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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 8/17/2021 1219454 Chris Kelly is back with the Bruins, only this time it’s 1219481 Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators avoid arbitration with behind the bench as one of Bruce Cassidy’s new assist 4-year, $20 million extension 1219455 Bruins have new roles for a pair of Cup winners 1219482 ‘Juuse’s our guy’: Predators give Juuse Saros a chance to 1219456 Kelly And McQuaid Excited To Continue Winning Culture address lingering concerns with big contract extensi For Bruins 1219483 Players to watch at Nashville Predators development 1219457 BHN Puck Links: Boston Bruins Maintain Culture; Eichel camp Billboard Escape? Islanders 1219484 Islanders announce preseason schedule 1219458 Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert re-signs with Colorado 1219485 Islanders Should Roll with a Tandem in Yet Again Avalanche This Season 1219459 Rangers fans purchase billboard urging Sabres to trade Jack Eichel 1219486 Igor Shesterkin smooths Rangers’ goalie transition, says Mike Richter 1219460 Hitmen throwing party at McMahon Stadium during Stampeders game Flyers 1219461 Flames re-sign goalie prospect Parsons to one-year 1219487 Flyers’ development camp will feature Wade Allison, contract Morgan Frost, Cam York 1219462 Mark Giordano on his ’emotional’ departure from the 1219488 Jay Greenberg, former Daily News hockey writer, author, Flames and having ‘a lot to offer’ the Kraken and celebrated sports journalist, dies at 71 1219489 Accomplished in Columbus, Atkinson can help Flyers in 2 big ways 1219463 Chicago Blackhawks reach a 1-year deal with Alex Nylander: ‘Important season for him to perform consistently a 1219490 PENGUINSPHN Blog: Penguins Fans Struggling with the 1219464 Blackhawks re-sign wing Alex Nylander to one-year Worst, Legacies at Stake contract 1219491 Playing GM with Penguins Cap Strapped, Few Trade 1219465 Nylander signs 1-year deal with Blackhawks Asset Team 1219466 Blackhawks survey 3.0: Fans weigh in on Seth Jones, Stan Bowman, the state of the rebuild and much more 1219492 Sharks top pick Eklund signs entry-level deal, skates at development camp 1219467 Avalanche re-signs defenseman Dennis Gilbert 1219493 Sharks Dev Camp: Eklund Shares Burns’s Advice, 1219468 Kurtis MacDermid: “MacKinnon, Rantanen, everyone … Bordeleau on COVID Ordeal I’ve got their back” 1219469 The top-five all-time Colorado Avalanche enforcers Seattle Kraken 1219494 Mark Giordano on his ’emotional’ departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets Flames and having ‘a lot to offer’ the Kraken 1219470 Michael Arace: Blue Jackets training camp fast approaches. Who are these guys? 1219500 Jason Dickinson signs: Can the Canucks now ink Quinn Detroit Red Wings Hughes or Elias Pettersson to a long-term deal? 1219471 Re-signed Adam Erne looks to 'pick up where I left off' after career year with Red Wings Vegas Golden Knights 1219472 Michigan hockey hires Red Wings consultant, ex- 1219495 Las Vegas to host college hockey showcase in 2022 Wolverine Brandon Naurato as assistant coach 1219496 What Alex Pietrangelo’s offensive playoff explosion means for the Golden Knights in 2021-22 1219473 Lowetide: How much playing time will Evan Bouchard get with the Oilers this season? 1219497 Did the Caps have a successful offseason? 1219498 SEE IT: Capitals' Oshie takes son out on ice for first time 1219474 – Panthers Den of Honor 1219499 Jets offseason depth chart 5.0: A complete roster brings camp battles into view 1219475 All The Kings Men – Phillip Danault Interview

Minnesota Wild SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1219476 Kevin Fiala agrees to one-year, $5.1 million contract with Wild 1219477 Wild GM: Kirill Kaprizov’s deal ‘will be longer’ than Fiala’s 1219478 Kevin Fiala’s one-year deal with Wild works for both sides 1219479 Wild depth chart 5.0: Why the Wild and Kevin Fiala couldn’t work out a long-term deal, and a Kirill Kaprizov u Montreal Canadiens 1219480 Canadiens prospect Sean Farrell named top U.S.-born junior 1219454 Boston Bruins fanbase. We’ve got fans who wait for the coaches at the end of the night by our cars outside in the freezing cold.”

Mougenel, from the suburb of Scarborough, said he has family in Chris Kelly is back with the Bruins, only this time it’s behind the bench as Hyde Park. The former right winger said he will name one more assistant one of Bruce Cassidy’s new assistants to pair with Trent Whitfield, who remains on staff after Leach left for the Seattle Kraken.

By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated August 16, 2021, 6:18 p.m. Czech mate

David Pastrnak was named Czech hockey player of the year for a fifth straight year, breaking a record held by Jaromir Jagr. Chris Kelly’s final year in the NHL, 2017-18, included an unsuccessful tryout with the Oilers, short shifts with the Ducks and Ottawa’s AHL team, Pastrnak, 25, has a long way to go to catch Jagr in overall wins (12) of and the captaincy of Team at the NHL-less 2018 Olympic the Golden Hockey Stick award, but he moved into a tie with Dominik Games. Hasek (five) for second all-time.

“I think I retired three or four times that year,” Kelly recalled. “The writing Pastrnak, who put up 20 goals and 28 assists in 48 games last year, was on the wall.” finished ahead of Tampa’s Ondrej Palat (492 voting points to 472). Departing Bruins center David Krejci finished third (338). According to the He didn’t take much time to mull his future. Kelly returned to the team Bruins, Krejci has 11 top-10 finishes, ranking third behind Jagr and that drafted him, the Senators, as a development coach. After firing Guy Hasek. Krejci, who will play for his hometown HC Olomouc this year, won Boucher in March, the team asked him to jump behind the bench as an the Golden Stick in 2013. assistant to interim coach Marc Crawford. The award, voted on by Czech journalists and coaches, was first handed “It felt like you were a little bit in the fight,” he said of his first taste of out in 1969. coaching. Boston Globe LOADED: 08.17.2021 Kelly, 40, is back in the battle with the Bruins, a club that still includes two teammates from the 2011 champions. The newly minted assistant coach, promoted after a two-year stint as player development coordinator to Jay Pandolfo’s former post, will now offer pointers to old pals Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

There will no doubt be ribbing when they see each other on the ice in Brighton, once camp opens in September. The 2011 team remains tight, as fans were reminded when they participated in a Zoom reunion in April 2020. That night, several teammates joked that Kelly, the intelligent checking forward, would one day sit among the Bruins brass.

“Kells is going to get me traded tomorrow,” Marchand said.

“No chance. No one will take you,” Kelly cracked, throwing in a barbed prediction that once Bergeron retires, Marchand’s game will decline in a hurry.

On a Zoom call Monday, Kelly smiled at the memories.

“There’s obviously that respect factor,” he said. “We played together, we were fortunate enough to win together and we continued to stay friends over the last 10 years. Going into a coaching role with these guys still as players, I’m learning from them just as much as I hope I’m trying to teach them.”

Kelly, a 1999 Ottawa draft pick (third round, 94th overall), made his pro debut with AHL Grand Rapids as a 20-year-old. His coach: Bruce Cassidy, who was 37 and soon to be given his first shot behind an NHL bench in Washington. Kelly, who expected to work “primarily on the defensive side of the puck,” had yet to be given his full assignment. Pandolfo, now associate head coach at his alma mater Boston University, worked with the forwards.

In Kelly, Cassidy’s staff gets a little younger, and closer to the current crop of players. He is six years Pandolfo’s junior and retired as an active player four years after.

His replacement on the development side, former B’s defenseman Adam McQuaid, expects to spend most of his time in Providence, with travel to colleges (the Bruins’ system is heavy with NCAA prospects, including a handful from Hockey East), junior leagues and potentially some European trips.

McQuaid, 34, arrived in Providence as a 21-year-old, and worked his way into NHL employment. He feels ready to pass on that know-how.

“It’s getting your mind right,” said McQuaid, who retired in 2019 and rejoined the club at development camp earlier this month. “The mental side is a huge part of the game. I’m just hoping that I can be of help to the guys however they need it.”

New Providence coach Ryan Mougenel, 45, assumes his first AHL head gig after eight years as an assistant, including three on Jay Leach’s staff.

“What an honor,” Mougenel said, calling it “obviously the premier job” in the AHL. “It’s an amazing hockey community. An extremely passionate 1219455 Boston Bruins “I talked to Kells a lot about what he was doing and I still have a passion for the game,” said McQuaid. “To be able to help out younger guys, I know at the junior/college level, there’s lots to figure out, lots to learn both on and off the ice and I felt like this would be a role I could embrace Bruins have new roles for a pair of Cup winners and enjoy doing. And obviously, to be back as part of the Bruins organization, I’m really excited about that.”

Like Kelly, McQuaid hopes to instill some of the little details that have By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: August 16, 2021 at 5:42 p.m. | become part of the Bruin experience. UPDATED: August 16, 2021 at 6:06 p.m. “I think the Bruins are a first-class organization and have set the gold

standard for success and demands that the players bring each day and A decade ago, Chris Kelly and Adam McQuaid provided the Bruins with hold each other accountable,” said McQuaid. “Having played there for a the kind of grit, intelligence and toughness all Stanley Cup teams need while, I got to see it firsthand and I think I can communicate it to the from their role players. Now the organization hopes they can impart some younger guys that are coming in, what the expectations are and hopefully of those qualities on the next generation of players. help them eventually realize their goal of playing in the NHL and being a Boston Bruin. All those things together make this opportunity really The club introduced both former players Monday in their new roles with exciting.” the organization, Kelly as the newest assistant on Bruce Cassidy’s coaching staff and McQuaid as the new Player Development Boston Herald LOADED: 08.17.2021 Coordinator.

For Kelly, who began his post-playing career in player development with the Ottawa Senators (with a brief stint behind the bench) before coming back to the Bruins in a player development role, the move to the bench — where he is more, as he says, “in the fight” — seems a natural progression.

“You’re there day in and day out. You can see the small differences in potentially helping younger players grow their game,” said Kelly in a Zoom call. “With development, yeah, there’s that growth, but you’re not with them, day in and day out. You’re with them with their club team, in college, in junior and you’re seeing them periodically so you don’t see the growth as much, whereas when you’re there every day you can really help the player and break it down a little bit more.”

When Kelly was obtained in a trade from the Senators in 2011, he was one of the missing depth pieces that got the B’s over the hump. But while much has been said about what Kelly brought to the B’s, the former third- line center spoke on Monday about what the already existing Bruin environment did for him. He now hopes to keep that torch upright.

“You hear about the Bruins’ culture throughout the league and maybe when you’re in it, you don’t (appreciate) it as much. You take it for granted,” said Kelly. “But when you go other places, other organizations, they talk about it. And it’s a thing throughout the league, how well the Bruins treat the players and the way players treat each other. It’s a culture thing, that competitiveness that their top-end players bring each and every day. I saw it when I joined the organization in development, how hard the top-end players compete in practice and in games and helping those players learn to be a pro. And I think Boston’s extremely fortunate to have the players that they have to lead not only the young players but the new players that come in because I was one of those players. I was fortunate enough to be a part of that team that won and to see how hard they were working right after they won the Stanley Cup in the summer to come into the next season. I think it helped me carve out a few more years in the NHL because of the work ethic they were able to instill in me as an older player. So to be able to come back and try to help with that on the other side is great.”

A full list of Kelly’s responsibilities have not yet been mapped out, but he said it will be focused on the defensive side of the game. While Kelly’s Bruin career ended before Cassidy took over, this will not be the first time that he’ll work under Cassidy, who was Kelly’s first pro coach in Grand Rapids in 2001-02.

“Watching his teams from afar, he’s an excellent coach. Obviously, Hockey Canada thought so as well,” said Kelly. “With his in-game adjustments, the way he plays on the offensive side of the puck as well as the defensive side, you’ve seen players thrive in his system stats- wise, so I’m super excited to listen to some of the things he has to say. I was able to watch his power-play presentation for the coaches clinic and being a defensive forward on the -kill side, it was great to listen. I’m super-excited to learn from all the coaches.”

Following Kelly’s footsteps in player development is McQuaid, who last played for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018-19. Since retiring, he has been around the organization, participating most recently in development camp, and he found a fit. He’ll spend a lot of time with prospects in Providence as well as traveling to see players in the pipeline who are playing in junior, college and in Europe. 1219456 Boston Bruins Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 08.17.2021

Kelly And McQuaid Excited To Continue Winning Culture For Bruins

Published 13 hours ago on August 16, 2021By Jimmy Murphy

Ten years after becoming Stanley Cup champions together with the 2010-11 Boston Bruins team, former Bruins forward Chris Kelly and former Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid are teammates once again and hoping to continue the winning culture they helped build a decade ago.

This past Friday, the Boston Bruins announced that they had promoted Kelly to become an Assistant Coach on head coach and 2020 Jack Adams Award winner Bruce Cassidy’s staff. Kelly takes over for former Bruins Assistant Coach Jay Pandolfo who returned to his alma mater Boston University to become an Associate Head Coach. The Bruins also announced that they had hired McQuaid to become the team’s new Player Development Coordinator. On Monday, both Kelly and McQuaid met with the media via Zoom and both expressed a strong desire to help maintain the accountability and competitiveness that has permeated through the Boston Bruins organization since they were skating around in Vancouver with the Stanley Cup on June 15, 2011.

Kelly admitted that as a Boston Bruins player, he realized he was blessed to play in a winning and professional environment as a Bruin. However, after returning to his original NHL team, the Ottawa Senators, for the 2016-17 season, and then finishing his career with the in 2017-18, he was reminded just how lucky he was to be part of the Bruins’ culture.

“You hear about the Bruins culture throughout the league and I think maybe when you’re in it, you maybe don’t hear it as much, you kind of take it for granted,” Kelly said on Monday. “But when you go to other places and other organizations, they talk about it and it’s a thing throughout the league, how well the Bruins treat their players and the way the players treat each other. It’s a culture thing, that competitiveness and there are top-end players bringing it each and every day.”

For the last ten years, pretty much every veteran NHLer that the Boston Bruins have signed or acquired via the NHL trade market, have raved about how easy the Bruins’ veteran core of Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and their supporting staff made their transition into a new dressing room. Kelly felt the same way when he was traded from the Senators to the Bruins at the 2011 NHL Trade Deadline.

“I saw it when I joined the organization,” Kelly said of the competitive culture that’s on display every day with the Bruins. “The development and how hard the top-end players compete every day and in games, helping those players learn how to be a pro day in and day out. I think Boston is extremely fortunate to have the players they have leading, not only the young players but the new players to come in because I was one of those players.”

Kelly, 40, even went as far as crediting the Bruins’ winning culture of accountability as a reason he was able to stay in the NHL until he was 37.

“I came in and I was fortunate enough to be part of that team that won and to see how hard they were already working the next summer after they won the Cup to come into camp for the next season,” Kelly recalled. “I think it helped me maybe carve out a few more extra years in the NHL because of the work ethic that they were able to instill in me as an older player. So to be able to come back and try to help with that on the other side is great.”

McQuaid is also thrilled to be part of the Bruins’ culture again and is looking forward to passing along all he learned during his nine seasons in Black and Gold.

“I think the Bruins are a first-class organization and have set kind of the gold standard for success and kind of the demands that the players bring each day and kind of hold each other accountable,” McQuaid said. “Having played there for a while, I got to see it first hand. I think I can communicate that to the younger guys what the expectations are to be a Boston Bruin. So, all of those things together make this opportunity really exciting. 1219457 Boston Bruins Boston Hockey NowLOADED: 08.17.2021

BHN Puck Links: Boston Bruins Maintain Culture; Eichel Billboard Escape?

Published 9 hours ago on August 16, 2021By Jimmy Murphy

The Boston Bruins continue their winning culture of accountability with two new hires.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak now has a quintet of Golden Sticks.

Will the Islanders anoint Ilya Sorokin as their new starting goalie this season?

New York Rangers fans are doing all they can to help their team pry Jack Eichel out of Buffalo.

That and more in the latest BHN Puck Links!

Boston Bruins

New Boston Bruins Assistant Coach Chris Kelly and new Player Development Coordinator Adam McQuaid plan to utilize not only their experience from winning a Stanley Cup together but also from helping to build the wing culture of accountability that still permeates through the Bruins organization. (BHN)

Apparently, Boston Bruins winger Trent Frederic wears a good cup! (BHN)

My Irish compadre here at BHN, Joe Haggerty answered all your Boston Bruins and Suicide questions in the latest Hagg Bag. (BHN)

David Pastrnak won a record fifth straight ‘Golden Stick’ Award as the best Czech hockey player in 2021:

National Hockey Now

Stefan Rosner doesn’t think it’s time for the to hand the net solely over to Ilya Sorokin. (NYI Hockey Now)

Are the Florida Panthers going to be a good team to bet on this season? (Florida Hockey Now)

Dan Kingerski puts on his GM hate and tries to get the Pittsburgh Penguins an impact player on the NHL trade market despite the Pens being cap-strapped. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Good catch by one of our guys in Detroit, Bob Duff, that new Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, who led the NHL in goals-against average (1.90) and save percentage (.932) can still be a Calder Trophy candidate. (Detroit Hockey Now)

Who is the best in the 25-year history of the Colorado Avalanche? (Colorado Hockey Now)

Cool story here from Rob Simpson on Mark Demontis, who is set to trek almost 5,000 kilometres from Toronto to Vancouver again to raise money for his charity Courage Canada that conducts programs all over Canada teaching blind and partially sighted children how to play hockey. (Vancouver Hockey Now)

NHL

The and Kevin Fiala avoided arbitration and agreed on a new contract for the Wild star forward. (TSN)

The Nashville Predators did the same with goalie Juuse Saros and agreed to a four-year, $20 million contract. (Sportsnet)

The Chicago Blackhawks locked up RFA winger Alex Nylander to a one- year extension. (PuckPedia)

Cool tidbit in Steve Simmons’ weekly column on the late Jay Greenberg being a co-author of a biography on former Boston Bruins and longtime NHL head coach Mike Keenan. (Toronto Sun)

Ready for a sneak peek at EA Sports NHL 21? (SportsGamersOnline)

Finally, could a billboard help Jack Eichel escape the mess with the Buffalo Sabres and play for the New York Rangers? 1219458 Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert re-signs with Colorado Avalanche

Aug 16, 2021 Updated 5 hrs ago

Kelvin Kuo

Buffalo native Dennis Gilbert has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 with the Colorado Avalanche.

Gilbert, 24, who played at St. Joe’s and for the Buffalo Junior Sabres, avoided salary arbitration.

He played in three NHL games last season with the Avalanche and had a a goal and seven assists in 17 games with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL. He has played in 25 NHL games in his career with a goal and two assists.

He previously played in 22 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Gilbert was a third-round pick in 2015 by the Blackhawks and signed after his junior season at Notre Dame. He was traded to Colorado in October.

Buffalo News LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219459 Buffalo Sabres When Mead and Kaplan were plotting how to celebrate their podcasting milestone, the latter’s initial idea was to sign students from their alma mater, Marist College in Poughkeepsie, to Name, Imagine and Likeness contracts to promote the podcast. Mead and Kaplan, both 32 years old, Rangers fans purchase billboard urging Sabres to trade Jack Eichel graduated from the private liberal arts college in 2011.

However, they quickly pivoted to an idea involving Eichel. After all, chatter about a possible trade has gone quiet in August. The Rangers Lance Lysowski Aug 16, 2021 Updated 11 hrs ago fans quickly researched the idea last Wednesday, signed the contract John Hickey less than 24 hours later, and waited 72 hours to see if it would be spoiled by a weekend trade.

