning win!

Third period Second period

No Brayden Point on the Lightning bench to start the period. Lightning go on the power play just over a minute into the period, as Nikita Kucherov draws a tripping penalty from Adam Pelech in the neutral Casey Cizikas with a heavy hit on Blake Coleman. zone.

Scott Mayfield penalized for tripping Coleman. Lightning go on the power Casey Cizikas clears the puck for the Islanders. play. Leo Komarov pressures Mikhail Sergachev and sends the puck into the #Isles' Mayfield is called for tripping on #TBLightning's Coleman to start Lightning zone. off the third period #TBLvsNYI pic.twitter.com/KpmPhJr2RO Semyon Varlamov stops Ondrej Palat from in front. — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020 Islanders kill the penalty. Adam Pelech clears the puck for the Islanders. Luke Schenn and Matt Martin fight along the boards. Schenn extended Puck goes off Cal Clutterbuck skate and out of the zone. the invitation, and Martin obliged.

Kevin Shattenkirk gets a shot to the net and it’s free for a moment as #GoBolts Luke Schenn and #Isles Matt Martin drop the gloves Yanni Gourde jabs at it before Varlamov covers. pic.twitter.com/ZpDQdiTcKL Islanders kill the penalty. — Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) September 10, 2020 Tyler Johnson shot goes wide. Kucherov and Brayden Point try to create something off the rush, but it Vasilevskiy stops Clutterbuck shot from the left circle. doesn’t amount to anything, as Leo Komarov gets a stick in the way.

Scott Mayfield knocks the puck off Yanni Gourde’s stick. Anthony Cirelli shot from the lower right circle stopped by Varlamov.

Ryan McDonagh blocks Brock Nelson shot off the rush. Josh Bailey all alone in the lower left circle, but can’t settle a bouncing puck and his shot goes over the net. McDonagh penalized for holding Nelson with 12:12 left. Yanni Gourde penalized for roughing Scott Mayfield. #TBLightning's McDonagh makes an aggressive play, but gets called for holding against Nelson. #Isles on the power play. #TBLvsNYI Now #TBLightning's Gourde gets into it with #Isles' Mayfield. Gourde will pic.twitter.com/E8KxdZAf7S serve a roughing penalty. #TBLvsNYI pic.twitter.com/XJuzPm03Ey

— 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020 — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020

Barclay Goodrow deflects Nelson shot out of play. Jordan Eberle poking around for the puck after Vasilevskiy stops Nick Leddy shot from the point, but Vasilevskiy covers. Josh Bailey shot from the goal line goes off Vasilevskiy’s mask and out of play. Brock Nelson back on the Islanders bench.

Barclay Goodrow picks off a pass and clears the zone. Vasilevskiy catches Anthony Beauvillier shot from the slot in the chest.

Zach Bogosian tries to connect with Cedric Paquette on a long pass, but Lightning kill the penalty. Four shots for the Islanders. it’s too long and collected by Varlamov. Casey Cizikas redirects Martin turnaround shot at the side of the Paquette penalized for hooking Mathew Barzal. Islanders will have a 5- Lightning net, but Vasilevskiy has it sealed off. on-3 for 38 seconds. Brayden Point leaves for the Lightning dressing room. So, they’re down #TBLightning's Paquette joins McDonagh in the box. He's called for to nine forwards for the moment. hooking on #Isles' Barzal. Islanders with 5-on-3 for the next 38 seconds. #Isles Brock Nelson returns.#GoBolts Brayden Point to the dressing #TBLvsNYI pic.twitter.com/KPTn2qfI8n room pic.twitter.com/bzy45ji5Gh — Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) September 10, 2020 Nikita Kucherov one-timer from the right circle blocked in front.

Nelson down on the ice again after Barclay Goodrow cross-checks him in Hedman shot from the point blocked, and the puck is cleared out of the the back of the head into the glass. No penalty on the play. zone.

Matt Martin and Pat Maroon now mixing it up. Both receive roughing Islanders clear the puck again and will kill the penalty. No shots for the penalties. Lightning.

Four-on-four play for the net two minutes. Ryan McDonagh blocks Andrew Ladd shot off the rush.

Vasilevskiy stops Ryan Pulock on a breakaway. Lightning goal! Victor Hedman’s blast from the left point bounces off the post and into the net on the short side with 1:35 left in the period. Anders Lee with a big hit on Victor Hedman. Lightning 1, Islanders 1.

Hedman centers for Maroon in the slot, but Varlamov makes a pad save. #TBLightning's Hedman gives his team some life with 1:35 remaining in the opening frame. Goal goes in off the post to tie up score 1-all against Nelson with a high hit on Maroon, knocking him into the Islanders net and #Isles pic.twitter.com/t0ee7RyUYh creating a stoppage in play. — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020 Kucherov shot from the high slot goes off the glass. Kucherov shot just misses wide. Bogosian misses wide. Pregame Beauveiller wrist shot saved by Vasilevskiiy. The Islanders will go back to Semyon Varlamov in goal after starting Leo Komarov and Kucherov exchange some words. Thomas Greiss in Game 1. First period Cal Clutterbuck, who was injured during Monday’s game, took part in the Islanders goal. Nick Leddy passes from below the goal line to Matt Martin pregame skate. in front of the net, and Martin chips the puck up over Andrei Vasilevskiy’s Derick Brassard is out of Islanders' lineup, Andrew Ladd in. right shoulder (1:24). Islanders 1, Lightning 0. Time for warmups! pic.twitter.com/M0bxstrzWJ #Isles' Martin gets on the board to open the scoring against #TBLightning #TBLvsNYI pic.twitter.com/3bx2THmycy — New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 9, 2020

— 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020 Mathieu Joseph among 21 players taking the pregame skate for the Lightning, according to the roster sheet. The Islanders are 7-2 this postseason when scoring first. Let’s go boys!!#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/ywHFi83uP2 After spending nearly a minute in the Lightning zone, the Islanders allow a Barclay Goodrow breakaway, but Semyon Varlamov stops the — Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 9, 2020 backhand shot. The Lightning will stick with an 11/7 lineup, with Luke Schenn being the Wow. Alex Killorn assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct extra defenseman. (intent to injure) after hitting Brock Nelson late and from behind, sending Nelson face-first into the boards. That’s the last we’ll see of Killorn Your #TBLvsNYI Game 2 starters! tonight. Pat Maroon will serve the penalty (5:55). Coburn, Joseph, Rutta, Stamkos, Stephens, Verhaeghe, Volkov, #TBLightning's Killorn gets a major penalty for boarding and a game Wedgewood misconduct after his blind hit on #Isles' Nelson, who stays down before eventually heading down the tunnel. #TBLvsNYI Vasilevskiy vs. Varlamov#GoBolts pic.twitter.com/rvB9XcV8Sf pic.twitter.com/ekgevkLOs3 — Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 10, 2020 — 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020 Boston’s Bruce Cassidy is named winner of the Jack Adams Award, Remember, the Lightning had only 11 forwards to start with, so they’re which goes to the NHL’s most outstanding coach. down to 10. Coach of the Year. Vasilevskiy with a glove save on Jordan Eberle. Bruce Cassidy of the @NHLBruins is the recipient of the 2020 Jack Eberle centers for Anders Lee, but Vasilevskiy makes a leg save and Adams Award. #NHLAwards | #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/apfkt2s8pi smothers the puck. — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 9, 2020 Erik Cernak inadvertently hit by a stick on a follow through. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020 Victor Hedman clears the puck to center ice.

Mathew Barzal shot from the right circle goes off the top of Vasilevskiy’s mask and over the net.

Hedman takes Lee down hard behind the net.

Eberle walks the goal line and puts a shot on net, but Vasilevskiy able to get a shoulder on it.

Yanni Gourde loses the puck exiting the Lightning zone, and the Islanders regain possession.

Lightning kill the five-minute penalty. Islanders had five shots on the power play.

Vasilevskiy stops Cal Clutterbuck shot from the left circle.

Islanders outshooting the Lightning 11-3 to this point.

Ryan Pulock penalized for tripping Ondrej Palat (13:54).

The Lightning, who converted 3 of 6 chances in Game 1, go on the power play. 1178717 Tampa Bay Lightning Cooper said Kucherov put the team on his back once it went down to nine forwards Wednesday. The Lightning started the game with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, as they have for much of the playoffs. Forward Alex Killorn was given a game misconduct early in the first Lightning’s Brayden Point injured in Game 2 vs. Islanders period for a hit, so they were down to three lines after Point left.

Anthony Cirelli moved into Point’s spot on the top line with Ondrej Palat and Kucherov. Yanni Gourde centered Barclay Goodrow and Tyler The center is Tampa Bay’s leading goal scorer in these playoffs. Johnson. Blake Coleman shifted to the fourth line with Pat Maroon as Brayden Point has been the Lightning’s best player in this playoff run, but Cedric Paquette moved back to center. Tampa Bay could be facing time without him. Cirelli plays a different game from Point. He’s a defense-first forward who Point headed to the dressing room in the second period of Game 2 of the often matches up against the opponents' top lines. He has only one goal Eastern Conference final Wednesday night after appearing to tweak a in the plays after being on pace to hit 20 in the regular season for the first hamstring and didn’t return. time. But Cirelli has also risen to the occasion when presented with an opportunity. The Lightning pulled out a win 2-1 win over the Islanders to take a 2-0 lead in the series at Edmonton. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020

There was no indication if they would have to continue without Point.

“We all know the character of that kid and what a competitive gamer he is,” coach Jon Cooper said. “So for him not to come back, I know it was tough on him. Clearly it was tough on us as well.”

Point went down awkwardly on a hit late in the first period, then was late to join the team coming out of the intermission.

Five minutes into the second period, Point and Nikita Kucherov raced down the ice on a rush. Point looked fine as he skated into the zone. But as play turned back the other way, Point let up, skating upright, unusual for a player known for his seemingly boundless energy on long shifts.

It might be a hamstring problem for #GoBolts Brayden Point. He races for this puck ... takes the shot .. movements very slow after that.

This was his last shift before he climbed over the boards awkwardly. pic.twitter.com/pVJloFvpN6

— Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) September 10, 2020

At the end of the shift, he climbed over the boards awkwardly. Where he usually throws one leg over the boards, then the other, he got up on top on his knees before gingerly climbing down the other side.

He left the game for good after playing two shifts in the second.

Here's where Sportsnet seems to think #GoBolts Brayden Point was injured pic.twitter.com/avXSm31xHo

— Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) September 10, 2020

In the offseason, Point had surgery on both hips. He missed the first three games of the regular season as he recovered. Since the postseason started last month after an almost five-month season shutdown because of the coronavirus, Point has looked stronger and faster than he did in the regular season.

He leads the Lightning in the postseason with eight goals and 23 points. He scored twice in overtime in the opening round against Columbus and has consistently set the pace for the team.

“Obviously, what he means to our team is pretty clear,” Cooper said.

Forward Blake Coleman said it was important not to do too much and stray from usual roles trying to fill in for Point on Wednesday. He thought the key was to keep it simple, there wasn’t a “secret sauce.”

Point’s speed, vision and shot add a dynamic no one else has been able to produce for the Lightning in this postseason.

There was his goal in Game 1 of the conference final, when Point, late in a shift, beat Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock with a stutter step, then reached around goalie Thomas Greiss to tuck the puck inside the far post.

There was his small stick move to freeze Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo to score in overtime in Game 5 to clinch the first-round series.

Kucherov brings a different version of that dynamic play, as evidenced by his winning goal Wednesday with nine seconds left. He’s second on the Lightning in playoff points, one behind Point, and is playing well, but there’s a gear he hasn’t shown since the restart that he might need to find. 1178718 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Alex Killorn ejected for hit on Islanders’ Brock Nelson

Killorn served a five-minute boarding major and a 10-minute game misconduct penalty.

Though the Lightning took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference final with the Islanders with a 2-1 win Wednesday, they may be looking at losing Alex Killorn.

With Tampa Bay trailing 1-0 in Edmonton, Killorn was called for a boarding major and a game misconduct after hitting forward Brock Nelson into the boards from behind 5:55 into the first period.

Nelson was battling for puck possession with Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli. Cirelli hit the glass before losing his footing. Nelson was trying to move the puck down the ice when Killorn skated just behind his left shoulder, in Nelson’s blind spot. As Nelson took his first step after clearing the puck, Killorn charged into him, making shoulder-to-shoulder contact and pushing Nelson face first into the glass.

Killorn skated on while Nelson was down on the ice. Nelson was checked on by team trainers before heading down the tunnel.

Killorn’s hit will automatically be reviewed by the league’s Department of Player Safety since it drew a major penalty. Killorn could be suspended.

“I think you saw that the penalty was called correctly,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “A player unsuspecting, meaning the play has already gone. We were more worried about (Nelson’s) face and head. That’s a dangerous play, and we’ll let the league deal with that.”

#TBLightning's Killorn gets a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct after his blind hit on #Isles' Nelson, who stays down before eventually heading down the tunnel. #TBLvsNYI pic.twitter.com/ekgevkLOs3

— 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020

Killorn’s ejection forced the Lightning to play the rest of the period with 10 forwards and seven defensemen since they opted to use an 11-7 lineup again.

Tampa Bay successfully killed off the five-minute power play.

Nelson did not return for the remainder of the period, but he was back on the bench for the second period. He finished with 10:48 of ice time.

Later in the second period, Nelson was hit again along the glass, this time by Barclay Goodrow.

Things continue to worsen for #TBLightning as Goodrow gets into it with #Isles' Nelson who was injured earlier with hit from Killorn. Refs could have called a cross-check... #TBLvsNYI pic.twitter.com/sR5esNG2RK

— 홼횊횛횒 홵횊횒횎횕횕횘 (wears a mask) (@faiello_mari) September 10, 2020

The Lightning forward turned around along the boards and made a move for the puck, which Nelson was shuffling between his skates. After the puck had cleared, Nelson reached down as if he was trying to pick up his broken stick, and Goodrow put the shaft of his stick to the back of Nelson’s head, plowing Nelson into the glass.

The officials did not call a penalty on the play.

“I just thought that was a little bit of a target at the head,” Trotz said of Barclay’s hit on Nelson. “(The Lightning) knew he was hurt, they targeted him a little bit, but the league handles it and they look at it thoroughly, so it’ll be in good hands.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178719 Tampa Bay Lightning and understanding. One of the blessings of Notre Dame is where it’s at. It’s in the middle of nowhere, but you become part of the community. It’s a lifestyle, and it has a code, and that code teaches young men and women responsibility and leadership.” Lightning’s Jon Cooper, Islanders' Barry Trotz share hockey prep school background There have been over 220 hockey players drafted by NHL teams over the school’s history, but it doesn’t matter how many times an alumnus gets to the NHL or is able to win the Stanley Cup. A great deal of pride comes from the village that doesn’t even have a stop light. By By Jason Hills, Times Correspondent “We have tremendous pride. I think what we get the most pride from is

when you have guys like Jon and Barry speak about the pride they have EDMONTON — Before departing for Edmonton for the Eastern about being part of our program,” said Jeremy Mylymok, Notre Dame’s Conference final, Lightning coach Jon Cooper and Islanders coach Barry director of hockey, who graduated from there in 1990. Trotz bumped into each other at the gym inside the Toronto bubble and “It’s amazing how many kids move on to leadership roles and captains of decided to take a selfie. their teams, whether it’s on teams in major junior in Canada, the NCAA It’s not one that likely will be posted on their personal social media or in the pro ranks. So many of the kids come here for hockey, but accounts, but it’s definitely a photo that will be hung proudly in the halls they’ve left understanding what Notre Dame is all about. When you leave of Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in the tiny village of Wilcox, Notre Dame, you start to realize the values in life.” Saskatchewan (population 264 in 2016). Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020 The school — co-founded by Father Athol Murray, a Canadian Catholic priest and educator, and typically referred to as just Notre Dame by many across Canada — is a place where teenagers with big hockey dreams try to build their careers. But over its 93-year history, it has become so much more than that.

Trotz vs. Cooper - Once a Hound Always A Hound.

Thank you @Sportsnet for this clip! pic.twitter.com/bg5GAnpzDq

— Athol Murray College Of Notre Dame (@AMCNotreDame) September 8, 2020

It has become a place where you’re more than a Hound, which is the school’s nickname. It’s a place that builds character and leaders, and two former Hounds — Cooper, 53, and Trotz, 58 — have become two of the best coaches in the NHL.

“Notre Dame is one of those places, I think you find out a lot about yourself. I always say you go in there a boy and leave a man,” said Cooper, who left his hometown, Prince George, , in 1982 and spent his final three years of high school in the cold, vast prairies of southern Saskatchewan.

“You leave home for the first time at 15, it’s a hard thing to do. But from the lessons I learned, you know, it’s the first time you kind of get knocked down. You get cut from a team — and that was the first time that it happened to me in my life — and how are you going to deal with that?”

Nowadays, there are hockey prep schools all across Canada and the United States, but Notre Dame is one of the originals.

Wilcox has embraced the Hounds for nearly a century. You may not be from there, but once you step through the doors of the schools, you’re one of them.

“It was not just the athletic part, but with the school part of it and having to acclimate with new friends, new environment, but the school did such a good job at keeping you engaged and involved,” said Cooper. "Really, the school became your team. It wasn’t just the hockey players who played on your team, but the 300 kids that went there. That was your team.

“I remember we’d go to football games and the whole school would go, and big hockey games, the whole school would go. … I thoroughly enjoyed my experiences there, and it’s fun when you run into other Hounds. Everybody has a lot of common stories. It’s just that common bond you have when you go there.”

New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz from Grade 10 at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. Courtesy of the school [ Athol Murray College of Notre Dame ]

There are currently 17 Notre Dame alumni playing in the NHL and three head coaches. The folks in Wilcox still have plenty of former Hounds to cheer for in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Joining Cooper and Trotz are Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn and backup goalie Curtis McElhinney; Islanders forward Jordan Eberle; and Golden Knights rugged defenseman Brayden McNabb.

“It’s a community,” Trotz said. “A lot of the things that Father Murray believed in are still talked about and used today. There’s a lot of pride 1178720 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Julien BriseBois voted finalist for general manager award

By Mari Faiello

Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois could bring home some hardware this postseason. And we’re not talking about the Stanley Cup.

BriseBois is one of three finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, voted on by league GMs, a panel of NHL executives and media members at the end of the second round of the playoffs.

Alongside BriseBois, Dallas' Jim Nill and the Islanders' Lou Lamoriello are up for the award. The winner will be announced during pre-game of the Western Conference final between Dallas and Vegas on Saturday.

BriseBois was nominated for the first time thanks to his personnel moves after the Lightning’s stunning 2019 postseason exit. He signed defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and reigning Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon, as well as inked Brayden Point and Andrei Vasilevskiy to multi- year deals. Prior to February’s trade deadline, he brought in Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow and Zach Bogosian.

BriseBois served under Steve Yzerman for eight years prior to his promotion in September 2018. Yzerman is the only Lightning general manager to have previously won this award (2014-15).

This postseason marks the fourth time in six seasons that Tampa Bay has made it to the Eastern Conference final, doing so previously in 2017- 18, 2015-16 and 2014-15.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178721 Tampa Bay Lightning game, it was probably a lot closer than an 8-2 game. But it doesn’t feel that good when you’re sitting there and the score is 8-2.”

It’s often said that a team’s best players have to be their best players in Stop me if you’ve heard this (Lightning) line before the postseason. It’s a stupid-sounding aphorism but it has a simplistic logic to it. Just ask the Lightning about 2019, when Kucherov, Palat and Steven Stamkos disappeared for much of the Columbus series.

By John Romano That hasn’t been a problem in 2020. And right now, that’s a problem for the Islanders.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 09.10.2020 It could have been the fatigue. Absolutely, it could have been the fatigue.

The Islanders were playing their sixth game in 10 days, and that includes a do-or-die game against the Flyers just 48 hours earlier.

I suppose it also could have been the jet lag. Sure, it could have been the jet lag.

While the Lightning had the benefit of leaving Toronto on Saturday and taking their time to get adjusted to their new surroundings in Edmonton, the Islanders had to cross two time zones Sunday morning in between a Game 7 and a Game 1.

Or maybe it could have been this:

New York can’t handle Tampa Bay’s No. 1 line.

It’s just a theory. Sort of a grasping-at-straws kind of explanation for Tampa Bay’s impressive 8-2 victory against the Islanders in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final on Monday night.

But Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat scored three 5-on-5 goals against New York. When you count power plays and a 4-on-4 situation, Point and Kucherov were on the ice for six of Tampa Bay’s eight goals.

I don’t know, but that seems like a lot. And it seems like something worth worrying about in Long Island. Particularly the way Point zipped around Ryan Pulock on the line’s first shift and scored 74 seconds into the game.

“I thought Pointer set the tone right away in that first shift, that we were ready to go,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

“He set the tone from the start,” defenseman Victor Hedman said. “He and Kuch and Pally were unbelievable. Brayden Point is taking it to another level, that’s for sure.”

You could say that. You could also say, at times, Palat has been Tampa Bay’s best player during the postseason. And, at other times, it’s been Kucherov.

The Lightning are on a five-game winning streak while outscoring opponents 25-9. And some combination of Point, Kucherov or Palat have been on the ice for 19 of those 25 Tampa Bay goals.

Sometimes, it’s Point and Kucherov on the power play. Once, it was Palat on a line with Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman. Once, it was Kucherov and Palat with Anthony Cirelli. Once, it was Kucherov with Tyler Johnson and Pat Maroon. Once, it was Point and Kucherov with Maroon.

Using only 11 forwards with 7 defensemen, the Lightning offense is theoretically undermanned. But it’s actually the reverse. With an odd number of forwards, Cooper is able to shuffle lines in order to get his best scorers on the ice as much as possible.

Point, Palat and Kucherov are averaging around 20-21 minutes of ice time, but by occasionally splitting them up it seems like opponents have to face them half the game.

“Our top line is leading by example, they’re doing the little things,” Maroon said. “They’re kind of the driving force of our team.”

Now, it’s a little unfair to suggest the Islanders are incapable of stopping this line. After all, the Islanders beat Tampa Bay in two of three regular- season meetings. And they bounced Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in five games in the first round. Clearly, this is a team that knows how to play defense.

It’s also true that Tampa Bay’s forwards were given too much space to work, and everything they shot seemed to find the net.

“(The Lightning) ended up scoring on virtually all of their chances,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “If you look at the analytics of the 1178722 Tampa Bay Lightning AFTER HIS POWER SKATE, ON THE WAY BACK, IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S STRAINED SOMEHOW? #GOBOLTS PIC.TWITTER.COM/VKBJAUS73W

Why this ‘gutty’ Game 2 win could be defining one in Lightning playoff run — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

Cooper didn’t have an update on Point after the game, hoping he might be able to share more Thursday. But it didn’t look good. By Joe Smith Sep 9, 2020 “We all know the character of that kid and what a competitor and gamer he is,” Cooper said. “So for him not to come back, I know it was tough on him and clearly tough on us as well.” If the Lightning do hoist the Stanley Cup this month, they’ll remember this one. Cooper used his 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup for the sixth straight game (all wins), a formula he’s tried since his days coaching in They’ll remember Ryan McDonagh’s timely pinch and perfect cross-zone the AHL. It helps the Lightning mix up the matchups and add another pass. They’ll remember Nikita Kucherov’s buzzer-beater with 8.8 defenseman (with Luke Schenn being terrific) and allows them to roll seconds left, the latest clutch goal in a career full of them for the Hart their top forwards more. Only Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli and Ondrej Palat Trophy winner. They’ll remember the celebration, from Kucherov sliding played more than 20 minutes Wednesday. on one knee, appearing to yell “yeah baby!” and coach Jon Cooper’s triple fist-bump (“Fuck yes!”) from the bench. “You’ve just got to play simple,” Coleman said. “There’s no real secret sauce — just work hard, compete.” “I think I blacked out,” Cooper said. “Just play the right way,” Kucherov said. “We had to be disciplined But most of all, they’ll remember how they did it, down to nine forwards defensively and wait for our chances.” after Alex Killorn got a game misconduct and Conn Smythe favorite Brayden Point left due to an injury. The penalty kill wiping out a five- The Lightning only had a chance to win because Vasilevskiy and the minute major in the first and a five-on-three midway through the third penalty kill bailed them out. They wiped out a five-minute power play in period with the score tied. Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy, who the first period, with Hedman and Erik Cernak making great defensive stopped 27 of 28 shots, being the backbone. plays.