“I probably would have needed to be institutionalized if he finally got Adigital billboard advertisement visible while traveling southbound on traded before this dumb billboard went live,” joked Kaplan. Interstate 190 is the latest reminder that angst surrounding Jack Eichel’s future with the Sabres isn’t limited to hockey fans in Buffalo. All along, General Manager Kevyn Adams has insisted that he and the Sabres control the process, and that Eichel won’t be traded unless it As of Monday, motorists passing Sahlen Field and the Seneca Street exit benefits Buffalo now and in the future. Eichel, who was drafted second will be able to see a banner ad that reads, “Aren’t trade requests a pain overall in 2015, has five years remaining on a contract that carries a $10 in the neck? #FreeJack.” The digital display, which is located only a half million annual salary cap hit. mile from KeyBank Center, near the corner of Scott and Chicago streets, was purchased by Ryan Mead and Greg Kaplan, who host the New York While Adams told reporters last month that he would have no issue with Rangers fan podcast, Blueshirts Breakaway. Eichel joining the team at training camp in September, it’s unlikely that the Sabres would want the distraction of a disgruntled player ahead of a The name of the podcast is featured in red and white lettering on a royal season in which the club’s young core is expected to take the reins of the background, reflecting the Rangers’ team colors, and includes a graphic franchise. of a bison with hair that’s supposed to resemble that of Eichel. The ad, which was designed by their friend, Nick DePalo, and purchased through The Sabres don’t need to trade Eichel immediately, but he will gain Lamar Advertising Co., will run for two weeks. control of the process if he’s with the club when his full no-movement clause kicks in next July. This would allow Eichel to have significant The playful joke wasn’t meant as a demand to trade the disgruntled, influence in where he’s traded to. injured center to the Rangers, who are one of few teams rumored to still be interested in acquiring Eichel. Mead and Kaplan were tired of talking The podcasters’ nudge for Adams to trade Eichel also angered Sabres about the saga during their weekly podcasts and viewed the ad buy as a fans on social media. The organization’s frustrated fan base has grown funny way to commemorate their 300th episode. tired of hearing people in other hockey markets suggest that Buffalo should not receive anything more than middle-tier prospects in any trade “The beauty of it now is now it’s funny,” Kaplan, a producer with involving Eichel. Mead and Kaplan anticipated there would be backlash Spectrum News in Albany, said of the Eichel discourse. “Before it was but they did not care. really annoying to have to talk about what the Rangers would have to give up, what the Sabres want, what the contract would look like, how it The billboard had fans across the NHL talking about the stunt. would impact Mika Zibanejad, whether this is the reason why the “The three of us are laughing at every single Sabres fan that’s calling it a Rangers traded Pavel Buchnevich, whether Eichel can co-exist with the waste of money because the whole of the billboard is to get you stars that they have. talking about us and that’s exactly what you’re doing,” said Kaplan. “Those conversations, we had them so many times that we couldn’t “That’s called advertising and it’s wonderful. It’s just good fun. It’s sports. possibly have them again, but now, it’s just funny. Now we just get to Life is so serious these days. There are so many bigger issues going on joke about it and honestly, the billboard says nothing about him coming in the world.” to the Rangers. We just say, free Jack. It’s all it says, so yeah, we’re a Buffalo News LOADED: 08.17.2021 Ranger podcast, but any Sabres fan that’s going to dunk on us and say, ‘you didn’t even get what you wanted.’ Honestly, we just want him out of Buffalo at this point because we’re annoyed. That’s as far as it goes.”

Eichel, a 24-year-old with five 20-goal seasons in the NHL, is awaiting a change of scenery as the result of a disagreement between him and the team regarding his preferred treatment for the herniated disk in his neck that limited him to only 21 games in 2020-21. Eichel wants to undergo an artificial disk replacement, a procedure never performed on an NHL player, while the Sabres’ team doctors prescribed an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion.

The situation came to a head in May when Eichel told reporters during an end-of-season media availability that he was questioning his future in Buffalo because of what he called a “disconnect” with the organization. A 12-week period of conservative treatment passed in late May, but neither side has changed its mind.

Last month, Dr. Chad J. Prusmack, a Denver-based surgeon who examined Eichel and recommended artificial disk replacement, went on Sportsnet’s 31 Thoughts podcast to describe the benefits of the procedure and why there are significant drawbacks with fusion, specifically a 25% chance that Eichel would need another surgery after 10 years and future surgeries later in life. Additionally, an artificial replacement would require a six- to eight-week recovery, compared to six months for fusion.

It's been the talk of the NHL, as reporters, podcasters and fans in markets across have discussed where Eichel could play in 2021-22 and what it would cost to acquire him from Buffalo.

The Rangers have been linked to Eichel for almost a year, as they were the club that reportedly expressed interest in acquiring him ahead of the 2020-21 season. 1219460 Calgary Flames

Hitmen throwing party at McMahon Stadium during Stampeders game

POSTMEDIA NEWS SERVICES

Publishing date:Aug 17, 2021 • 2 hours ago •

Fans watch the Calgary Stampeders play the Toronto Argonauts at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021.

The Calgary Hitmen are hosting a block party at McMahon Stadium on Friday night.

The Great Neighbour Game, when the Calgary Stampeders host the Montreal Alouettes, will see the Hitmen launch the Great Neighbour Movement celebrating neighbours and neighbourhoods, the team announced on Monday.

The Hitmen have adopted the theme ‘Your Neighbourhood Team’ to promote community building and inclusion.

On Friday, the Calgary Great Neighbourhood Block Party will feature halftime performances from Siksika Nation traditional dancers, lion dancers from the Jing Wo Cultural Association and dancers from the Brazilian Community Association of Alberta. Members of the Calgary Stampeders Outriders Alumni will also be present alongside Hitmen mascot Farley the Fox, while the Federation of Calgary Communities will help celebrate the more than 150 neighbourhoods in Calgary.

Kickoff for the game is 7:30 p.m.

The Hitmen also say a major announcement will be made concerning the upcoming WHL season.

As part of the Great Neighbour movement, powered by Enmax, fans are asked to bring a donation of diapers or formula for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, which supports women and children through more than 50 shelters in the province. Items can be dropped off at all stadium entrance locations.

For anyone who is unable to attend Friday’s game, donations of diapers or formula will be accepted at the Saddledome during regular business hours inside the northeast ticket entrance between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. until end of day Friday.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219461 Calgary Flames

Flames re-sign goalie prospect Parsons to one-year contract

POSTMEDIA NETWORK

Publishing date:Aug 16, 2021 • 8 hours ago •

Tyler Parsons is pictured as a member of the 's .

While Tyler Parsons is no longer considered the Calgary Flames’ -of-the-future frontrunner, the team continues to invest in the puck-stopping prospect.

Now 23, Parsons was signed Monday to a one-year, two-way deal. The contract carries a cap hit of US$771,750 if he is called up to the NHL level.

A second-round selection (54th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft and a proven winner as a junior, Parsons’ progress in the professional ranks has been slowed by injuries. He’s been limited to a total of only 81 appearances — 28 in the American Hockey League and 53 in the ECHL — across four winters in the minors, and that includes just one start for the AHL’s Stockton Heat in 2020-21. He missed almost all of the condensed campaign as he recovered from ankle surgery.

With shutout machine Dustin Wolf graduating from the Western Hockey League and Adam Werner signed via free agency, Parsons will have to compete for crease-time with the Heat this coming season.

With Parsons re-upped, Flames general manager Brad Treliving is still in negotiations with a half-dozen restricted free agents. That list includes defencemen Connor Mackey, Juuso Valimaki and Nikita Zadorov, and forwards Dillon Dube, Glenn Gawdin and Justin Kirkland. Zadorov, acquired in a summer swap from the Chicago Blackhawks, has an arbitration hearing set for Aug. 26.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219462 Calgary Flames How hectic was that couple of hours between finding out about the selection to finding a flight, getting on the plane and getting to the draft?

Yeah, it was nuts. The night I found out, Ron asked if a few of us could Mark Giordano on his ’emotional’ departure from the Flames and having go down there to Seattle from Toronto, and there’s me, Brandon Tanev ‘a lot to offer’ the Kraken and Jamie Oleksiak who were on the plane together going down. But it was about 6 p.m. Eastern when I found out and we had to get a COVID test before we could cross the border. So I was running around downtown Toronto, from Shoppers Drug Mart to Shoppers Drug Mart, By Hailey Salvian Aug 16, 2021 trying to get one of those rapid tests so that I could cross the border and then get all the flight info from the guys in Seattle. And they helped us out obviously, a huge amount, but it was pretty hectic. Then the next day, we Mark Giordano always knew that being selected by the Seattle Kraken in flew to Seattle and we got there just before the draft. It was a pretty, last month’s expansion draft was a possibility. pretty crazy 24 hours for sure.

Hockey is a business, after all, with plenty of difficult decisions, even You said you had never been to Seattle before this whole thing, and I when it came to the future of the Calgary Flames’ longtime captain. But was actually quite surprised by that. Was it ever on your list of places to that didn’t mean he was totally prepared for when he was ultimately go? selected. It was not on my radar. I mean, I knew Seattle just because growing up While on Monday’s episode of “The Athletic Hockey Show,” Giordano one of my favorite bands was Nirvana, and Kurt Cobain and the band said it was a “pretty crazy 24 hours” from finding out he’d been taken by were from Seattle. But being from out east, Seattle is a far western city. the Kraken to rushing to Seattle to be one of six players on stage when So when we think of going on vacation or going to different cities, I the team unveiled its roster for the first time last month. always think New York, Boston and cities like that, right? Cities that are closer and easier to get to, but it was definitely an eye-opener for me to “It was about 6 p.m. Eastern when I found out, and we had to get a go to Seattle. A lot of people had the same reaction you did. They were COVID test before we could cross the border,” he said. “So I was running like, “Wow, I would have assumed you playing in Calgary all these years, around downtown Toronto, from Shoppers Drug Mart to Shoppers Drug you took a trip down to Seattle,” but no, I never did, and what a city. I Mart, trying to get one of those rapid tests so that I could cross the border mean, what a great place. I feel like it’s gonna be a great place to live, and then get all the flight info from the guys in Seattle.” just being there for a couple of days. It was beautiful. The 37-year-old defenceman was a significant addition to the Kraken and Expansion drafts aren’t exactly a new thing, but there is no real playbook will anchor the blue line along with free-agent signings Jamie Oleksiak for being selected, when it comes to having to find a home and adjusting and Adam Larsson, among other selections. He’ll be the oldest player on to a new city. Have the Kraken been helping you and other players the roster, and whether or not he’s named Seattle’s first captain, he is acclimate to the situation? expected to play a leadership role for the brand new team. His selection also marked a significant departure for the Flames, as Giordano was an Yeah, they’ve been unbelievable from every aspect. We have people important piece in the organization for 15 seasons. He was a staple in with the team who are helping us as far as real estate goes and the community, the team’s captain for eight years and had one of the purchasing our homes and renting our homes, obviously, getting our best bet-on-yourself stories in the NHL. visas taken care of. Just every little thing you can think of: traveling there, shipping our cars, moving our personal belongings. And then they put Over the course of a 20-minute conversation with The Athletic’s Hailey together a huge booklet that they sent out to every family that just Salvian and Ian Mendes, Giordano discussed a variety of topics, outlines all the different things to do in the city, all the different areas that including finding out he’d been taken by Seattle, what he’ll miss about you can visit in the city, the different attractions, where the best places to Calgary, his expectations for starting out with the league’s newest live are. So, they’ve done a great job in that and I can imagine the franchise and more. amount of work that went into that because they’ve covered literally Here is an extended Q&A of highlights from the conversation. The everything. And on top of that, the organization has a new rink going up questions and Giordano’s answers have been edited for length and and a new practice facility. So there’s a lot going on for sure in Seattle clarity. right now.

Mark, it’s been about three weeks since you were selected by the Seattle How old are your kids now? Kraken, and it’s even been longer than that since the pre-expansion draft I have an 8-year-old son, Jack, and a 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter, stuff started. What have these last few months been like for you? Reese. It’s been crazy, to be honest. Obviously there was a pretty good chance So, your son would be old enough to understand all this. So, when you that I wasn’t going to get protected with us having three young, really got the call from Ron Francis, did you sit down with him and explain it? good defenseman on longer-term deals than I was. So, it was always in Or did you kind of plant some seeds that Dad might have to move with the back of my mind. I was talking with (Flames general manager Brad the job? And how did that conversation go with an 8-year-old? Treliving) a lot, and he was trying to get something done as far as trying to not protect me, but keep me in Calgary. And at the end of the day, I I planted the seed a few weeks earlier, just threw a couple hints out. I’m got selected. So it was a pretty emotional couple of days, thinking of all like, you know, “We might not be going back to Calgary 100 percent.” the different scenarios. A lot of different things run through your head, but And he understood right from the start. He’s old enough, he understands, I got my head wrapped around that and just have been looking forward to and I’ve tried to let him know about the whole business of hockey and a whole different experience. I’ve never switched teams in my career. So, trades and all that. His main concern was… He was like, “But you’re the it’s gonna be weird at first, I’m sure. But I’m looking forward to a whole captain of the Flames, aren’t you supposed to be there?” But I tried to new chapter in my life and living in a different city and all the things that explain to him how it works. And he understands. It’s gonna be a big come with it. So I’ve turned turn the page and I’m pretty excited now. change for him, too. But, he’s looking forward to going down there now too. So it’s pretty cool. Were you like us, finding out about the selection on Twitter? Or how did you find out that Seattle had taken you in the expansion draft? What excites you the most about starting a new team in what we assume will be a leadership position for you being the oldest player on that (Laughs) No, what happened was, the night before I got a call from Tree roster? and he said he thinks they’re gonna select me. And then I got a call from (Kraken GM) Ron Francis shortly after and he said they were gonna I just think being a part of something new. It feels like being a part of select me. So, I knew the night before, and that’s how we arranged history, right? Like, an organization just starting up, and being one of the things. And I got on a plane the next morning and went to the actual draft first guys to put on that jersey and play in that first game in that building. in Seattle, which I’m happy I did that to check out the city, check out the All those things come to mind. And then like you said, being the oldest atmosphere there. It’s great. I mean, the new building is going to be guy on that team, I think I have a lot to offer when it comes to helping out great. There’s a ton of positives. So we’re really looking forward to the younger guys. And there’s going to be 25 of us or so, all in the exact settling in there and getting my family all settled down the next couple of same position, guys who’ve never been through this, never played on the weeks here and then getting ready to go. same team. So it’s going to be different, but it’s going to be a cool experience.

Vegas having so much success right off the hop, including getting to the Stanley Cup Final in their first year, does that excite you? Or does that set the bar too high? I mean, they’ve been successful right away. Does that at least give you some hope that maybe you guys don’t have to go through what some expansion teams did in the 1990s in the early 2000s?

I don’t know exactly what the rules were in the 90s, but I’m sure they weren’t anywhere as close to what they are now. You look at our roster that we selected, and you just get some really good players from across the league. And I remember when Vegas selected their team, people were unsure about them, but looking at them then, we were all like, no, they got a pretty good roster there. And they’ve been a contending team ever since. So, I like our team. I like what Ron and the staff have done. And at the end of the day, until you hit that ice you’re never gonna know. So I’m looking forward to hitting the ice in September and then going from there.

Have you spoken to anyone from Vegas for any kind of guidance on being on an expansion team?

Yeah, the only guy I talked to about it was James Neal and he absolutely loved the experience. He said he had a great time in Vegas and everything about his experience there was all positive. So I talked to him a bit about it and he just wished me the best and said, ‘You’re going to love it.’ Everything’s been positive on that end of things. And like I said, after the first couple days of shock and a little bit of mixed feelings, I’m really excited and starting to look forward to it.

Mark, you talk about your mixed feelings. Have you even started to think about what that night might be like for you back at the Saddledome for the first time?

It’s gonna be obviously a weird feeling coming in from the other bench and the other side in the dome, for sure. I think it’s gonna be a special night for me. But yeah, there’s a lot that goes into, just thinking of a lot of different things. I mean, we’re in the same division, so it’s probably going to be a pretty important game. I don’t know. It’s gonna be pretty cool to come back to the city. I’ve made a lot of relationships, a lot of people that are lifelong friends over the years in Calgary, so it’ll be cool to play in front of them again, and hopefully, it’s a good night for me.

What are you going to miss the most about being in Calgary?

Just the city generally and the people. You know, going out and seeing people in the restaurants that I know. And obviously, the No. 1 thing is going to be the guys, starting with the players and some of my best friends that I’ve made over the years. But then I think of the staff too, and the trainers, and the equipment guys, the medical guys that I’ve been with for a large chunk of my career. So, those are friendships that are gonna last a lifetime. It’s gonna be different not going to the rink every day and seeing those guys but I’m sure I’ll create some great bonds here in Seattle, too.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219463 Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks reach a 1-year deal with Alex Nylander: ‘Important season for him to perform consistently and contribute offensively’

By PHIL THOMPSON

AUG 16, 2021 AT 10:48 AM

The Chicago Blackhawks agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Alex Nylander, giving the promising left wing at least one more look.

“With Alex’s pedigree and being only 23 years old, we feel as if there is still plenty of room for growth in his game. He is just scratching the surface of the type of player we feel he is capable of becoming,” president of hockey operations and general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement Monday.

“This will be an important season for him to perform consistently and contribute offensively. His size (6-foot-1, 192 pounds) and skill are a unique combination that make him an intriguing option for our coaching staff to utilize anywhere in the lineup.”

The deal carries a $874,125 salary-cap hit. Nylander was the last of the free agents under contract last season who hadn’t signed. Earlier this month, forward Brandon Hagel agreed to a three-year contract with a $1.5 million cap hit.

The Hawks are hoping Nylander can live up to the potential that led the Buffalo Sabres to use the No. 8 draft pick on him in 2016.

Nylander scored 10 goals and had 16 assists in 65 games for the Hawks in 2019-20. He missed all of last season after having surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee in December.

Bowman said last month he expects “Alex will be 100%” for training camp.

“He is now, ready to go,” Bowman said. “He’s training and preparing like normal.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219464 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks re-sign wing Alex Nylander to one-year contract

By Ben Pope Aug 16, 2021, 10:35am CDT

As expected, wing Alex Nylander will return to the Blackhawks for the upcoming season. The Hawks re-signed Nylander to a one-year contract worth $874,125 on Monday.

Nylander received a qualifying offer July 26 that kept him a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, essentially guaranteeing the Hawks eventually would re-sign him this summer but removing any urgency in doing so.

Nylander, 23, missed all of last season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. But general manager Stan Bowman said this summer that Nylander already had recovered and will be 100% for training camp.

The Hawks hope Nylander will be able to put everything together this season after failing to translate his raw talent into impressive results thus far in his NHL career. Nylander, a former No. 8 overall pick by the Sabres, had 26 points in 65 games for the Hawks in 2019-20 but struggled with defense and consistency.

‘‘There is still plenty of room for growth in his game,’’ Bowman said in a statement. ‘‘He is just scratching the surface of the type of player we feel he is capable of becoming.

‘‘This will be an important season for him to perform consistently and contribute offensively. His size and skill are a unique combination that make him an intriguing option for our coaching staff to utilize anywhere in the lineup.’’

Nylander will compete with a crowded forward group for a roster spot during training camp. Roughly 17 forwards under contract have a legitimate chance to earn the 13 or 14 opening-day jobs up for grabs.

Nylander’s signing also marks the end of the Hawks’ obvious offseason to-do list, with everyone now signed. They still must move retired Andrew Shaw’s contract to long-term injured reserve to become compliant with the salary cap, but that will be a formality.

One potential move to watch for is a trade involving backup goalie Malcolm Subban. Bowman likely will want to recoup a minor prospect or draft pick for Subban, who fell to No. 3 on the Hawks’ depth chart after the arrival of Marc-Andre Fleury, rather than lose him on waivers during camp.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219465 Chicago Blackhawks

Nylander signs 1-year deal with Blackhawks

John Dietz

Updated8/16/2021 5:07 PM

The Blackhawks Monday agreed to terms with forward Alex Nylander on a one-year deal that carries an $874,125 cap hit.

Nylander missed all of last season following knee surgery. He scored 10 goals and had 16 assists while averaging 12 minutes of ice time in 65 games in 2019-20.

Nylander, acquired from Buffalo for defenseman Henri Jokiharju, is a talented but inconsistent forward who will be battling for playing time on a revamped Hawks roster.

"With Alex's pedigree and being only 23 years old, we feel as if there is still plenty of room for growth in his game," said Stan Bowman, GM and president of hockey operations. "This will be an important season for him to perform consistently and contribute offensively."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219466 Chicago Blackhawks 1: “For fans that are happy the one-year rebuild is over and just want playoff-type hockey, this is a good offseason. For fans who believe ending the rebuild after one year was premature, it’s a disaster.”

Blackhawks survey 3.0: Fans weigh in on Seth Jones, Stan Bowman, the 3. What is your level of interest in the Blackhawks after all the offseason state of the rebuild and much more moves?

40.8% said 5 out of 5 excited, 40.5% said 4, 13.7% said 3, 4.1% said 2 and 0.9% said 1 By Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers Aug 16, 2021 The brass in the Blackhawks front office and NBC Sports Chicago will be very glad to see this chart. While we addressed the ambivalence some fans are feeling in the wake of the lawsuits last week, it’s clear that fans The Blackhawks open the 2021-22 season in 58 days, with a trip to are still very excited to see the revamped Blackhawks in action. Last Colorado to face the Stanley Cup favorite Avalanche. And for the first season was fun in its own way — watching all the young guys get their time in a few years, Blackhawks fans are excited about more than just chances and flirt with a playoff spot for most of the year — but player development and the chance to see some rookies play. After an Blackhawks fans got used to contending for the better part of a decade. It offseason that saw Stan Bowman drastically revamp his roster, Chicago remains to be seen if the Blackhawks are back, but the buzz certainly is. has real expectations for the first time under Jeremy Colliton. Nic K.: ”I’m a fan of the offseason moves. Love Fleury. But I feel like Just how high are those expectations? More than 2,500 of you took our everything has this layer of dirt on it because of the investigation. It’s 30-question survey to let us know. Let’s dive into the results, with some hard (to) separate the two and difficult to get really excited until that’s subscriber comments sprinkled in: done and we hear the results.” 1. Are the Blackhawks on the right track? 4. Are the Blackhawks still in “rebuild” mode? 78.7% yes, 21.3% no 60.5% said no, 39.5% said yes We asked this same question 10 months ago, in the wake of the decision The Blackhawks are still pushing the idea that they’re still in a phase of to let Corey Crawford walk and the public acknowledgment that a rebuild the rebuild, but a majority of fans aren’t buying that. More than 60 was underway. And last October, nearly two-thirds of you (65.9 percent) percent of voters said the Blackhawks aren’t rebuilding any longer. said the Blackhawks were not on the right track. Considering whom the Blackhawks brought in this offseason, most Turns out adding a No. 1 defenseman (Seth Jones), a true shutdown people believe the organization has accelerated the rebuild and is back defender (Jake McCabe), a two-time champion third-line center (Tyler to trying to win now. The Blackhawks will still have young players Johnson) and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner (Marc-Andre Fleury) is throughout their lineup this season, but it will be a more experienced “the right track.” group overall. Comparably, 67.6 percent of voters were behind the Blackhawks’ rebuild plan when we asked that question in November of Clay S.: “Love the moves this offseason. My prediction is playoffs, but 2020. probably won’t win more than a round then get smacked by Colorado.” Pat S.: “We’ve all seen plenty of examples of teams trying to short-circuit Pat S.: “I don’t mind the signing of Jones because top-two D are hard to a rebuild just because an opportunity like a Vezina-winning goalie landed acquire and the team can’t risk waiting until exactly the summer that in their lap, and almost every time the attempt to go for it without all the they’re needed only to be left empty-handed. But the other signings this pieces in place only leads to a more prolonged period of futility than if the summer, especially Fleury and Johnson, are only going to improve the team had stuck to their original plan.” team to the point of mediocrity, where they have no chance of advancing in the playoffs, nor being bad enough to earn a top draft pick. Meanwhile, Courtney B.: “This team would have been better off going through the they will be taking playing time from the younger players the team is rebuild. Now everything is rushed and that Seth Jones contract is supposed to be developing.” hideous. I’m more interested in Caleb.”

2. What grade would you give the Blackhawks’ offseason, strictly in terms 5. What are your expectations for the Blackhawks in the 2021-22 of player personnel decisions? season?

61.3% said B, 17.3% said C, 16.7% said A, and the rest said D or F 77.9% said "make the playoffs," 17.1% said "on the outside looking in," and the rest said either "Stanley Cup contention" or "well out of playoff The Blackhawks won the offseason. That is clear. Despite most fans contention" being upset with the direction of the team in recent years, nearly everyone is fully behind Blackhawks’ roster moves this offseason. Seven- How do you define realistic? More than three-quarters of Blackhawks eight percent of voters gave the Blackhawks a grade of an A or B for their fans believe they’ll make the playoffs this season — something they player personnel decisions. Just as impressive, they were given an F by haven’t done without an expanded field since 2017 — but only four just 0.8 percent of respondents. Those few fans must really be upset. percent view them as Stanley Cup contenders. That’s probably because Colorado likely stands in their way in either the first or second round. Of When you add all the Blackhawks added, then move Duncan Keith and course, look around the league and most pundits seem to have the his contract without retaining money, deal Brent Seabrook’s contract and Blackhawks on the wrong side of the playoff bubble. Are Blackhawks announce your captain, Jonathan Toews, is returning, it’s hard to argue fans being too optimistic, or is the rest of the league sleeping on with the overall Blackhawks’ offseason. They certainly improved, at least Chicago? on paper. Ray V: “I think the Blackhawks are a second-round exit at best now.” Les J.: “Overall, Bowman did not stand pat and made some aggressive moves. So that is good. We will see if they were the right moves. Right Mark D.: “Was kinda surprised we let Pius Suter walk for nothing. Why now ‘I dunno.’” not qualify and trade at least like Zadorov? This is a playoff team IMO, but not a Stanley Cup contender. They’ve improved at all three positions Ben S.: “I was sort of torn in that I thought the trades were overall decent and were competitive much of last year.” and if we were pushing for playoffs next season then Stan absolutely did what he needed to do. But we’re supposed to rebuilding. We’ve torn up 6. Do you believe the Blackhawks will win another Stanley Cup during some of our future so we leverage the present. So good trade the Toews/Kane era? performance but not in keeping with the strategy. C grade.” 78.1% said no, 21.9% said yes Erica K.: “I think getting rid of the Seabrook contract isn’t an issue this Votes are pretty consistent with this answer. They just don’t believe the year, but don’t forget. it runs a year after the Toews/Kane deals are up. Blackhawks will win another Stanley Cup during the Kane and Toews When you have the chance to move it, move it because it can cause era. When this question was asked in November 2020, 75.2 of voters problems down the road. (Tyler) Johnson is a useful player and tradeable answered no. A year later, that percentage has increased to 78.1. if it comes down to it. You can even buy him out. I was frankly shocked Considering the Blackhawks haven’t won a Stanley Cup playoff series they moved that contract with no sweetener.” since 2015, it’s hard to argue any different. The unknown, of course, is how long the Kane and Toews era will last. It could come to an end when his play and his ability to handle the 82-game NHL grind. Will he need their contracts are up after the 2022-23 season or it could be further NBA-style load management? Will he be able to play back-to-backs? down the line if they re-sign. Blackhawks fans seem to be braced for an incomplete season from Toews, with only 8.5 percent super confident Toews will reach the 7. What has been the biggest reason for the Blackhawks’ struggles in relatively modest benchmark of 60 games. Any Toews is better than no recent seasons? Toews, though.

33.8% said coaching/management, 28% said not enough skill, 20.6% Dan S.: “For the questions about the upcoming season, I chose to said lack of a No. 1 defenseman, and the rest answered either not respond with an optimistic glass-full outlook. But that hinges on Toews. If enough size or injuries he is back full speed, this is a radically better team.”

The Blackhawks had a lot more than one problem over the last few 12. What do you believe is Kirby Dach’s offensive ceiling? years, so there was no consensus on this one. Coaching and management got the most votes, at 33.8 percent, followed by “not 39.6% said 61-70 points per season, 37.2% said 51-60, 12.7% said 71 or enough skill” at 28 percent, and the lack of a No. 1 defenseman at 20.6 more, and 10.5% said 40-50 percent. In theory, the Blackhawks addressed just about all of these issues over the offseason. We’ll see how it plays out in practice. Most fans don’t think Dach is going to be a point-a-game player, but they also don’t envision him being an offensive bust. A majority of voters have Among the write-ins: Lack of depth, Colliton’s system, the salary cap, an Dach in the 51-70-point range. That seems realistic. He never put up unwillingness to battle for pucks, and “all of the above,” “all the above,” huge offensive numbers in junior and has proven to be more of a pass- “All of the above” with a capital A, and “all of the above except for first center. In his first 82 NHL games, he has 10 goals and 23 assists. injuries.” Considering he’s expected to see more top-six and power-play ice time going forward, potentially playing more with Kane, too, the points should 8. How confident are you in Jeremy Colliton as head coach (1 being least add up for him. confident, 5 being most confident) 13. How confident are you that Seth Jones is the No. 1 defenseman the 41% said 3, 27% said 2, 15.2% said 1, 15% said 4 and 1.7% said 5 Blackhawks have been lacking, and will be for the long-term future?

Colliton hasn’t won over fans just yet, but he is trending in a positive 38.2% said 4, 30.9% said 3, 13.5% said 2, 12.5% said 5 and 4.9% said 1 direction. When fans were asked about their confidence level in Colliton prior to the 2020-21 season, there was little to no confidence in him. Our Dom Luszczyszyn has made a cottage industry of insisting Jones is More than 60 percent of voters either gave him a 1 or 2. A season later, not a No. 1 defenseman and that the Blackhawks made a colossal 1s and 2s made up just 42.2 percent of the vote. That’s the good news mistake in giving up so much to acquire him and then paying him like a for him, but he still has work to do. Just 1.7 percent of voters gave him a true No. 1. Blackhawks fans are higher on Jones than The Model, 5. Right in the middle is where 41 percent of fans are with Colliton right however. A whopping 81.6 percent voted 3, 4 or 5 on this one, with 4 now. Depending on how this season goes, Colliton’s support will likely getting the most votes. Considering his eight-year contract with the $9.5- firmly go in one direction or the other. million cap hit doesn’t even kick in until the fall of 2022, the Blackhawks better hope the fans, and not Dom, are right. Daniel S.: “As long as the Blackhawks have Jeremy Colliton as head coach, they will not be serious Stanley Cup contenders. They have some Todd E: “I don’t love the contract, either, but it looks better now than it did talent now, but to take that next step they need a coach with experience, when it was announced. All we’ve been hearing for years now is how who knows how to run a power play, and how to actually put his players cap-constrained teams are, and we thought the going rate for a top D- in position to shut teams down defensively. They need a guy who knows man was like 7×7. But I think free agency showed the market for players his X’s and O’s.” is stronger than we thought.”

9. How confident are you in Stan Bowman as president of hockey 14. What grade would you give the Seth Jones trade? ops/general manager? 40.3% said B, 31.6% said C, 13.5% said D, 8.7% said A and 5.9% said F 32% said 3, 27.3% said 2, 18.8% said 1, 18% said 4 and 3.9% said 5 This will be a trade that will be graded for years to come. Right now, fans Ten months ago, two-thirds of Blackhawks fans gave Bowman a 1 or a 2 like it, but don’t love it or hate it. Just 8.7 percent of voters gave the trade on this question. This time around, only 46.1 percent did. So strictly from an A and just 5.9 percent an F. an on-ice standpoint, Bowman’s dramatic roster overhaul seems to have raised his stock in fans’ eyes. Jason M.: “I love that they went out and got him. But Stan paid too much, especially considering that CBJ had no leverage, and then overpaid him Ranjan B.: “There is a lot that I don’t like about Bowman’s tenure, but for by about $1M/yr. That said, I’m glad he’s on the team. And then Stan the first time this offseason, he has shown some imagination and knocked the rest of the offseason out of the park.” creativity. The Hawks trading a bunch of their first-round draft picks means that they are going for it now! Lots of questions, but the biggest CM C.: “Seth Jones has not been a top D-man for a couple years. He weakness is our head coach and his horrific defensive system!” was below replacement level last year. Can he regain his form? Let’s hope so.” Marc P.: “Bowman, who I have not supported since (the) Panarin debacle, got rid of (the) Keith and Seabrook contracts. Who thought Michael G.: “Getting Jones? Great. Paying that much in assets and that (that) was even possible? So stop whining about the great rebuild. We contract? Not as much.” are better and our future, unless Jones becomes an aging Seabrook, is Joseph P.: “If he’s an elite top-pair defenseman, probably OK. But if he’s looking good.” what he has been the last couple seasons, it’s a rather massive overpay 10. How confident are you in Rocky Wirtz as chairman? both in picks and dollars.”

32.9% said 4, 32.4% said 3, 17.7% said 5, 12.2% said 2 and 4.8% said 1 15. What grade would you give the Marc-Andre Fleury trade?

Despite the allegations facing the organization and the lack of on-ice 77.6% said A, 16.5% said B and the rest chose either C, D or F success in recent years, Wirtz hasn’t taken much of a hit. His numbers Weird. When you give up literally nothing but cap space to acquire the are slightly down from October. Back then, he received a 4 or 5 on 58 guy who was the best goalie in the league last season, people are happy percent of the survey. This time around, he’s down to 50.6 percent. Still, about it. Twenty people gave it an F, and all of them, we can only that’s a pretty favorable number. Plus, just 17 percent of voters gave him assume, have the last names Lankinen, Subban or Delia. either a 1 or 2. 16. What grade would you give the Duncan Keith trade? 11. How confident are you that Jonathan Toews will play at least 60 games during the 2021-22 season? 55.9% said A, 33.6% said B, 8.9% said C and the rest said D or F

36% said 3, 26.3% said 4, 23% said 2, 8.5% said 5 and 6.2% said 1 Who would have thought a few years ago that fans would be happy to see Duncan Keith traded (60 percent said the Blackhawks shouldn’t even This is all just a hunch, obviously. Nobody has any idea how Toews’ try to trade him when we asked in October)? That’s absolutely the case, body will react to a year off, how his lingering health issues could affect though. The trade was surprising, but even more shocking was the Blackhawks not having to retain any money on the deal. Of all of the these survey results. Maybe something like this helps them decide what Blackhawks’ moves this offseason, this may have been the best one. to do this upcoming season.

17. What grade would you give the Brent Seabrook/Tyler Johnson trade? Joe F.: “Better not be any vaccine mandates at games, and I really hope that you writers don’t advocate for them, either.” 42.6% said B, 38.5% said A, 15.6% said C and the rest said D or F Mr. C.: “Why shouldn’t there be? There has been ample opportunity to The Lightning had been trying to unload Johnson’s $5-million cap hit for get vaccinated for anyone over the age of 12 in the USA.” years, but that’s not because he wasn’t useful. The three years remaining on the deal make this one somewhat risky, but the Blackhawks don’t like 23. Which of these recently retired players should have their jerseys operating with the LTIR (long-term injured reserve) elephant on their retired in the very near future? back (while Tampa Bay has made an art form out of it). It’s weird to think that, technically, Brent Seabrook is on a team other than the Blackhawks. 83.1% said Marian Hossa, 79.5% said Brent Seabrook, 60.8% said But Chicago unloaded an unwieldy contract and got a versatile and Corey Crawford, 34.1% said Niklas Hjalmarsson, 26.9% said Patrick productive player in return. Hard to complain too much. Sharp and 3.9% said Andrew Shaw

18. Who do you believe is most likely to emerge as a true top-pairing The Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson disrespect is real. We let defenseman? people vote for as many as they liked on this one, and Hossa and Seabrook are no-brainers in the eyes of fans, with Crawford (who, 27.7% said none, 27.5% said Wyatt Kalynuk, 25.1% said Ian Mitchell, notably, is a two-time champion, not a three-time champion) not far 15% said Nicolas Beaudin and the rest said Alex Vlasic behind. We’ll see what the Blackhawks do — the guess here is they raise a “Core” banner for the seven three-time champs, with Kane, Toews and There were high hopes for the Blackhawks’ up-and-coming defensemen Keith getting their individual numbers retired, too — but let’s start with at one point. They’ve waned over the years. That has a lot to do with Steve Larmer’s No. 28, eh? It’s long overdue. first-round picks Henri Jokiharju and Adam Boqvist being traded early in their careers. The Blackhawks still have some young defensemen with Jeremy T.: “I feel like a ring of honor is the more practical, long-term potential, but no one is being banked upon. The survey results came in option. Build statues. But maybe keep the numbers in circulation for the as “none” with 27.7 of the vote, Wyatt Kalynuk at 27.5 and Ian Mitchell at next generation.” 25.1. 24. Taken in the context of their departures, which player is The One 19. Do you expect Lukas Reichel to make the Blackhawks roster out of That Got Away? training camp? 54.6% said Artemi Panarin, 29.1% said Teuvo Teravainen, 15.4% said 53.2% said yes, 46.8% said no Phillip Danault and the rest said Adam Boqvist

Pretty even split on this one. Reichel, the Blackhawks’ 2020 first-round A line of Artemi Panarin, Phillip Danault and Teuvo Teravainen would be pick, took a big step this past season in the German league and is pretty dangerous these days. All three, of course, were Blackhawks on expected to come to North America this season. Will he start in Chicago the 2015-16 team. Danault was traded that season to the Montreal or Rockford, though? It’s pretty crowded up front for the Blackhawks, but Canadiens in hopes of adding a few veterans to make a playoff run. you can be sure they’ll give Reichel every opportunity to prove he Teravainen was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes that offseason to help belongs right away, just as they did with Kirby Dach two years ago. get rid of Bryan Bickell’s contract. Finally, Panarin was traded after the 2016-17 season during a major shakeup following the Blackhawks’ first- Raven 1: “I really hope Reichel is ready at the start of the season to play round exit. The Panarin trade is still the one that stings for most fans. a top-six impact role with the Hawks. However, he really should just Though Danault and Teravainen have done well for themselves since develop in the AHL for most of the season. Rushing prospects has hurt being traded, Panarin continues to be a superstar. Adam Boqvist finished player development in recent years.” fourth in the voting, but we’ll have a better idea about his trade in the 20. Should the Blackhawks have re-signed defenseman Nikita Zadorov? coming years.

90.8% said no, 9.2% said yes Mike S.: “(Trading Teravainen is) Bowman’s biggest gaffe, and that’s saying something. Just a completely unnecessary move.” The Blackhawks were undoubtedly hoping Zadorov would become a permanent fixture on their defense when they traded for him last season. 25. Which young, non-first-round pick are you most excited about? You don’t make that trade with the Colorado Avalanche for that price 52.2% said Brandon Hagel, 25.5% said Philipp Kurashev, 18.4% said without having high hopes for Zadorov. But he didn’t work out. He Wyatt Kalynuk and the rest said Riley Stillman especially struggled anytime the puck was on his stick. Despite his inconsistent play, it was probably his contract demand that sealed his You need stars, and you need your first-round picks to pan out. But you fate. Either way, fans have obviously rejoiced in seeing him go. also need those hidden gems to put you over the top. Blackhawks fans think they’ve found one in Brandon Hagel, who was just signed to a Sean P.: “If anybody thinks Zadorov should have been re-signed team-friendly three-year deal at just a $1.5-million cap hit. considering how expensive he’d have been, I’d like some of what they’re smoking.” 26. How much do you like the Blackhawks’ television broadcast team of Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk? 21. Would you be comfortable attending a game at a packed next season? 57.7% said 5, 22.5% said 4, 12.3% said 3, 4.4% said 2 and 3.1% said 1

66.2% said yes, 33.8% said no It’s tough to imagine a Blackhawks’ TV broadcast without Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk. With Foley announcing recently this will be his last year, it When we asked this in October, 62.9 percent of fans said they wouldn’t will certainly be a season to remember. The TV duo is still beloved by go to a game during the 2020-21 season, which largely ended up being fans. Foley and Olczyk received the highest rating among 57.7 of the moot because fans couldn’t attend until the last two games of the voters and just 7.5 percent gave them a 1 or 2. season, and that was at a very limited capacity. With vaccinations readily available (side note: get vaccinated if you can!), fans are far more Daniel G.: “I very much enjoy Edzo’s color commentary, including all his comfortable with the idea now. The delta variant might be changing some schticks (e.g. ‘stop it right there!’), but it’s definitely time for Pat Foley to minds, but the huge crowds at both and Wrigley retire. He’s had an amazing run and his voice narrated some of my Field make it clear that fans have been starving for live sports. favorite Hawks memories, but he’s slowed down quite a bit in the past few years: There are increasingly long pauses where he doesn’t call any 22. Should indoor-sport teams such as the Blackhawks require fans to of the plays, and he clearly has trouble ID’ing players on the ice, provide proof of vaccination if they’re operating at or close to 100-percent sometimes calling the wrong player name.” capacity? 27. How much do you like the Blackhawks’ radio broadcast team of John 74.4% said yes, 25.6% said no Wiedeman and Troy Murray?

This was a clear-cut “yes” among 74.4 percent of the voters. You would 45.6% said 5, 30.5% said 4, 21.8% said 3, 1.7% said 2 and 0.4% said 1 think there would be Blackhawks front-office employees who glance at Blackhawks fans have been spoiled with two great broadcast teams. Wiedeman is a sensational tape-to-tape game-caller, and Murray brings terrific insight as a longtime NHLer. Of course, everyone’s thoughts are with Murray — easily one of the most popular members of the Blackhawks family — after his recent cancer diagnosis.

28. What’s your favorite Andrew Shaw memory?

48.3% said the headbutt no-goal, 32.7% said returning in Game 6 against Boston and 17% said "I love shinpads!"

You know you did something out of the ordinary when everyone’s favorite memory of you is from a play that didn’t actually count. Though Shaw’s headbutt goal attempt was deemed illegal, it will go down in hockey history as a bigger deal than a lot of goals that counted. Coming in second place was Shaw’s return to Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final after taking a puck to the face. The Images of Shaw from that game are among the most memorable from that Cup run. In third place was Shaw’s game-winning goal in Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Shaw famously yelled during the celebration, “I love shin pads.”