“In the end, it was gutty,” Cooper said after the Lightning’s 2-1 win. CERNAK WITH THE ACTIVE STICK #GOBOLTS “That’s what that effort was. It was gutty.” PIC.TWITTER.COM/PUOEPWWAO0

Put that on T-shirts or billboards in Tampa Bay because “gutty” might be — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 the defining trait of the Lightning. Sure, there’s tons of world-class skill, with Point, Kucherov and Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman (and Hedman tied the score late in the first with his blast from the point, giving captain Steven Stamkos hasn’t played a minute since February). Of him seven goals in his past 10 games. He had another monster course, there’s toughness, with the deadline acquisitions of Barclay performance, playing 26 minutes and 3:35 on the penalty kill. And they Goodrow and Blake Coleman, along with Pat Maroon and Zach needed him again when the Islanders had 30 seconds of a five-on-three Bogosian, providing more sandpaper than other recent playoff seasons. midway through the third. New York called a timeout. It was its chance.

But from the four overtime wins, seven by one goal, the Lightning look “Between (Vasilevskiy) and all the killers, it was definitely the difference like they won’t be rattled or denied. “Just try to gut it out, no matter the in the game,” McDonagh said. scenario,” McDonagh said. Still, the Lightning needed a goal. Going to overtime (or four) would have Is there a greater compliment to a team than being labeled “gutsy?” been a significant challenge, especially when down to nine forwards. That’s when some of the top players came through. Kucherov delivered. “I never really thought of it that way,” Cooper said. “I don’t know if there is. Gutty may be the slang word for it. It consumes character, resiliency, Kucherov can be a maddening and marvelous player in the same game, personality, adversity. It’s really what it was. Just unbelievably proud of as Hall of Famer has pointed out. He’s Tampa Bay’s most the guys.” gifted player. “I wish I had three-quarters or half the talent that Kucherov has when I was playing,” Esposito said. COACH COOPER CELEBRATING @86KUCHEROV'S LAST MINUTE GAME-WINNER IS PERFECTION #STANLEYCUP Point might be the Lightning’s points leader during the playoffs, but PIC.TWITTER.COM/E2YAT5CF6U Kucherov won the Hart Trophy last season.

— NHL GIFS (@NHLGIFS) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 “(Kucherov) can be so dominant, it’s insane,” Esposito said. “He could be as dominant as Sidney Crosby. Or (Connor) McDavid. He can be as Cooper should be. Wednesday’s is the kind of game a Stanley Cup dominant as that. When they are, they make the other guys around them champion wins. It’s the kind of win that makes one think this might finally a lot better. But (Kucherov) is our guy. He’s our Phil Esposito. He’s our be Tampa Bay’s year. The Lightning knew they’d get the Islanders’ best with the Canadiens. shot after an 8-2 whipping in Game 1. And, let’s face it, for most of the night, New York had the better hand in play. Tampa Bay had just 10 “You know what I’m saying? When he goes, everyone around him gets shots on goal through two periods. “I feel we had just as much a right to better.” win that game as they did,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. Kucherov has scored 35 playoff goals, more than anyone in team history The Lightning lost Alex Killorn, a power forward who plays all situations, and more than Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis, Vinny Lecavalier and Conn early in the first period after he boarded Brock Nelson, drawing a five- Smythe winner . He’s got the flair for dramatic, too, with a minute major and a game misconduct (and likely a hearing Thursday with couple of overtime winners in the 2015 run to the Cup Final and another the NHL Department of Player Safety). few winners in 2016, including one that forced overtime against the Islanders. He’s got seven playoff game winners in all, putting him in elite ALEX KILLORN GETS A FIVE-MINUTE MAJOR FOR THIS HIT ON company. BROCK NELSON #GOBOLTS | #ISLES PIC.TWITTER.COM/5CLTPRD3XX COUNTING THE DECISIVE GOAL QUITE LATE IN REGULATION TO GIVE HIS @TBLIGHTNING A 2-1 WIN OVER THE ISLANDERS ON — OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 WEDNESDAY NIGHT, NIKITA KUCHEROV NOW HAS 7 CAREER GAME WINNING GOALS IN #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFF ACTION. THAT They lost Point, arguably their best player in the playoffs, five minutes TIES HIM WITH 3 OTHERS FOR 5TH ON THIS ALL-RUSSIAN LIST OF into the second with what looked like a leg injury. He was late to return PLAYERS PIC.TWITTER.COM/9TRVTOSEOE for the second period, then left for good with 14 minutes to go. Point looked like he was laboring after making a strong rush to the net on his — STATSCENTRE (@STATSCENTRE) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 last shift. And with Point out, Kucherov stepped up. BRAYDEN POINT'S LAST SHIFT BEFORE GOING OFF “He put the team on his back,” Cooper said. In the final 30-second flurry, the Lightning had a couple of chances. Gourde had a shot off the rush. Palat, set up in the slot by Kucherov, had a wrister stopped. As the Islanders tried to clear up the right side of the boards, McDonagh pinched in down in the circle to cut off the puck. The Lightning defensemen have been incredibly active offensively in the playoffs — it’s what coaches tell them to do. As McDonagh collected the puck, he and Kucherov made eye contact.

In a stunningly fast game, they were in sync like they were in slow-mo.

“He knew what I was going to do,” Kucherov said. “A nice pass across the ice, all I had to do was hit the open net. A hell of a play by him.”

LASER PASS BY MCDONAGH TO KUCHEROV #GOBOLTS PIC.TWITTER.COM/2NUXUURQAM

— OMAR (@TICTACTOMAR) SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

“We had some pressure. I knew there was not much time left,” McDonagh said. “I got a little bit deeper in the zone. That’s our structure, with the weak-side D getting involved in the forecheck. I just tried to get the puck clean off the wall and made eye contact with Kuch. I was hoping he’d stay close to the back post. Sometimes he likes to fade out towards the hash marks. I put the puck to the net and Kucherov did a great job.”

Kucherov said with nine forwards, others had to step up. Wednesday night, it happened to be him.

“We win as a team,” he said. “We’ll take any goals we can get at any time. Definitely, I’m happy, but I’m mostly happy that we won.”

It seemed like another sign of maturity of Kucherov, a team-first attitude the Lightning need from one of their biggest stars. Teammates have said he’s been more vocal in the playoffs and has been bringing positivity.

“He was unbelievable,” Hedman said. “He was all over the ice. When you have your most skilled forward doing that, it rubs off on all the guys.”

The Lightning play for each other. They’re incredibly tight and tough. And no matter what happens in a game — an injury, a back-breaking goal, a bad break — nothing seems to faze them. The five-overtime victory over the Blue Jackets was a tone-setter for the playoffs. They look comfortable being uncomfortable.

And like they could when they won the Stanley Cup in 2004, the Lightning can beat teams by playing any style. Want to do a run and gun? They’ve got the skill, like in Monday’s 8-2 rout. Want to play grind-it- out, tight-checking hockey? Just ask Columbus and Boston what happened. Have to go with just nine forwards and kill 10 minutes’ worth of penalties? No problem.

Seeing the raw emotions displayed during the celebration — Cooper’s “blackout” fist-pumps, Kucherov’s smile and slide before jumping into Palat’s arms, even Vasilevskiy jumped up in the air in his crease — it was hard for them to describe the feeling.

“That’s why you play the game,” McDonagh said. “All that hard work and preparation, we’re all working towards the same goal, ultimate goal. To have a dramatic finish like that, it’s a fun moment to be part of. Our group wants to continue those good moments. There’s no quit in our group. There’s a lot of gutsy players.”

Gutsy is the Lightning’s trademark. And that’s perfectly fine with them.

The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178723 Tampa Bay Lightning WAS TIME FOR A SHIFT BY SHIFT FILM BREAKDOWN. ON APPRECIATING THE TAMPA BAY SUPERSTAR HTTPS://T.CO/CRA6P34TDX

Brayden Point unmasked: The making of the Lightning’s humble star — JOE SMITH (@JOESMITHTB) SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

Adin Hill will never forget the first time he saw Point.

By Joe Smith Sep 9, 2020 The Coyotes goalie prospect played with Point in bantam and spring tournaments, but his introduction was as an opponent when they were seven or eight.

When Brayden Point arrived in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in the spring “On the opening draw, he went between our guy’s legs, came down and of 2012, no one knew what to think. went bar down on me,” Hill said. “I’m like, ‘Who is this guy?’ I’d never seen anyone like him … he was that good.” Point was 15, straight out of Midget AAA hockey. The Calgary-born center was roughly 5-foot-9, 130 pounds soaking wet. Some joked you Point grew up in a Calgary neighborhood called New Brighton. There needed a magnifying glass to find a muscle. Kendall McFaull, the captain was an outdoor rink 300 yards from their house, and he’d spent of that Western Hockey League team, thought Point was a younger countless hours there with his friends or brothers. Riley, 27, played brother of one of his teammates when he walked into the rink with a collegiately at Red Deer College and Mount Royal University. Kade, 17, hockey bag over his shoulder. plays rec.

Who are you? “Brayden did a lot of chasing,” Grant said.

“I’m Brayden Point,” he said. Point idolized former Canucks star Markus Naslund, loving his skill and how humble he was. There was a poster of Naslund on his bedroom wall, “He comes in and he looks like he just woke up,” recalled former Warriors near one of Sidney Crosby. Now it’s Naslund who admires Point from coach . “He looks like he’s never been introduced to a afar: “It’s a pleasure watching him play,” Naslund said via email. “Not brush or comb. Like the kid who delivers your newspapers.” only is his skating and skill level very impressive, but also he’s a ‘big That Warriors team was stacked. There was , now the No. game player’ that steps up when needed.” 1 Maple Leafs defenseman. Joel Edmundson, a Hurricanes defenseman. Grant, who played junior hockey, was his son’s first coach, leading his Quinton Howden, a Panthers first-rounder and Dylan McIlrath, a Rangers teams until he was 14 years old. He still runs skill sessions with Brayden first-rounder. They were big, with several guys 6-foot-5 or bigger. It was and other NHLers every summer, including the likes of Hill or Flyers late in the season, and they were preparing for a playoff run. prospect Carsen Twarynski, both of whom label Brayden’s father as one Stothers turned to GM Alan Millar, who had taken Point in the first round of the best coaches they’ve ever had. Detailed and demanding, Grant of the bantam draft, and said, “Let’s give the kid a look.” would also make the game fun.

After that game, Stothers shook his head. Point, one of the smallest Grant runs a paving and concrete company where Brayden’s mother, players on the ice, always had the puck and won most of the battles. Janice, and both brothers have worked. Grant jokes Brayden has avoided the “paving curse.” “I said, ‘This kid is never coming out of the lineup,'” Stothers recalled. “Brayden was born to play hockey,” Twarynski said. “His dad helped a Point would lead the Warriors in points in that postseason, racking up lot. He made all of us better. But Brayden was dominating at every level. seven goals and 10 points in 14 games, lifting them to the conference Peewee. Bantam. He is by far the most well-rounded player I’ve ever final. He scored game-winners, two OT winners, including a series- played with. The work ethic is as good as anyone, he’s got unbelievable clinching one in Medicine Hat. His veteran teammates chanted his name, skill set and his hockey IQ is through the roof. He can go in the corner “POINTER! POINTER!” as they headed back into the tiny visitor’s against anyone, any size and come out with the puck. And whenever we dressing room. That’s where three or four of the team’s biggest players, needed a big goal, he’d go out and get it.” including Edmundson and McIlrath, hoisted Point on their shoulders. It was straight out of the movie, “Rudy.” Point was grinning ear to ear, his Tyler Drader, who coached Point in bantam, recalled a competitor who’d shaggy hair flying everywhere. later play in beer league games in the summer like his “life is on the line.”

“His head was almost touching the roof,” Edmundson said. “Were just He’s a quiet and private guy. You won’t see him on social media. Drader happy for the kid. He was finally turning into the player he was supposed said the only way he’d reach Point sometimes is if he had his screen to be. This was his moment and we wanted him to feel special. name for video games. He joked Point likely still has a flip phone.

“We had never done that. I’ve never done that. Not on Moose Jaw, not Point deflected questions on himself after Monday’s career-high five point on any team in the NHL. I remember it like it was last week. It was one of playoff game to how well the team played. He politely declined to be those moments you won’t forget in your hockey career.” interviewed for this story, which didn’t surprise those who know him.

It’d be easy to say that a star was born that night, but it wouldn’t be “He’s so boring, but it’s good — the Crosby mold,” Drader said. “He was entirely accurate. As much as some people believe Point came out of serious about hockey at a young age. I don’t know if he’s the Nike nowhere as a third-round pick to become one of the NHL’s top players, billboard selection, but if you want a leader of your hockey team, he’s anyone who has played with or coached the Lightning No. 1 center your guy. Older guys wanted to play with him, and even looked up to him. believe he was destined to shine on the biggest stage. They’ve seen him He’s been a guy with a chip on his shoulder, going back to when he was dominate from peewee to bantam and midget to the world juniors little. They’d say, ‘Well he can’t do it on the next level,’ and he would. tournament, where he captained Canada. He’s always been a clutch Other guys will be on news or Twitter and he’s more under the radar. player, a leader, a difference-maker. Most guys can’t get a word out of him.”

“I keep telling people he’s the best player in the NHL,” said Stothers, a When Lightning teammates always kid Point about one of his favorite 1980 first-round pick and coach for 30 years. “I know there are some pastimes, napping, they don’t realize it goes back to his early years. darn good hockey players, but man oh man, he’s fun to coach and fun to “He’s a notorious snoozer,” Grant said. watch. Anyone who coached him is not surprised how well he’s doing Todd Hudson, Point’s billet for four years in Moose Jaw, said he would right now. You go, ‘OK, well Pointer, I knew he would.’ always squeeze in every second, showing up for a 5:05 meeting at 5:03. “Maybe he’s had to prove himself all his life. He hasn’t been the biggest Hill recalled some road trips in bantam where he and Grant would be in guy, hasn’t been the fastest guy. All he does is deliver.” the front seat of the family’s red GMC pickup truck talking and listening to country music for two-to-three hours from Calgary to Edmonton. Point “It’s not that Brayden always wanted to prove people wrong,” said his would be in the back seat passed out. father Grant. “I just think he likes to prove himself right.” “When getting to the rink, his dad would wake him up and give him some “BRAYDEN POINT IS TAKING IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL.” WITH chocolate milk,” Hill said. “Brayden would chug it, then go out on the ice #TBLIGHTNING CENTER DELIVERING A MONSTER, FIVE-POINT and score a hat trick.” PERFORMANCE IN 8-2 GAME 1 WIN OVER #ISLES, WE THOUGHT IT (Courtesy of Tyler Drader) “If I was the best man, I probably wouldn’t know,” Twarynski joked. “He doesn’t like to put himself out there. He’s very private. Likes to keep to The Lightning initially went to Moose Jaw to scout Rielly, who’d end up himself. He’s got a pretty tight circle and is very loyal. So humble.” the fifth-overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. “Nobody knew,” Hudson said. “It was a very, very quiet deal, out on the But they couldn’t keep their eye off Point. Their area scout, Brad Whalen, beach, nobody there. It must have been in March or April I texted him, who had watched Point since he was 14 years old, pushed for him. ‘You little shit, you went and got married!’ He said, ‘Yeah, we were trying “All the way through juniors, world juniors to prospect games, he’d find a to keep it quiet and then have a party, but COVID hit. But that’s just his way to be one of the best players on the ice,” said Lightning scouting nature. He’s not a flamboyant kid. He just does his thing.” director Al Murray. “He always had that ability.” Todd Hudson’s home has several Brayden Point jerseys. (Courtesy of Murray took notice of Point during world juniors, where the prospect went Todd Hudson) from Canada’s 13th forward to a key cog in the lineup due to the injury of Hudson’s “man cave” in his Moose Jaw home is basically a shrine to Robby Fabbri. They were struck by his compete and maturity. Point. There are several jerseys, including one from the Lightning and “At one point, I said, ‘Hey listen, I’m really sorry we don’t have any more another from world juniors. When Point scored his first NHL point in ice time for you,” said David Lowry, who was on Canada’s coaching staff. October 2016, he mailed the framed puck to the Hudsons. Hudson, who “We had a very good team that year, Connor McDavid was driving the buys and sells cattle, said Point would help out at his ranch, including bus. He looked at me and said, ‘You know what, I’m just glad to be part collecting firewood. They’d spend some off days hunting gophers. of this team.” “He was a pretty good shot,” Hudson said.

Point was selected captain the next year for Canada. He was sneaky too. A few years ago, when Hudson’s daughter got “He was just a hockey nerd with relentless compete,” Lowry said. “We married, Point approached Hudson at the reception and asked, “‘You always talk about top players, can you make guys around them better? ever notice your cigarette package was lighter at night?” Can they complement other players? It doesn’t matter who Point plays “He’d come in when I was sleeping and steal a cigarette out of my pack with, he drags guys into the game and makes guys better.” and sit in the hot tub and smoke before he went to bed,” Hudson said. Despite racking up 91 points in his draft year, Point fell to the third round. “We just laughed about it.” Part of it was due to his size, but he also wasn’t an elite skater at that That’s about as much trouble or controversy as Point ever caused. time, either. Murray said when their pick was approaching in the third round, Point was the last guy on their initial list, so GM Steve Yzerman “He’s mature beyond his years,” Hudson said. “He had a calmness at tried for 10 picks to move up and grab him. such a young age. It was almost eerie. You knew when he was 16, 17, he was going to ‘The Show.’ No matter what nobody said. All the skeptics Murray thought the Wild might take him, considering the kind of players said maybe he’s a bit light, not big enough. He always knew. It drove they scouted, and they dealt a seventh-rounder to move up one spot and him. He was quiet, he didn’t say anything. He just knew.” snag Point 79th overall. Point is among the early favorites for the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP #TBLIGHTNING HAD A “GUT FEELING” THE @MNWILD WOULD with his dazzling performance, which included a five overtime goal in TAKE BRAYDEN POINT WITH 79TH PICK IN 2014 NHL DRAFT. SO Game 1 of the Columbus series, and series-sealing overtime winner in THEY TRADED A 7TH ROUNDER TO MOVE UP ONE SPOT TO GET Game 5. He had a five-point night in Monday’s Game 1 win over the HIM. ONE OF THEIR BEST TRADES EVER. ICYMI THE STORY HOW Islanders, giving him 23 points in 14 games (eight goals). IT WENT DOWN HTTPS://T.CO/UNOGCATC59 As this chart by our Dom Luszczyszyn shows, Point is among the best in — JOE SMITH (@JOESMITHTB) SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 the league in Game Score Value Added, which accounts for defense on It was a unique situation,” Murray said. “But we felt Minnesota was very top of offense, putting the better two-way forwards higher. interested in Brayden from what we know — the type of players they “You have the top five guys like (Nathan) MacKinnon, McDavid, but he’s draft. They had a strong person in the West as well, Paul Charles is their right up there I’d say in the top 15 for sure,” Edmundson said. “In the western scout, we played minor hockey together. They draft similar to us. playoffs, he’s kind of opening eyes right now on how good a player he “It was a gut feeling whether they would have taken him.” actually is.”

Murray said the Wild scouts were telling him they had two players they “He doesn’t take a backseat to anybody,” said Hall of Fame coach Scotty had in mind, Point and Louie Belpedio, a defenseman from the U.S. Bowman. “When you don’t get drafted in the top rounds, you’ve got to National Under-18 team. work your way up sometimes. Sometimes the other guys think they’ve got it and then they go the other way. His skill level is high, he’s a great “Sometimes you thank God for unanswered prayers, right?” Grant said. two-way player. He’s developed into a top, top guy in the league.” “He couldn’t have landed in a better spot.” Those longtime friends and former coaches wonder what it might be like The Lightning provided the kind of patience and resources for him to if Point brings the Stanley Cup back to Calgary. Twarynski joked that succeed, including skating coach Barb Underhill, who helped him go from Point probably wouldn’t tell anybody, just put it in the house and relax average to an “exceptional” skater. Underhill would come to Moose Jaw with his family. Drader figures there might be three or four people, just for three-to-four sessions a week during some periods. Point with his father, mother and two brothers. What would Point toast out of the Cup to celebrate? “My first impression of Brayden Point was that he struggled to skate,” coach Jon Cooper said. “He had all the attributes, the hockey sense, the Quipped Drader: “He’d probably drink milk.” competitiveness, all the hockey player traits you need, except — shockingly — he didn’t have the speed he does now. What he’s done, in The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 part with the help of Barb Underhill and his dedication to getting better was what he needed. You have to be exceptional at something to stand out from the rest. He’s gone from an OK skater to an exceptional skater. Now you throw that together with all the other traits he’s got, that’s what makes him what he is.”

Twarynski has known Point for more than a decade.

They played hockey together as kids, and up until the past couple years, they’ve trained together (with Grant) in the summer.

But it didn’t surprise him that the way he found out that Point got married to longtime girlfriend Sydney in January was through a text message from the trainer. Brayden and Sydney have dated since his Moose Jaw days, and tied the knot in a quiet and low-key ceremony in Tampa between home games. 1178724 Toronto Maple Leafs upon and say with confidence the players in it will be passing the Stanley Cup to each other next year.

On paper, Dubas has had a quiet month in regard to re-shaping (and Leafs pass relatively quiet first month of their off-season, but expect that we’re not saying overhauling) his roster in the wake of the loss to to change Columbus.

With the draft set for Oct. 6-7, and free agency slated to start Oct. 9, we expect Dubas to be plenty busier in the coming weeks. Terry Koshan There’s no choice for Dubas, certainly not when the Leafs didn’t get past the qualifying round and into the 2020 playoffs.

One month and one day. Toronto Sun LOADED: 09.10.2020 A little hard to believe, perhaps, but the Maple Leafs have been idle since Aug. 9, when they were unceremoniously given an early start to summer vacation by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

General manager hasn’t been sitting on his hands, but he hasn’t been overly busy either.

Dubas got some housekeeping done when he traded Kasperi Kapanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins to create some cap space (while nicely getting a first-round pick and prospect Filip Hallander) and later hired Sam Kim to be the club’s video and coaching coordinator. The contract of assistant coach Andrew Brewer was not renewed, while the move of assistant coach Paul McFarland to Kingston to become head coach of the ’s Frontenacs became official.

Otherwise, the Leafs haven’t been active. But speculation about the future of certain players? That has been something else entirely.

At the forefront is the case of goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has one year remaining on a his five-year contract with a cap hit of $5 million US. The easiest way to sum up the Andersen situation is to say there is no clear answer on what eventually becomes of the veteran, who turns 31 on Oct. 2.

The Leafs might not be actively shopping Andersen, but it behooves Dubas to listen to what other GMs have to offer.

Impacting the final decision Dubas makes on Andersen, maybe, will be the wide-open goaltending market. Finding a capable netminder in the brief off-season (as long as the National Hockey League hits its target of starting the 2020-21 season in December) won’t be difficult, considering a group of unrestricted free agents that is set to include Robin Lehner (though an extension with the Vegas Golden Knights could be in the works), Braden Holtby, Jacob Markstrom, Thomas Greiss, Cam Talbot, Corey Crawford and Anton Khudobin.