The best of the many, many write-in votes: “Literally fucking all of it.” The man was one of a kind.

29. What’s your favorite Brent Seabrook memory?

66.8% said the OT goal in Game 7 vs. Detroit, 21.9% said his penalty- box pep talk, and the rest said either the OT goal in Game 4 vs. Boston or the #fruitandcrap 3OT goal

Seabrook would probably pick his Game 7 winner against Detroit, too. The stick he used to score it is framed in his basement, one of the few pieces of memorabilia he actually had. But Seabrook’s career is full of iconic moments, and it’s no surprise that his second-biggest moment in the eyes of fans didn’t even happen between the whistles. His decision to step into the penalty box in Game 4 in Detroit, patting a tilting Toews on the head and calming him down, was the quintessential Seabrook moment. Some fans roll their eyes when hockey people talk about leadership and intangibles, but there’s no denying Seabrook had a wealth of both.

Seabrook’s suspension-earning hit on David Backes got a few write-in votes, unsurprisingly. His overtime winner in the 5-0 comeback against Calgary early in the 2009-10 season got a few votes, too. One respondent wrote, “how his ridiculous contract hamstrung the team for years.” In an ever-changing world, it’s oddly comforting to know some misplaced grudges last forever.

30. What’s your favorite Duncan Keith memory?

50% said returning after losing seven teeth, 43.7% said the Cup winner against Tampa and the rest said the "Braveheart" speech

There were seven options, but this was a two-horse race. The winner was Keith taking a puck to the mouth, losing seven teeth and returning to the game to help the Blackhawks clinch the Western Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks in 2010. Keith said after the game, “It’s just missing teeth. It’s a long way from the heart. You get hit in the teeth, obviously it hurts the gums, but it’s not like you got your jaw smashed in or anything like that.”

The runner-up was Keith tallying the game-winning goal and securing the Conn Smythe Trophy in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final against the in 2015.

His “wakey, wakey” taunt of Backes after the Seabrook hit got several write-in votes, as did his “lasso” celebration following his overtime winner against Nashville in 2015.

One write-in vote said it best: “How the F do we possibly choose for this franchise legend? All of the above!”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219467 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche re-signs defenseman Dennis Gilbert

By MIKE CHAMBERS | August 16, 2021 at 2:06 p.m.

The Avalanche on Monday re-signed defenseman Dennis Gilbert, who was the club’s last remaining restricted free agent. He agreed to a one- year, two-way deal worth $750,000 (NHL)/$160,000 (minors), per a league source.

Gilbert, 24, played just three games with the Avs last season — partly because he underwent facial surgery after a fight with Vegas’ Keegan Kolesar on Feb. 16. Gilbert, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in a four-player trade on Oct. 10, 2020, saw action in 17 games for the AHL’s Colorado Eagles last season. He will likely begin next season with the Eagles.

Denver Post: LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219468 Colorado Avalanche

Kurtis MacDermid: “MacKinnon, Rantanen, everyone … I’ve got their back”

Published 10 hours ago on August 16, 2021By Adrian Dater

Kurtis MacDermid

The day of the “tough guy” in the NHL was supposed to have expired by now. NHL teams don’t need a physical guy who fights a lot, the analytics men and women knights of the keyboard explained, because it’s all about speed and skill now and that’s it. Quick, someone from the analytics crowd, message Joe Sakic about this. He’s standing by to take your call.

Not.

Colorado hockeynowLOADED: 08.17.2021 1219469 Colorado Avalanche hand, which he toughed up in off-seasons by wrapping chains around it and punching trees. That’s no lie.

He won a Cup with the Avs in 2001 and made legit contributions to that The top-five all-time Colorado Avalanche enforcers team.

Colorado hockeynow LOADED: 08.17.2021

Published 16 hours ago on August 16, 2021By Adrian Dater

The Avalanche will have a genuine enforcer this coming season in hulking defenseman (and possible forward) Kurtis MacDermid. The Avs acquired him last month in a deal with Seattle, and Joe Sakic said, in effect, that his team didn’t stick up for each other enough last year – to which I whole-heartedly agree.

We can debate the question of “Do NHL teams still need a tough guy?” all we want, but take a look around the league right now to see what many teams have done over the summer. Teams are adding more tough guys to their rosters. The Avs are one of them.

This is a good opportunity, then, to toss out my list of the top five enforcers in Avalanche team history. I don’t have any empirical, analytics as to why they’re on my list. It’s just my list.

5. Warren Rychel

“Bundy” didn’t always win, in his 19 official fights with the Avs in two stints with the club. But he was certainly a willing combatant at all times and he was totally fearless. His nose was the size of a small yacht by the time his playing career was done, having taken numerous shots over the years. But he always kept punching back, too.

He was a middleweight fighter, but he sometimes took on heavyweights such as Gino Odjick and Brad May. He always stood up for a teammate, and he was a great trash talker too. As I said, he didn’t always win his fights, but he always answered the bell…

4. Jeff Odgers

“Odgie” was similar to Rychel, in that he never turned down a challenge and, while he didn’t always win, he always went down swinging at least.

He had 72 official fights in his three seasons with the Avs. He was a middleweight who would fight the heavyweights too, as the fight with Bob Probert below shows. Teammates loved him because ALWAYS addressed any liberty taken against one of the top players.

3. Cody McLeod

The Highlander fought 129 times for the Avs – the all-time team record.

Bonus Voucher!

He was tough as they come. He didn’t always win either, but he never let it show that it hurt. He knew what his job was, but he tried to play the game the right way. Yeah, people in Minnesota probably disagree, as he was suspended once for a hit to tiny Jared Spurgeon. But the Highlander actually had very few truly dirty hits.

Here’s a typical Highlander fight in his many years with the Avs:

2. Chris Simon

If this list took into account some of his years in Quebec, he might be at the top of the list. But the fact is, the Chief only played one season here. What a year it was, though – the first one, a championship season in which Simon not only scored 16 goals but piled up 250 penalty minutes as one of most feared fighters in the league.

The Avs goofed when they let him go, to Washington, in the next off- season. Brent Severyn gamely tried to fill his skates, but his heart was just never really into it. Simon genuinely liked to take out his aggressions on opponents’ faces. Though a quiet, peaceful man off the ice, Simon was truly scary as a fighter.

Here is probably his most famous fight as an Av, against Chicago’s Bob Probert in the 1996 playoffs – a fight that really helped turn around that game – and series – in favor of the Avs.

Scott Parker

The Sheriff was a genuinely frightening dude when he dropped the gloves. He fought 51 times for the Avs, but often couldn’t find any takers when he wanted to drop the gloves even more. He had a very hard right 1219470 Columbus Blue Jackets to rate Max Domi, 26, who won’t make it back from shoulder surgery until December. Who is Max Domi?

What will provide early momentum — or put a drag — on rebuild are the Michael Arace: Blue Jackets training camp fast approaches. Who are players below the 25-26 line. I’m talking about Patrik Laine, 23, who took these guys? a break from elite sniping last season, and Jack Roslovic, 24, who needs more reps. Who is Emil Bemstrom, 22? Alexandre Texier, 21?

“Yegor Chinakhov (age 20) was rookie of the year in the KHL,” Michael Arace Kekalainen said. “He’ll have a great chance to show what he can do, and time will tell. Also, our ‘old-young’ players like Bemstrom and Texier. With

a new coaching staff, we’ll see what kind of new look they give to the The Blue Jackets hope Patrik Laine returns to form with a new coaching offense and the systems.” staff. Amid the flurry of transactions since the first night of the draft on July 23 The Blue Jackets are among five NHL teams that will send a squad to — dang, was that just a few weeks ago? — it's almost forgotten that John the Traverse City Prospect Camp, which opens Sept. 16. The official Tortorella, the greatest coach in team history, has been replaced with opening of training camp in Columbus is Sept. 22. Yes, the hockey Brad Larsen. season is sneaking up quickly. Kekalainen suggests that younger players could thrive with a new In a sentence: Single-game tickets go on sale later this week. coaching staff.

Presently, all is quiet in hockey operations. General manager Jarmo “Brad Larsen is Brad Larsen, and he’s not just going to copy the system,” Kekalainen was afforded the time to play in the golf tournament his family Kekalainen said. “He has got his own ideas. He’s pretty progressive on organizes as a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research how he wants to play hockey. I think that’s why he hired (associate Foundation. He also played in a charity tournament run by the team’s Pascal Vincent and assistant Sylvain Lefebvre). They’re progressive as majority owner, John P. McConnell. well. It’s going to be an exciting brand of hockey.”

Kekalainen was economical in using one word to describe his golf game. Soon, we will begin to understand how “exciting” is defined. And He’s better at tennis and pickleball. Put it that way. "patience."

Michael Arace:Zach Werenski sticks his foot in Blue Jackets' revolving Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 08.17.2021 door in Columbus

It is a respite after one of the most seismic summers in franchise history. The Jackets’ roster has been turned over, almost by a half. It was the first stage of a major rebuild. The goal is to “build it right.”

“Yeah, I’ve said that a few times,” Kekalainen admitted Sunday. “We’ve had some great core players, great on the ice, great people, great character. But we weren’t getting any parades. Our goal is to win the Stanley Cup, and it’s why we made the decisions we felt we had to make.”

Kekalainen hates to use the word “patience” because it belies his competitive nature. Yet, it’s no secret that some patience will be required. Two of the foundational players in the rebuild — first-round draft picks Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger, both centers — are not expected in Columbus anytime soon. The same can be said for the Jackets’ other first-round pick, defenseman Corson Ceulemans.

It may be that all three are playing for Team Canada at the World Junior Tournament, which will run from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta.

It may be, too, that another future Jacket will be playing in the World Juniors. The event is often a showcase for prospects, and the Jackets have two picks in the first round of the 2022 draft.

Michael Arace:Blue Jackets are hurtling through an all-time makeover

“We’re going to need to grow a little bit,” Kekalainen said. “There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon. … The depth chart is completely different as far as the prospect side goes. We’re stocked on defense, at forward, with skill, grit and character, all kinds of things. We’ll have to wait and see how much of an impact it all makes at the NHL level.”

Star defenseman Zach Werenski, 24, essentially ratified Kekalainen's long-range plans earlier this month when he signed a six-year contract extension worth $57.53 million.

What about the present? With training camp coming in about a month, what is one to make of the big club and the season to come?

NHL draft:Blue Jackets cap 'bittersweet day' with trio of talented prospects in NHL draft's first round

Once again, the Blue Jackets will be one of the youngest teams in the league, with an average age somewhere between 25 and 26.

We have a good idea what the players above the 25-26 line can do. I’m talking about guys like Jake Voracek, 32, Gustav Nyqvist, 31, Boone Jenner, 28 and Sean Kuraly, 28. Granted, Gregory Hofmann, 28, and Justin Danforth, 28, are wild cards. And, admittedly, I have no idea how 1219471 Detroit Red Wings Erne also is optimistic the Wings can continue the progress they showed this season, thanks to influx of talent acquired by general manager Steve Yzerman.

Re-signed Adam Erne looks to 'pick up where I left off' after career year "Every year that goes by, we're a young team that's getting a little older, with Red Wings and guys getting experience," Erne said. "Guys (have been brought in) with tons of experience, veteran guys, and we're getting closer.

"We're going to be a good team next year." Ted Kulfan Cossa signed

The Wings signed goaltender Sebastian Cossa, the team's second first- Detroit — Sometimes contract negotiations can be difficult and round pick in July's NHL Entry Draft, to a three-year entry-level contract. frustrating, but it doesn't sound like Adam Erne's dealings with the Red Wings this summer were anything like that. Cossa, 18, was drafted by the Red Wings after the team packaged three picks to acquire the 15th overall pick from Dallas to select the 6-foot-6, Erne and the Wings settled on a two-year contract Sunday worth $4.2 210-pound goalie. million ($2.1 million salary cap hit). Cossa had a dominant Western Hockey League season with the Erne, 26, a restricted free agent with salary arbitration rights, filed for Edmonton Oil Kings in 2020-21, leading the junior league in both goals- arbitration with the case scheduled to have been heard Saturday. against average (1.57) and save percentage (0.941), while tying for the league lead in shutouts (four) and ranking second in wins (17) among his But the two sides were able to work something out long before the 17-1-1 record. hearing was to take place. Cossa is expected to return to Edmonton next season. "We just talked a few times this summer and it's a process, and (the deal) wasn't done yet, so we had to file for arbitration," Erne said Monday Ticket update during a Zoom call with reporters. "We were able to find number that both of us were happy with, and that's pretty much it. Tickets for all preseason and regular-season home games at will go on sale 10 a.m. Friday. Fans can sign up for the "It wasn't anything crazy." single-game ticket presale list to have an opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public by visiting DetroitRedWings.com/Presale. The two-year contract takes Erne into unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2023. The Wings open the regular season Oct. 14 at LCA against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning at 7:30 p.m. Erne was pleased to have the security of the second year of the contract. Detroit News LOADED: 08.17.2021 "It all depends on numerous factors (on the player's and team's situations)," Erne said of getting the second year. "But it's definitely nice to have two years, for sure."

The Wings were able to avoid arbitration with all three players — Erne, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jakub Vrana — who were eligible for salary arbitration.

Both team and player, generally, want to avoid the process whenever possible, and Erne was no exception.

"It's a business and I don't think anyone takes that stuff personally; I don't," Erne said. "Everybody has a job to do, and I'm happy we were able to settle when we did."

Erne had a breakthrough, career-best season during the shortened 2020- 21 schedule.

Erne led the Wings with 11 goals, and had nine assists, good for 20 points in 45 games. The 20 points tied Erne's career-high set in 2018-19 with Tampa Bay over 65 games.

Erne's three power-play goals tied for the Wings' team lead, and he led the Wings with 82 credited hits, and posted the Wings' longest point streak of the season, spanning eight games (from April 1-15).

Coach Jeff Blashill often credited Erne with taking advantage of opportunities, through determination and perseverance.

“He was on the power play a bit last year and made a few mistakes and got taken off,” Blashill said during the season. “This year he earned it in practice. He was subbing in for somebody and he seemed to be doing a good job. We put him on and he did a good job time after time.

“That’s the essence of grabbing it. … He’s earned any of the opportunities he’s gotten. He’s had to earn his ice time, I haven’t given it to him.

“He’s earned more and more ice time as we’ve gone along. He’s got on the power play as guys were out and he did a good job with it, so he stayed on the power play and he’s earned it.”

Erne stayed ready, waited for his chance, and capitalized.

"(It's about) being able to do something with the opportunity when you get it," Erne said. "Luckily I was prepared for that and I was able to do that, so it felt good to have a year like that.

"Hopefully next year, I can pick up where I left off." 1219472 Detroit Red Wings

Michigan hockey hires Red Wings consultant, ex-Wolverine Brandon Naurato as assistant coach

Updated Aug 16, 2021; Posted Aug 16, 2021

By Ryan Zuke

Michigan’s hockey program has filled its vacant assistant coach position with a familiar face.

The university announced Monday the hiring of former Wolverine forward Brandon Naurato, who has spent the past three years as a player development consultant with the Detroit Red Wings.

The 36-year-old fills the role left by Kris Mayotte, who was hired as Colorado College’s head coach in April after spending two seasons in Ann Arbor.

“Brandon will bring a cutting-edge skill development component that is critical to today’s student-athletes as they pursue on-ice excellence,” Michigan head coach Mel Pearson said in a release. “He is a ‘think outside the box’ type coach whose goals are to help each individual reach his potential. His past experience working with the Detroit Red Wings and NHL players will greatly benefit our student-athletes.”

In Detroit, Naurato worked with the Red Wings and their American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins’ coaching staffs to implement individual skill development into the team identity, which included devising individualized plans for each player with a focus on current analytics trends.

The Livonia native also owns and manages his own development business, Naurato Consulting, helping more than 170 junior, college and professional players over the past two years with his development programs, including ex-Wolverines Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Jacob Trouba, Kyle Connor, JT Compher and Andrew Copp.

In his four seasons at Michigan from 2006-09, Naurato recorded 32 goals and 32 assists in 130 games.

“It is an honor to have earned the opportunity to come back to Michigan and work with Mel, Billy, and the rest of the hockey staff,” Naurato said in a release. “The life lessons and relationships that were built during my years in Ann Arbor as a player have helped shape who I am as a person today, and I can’t wait to get started. I am grateful to Coach Pearson and Warde Manuel for the new position and opportunity have a positive impact on all of our student-athletes as players and more importantly, people.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219473 Edmonton Oilers Dmitri Samorukov 13

18 Lowetide: How much playing time will Evan Bouchard get with the Oilers this season? 41.9

Logan Day

By Allan Mitchell Aug 16, 2021 13

22

It seemed the die was cast. Tyson Barrie exits, leaving a rather large 37.1 hole on Edmonton’s brilliant power play, only to be replaced at a much lower cost by an equally talented, if less experienced, player in Evan That season, the Condors lost key defenders Caleb Jones and William Bouchard. Lagesson to the Oilers in the second half of the campaign, and Bouchard was one of the players who stepped up successfully to a more prominent The plan, however, hit a snag when Adam Larsson signed with the role. upstart Seattle Kraken. Oilers general manager Ken Holland acted quickly to re-sign Barrie and veteran Cody Ceci in an effort to shore up If Bouchard struggles early at even strength in 2021-22, it will be the right side of the defence. Edmonton then traded Ethan Bear, making important for Tippett to be patient and keep playing him through the room for Bouchard. inevitable mistakes young defencemen always make. The reward on the other side in the AHL was substantial. The question now pertains to Bouchard’s deployment. Bouchard is an expert passer and can change angles from the point to get the puck Bouchard’s small NHL résumé through the high defender and on net. He would have been the de facto There isn’t much available, but Bouchard played regularly from Feb. 2 to power-play quarterback if Barrie had signed elsewhere, but the current March 1 last season. The club didn’t have Bear for most of the month, setup will obscure his main strengths. and Bouchard had an opportunity to slide in and play as a regular. Here Where does coach Dave Tippett go from here? How best to deploy a are the numbers for all regular defencemen five-on-five during that period young player when his main strengths are blocked? Let’s have a look. via Natural Stat Trick:

In-season improvement Oilers five-on-five February 2021

Bouchard played in 54 games in his AHL season in 2019-20, and he Darnell Nurse improved his on-ice performance markedly in the second half of the 21:17 campaign. His time on ice increased as his success in outscoring opponents grew. Here are the splits for the 2019-20 campaign. 49.4

Bouchard On-Ice Even Strength in AHL 56.7

1-27 Tyson Barrie

18 17:53

29 50.2

38.3 57.7

28-54 Adam Larsson

23 16:45

22 47.1

51.1 57.1

Bouchard improved a great deal once he adjusted to the AH. He also Kris Russell increased his second-half scoring (4-17-21) before averaging a point-per- game during the ’ postseason. Bouchard’s impact 15:52 that season is perhaps best illustrated when comparing his second-half 41.3 success to the other defencemen on the team: 55.6 Condors Defence On-Ice Even Strength Evan Bouchard Keegan Lowe 13:09 26 52.9 23 45.5 53.1 William Lagesson Evan Bouchard 10:22 23 42.5 22 71.4 51.1 Slater Koekkoek Joel Persson 7:50 14 42 17 39.4 45.2 Bouchard started the month paired with Russell and was sending passes 12:50 to Connor McDavid from the beginning of February. I gave him a “B” in my February report card, saying “gifted passer, his outlets sent away 0 dozens of offensive rushes smoothly during the month. He posted 1.64 0.57 points 60 at five-on-five (1-3-4 in 146 minutes), a handsome total for a player getting depth minutes. Even more impressive, his possession William Lagesson numbers, thought to be a weakness, were in fact a strength. His even- 12:45 strength shot differential (52 percent) and goal differential (60 percent) were especially strong for such an inexperienced puck mover. Bouchard 0 is still blocked on the right side by a trio of veterans, but it’s only a matter of time before he forces his way into the everyday lineup.” 0.5

On March 1, he looked poised to emerge as an NHL regular with the Slater Koekkoek Oilers and help the forwards offensively. He would play only two more 10:55 times (May 4 and May 15) during the regular season, losing the momentum he built during a strong month with the team. 0.31

The Oilers went back to Bear on the right-handed side, and Bear 0.31 performed very well over the course of the rest of the regular season. That month by Bouchard is proof he can play in the NHL. Not playing him If we take Bouchard’s numbers from last season and apply his minutes to the rest of the schedule was an opportunity missed, but there’s no reason a full 82-game schedule, his totals would be 36 points all-in. That’s with for it to be career-limiting. just 90 seconds a game on the power play and 14 even-strength minutes over those 82 games. If Barrie and or Ceci struggle, Bouchard could Deployment and expectations move up the depth chart in all areas and increase his impact. Barrie and Ceci are veterans, but there are issues with placing them in feature five- Bouchard averaged a little over 13 minutes a game last season at five- on-five roles. on-five, plus about 20 seconds a game at four-on-four (Edmonton is very effective in that game state). His power-play time (42 seconds per game) Bouchard is unlikely to play major minutes with Darnell Nurse at five-on- should increase, even if he spends no time on the No. 1 power play. He five this season; Tippett is a conservative coach in this area. However, spent little time on the penalty kill, but Barrie spends even less time on the absence of alternatives clears the mind, and struggles by the the four-on-five, so Bouchard will get work there, too. veterans (completely possible) might open a window of opportunity for Bouchard. If Bouchard averages 13:30 at five-on-five, 30 seconds four-on-four, 90 seconds on the power play and another 30 seconds on the penalty kill, What does he need? what should fans expect? The answer is a lot. Here are last season’s five-on-five points-per-60 numbers, including all Oilers defencemen who We don’t know the numbers that have value to the Oilers’ coaching and played in more than 10 games. management staff, but Bouchard performed well in possession metrics such as Corsi and Fenwick. His five-on-five Corsi (51.86 percent) trailed Oilers defence five-on-five scoring only deadline pickup Dmitry Kulikov, according to Natural Stat Trick. His expected goals landed just shy of 50 percent. Tyson Barrie Bouchard’s weakest area is goals against. His goal-differential ratio (5-8) 17:08 combines some bad luck and some rookie mistakes during his time with 0.25 the club last season.