Matt Murray (or Tristan Jarry) and Darcy Kuemper could be on the move, while the New York Rangers will have to delete one of , Alexandar Georgiev or Igor Shesterkin. GM has said the Rangers won’t go into next season with three NHL goaltenders.

By the time the netminding dust has settled, it could very well be that Andersen is in the same place he was on the night of Aug. 9, in the Leafs’ crease. That’s not a bad option for the Leafs, and quite frankly, it’s what we expect will happen.

While we expect the white noise around Andersen to continue, Dubas has to keep his focus in the next several weeks on a couple of areas that need to be addressed. Getting some breathing room under the cap with the Kapanen trade should only have been the start; the idea of moving players such as (a $3.5-million cap hit through 2022- 23) and Andreas Johnsson (a $3.4-million cap hit through ’22-’23) won’t be as painful when it’s remembered that in doing so, Dubas will give himself more cash to acquire a top-four defenceman.

While the Leafs may be able to properly fill in some gaps at forward with players such as Nick Robertson and Alexander Barabanov, no matter who stays or goes, something similar can’t be said of the blue line. The core of the Leafs’ forwards, it should go without saying, is better than the core of the crew on defence.

After Morgan Rielly, , Justin Holl and Travis Dermott (who, along with winger , will take up some of the available dollars coming out of restricted free agency), there are no guarantees in the defence corps. As it stands now, it’s not a group that we can gaze 1178725 Toronto Maple Leafs Well, the Hurricanes already have a troupe of defenders locked up: Jaccob Slavin (five more years), Brett Pesce (four), Brady Skjei (four), and Jake Gardiner (three).

Trade Targets Part 2: Scouring the East for the defenceman the Leafs Hamilton will be a free agent, a costly free agent, next summer — with need one year remaining on his contract. It carries a $5.75 million cap hit. The Hurricanes sit fourth-last in 5-on-5 save percentage over the past three seasons. The Leafs (who rank 12th over that same stretch) might be done with Frederik Andersen. The Hurricanes surely would seek more for By Jonas Siegel Sep 9, 2020 a defenceman of Hamilton’s calibre. What more can the Leafs add to entice them? And what’s it going to cost to extend the 27-year-old, assuming he wants to stick around? We’ve toured the West already, seeking out the defenceman the Maple Leafs need to find this offseason. Jaccob Slavin: The rock of the Carolina defence, and maybe the Hurricanes best player. Hard to see a deal here. Now, the Eastern Conference! Brett Pesce: You’ve probably been trying to forget David Ayres night, but To refresh, we’re scoping out any and all viable defenders under contract Pesce busted up his shoulder that February evening and had surgery in next season or team control (aka RFA), even stars who won’t be traded March. Though he lacks much physical punch for a guy who’s 6-foot-3 under any circumstance, up-and-comers, and guys who don’t even play and over 200 pounds (he dished out 22 hits over 61 games last season), the right side — where the Leafs’ needs are strongest. The goal is to Pesce is known for defending and shot-blocking. demonstrate the scope of the challenge facing Kyle Dubas and his front office this offseason. “There aren’t a lot of players like him in the league,” Slavin told The Athletic’s Sara Civian after Pesce got hurt. “He’s one of the best at what Here we go… he does. Obviously, on the penalty kill, but also great stick, great reads, great blocked shots. Then he can contribute offensively, as well. It’s hard Boston Bruins to replace.” Brandon Carlo: He’s exactly what the Leafs need. A big, solid, meat and Underlying defensive results for Pesce — both 5-on-5 and on the penalty potatoes type on the right side to play the same role with Morgan Rielly kill — slipped a bit this past season and the Hurricanes have used him as he has with Torey Krug in Boston. The Bruins found Carlo, who’s only less and less in recent seasons against “elite” competition, according to 23, in the second round of the 2015 draft — three picks after the Leafs PuckIQ. The Leafs may only need him to play on their second pair with took Travis Dermott 34th overall. But alas, it won’t matter. Along with the Rielly. And unlike Hamilton, Pesce is already under contract long term, next guy on this list, Carlo represents the future of the Boston defence — for four more years at just over $4 million per season. That’s a serious with Zdeno Chara possibly retiring and Krug headed for free agency. commitment. But if Pesce is already declining (and maybe even moreseo Nice thought, but no dice. now after surgery) the risk may be too high. Charlie McAvoy: Probably the next career Bruin. Jake Gardiner: Reunion! The annual price ($4.05 million cap hit) isn’t too John Moore: The Bruins gave him a five-year contract a couple years bad, but the Leafs have been here, done that. Gardiner is also that left back. He was scratched for all but one game in the playoffs. Keep shot who cannot play the right. looking. Brady Skjei: Carolina dealt a first-round pick for him in February. Mobile, Connor Clifton/Jeremy Lauzon: Two young pieces of Boston’s future. large (6-foot-3) left shot. No clear fit though unless the Leafs decide to Neither is the seasoned type the Leafs are after. move the puzzle pieces (Rielly?) around.

Matt Grzelcyk: Effective in third pair minutes for the Bruins this past Haydn Fleury: Third pair. Left shot. season. But only 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds, an RFA this offseason, a left Columbus Blue Jackets shot, and someone bound to play a bigger role in the future. Seth Jones: A home run fit, as you’ll surely remember from the Leafs’ Buffalo Sabres play-in series with Columbus. The run of Norris Trophy nominations Rasmus Ristolainen: Here are the expected goals percentages for should begin soon for Jones, who turns 26 next month and finished Ristolainen the past five seasons, going back from the 2019-20 fourth in Norris voting in 2018. But why would Columbus want any part of campaign: 45, 48, 46, 46, 45. Yes, he’s played the hardest, heaviest dealing their franchise cornerstone? The only possible rationale: Jones is minutes for the Sabres, but has clearly been over-matched in them. The two years from UFA status and will rightly draw a very rich payday. In any Leafs could talk themselves into lightening the 25-year-old’s load — say, deal, Columbus would seek an equally valuable asset, with longer team by playing him on a second pair — but the risk factor is too high, what control, in return. Does GM Jarmo Kekalainen think about it if Dubas with Ristolainen’s $5.4 million cap ticket the next two seasons. dangles William Nylander? And is two years of Jones at $5.4 million, with an expensive extension to follow, worth it for four of Nylander? No Rasmus Dahlin: Keep dreaming! matter. Jones is staying put.

Brandon Montour: A young right-shooting defender who can get up and Zach Werenski: He’s not the right-shooting defender the Leafs need, but down the ice? Yes guy! Someone can trust to defend the man oh man, is he on the rise. Werenski only turned 23 in July. He’s a lead in the last minute of a playoff game? No guy. Columbus keeper, and an RFA when his current deal expires in 2022.

Colin Miller: Miller averaged only 17 minutes per game on one of the David Savard: Savard cracked my list of potential trade deadline worst teams in hockey last season — and fewest nightly among the acquisitions for the Leafs and anyone watching him in that play-in round regular defenders during 5-on-5 action. He’s a right shooter who had could see why. He’s a 6-foot-2, 229-pound beast and shot-blocking some success in Vegas, but with two years to go on an inflated contract machine who plays a heavy game. He’s under contract for one more year ($3.87 million cap hit), with questionable ability to stiffen the Leafs ($4.25 million cap hit). Maybe the Jackets, with intriguing young talent on defence (Buffalo didn’t even use him on the penalty kill), this would be a defence, would consider dealing him for futures, or help upfront. Savard, reach. who would be a low-risk solution for Dubas on the right side, though Jake McCabe: A 204-pound left-shot who fared reasonably well with probably not one (he turns 30 next month) who sticks around long-term. Ristolainen on the Sabres top pair. Checks out defensively — physical Vladislav Gavrikov: Promising 24-year-old defender who just finished up and nasty in his own zone. Signed another year for under $3 million on his rookie NHL season. Key piece for the Jackets. the cap. Can he play the right side though? Markus Nutivaara: More promise here, but a third pairing type at this Carolina Hurricanes point.

Dougie Hamilton: Yes guy! An analytics superstar who can gobble up Ryan Murray: Another left shot, and a pricey one ($4.6 million cap hit for minutes in all situations and drive the offence, including 14 goals and 40 one more season) at that. Keep moving. points in only 47 games this past season. Also, he’s from Toronto, and grew up a Leafs fan! So why would the brainiacs in Carolina move him? Detroit Red Wings Alex Biega/Patrick Nemeth/Danny DeKeyser/Madison Bowey: No, no, ($4.16 million cap hit)? Perhaps future assets for his rebuild. Inquire no, and no. here!

Florida Panthers Will Butcher: The kind of skilled defenceman the Leafs already have. And — left shot. Mike Matheson: We should cross off this 26-year-old, who has another six (!) years left on a contract that carries a cap hit approaching $5 Connor Carrick: Great podcast! But the Leafs have been here before. million. Matheson was scratched in the final two games of the Panthers’ play-in series against the Islanders. New York Islanders

Anton Stralman: The wrong time to buy stock on this right-shooting Nick Leddy: Slick skating left shot. No bueno. former Leaf, who just turned 34 and has two more years left on his Johnny Boychuk: Over the hill, 36, and under contract for two more contract ($5.5 million). seasons, with a $6 million ticket, per.

MacKenzie Weegar: A right shot who can also play the left, and in fact, Ryan Pulock: The 25-year-old stud of the Islander back-end. He does spent most of this past season on Florida’s No. 1 pair with Aaron Ekblad need a new contract this fall (RFA), but there’s no reason to believe Lou — often against top competition no less, with more starts in the defensive Lamoriello would part with him at this point (though the Islanders do have zone than offensive zone. The 26-year-old, arbitration-eligible RFA this looming cap trouble). offseason, fared about as well with Ekblad (55 percent expected goals), as without him (54 percent). He’s one example of an under-the-radar, up- Scott Mayfield: Before Lamoriello took over as GM, the Islanders bet on and-comer the Leafs could target in a trade, especially given the many Mayfield, a 6-foot-5 right-shooting giant, with a five-year contract, which long-term commitments the Panthers have otherwise on the back-end. carried a low $1.45 million cap hit. New York is reaping the benefits now that Mayfield is playing heavy minutes. Unlikely to be going anywhere. Aaron Ekblad: The appeal of the former No. 1 overall pick is obvious: He’s an all-situations force who’s only 24 and under contract for another Adam Pelech/Devon Toews: Two lefties playing in the top-four for the five seasons. The cap hit on that deal is $7.5 million, not under-value Islanders. Not what the Leafs are looking for. certainly, but probably not all that far over-value either. Trade for Ekblad New York Rangers and the Leafs’ problems on the right side are over. The pressure to re- sign Rielly in 2022 also eases. By then, could Jacob Trouba: The days of this American defenceman maybe sorta lining conceivably be ready for top pair duty. Ekblad isn’t physical (34 hits in 67 up for the Leafs are over. At this point, only five NHL defencemen carry a games) but he’s a staunch shot and scoring chance denier that would higher cap hit ($8 million!) than Trouba, who had 27 points in his first look mighty fine alongside either Rielly or Jake Muzzin on the Leafs top season on Broadway. pair. The acquisition cost would be high, surely. And that’s assuming new Panthers GM Bill Zito is even willing to move Ekblad. No, Ekblad hasn’t : The Rangers look to have found a keeper in Fox, who was totally lived up to the hype yet, but given his abilities, age, upside, and pulling down upwards of 20 minutes a night by the end of his rookie contract, it might be worth it for Dubas and company to take the plunge. season. He’ll be making entry-level money for another two seasons.

Keith Yandle: Known as one of the funniest players in the NHL, Yandle : $5.7 million cap hit for next season. Nope. just turned 34 and holds the 23rd highest cap hit among NHL Brendan Smith: New York was outscored 25-11 when Smith was on the defencemen next season ($6.35 million). Pass. ice 5-on-5. Expected goals was only slightly friendlier at 41 percent. Keep Montreal Canadiens walking.

Karl Alzner: Still two more years to go on the puzzling five-year deal ($23 Tony DeAngelo: Care to guess which player tied Quinn Hughes for fourth million) the Habs gave Alzner on July 1, 2017. Nope. in league scoring on the back-end this past season — trailing only the Norris Trophy trio of John Carlson, Roman Josi, and Victor Hedman? Jeff Petry: OK, now we’re talking again. Another analytics dream capable You got it! Tony DeAngelo, the 24-year-old former Lightning first-round of bringing a temporary solution to the right side question. A towering pick who came to the Rangers in the swap that sent and physical presence who checks out defensively, Petry would slot in nicely Antti Raanta to Arizona. All of which is to say that this RFA is staying put. with the Leafs, including as a top option on the penalty kill. The speed bumps: Petry is only signed for one more season and turns 33 in Ottawa Senators December. And why exactly would the Canadiens trade a key piece to a Nikita Zaitsev: No givesies backsies. divisional rival as they try to stay relevant with Carey Price and ? What even gets them interested in moving a guy who gobbled Thomas Chabot: The cornerstone of the Ottawa defence. Not happening. up almost 24 minutes a game? The Habs already have a highly-rated prospect pool, and it’s not like the Leafs are loaded with their own. Would Philadelphia Flyers an injection of offence from someone like Andreas Johnsson draw Ivan Provorov: The Leafs could have taken Provorov (or Werenski) with interest? the fourth overall pick back in 2015. They, of course, selected Mitch Shea Weber: If it weren’t for that enormous contract, which still has six Marner and haven’t looked back. But the Flyers got themselves a player more years left on it, the fact that he’s 35, and oh, and the captain of the too, an all-around force who averaged almost 25 minutes a game during Canadiens, the fit would be just right. But alas, it’s not. the regular season. Provorov is under contract for another five seasons ($6.75 million cap hit). Ben Chiarot: Fared pretty well in a more prominent role with Montreal last season (23 minutes per game). But a left shot pulling down $3.5 million Travis Sanheim: This 24-year-old went nine picks after Nylander in the for the next two seasons. 2014 draft, and he’s something special — and not going anywhere.

Brett Kulak: Petry’s defensive partner for most of the season, this 26- : The Ghost isn’t so scary anymore. A frequent year-old left shot doesn’t fare nearly as well without the big American. No scratch in the playoffs, Gostisbehere had only 12 points this season. dice. Philippe Myers: Another kid who looks like he’ll turn out well for the New Jersey Devils Flyers. A RFA this offseason, and the kind of defenceman the Leafs need to find and develop on the right side. P.K. Subban: The time has passed. Matt Niskanen: It looked like Niskanen was on the decline when the Damon Severson: Now here’s an interesting name to keep an eye on. Flyers dealt Radko Gudas for him last summer. But as it’s turned out, the Severson is a 26-year-old right-shooting Canadian who quietly swallowed 33-year-old, who’s got another year left at $5.75 million, has been an up 23 minutes a night for the Devils last season in all situations. He’s 6- ideal top-pair complement to Provorov. In another world, it’s easy to foot-2 and more than 200 pounds, blocks shots, defends, and fared imagine the American filling a similar role next to Rielly. It’s unlikely the about as well as you can expect (50 percent expected goals) for Flyers would even contemplate trading Niskanen now. And it probably someone playing hard minutes on a floundering team. The Devils just got wouldn’t be wise for the Leafs to bet on someone that pricey who turns a new GM in former Leaf Tom Fitzgerald. What would compel him to 34 in December. move someone like Severson, who’s signed for the next three seasons Robert Hagg: Third pair, left shot. Pittsburgh Penguins In terms of appeal for the conceivable options, let’s rank them as follows: 1. Ekblad 2. Hamilton 3. Severson 4. Petry 5. Weegar 6. Pesce 7. Savard Brian Dumoulin: If the Leafs could go into a lab and craft the defender 8. Letang they need right now, they might well create a right-shooting version of Dumoulin. But alas, he’s a lefty, and an important one at that for the Add in the bunch we sifted out from the Western Conference and the Penguins. rankings — based primarily on fit while factoring in contract and acquisition cost — and the rankings look as follows: Kris Letang: You feeling lucky? Even if gambling GM Jim Rutherford were inclined to move on from this career Penguin, the risk is arguably 1. Ekblad 2. Parayko 3. Hamilton 4. Severson 5. Brodin 6. Larsson 7. too high for the Leafs. Letang turned 33 in April. And while he’s the kind Petry 8. Weegar 9. Manson 10. Pesce 11. Savard 12. Letang of 25-minute a night, all situations right-shooting defender the Leafs are after, he also has a long history of injuries. And he’s signed for two The argument for Ekblad over Parayko is that he’s almost three years seasons at a cap hit ($7.25 million) that sits just outside the top-10 for younger and already signed to the kind of long-term deal that will soon be NHL defencemen. required for Parayko (who’s 27), and even sooner for Hamilton or Brodin. Of course, a trade for Ekblad is sure to cost even more to the Leafs — Trading for Letang would be a bet on his ability to remain healthy. Letang likely Nylander. The appeal then of dealing for a Hamilton, Brodin or played 61-of-69 games for Pittsburgh this past season, and 65 and 79 Larsson, assuming those teams are open to it, is that it’s not costing you games in the two seasons prior. Connect him with Muzzin and the Leafs Nylander, but lesser assets. Hamilton and Brodin are more appealing have got themselves an experienced, competitive No. 1 pair. But now extension candidates than Larsson, Petry, and Savard. that Kasperi Kapanen is already a Penguin, what would a trade for Letang look like — if it were even advisable? (And it’s probably not.) Severson may be a middle ground candidate between Ekblad and those guys, a solid defender who’s under contract and at a reasonable number. Jack Johnson: Uh, no. As you can see, it’s hard to identify players who may be available and John Marino: Found money for the Penguins, who swiped this former also fit the Leafs’ needs. We landed on just 12 potential targets. Add in a sixth-round pick from Edmonton for a future sixth-rounder last summer. handful of names in free agency and you’re looking at about 16-17 Though Marino had an offensive zone start percentage under 50 percent, players, give or take. It’s not a big group. And clearly, a challenge for Pittsburgh still won 55 percent of the expected goals when he was out Dubas and the Toronto front office. there. A right shot, Marino killed penalties, defended well, and even played some power play for the Penguins. He’s making entry-level coin The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 another season. Not. Going. Anywhere. Marcus Pettersson: Marino’s partner on the left side, and signed for five more seasons. Not an apparent fit for the Leafs, or someone the Penguins are likely to deal.

Chad Ruhwedel: Depth defenceman. Let’s keep it moving.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Erik Cernak: The Leafs need to get their hands on someone just like this: Right shot who’s got the size (230 pounds), nastiness and ability to chew up gruelling defensive minutes. Tampa has to sign the 23-year-old this fall, and while they have some cap clearing to do, Cernak won’t be part of it. (One thing that’s apparent with guys like Marino and Cernak: The Penguins and Lightning uncovered both from other organizations before they blossomed. Cernak was a Kings draft pick).

It’s something the Leafs need to do more of — buy the stock before it takes off.

Victor Hedman: In what world?

Braydon Coburn: A 35-year-old who’s just about at the end of a career that’s approaching 1,000 games.

Mikhail Sergachev: He turned 22 in June. He’s just getting started in Tampa (and another RFA this fall).

Ryan McDonagh: The Bolts sent Vladislav Namestnikov, two prospects, and two picks to the Rangers for McDonagh and J.T. Miller ahead of the 2018 trade deadline. It’s the kind of acquisition — for a seasoned NHL defender — we’re talking about the Leafs pursuing this fall. A crucial piece of the Lightning defence, and under contract for another six seasons ($6.75 million cap hit), McDonagh isn’t that guy for the Leafs, though.

Washington Capitals

Dmitry Orlov: Don’t expect the Caps to part with their feisty 29-year-old defenceman, a left shot who’s locked up for the next three seasons.

John Carlson: Just put up his second straight 70-point season — and grabbed a Norris Trophy nomination for it. Yeah, he’s staying put in D.C.

Nick Jensen: On the same day they landed him from Detroit back in Feb. 2019, Washington gave Jensen a four-year extension ($2.5 million cap hit). He’d be a solid play for the Leafs, a dependable 29-year-old to pair with Rielly, someone to kill penalties prominently too. But unless things have changed, the Caps appear to know what they have.

Michal Kempny: Left shot who played a bunch with Carlson on the Capitals top pair. Signed another two seasons ($2.5 million cap hit). Not a clear fit in Toronto.

The contenders 1178726 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights diversify attack on power play

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

During the second period of Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, TV analyst Ed Olczyk broke down a set play the Golden Knights ran on a power play. The execution was lacking, as the former NHL player and coach illustrated, but it was another step in the right direction for a unit that’s battled through inconsistency. “I think your power play is whatever the other team is willing to give you,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said Wednesday. “I think we have the ability to move guys around like (Mark Stone), like (), in order to throw different looks. If they’re going to take them away some place, you can move them around some place else.” On the play Olczyk showed, William Karlsson moved the puck from the top of the left faceoff circle to Stone, who was stationed on the goal line. Stone threaded a pass through the slot, but Pacioretty was unable to control the puck in the right circle. Positioning Stone on the goal line provided a new threat for the Knights’ power play, one that hasn’t been seen since early in the season when Cody Glass was healthy. Stone previously played on the flanks, but this spot takes advantage of his playmaking ability and grittiness around the net. “The bottom line is you want to get the puck in your best players’ hands as much as possible, and if you have to move them around to do that, that’s what we do,” DeBoer said. “I think that the great thing about (Stone) and a lot of great players is that he’s comfortable in all those spots. He’s comfortable around the net, and he’s very dangerous there.” Karlsson scored a power-play goal in the second period to snap a 1-for- 15 skid by the Knights with the man advantage. Shea Theodore also had a power-play goal in the second period wiped out by goaltender interference. Despite the recent slump, the Knights have a power-play goal in seven of their past 10 games. “I think whenever someone has the puck, there’s a lot of options out there,” Karlsson said. “We’re just feeling very confident in what we’re doing. We got a couple shots and stuff like that. Bring that into the next game and hopefully score some more.” Responding to Reaves The Knights stood a little taller in Game 2 with Ryan Reaves back in the lineup after he served a one-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Vancouver’s Tyler Motte. Reaves finished with six hits in 9:49 of ice time, and the fourth line helped set a physical tone in a 3-0 victory. Dallas captain Jamie Benn was asked how to combat a talkative player such as Reaves without the ham-fisted enforcers that used to dot NHL rosters. The question was more than half a minute long. Benn’s answer was considerably shorter. “You just try to ignore him, I guess,” he said. Panda facts — Robin Lehner’s shutout streak of 131:44 is the second-longest postseason run in franchise history behind Marc-Andre Fleury (144:04 in 2018). — Lehner is the sixth goaltender to record his first four career playoff in the same season, according to NHL public relations. He joined Miikka Kiprusoff (five in 2004), Jean-Sebastien Giguere (five in 2003), Patrick Lalime (five in 2002), Olaf Kolzig (four in 1998) and Frank McCool (four in 1945). LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178727 Vegas Golden Knights They might not want to keep both, anyway. Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, dropped a not-too-subtle hint that he was unhappy with his client’s playing time with a since-deleted tweet the day before the second round began. The post featured Fleury with a sword in his back labeled Robin Lehner or Marc-Andre Fleury? It’s a nice problem to have “DeBoer.” Asking Fleury to share the net with Lehner might not be viable. But that’s a problem for the offseason. By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal Right now, DeBoer can enjoy the two enviable options as he tries to take the Knights to the Stanley Cup Final. When choosing his starting goaltender, Golden Knights coach Pete “It’s really nice to be able to go into a game knowing you can trust DeBoer is a lot like a director deciding whether to have Leonardo whoever’s back there,” left wing Max Pacioretty said. “(Fleury’s) got the DiCaprio or Brad Pitt star in his movie. experience, and (Lehner’s) obviously a great goaltender as well. I think Sure, people have their preferences, but it’s a great outcome either way. what’s really interesting about those two is even if they’re not playing, they find a way to contribute in the room. DeBoer either gets to start the goalie with the fifth-highest postseason save percentage in NHL history (Robin Lehner) or the one with the sixth- “Everyone knows about (Fleury) as a teammate. Even in the games that most playoff wins (Marc-Andre Fleury). There’s not a wrong choice, and he hasn’t been playing, he really is a guy that settles you down when you it’s a huge reason the Knights are playing in the Western Conference need to and also gets you going when you need to as well. He’s a great Final. teammate and a big reason why we’re here today.” Game 3 against the Dallas Stars is at 5 p.m. Thursday at Rogers Place in LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.10.2020 Edmonton, Alberta. The best-of-seven series is tied. “When there is a (scoring) chance, they both have come up big,” DeBoer said. “Both guys have given us winning goaltending, a chance to win every night if we find a way to stick a couple pucks in the net. It’s a good feeling back there as a coach.” Goaltending was a vulnerability for the Knights for much of the regular season. They were 22nd in team save percentage. Only four teams below them participated in the restart, and all were eliminated by the end of the first round. The Knights are still playing because they turned things around in net. Lehner, a trade-deadline acquisition from Chicago, is a major piece of that. The 29-year-old pending unrestricted free agent is 9-4 with a 1.84 goals- against average in the postseason, which ranks fourth among goalies who have started at least one game. The big-framed netminder is almost impossible to beat when he can track the puck in his own zone, and he’s been fantastic off the rush, too. His save on Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser was crucial in Game 7 of the second round. He also stopped Stars left wing Mattias Janmark on a partial breakaway in Game 2 on Tuesday. OH MY GOD LEHNER! #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/nhH3IFGd9l

— Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) September 5, 2020 Lehner’s career postseason goals-against average of 1.92 ranks 11th all time. Six of the goaltenders ahead of him played when forward passes were not allowed, and eight played their entire careers without the red line at center ice. “Right now, he’s playing like one of the best in the league, if not the best in the league,” Knights right wing Alex Tuch said. “We have a lot of confidence in him. We also have a lot of confidence in (Fleury), but that save (on Boeser) was a game changer.” Fleury, the face of the franchise for three years and a likely Hall of Famer, has been Lehner’s backup during the postseason. It’s a luxury most teams don’t have. Fleury, 35, is 3-1 with a 2.27 goals-against average, a mark he’s bettered in only three of his other 13 postseasons. His numbers are outstanding even though he wasn’t at his best in one of his four starts. He allowed four goals on 17 shots in the round robin against St. Louis. Since then, he has a .940 save percentage and has allowed five goals. His strong play made DeBoer confident that Fleury gave the Knights the best chance to win Game 1 against the Stars, and he was terrific in a 1-0 loss. “He gave us a great game,” DeBoer said of Fleury’s 24-save performance. “I thought he was our best player. He gave us a chance to hang around when we didn’t deserve to be in the game early.” The only downside to the Knights’ impressive tandem is it’s probably temporary. Lehner is overdue for a contract that will compensate him like the top-end goaltender he is. Fleury’s high cap hit, at $7 million per year for two more seasons, makes it unlikely the team can afford both. 1178728 Vegas Golden Knights Pacioretty waited for defenseman Joel Hanley to slide past and hit Stastny for the redirection past Khudobin.