1.38 Bouchard needs better luck, and some patience from Tippett. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Holland has mentioned repeatedly that the young Evan Bouchard phenom will be a big part of the team this season. “Bouchard didn’t play last year,” Holland told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. 13:31 “Bouchard needs to play.” 0.32 What should fans expect? 1.27 Bouchard’s challenges are a lack of experience, a coach who will be Darnell Nurse under even more pressure after a quick playoff exit, and the nuts and bolts of defensive play. 20:40 On the other hand, Bouchard’s defence is an unknown, while Barrie’s 0.62 defensive play is known to be a liability.

1.19 Holland’s words were clear during the summer. Tippett’s actions in the Kris Russell fall and winter need to march in lockstep. There are going to be tough moments defensively, and they will come at inconvenient times because 15:55 Bouchard will be learning on the job.

0 Patience is required, but if the organization plays Bouchard all season, he’ll be more capable come playoff time. Forty points is a reasonable 0.86 expectation if he plays all season.

Ethan Bear The last time Edmonton had a defenceman post 40 points in his first full 15:08 season? Never been done. Not Paul Coffey, not Tom Gilbert, not Risto Siltanen, not Justin Schultz. 0.18 Bouchard is a special player. The Oilers need to give him the opportunity 0.74 to show it and then reap the rewards.

Adam Larsson The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021 16:41

0.26

0.64

Caleb Jones 1219474 Florida Panthers

Olli Jokinen – Panthers Den of Honor

August 16, 2021 by Joey Ganzi

In June 2000, the New York Islanders traded Olli Kokinen along with goaltender to the Florida Panthers for and Oleg Kvasha. Jokinen would define his career as a Panther and set a new standard for the future. After seven seasons, he left his mark in South Florida as one of the greatest to ever don the Panther jersey.

Career Outlook

Drafted third overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1997 NHL Draft, Jokinen played there for only two seasons before he was traded to the Islanders. Like in LA, his time on Long Island was short-lived, and he was traded to the Panthers after just one season.

He struggled in his first two seasons in South Florida, only notching 37 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 158 games. However, he blossomed in his third season. In 2002-03, he scored 65 points (36 goals, 29 assists) through 81 games and was named Florida’s representative at the 2003 All-Star Game. He was named captain the following season, the fifth in Panthers history.

In the 2006-07 season, he reached his highest point total to date with 91 (39 goals, 52 assists) through a full 82-game schedule, which ranked fourth in goals and points in a single season in franchise history. He was not as successful the following season with 71 points (34 goals, 37 points) through another full campaign. Unfortunately, that was his last in a Panther uniform as he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2008 NHL Draft for Keith Ballard, Nick Boynton, and a second-round selection in that same draft.

He left Florida with the most goals in franchise history at 188, the most game-winning goals with 36, fifth in games played with 567, fourth in assists with 231, second in power-play goals with 65, and tied for fourth in shorthanded goals with eight.

After small stints with the Coyotes, Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues, he returned home to retire a Panther. He finished his NHL career with 750 points (321 goals, 429 assists) through 1,231 games. This also includes five points (two goals, three assists) in five postseason games with the Flames. Given his talent, it’s a shame he did not see as much playoff action as his career deserved.

Today, he still has an impact on the hockey community with the South Florida Hockey Academy, a hockey clinic he started to help grow the sport in what is considered a small market. He is also a coach for Liiga’s Jukurit, the Finnish league where he started his career in 1995.

Jokinen’s Legacy

Jokinen made his mark by setting franchise records and having some of the best seasons of his career. While he was placed in the Den of Honor in the BB&T Center, he should have his number raised to the rafters along with Luongo. He loved being a Panther and wanted to make an impact on the sport in South Florida.

“My heart has always been with the Panthers organization and now I feel like my career has come full circle,” Jokinen said. “I am extremely grateful that I had the chance to play hockey in South Florida and help the sport grow.”

Olli Jokinen after announcing his retirement

While other players have since broken his records, such as the team’s current Finnish captain, Aleksander Barkov, Jokinen built the foundation that has helped players succeed within the organization and in the NHL. While his history with the club may be short, he deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore of Panther legends.

Florida Hockey NowLOADED: 08.17.2021 1219475 Los Angeles Kings

All The Kings Men – Phillip Danault Interview

By All The Kings Men11 hours ago

The most notable offseason signing for the LA Kings came on the beginning of the first day of free agency, when General Manager Rob Blake signed center Phillip Danault to a six-year contract.

The 28-year-old native of Victoriaville, Quebec leaves the Montreal Canadians after six seasons with the organization and an unexpected run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, where he and his teammates fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. Danault, who played a vital role with the Canadians down the middle, is best known for his lockdown defense against other team’s top forwards, while still producing solid offensive totals.

“I wanted to be a part of a great franchise and a great group of young guys,” Danault said. “LA was the perfect fit. I’m really proud to be a member of the LA Kings.”

Danault joined the All The Kings Men Podcast, as he talked with host Jesse Cohen and Zach Dooley on a variety of topics, ranging from why he chose to sign with the Kings to his on-ice, shutdown abilities, to off-ice things like adjusting from Montreal to Los Angeles, choosing his number, and the price of keeping his number with the Kings.

On his role as a shutdown center versus opponent’s top line

I took a lot of pride in my role [as a shutdown center against the other team’s best line]. Night after night, going up against Connor McDavid and Austin Matthews it’s stressful and tiring, they go so fast. You have to be alert mentally and can’t slip up for one second. I didn’t do it by myself, we did it all together as a team. My role really stood out this year.

On helping add to the good culture in LA

They have really good veterans in LA and I can’t wait to get started. I think culture is everything on a team. You can win against any team with a good culture.

On mentoring Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi and doing that in LA

I did pass on everything I knew from my game, but at some point, they can’t be the same player as I am. It’s up to them to take the most valuable advice for their game, I think it’s one of the reasoning we were able to go to the Cup finals. Now, I want to do the same thing here. I really want to be a good mentor and player in LA.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219476 Minnesota Wild "This is a business," Guerin said. "It's not a personal attack. It's not, 'We don't like this guy. We like that guy more.' It's a business and we have a salary cap, a budget and a pay structure that we have to follow in order for us to be successful, and that's what we're doing. Kevin Fiala agrees to one-year, $5.1 million contract with Wild "Lots of players go through this. I don't look at it as a slap in the face and if somebody does, then great. Prove us wrong."

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune AUGUST 16, 2021 — 11:19AM Kaprizov is the only Wild regular still unsigned, but Guerin said he is in constant communication with Kaprizov's agent.

A recent report from Daily Faceoff indicated Kaprizov has a tentative The Wild and Kevin Fiala didn't agree on a multiyear contract this agreement in place to return to Russia's KHL if he can't finalize a deal offseason, but the two sides won't have to wait long to try again. with the Wild. Guerin said he wasn't sure if the report was true, Fiala is returning on a one-year, $5.1 million deal, a short-term solution explaining: "It's not my decision. Doesn't bother me at all." announced Monday that avoided arbitration and gives the top-six winger The NHL's reigning Rookie of the Year is coming off a dynamic debut, in another audition to show he merits a lucrative commitment from the Wild. which he led the Wild with 27 goals and 51 points. Kaprizov falls into the "It's a great opportunity for him," General Manager Bill Guerin said. "It unique category of not meeting restricted free agency or unrestricted free didn't work this year, but he's got to be motivated. I do think Kevin's the agency requirements. He is only allowed to negotiate and sign with the type of guy that probably wants to prove me wrong and say, 'You Wild, is ineligible for an offer sheet from another team and doesn't have screwed up.' That's what you want as a GM, too. That's what you want as arbitration rights. a coach. "Things are going well enough," Guerin said of the contract talks. "We "You want these guys that are driven and hungry. I think Kevin's got the still have lots of time. There's no rush or panic." capabilities of doing that." Even if Kaprizov is signed before training camp, the Wild could Although the Wild "would have loved" to sign Fiala long-term, Guerin said reconvene next month with holes in the lineup. it seemed like that result wasn't feasible. Trades, the waiver wire and internal candidates are all options Guerin Negotiations began in July, and talks went back and forth without a mentioned to patch up the roster, but the flexibility might be enticing. resolution. But the team guaranteed an outcome before training camp "It's not always the worst thing to have some competition spots open," he when it filed for salary arbitration earlier this month, a move that was said. "When you get to training camp, you see who wants it. You see driven in part by Fiala's last contract. who's hungry. But we'll see." That two-year, $6 million deal didn't get done until the day before training Star Tribune LOADED: 08.17.2021 camp opened in 2019, and Fiala was a late arrival.

A restricted free agent, Fiala also could have elected for arbitration but didn't.

His arbitration hearing with the Wild was scheduled for Tuesday, but like in most cases in the NHL, a new contract was worked out ahead of time. The salary request filed by the Wild was $4 million and $6.25 million by Fiala's camp, and although these figures aren't necessarily indicative of actual offers, the two sides ended up settling in the middle.

"We're happy," Guerin said. "We're very happy to have Kevin back in the mix. There's no threat of missing training camp, and he can just kind of focus on being ready for training camp and his conditioning and all that stuff. Kevin's an important player for us."

Since joining the Wild in February 2019 in a trade that sent Mikael Granlund to Nashville, Fiala has been a ringleader in the offensive zone while striving to become more of a complete player.

Last season, Fiala finished second in goals (20) and points (40) on the Wild, but he was also benched for turnovers. Overall, the 25-year-old has 101 points in 133 games with the Wild; a team-high 54 points came in 2019-20.

Fiala will be a restricted free agent again next offseason before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency. He can sign an extension with the Wild as soon as Jan. 1.

"It's a very important year for him," Guerin said. "Anytime you're in a contract year, it's very important. If Kevin truly wants to establish himself as an elite player, he's going to have to keep improving. He's had two good years for us, and he's going to have to continue to get better.

"Kevin's still young, too. He's still a young man, and there's lots of room for improvement in his game on a lot of different areas. But there are some things that he does extremely well that other people in the league can't do."

Guerin is optimistic the Wild could still re-sign Fiala to a long-term deal, which is what center Joel Eriksson Ek received and what Guerin anticipates for Kirill Kaprizov.

All three were offensive leaders for the Wild last season, and Guerin has identified the trio as part of the team's foundation. But the same contract might not work for everyone. Eriksson Ek re-upped for $42 million over eight years in July, an average of $5.25 million per season. 1219477 Minnesota Wild

Wild GM: Kirill Kaprizov’s deal ‘will be longer’ than Fiala’s

By JOHN SHIPLEY | PUBLISHED: August 16, 2021 at 4:14 p.m. | UPDATED: August 16, 2021 at 5:29 p.m.

The Wild have a little more than a month before training camp begins, plenty of time to get Kirill Kaprizov signed to a long-term contract extension, general manager Bill Guerin said Monday.

While addressing the team’s new one-year, $5.1 million contract with Kevin Fiala, Guerin was asked if he had anything to report on the Wild’s effort to sign Kaprizov, the 2020-21 winner of the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.

“Not really,” he said.

Still, he added, it’s not time to panic, even if the Wild begin camp on Sept. 23 and have their first preseason game scheduled for Sept. 25 at St. Louis.

“I think things are going well enough,” Guerin said. “We still have lots of time. There’s no rush or panic. I’m in constant communication with Karill’s agent, and we continue to move forward.”

In fact, Guerin appeared confident Kaprizov, a restricted free agent, would choose the Wild over his only alternative — returning to Russia and playing in the KHL.

Guerin was hoping to get Fiala signed to a long term deal but settled for one year when it became apparent that was the only option. Asked if that might become the case with Kaprizov, the GM said, “No, (the deal) will be longer.”

The Wild drafted Kaprizov, 24, late in the 2015 draft and waited five years for him to join the team. He paid off that faith by leading the team with 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games last season. Because he signed his two-year, two-way rookie contract before the NHL restarted its 2019- 20 COVID season and never joined the team, the Wild only got Kaprizov for one season before he became a restricted free agent.

Still, the Wild remain his only NHL option. With only one season under his belt, he can’t become an unrestricted free agent until he turns 27. But he could return to Russia, where he scored 78 goals and 153 points in 160 games and won two league championships with CSKA from 2017-19.

On Aug. 9, Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff tweeted that Kaprisov has a tentative, one-year deal for “eight figures” — i.e. $10 million — waiting for him with CSKA Moscow should he not sign with Minnesota.

When asked about that report on Monday, Guerin said, “It’s not my decision. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

Asked whether Guerin could say whether the report is true, he said, “How would I be able to tell you that? I can’t tell you if it’s true or not. I don’t know.”

Kaprizovs agent, Paul Theofanous, could not be reached Monday.

Pioneer Press LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219478 Minnesota Wild also could return to Russia, where he scored 78 goals and 153 points in 160 games and won two league championships with CSKA Moscow from 2017-19.

Kevin Fiala’s one-year deal with Wild works for both sides Pioneer Press LOADED: 08.17.2021

By JOHN SHIPLEY | PUBLISHED: August 16, 2021 at 11:44 a.m. | UPDATED: August 16, 2021 at 5:26 p.m.

The Wild didn’t get Kevin Fiala signed to the long-term deal they wanted. That’s OK, general manager Bill Guerin said. It works two ways.

Guerin signed Fiala to a one-year, $5.1 million contract on Monday, assuring the Wild will have a key piece of the team’s future on the ice for the 2021-22 season, and in training camp next month. That gives Fiala a year to prove he’s worth the deal he wanted, never a bad thing for a team that feels close to a postseason breakthrough.

By the same token, it also gives the Wild a year to see if Fiala is, in fact, worth a long-term deal.

“And I don’t think it’s a bad thing for Kevin,” Guerin said Monday afternoon. “I think it’s a great opportunity for him. It didn’t work this year, but I think he’s going to be motivated. And you know what? I do think Kevin’s the kind of guy that probably wants to prove me wrong and say, ‘You know what? You screwed up.’ ”

If that is what it takes to push Fiala, 25, into elite company, well, the Wild will take it after pushing the Vegas Golden Knights, a Western Conference Final team, to seven games in the first round of the playoffs this spring. Fiala finished last season with 20 goals and 40 points in 50 regular-season games. He was sharp in the postseason, too. His 22 shots on goal were a team high, but he hit some posts and was robbed a few times by Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury before finishing with just a goal and assist.

The Wild also move back to the Central Division this season — after playing in a weaker, one-off West Division last season — against playoff teams Colorado, Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg.

“To a man,” Guerin said, “we’re all going to have to be better.”

Fiala, 25, is part of the young nucleus around which Guerin wants to build his offense, joining center Joel Eriksson Ek — who signed an eight- year, $42 million extension on July 2 — and Karill Kaprizov, the young winger who finally arrived from Russia for the 2020-21 season and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.

Fiala’s last deal, a two-year, $6 million contract, wasn’t wrapped up until the day before training camp in 2019. Fiala arrived late, something Guerin didn’t want to happen again. The sides exchanged arbitration numbers over the weekend — they were $2.25 million apart, according to Sportnet’s Elliott Friedman — and were scheduled for their next meeting on Tuesday.

Getting Fiala into camp on time, Guerin said, was a big reason the team took him to arbitration.

“Training camp isn’t always the funnest part of the year but it is important, and if you’re not there you’re behind the 8 ball and it’s very tough to play catch-up,” Guerin said. “So, with all that behind us, Kevin can just focus on what he needs to do to be ready.”

After this season, Fiala will have one more year before he can become a free agent.

“It’s a very important year for him. Any time you’re in a contract year it’s very important.” Guerin said. “You know, if Kevin truly wants to establish himself as an elite player, then he’s going to have to keep improving. He has had two good years for us, and he’s going to have to continue to get better.

“Kevin’s still young, too. He’s still a young man, and there’s lots of room for improvement in his game, in a lot of different areas. But there are some things he does extremely well that other people in the league can’t do. Like I said, it’s a big year for him.”

Having Fiala in the fold leaves Kaprizov, 24, as Guerin’s primary focus. He led the Wild with 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games last season. As a 10.2 restricted free agent, he can negotiate only with the Wild, but he 1219479 Minnesota Wild Guerin says it’s a big year for him. “If Kevin truly wants to establish himself as an elite player, then you

know what? He’s gonna have to keep improving,” Guerin said. “He’s had Wild depth chart 5.0: Why the Wild and Kevin Fiala couldn’t work out a two good years for us and he’s going to have to continue to get better. long-term deal, and a Kirill Kaprizov update Kevin’s still young, too. He’s still a young man and there’s lots of room for improvement in his game on a lot of different areas. But there are some things that he does extremely well that other people in the league can’t By Michael Russo Aug 16, 2021 do.

“Like I said, it’s a big year for him. Always is.”

Knowing the -confident Kevin Fiala, it’s safe to say we should expect Asked if he’ll need to sit down with Fiala when he arrives for training a pretty motivated player this upcoming season for the Wild. camp in order to repair the relationship, Guerin said he spoke with Fiala on Monday. The reality is even though he signed a one-year, $5.1 million contract Monday to avoid a Tuesday arbitration date, Fiala has watched all “We had a good chat. I’m sure we’ll talk when he gets back into town,” offseason at home as teammate Joel Eriksson Ek signed a max eight- Guerin said. “Hey, look, those are things that as a player, you have to year term worth $5.25 million annually and Kirill Kaprizov has been understand. This is a business. It’s not a personal attack. It’s not, ‘We extended seven- and eight-year offers in the $9 million range. don’t like this guy, we like that guy more.’ It’s a business and we have a salary cap, a budget, and a pay structure that we have to follow in order The Wild leading scorer over the past two seasons was hoping to sign for us to be successful and that’s what we’re doing. Lots of players go long-term at bigtime money this offseason, too, but the two sides never through this. I don’t look at it as a slap in the face, and if somebody does, got close on a lucrative, long-term contract and thus the team took him to then, great, prove us wrong.” arbitration in order to ensure he’d be in training camp on time after arriving late two years ago and getting off to a slow start following a an Guerin clearly feels Fiala is the type of player that needs to be kept offseason-long contract battle. hungry on short-term contracts.

“I’ve personally been through that twice, and it never works out,” said “I think it’s a great opportunity for him,” he said of the one-year deal. “It general manager Bill Guerin, chuckling, at his memory of holding out as a didn’t work this year (signing long-term), but he’s gotta be motivated. I do player. “Like I said, I can tell you that from experience. Training camp’s think Kevin’s the type of guy that probably wants to prove me wrong and not always the funnest part of the year. But it is important, and if you’re say, ‘You screwed up.’ That’s what you want as a GM, too. That’s what not there, you are behind the eight-ball. And it’s very tough to play catch- you want as a coach. You want these guys that are driven and hungry. I up. think Kevin’s got the capabilities of doing that.”

“We would have loved to get Kevin on a longer-term deal. But after a So, one down, one to go. while, in going back and forth, it just seemed like we weren’t going to be And with all due respect to unsigned Mason Shaw, who the Wild are able to get anything done. And, with the arbitration date coming working toward getting signed as we speak, we’re not talking about the (Tuesday), it just worked out that we could settle on a one-year deal. hard-working, hard-luck Iowa Wild forward. We’re very happy to have Kevin back in the mix. There’s no threat of missing training camp, and he can just kind of focus on being ready for No, the Wild will now focus on trying to get Kaprizov, last year’s Wild training camp and his conditioning and all that stuff.” leading scorer, re-signed in the near future.

Guerin mentioned multiple times on his 10-minute Zoom with reporters The good news? how important of a player Fiala is to the Wild. Nevertheless, it would be understandable if Fiala, who was unavailable for comment Monday, is a Since things erupted last week with the Daily Faceoff report that the bit stung if he feels he was treated vastly different than Kaprizov and reigning Calder Trophy winner has a 10-figure salary on the table from Eriksson Ek this summer. CSKA Moscow in the KHL if not re-signed in Minnesota by Sept. 1, the two sides continue to talk and sources say there has been some After all, the lightning-fast, dynamic winger scored 43 goals and 94 points headway toward a new deal. in 114 games the past two seasons. That’s tops on the team in both categories over that stretch. Guerin would only say Monday, “I think things are going well enough. We still have lots of time, there’s no rush or panic. I’m in constant Fiala, 25, scored 20 goals and 40 points in 50 games last season. After communication with Kirill’s agent. We continue to move forward.” leading the Wild in scoring during the 2020 playoff bubble, he scored one goal and one assist and was mostly snakebitten in leading the Wild with The Wild have so far been rebuffed in their seven- and eight-year 22 shots on goal during a seven-game playoff defeat at the hands of the overtures in the $9 million per year range, so they’re now looking to get Vegas Golden Knights a few months back. him signed to a mid-range deal lasting four, five or six years. That would be a solid compromise considering Kaprizov’s camp has been seeking a There’s no denying Fiala’s talent. He can score like few others on the short-term deal so he retains the potential of hitting unrestricted free Wild and routinely does so at clutch junctures. agency in 2024.

Fiala led the Wild in game-winning goals (five), shots (162), power-play Guerin was clear Monday in that Kaprizov will only be signed to a points (14) and takeaways (41), ranked second in scoring, goals and contract longer than Fiala’s. Of the threat he could re-sign in the KHL, power-play goals (six) and fourth in assists (20). Like two years ago Guerin said, “It’s not my decision. It doesn’t bother me at all.” when he scored 14 goals and 12 assists in the final 18 games, he finished this past season on a tear with 11 goals and 26 points in his final The Wild have plenty of cap space left this offseason at north of $14 22 games. He ranked tied for seventh in the NHL with 11 third period million, although part of that money will go to roster hopefuls vying for goals. some open spots up front and on the blue line, potential external signings or acquisitions and, of course, in-season callups and acquisitions. Guerin But he still has significant defensive warts and at times clearly drives the indicated he’s not interested in bringing any unsigned free agents to coaching staff batty with his propensity for turnovers and ill-timed camp on a pro tryout unless there was a clear path for that player to penalties. make the team.

Now, the one-year deal kicks the can down the curb another offseason As for his plans for those open roster spots, Guerin said, “We’ll have to and creates an uncertain future for him in Minnesota. see. We’ll see what becomes available. There’s trade options. There’s waiver wire later on. There’s internal. We’ll see. It’s not always the worst If Fiala’s contract isn’t extended before next July 1, he’ll once again thing to have some competition spots open. When you get to training become a restricted free agent. He’ll be able to negotiate off a $5.1 camp, you see who wants it. You see who’s hungry, but we’ll see. million qualifying offer and will once again have arbitration rights. But if Nothing’s like written in stone that we’re going to do.” he re-signs for one year or receives a one-year award in arbitration, he’ll be a potential unrestricted free agent in 2023. Finally, here’s the Wild’s updated depth chart: In Cam Talbot ($3.67M)

Forwards — Frederick Gaudreau, Dominic Turgeon Kaapo Kahkonen ($725K)

Defensemen — Alex Goligoski, Dmitry Kulikov, Jon Merrill, Joe Hicketts, Vying for spots: Andrew Hammond ($750,000), Hunter Jones ($825,833), Jon Lizotte. Dereck Baribeau ($733,333).

Out Salary cap hit: $62,141,667

Forwards — Zach Parise, Nick Bonino, Marcus Johansson, Gerald Dead cap charges (Parise/Suter): $4,743,588 Mayhew, Gabriel Dumont, Dmitry Sokolov, Luke Johnson Projected salary cap for 2021-22 season: $81.5 million Defensemen — Ryan Suter, Ian Cole, Brad Hunt, Brennan Menell, Louie Belpedio, Matt Bartkowski and Ian McCoshen. Salary cap space before the re-signing of free agents: $14,614,745

Forwards The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021

1

Kirill Kaprizov (RFA)

Victor Rask ($4M)

Mats Zuccarello ($6M)

2

Jordan Greenway ($2.1M)

Joel Eriksson Ek ($5.25M)

Marcus Foligno ($3.1M)

3

Ryan Hartman ($1.7M)

Kevin Fiala ($5.1M)

4

Nico Sturm ($725K)

Freddy Gaudreau ($1.2M)

Nick Bjugstad ($900K)

5

Vying for spots: Marco Rossi ($894, 167), Matt Boldy ($880,833), Connor Dewar ($825,833), Brandon Duhaime ($750,000), Kyle Rau ($750,000), Dominic Turgeon ($750,000), Joseph Cramarossa ($750,000), Adam Beckman ($894,167), Mitchell Chaffee ($925,000), Damien Giroux ($818,833), Alex Khovanov ($811,667)*, Will Bitten ($840,000), Mason Shaw (RFA), Ivan Lodnia ($747,500), Nick Swaney ($842,500).

* Khovanov is still deciding whether to return to North America or continue in the KHL.

Defensemen

1

Alex Goligoski ($5M)

Jared Spurgeon ($7.575M)

2

Jonas Brodin ($6M)

Matt Dumba ($6M)

3

Dmitry Kulikov ($2.25M)

Jon Merrill ($850K)

4

Vying for spots: Calen Addison ($795,000), Dakota Mermis ($750,000), Joe Hicketts ($750,000), Jon Lizotte ($750,000), Kevin Czuczman ($750,000), Ryan O’Rourke ($886,667)**, Daemon Hunt ($850,833)**, Fedor Gordeev ($791,667).

** Hunt will have to return to junior, while the Wild may be allowed to place O’Rourke in Iowa because he played more than 20 games for Iowa last season. But Guerin said the Wild won’t necessarily go that route.

Goalies 1219480 MontrealCanadiens

Canadiens prospect Sean Farrell named top U.S.-born junior

Pat Hickey • Publishing date:Aug 16, 2021 • 11 hours ago •

Canadiens prospect Sean Farrell has been named the recipient of the 2021 Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year award as the most outstanding U.S.-born player in junior hockey,

Farrell, who was drafted by the Canadiens in the fourth round of the 2020 draft (124th overall), led a potent offensive attack for the United States Hockey League-champion Chicago Steel. He won the league scoring title with 101 points, including 29 goals, in 53 regular-season games. He also had 10 points — two goals and eight assists — in eight playoff games.

Farrell was scheduled to play for Harvard University in 2020-21, but returned for a second season with the Steel after the Ivy League cancelled its hockey season because of COVID concerns. He helped Chicago win its second consecutive Anderson Cup as the league’s top regular-season team and also the Clark Cup championship as the USHL playoff champion. The Hopkinton, Mass. native also took online classes at Harvard.

Farrell was named the 2020-21 USHL Player of the Year and also earned All-USHL First Team honours. He became the 23rd player to score 100 points or more in the USHL since 1979, when the league first formed, and is the first player to do so since the 2011-12 season, when Greenfield Park native Kevin Roy had 104 points.

Farrell previously played two seasons with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and earned a bronze medal at the 2019 IIHF under-18 world championship.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219481 Nashville Predators

Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators avoid arbitration with 4-year, $20 million extension

Paul Skrbina

Juuse Saros' signature was destined for the dotted line.

When pen ended up meeting paper on his latest contract with the Nashville Predators was the only question.

The 26-year-old goalie, a restricted free agent, filed for salary arbitration and had a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. That meeting has been canceled after the two sides decided to settle on a number themselves Monday, when Saros received a four-year, $20 million extension to be the team's No. 1 goalie.

"Juuse has proven himself as one of the best young in the NHL, and we are very pleased to have him remain our No. 1 goaltender for years to come," general manager David Poile said in a statement. "While being mentored by Pekka Rinne, he has spent the last several seasons growing and taking steps physically and mentally to become a top goalie in this League, as evident by his spot on the NHL's All-Rookie Team in 2017-18 to finishing near the top of Vezina Trophy voting this past season. Juuse gives our team a chance to win in every game he plays."

Saros earned himself a few extra dollars last season, when he led the charge for the final two months to help the Predators go from the longest of postseason longshots to another playoff appearance. His previous contract was a three-year deal with an annual cap hit of $1.5 million.

Saros set career highs in starts (35), wins (21), save% (.927) and goals- against average (2.28) while solidifying himself as a sure No. 1 after years of backing up Rinne, who retired this summer.

Saros was one of 17 restricted free agents to file for arbitration, along with teammate Dante Fabbro, whom the team signed Aug. 5.

Signing him was a top priority for Poile, given the circumstances. Iaraoslav Askarov , the No. 11 pick last year, isn't close to being NHL- ready and continues his development in Russia, meaning Saros will continue the role he earned full-time last season for at least the next few years.

Saros, who was picked by Nashville in the fourth round in 2013, was a big reason the Predators made the playoffs last season, leading a two- month surge that saw them go from long shots and potential sellers at the trade deadline. He had a 1.90 goals-against average and a .941 save % during his last 23 starts.

"He's a stud and he's going to keep doing his thing," center Ryan Johansen said after Saros set a franchise playoff record with 58 saves in a Game 4 victory against the Hurricanes.

Saros' signing means Poile likely will turn his attention to trying to sign Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm to contract extensions. Both will be unrestricted free agents after next season. Both were tabbed by Poile as players he wants to keep around during a "competitive rebuild" that has seen Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Ellis traded.

The Predators signed David Rittich to be Saros' backup in late July.

Tennessean LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219482 Nashville Predators “competitively rebuilding” Predators are not expected to be legitimate contenders next season.

Based on recent contracts, a salary of at least $5 million is the going rate ‘Juuse’s our guy’: Predators give Juuse Saros a chance to address for a starter in his mid-20s. The five-year, $25 million deal signed earlier lingering concerns with big contract extension this year by Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko, who has started 70 fewer games than Saros, was the closest match to the one Saros signed Monday, according to CapFriendly. New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who has even less NHL experience, was By Adam Vingan Aug 16, 2021 next.

Juuse Saros’ closest comparisons

When discussing what Juuse Saros’ next contract could look like, a mid- Thatcher Demko (VAN) length deal with a cap hit around $5 million always seemed to make the most sense. 25

Saros, 26, would receive a well-deserved raise that paid him like a 59 promising starting goaltender. The Predators, meanwhile, would not lock themselves into another long-term contract. 5 years, $5 million AAV

It was understandable then that the reaction from Predators fans and Igor Shesterkin (NYR) local reporters Monday morning to the news that Saros had agreed to a 25 four-year, $20 million deal and avoided arbitration was mostly positive. 43 “Four years is a pretty good timeframe to see where (Saros) is and where his career goes as he takes over the No. 1 position for the 4 years, $5,666,667 AAV Predators,” general manager David Poile told The Athletic on Monday Matt Murray (OTT) afternoon. “His age puts him in a real good spot and us in a good spot for his next contract, in terms of having two good shots at two really good 26 contracts here. I can only speak for us, but I think it felt approximately right for both sides.” 193

Juuse Saros contract breakdown 4 years, $6.25 million AAV

2021-22 Saros could have reasonably asked for more money than Demko, and it is possible he could have gotten it in arbitration. The completed deal $4 million presents little risk for both sides.

2022-23 Concern No. 2: Saros has only had one good season!

$5 million Over his final 23 starts last season, Saros was outstanding. He won 16 games and posted a 1.90 goals-against average and .941 save 2023-24 percentage, which led to his receiving votes for the Vezina and Hart $6 million Trophies.

2024-25 Saros, however, was nowhere near as good during the first several weeks of the season, which continues a trend. In his short career, Saros $5 million has developed a habit of starting slow. The same thing happened during the 2019-20 season when Saros began taking over the starting role from Total Rinne. $20 million (No NMC/NTC) Juuse Saros’ slow starts/strong finishes Of course, there was also skepticism about whether Saros has done 2019-20 enough as a No. 1 goaltender to justify a $3.5 million bump in annual pay from his previous contract, though his $5 million cap hit is not at all 20/3.23/.890 excessive. (The Predators still have around $12.7 million in space, according to CapFriendly.) 20/2.22/.934

Let us unpack some common concerns: 2020-21

Concern No. 1: Saros is not experienced enough as a starter! 13/3.10/.895

A 20-year-old Saros debuted in the NHL in 2015 and soon made the full- 23/1.90/.941 time leap as Pekka Rinne’s backup. Saros does need to find more in-season consistency and help the Last season, Saros set career highs in consecutive starts (13 from April Predators win a playoff series, which he has not done in two tries despite 11 to May 8) and overall starts (35). His previous longest streak of starts his best efforts against the Carolina Hurricanes in May, when he had a was five. .921 save percentage in a six-game series loss. But his overall body of work is impressive and should not be discounted. Now that Rinne is retired, the Predators will lean heavily on Saros, who could start upwards of 50 games next season. New backup David Rittich Among goaltenders with a minimum of 100 career games played, four in once started 48 games in a season, but he was brought in to be the clear NHL history — Dominik Hasek, Ken Dryden, Tuukka Rask and Ben No. 2. Bishop — have a higher save percentage than Saros’ .920 in 155 games.

“As a No. 1 goalie in an 82-game, normal season, you’re looking at your Concern No. 3: What about Iaroslav Askarov? top guy to play between 55 and 60 games,” Poile said. “It’s just a fact that In the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, the Predators selected the highly (Saros) has not played that many games in a season. Based on last touted Askarov with the No. 11 pick. The 19-year-old Russian is year, specifically, when he basically ran the table in the second half of considered by draft experts to be the top goaltending prospect in the the season, I’m pretty confident that he can do that. But until you’ve been league. a No. 1, until you’ve played 60 games, until you’ve played multiple games in the playoffs, these are all things that he has to accomplish.” It is hard to imagine Askarov being ready to carry the load before Saros’ contract expires. Four years should be an appropriate amount of time for It should help that Saros will be playing in a relatively low-pressure Askarov to come to North America, learn the ropes under Saros’ tutelage environment as he learns to manage a heavier workload; the and challenge for the starting job when the Predators are in the final stages of their rebuild.

“In theory, if we could sign (Askarov) next year, it seems like the best goalies take at least a couple years in the minors, so you’re now talking three years logically before that could even happen,” Poile said. “To me, it was all about Juuse (and) what the right term was for him and us and giving him enough runway to establish himself as a clear No.1 goalie in the league. … Juuse’s our guy right now for the next four years at least.”

The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219483 Nashville Predators A second-round pick of Nashville’s last season, Evangelista didn’t play much last season (14 games in the AHL). But he’s due for a bounce-back year.

Players to watch at Nashville Predators development camp During his draft season, the 19-year-old tallied 23 goals — including six game winners — and 61 points in 62 games with the OHL's . He was also an integral part of the Knight’s OHL-best penalty kill unit that stopped nearly 84 percent of its chances. That performance shot MICHAEL GALLAGHER AUG 16, 2021 him up draft boards to the point he was considered a borderline first- round pick.

For the first time since 2019, the Nashville Predators will get an extended The Predators haven’t gotten to see much of Evangelista since drafting look at their top prospects during the team’s development camp, which him, so a strong development camp could go a long way toward making begins on Monday. a good first impression on the Nashville coaches.

The four-day event will end with a four-on-four Future Stars game at Ford Zachary L’Heureux, C Ice Center Bellevue. The Predators clearly think very highly of L’Heureux after trading both of For many players, it will be their first time working with the Predators their second-round picks to get back into the first round and take him. A coaching staff, which will include Predators Director of Player self-described Brad Marchand kind of player, L’Heureux fits the Development/ GM Scott Nichol, strength and Predators’ new physical, hard-nosed style of play. conditioning coach David Good and Milwaukee Admirals head coach Karl The 18-year-old signed a three-year, entry-level contract on July 28 and Taylor, among others. could be on the fast track to a roster spot in the next two years. Players will participate in on-ice drills, skills assessments, team practices L’Heureux has scored at least 19 goals and 39 points in each of his last and individual and group workouts. They will also be given instruction on two QMJHL seasons and could be compared to Tanner Jeannot but with training techniques like sport-specific power and strength enhancement, a higher offensive upside. flexibility and off-ice conditioning tips. “Zachary L'Heureux is a player we had rated very, very high that kept While most of the Predators top prospects will be at development camp, falling in the draft,” Poile said after the draft. “We paid a big price to get listed below are five of the more intriguing players to WATCH: him. And I like the feeling ... of having two first-round picks and getting two guys that we had rated in the top 15 of our draft." Philip Tomasino, C Full development camp schedule: It seems like a near eventuality that Tomasino will be in the Predators’ NHL lineup this season. General Manager David Poile has stopped just Monday, Aug. 16 short of saying as much. - 9:30 a.m. team workout Now 20, Tomasino may just be ready for the NHL. He has proved himself each of the last two years in both the junior leagues and the AHL. - 3 p.m. goalie ice time Tomasino scored 22 goals and 57 points in 36 games with the Niagara - 3:20 p.m. practice IceDogs in 2019 before a mid-season trade that sent him to the Oshawa Generals, where he scored another 18 goals and 43 points in 26 games. - 5 p.m. nutrition and wellness seminal

Then last season, Tomasino was the Chicago Wolves leading scorer with Tuesday, Aug. 17 32 points in 29 games. He also led the team in shots on goal (91) and - 8:40 a.m. goalie ice time plus/minus (+20) and ranked second in goals (13) and assists (19) while being named to the AHL All-Rookie team. - 9 a.m. skills practice

“We had [Tomasino] up here for a little bit of time but didn’t get an - 10:45 a.m. team workout opportunity to play him,” Poile said after the season ended. “But he’s on my list. I think from our development guys, he deserves a real good - 3 p.m. goalie ice time chance to make our team next year.” - 3:30 p.m. practice

David Farrance, D Wednesday, Aug. 18

Farrance finds himself in a fascinating position. Five of the six spots on - 8:40 a.m. goalie ice time the Predators defense appear to be spoken for — Roman Josi, Mattias Ekholm, Alex Carrier, Dante Fabbro and Phillippe Myers. That sixth spot, - 9 a.m. skills practice though, is likely up for grabs. - 10:45 a.m. team yoga Sure, Mark Borowiecki, Matt Benning, Ben Harpur and Matt Tennyson are all likely the logical choices to fill the final spot. But as we’ve seen for - 3 p.m. goalie ice time the last handful of year, the Predators have had trouble keeping a - 3:30 p.m. practice healthy, reliable third pairing. Thursday, Aug. 19 Borowiecki’s status is a bit of a question mark given how his 2020 season went. Benning is the most likely to earn regular playing time, but - 8:40 a.m. goalie ice time his one-goal, four-point 2020 season left much to be desired. Harpur didn’t show much to inspire in his brief stint either. A strong development - 9 a.m. skills practice camp could lead to an extended look into training camp for Farrance, - 10:45 a.m. team workout who could find himself on the third pairing at some point in 2021. - 5 p.m. Future Stars game (at Ford Ice Center Bellevue) Egor Afanasyev, LW Nashville Post LOADED: 08.17.2021 Afanasyev impressed at his last development camp in 2019, stealing the show with swift, smooth goal-scoring ability and a penchant for driving the net. The 20-year-old Russian had quite the busy 2020 season, playing in the KHL, VHL, MHL and World Junior Championship.

In his first OHL season with the Windsor Spitfires in 2019, Afanasyev scored 31 goals and 67 points in 62 games. He could be one of the first players called up this year if Nashville struggles with injuries.

Luke Evangelista, LW 1219484 New York Islanders

Islanders announce preseason schedule

By .com

Updated August 16, 2021 2:25 PM

The Islanders announced their upcoming six-game preseason schedule, with three home games to be played in Bridgeport, Connecticut, home of their AHL affiliate team.