“Great goal. It starts with Nic Roy through the neutral zone. Drives them 3 takeaways from Golden Knights’ Game 2 victory over Stars deep, delays, finds a late man, which really breaks down their coverage,” DeBoer said. “And (Stastny) hung around the net. Great play by (Pacioretty) outwaiting the defenseman. Just a good, solid hockey play. But, like I said, we’ve got a skilled group.” By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal 3. Off the board

The Knights’ power play came through when Karlsson added to the lead For two days, Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer insisted his team 3:31 after Stastny’s opener. But it could have had more. wasn’t in an offensive slump. So what did he do before Game 2 on Tuesday? Defenseman Shea Theodore sent a wrist shot through a double screen from Pacioretty and to beat Khudobin at 9:49 of the second. He changed two of the forward lines. However, the Stars successfully challenged for goaltender interference The new look provided the necessary spark and helped the Knights even after Pacioretty made contact with Khudobin in the crease. the best-of-seven Western Conference Final with a 3-0 victory over the The Knights had been 1-for-15 on the power play before Karlsson’s goal. Dallas Stars at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. They finished the game 1-for-6 with the man advantage. “The reason for juggling the lines was I didn’t like how we played and “We made some good plays,” DeBoer said. “We’re a good offensive then we juggled them last game, and in the third period I thought we team. I think that’s part of our identity. Again, I knew we would score if we started to find our game,” DeBoer said. “We really went with some of the played our game, and we did.” combinations that I liked in the third period the other night and it carried over into tonight.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 09.10.2020 The Knights broke up leading scorers Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone to help counter Dallas’ balanced lineup that features its leading goal scorer (Denis Gurianov) on the fourth line. Stone skated at right wing with Chandler Stephenson at center and Alex Tuch on the left wing. Pacioretty was reunited with close friend Paul Stastny, who centered the line with Nicolas Roy on the right. Pacioretty found Stastny alone in front of the net for the Knights’ first goal at 4:53 of the second period. Stastny also added an assist on William Karlsson’s power-play goal in the second. Stephenson was briefly on the ice with Tomas Nosek and Roy, and they combined for a beautiful passing play during a three-on-one that Nosek capped for a 3-0 lead. The Knights had 62.5 percent of the shot attempts when the Tuch- Stephenson-Stone line was on the ice. The Pacioretty-Stastny-Roy unit was responsible for 80.2 percent of the expected goals share to go with Stastny’s goal and also had a 4-1 edge in high-danger chances at five-on-five, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. “I think that’s going to be a part of our group,” DeBoer said. “I think we’ve got interchangeable parts and guys that can go into different holes and play with different people. Tonight it worked. I liked the feel back there. We got contributions from everybody. We got to our game early and stuck with it.” Here are three more takeaways from the win: 1. Roy turns it around Pacioretty and Stastny have 1,280 career points combined in the regular season. Roy has 10. And the youngster had a tough first period with his new linemates. Roy missed on two passes when nobody was home at the point and the puck cleared the zone. His wrist shot from the slot was turned away on a glove save by Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin about six minutes in and whiffed on a rebound in front during the final seconds of the period. But Roy was the trailer during a three-on-one and helped start the pretty tic-tac-toe sequence for Nosek’s goal. He finished with a plus-2 rating, five hits and also was 2-for-2 on faceoffs. “The last couple games it was more like a grinding game. A lot of speed, hard on the forecheck,” Roy said. “Today was more possession, try to make plays. But I don’t want to change my game wherever I play. I think we had really good chemistry today. I just tried to make some space for these guys. They’ve been in the league for a long time and they’re really good.” 2. Don’t forget McNabb Defenseman Brayden McNabb snapped his streak of 10 straight games without a penalty when took two minors in Game 2. All was forgotten, though, because of his pass on the first goal. McNabb jumped into the play to create a four-on-three advantage, and Roy left the puck waiting for him just inside the blue line. Dallas defenders John Klingberg and Mattias Janmark left a seam for McNabb to find Pacioretty at the bottom of the right circle. 1178729 Vegas Golden Knights He’s been good for Vegas this postseason, pitching three shutouts in the second round series against Vancouver, highlighted by a spectacular lunging glove save against Brock Boeser in Game 7. Over the past two seasons, Lehner’s numbers in net have been among the league’s best. What I’m hearing about the Golden Knights and pending UFA Robin Lehner His save percentage of .925 ranks fourth in the league behind only Ben Bishop, Darcy Kuemper and Anton Khudobin. He has also saved 15.74 goals above expected, according to Natural Stat Trick, which ranks second only to Bishop’s 18.78. By Jesse Granger Sep 9, 2020 But despite all of that, New York GM Lou Lamoriello opted not to re-sign Lehner with the Islanders, and the Blackhawks opted to trade him only The Golden Knights have an interesting offseason ahead of them, eight months after signing him last July. whenever it begins. In New York, Chicago and Vegas, Lehner has always split reps with The first piece to that puzzle will be deciding what to do with pending another goalie. At all three stops he has played exceptionally between unrestricted free agent Robin Lehner. Vegas acquired Lehner at the the pipes and is simply looking for a team to make him their guy. trade deadline in February. He has since gone 12-4-0 as a starter with a From everything I’ve heard, Vegas appears to be the frontrunners to .952 save percentage and a 1.93 goals-against average, and has tied the finally do that. Golden Knights’ franchise record with four shutouts in this postseason. And while the details of negotiations between Lehner and the Golden My belief at this point is the Golden Knights plan to sign Lehner to a long- Knights aren’t known, I would expect that deal to be in the ballpark of five term extension, and sources around the league have indicated those years at $5 million per season. It wouldn’t surprise me if the average talks might have already begun. annual value is more than $5 million, which would make Lehner the 13th- Nothing is finalized, and there are plenty of moving pieces involved – highest-paid goalie in the league and I believe he’s better than that. including the two remaining years on Marc-Andre Fleury’s contract at $7 That’s my read on the situation. million per year – but based on everything I’ve heard, it appears the But it’s not as simple as finding the right number for Lehner. As stated organization wants Lehner to remain a Golden Knight past this season. earlier, the $14 million remaining on Fleury’s contract could stand in the With most of the Golden Knights’ roster locked up through next year, way. And while Fleury experienced a down season for his standards, he Lehner is one of only four players slated to hit unrestricted free agency. appears to still have plenty of good hockey left in the tank. The 35-year- The other three are Tomas Nosek, Jon Merrill and Deryk Engelland, all of old has appeared in four games this postseason and shown very well in whom have seen limited-to-no ice time this postseason, and won’t each of them. command anywhere near the money Lehner will. In starts against Chicago, Vancouver and Dallas, Fleury stopped 78-of- Nosek signed a one-year deal last offseason worth $1 million and has 83 shots for an impressive .940 save percentage and 1.69 goals-against played in only six playoff games so far, serving as Vegas’ 13th forward. average. In his start against the Blues, he allowed four goals on 17 shots Merrill’s $1.375 million deal expires after this season, and based on his on goal. playing time and the fact that Vegas already signed defensemen Nick Going back to Fleury’s entire tenure with the Golden Knights, he leads Holden and Zach Whitecloud to extensions, Merrill might not be re- the league over the past three seasons with 17 shutouts, is fifth in wins signed this offseason with very little cap space to go around. Same goes (91) and ninth in goals-against average (2.51). That’s not mentioning for Engelland, who hasn’t suited up for a game since the trade deadline everything he’s done for the team off the ice. From helping bring in February. legitimacy to an expansion franchise that was the city of Las Vegas’ first Due to the salary cap ceiling staying flat at $81.5 million next season, the major professional team, to all the philanthropic work he does in the Golden Knights are left with very little room to operate. According to Cap community. His $100,000 donation in March to all T-Mobile Arena Friendly, they already have $75,125,000 committed to the cap for the workers who were out of work due to the COVID-19 outbreak is only the 2020-21 season, leaving them only $6,375,000. tip of the iceberg as far as the work Fleury has done in Las Vegas. As reported by PuckPedia, Engelland’s $600,000 performance bonus for His relationship with the Golden Knights has been outstanding since Day playing at least 30 games will carry over to next year, but they also get 1, but that has changed recently. I believe Fleury has felt out of the loop $227,000 in salary cap relief for having Whitecloud, Nic Roy, Brandon of communication at times, especially since the deal for Lehner in Pirri and Keegan Kolesar in the minors on March 13. February. The organization’s outward message — and I believe their message to Fleury – was that he was the starting goalie, and the move to That’s a lot of math, but what it boils down to is Vegas has just over $6 bring Lehner in was to shore up goaltending depth behind him. That million in cap space to work with. clearly hasn’t been the case, as Lehner has started 10 of Vegas’ 13 playoff games. That’s before dealing with restricted free agents Chandler Stephenson and Nick Cousins, who are both expected to return next season. Based And those feelings eventually manifested themselves in a tweet by on contract comparables with RFAs in similar situations, I expect those Fleury’s longtime agent, Allan Walsh, on Aug. 22 with a doctored image two to account for roughly $3-4 million, which leaves Vegas with only $2- of a sword skewered through Fleury’s torso, with DeBoer’s name etched 3 million in cap space. That’s obviously not enough to sign Lehner. on the blade. I won’t go into details on that situation, as I already covered it here. However, I believe the relationship between Fleury and the If one thing is clear for Lehner, it’s that he desires stability, and frankly it’s Golden Knights is still fragile at best, and he may be moved before the hard to blame him. He’s entered the last three offseasons as an start of next season. unrestricted free agent and settled for a one-year contract in all three. Last season, coming off a season where he was a finalist for the Vezina It won’t be easy. The NHL’s flat salary cap isn’t only impacting the Trophy, he inked a one-year deal with Chicago hoping it would lead to a Golden Knights, and as belts tighten across the league it only shrinks the longer deal. pool of teams looking to add a goaltender at Fleury’s age and contract. “I went to Chicago to help them out and got promises of getting a fair Vegas has the option of trading Fleury and retaining salary. The Golden chance to play,” Lehner said back in February after the trade that sent Knights could retain $2 million in each of the next two seasons, and that him to Las Vegas. “I came there with a good mindset, to fit into the team. would give them Lehner locked up for the same price they’ve had Fleury … Eventually, I took over and I won — I think I won like nine out of 10, or (his $5 million, plus $2 million on Fleury). That would make Fleury’s 12 out of 15 — and we walked up to one point out of a playoff spot. Then, contract easier to move, but even that part of the deal could face hurdles. all of the sudden, I found myself on the bench for no reason. That was tough. Plus, negotiations totally died out.” Fleury has a modified no-movement clause in his contract in which he and his agent can submit a 10-team, no-trade list to the Golden Knights. Because of his history with the Islanders and Blackhawks, I expect That could make things very difficult for the front office, considering the Lehner to prioritize stability in whatever contract he ends up signing. In market for his contract will already be limited. Vegas, that could be in the form of a five-year contract. Then there’s always the option of buying out Fleury’s contract. That At 29, Lehner still theoretically has several years remaining in his prime, would release him from the team and spread his cap hit out over the next especially considering his style of goaltending relies heavily on the four seasons, rather than just the next two. According to Cap Friendly, if cerebral side of the game. He reads plays as they develop and uses his the Golden Knights went that route Fleury’s cap hit for the next four large frame to give as little net to shoot at as possible, and it’s a style seasons would be: coach Peter DeBoer seems to prefer in his netminder. 2020-21: $2,583,333 2021-22: $3,083,333 2022-23: $2,083,333 2023-24: $2,083,333 It would save Vegas a little over $4.4 million in this upcoming season, which would allow them to sign Lehner. But the two years at $2 million in 2022-23 and 2023-24 would hurt badly, especially with the uncertainty of where the cap ceiling will go in years to come. It’s a difficult decision and will be the main focus of the offseason for the Golden Knights. And while I don’t believe they’ve made anything official yet, I believe their current plan is for Lehner to be the goalie of the future. The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178730 Washington Capitals Peter Laviolette Age: 55

Previous teams: New York Islanders, Carolina, Philadelphia and Pros and cons of the veteran head coaches linked to Capitals vacancy Nashville Experience: 18 seasons By Tarik El-Bashir Sep 9, 2020 Regular season points percentage: .588

Playoff record: 75-68 (.524 W-L%) . Stanley Cup Final appearances: 3 (Carolina in 2006, Philadelphia in . 2010 and Nashville in 2017) Dale Hunter. Championships: 1 (Carolina in ’06) Adam Oates. Pros: If history is any indication, one of Laviolette’s biggest strengths is the effect he’s made early in his tenure with a new team — which, of Barry Trotz. course, is critical in the Caps’ case because of the team’s aging core. On Long Island, he immediately turned things around, leading the Islanders . to back-to-back playoff berths after a seven-year absence. In his first full Those are the six men who’ve run the Washington Capitals’ bench during season in Carolina, he directed and company to the Southeast the Alex Ovechkin era. Division crown and a seven-game victory over the Oilers in the Final. In Philly, Laviolette’s Flyers became just the third team in NHL history to Just one coach on that list had previous NHL head coaching experience, overcome a 3-0 series deficit (vs. the Bruins in the second round) in and everyone knows what Trotz helped Ovechkin and his teammates 2010, an unexpected run that ended with a loss in the Final to Jonathan accomplish in 2018. Toews and the Blackhawks. In Nashville, it took Laviolette a little longer but in his third season they reached the Final, where they lost to Sidney Two years and a couple of postseason flops later, it certainly appears as Crosby and the Penguins in six games. though the Caps are going back to the formula that led the organization to new heights. Cons: Sustained success has been somewhat elusive for Laviolette, whose intensity and reputation as a taskmaster tends to wear on players Which is to say general manager Brian MacLellan is looking to hire a as time goes on. (It could be argued here that time is no longer on the coach who can manage a room of star players, demand consistency, Caps’ side and intensity could be exactly what’s needed to squeeze restore the “good culture” that had begun to “slip” and, most importantly, another Cup run out of a roster that’s got enough talent but sometimes maximize the final few years of Ovechkin’s prime by pushing the right lacks the requisite amount of will.) One source, who described Laviolette buttons at the right time. as a potential fit, wondered whether the sides could strike a deal should “We need an experienced coach,” MacLellan said after firing Reirden on discussions advance to the point of talking dollars and years. Last month, Aug. 23. “We have an experienced group. We’re going try and find the MacLellan said he believes ownership is “open” to spending top dollar on best guy we can; experience will be a factor. And somebody that can a coach “if it makes sense.” hold people accountable.” Gerard Gallant In the two-plus weeks since relieving Reirden of his duties — with two Age: 57 years remaining on his contract, no less — MacLellan is in the midst of a methodical search in which he’s done exactly what he said that he would. Previous teams: Columbus, Florida and Las Vegas Here are the veteran coaches who have been linked to Washington’s Experience: 9 seasons vacancy, including a glance at their resume and why they may or may not be a fit. Regular season points percentage: .550 Playoff record: 18-15 (.545 W-L%) Age: 57 Stanley Cup Final appearances: 1 (Vegas in 2018) Previous teams: Anaheim, Detroit and Toronto Championships: 0 Experience: 17 seasons Pros: After a couple of two-plus year stints with the Blue Jackets and Panthers, Gallant’s greatest success came during a historic inaugural Regular season points percentage: .608 season for the Golden Knights in 2017-18. Not only did the win the Pacific Division, they steamrolled their way past the Kings, Playoff record: 90-74 (.549 W-L%) Sharks and Jets en route to the Stanley Cup Final, where they fell to the Stanley Cup Final appearances: 3 (Anaheim in 2003 and Detroit in 2008 Caps in five games. Gallant later claimed the Jack Adams Award as and 2009) coach of the year. Also worth noting: in an industry were prior relationships sometimes matter, Gallant and MacLellan were teammates Championships: 1 (Detroit in ’08) in Detroit in 1991-92. Pros: Babcock’s resume — particularly his early years — is impressive. Cons: With the exception of the Golden Knights’ Cup run, Gallant’s In his first season as a head coach, he led a Mighty Ducks team that postseason success has been limited. He’s missed the playoffs three hadn’t made the playoffs in three years all the way to the Stanley Cup times, lost in the first round twice and been dismissed early in Year 3 at Final, where they lost to the Devils in seven games. In his fifth and sixth each stop. It also can’t be ignored that the Golden Knights turned things seasons, he guided , , Nicklas Lidstrom around this season after Gallant was fired. His replacement, Peter and a star-laden Red Wings team to back-to-back berths in the Final, DeBoer, directed Vegas to a 15-5-2 regular season finish, a division title beating Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in ’08 before losing to them the and now has Shea Theodore and company three wins from another trip following spring. Babcock has also coached Canada’s loaded entries at to the Final. “He’s good,” one source said of Gallant, a player-friendly the Olympic Games in Vancouver and Sochi, both times capturing gold. coach who builds strong relationships in the room and finds a way to squeeze the most out of the bottom of the roster. “But the team’s back in Cons: Since that early success, Babcock’s teams have one division the (conference) finals two years later, so it must be a pretty dang good championship and have not advanced beyond the second round, team.” including five straight first-round ousters and one DNQ. Then there’s the baggage. After he was fired by Toronto in November 2019, accusations Babcock, Laviolette and Gallant are the three candidates who so far have of a toxic work environment, including the infamous Mitch Marner list, been linked in media reports to the Caps’ vacancy but it’s unclear where surfaced, tarnishing his reputation. A source with knowledge of the exactly things stand as MacLellan quietly goes about his business behind landscape in D.C. also wondered if Babcock’s no-nonsense style and the scenes. Could others, like Boudreau, enter or be in the conversation? desire to be the headliner would work in a room that revolves around Potentially. The 65-year-old, who was Washington’s bench boss in Ovechkin and its stars. It should also be noted that the Leafs still owe Ovechkin’s early years (2007-2012) before moving on to Anaheim and, Babcock $6.25 million per year for the next three seasons, potentially most recently, Minnesota, wants to keep coaching and it’s believed complicating any deal with a new team. there’s been at least some contact. Last month, it was reported that Boudreau is also in the mix for an assistant coaching role with his hometown Maple Leafs. Here’s what is known for certain: it’s been 17 days since MacLellan fired Reirden and he seems to be taking his time plotting his next move. Why? Simple: the next coach is going to be entrusted with the final productive years of Ovechkin’s and Nicklas Backstrom’s distinguished careers. And those years cannot go to waste. The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178731 communicated in terms of cap hit percentage as opposed to raw numbers. It’s possible that, instead of asking for the moon in a long term deal fitting of his expected offensive production, Laine makes a second consecutive short term bet on his own performance. Patrik Laine’s 2021 arbitration rights add another layer to his uncertain future There is already a line of thought in the NHL that big-ticket players — and Laine certainly qualifies as a big-ticket player — may take shorter contracts until they see signs of the league recovering economically. Put simply: the NHL needs fans in its buildings before the salary cap can By Murat Ates Sep 9, 2020 reasonably be expected to rise and there is no guarantee that happens right away. We launched an exciting new feature at The Athletic this week and it’s If Laine does want to make that second consecutive bet on himself, he already led me to a new perspective on Patrik Laine. holds the most critical card. He will be eligible to file for arbitration when his two year, $6.75 AAV million contract expires next summer. If you’re using the latest version of our mobile app — and now would be a great time to update — you’ll notice two new tabs at the bottom of your Given that he’ll be two years away from unrestricted free agency at that screen: Front Page and Real Time. time, the Jets would almost certainly choose a one-year arbitration award. Front Page is a section you can go to every single day for the biggest stories across the world of sports. These are going to be the biggest That would make him a restricted free agent in July 2022, just one year news items and best feature stories worldwide — the kind of story where from UFA eligibility. you don’t have to obsess over the sport to be moved by the material. For And if any of this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same path that example, I don’t follow figure skating nearly as closely as I follow hockey Jacob Trouba walked on his way to New York. but Katie Strang’s gripping redemption story about Keri Blakinger captivated me from its first sentence. You’ll find content this good every So yes, it seems to me that there could be more than enough uncertainty day on Front Page. about Laine’s contractual future to make teams shy about Winnipeg’s asking price via trade. Laine might love it in Winnipeg and might want to Real Time is a customizable news feed, catered to you based on the stay well beyond unrestricted free agency but, if he’s interested in a big sports, teams, and authors you follow. It’s meant to be quick, digestible UFA deal as soon as 2023, he holds enough cards to force one. commentary — instant analysis of new systems at Jets practice, response to the latest Laine trade rumours, or behind the scenes The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 observations. For me, it feels like a godsend — I often like to provide more context than Twitter’s character limit allows but still want to be able to share my take in an instant format. For example: what was the question that led to or Blake Wheeler going off like he did? Why does it matter that ’s contract with Lukko Rauma in Liiga has a North American out clause? Why does an obscure sounding or highly specific stat matter to the Jets in real life? You shouldn’t have to wait until a story comes out to grab the best Jets quotes, news items, and a bit of analysis. This brings us back to Laine. The concept of the Laine (and Nik Ehlers) trade rumours being real but unlikely should be familiar to you — we discussed them at length here. In that piece, I shared some insight from sources outside the Jets organization and then dove into three different types of trade that the Jets might make this offseason. Here is a brief in today’s Real Time section for everyone who follows the Jets on their mobile app. I thought it would be a good sample for everyone to see how this works. I also thought that most readers would have seen my story on the topic so that new discussion would be tough to come by. Then Arpon Basu replied to it with this: Laine is an RFA with arbitration rights next summer, while Ehlers is signed through the end of 2024-25. Is it possible that the spectre of Laine’s next contract scares off so many suitors that Winnipeg couldn’t get full value for him? I have seen it suggested that Winnipeg should trade Laine if his contract demands were known to be high. Basu’s comment marks the first time I’ve thought about how underwhelming a trade could be if those demands were high and if everyone else in the league knew it, too. To me, this would seem like one more compelling reason not to trade him. Not only is Laine fresh from scoring at nearly a point per game last season, nor is he merely the player who has scored the seventh-most goals in the NHL from his rookie season to now, but he is also a player whose age implies that he still has another gear to hit — both as a scorer and as an all-around player. Put all of those thoughts together and then tell me that Laine’s expiring contract might scare off some teams? No thank you. Now, of course, Laine and his agent Mike Liut aren’t blind to the realities of COVID-19 and the possibility of a flat cap well beyond next season. And every agent I’ve ever spoken to about contract specifics has 1178732 Vancouver Canucks Teams are extremely budget conscious these days, having lost out on late-season and playoff ticket revenues. Cuts are happening everywhere. The Canucks have already chopped 49 people from their payroll and more are expected to be let go. Teams that have been out of action for Patrick Johnston: Canucks, NHL hope fans are back filling stands next months have already made heavy cuts: the Ottawa Senators, for season example, are believed to be down to a skeleton staff of just 50 people. It has also been suggested the Canadian teams might play in a Canadian division for this season, which would be simpler for travel purposes — Patrick Johnston assuming Canada doesn’t have a terrible winter surge of COVID-19, something that would likely limit most travel. It should come as no surprise that the NHL would really like to have fans ESPN reported last week that a likely scenario would see the NHL back in the stands next season. playing a 60- to 65-game schedule, starting in mid-to-late January. It should also come as no surprise that they don’t know if that will Finding a start date that would allow for a minimum number of games happen. Such is that reality in this COVID-19 world. with fans in the stands was an important consideration, one executive told ESPN. With that in mind, the Vancouver Canucks are working on three plans for 2020-21: having no fans in the stands, which is pretty straightforward, In the end, though, everything remains contingent on finding a COVID-19 having full crowds, essentially a return to normal, and a third option, with vaccine. partial capacity allowed. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 09.10.2020 “Although there is still a lot of uncertainty, we are looking at all possibilities for next season, including new physically distanced plans for ,” Canucks Sports and Entertainment chief operating office Trent Carroll confirmed in a statement. “Whatever the scenario, we will be ready and will work closely with the NHL and the local health authorities to make sure we do it right. Clearly our hope is that somehow it becomes possible to welcome our fans back to watch our team play in Rogers Arena next year if we were to get the green light to do so.”

As it stands, gatherings of more than 50 people in one place is not permitted under public health orders in B.C., so the second and third options seem more idealistic than realistic right now. The provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, has often repeated than until there’s a vaccine or effective treatment for the novel coronavirus, this restriction against large gatherings will remain in place. Other health officials around the continent have taken similar positions. And there’s the question of the Canada-U. S. border which remains closed to most travel. NHL teams were granted exemptions to fly from American cities to Edmonton and Toronto for this summer’s secure-zone playoff hockey, but if COVID-19 continues to rage south of the border through the winter it’s difficult to imagine the Canadian government allowing professional hockey teams to be flying back and forth across the border. Even so, preparations are still being made for scenarios where an effective treatment or vaccine emerges sometime this winter or next spring. The NHL, its teams and the players’ association have had talks about next season, but nothing definite has yet emerged and likely won’t until after the current Stanley Cup playoffs in Edmonton. In July, the NHL announced it was hoping tostart the 2020-21 season on Dec. 1. Gary Meagher, the NHL’s executive vice-president of communications, acknowledged in an email Wednesday that this date was always an aspirational one. He wouldn’t confirm when the league might confirm a start date.

“There has been little discussion to this point on what next season will look like but, as we were for our current return to play, we will be flexible and adaptable to deal with whatever challenges might lie ahead,” he said. “Obviously, it is our hope to have fans in our arenas as soon as possible but it is pure speculation at this point to suggest when that might occur or when our 2020-21 season might actually start.” Teams are being cautious about their future plans, albeit a league source told Postmedia News that teams were preparing to start next season with no fans in the stands, but eventually being allowed to have half-capacity and perhaps even near-full capacity arenas by the end of the regular season. There has been speculation in some quarters that the NHL might look at a four-hub plan for next season, but most think that is unworkable given the huge costs the current two-hub format incurred. 1178733 Websites What doesn’t seem to be in the cards is the idea of playing next season under a bubble format. It’s one thing to do it to finish off this past season. But the fresh season will be a bigger affair, and putting the players in a bubble for that long doesn’t seem to be realistic and Daly agreed. The Athletic / Q&A: Bill Daly on NHL’s priorities and potential start date for 2020-21 season “I think that’s totally fair,” Daly said. “There’s no doubt what will end up being two-plus months in a secure zone with no interaction with the outside world including family members, is very, very taxing. And it’s not just taxing for players, it’s taxing on club staff members, it’s taxing on By Pierre LeBrun and Scott Burnside Sep 9, 2020 league staff members; league staff members got there two weeks in advance. So it’s even longer for that group of people. The NHL remains hopeful of an 82-game season next year, even if it “So, that does not present a model for a full regular season. By any appears a Dec. 1 start is less likely, Bill Daly said Wednesday. stretch. So that’s why when I said before, what we’re facing with respect to how we construct next season and what it looks like, is a totally The NHL’s deputy commissioner joined Scott Burnside and Pierre different challenge to what we constructed for the completion of the ’19- LeBrun on the Two-Man Advantage podcast and while there’s still so 20 season and it’s going to look a lot different.” much in flux when it comes to next season, he did reveal a few things as far as what the league is thinking. The ongoing Canadian-U.S. border situation is also an issue until further notice. MLB’s Blue Jays couldn’t play home games in Toronto this The focus for now is getting through the rest of return to play, which has summer because of it. So the NHL can’t go back to normal travel while been a success to date with zero positive COVID-19 tests. Then there’s the border remains this way, yet another factor in figuring out next an offseason to get through, including the Oct. 6-7 NHL Draft. season. Whereas the NFL opens up its season this week without having to worry about the border. But the big question soon is what becomes of next season with the pandemic still very much impacting society. “That’s certainly going to be a reality that we have to face,” Daly said. “The NFL probably has the benefit of not having to do it in two different “We have to focus on what next season looks like, and that’s going to be countries. We have that obstacle. We still have fairly high barriers an enormous challenge again, and it’s going to be a totally different between the United States and Canada currently and what they permit in challenge than the one we’re just trying to complete right now,” Daly said terms of crossing the border and once they cross the border what they from Edmonton, where he’s in the bubble attending games. “We’re going require locally from a health and safety standpoint. Those are differences to take our time, we’re going to gather as many data points as we can, we’re going to have to deal with. They’re certainly complications that whether it be from how professional football looks this fall, how collegiate factor in to what ultimately we have to decide this looks like.” athletics look this fall — both football and hockey — and maybe to some extent basketball. And really what the European hockey leagues are All of which points to the reality that the original hope of opening the doing and what their experiences are and what their models are. We’re 2020-21 season by Dec. 1 is less and less likely with each passing day, I going to learn as much as we can and when we have as many data asked Daly. points as we can and we need to make decisions, we’re going to have to make decisions and hopefully we can make the right ones.” “What I’d say to that is that it really almost entirely depends on what it is we decide to do, and how we’re going to approach it,” Daly said. “If I had What exactly will be different come December or January compared to to handicap it today, it’s probably less likely than more that we would now in September when it comes to dealing with COVID-19 and the start on Dec. 1. But that’s not set in stone by any means.” difficulties in getting fans in arenas? As LeBrun asked Daly on the podcast, it’s a struggle to see what’s going to be so different now from The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 then which will allow the NHL to open play in December or January? “I think there are always ways to play,” Daly responded. “I think what you choose to do in terms of playing is really the more complicated question. How do you put on a season? We remain certainly intent on trying to have an 82-game regular season. Whether that’s possible or not is yet to be seen. “But I do think the world does change every day. I do think there are new developments, some positive, some not necessarily positive, that happen every day. I think we’d be foolish not to take advantage of the lead time we have to make the best decisions we can make. I agree with you, when I go to sleep at night, I don’t know what next season is going to look like. And I don’t know what the best answer for that is right now. I do believe we’re going to have a season, I just can’t tell you what it looks like right now.” To which Burnside then asked, is having fans in the stands more important than having 82 games? “No, I think the priorities remain the same, look, we’d still love to be able to play an 82-game season,” reiterated Daly. “Again, I can’t sit here and guarantee that will be the case. But that continues to be an objective, that continues to be a goal. Being able to play in arenas that have some fan presence if not a full building, again it’s an objective, it’s a priority, it’s a goal. “So, we’ll continue to see how things evolve and hopefully we can achieve some of the objectives we set out for ourselves including the 82 game-season.” LeBrun then asked Daly if the NHL has modelled out a schedule which begins Jan. 1 and still goes 82 games and ends in the summer? “Yes, that’s a possibility,” Daly said. “If anything was proven this summer, it’s that having three games a day in these facilities in the heart of August wasn’t problematic. A lot of people thought we’d be playing on wet surfaces, but that didn’t transpire. The ice held up, the ice quality is generally good. So, playing in the summer is not a problem for us. “Having said that, do I want to get back on a normal calendar, a normal cycle, a normal hockey cycle? Particularly with the other elements of the hockey worlds that we interact with … we’re going to try to go back to our normal cycle as soon as the world events permit.” 1178734 Websites Blakinger grew up in Amish country in Pennsylvania, where her father, Dan, was a partner at a prominent law firm and her mother, Cindy, worked as a public school teacher. The Athletic / ‘I was sure she was going to be dead at 25’: A figure Blakinger’s mother wanted her daughter to experience the trappings of skater’s redemptive journey suburbia she missed, so Blakinger and her boundless energy were thrown into horseback riding, piano lessons, gymnastics and more. She latched onto figure skating in second or third grade, and no other activity could again hold her interest in the same way. By Katie Strang 54 A relic of the town’s blue-collar beginnings, the local rink was housed in the old Posey Iron Works factory. The rink had no heat, rust dripped onto Keri Blakinger once opened a small manila envelope addressed to her the ice, and skaters relieved themselves outside in porta-potties. There and carefully emptied the contents. Twelve dead cockroaches tumbled was, for no apparent reason, a stained-glass image of Benjamin Franklin out. The brittle bugs were mailed to her by a man in a Brazoria County on the exterior. prison south of Houston. By most standards, she entered the sport late, competing for the first She’s gotten letters with mold samples affixed with tape and pleas from time at the Hershey Open in third grade in 1993. She outgrew her local family members desperate to learn more about their loved one’s medical coaches by sixth grade, then began regularly commuting 45 minutes condition. A few prisoners doing long bids have penned her murder each day to Harrisburg or Hershey for better instruction. confessions. Other inmates have sent her hand-drawn Christmas cards, By sixth grade, Blakinger was leaving school early multiple times per like the one with a cheerfully colored, smiling snowman. week to train. She worked tirelessly on the elusive double axel, the One death-row prisoner, per his last wishes, had his ashes sent to hardest double jump to execute. All skating jumps — axels, salchows, Blakinger. They arrived in a glass vial with a cork stopper. lutzes and loops — finish with the skater landing backward, but the axel is the only one in which a skater takes off from a front-facing position. Blakinger regularly receives mail from the grimmest federal Properly landing a double axel requires 2 1/2 revolutions; the others penitentiaries, overcrowded state prisons and the sleepy low-security require two. It is often a gateway move; once a skater lands the double facilities that house Wall Street cheaters. axel, triple jumps follow. These items end up on the vast expanse of her desk or elsewhere in her Blakinger would wipe out endlessly when her skate would catch on the Houston apartment. Some land in the backseat of her four-door sedan, ice just a quarter-turn short of completing the revolution. Sometimes, she where files are wedged against a red bucket overflowing with loose-leaf inserted a patch of gardening pad inside her leggings to soften the blow. papers. Some she stashes in an oversized black backpack that she is rarely seen without, slung over her shoulder, stuffed to the brim. “I spent my entire middle school years falling hundreds of times on the same jump,” she says. Blakinger, 36, is one of the preeminent criminal justice reporters in the country. Within the last few months, she has exposed dangerous COVID Precocious but self-aware, Blakinger knew she didn’t have the chops to protocols, faulty locks and riots within prisons. She has written about the make it as a singles skater. She possessed the obsessiveness skating racist history behind prison names, the witnesses to the first federal required, but could not foresee ever having six triple jumps in her execution under President Donald Trump and raw sewage. repertoire. Pairs skating offered a more plausible path, but she would need to find a partner, not easy in Amish country. Her reporting for The Marshall Project, which she joined last year, and other outlets has forced prisons to improve health and safety standards, The summer before ninth grade, Blakinger began commuting 40 miles practices and procedures and overall care. Her 2018 investigation into each way to the University of Delaware to train with prominent coach poor dental care prompted the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Tracey Cahill Poletis. She left school each morning and was driven to the launch a dental clinic where incarcerated people could obtain dentures rink, usually by a parent or a grandparent. In the car, she’d change into via 3-D printing. Not long after her May story about substandard food, skating gear and nap until one particularly sharp turn usually jolted her inmates used contraband cell phones to send her pictures of leafy awake. The commute was tedious, but it provided her access to the best greens. coaching in the area. After her skating sessions, she’d complete any additional off-ice training before heading home, sometimes doing her Blakinger is petite, no taller than 5-feet-2. She has a ring in her lip, a schoolwork with a small flashlight wrapped around the seat in front of tattoo on the back of her neck and a half-shaved head. She took a pair of her. electric clippers to her hair last month, growing restless after running out of things to pierce. “It already had been my whole life,” Blakinger says of her skating. “But really it became my whole identity.” She often employs black heart emojis on Twitter and she collects weapons, like a wooden mace from East Africa and a Mississippi prison Cahill Poletis found Blakinger a promising pairs partner in 19-year-old shank. Last Halloween, she dressed as a heavily redacted Freedom of Mark Ladwig, from North Dakota, who had transitioned into figure skating Information Act request. after getting cut as a third-string goaltender at the peewee level. Decades ago, she was a competitive figure skater with Olympic Matching pairs is no simple task — skating style, size, appearance and aspirations. Pristine and polished. Velvet leotards and sequined other factors must be considered. Almost a foot taller and four years costumes. She smiled on cue. older, Ladwig looked as if he could be Blakinger’s older brother. Meanwhile, Blakinger possessed stronger jumping technique and Between then and now, she spent time homeless and addicted to heroin. superior artistry, the latter honed by years of ballet training. Despite For a spell, she turned to sex work to pay her bills and subsidize her Ladwig working through what he now describes as his “hammer throwing habit. She dealt drugs while attending an Ivy League school. She was technique,” the two fit well together. They enjoyed a friendly, professional depressed and suicidal. For almost two years, she was known primarily relationship and a shared goal of making the nationals. Both were by a number – 11G0845 – while doing time in county jail and state prison stubborn and determined; at one competition, Ladwig tried to power in New York. through a bout with mononucleosis, refusing to pull out until a coach intervened. Her time inside has become a defining characteristic. It’s one reason people seek her out, because she understands the trauma of The pair kept their lifts simple but displayed strong jumping ability and incarceration and how it stays with you, because she has a kinship with speed. They moved across the ice well, Blakinger’s ponytail bouncing as those who have seen the darker sides of humanity. She sometimes they glided the length of the rink, Ladwig hoisting her into the air with receives mail addressed to: ease. The commitment to ascending the pairs skating ranks left little time for Blakinger to make friends outside of the sport. The reporter who was in prison. “I did not have any social life,” Blakinger says. “I don’t think anyone “Again and again, what you see in her reporting is an understanding that training that intensely is going to. I was leaving school so early. I wasn’t … whatever the worst thing that a person has done in their life is not making friends there; I was not maintaining friends there; I wasn’t going what defines them,” says Pamela Colloff, a senior reporter at ProPublica to a party to sneak a beer. I was getting up at 4 a.m. on Saturdays to go and staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. “Because that’s true of to the rink.” Keri, too.” Skating both widened the gulf with her peers and provided her a (Courtesy of Keri Blakinger) sanctuary from the pressure of fitting in with her classmates. “It’s you and the ice and the cold air, and it didn’t matter that I wasn’t cool hoped summer school at would channel her energy or that I just wasn’t good at social interactions.” into academics. In her freshman humanities class at her Lancaster private school, Blakinger had the academic pedigree to handle the two classes and a students were prompted to explore the idea of human identity through the college-focused environment. But after years of intense scheduling and works of Dante and Patricia Barker’s World War I novel “Regeneration.” strict training regimens, she was now rudderless and vulnerable, in a new Sitting in the back of the class, a hoodie pulled over her head, Blakinger place without friends or adult supervision. Blakinger gravitated toward the intuited themes and context with exceptional ease, and her quick- kids at The Pit, recognizing in them a desire to challenge authority and wittedness made her both respected and feared. social norms. “I’m not sure anyone knew what to make of her,” says Luke Jacob, She began to experiment – piercing her tongue, her belly button, Blakinger’s favorite teacher. smoking pot and trying ecstasy. She did her first line of heroin off the book cover of D.H. Lawrence’s “Sons and Lovers,” part of the summer (Courtesy of Keri Blakinger) reading list for one of her courses. Blakinger and Ladwig did not hang out together much beyond the rink. “I just wanted to self-destruct,” Blakinger says. “I was in a dark place and Their training offered scant time for that. But synchronizing rhythms and I felt like a lot of them clearly were, too. I more or less wanted to die, but movements in such exhaustive detail also meant they knew each other’s wasn’t actually ready to kill myself.” tendencies and habits. So when Blakinger arrived looking more gaunt by the day, Ladwig noticed. When Blakinger returned home at the end of the summer, she readied herself for her senior year. She tried skating again, only to find that her Blakinger first learned about purging, vomiting food to lose weight, during time on the ice did not feel the same. She was constantly fighting with middle school. She dabbled in it then, but during her freshman year in her parents. Confronted that fall with a surprise intervention, she high school she started to feel the pressure to climb the ranks of the panicked, jumping out of a moving car and landing on the side of the skating circuit. That’s when her efforts to lose weight intensified. road without her shoes and her shirt torn off after breaking free of her She heard that eating carrots burned calories. Some days she subsisted parents’ clutches. solely on carrots and caffeine. The backs of her hands, her knuckles, She lasted just three days at school in Pennsylvania before she was on even the dimples in her cheeks became tinged with orange. Blakinger the street, toggling between Lancaster and Boston. In Boston, she joined stayed up late to get her schoolwork done and then spent long hours into a community of homeless people who slept in tents underneath a parking the night obsessively working on crossword puzzles. She threw up garage. She stuffed a pile of black clothing into her backpack and lugged frequently, too, and looked emaciated. around a physics textbook for light reading. The lighter she became, Blakinger reasoned, the better she could jump. Blakinger ate most meals at soup kitchens, but she needed money to The results that followed only contributed to that distorted sense of support her drug habit and turned to sex work. She was sexually positive reinforcement. Blakinger and Ladwig won the novice pairs assaulted at knifepoint once and raped multiple times, she says. division at the South Atlantic Regional Championships in 2000 and 2001, and placed fifth at the national pairs competition both years. She was Jacob, Blakinger’s former teacher, received intermittent calls from her named to the USFSA Scholastic Honors team in 2001, a prestigious during this time. “She would talk about things with a distance,” Jacob achievement. But soon the mood swings and telltale signs of her eating says. “It was as if she was looking at her story from the outside. disorder became apparent, prompting Cahill Poletis to raise concerns with Blakinger and her parents. “I was sure she was going to be dead at 25.” “She was never a big girl to begin with, and she always ate well and took On paper, Blakinger looked like a strong student from an established care of herself, but then she just seemed to be getting thinner and private school with a litany of academic accomplishments. She wrote for thinner,” Cahill Poletis says. the school’s literary magazine and won honors for poetry and short-story writing. She was a member of the debate club and the Spanish National Blakinger sought professional help for her disordered eating during her Honor Society. sophomore year of high school in 1999, but she lied to her therapist about the scope of the problem for years. She went to outpatient A cursory glance of her application materials by admissions officers at treatment for a few weeks following the 2001 nationals, but she actually Rutgers University wouldn’t have revealed that she had spent portions of lost weight while in treatment. Blakinger couldn’t always control landing a her final year of high school homeless and addicted to heroin. (The only particular jump or placing at nationals, but she could control what she blemish on an otherwise perfect transcript was a B-plus in pre-calculus ate. during one semester in 10th grade.) The transcripts didn’t show that Blakinger took her final AP exams — English literature and composition, “I knew what I was doing was fucked up, but I was also quite aware that if and history — while living in a halfway house in Scranton, or the I gained some weight I was not going to be seen as a marketable pairs convincing it took to get her to go to rehab. At the behest of Blakinger’s skater,” Blakinger says. parents, Jacob intercepted Blakinger, working the graveyard shift at a diner and high from drinking cough syrup, and persuaded her to seek Ladwig shared his concerns about Blakinger’s declining health with their help. She did 90 days at a Pennsylvania treatment facility. coach. After what he described as a month of deliberation, he told Cahill Poletis and Blakinger their partnership had to end. In her first year at Rutgers, Blakinger stayed off drugs while living in a sober dormitory. By her second semester, she began working at a strip “I was devastated,” says Blakinger. club and an escort agency in New Jersey to ostensibly pay for her In the world of pairs skating, there are many more female skaters looking schooling. By the summer of 2003, she was making enough money to for a male partner than the opposite. At age 17 and heading into her pay for her own apartment and small luxuries like a cell phone. Blakinger senior year of high school, Blakinger was uncertain she could find felt empowered. someone in time for the upcoming season, especially someone who “Older men, powerful men, were paying me for things and I was setting would relocate to Delaware. She’d have to take a season off with no the price,” Blakinger. “That felt liberating. I was taking charge.” promise that she’d ever resume her skating career. Living in her own apartment, she began dealing drugs on the side. She For weeks, Blakinger spent nights shuttered in her room, crying for refrained from using at the start, then was enticed by the offer to try hours. meth. She figured meth would enable her to stay up for days at a time, “It was, as I saw it, the end of my world,” she says. “I was losing my allowing her to work, study and maintain her thriving side business. skating career … my identity, my future and all my plans for life.” Heroin was her hard line in the sand, but a fight with her boyfriend or one particularly bad day — she no longer remembers — caused her to Keri Blakinger and Mark Ladwig found success early in their pairs relapse. By 2005, Blakinger and her boyfriend were struggling to pay the partnership. (Courtesy of Paul Harvath) bills and stay high. Sex work was no longer optional but rather a means of survival. The elements of the job that had grated on her before — men It was known as “The Pit.” The amphitheater near Harvard Square was not abiding by ground rules she had set, being rough and aggressive, where a group of goth-punk kids used to congregate. Some sported sometimes incontinent — now became unbearable. When a man asked gauges in their ears and many harbored hard drug addictions. They her to play out a rape fantasy one night, she couldn’t do it anymore. Even would become, at least for a spell, the first social group Blakinger chose with the numbing effects of drugs, it was too much. for herself without influence from others. “They were paying to fund my self-destruction,” Blakinger says, “And Blakinger moved to Cambridge, Mass., the summer of 2001 at the urging that’s not liberating.” of her parents. Following the split with Ladwig, their high-achieving daughter was morose, aimless and, at times, catatonic with grief. They Though she took a limited course load at points and even spent chunks Ten months after Ladwig, her former skating partner, competed in the of time away from school altogether, Blakinger says she maintained a Vancouver Olympics, placing as the top American pairs team with his perfect grade-point average while at Rutgers. For years, those grades new partner, Blakinger was doing “speedballs” with a new boyfriend, allowed her to avoid fully confronting the reality of her addiction. shooting up both heroin and cocaine. And while Blakinger managed to Blakinger convinced herself it was just a phase, something she would stay afloat academically through heroin use or Adderall or meth or move beyond. But she began to recognize that life in New Brunswick was whatever cornucopia of pills du jour she took, adding coke to the mix untenable. changed that. She applied to Cornell University, her mom’s alma mater, and was On a chilly Sunday morning that December, while transporting a large accepted as a transfer student in January 2007. But Ithaca was no salve. amount of uncut heroin from a stash house to her apartment in a plastic The 22-year-old Blakinger didn’t feel like she fit in with other kids at container, Blakinger pawed through the pockets of her coat to locate a school. She constantly quarreled with her parents, over school, and her stray cigarette. She didn’t notice a police officer until he practically then-boyfriend. When her grandmother died, her parents didn’t want her hovered over her. She panicked and threw the container underneath the to bring her boyfriend to the funeral, so she didn’t attend. nearest car. A watchful bystander retrieved the container and handed it to the officer. Blakinger started smoking crack and using mushrooms. She abstained from heroin, but her relationship with her boyfriend turned toxic and As she was being arrested, the officer found an eight-ball of cocaine in abusive. She failed that semester and was facing academic probation. Blakinger’s pocket. Fearing the specter of being dope sick in a holding cell, she pulled a handful of oxycodone pills out of her pocket and One morning in July 2007, she called an acquaintance and asked to be slammed them in her mouth. The officer threatened to pepper-spray her driven to a bridge overlooking one of the gorges that border Cornell’s if she swallowed them. She did anyway. campus – an ecological feature that offers scenic views and trails for students, but has been well-documented as an area for suicide attempts There are no step-by-step guides preparing you for the process of being (the university erected steel mesh netting below the gorges in 2013). herded naked into a cold shower to be deloused, or being held in a cell alone while being screened for tuberculosis and awaiting classification. Blakinger approached the edge of the bridge and contemplated the 98- You can miss a meal if you don’t know what time to be at the door of your foot drop to the valley below. When she heard the sound of approaching cell. sirens, she worried she’d be arrested and taken to a psych ward. Blakinger, who was charged with a second-degree felony for possession She jumped. of a controlled substance, initially served time in county jail. Traditionally Hurtling downward, she felt as if she were viewing everything around her smaller than prisons and more provincial, it’s not uncommon for people in in a freeze-frame. Leaves on the trees came into sharper focus. Time county jails to know one another, guards and incarcerated people alike. slowed. She struck up a friendly relationship with a guard around her age; they connected over a love of crosswords and a shared taste in music. She landed on a flat rock covered in moss. She broke several vertebrae but was alive, furious and demoralized. He’d show her pictures of his dog and secretly google words to help her on her crosswords. The two did not begin their relationship until she was When the police officer arrived, he shouted to her from the bridge, asking transferred to prison, where he visited her regularly. (He was later her not to move. disciplined for fraternizing with an inmate and docked vacation days.) She stood up and gave him the finger. For Blakinger, prison was largely defined by substantial chunks of boredom and banality interrupted by fights, abrupt transfers to different Not long after her failed suicide attempt, Blakinger adopted a dog. facilities and arbitrary discipline like being sent to SHU, or secure Charlotte, a black Labrador-greyhound mix that was so skinny her ribs housing unit, a.k.a. solitary confinement. were showing. She was afraid of her own bark. Charlotte went everywhere with Blakinger — to class, to office hours, to drug deals at Blakinger spent time in solitary confinement twice during her crackhouses, where the dog would sometimes take off with a bag of incarceration; neither experience has left her. Her first time in SHU, marijuana in her mouth because she liked the smell. where she was sent for a medical classification before her transfer to another facility, Blakinger figured she’d be able to handle it. When the “She didn’t need me to be sober or doing well in life,” Blakinger says. “I door shut and she faced a blindingly white room with no sense of how just needed to be there.” long she’d be there, she panicked and began sobbing. Blakinger took a year off from Cornell while recovering from her injuries The cell had no clock, only a slit of light for the window. She had to stand — she was forced to wear a clamshell back brace and was prescribed an on the bunk to peer out. But if she was caught standing on the bunk, astonishing array of drugs: morphine, muscle relaxers, Adderall, Ambien, she’d receive more time in SHU. A small metal toilet with a sink attached Xanax. The idle time piled up and the prescription drugs couldn’t curb her and a small metal desk fixed to the wall offered the only respite from the physical pain and mental anguish. Blakinger turned again to heroin, otherwise barren enclosure. Blakinger did not spend time in quiet though her use didn’t completely derail her. The suicidal thoughts abated. reflection and repose. Deeply disoriented from the initial panic, she She was in an abusive relationship but didn’t use as prolifically or sell drifted in and out of sleep. Her brain fogged and before long she began drugs as frequently. to calculate whether she could kill herself by jumping from her bed onto the metal desk. “I know that’s a really low bar,” Blakinger says, “but things were slightly less bad.” “It feels like you’re being buried alive,” Blakinger says. Lynda Bogel, a professor at Cornell who taught Blakinger in a film studies Blakinger wrote about her experiences in journals she furtively kept. seminar and multiple independent studies, recalls Blakinger bringing Writing was one of the few healthy outlets she could enjoy to pass the Charlotte to office hours and plopping down on the floor with the dog. time. She also took up a regimen of running to keep her mind sharp and She sensed her student was using drugs and ensnared in a toxic her sanity intact. relationship, but Blakinger’s intellectual prowess masked the depths of her problems. Her fastidiousness to the treadmill is how she met Kris, a woman who worked in the prison gym. Blakinger, who dated women and men before Bogel recalls a discussion Blakinger hosted on the Alfred Hitchcock film her incarceration, initially objected to the idea of having a “prison family.” “Notorious” in which she performed an eagle-eyed dissection of one She never embraced that sort of infrastructure, but she grew closer to scene of star Ingrid Bergman physically juxtaposed between two visual Kris, close enough that she considered Kris a “prison girlfriend.” The term elements at the exact time she toggled between poles of a consequential means different things to different people; for Blakinger, it meant finding decision. women who could provide her some tenderness and intimacy, who had a stake in her well-being. Her classmates sat rapt by the heavy-lidded punk-rock girl’s ability to distill complicated concepts of film analysis. “People were just in awe,” When they first met, Kris sat on the stationary bike pedaling as she read Bogel says. a copy of Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” not the kind of book Blakinger expected many people to be reading within the facility. Around this time, in 2008, Blakinger also began working at the student Blakinger asked Kris if she had ever seen a certain version of the movie, newspaper; she started as a copy editor and then wrote daily news and the conversation sparked more intimate ones. stories and some features. She felt more useful than she had in a long time. Kris helped her navigate some of the intricacies of prison life one has to learn on the fly — how to request a new bunk-mate if she experienced By late 2010, Blakinger, then 26, was on the precipice of graduating, issues, which guards had a reputation for cruel behavior, how to whittle a working through extensions in classes to complete the work required for fragmented tooth of a comb to the exact right length to keep a body her degree. Her drug use worsened. piercing from closing. Her subsequent girlfriend, Sobey, fashioned her a zombie doll made of sanitary napkins and rudimentary decorations, a Hart interviewed her and discovered that Blakinger had