UBS Arena is still under construction and expected to be ready in November for regular-season games. The schedule:

Sept. 26, 7 p.m. — Islanders at Rangers ()

Sept. 28, 7 p.m. — Islanders at Flyers (Wells Fargo Center)

Oct. 2, 2 p.m. — Islanders vs. Devils (Webster Bank Arena)

Oct. 5, 7 p.m. — Islanders vs. Flyers (Webster Bank Arena)

Oct. 7, 7 p.m. — Islanders at Devils ()

Oct. 9, 7 p.m. — Islanders vs. Rangers (Webster Bank Arena)

Tickets to the three preseason games at Webster Bank Arena will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster or the arena's box office.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219485 New York Islanders Only a handful of teams in the NHL have goaltenders that can handle the majority of the workload that comes with an entire season. That is why many teams have tandems in place and the teams that can have both goaltenders rolling are the ones that end up having successful seasons. Islanders Should Roll with a Tandem in Goal Yet Again This Season The pressure for Sorokin to be “the guy” isn’t needed this season when Varlamov and Sorokin can be a strong duo, while still helping the young netminder develop. Published 19 hours ago on August 16, 2021By Stefen Rosner NYI Hockey NowLOADED: 08.17.2021

After seeing the skillset goaltender Ilya Sorokin displayed in his rookie campaign, the thought that he would be the clear-cut starter for the New York Islanders for years to come is a sound one.

But in 2021-22, the tandem route is the way to go as the Islanders look to remain a Stanley Cup contender.

The biggest reason that splitting time between Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov is the right route to take is the fact that the 13-year veteran is still under contract with the New York Islanders until 2022-23. He has not given Islanders head coach any reason to move on from him after playing well and helping lead the Isles into the postseason.

Quite frankly, based on what we have seen in the regular season and the playoffs, it would be a disservice to the team for Varlamov to not play given his production.

Last season Varlamov started 35 of the 56 games and posted a .929 SV% with a 2.04 GAA and seven shutouts.

Despite Vezina Snub, Semyon Varlamov Still Islanders MVP This year

Although Sorokin should get more playing time in his second NHL season, Varlamov should play as long as he’s still giving the New York Islanders a chance to win when he’s in net. The recent past, mixed with the strong defensive style Trotz has in place, should allow Varlamov to continue his strong play this upcoming season.

It might also take some time for the players to adjust back to a normal schedule.

For the first time in two seasons, the NHL will play a full 82 games. After two seasons of not reaching that mark — playing 68 games in 2019-20 (minimum) and 56 in 2020-21 — this season will be an uphill battle as players look to get back to a sense of normalcy.

It will also be a change for a goaltender like Sorokin, who has only played against seven different opponents in his first season, given the COVID- 19 schedule. He faced his eighth when he saw action against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Semifinals.

Sorokin only has 29 NHL games under his belt, including the postseason. In both the successes and failures of last year, the slim sample size makes it difficult to determine future results.

The third-round selection in 2014 dominated Buffalo last season, along with New Jersey, and Philadelphia. These three teams did not participate in postseason play. He struggled against Pittsburgh and Washington but shined bright against Boston in one start, despite picking up the loss.

And against the cross-town rival New York Rangers, who also missed the playoffs, it was not pretty, to say the least.

Sorokin did have success against Pittsburgh in the postseason, helping to backstop the Islanders to a first-round series victory.

This season, Sorokin will be facing new teams, new faces, which will bring a new learning curve. That’s not to say he cannot handle the challenge, but the belief that he will just become the guy in year two is not as realistic as it may seem.

Even before the breaching of the “white whale” on Long Island in 2020, Trotz had elected to go with a tandem each season he has been behind the bench. Despite his belief in riding the hot hand at times, Trotz has seen success with that strategy.

He had fan favorites Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss team up to win the Jennings Trophy in 2018-19. The following year, Varlamov and Greiss became a strong duo as well.

Now, Sorokin’s ceiling seems much higher than those previously mentioned, which is another reason why throwing him into a role he may not be ready for could hurt his development rather than help it. 1219486 New York Rangers “I don’t think with the goaltending tandem and just the talent that they have that they’ll be out of too many games, you just have to season it. And believe me, it doesn’t matter what I say, what anybody says, it matters what they do on the ice.” Igor Shesterkin smooths Rangers’ goalie transition, says Mike Richter New York Post LOADED: 08.17.2021

By Mollie Walker

August 15, 2021 7:22pm Updated

Legendary Rangers goalie Mike Richter sees a sturdy foundation within his former team, one that will be anchored by a budding netminder in Igor Shesterkin for the next four years.

Finding a dependable goalie to assume the throne between the pipes from Henrik Lundqvist could’ve been a rebuild-derailing bump in the road for the Blueshirts, Richter pointed out, but Shesterkin immediately presented himself as a reliable option from the moment he was called up in January 2020.

If anything, Richter believes that Shesterkin rising to the daunting task of ushering in the post-King Henrik era made him worth the four-year, $22.7 million extension — which was a record for a goalie on a second contract — he signed this past week.

“Shesterkin was good enough to give them the ability to think that it’s OK not to sign Hank,” Richter told The Post on Thursday night at Smashfest, an NHL player-driven fundraising event. “Otherwise, there was nothing coming in his place, you can’t do it. Those guys don’t come along much. So when you have them, hold on to them, and that’s why it was a wise signing.”

Though Shesterkin’s 26-16-3 record with a 2.59 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in 47 NHL games is just a small sample size, Richter noted that the 25-year-old marinated in the Kontinental Hockey League and ultimately established himself as one of the Russian league’s top goalies.

As far as the concerns regarding Shesterkin’s durability, Richter believes it’s just a part of the adjustment period. Despite being sidelined with a few lower-body injuries last season, Shesterkin has evidently been able to gain the trust of Rangers brass.

“He reads the play amazingly and that’s a common denominator with a lot of these great players,” said Richter, who backstopped the Rangers’ historic Stanley Cup win in 1994. “Whether it’s Brian Leetch playing defense, Wayne Gretzky playing offense or a goalie like Shesterkin or Hank, Marty Brodeur was always very good at that. That’s a real asset and he’s got it. He seems to be ahead of the play often. … I think they got a real winner there.”

Shesterkin is somewhat of a microcosm of what the Rangers are as a team right now: a young, inexperienced squad with promising assets that is still finding its footing. After an overhaul in the front office and on the coaching staff in recent months, as well as losing lineup-staple Pavel Buchnevich, Richter acknowledged it may take some time for the team to stabilize.

But with new president and general manager Chris Drury at the helm, Richter expects the Rangers to be focused on the right things.

“For the organization’s sake, you just hope they can move forward, get stability,” he said. “Here is the hard part, you need to be on the ice playing and winning, and that starts to heal wounds. But the sad part is that there’s so much movement nowadays, with players and coaches, that it’s hard to build something and keep it.”

Richter commended Drury for identifying what the team needed and going out and getting it this offseason. Though there still may be more work to be done, Richter said he likes the Rangers’ current “complexion.” But the key, according to the 54-year-old, will be maintaining their style of play when games get tough.

11

“You have to have the mindset that you can compete with anybody and beat anybody,” Richter said. “The NHL has such a small space between the top team and the worst team that truly you should be able to compete every night. I don’t think they need to be waiting years to do this. 1219487

Flyers’ development camp will feature Wade Allison, Morgan Frost, Cam York

by Sam Carchidi

Published Aug 16, 2021

Right winger Wade Allison, center Morgan Frost, and defenseman Cam York are among the highly regarded prospects who will attend the Flyers’ development camp in Voorhees from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1.

A total of 29 players are scheduled to attend the camp, including 20 Flyers draft picks.

The Flyer said an on-ice schedule, along with potential sessions that may be open to the public, will be announced closer to the start of camp.

Allison, 23, a power forward who was impressive in a late-season stint with the Flyers, is favored to crack the team’s lineup this season. He was a second-round selection in the 2016 draft.

Frost, York, and right winger Tyson Foerster are former first-round selections who will attend the camp, which will have two goalies: Samuel Ersson and Kirill Ustimenko.

The camp will also include the Flyers’ second-round selection in last month’s draft: speedy right winger Samu Tuomaala, who recently signed a three-year entry-level deal with the club. He was their highest selection, taken 46th overall.

The Flyers traded their top-round pick to Buffalo as part of the deal to acquire defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

In another matter, Rick Bronwell was named the Flyers’ head equipment manager, according to general manager Chuck Fletcher. The two had been together with the Minnesota Wild.

Bronwell had served as Minnesota’s assistant equipment manager since 2010.

Harry Bricker and Andy Rannells will be the assistant equipment managers.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219488 Philadelphia Flyers worked for Mr. Greenberg in 1995 as a researcher for his first book on the Flyers.

“It was like being asked to catch a Cy Young Award winner’s Jay Greenberg, former Daily News hockey writer, author, and celebrated sessions,” Lauber said of their time together. “It was a master class on sports journalist, dies at 71 writing and reporting, better than any internship I ever had.”

Former Flyer Joe Watson, who played when Mr. Greenberg was on the Flyers beat, tweeted: “Great hockey writer. Even better person.” by Gary Miles New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro called Mr. Greenberg “a beacon Updated Aug 16, 2021 of kindness and grace, forever willing to offer praise and encouragement.”

Jay Greenberg, 71, of Monmouth County, N.J., the former Flyers beat In a statement, the Flyers said: “Jay dedicated his life to writing and had writer for the Daily News, a celebrated author, and a member of the a truly special ability to tell a story in a way that not many could.” Hockey Hall of Fame’s “media honorees” wing, died Thursday, Aug. 12, Mr. Greenberg liked dogs, popcorn, spicy foods, and martinis. He was a at home of complications from West Nile virus. regular blood donor and a lifelong follower of the .

During his five decades of sports journalism, Mr. Greenberg worked for “The National Institutes of Health and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, to the Daily News from 1978 to 1989 and covered some of the Flyers’ and which Jay has donated his brain for study, are not going to find any hockey’s greatest moments. He wrote about the team’s losses in the deterioration of his mind, only his motor abilities,” his family wrote in a Stanley Cup Finals in 1980, 1985, and 1987, and scored an exclusive statement. “Jay was sharp and kept his sense of humor until the end. (In interview with Wayne Gretzky when the superstar was traded from fact, he dictated and wanted this paragraph included in his obit.)” Edmonton to Los Angeles in 1988. Mr. Greenberg is survived by his wife of 44 years, Mona; daughters Paul Holmgren, the former Flyers player, coach, general manager, and Elizabeth and Stephanie; a sister; and other relatives. president, called Mr. Greenberg a “database of the Flyers. He knew the stories inside the game.” Services are private.

Mr. Greenberg also chronicled football, , and other sports during Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 08.17.2021 his career, earning a reputation as a writer who could tell an engaging tale about anything. Beginning in 1994, he wrote a general sports column for the New York Post for 17 years.

In 2013, Mr. Greenberg was named a lifetime member of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association and given its Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, which recognizes those “whose words have brought honor to journalism and to hockey.”

“It took me a few years to realize how rare it was for a U.S.-based writer to become such an ultimate [hockey] insider,” said Les Bowen, who succeeded Mr. Greenberg on the Flyers beat at the Daily News.

Mr. Greenberg’s writing was insightful, entertaining, and crafted in such a way that it was easily recognizable by his readers. “He may have been the finest hockey writer ever,” said Pat McLoone, the former assistant managing editor for sports at the Daily News.

Writing in December 1980 from Calgary in Canada about the Flyers’ forthcoming game, Mr. Greenberg said in the Daily News: “Something called a ‘chinook’ blew in here just before the Flyers did yesterday, raising the temperature to 52 degrees. A chinook is a north wind with hot air — something like Gene Hart — that comes out of the Canadian Rockies, and disguises the fact that the has expanded almost to the North Pole.”

Mr. Greenberg also wrote for, among other publications, the Kansas City Star, Philadelphia Bulletin, , Toronto Sun, Hockey News, hockeybuzz.com, and princetontigersfootball.com.

He was the author or coauthor of four books, including Full Spectrum: The Complete History of the Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Club and The Philadelphia Flyers at 50: The Story of the Iconic Hockey Club and Its Top 50 Heroes, Wins & Events. A fifth book is scheduled to be published next year.

Mr. Greenberg grew up in Johnstown, Pa., and was attracted to hockey as a youngster by the Johnstown Jets, the local minor-league team at the time. “That was where I learned the game,” he told the Tribune-Democrat of Johnstown in 2013. “That’s where I fell in love with the game.”

After graduating from the University of Missouri, Mr. Greenberg started working at the Kansas City Star. When the city got a National Hockey League team in 1974, Mr. Greenberg volunteered to cover it when no other reporters were interested.

He went to the Bulletin in 1975 to cover the Flyers and then to the Daily News in 1978.

As much as he was respected for his writing, Mr. Greenberg was equally admired for his personal demeanor and professional graciousness. Scott Lauber, now a Phillies beat writer for The Inquirer and Daily News, 1219489 Philadelphia Flyers Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.17.2021

Accomplished in Columbus, Atkinson can help Flyers in 2 big ways

BY JORDAN HALL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"There's so much skill on this team that you put me with any of these guys, I think we're going to form chemistry pretty quickly. There's no question I like to shoot the puck a lot more than passing. I know there's a lot of guys on that team that like to pass, so I'm looking forward to it. Just energy and anticipation and whatever role they want me to play, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability." 1219490 Pittsburgh Penguins Not even the 1970s Steelers were exempt from the immutable laws of sports. Terry Bradshaw didn’t come back to Pittsburgh for decades because of his soured relationship with the organization and fans. Franco Harris had the ill-fated stint with the Seattle Seahawks, though both sides PENGUINSPHN Blog: Penguins Fans Struggling with the Worst, put bygones behind them. Others stayed well past their primes, and the Legacies at Stake super Steelers were the mediocre Steelers in the 1980s.

Evgeni Malkin, especially, seems to be teetering on the verge of a dubious ending, too. If he stays, fans may be less than kind. If he goes, Published 13 hours ago on August 16, 2021By Dan Kingerski fans will be less than kind…

Malkin seems to be taking the lionshare of the angst and anger. Letang is Pittsburgh Hockey Now opened the mailbag on Monday. Perhaps it was a solid second place on that list. the dreary, rainy day or a case of the Mondays, but the DM’d questions, It’s all possible. But not likely. and the public questions had one theme. The future of the Penguins, with a subset of doubts, questions, and support for the futures of Evgeni The Pittsburgh Penguins are odds-on favorites to make the playoffs this Malkin, Kris Letang, and the Pittsburgh Penguins playoff streak. season, according to Vegas bookmakers. But they’re not overwhelming betting favorites. They have about the same odds as the New York Accepting the reality that salary caps were meant to force cyclical Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers–two teams that missed the playoffs last struggles is hard. Hindsight points the way for exits already gone by to season. avoid the coming ride on the struggle bus. But what if they don’t? How will the former conquering heroes be treated Spending assets to keep winning and the post-fallout wisdom is like that by the fanbase? The guess here is with a broom and a kick. extra shot of tequila. In the moment, it tastes like gold, and the party will never end. In the morning, you wonder why your underwear is in the tree, Legacies will be redefined by emotion and disappointment. and your head feels like your friends used Wiffle bats as you were the pinata (because it was hilarious in the moment). The Penguins probably will miss the playoffs sooner than later. Perhaps GM has an ace up his sleeve. A shrewd move or three and Unrelated note, I will forever miss my college days. Sidney Crosby playing until he’s 50 could keep the Penguins streak going longer than we expect. Perhaps prospect wizard, Penguins AGM Sure, it’s easy to say those shots of tequila were a bad idea when you Chris Pryor and the new Hextall team hit home runs with a few prospects have crackers and ginger ale for lunch, but the chance to keep winning is in the next 12 months, too. more intoxicating than anything. Worry about it later! I don’t know how this column came to be such an analogous reference to Now is later. alcohol, but it seems to fit. Usually, there are only two ways out–the hair Why are people so upset and unrealistic about the Pens over the next of the dog or deal with the pain now. few years when history shows this is eventually what happens to teams You’re right to fear the pain. Perhaps Hextall can avoid it to some that consistently win for an extended period of time? degree, or perhaps it’s a wicked rebuild-type pain. But the upside, for — As_I_see_it (@Scrivener1A) August 16, 2021 every person who laments the availability of affordable tickets, they should be easier to get if it all goes south. The winning hangover is never easy. That’s the simple answer. The other answers are the tougher ones to deal with. Everyone is smarter; Pittsburgh Hockey NowLOADED: 08.17.2021 perfection of hindsight only makes matters worse. Former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford made a few decisions that you can second- guess now.

*Trading Marc-Andre Fleury instead of Matt Murray, who was worth a mint on the NHL trade market.

*Not trading Evgeni Malkin when Florida was in buy-now mode in 2019.

*Trading first-round picks for David Perron, Derrick Brassard, and Jason Zucker.

*Prematurely dishing long-term contracts to young defensemen Marcus Pettersson and John Marino.

The Penguins also splashed first-rounders on the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire Phil Kessel (2016) and again for Kasperi Kapanen (2020). Those seemingly worked out, but two out of five trades for prized picks isn’t a good average.

We could go on, but the point is–the chance to win now trumps losing later for most. What seems reasonable at the moment comes with a heavy cost later. Remember the criticism the Pittsburgh Steelers faced when they didn’t go all-out in free agency despite having a Super Bowl- caliber team under Bill Cowher? The Pittsburgh Pirates’ failure to take those shots of tequila and go for it permanently damaged a lot of faith and trust in the organization after 98 wins in 2015.

Check, Please

Each situation is different, but the Pittsburgh Penguins soothed the savage beast of fandom by indeed shouting, “Shots!”

Eventually, the bill comes due.

The hangover hits.

It always hurts.

No sports team in the cap era, except for the New England Patriots, has been able to sustain consistent winning without rebuilding. And without Tom Brady, perhaps their time is up, too. 1219491 Pittsburgh Penguins Poulin could make a winger expendable before the NHL trade deadline, but the odds are very low that he elbows past Jason Zucker into the Penguins’ top six. At worst, a prospect will replace Evan Rodrigues in the current lineup. At best, a prospect will bump Brock McGinn down to the Playing GM with Penguins Cap Strapped, Few Trade Asset Team fourth line.

GM: We’re not banking on the forward prospects kicking down the door until next season, but we’ll treat them as depth to play as needed. Published 20 hours ago on August 16, 2021By Dan Kingerski The interesting debate would be trading one to improve at the NHL trade

deadline. We’ve been around and around on the possibility. However, the It’s more than a barren field. The Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Ron Penguins don’t figure to be good enough to trade their future for a shot at Hextall are behind the eight-ball, or rather it seems like they are under it. the Cup, and the salary cap space negates the possibility of dealing only The Penguins are trapped by a core that’s at least 34-years-old, had only draft picks and prospects for a good player. two draft picks before the final round in the 2021 NHL Draft, no first- Our “budget” allows for only one prospect or draft pick to go, and we’d rounders in the 2020 draft, and the only expendable Penguins trade spend it to move Pettersson–IF the others are ready. pieces have undesirable contracts. UFAs Not exactly an easy situation, eh? GM: First, we’d fill the RHD spot. With $1.6 million, our options are We’ll play GM now, and we’ll probably play the little game again if the limited. A source with first-hand knowledge said the team hasn’t had offseason presents additional moves or changes. For now, it seems contact with defenseman Erik Gudbranson. Given the Tom Wilson factor we’ve quickly hit Canadian lake season when everyone takes a vacay. in Washington, and the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Everyone except PHN, anyway. even Columbus Blue Jackets adding (or keeping) guys who can use their fists, we would put a $1 million offer to Gudrbanson. It’s time to play Pittsburgh Penguins GM and hope our sources who may read this are forgiving sorts as we do their jobs for them. Many of your He was making $4.5 million. Reaves just signed a new deal with the suggestions over the past few weeks probably seeped into the column, if Rangers for $1.75 million. So, that may not be enough. not in a positive way, then in ideas this faux GM must consider. Choice No. 2 is Sami Vatanen. Again, he was making $2 million, so we Complicating matters, no UFA still on the market scored more than 21 don’t think a $1.2 million deal gets it done, but we’ll reach out. points last season. Get a good look at the remaining UFAs on Failing those two, Michael Stone is our third choice. He made just Puckpedia.com. There are no more king-size candy bars to save your $700,000 with Calgary last season, so we’ll take that deal if we can get it. allowance for. There are only Neco Wafers and Good and Plenty’s left (I like root beer and grape Neco Wafers. Sugar Daddy’s are awful). We would also try to pry out of his Swedish deal, if possible. Some players have an NHL out, so we’d dangle a $1 million, The Pittsburgh Penguins have about $1.6 million in cap space when they two-way offer with a guarantee to start the season in the NHL and an send one forward and one defenseman to the WBS Penguins. Despite understanding it takes time to adjust. Honka is the ultimate restoration signing Danton Heinen as a UFA. Sam Lafferty and Chad Ruhwedel are project, but he never escaped Dallas to get a chance. the most likely to be “buried” contracts. For center depth, Reilly Sheahan would get a call. We would extend a Or, we have $900,000 if our mythical team keeps Ruhwedel and roll with $750,000 offer while Evgeni Malkin is out of the lineup and not lose sleep eight defensemen. sending Sheahan to the WBS Penguins or recalling when needed. Penguins Trade Negatives Our backup would be a two-way deal for Carter Rowney. In this fake leather chair with the high back, trades are almost a no-fly As for experienced goalies to start in WBS, Louis Domingue would be zone. We won’t get into wild hypotheticals. We don’t see Hextall dishing our first choice. Jon Gillies would also be on our radar. Gillies only played Jake Guentzel for a power forward or worrying too much about Bryan 12 NHL games, but the pickings are slim, and we don’t think Devan Rust’s next contract and trading him, either. Nor would we. Dubnyk takes a one-year deal. For the moment, the Penguins trade options are quite limited. Also, we’ll leave the Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin contract talks for Marcus Pettersson reportedly gained some interest, but not at the full another day. boat. The Penguins’ choice is to eat salary or attach an asset to move Now–this is just me playing GM. It’s not based on sourced information, him. except where noted. Use the comments section to have at it, my GM: Let’s start camp with P.O. Joseph and Mark Friedman behind armchair GM colleagues. Pettersson, but ready to compete for the job. Pettersson can be moved Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 08.17.2021 for long-term relief if the pair earns enough confidence from head coach Mike Sullivan. However, the most we’ll part with is a second-round pick, or Filip Hallander, or one of the goalie prospects (Calle Clang, Joel Blomgqvist) with Pettersson, and no salary hold back.