worked on a small token of cheer. memoir while in prison. Hart read part of the manuscript and recognized Blakinger’s talent. “If you don’t find friends and people to be in your corner, prison can be really lonely,” Blakinger says. Blakinger became a freelancer for the publication and eagerly agreed to the assignments many reporters yawned at, like sitting through lengthy At Albion’s prison gym, Blakinger also forged a relationship with the town meetings. woman who became one of her best friends on the inside, Stacy Lyn Burnett, a recruitment support coordinator with the College & Community The communities she covered during her first six months of freelancing Fellowship who advocates for women with criminal justice involvement were overwhelmingly old, White and extremely conservative. She’d show and helps them overcome barriers to achieving higher education. up to meetings dressed in all black, with an eyeball pendant on a chain hanging from her neck, large onerous piercings, combat boots and an Blakinger met Burnett while seeking guidance on obtaining care for obscenely foul mouth. hepatitis C, which she believes she contracted through intravenous drug use. Serving as the grievance rep for the women within the compound, “They loved her,” Hart says. “Some of these town council members are Burnett found Blakinger could toggle seamlessly between the vernacular still friends with Keri.” of her Ivy League education and that of the prison system. Blakinger’s short pixieish haircut, glasses and bookishness earned her the nickname Blakinger quickly gained a sense of what really mattered to residents. “Harry Potter,” but she could fend for herself. That meant sitting in diners, trolling laundromats, showing up for school plays. “To be facing a life-threatening illness in a place like that, it does change you,” Burnett says. “Either you lay down and take it and hopefully you live In 2015, she landed a job with the New York Daily News and was or you have to start really advocating for yourself and fighting.” assigned to a team of young reporters who worked out of Union City. Blakinger, then 31, quickly showed she possessed the talent and drive to Unlike some of the other women within their facility, Blakinger made it thrive in cutthroat markets. seem as if she was just passing through. Criminal justice reporter Reuven Blau turned to her for some help with a “This wasn’t her final destination,” Burnett says. “She had something else story, following up on a tip that an incarcerated woman had been in her that separated her.” sexually assaulted by a guard at Rikers, New York City’s vast jail complex. Blau, who is now a senior reporter at The City, asked Blakinger Keri Blakinger interviews Judge Elsa Alcala in 2019. (Scott Kingsley / if she’d be willing to go to Rikers to meet with the woman, who was so Houston Chronicle) fearful that her case would be bungled that she smuggled out DNA Fueled by non-instant coffee and a toasted everything bagel with cream evidence by mailing her underwear to a friend on the outside. cheese, Blakinger made an important first stop following her release from “Keri had this really great way about her. This woman — she understood prison on Sept. 28, 2012. She asked her then-boyfriend, the former where she was coming from. She had a unique experience of guard at the county jail, to take her to the home of the couple who cared understanding her situation,” Blau says of the woman’s willingness to for Charlotte, Blakinger’s dog, during her incarceration. The couple didn’t open up to Blakinger. “I don’t know if it would’ve been the case if it was intend to keep Charlotte longer than a few days but grew enamored of anyone else.” her. The guard was criminally charged, a rarity in the prison system. He When Blakinger arrived, Charlotte didn’t remember her. Blakinger admitted committing sexual assault and pleaded guilty. He avoided jail returned to her boyfriend’s home and cried herself to sleep. time as a result of a plea deal but was fired, forced to register as a sex While inside, she was surrounded by people either resigned to long bids offender and put on probation for 10 years. Even after the case, or desperate to simply pass time. Everyone’s situation was dire, though Blakinger and the woman stayed in touch. Blakinger had it better than most. A plea deal meant she served less than Blakinger saw tangible change as a result of her work. Justice. two years in total, markedly less than if she had been arrested in another Accountability. And the knowledge that her reporting could illuminate county or had some of the New York Rockefeller drug laws not been some of the most insidious problems roiling the prison system. Not since repealed before her arrest. Once released, she logged on to Facebook she was skating had she felt so energized, driven toward a goal. and scrolled through pictures of friends who were getting married, buying homes, having children. Meanwhile, she was living in a home with In 2016, Blakinger took a job with the Houston Chronicle. Over the next 3 someone she only knew within the context of her incarceration. The 1/2 years, she homed in on the Texas prison system. In addition to her relationship, which began with a stark power imbalance, was ill-suited to reporting, she wrote personal essays about prison families, prison endure. She hadn’t finished school, didn’t have a degree or even a nicknames and prison time. She humanized the experience, and in the driver’s license. She was on parole. Her own dog didn’t even remember process earned a reputation for her rugged, intrepid reporting. Fellow her. reporters marveled not just at her prolific output — Blakinger routinely delivered upwards of five substantive stories a week — but also the “It is hard not to look around and feel at least some pang of loss,” depths of the topics she explored. Blakinger says. “Not even jealousy, just loss — that I had so much and had squandered it.” “She’s one of the best-sourced reporters I’ve personally known,” says Colloff, the ProPublica writer who is also based in Texas. Blakinger kept visiting Charlotte at her adopted home, learning her new favorite walking paths, watching her with her new best dog pal, Bailey, Chris Tomlinson, a business columnist at the Chronicle who previously the couple’s other dog and a fellow black Lab mix. But even after weeks spent 19 years at the Associated Press, noticed elements of Blakinger’s of walks, the dog treated her like a stranger. behavior in the newsroom, hallmarks of a familiar type of hypervigilance he dealt with for years, a byproduct of his post-traumatic stress disorder Finally, Blakinger took Charlotte for a walk back in Ithaca, carefully from years of covering conflict overseas. skirting the boundaries of Cornell’s campus, from which she was banned. After ambling around once familiar haunts — the local laundromat, a Tomlinson spent seven years as a soldier before embedding with the convenience store that was dog-friendly, the landlord’s office where U.S. Army. He made sergeant. He spoke the language. As a result, the they’d often stop in to say hello — the pair walked past their old house. military personnel he covered didn’t hide what they knew he would Instantly, Charlotte’s demeanor changed and she followed Blakinger eventually ferret out. when called. Suddenly, Charlotte remembered her former owner. “I think that’s what made me a good war correspondent and what makes After caring for Charlotte for almost two years, incorporating the dog into Keri such a good criminal justice reporter,” he says. “You can’t bullshit their own family, the couple that had adopted the dog realized that her.” Blakinger needed her more than they did. Believing Blakinger was headed in a good direction — they had aided her in her transition by Blakinger’s incarceration provides her a more nuanced framework to inviting her into their social circle — they returned Charlotte to her. cover the system she experienced firsthand. She recognized the ways in which the carceral system often abandoned those with mental health (Courtesy of Keri Blakinger) issues and disproportionately punished those from communities of color. (In 2017, the imprisonment rate of Black women was twice that of White In October 2013, a mutual friend introduced Blakinger to Glynis Hart, the women; the imprisonment rate of Hispanic women was 1.3 that of White managing editor for a collection of community weeklies in the Finger women, according to The Sentencing Project.) Blakinger knows that her Lakes region of New York. Working on a story about the access to privilege (which she has addressed in detail here) allowed her to emerge resources for women in prison, Hart heard through their mutual friend not unscathed, but at least with the chance to start anew. that Blakinger had spent time in prison. “Keri has never said this to me, but my impression is that she feels she belongings when she lived on the streets, the bag she used to ferry was handed a second chance and because of that, there’s this huge drugs. responsibility that rests on her shoulders, not just to make good on her second chance but to give a voice to all the people who haven’t been Now, it is the bag of a woman at work. given second chances,” Colloff says. The Athletic LOADED: 09.10.2020 “I think that can be mistaken for advocacy journalism, but she’s doing accountability journalism and there’s a difference. … I think because she’s walked in the shoes of so many of the people she’s writing about, she’s able to show the full context of their lives, the humanity that’s there even if they’ve done terrible things.” Keri Blakinger interviews Texas death row inmate Larry Swearingen. (Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle) Figure skaters typically sport an array of aches, pains and bruises. Few linger worse than when a skater breaks in a new pair of skates, generally an annual practice. Once a skater reaches a certain tier of competition, the attention to detail to the fit of the boot and the placement of the blade becomes more precise. An impression is created by setting a skater’s foot within a foam molding, with the blade fitted separately. Boots begin incredibly stiff, so as to maintain support. Skaters try to hasten the process of getting comfortable in a new pair of skates in various ways: putting the boots in the oven, walking around the house with them while wearing warm wet socks, manually punching out some of the tough spots from the inside. Blakinger still has visible scars from one particular pair, where the tongue of the shaft met the boot at the ankle. The scars look similar to the track marks she has on her arms, her hips and the backs of her calves. Successes in skating can be burdensome and arbitrary. Landing a jump requires repeated failures. Each spill and wipeout tests a skater’s will and resolve. The day Blakinger first landed her double axel on one of the ice rinks at the University of Delaware, she felt a surge of triumph. Instinctively, her head snapped down. There on the ice, tangible evidence: a distinct line in the ice to prove she had done it. Nothing topped that moment. Then. Since joining The Marshall Project in 2019, Blakinger has exposed poor pandemic response, systemic inequity and inhumane conditions within the prison system. “I think there are journalists who go their entire careers without having the impact Keri’s had already … she’s dramatically improved hundreds of people’s lives,” Tomlinson says. “She never writes about convicts. She writes about people.” Blakinger works at a frenetic pace. Most nights, she bangs at her computer until she falls asleep. She is constantly moving, either spitting out the details about her latest piece with nary a breath, or reaching out to sources, keeping in touch with her sprawling tree of contacts. Her recent two-week “vacation” was spent working on her memoir, which will be published by St. Martin’s Press in winter 2022. “I was obsessive about figure skating growing up, and that was my whole life. That ended, and I filled that with heroin. That ended and I filled it with obsessively working,” Blakinger says. “I’m not gonna act like I have some great boundaries or sense of balance.” Her idea of leisure is running 12 miles outside in the Houston heat, sometimes in complete silence. She has a fierce loyalty to her friends and a habit of radical honesty. She started a regular email to her mother with links to her latest work that has since grown into an informal newsletter with 80 recipients, including a judge, several attorneys, her former drug counselor, a guy she used to sell pot to at Cornell, her middle school piano teacher and the Ithaca cop who found her after her failed suicide attempt. Blakinger sometimes tears up when reading a letter from someone on the inside. Recently, she received a drawing — an outline of a man’s hand, meant to symbolize the way people in prison try to connect with those on the outside, reaching their hand to a partition that separates them from their visitors on the other side of the glass. She files these small tokens away, keeping them at home, or in that filing system in the backseat of her car, or in that large black backpack, thrown over her shoulder. Blakinger has had a bag like that for as long as people can remember. Friends easily conjure the visual: Keri and her bag. An overstuffed duffel she carried off to skating practice in high school. The backpack she used to lug textbooks to college classes, the one that housed all her 1178735 Websites Coyotes may be looking to recoup draft picks lost when the NHL penalized them for prospect testing violations. Kuemper has been fantastic for the team and everyone saw that in the playoffs. It is a loaded goalie market, but Kuemper would come with two years on a contract Sportsnet.ca / 25 NHL trade candidates you'll hear about this off-season that pays $4.5 million against the cap. Pretty good value for the work he’s put in.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Arizona Coyotes Rory Boylen | @RoryBoylen September 9, 2020 Arizona isn’t done at its goalie either. On a Saturday Headlines segment a few weeks ago, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Coyotes could It’s hard to believe that we’re less than a month away from the Stanley explore moving their top defenceman as well. Cup being awarded, but once that happens there will be a very short “I think there’s a possibility he gets traded,” Friedman said on Sportsnet window to squeeze in a lot of key off-season dates. With the NHL draft 960 the Fan last week. “I think he’s open to it and I do think they’re moved to mid-week on Oct. 6 and 7, and free agency likely to follow on getting calls about him already. It’s a tough contract, but I think there’s Oct. 9, we could be looking at all that happening within two weeks after interest.” the 2020 champion is crowned. Ekman-Larsson has seven years left on a deal that pays him $8.25 And, heck, the off-season movement doesn’t need to wait until then. million against the cap, so any acquiring team would be getting a top-pair The Toronto Maple Leafs have already made a deal with the Pittsburgh defender for the long term. With the cap staying flat, though, it may be Penguins, and the Montreal Canadiens traded with the St. Louis Blues to trickier to move a contract like this right now. Ekman-Larsson also has a bring in backup Jake Allen. The off-season trade market is already well full no-movement clause, so he’ll have the final say on any trade. under way, and with only four teams left standing in the playoffs, there The Big Show are a lot of teams out there itching to do some business as everyone figures out their way around a flat salary cap. Elliotte Friedman: Canucks-Golden Knights' series, Demko's play and Taylor Hall's future This year figures to bring a flurry of action on the trade market and there are a lot of names that will appear in rumours over the next few weeks. September 04 2020 Here are 25 who are bound to keep coming up… Your browser does not support the audio element. From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Matt Murray/Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins Sportsnet NOW. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford himself said there was a “very, very good Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs chance” that he’ll trade one of his goalies this off-season. There are a couple reasons for this. One is that Pittsburgh has other needs in its It’s not that the Leafs have to trade their goaltender or are destined to do lineup as they try to keep the Stanley Cup window from closing and AHL so, but all options are on the table this off-season. If Andersen goes, the netminder Casey DeSmith is a fully capable replacement for the backup Leafs will need to have a replacement lined up, which could be easier job. The other reason is that both Murray and Jarry are tradable assets said than done. This off-season is shaping up to be a buyer’s market for and it’d be wise to get out in front of that now rather than wait and face goalies, though, so it may fall into place for Toronto. Andersen is heading the prospect of losing either to Seattle in next summer’s expansion draft. into the final season of his contract that comes with a $5 million cap hit, but only $1 million in base salary. Brandon Saad, Chicago Blackhawks Josh Anderson, Columbus Blue Jackets Even though they really weren’t sniffing the playoffs back in March and seem a ways away from contending again, Chicago does not have much Injuries got in the way of Anderson’s season and limited him to 26 cap space to try and reload its roster. They could try and move out some games, but he only managed to score once in those games. That follows money from the defence, but more likely is that once again Saad’s name a season in which he scored 27 times in 82 games. The six-foot-three, will appear on these lists, as it did around the trade deadline. In 58 222-pound power forward is an RFA this off-season and just one year games this season Saad scored 21 goals and 33 points, then added five away from being UFA eligible for the first time. He was a trade candidate points in nine playoff games. He’s one season away from free agency at the deadline, but is more likely to go now in the off-season. now and though he could still help the Hawks, he’s the player who could give them the best combination return of a helpful asset or two and cap Max Domi, Montreal Canadiens space. A lot of speculation started to swirl when Domi switched his agent to Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo Sabres Darren Ferris after the Habs were eliminated. Domi is an RFA now, but he dropped from 72 points in 2018-29 to just 44 in 2019-20. Domi’s role It’s becoming something of an annual tradition to see Ristolainen’s name on the team diminished in the playoffs, too, as some younger players on trade candidate lists, and he’s here again for good reason. It was took lead roles. All this has made Domi a candidate to be traded this off- another disappointing season in Buffalo and as teams around the league season, though he has not asked to be moved. look for help on the blue line, the 25-year-old’s $5.4-million cap hit for another two years is attractive. Buffalo has changed its GM again and Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames needs to start making progress fast. The only way to do that may be to Following another playoff season where their core couldn’t break change the core. through, the Calgary Flames are likely to make some notable changes “I want to win, if it’s in Buffalo or somewhere else, and I feel like when a this off-season and Gaudreau tops the list of trade candidates. He has team doesn’t get to the goal that is (Stanley Cup) Playoffs, I think you two years left on a contract that pays him $6.75 million against the cap, need to make some changes,” Ristolainen acknowledged. “If changes but the Flames aren’t going to give him away for the sake of it. Though will happen, I know I’m one of the first ones probably who is going to get Gaudreau has had back-to-back disappointing playoffs, scoring four traded. It’s part of the business and I’m ready, whatever happens. I have goals and eight points in his past 15 post-season games, he’s also only a really enjoyed my time in Buffalo. It’s home for me.” year removed from a 99-point campaign that followed an 84-point season. He’s a massive producer who could possibly shine even more Sign up for NHL newsletters where he isn’t the focal point of an offence. Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to Vince Dunn, St. Louis Blues your inbox! The Blues are among the teams facing a cap crunch this off-season and Alex Killorn, Tampa Bay Lightning they still have two blue-liners to get signed: UFA Alex Pietrangelo and RFA Vince Dunn. Without other moves, they can’t afford both. So, could Until Tampa moves out some money, it seems to be a potential target to it be that in order to keep Pietrangelo, Dunn must go? He’s still only 23, offer sheets for RFAs Anthony Cirelli and Mikhail Sergachev. The moves the puck well and would be a welcome addition to top-fours problem is that it has nine players with no-move or no-trade clauses. The around the league. only skaters on the team making more than $2 million that don’t have trade protection are Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point — and neither of Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes them is going to get traded. Killorn then becomes a candidate to move because he makes $4.45 million against the cap and has a 16-team no- Speaking of capped out teams, Arizona has barely over $1 million to trade list that kicks in now, transitioning out of a full no-move clause. work with and a few contracts to sign, even if Taylor Hall leaves in free There’s flexibility to move him that wasn’t there before. agency. In a recent 31 Thoughts article, Elliotte Friedman noted that the Andreas Johnsson, Toronto Maple Leafs Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild The Leafs are looking to make some changes (and already moved out Add another name to the long list of available goalies this off-season. Kasperi Kapanen), but the chances that any of the big-money players get Neither Wild goalie was particularly outstanding this season (though moved are small right now. It seems GM Kyle Dubas would rather take at Stalock had a .910 regular-season save percentage) and by the time least one more run with that core of players. But there are a few mid- they returned to play in August, Dubnyk was the backup who didn’t see range contracts that could be valuable to other teams in the league. any playoff game action. At 34, he has one year left on a $4.3 million Kapanen was one of those and Johnsson is another. If the Leafs can get contract and wouldn’t cost a lot in trade, but could also be a buyout something back that helps them right away, or an asset or two they can candidate. Either way, the Wild are likely to change their look in the use to get that help, then Johnsson would become expendable. crease next season, and are likely to promote prospect Kaapo Kahkonen. Alexander Kerfoot, Toronto Maple Leafs “The hierarchy is not clear. I was disappointed in the goaltending this Kerfoot is another one of those mid-range contracts that could be had out year,” Wild GM Bill Guerin said at his end of year presser. “Al (Stalock) of Toronto. Where Johnsson makes $3.4 million against the cap for had a tremendous year and Devan had an off-year and it needs to be another three seasons, Kerfoot comes in a $3.5 million for another three better, that’s just the way it is. If I told you anything different I’d be lying to years and he’s got some added value as a centreman. you. It was not a strong point for us.” Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets Alex Goligoski, Arizona Coyotes The Jets just didn’t quite have the depth they used to this season, Goligoski may be 35 now and making $5.475 million against the cap, but especially on the blue line, and for the first time under GM Kevin he’s got one year left until his contract expires and he’s been a pretty Cheveldayoff it seemed like they lost a step or two in their quest for the consistent producer from the back end over the years and finished with Cup. They’re still a well-built team with some young help on the way, but 32 points in 70 games this season. Arizona may have to retain some of if they dangled someone like Ehlers he’d surely demand a large return. his salary to make it work, but he was an all-situations defender for them. The 24-year-old had one of his best offensive seasons this year and Goligoski was second among all Coyotes defencemen in average even comes with a $6-million cap hit. Ehlers was a trade candidate last off- strength and penalty-kill ice time per game this season. season and, if he’s at all available this time, would be one of the better scoring wingers on the market. Niklas Hjalmarsson, Arizona Coyotes , Carolina Hurricanes Just how many defencemen get moved out of Arizona is hard to say, and until they hire a new GM we can’t know the plan for sure. But they need The reason Hamilton is on this list has more to do with his contract to cut money and if there will be more of a focus on the prospect pipeline situation and Carolina’s overall strength on the blue line more than it after the draft-pick penalties, then Hjalmarsson probably ranks No. 2 does his play. Hamilton was on track to be a factor in the Norris Trophy behind Ekman-Larsson as the most coveted Coyotes defencemen. A race before injury limited him to just 47 games (he scored 40 points). But, rock on the defensive side, Hjalmarsson has been loved around the he’ll be heading into the last year of his contract in 2020-21, after which league for years, going all the way back to his days in Chicago when he he’ll be UFA eligible. Carolina has more depth on the blue line than any was once presented with an offer sheet from San Jose. Hjalmarsson has other part of their roster, so if the right deal comes along Hamilton could one year left on his contract with a $5 million cap hit. be the player moved to upgrade something else. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights P.K. Subban, New Jersey Devils Had we done this list even two weeks ago, Fleury wouldn’t have been on We’ll start by saying this: if the Devils find a trade partner interested in it, but after a social media post from his agent that insinuated Fleury had Subban, the only way that could likely happen is if New Jersey retained been stabbed in the back by his coach Peter DeBoer, well, perhaps this some of his $9 million cap hit. That’s just too much money for any playoff relationship is coming to an end. If Fleury were to be traded by Vegas, team to absorb the next two seasons as the cap stays flat. But they’d want to make sure to have Robin Lehner signed first, or acquire remember, the Devils gave up next to nothing to get Subban in the first some other replacement, because there’s no one else in the system to place, so the money wouldn’t be too much of an issue if they could get a step up. Fleury makes $7 million for another two seasons though, so it pick or a prospect to help them down the road. Subban is no longer the would be a tough contract to move under a tight cap. But Vegas is nearly top-tier Norris caliber defenceman he once was and only managed 18 capped out, so they may have to choose between the two goalies they points in 68 games this season, but if you’re looking to fill out your top- already have — and Lehner has clearly been the No. 1 in the playoff run. four Subban could be attainable without giving up too much. Adam Larsson, Edmonton Oilers Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers As Edmonton still tries to find a way to take another step next campaign Making $4.5 million for another three seasons, Gostisbehere played only after a successful 2019-20 regular season, they must try and add depth five games in Philadelphia’s return to play and had 12 points in 42 to their forward unit. The best way to accomplish that may be to look to regular season games. His opportunity on Philadelphia’s blue line has their defence, where they have a decent amount of depth comparatively, diminished, but he’s still just two years removed from a 65-point season. and move one out. Adam Larsson is an in-his-prime shutdown defender If there’s a team out there willing to bet some cap space on a who also shoots right, so there should be suitors out there if he’s made Gostisbehere rebound, he could be had from the Flyers. available. He has one year left on a contract that pays $4.16 million Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild against the cap and doesn’t have trade protection. It’s not a lock that Edmonton would trade Larsson, but outside of Oscar Klefbom, Larsson is A year out from the Seattle expansion draft, the Wild have to be planning the best veteran blue-liner they have to use in trade for some help how their defence corps will shape up when it comes time to protect upfront. players from the Kraken. Some of the toughest choices may have to be made on defence, which means there’s a very real chance one of them Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.10.2020 gets traded. With Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon having no-movement clauses, the next-best Wild blue-liner would be Dumba, who would be difficult to part with but he’s also the one who would most likely be able to return an impact centre the team needs. Dumba is a right shot who can score goals from the back end, both highly valuable in the NHL. He makes $6 million for the next three years as well, so there’s contract certainty here. Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it. Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild If Dumba doesn’t go then Brodin is the other Wild blue-liner who could find his way out of town. Sound defensively and perhaps a little underrated because he’s not overly flashy and doesn’t pile up points, Brodin has one year left on a $4.16 million contract before becoming UFA eligible. That might knock down his value somewhat, but he’s still a player many teams would covet. 1178736 Websites been eliminated) from the game,” said Chase, who has worked in his post-hockey career for the Blues, who drafted Reaves in 2005. “One thing the kid always had was, he had enough belief in himself that he was going to figure out how he’s going to play longer. Sportsnet.ca / How Ryan Reaves is keeping Stars 'off-balance' with intimidating play “I love what he’s done. He’s got a lot to be proud of,” Chase continued. “I’d have him or (Washington’s) Tom Wilson on my team any time. They’re the two guys who are playing the way Tocc (), Cam Neely, and Wendel (Clark) and those guys played. Ryan is the last of the Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec September 9, 2020 guys who do it.” Outside the game, Reaves’ is a role that has been diminished by EDMONTON — Ryan Reaves is a bully. analysts. As fighting has rightfully declined, some have made the mistake of assuming that physical intimidation has disappeared as well. What are you going to do about it? The mistake is believing that having the biggest, toughest player who can “Just try to ignore him, I guess,” said Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn. do or say whatever he wants all night long without repercussion isn’t worth anything anymore. Just ask the coaches and players. Sure. Like that meme of the dog in the coffee shop that’s burning to the ground, saying “This is fine.” “(He) makes everyone able to play a bit bigger when they go out there,” explained Pacioretty. “That being said, Ryan Reaves is a good hockey Full disclosure: The Dallas Stars have no answer to Ryan Reaves, the player who helps us in all categories when he’s on the ice. On the biggest, toughest, loudest player on the ice whenever these two teams forecheck, protecting pucks, he’s obviously very hard to knock off the play. He hits whoever he wants, big or small, and he chirps whoever he puck … and when he has the opportunity to run someone or get some wants, instructing Corey Perry late in Game 2, “Dive, Corey! Dive!” energy for our group he is able to do that as well.” He had words for Anton Khudobin as the Stars goalie passed by the Said Chase: “The only guy on Dallas who is who equipped to handle him Vegas bench at the end of the second period, and when Benn took a is Jamie Benn. And you don’t want him doing it. He’s their best player, so rather needless elbowing penalty you could hear Reaves from his perch you kinda want to monitor that a little bit too. on the Golden Knights bench: “Way to go, Jamieeee!” “There’s no advantage to going out there and losing (a fight).” And other than a hard, late hit from John Klingberg early in the game, guess what the Stars did about Reaves and his two emboldened So the Stars, “just try to ignore him.” linemates, who laid a total of 21 hits on the Stars in Game 2? Let’s see how that works for them. Nothing, that’s what. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.10.2020 “To say guys aren’t afraid of him would be silly. They are,” said former St. Louis Blue Kelly Chase, one of those dinosaurs who roamed the ice back in the day when every team had one or two players who could, and would, punch your lights out if they saw fit. “And they should be (afraid of Reaves), ‘cause he hits hard, he hits clean, and he’s trying to put people off-balance enough so he can make a difference in the game.” So let’s chew on that for a moment. “Off-balance.” What, exactly does “off-balance mean,” when the player plying that trade is six-foot-two, 225 lbs., and in a game that still allows fighting is undoubtedly the toughest player on either team? We asked Vegas coach Peter DeBoer if, in a sport that has moved on from the traditional heavyweight who skates poorly and plays even worse, is there still value in having the biggest, baddest player in the game? “Is there still?” DeBoer asked as if he wasn’t hearing us right. “Invaluable, (is the word) I would use. Just, absolutely big value in what he brings in the room, and the amount of space… The flies, so to speak, that he keeps off of the other guys on our team. “It’s invaluable, and you can’t just measure it by the hits total at the end of the night.” According to Hockeyfights.com, Reaves only had three fights this past season, against Ottawa’s Scott Sabourin, Winnipeg’s Adam Lowry and the New York Islanders Ross Johnston. The year before that, one: against a very brave Evander Kane. It tells us two things: fighting is slowly disappearing from the game; and, those who still chuck knuckles want little to do with Reaves. “He just so happens to be the toughest man in the league,” said teammate Max Pacioretty. “It gives you confidence as another player on the team. ‘You want to run me? Why don’t you do so when (number) 75 is on the ice?’ They might think a little differently next time they’re going to try and line someone up, or say something to someone.” Stars general manager Jim Nill spoke Wednesday about how a GM almost needs to build two teams. One to get you into the playoffs, and a bigger, heavier version to deal with the way the game changes in the post-season. A team that can beat the St. Louis’, Washingtons and Bostons. Of course, the reason that Reaves still plays a prominent role on a Cup contender while the traditional heavyweight has become extinct is because he can skate and he can play. “He’s a really good athlete, so he gets around the ice well enough to put himself in the position to bully guys. That’s the intimidation part that (has 1178737 Websites The Islanders also have a homegrown feel, with five of their eight blue- liners chosen by the organization – including first-rounders Ryan Pulock (15th overall, 2015) and Noah Dobson (12th overall, 2018). Sportsnet.ca / 5 off-season targets Jets could consider to bolster defence Scott Mayfield (second round, 2011), Matt Pelech (third round, 2012) and corps Devon Toews (fourth round, 2014) are all important contributors that came via the draft.

Nick Leddy came aboard in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2014, Ken Wiebe | @WiebesWorld September 9, 2020 then re-upped before testing the UFA market. Johnny Boychuk brought Stanley Cup-winning experience in a trade with the Boston Bruins and also signed a lucrative extension, while Andy WINNIPEG – If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, what can Greene, the long-time New Jersey Devils captain, waived his no- the Winnipeg Jets learn from the four teams left standing in the Stanley movement clause to join the Islanders at the deadline in 2020. Cup playoffs when it comes to rebuilding their defence corps? Meanwhile, the Lightning have taken a radically different approach to the With free agency set to open in one month, restocking the blue line is at three teams mentioned previously. the top of the priority list for Jets general manager , and you can be sure meetings with his pro scouts have helped create a The only homegrown D-men on the roster right now is Victor Hedman, a wish list, complete with a plan for the pursuit. perennial Norris Trophy candidate (and 2018 winner) who was chosen second overall in 2009. But before diving into the prospective candidates, let’s take a quick look at the blue line construction of the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, The Lightning boast three other first-rounders on the blue line – Mikhail Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders. Sergachev (2013, ninth overall by the Montreal Canadiens), Zach Bogosian (2008, third overall by the ) and Braydon Circumstances are obviously different for all four of those franchises – Coburn (2003, 8th overall, Thrashers) – but they were acquired via trade especially the Golden Knights, who are only three years removed from or free agency. an expansion draft and are just starting to see the fruits of their draft labour. Bogosian has spent plenty of time on the top pairing after being placed on unconditional waivers by the Buffalo Sabres in February. The Golden Knights’ top pairing of Shea Theodore and Alec Martinez were acquired via trade, Theodore in an expansion side deal the Ryan McDonagh was acquired in a blockbuster deal with the Rangers Anaheim Ducks surely regret, and Martinez prior to the 2020 trade and signed an extension, while Eric Cernak was involved in a deal with deadline from the rebuilding Los Angeles Kings. the Los Angeles Kings. Nate Schmidt, Brayden McNabb and Jon Merrill were all chosen in the Kevin Shattenkirk was a value free agent signing after having his contract expansion draft, while was signed on July 1 of 2019 and bought out by the Rangers, Luke Schenn was inked as a free agent on Zach Whitecloud was signed as a college free agent. July 1 of 2019 as a depth signing while Jan Rutta was acquired from the Blackhawks in January of 2019. Nicolas Hague, the Golden Knights’ second-rounder in 2017, got his first taste of the NHL this season and figures to be a regular next season. Although Rutta has yet to appear in a playoff game in 2020, he spent a good chunk of the season on a pairing with Hedman. That defence corps would feature another mobile puck-mover in Erik Brannstrom, the Golden Knights’ first-rounder in 2017, but he was the Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it centrepiece of the deal that brought in Mark Stone from the Ottawa 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, Senators at the 2019 trade deadline. they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover Canada’s most beloved game. From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Which brings us back to the Jets, whose defence corps was overhauled Sportsnet NOW. last season after the departure of Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot in free agency, Jacob Trouba in a trade and the unexpected departure of Dustin The Stars’ defence corps has a distinctly homegrown flavour to it, with Byfuglien. Miro Heiskanen (third overall in 2017), John Klingberg (fifth round, 2010), Esa Lindell (third round, 2012) and Jamie Oleksiak (14th overall in 2014) As you can see above, this is not a one-size-fits-all situation for all chosen in the draft. Cheveldayoff and company. Oleksiak is an interesting study as he was traded to the Pittsburgh The only blue-liners under contract for next season are Josh Morrissey, Penguins in December of 2017 but brought back into the fold in a deal Neal Pionk, Tucker Poolman and Carl Dahlstrom, which means there are back in January. going to be some holes to fill even if some of the unrestricted free agents are brought back. With Roman Polak choosing not to return to play, Oleksiak is playing alongside Heiskanen on the top pairing and has grown into the player the Trade deadline acquisition Dylan DeMelo made a strong contribution in a Stars envisioned when they selected him in the first round in 2014. short period of time and is a natural fit to return to the Jets, but he’s about to be a UFA for the first time in his career and could be motivated to find Standing six-foot-seven and considered a late bloomer, there could be out his value on the open market. some parallels to his career trajectory and that of Jets 2016 first-rounder Logan Stanley, who is still waiting for his first opportunity after spending Although both Cheveldayoff and Jets head coach Paul Maurice his first two pro seasons with the Moose of the American downplayed the inquisition, you can expect the organization to try and Hockey League. bring in a player or two that adds size to the back end in addition to skill. Joel Hanley was signed to a two-way deal as an unrestricted free agent, This is not to suggest a one-dimensional bruiser or heavyweight will land while Taylor Fedun was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres. on the roster, but blending a bit more muscle to the skill in the system would be a wise move. The Stars’ eighth D-man right now is 2019 first-rounder Thomas Harley, who just completed his third season with the of Dylan Samberg would help in that regard if he shows he’s ready to make the Ontario Hockey League and could be in the mix for a roster spot next the jump from the college ranks. season. He brings a physical dimension and it will be interesting to see if he The other interesting dynamic with the Stars is that 2014 first-rounder forces his way onto a pairing with Poolman or if he shows he can handle spent this past season playing in Finland after asking for a even more than that. trade. Ville Heinola, the 2019 first-rounder who was part of the deal for Trouba, Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey will be another interesting study, as will pending restricted free agent world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what Sami Niku – who could either work his way into the mix or be involved in they think about it. an off-season deal. Over in the East, there are two contrasting approaches on display. Nathan Beaulieu, Luca Sbisa and Anthony Bitetto are all well-liked, high- character guys who would be under consideration to return but it’s hard to see room for more than one of them at this point. Sign up for NHL newsletters Shoots: Left Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to Contract status: Pending UFA, AAV of $4.65 million last season your inbox! The skinny: You could make the argument that Brodie was the Flames’ What approach will the Jets take to their off-season upgrades? most consistent D-man against the Jets and Stars during the post- season. While he doesn’t play an overly physical game, he brings size Will it be more conservative or will Cheveldayoff swing for the fences? and is an excellent defender, thanks to his positioning and hockey sense. I made a case for the Jets to take a run at landing St. Louis Blues captain His production dipped to four goals and 19 points in 61 games last Alex Pietrangelo, but that’s going to record big dollars, even if he’s willing season, but he had six consecutive 30-plus point campaigns prior to that to take a shorter-term deal in an unpredictable marketplace that includes (including a career-best 45 points in 2015-16). He could also help the a flat salary cap. Jets improve their penalty kill. Brodie prefers playing on the right side (his off side) and would also make a good partner for Morrissey. With that in mind, here’s a closer look at who else could be on the Jets’ radar either in free agency or trade and how they could fit. Travis Hamonic, Calgary Flames As mentioned in Vol. 2 of the Jets mailbag last month, Boston Bruins Age: 30 blue-liner Torey Krug would help improve the defence corps but plays Shoots: Right primarily on the left side and made it clear during his season-ending availability that he’s looking for a long-term deal, so that’s why he’s not Contract status: pending UFA, AAV of $3.86 million last season included on this list. The skinny: The Manitoba product just finished a seven-year contract That doesn’t rule him out by any means, it just means it’s unlikely the two and was one of several NHL players to opt out of the return-to-play plan, sides will find a fit – unless Krug changes his opinion or the marketplace citing family reasons. He was limited to 50 games last season, but still changes. averaged more than 21 minutes per game, playing regularly on a pairing with Noah Hanifin. Hamonic plays with an edge and was an effective Here we go: penalty killer and shot-blocker. Starting the next chapter in his home Josh Manson, Anaheim Ducks province makes sense for Hamonic on a number of levels, as long as the two sides can find a term and dollar value that makes sense. Age: 28 Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.10.2020 Shoots: Right Contract status: $4.1 million AAV for two more seasons The skinny: He’s an alternate captain and valued leader for the rebuilding Ducks, but unless the two sides see an extension on the horizon, he could be a candidate to be moved for the right price. Manson has a modified no-trade clause, but he’s from the Prairies and his father Dave played for the 1.0 version of the Jets, so perhaps he could be convinced. Given his size and mobility, he’d be a perfect fit on the shutdown pairing with Morrissey. He’s not expected to return to the career-high 34 points he produced in 2017-18, but he would definitely bring some bite to the back end and would bolster the leadership group as well. Brenden Dillon, Washington Capitals Age: 29 Shoots: Left Contract status: Pending UFA, AAV of $3.27 million last season The skinny: The longtime blue-liner was linked to the Jets before they picked up DeMelo and he would check off a lot of boxes when it comes to what they’re looking for. Ideally suited for a shutdown role, Dillon plays a heavy game but moves well for a big man. He’s got 70 games of playoff experience, including a trip to the Stanley Cup final with the Sharks in 2016 and has experience playing in the Central Division from his time with the Dallas Stars. He’s probably looking for a raise but isn’t going to break the bank when you consider the intangibles he brings. Rasmus Ristolainen, Buffalo Sabres Age: 25 (26 on Oct. 27) Shoots: Right Contract status: Two more seasons with an AAV of $5.4 million The skinny: Speaking of players the rumour mill has linked to the Jets in the past, Ristolainen is on that list. Despite his age, the Finnish blue-liner has already accrued seven seasons of NHL experience. While things improved somewhat under the tutelage of head coach , there’s a belief Ristolainen could benefit from a change of scenery. Might a GM change (Kevin Adams replacing Jason Botterill) expedite that process? Only time will tell. Although there have been some concerns about his defensive play, Ristolainen has shown an ability to provide offence (42 goals, 185 points in 493 NHL games) and already has four 40-plus point seasons on his resume. He’s also a physical force, contributing 1,162 hits (including three consecutive 200-plus hit seasons) while averaging more than 24 minutes per game. It would take a significant package to pry Ristolainen out of Buffalo, but perhaps the two organizations are ready to tackle another blockbuster. T.J. Brodie, Calgary Flames Age: 30 1178738 Websites Chicago’s second Cup win may have been their most complete as they only lost seven games through the playoffs, three of which came in Round 2 against Detroit. They didn’t lead the playoffs in any of these stats, but were close to the top in every one of them — and no other Sportsnet.ca / The top possession playoff teams since '08 and why conference finalist was better than the Hawks by any of these measures. Vegas is among the best 2014, Los Angeles: 53.78 CF% (4), 51.7 xGF% (6), 50.97 HDCF% (8), 53.88 SF% (3) (won the Cup) Rory Boylen | @RoryBoylen September 9, 2020 The 2014 Kings were a lot like the 2012 version — controlled play considerably well, though didn’t score a ton. The only difference was that we weren’t as caught off guard this time. Los Angeles was third in the We shouldn’t be surprised by the Vegas Golden Knights anymore. In Pacific, but by now were known as an elite puck possession team that their first season they went to the Stanley Cup Final. They may have was hard to play against physically. done the same in Year 2, if not for a phantom five-minute penalty and a 2015, Anaheim: 51.66 CF% (4), 54.66 xGF% (1), 57.14 HDCF% (1), furious comeback by the San Jose Sharks in Round 1 of the 2019 54.54 SF% (1) playoffs. This Ducks team was the closest to finishing first in all these stats and In 2020, Vegas finds itself back in the conference final and they’ve gotten repeat what the ’08 Red Wings did, but fell just a bit short in the Corsi here as a dominant possession team. department. On this list there are five teams that finished first in each of So we decided to look back and identify the best possession playoff these categories among the four conference finalists when the playoffs teams since 2008, which is as far back as Natural Stat Trick tracks these were over. Three of them won the Stanley Cup and the other two were numbers. To figure that out we pulled out four stat measurements: Corsi eliminated in the conference finals: San Jose was swept in 2010 and for percentage (CF%), expected goals for percentage (xGF%), high- these Ducks lost a nail-biting seven-game series to Chicago after leading danger chances for percentage (HDCF%) and shots for percentage 3-2 through the first five games. (SF%). To make sure the sample sizes were great enough, teams had to 2016, Pittsburgh: 51.63 CF% (7), 56.39 xGF% (1), 56.05 HDCF% (2), have reached at least the conference finals to qualify. All of the numbers 55.39 SF% (1) (won the Cup) below are at 5-on-5 only, and it may surprise you to see which teams Vegas currently is most similar too. These Penguins are the last team that made it to the conference finals and finished the playoffs ranking better in each of these stat categories Here we’ve captured the best playoff possession teams of the past 13 than any other final four team. They also won the Stanley Cup after post-seasons, with their overall post-season league rank for each stat in finishing second in the Metro Division. parenthesis. 2017, Nashville: 52.05 CF% (5), 51.47 xGF% (5), 51.36 HDCF% (6), 2008, Detroit: 60.38 CF% (1), 58.26 xGF% (1), 56.75 HDCF% (1), 60.26 50.57 SF% (7) SF% (1) (won the Cup) Steady across the board, these Predators got into the playoffs as a wild The 2008 Detroit Red Wings remain the gold standard of puck card and then blew through the Blackhawks in four games and knocked possession playoff teams with a lineup that was loaded with Hall of Fame off the St. Louis Blues and Ducks in six each. Fourteen different Preds talent and they finished with a Stanley Cup win. Since 2008, no other scored at least two goals through this run to the final, which was team has reached at least the conference final and finished first overall in ultimately ended in a series loss to Pittsburgh, a team that finished above each of these statistical categories. The closest to repeating this feat may 50 per cent in only one of these categories. have been the 2015 Anaheim Ducks, who finished first in three of these categories, but were fourth-best when measuring Corsi. But that team 2018, Winnipeg: 53.27 CF% (2), 55.1 xGF% (1), 55.08 HDCF% (3), also fell one win short of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. 53.43 SF% (1) 2009, Detroit: 56.42 CF% (1), 53.06 xGF% (3), 49.08 HDCF% (10), 55 It really did look like this Winnipeg Jets team was nearly unstoppable SF% (2) until they got to the conference final. They really had everything: size, scoring, deep defence, excellent goaltending, sandpaper, solid coaching. The super-stacked Wings were dominant again in the 2009 playoffs, You name it, Winnipeg was equipped with it. They even knocked off the though didn’t quite take it to their opponents as much on high-danger previous year’s best playoff possession team in Round 2 which, in chances. They repeated as Western Conference champions, but fell in hindsight, may have taken more out of them than San Jose did from the Cup final to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Vegas in their Round 2 matchup. The Jets even won Game 1 of the 2010, San Jose: 53.47 CF% (4), 54.16 xGF% (3), 57.14 HDCF% (3), conference final against Vegas, which was an expansion team — and 53.09 SF% (3) who was picking a expansion team over this Winnipeg buzz saw? The Jets lost the next four games, though, and then Vegas got This is one of the best teams the San Jose Sharks ever put forth and pummelled by the Washington Capitals in the Cup final. 2010 is the year the Cup perhaps got away from them. They were the top seed in the West and winners of the Presidents’ Trophy, but were swept 2019, Carolina: 55.57 CF% (2), 52.16 xGF% (6), 50.0 HDCF% (8), 54.09 in the conference final by the eventual champion Chicago Blackhawks. SF% (3) When the 2010 playoffs finished, San Jose ranked first in all of these The Carolina Hurricanes have for years been one of the better regular- stats among any of the final four teams. season possession teams, but they never had enough goal scorers and 2011, Vancouver: 53.43 CF% (4), 52.24 xGF% (5), 53.27 HDCF% (4), goaltending was also usually a sore spot. It seemed like they were 52.12 SF% (5) putting it together in 2019, but goaltending did end up sinking them in the conference final, where they were swept by Boston and allowed 17 goals A dominant regular-season team translated to playoff success as well, in four games. but the Vancouver Canucks just couldn’t overcome the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final. Like San Jose the year before, this was one that 2020, Vegas: 59.44 CF% (1), 63.03 xGF% (1), 60.53 HDCF% (2), 60.99 got away from Vancouver. They weren’t weak anywhere. SF% (1) 2012, Los Angeles: 51.8 CF% (9), 54.85 xGF% (5), 56.52 HDCF% (5), This all brings us to the current playoffs and when you look at Vegas’ 51.53 SF% (10) (won the Cup) possession and scoring opportunity stats next to the best playoff teams of the previous 12 years you might notice that their best comparable are The eighth seed in the West, the Los Angeles Kings suddenly burst on the 2008 Red Wings. the scene as an elite team in these playoffs, when Jonathan Quick was outstanding but the underlying numbers were also incredible. That That’s astounding. signalled how this was less on a Cinderella run and more the start of And if you had to pick a second team the Golden Knights most something special. The Kings weren’t the highest-scoring team, but resembled by the numbers, it’d be the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks. Both of grounded you down and controlled the play better than most. those teams won the Stanley Cup and both were in their prime years as From the Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Stanley Cup Final, livestream elite contenders. every game of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, blackout-free, on Now, Vegas’ journey is still not finished and there’s time for them to Sportsnet NOW. decline to some degree by all these measures. But they rank first in each 2013, Chicago: 55.54 CF% (2), 55.74 xGF% (2), 61.24 HDCF% (3), of these stat categories among all the conference finalists, and in the five 55.45 SF% (2) (won the Cup) times that has been accomplished since 2008, the team that did it won the Stanley Cup three times. The ’08 Red Wings are the only team that finished the playoffs ranked first across the board in these measures and Vegas is nearly there — the only team that has a better HDCF% than the Golden Knights right now are the Edmonton Oilers at 60.76. (But since they were eliminated in qualifying, do they count as a playoff team?) It’s not just that Vegas is leading in these stats — they’re crushing by a historical measure right now. Sign up for NHL newsletters Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to your inbox! In the past 13 playoffs, a conference finalist has finished above 60 per cent in any of these stats six times — the 2008 Red Wings finished above that mark in Corsi For percentage and shots For percentage and the 2013 Hawks finished above the mark in high-danger chances for percentage. Vegas accounts for the other three. The way they are carrying play in these playoffs so far is almost unprecedented. Granted that the Dallas Stars will make it hard on Vegas to control shots and scoring chances as decisively as they have to this point, but these numbers signal a strong, relentless system, a deep roster and generally excellent execution. They’ve been getting solid goaltending behind it all from Robin Lehner, who has earned four shutouts in his past seven starts. If there is a weakness here then perhaps it is on offence where the goals have dried up of late. Vegas has the lowest shooting percentage of any remaining team and they ranked 21st in regular-season shooting percentage at 5-on-5. They have just seven goals in their past five games, and again, Dallas is a stingy defensive team that’s tough to fight through. At the same time, backup Anton Khudobin is getting the starts these days, and that workload appears to be catching up to him a bit. There’s a ways to go for Vegas to finish this thing and sustain the possession numbers they’ve enjoyed so far, and the competition is only going to get tougher now. They breezed past Chicago and held a huge lead on Vancouver before a fresh Thatcher Demko showed up. None of the remaining teams will be so easily handled over any stretch. But, boy, are the makings there for a historic finish in the salary cap era. We can’t say this team has as many surefire Hall of Famers as the 2008 Red Wings, or even as talented as the 2013 Hawks. But ever since the Golden Knights started off in the NHL they’ve been a Stanley Cup contender, even if we haven’t always thought of them that way. Mark Stone and Shea Theodore will be favourites to be on Team Canada for the next best-on-best tournament. Paul Stastny is one of the smarter centres in the league. Lehner was a Vezina finalist a year ago and looks like that again behind a strong team. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for a team deep in talent that can play you any which way. So while the more rested Tampa Bay Lightning may be the leading contender following their 8-2 win in Game 1 against the New York Islanders, by the numbers at least, the Golden Knights are performing at a historical rate. They’ve caught no one by surprise this time in their chase for the Cup, but if they take it home in 2020 and maintain these dominating possession numbers? Maybe then we need to think about Vegas at an even higher level. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178739 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Stars seeking rebound effort against Golden Knights as Game 3 underdogs

OddsShark Staff September 9, 2020

The Dallas Stars will be looking to rebound from their third shutout loss of the postseason on Thursday when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final as +150 underdogs on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Dallas failed to build on the momentum gained from their 1-0 series- opening win, falling flat in a 3-0 loss in Game 2 that leaves the series deadlocked at one game apiece going into Thursday night’s matchup at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The Stars effectively contained the Vegas attack with consistent physical play in their Game 1 victory as +140 underdogs, limiting the Golden Knights to a playoff-low 25 shots on goal. However, the team was outshot by a wide 32-24 margin in Tuesday’s contest, with Vegas potting all three of its goals while racking up 19 shots in the second period. Winners in just three of their past seven outings, the Stars have also generated sporadic offence in recent outings, scoring one or fewer goals in three of their past four contests. The team’s offensive struggles against the Golden Knights are nothing new. The Stars have now tallied just 14 total goals in their past eight meetings with Vegas, and scored one or fewer goals in four of those contests. In addition to fueling a steady 5-2-1 run for the UNDER at online sports betting sites during that eight-game stretch, the UNDER has also prevailed in three of Dallas’ past four playoff contests, ending a reliable 6-0 run for the OVER. Not surprisingly, the total sits unchanged at 5.5 for Game 3, but with strong -135 odds favouring the UNDER. The Golden Knights look to claim their first lead of this series as they prepare for Thursday’s contest as -170 betting favourites. While Vegas entered the postseason sporting arguably the league’s most fearsome offence, low scoring has been the hallmark of their recent outings. The Golden Knights have averaged a meagre 2.13 goals scored while going 4-4 over their past eight outings, and have been shut out twice over their past four games. Despite their lack of offensive production, the Golden Knights continue to lead the way as -240 favourites on the NHL playoff series prices. However, Vegas has been a shaky bet on the puckline, going 5-8 over their past 13 contests. In addition, the Golden Knights’ inability to dominate, both late in their series against Vancouver and early on in the Western Conference Final, has eroded their position on the Stanley Cup odds, where they now lag as +150 second favourites. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.10.2020 1178740 Websites Green said Canucks players are driven to be better year over year. “You don’t just manufacture that; you have to have that within your group,

within your culture,” the coach said. “We’ve talked about that a lot – a Sportsnet.ca / Canucks challenged to find improvements in uncertain off- burning desire to win. Getting close (to the Stanley Cup), almost halfway season through, is a good experience. We’ve got players that are younger that are still are going to get better and improve. It’s important for those young players to continue to develop. Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet September 8, 2020 “They’ve got a strong desire to win. They’ll do whatever it takes to win; they’ve shown that. And they’re going to continue to develop and get better.” VANCOUVER – In any “normal” off-season, there would be no question, Sign up for NHL newsletters zero doubt, about the Vancouver Canucks re-signing starting goalie Jacob Markstrom. Get the best of our NHL coverage and exclusives delivered directly to your inbox! The 30-year-old has grown with the Canucks in Vancouver, developing into a top-tier National Hockey League starter as well as a team leader If Benning is allowed to spend to the $81.5-million limit next season – he and MVP. He is popular with both fans and teammates. After building a needs approval from ownership to do so – the Canucks will have about goalie like that into the foundation of an emerging team that could soon $17-20-million in cap space pending the health of Micheal Ferland challenge for a Stanley Cup, there’s no way the Canucks would let (concussion) and Benning’s ability to shed any of the onerous contracts Markstrom get away in free agency unless he really didn’t want to play in carried by veteran depth players. Vancouver. “We have a lot of money to work with,” Benning insisted. “We’re going to But can anyone remember what “normal” felt like before the coronavirus just have to decide what players we want to sign here going forward and came along? other players maybe we can move on and recover draft picks. That’s the circle of life in our business. We’re going to be the same as every other Tuesday, when Canucks general manager and coach Travis team.” Green spoke to reporters by video conference after Vancouver’s surprising playoff run finally ended on Friday, there was nothing more But on the ice, the Canucks are more promising than most. concrete than the re-stated hope that the team and its goalie will be able to agree on a new contract. “I think they did an amazing job,” Green said of his players. “Put a lot of life back into the city. Just being back for a few days, I can really see how Sure, the Canucks’ goaltending landscape is complicated by an excited people are around town about our group. And that’s exciting; expansion draft next year and backup Thatcher Demko, long groomed by that’s what you want in a city as passionate as Vancouver. And not just the team as a future NHL starter, having a brilliant three games last week the city, but the province. I think it’s a sign of a lot of great things to come against the Vegas Golden Knights. for the organization.” But the uncertainty over Markstrom merely mirrors the uncertainty over, It is. As long as the Canucks keep improving. well, everything. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.10.2020 With a yet-to-be-determined 2020-21 season, a salary cap flattened far more than COVID-19 and an unknowable free-agent market, Benning and his staff face the monumental challenge of navigating an uncharted off-season while under pressure to maintain the Canucks’ ascension. After four years in the rebuild wilderness and the franchise’s first playoff success since 2011, Benning can’t let the Canucks slip backwards even as gravity works against them. “It’s nice to have two good goalies,” Benning said. “We’re going to sit down as a group and we’re going to talk some more about that this week. I talked to Jacob’s agent (Pat Morris) yesterday. Jacob’s an important guy in our group because he’s a leader, and he was our MVP over the course of the regular season. We want him back and we’re going to start working on that this week.” But a couple of minutes later, Benning added: “We’re seeing younger players now make a bigger impact earlier on in their careers. We have got a lot of good young players here. . . and we’ve got to make sure we have room to sign them going forward. Those are going to be what the conversations are going to be like for us as a (hockey-operations) group this week. We’re going to have to make some tough decisions, maybe even on some young players, to make sure that we give ourselves the best chance next year to be competitive and to keep growing as a franchise.” He didn’t name names, but the young players who may be unaffordable given their roles and potential salaries include restricted free agents Troy Stecher, 26, and , 24. There is a trickle-down effect economically from Markstrom to unrestricted free agent Tyler Toffoli to UFA defenceman Chris Tanev, and so on. For all the radio rancour about the pre-playoffs trade conjecture involving Brock Boeser, the 23-year-old driver of offence is due two more seasons at $5.9 million US but isn’t one of Vancouver’s three best forwards. These aren’t hard decisions; they’re excruciating. Losing significant lineup pieces, with limited cap-space to replace them, increases the risk of regression. The good news is that franchise cornerstones Elias Pettersson, 21, and Quinn Hughes, 20, are still learning the game and should continue to get better as their stardom grows. , 25, and J.T. Miller, 27, are young enough to maintain their peak levels, and other good prospects will be coming into the NHL lineup soon: possibly forward Nils Hoglander and one or more of defencemen Olli Juolevi, Jack Rathbone and Brogan Rafferty next season, very likely Vasili Podkolzin the year after. 1178741 Websites “Tonight we got our game back,” DeBoer said. “We got that first goal, and I thought we looked like we normally do. Making plays, finding space, and sticking pucks in the net.” Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights forwards take charge with rediscovered Now, it’s the Stars’ turn to push back. We’ll see what they’ve got on scoring touch Thursday night. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 09.10.2020 Mark Spector | @sportsnetspec September 9, 2020

EDMONTON — The Vegas Golden Knights had gone four games and a period without a single one of their forwards scoring goal that wasn’t into an empty net. That’s right: two shots that beat the goalie, dating back to Game 5 against Vancouver — both by defenceman Shea Theodore. Their shooting percentage in those four games? How far does a 2.63 per cent success rate get you in Vegas? So, when Paul Stastny buried a pass from Max Pacioretty nearly five minutes into the second period Tuesday, you got the feeling it wouldn’t be the last time Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin found himself digging the ol’ vulcanized rubber out of his net. By the time the second period was over, William Karlsson and Tomas Nosek had also beaten Khudobin, who watched the third period of a 3-0 loss from the bench after a mercy pull by head coach Rick Bowness. This series is now tied 1-1, and if there was any doubt whether the Golden Knights had lost their hands, well, the mitts arrived in this Conference Final Tuesday night in Edmonton. “I think I’ve been around the game long enough, seen lots of games,” Stastny, the 945-game, second-generation NHLer began. “We were playin’ the right way. It’s not like we weren’t getting chances. We had a lot of good looks. You keep getting those chances and it’s going to come eventually. You’ve got to stick with it, and we stuck with our game.” His goal came on a patient feed from Pacioretty and was followed three- and-half minutes later by Karlsson’s powerplay goal. Then the Golden Knights’ Bottom 6 tic-tac-toed their way through the Stars zone like the French Connection, scoring a beauty that put this game on ice for Vegas. “A perfect example,” Stastny said of the Pacioretty feed. “If we’re getting too frustrated, there are times when Patchy will shoot that as quickly as he can, just to get a puck on net. But he takes that extra second. Or (Nosek’s) goal. It’s three one-touch passes. It’s confidence. It’s always been there.” After a series opener that saw Vegas sleep-walk through 40 minutes with just 12 shots on goal, the Golden Knights turned this series on its head with a far, far more concerted effort in Game 2. By the time 40 minutes had passed the score was 3-0, and poetically, it was the Stars that were stuck on 12 shots through two periods. “We took charge in the first game, first period, right away,” said Stars winger Mattias Janmark. “Today was a little bit reversed. I think we hung on in the first… eventually when you’re on your heels you’re going to get scored on, and we did. And they kept rolling. They were in charge all game.” This is why they play seven-game series, so the momentum can be passed back and forth until one team simply cannot grab it back anymore. Dallas came out with an excellent defensive game in the opener, and Vegas answered by overpowering Dallas with the “come at you in waves” offensive style they prefer. But unlike in Game 1, when Ryan Reaves was serving a one-game suspension for a head shot on Vancouver’s Tyler Motte, the Stars had to deal with the big guy Tuesday. His line, with Nosek and William Carrier, starts every game for Vegas coach Pete DeBoer. They’re big, they’re intimidating, they can skate, and… “They start on time,” DeBoer said. “They’re ready to play an hour before the puck drops, and when the pucks drops you’re just opening the gate and they’re going. I don’t think it’s an accident that we didn’t start them (in Game 1) and we didn’t have a great start.” You could hear Reaves chirping the Dallas players throughout the night, a bully who knows the Stars don’t have anyone who can deal with him physically. Credit John Klingberg for filling in the six-foot-one, 225-pound Winnipegger in the first period with a hard check that was deemed interference. But in terms of standing up to Reaves, Dallas just does not have that player. With Reaves establishing his presence, it was the start of the Golden Knights doing likewise in a series that now becomes a best-of-five. 1178742 Websites He doesn’t have to be. He can find a taker for Brandon Sutter in the short term. The status of Micheal Ferland’s career is unknown with a potential $3.5 million in LTIR savings. TSN.CA / Seravalli: Vancouver Canucks sit in best position to end In two years, ’s $6 million will be gone, along with Roberto Canada’s Cup drought Luongo’s $3 million cap recapture penalty, Sven Baertschi’s $2.3 million buried in the minors and Ryan Spooner’s $1 million buyout. That’s $12 million off the books – and Vancouver has the good fortune timing to bridge the gap from now until then with young players on their entry-level Frank Seravalli deals. Vasily Podkolzin and Nils Hoglander are knocking on the door up front. Only after the Canucks’ bubble burst and they returned home could Kole Lind is right behind them. Will Lockwood could grow into a bottom- coach fully appreciate the impact his team had on six role. Then there is a group of prospects – Jack Rathbone, Jalen Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Chatfield, Brogan Rafferty and Olli Juolevi – that is ready to fill in the gaps behind Hughes and Tyler Myers on the backend. “I’m proud of our group,” Green said Tuesday. “I think they did an amazing job and put a lot of life back into the city. Just being back for a “They’re going to be in the mix,” Benning said. “We’ve got some good few days, I can really see how excited people are around town about our young defencemen that are going to come to training camp to push for group.” jobs.” They should be. The Canucks can now stake a country-wide claim as the The real difficulty for Benning should be on his big board three or four team closest to ending Canada’s 27-year Stanley Cup drought. years down the line, when he will have to juggle new deals for Horvat, Miller and Boeser at the same time as second contracts for Podkolzin It’s one of those arguments that make sports great. You could make your and Hoglander. The decisions made this summer will affect those down case for the Oilers or Maple Leafs. With the pieces in the pipeline and the line. seven picks in the first two rounds in October’s draft, there is ultimately even one to be made for the Ottawa Senators being second in line. Benning called it the “circle of life in our business,” potentially having to say goodbye to some young players to make room for others. And admittedly, recency bias is one hell of a drug. “We have a lot of money to work with, we’re just going to have to decide But the case for the Canucks isn’t about Thatcher Demko’s magical what players we want to sign going forward,” Benning said. “Other three-game spell, or the abundance of secondary scoring that helped players maybe we can move on and recover draft picks. We’re going to knock off the defending Stanley Cup champs in the first round. have to make some tough decisions, maybe even on some young players, to make sure that we give ourselves the best chance to be It’s about the foundation the Canucks have built and the critical pieces competitive next year and keep growing as a franchise.” coming. The Canucks’ window is just cracking open. The Canucks already check a box at nearly every important position, something that can’t be said about the Leafs or Oilers. But it’s a delicate dance, balancing the present and the future. Just ask the Oilers, who were also one Game 7 win from the Western Conference They have a superstar forward in Elias Pettersson, who is second only to Final as a young club in 2017, or the Jets, who actually got there in 2018, Connor McDavid in points per game in his first two NHL seasons among about taking advantage of every opportunity as Canada’s closest team to this current crop of young stars. the Cup. They have an engine in centre Bo Horvat, the captain who showed he is TSN.CA LOADED: 09.10.2020 not only the heartbeat of the team but has plenty of skill to go along with it. They have an elite No. 1 defenceman in Quinn Hughes, the Calder Trophy finalist who defines the modern-day mobile blueliner and smashed rookie playoff assist records in two rounds. They have quality goaltending, whether it’s pending free agent and team MVP Jacob Markstrom or up-and-comer Demko, the pedigreed So-Cal kid with ice in his veins, paired with another veteran free agent. They have top-flight wingers in Brock Boeser and J.T. Miller, who might have been 2019’s best off-season acquisition. They have structure from Green, who did a masterful job making adjustments between playoff games. Perhaps most importantly, this Canucks team competes – as evidenced by their fight to get to Game 7 against a better Golden Knights team. “The belief they had in themselves should be justified,” Green said of his team. “They should be equally confident in the future and also understand the workload needed to compete and win at that level. I think we have those elements within our team." Now comes the fun part for GM Jim Benning. Some view this as a treacherous off-season, a tightrope to walk with Markstrom, plus a frozen salary cap for the next two seasons with mega deals looming for Pettersson and Hughes. “We want him back and we’re going to work on that this week,” Benning said of Markstrom, saying he is willing to go into next season with both goaltenders even though an expansion draft is coming. Believe it or not, the Canucks actually have a favourable cap outlook compared to most of their contending competition, save for the Colorado Avalanche. Vancouver has more than $15 million in off-season salary cap space, but they are two seasons away from really having breathing room. There is an avenue to speed that up with Benning digging his way out of previous mistakes, but he said Tuesday that he is not willing to “give up first- and second-round picks to lose money.” “I’m not doing that,” Benning said. “I’m not in that market.”