We think that’s enough. If it is not, we can wait.

Obviously, moving Pettersson would not beget a “wow factor” free agent, so there’s no rush, but freeing the capital would allow the Penguins to add a bigger fish before the NHL trade deadline.

In fact, there may be teams that begin training camp over the salary cap or directly against it, and a good deal could be had. However, we (or Hextall) cannot complete another Penguins trade involving a forward without acquiring another asset to replace the lost player unless a prospect is ready.

Penguins Prospects

It’s unlikely the Penguins prospects Sam Poulin, Filip Hallander, or Nathan Legare are immediately ready for top-nine duty. Poulin has a chance, but it’s an outside chance of being in the lineup on opening night. 1219492 San Jose Sharks

Sharks top pick Eklund signs entry-level deal, skates at development camp

By MICHAEL NOWELS | PUBLISHED: August 16, 2021 at 4:24 p.m. | UPDATED: August 16, 2021 at 4:25 p.m.

The Sharks announced Monday that they signed rookie forward William Eklund, the No. 7 overall pick in last month’s draft, to a standard entry- level contract.

Eklund arrived in San Jose from Sweden over the weekend and was still a bit jet-lagged as he took part in on-ice drills Monday morning at the team’s practice facility.

Eklund, 18, plans to return to Sweden after this week’s development camp but will be back in San Jose next month for the Sharks’ main training camp.

If Eklund does not make the Sharks’ 23-man roster to start the regular season in October, he said he is open to playing for the Barracuda in the American Hockey League. He could also return to Sweden to play for Djurgårdens in Stockholm for another year.

“Maybe that’s something that’s got to be (figured out) later on,” Eklund said. “First off, I want to be as good as I can be. I can’t really say what I’m doing right now.”

In 40 games last season with Djurgardens IF of the , Eklund scored 11 goals and added 12 assists, earning the league’s rookie of the year award.

Eklund isn’t the only Sharks prospect whose future is up in the air. Thomas Bordeleau, a sophomore forward at Michigan, told reporters he hasn’t decided yet whether he’ll turn pro this winter.

The Sharks’ 2020 second-round pick, Bordeleau was complimentary of Eklund during a media session Monday: “He’s a great player. I saw a lot of skills out of him. He’s got good speed, he’s smart with the puck. It’s fun to watch him play. I’m sure (he) can bring a lot (to the Sharks).”

Eklund and Bordeleau are joined at the camp by 2020 top pick Ozzy Wiesblatt, who was taken seven picks ahead of Bordeleau at No. 31, and this year’s second-round pick, goalie Benjamin Gaudreau. Fellow 2021 draftees Ethan Cardwell and Gannon Laroque are also on the roster for the development camp.

Four players who joined the Sharks at the NHL level last year are also expected to participate: Forwards Sasha Chmelevski and John Leonard, defenseman Brinson Pasichnuk and goalie Alexei Melnichuk.

The camp will culminate with a scrimmage Thursday evening that the Sharks plan to livestream.

Curtis Pashelka contributed to this story.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219493 San Jose Sharks BORDELEAU DESCRIBES COVID ORDEAL Bordeleau might not be thinking much about the national championship

or when he’s turning pro, but he’s definitely thinking about the World Sharks Dev Camp: Eklund Shares Burns’s Advice, Bordeleau on COVID Junior Championships. Ordeal Last year, Bordeleau was set to be named to Team USA, before his roommate John Beecher’s false COVID positive took both off the eventual gold medal-winning side. Published 9 hours ago on August 16, 2021By Sheng Peng Bordeleau shared the ups and downs of his ordeal:

“It was kind of mixed emotions. At first, when I got sent home, we It was a big day for the San Jose Sharks — both William Eklund and established that [roommate John] Beecher had a false [COVID] positive. Thomas Bordeleau skated in teal for the first time. “So I was able to go back home to Montreal with my family for 10 days, Eklund, the 2021 first-round pick, and Bordeleau, the 2020 second-round I think. So it kind of helped a little bit on the mental aspect of it. pick, are widely considered the organization’s top prospects. “When I got back to Michigan, when the tournament started on like “The best part is just meeting all the guys,” Bordeleau said from Day December 25, that’s kind of when it started to get hard. You see it One of San Jose Sharks development camp, “and kind look around and everywhere on social media, you watch the games, and obviously, I was see who might be your future teammates.” wishing them the best, but it’s hard knowing that sometimes you can be Eklund even received some words of advice from possible sooner-than- out there for certain situation, you can help the team. And sometimes, it’s later teammate Brent Burns, who was also at Solar4America Ice getting hard to just see them going through some things without you. You could ready for the upcoming season. have been with your best friends. So it was definitely hard.

“Just enjoy it. Don’t forget why you love the game,” Ekund reported. “But when they won, when they got back, I was super-happy for them. For next year, it definitely makes me a lot hungrier than than I was last This might not be the only way that Eklund and Bordeleau are linked this year. I have a lot of things I want to prove. I want us to go back to back. week. Bordeleau noted that he and Eklund shared a line with 2020 It’s on my mind all the time. fourth-round pick Brandon Coe today, the University of Michigan standout centering. “That’s an extra motivation when I work out, when I’m on the ice, when I do stuff, I just want to keep kind of that chip on my shoulder, keep Something else that Eklund and Bordeleau have in common? motivating me.”

Both are facing a lot of questions about when they’ll make their NHL WILL BORDELEAU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NIL? debut — and it can happen as soon as this season. This summer, for the first time, NCAA college athletes are being allowed Eklund, for his part, has signed an entry-level contract and confirmed to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). San Jose Hockey Now’s report that he’s “open” to playing in the AHL this year. He also shared that after development camp, he’ll head back to So what should we expect the Michigan star to pitch? Sweden to play for Djurgardens, then return to San Jose in mid- “It’s delicate. I’ve talked about it with some of my advisors and September for training camp. everything — it’s complicated. There’s some do’s and don’ts of it. There’s Bordeleau, meanwhile, was cagier about his plans. A la Cole Caulfield, a lot of a lot of things, it’s kind of a gray area. Right now, I’m just Bordeleau could sign with the San Jose Sharks after his NCAA campaign concentrating on the hockey, not really thinking about that,” Bordeleau concludes this season. shared. “It’s fun seeing some guys getting some clothing deals or whatever, but just for me, I’m just trying to concentrate on hockey.” “I’m just going day to day,” Bordeleau offered. “I’m not even thinking about the national championship right now. I’m thinking about the first San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 08.17.2021 team we’re going to play this season.”

The San Jose Sharks will host a development camp prospect scrimmage this Thursday at 7 PM. Fans will not be allowed to attend because of COVID-19 precautions, but it will be streamed live. Eklund, Bordeleau, and Coe are among those who are expected to participate. View the Sharks development camp roster here.

WHAT’S BORDELEAU WORKING TO IMPROVE?

Bordeleau was descriptive when asked how he plans on raising his game to an NHL level.

“Definitely my execution. Also, my explosion. Getting those first three steps better,” the 5-foot-10 pivot acknowledged. “I’m never going to be big. I got to take advantage of my speed and just keep getting stronger. Keep getting my core stronger, so I can hold my ground in battles in the corner and stuff like that.”

WHAT’S UP WITH NO. 72?

No. 72 was Eklund’s number with Djurgardens and now at development camp.

It’s an unusual number — just 42 NHL players have worn it and only three San Jose Sharks players.

Brandon Mashinter was the first in 2010, followed more recently by Tim Heed.

Does the number hold special significance to Eklund?

“It’s not that funny of a story, actually,” Eklund said. “I just got it when I went out for a men’s team over there. Ever since then, I’ve been wearing 72.” 1219494 Seattle Kraken How hectic was that couple of hours between finding out about the selection to finding a flight, getting on the plane and getting to the draft?

Yeah, it was nuts. The night I found out, Ron asked if a few of us could Mark Giordano on his ’emotional’ departure from the Flames and having go down there to Seattle from Toronto, and there’s me, Brandon Tanev ‘a lot to offer’ the Kraken and Jamie Oleksiak who were on the plane together going down. But it was about 6 p.m. Eastern when I found out and we had to get a COVID test before we could cross the border. So I was running around downtown Toronto, from Shoppers Drug Mart to Shoppers Drug Mart, By Hailey Salvian Aug 16, 2021 trying to get one of those rapid tests so that I could cross the border and then get all the flight info from the guys in Seattle. And they helped us out obviously, a huge amount, but it was pretty hectic. Then the next day, we Mark Giordano always knew that being selected by the Seattle Kraken in flew to Seattle and we got there just before the draft. It was a pretty, last month’s expansion draft was a possibility. pretty crazy 24 hours for sure.

Hockey is a business, after all, with plenty of difficult decisions, even You said you had never been to Seattle before this whole thing, and I when it came to the future of the Calgary Flames’ longtime captain. But was actually quite surprised by that. Was it ever on your list of places to that didn’t mean he was totally prepared for when he was ultimately go? selected. It was not on my radar. I mean, I knew Seattle just because growing up While on Monday’s episode of “The Athletic Hockey Show,” Giordano one of my favorite bands was Nirvana, and Kurt Cobain and the band said it was a “pretty crazy 24 hours” from finding out he’d been taken by were from Seattle. But being from out east, Seattle is a far western city. the Kraken to rushing to Seattle to be one of six players on stage when So when we think of going on vacation or going to different cities, I the team unveiled its roster for the first time last month. always think New York, Boston and cities like that, right? Cities that are closer and easier to get to, but it was definitely an eye-opener for me to “It was about 6 p.m. Eastern when I found out, and we had to get a go to Seattle. A lot of people had the same reaction you did. They were COVID test before we could cross the border,” he said. “So I was running like, “Wow, I would have assumed you playing in Calgary all these years, around downtown Toronto, from Shoppers Drug Mart to Shoppers Drug you took a trip down to Seattle,” but no, I never did, and what a city. I Mart, trying to get one of those rapid tests so that I could cross the border mean, what a great place. I feel like it’s gonna be a great place to live, and then get all the flight info from the guys in Seattle.” just being there for a couple of days. It was beautiful. The 37-year-old defenceman was a significant addition to the Kraken and Expansion drafts aren’t exactly a new thing, but there is no real playbook will anchor the blue line along with free-agent signings Jamie Oleksiak for being selected, when it comes to having to find a home and adjusting and Adam Larsson, among other selections. He’ll be the oldest player on to a new city. Have the Kraken been helping you and other players the roster, and whether or not he’s named Seattle’s first captain, he is acclimate to the situation? expected to play a leadership role for the brand new team. His selection also marked a significant departure for the Flames, as Giordano was an Yeah, they’ve been unbelievable from every aspect. We have people important piece in the organization for 15 seasons. He was a staple in with the team who are helping us as far as real estate goes and the community, the team’s captain for eight years and had one of the purchasing our homes and renting our homes, obviously, getting our best bet-on-yourself stories in the NHL. visas taken care of. Just every little thing you can think of: traveling there, shipping our cars, moving our personal belongings. And then they put Over the course of a 20-minute conversation with The Athletic’s Hailey together a huge booklet that they sent out to every family that just Salvian and Ian Mendes, Giordano discussed a variety of topics, outlines all the different things to do in the city, all the different areas that including finding out he’d been taken by Seattle, what he’ll miss about you can visit in the city, the different attractions, where the best places to Calgary, his expectations for starting out with the league’s newest live are. So, they’ve done a great job in that and I can imagine the franchise and more. amount of work that went into that because they’ve covered literally Here is an extended Q&A of highlights from the conversation. The everything. And on top of that, the organization has a new rink going up questions and Giordano’s answers have been edited for length and and a new practice facility. So there’s a lot going on for sure in Seattle clarity. right now.

Mark, it’s been about three weeks since you were selected by the Seattle How old are your kids now? Kraken, and it’s even been longer than that since the pre-expansion draft I have an 8-year-old son, Jack, and a 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter, stuff started. What have these last few months been like for you? Reese. It’s been crazy, to be honest. Obviously there was a pretty good chance So, your son would be old enough to understand all this. So, when you that I wasn’t going to get protected with us having three young, really got the call from Ron Francis, did you sit down with him and explain it? good defenseman on longer-term deals than I was. So, it was always in Or did you kind of plant some seeds that Dad might have to move with the back of my mind. I was talking with (Flames general manager Brad the job? And how did that conversation go with an 8-year-old? Treliving) a lot, and he was trying to get something done as far as trying to not protect me, but keep me in Calgary. And at the end of the day, I I planted the seed a few weeks earlier, just threw a couple hints out. I’m got selected. So it was a pretty emotional couple of days, thinking of all like, you know, “We might not be going back to Calgary 100 percent.” the different scenarios. A lot of different things run through your head, but And he understood right from the start. He’s old enough, he understands, I got my head wrapped around that and just have been looking forward to and I’ve tried to let him know about the whole business of hockey and a whole different experience. I’ve never switched teams in my career. So, trades and all that. His main concern was… He was like, “But you’re the it’s gonna be weird at first, I’m sure. But I’m looking forward to a whole captain of the Flames, aren’t you supposed to be there?” But I tried to new chapter in my life and living in a different city and all the things that explain to him how it works. And he understands. It’s gonna be a big come with it. So I’ve turned turn the page and I’m pretty excited now. change for him, too. But, he’s looking forward to going down there now too. So it’s pretty cool. Were you like us, finding out about the selection on Twitter? Or how did you find out that Seattle had taken you in the expansion draft? What excites you the most about starting a new team in what we assume will be a leadership position for you being the oldest player on that (Laughs) No, what happened was, the night before I got a call from Tree roster? and he said he thinks they’re gonna select me. And then I got a call from (Kraken GM) Ron Francis shortly after and he said they were gonna I just think being a part of something new. It feels like being a part of select me. So, I knew the night before, and that’s how we arranged history, right? Like, an organization just starting up, and being one of the things. And I got on a plane the next morning and went to the actual draft first guys to put on that jersey and play in that first game in that building. in Seattle, which I’m happy I did that to check out the city, check out the All those things come to mind. And then like you said, being the oldest atmosphere there. It’s great. I mean, the new building is going to be guy on that team, I think I have a lot to offer when it comes to helping out great. There’s a ton of positives. So we’re really looking forward to the younger guys. And there’s going to be 25 of us or so, all in the exact settling in there and getting my family all settled down the next couple of same position, guys who’ve never been through this, never played on the weeks here and then getting ready to go. same team. So it’s going to be different, but it’s going to be a cool experience.

Vegas having so much success right off the hop, including getting to the Stanley Cup Final in their first year, does that excite you? Or does that set the bar too high? I mean, they’ve been successful right away. Does that at least give you some hope that maybe you guys don’t have to go through what some expansion teams did in the 1990s in the early 2000s?

I don’t know exactly what the rules were in the 90s, but I’m sure they weren’t anywhere as close to what they are now. You look at our roster that we selected, and you just get some really good players from across the league. And I remember when Vegas selected their team, people were unsure about them, but looking at them then, we were all like, no, they got a pretty good roster there. And they’ve been a contending team ever since. So, I like our team. I like what Ron and the staff have done. And at the end of the day, until you hit that ice you’re never gonna know. So I’m looking forward to hitting the ice in September and then going from there.

Have you spoken to anyone from Vegas for any kind of guidance on being on an expansion team?

Yeah, the only guy I talked to about it was James Neal and he absolutely loved the experience. He said he had a great time in Vegas and everything about his experience there was all positive. So I talked to him a bit about it and he just wished me the best and said, ‘You’re going to love it.’ Everything’s been positive on that end of things. And like I said, after the first couple days of shock and a little bit of mixed feelings, I’m really excited and starting to look forward to it.

Mark, you talk about your mixed feelings. Have you even started to think about what that night might be like for you back at the Saddledome for the first time?

It’s gonna be obviously a weird feeling coming in from the other bench and the other side in the dome, for sure. I think it’s gonna be a special night for me. But yeah, there’s a lot that goes into, just thinking of a lot of different things. I mean, we’re in the same division, so it’s probably going to be a pretty important game. I don’t know. It’s gonna be pretty cool to come back to the city. I’ve made a lot of relationships, a lot of people that are lifelong friends over the years in Calgary, so it’ll be cool to play in front of them again, and hopefully, it’s a good night for me.

What are you going to miss the most about being in Calgary?

Just the city generally and the people. You know, going out and seeing people in the restaurants that I know. And obviously, the No. 1 thing is going to be the guys, starting with the players and some of my best friends that I’ve made over the years. But then I think of the staff too, and the trainers, and the equipment guys, the medical guys that I’ve been with for a large chunk of my career. So, those are friendships that are gonna last a lifetime. It’s gonna be different not going to the rink every day and seeing those guys but I’m sure I’ll create some great bonds here in Seattle, too.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219495 Vegas Golden Knights

Las Vegas to host college hockey showcase in 2022

By Justin Emerson (contact)

Monday, Aug. 16, 2021 | 9:31 a.m.

Las Vegas is getting a major college hockey game next year.

Perennial powerhouse North Dakota and the closest Division I program geographically, Arizona State, will play at T-Mobile Arena in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game on Oct. 29, 2022, according to a report from the Grand Forks Herald. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs, which are both familiar with Las Vegas.

North Dakota came to town in 2018 for the Hall of Fame Game against Minnesota, an event that packed the Orleans Arena.

The Herald reported the game sold out immediately, and school officials wondered if T-Mobile Arena would have been a better destination.

Arizona State has played at Las Vegas’ premier hockey venue, winning the Las Vegas Invitational in 2018 with victories over Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech.

North Dakota, which will be the designated home team, and Arizona State are capable of drawing large crowds. The Fighting Hawks faithful are known as one of the best traveling fanbases in the league, while Tempe, Arizona, is about a five-hour drive from the Strip.

T-Mobile Arena will also host the 2026 Frozen Four, the first NCAA hockey championship played in Las Vegas. North Dakota is the host school for that tournament.

The last time college hockey came to Las Vegas was the Fortress Invitational in 2020 between Providence, Ohio State, Cornell and Army. The tournament featured Golden Knights draft picks forward Jack Dugan, who won the tournament MVP for Providence, and Layton Ahac, a defenseman for Ohio State. Both are now in the Vegas organization with the Silver Knights.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219496 Vegas Golden Knights to take over – or implement his style from St. Louis – he regularly deferred, sat back and watched the team operate as he learned.

Pietrangelo didn’t play poorly in the regular season, but his offensive What Alex Pietrangelo’s offensive playoff explosion means for the production was well below his career averages, and this dynamic likely Golden Knights in 2021-22 played a factor. In the playoffs, he was more decisive with the puck, aggressively activating into rush chances and diving deep into the offensive zone. They are risky plays, but they’re the types of plays that have made Pietrangelo one of the most consistent offensive defensemen By Jesse Granger Aug 16, 2021 in the NHL over the last decade.

“I think being aggressive in our play in general as a team,” Pietrangelo During the 2021 playoffs – and especially the final two rounds against the said when asked what was different late in the season. “I think for me Avalanche and Canadiens – Golden Knights defenseman Alex personally, maybe the last 10 games moving into the playoffs, trying to Pietrangelo was brilliant. be more aggressive and trying to create a little bit more without sacrificing on the back end is something I can continue to do.” He patrolled Vegas’ blue line with confidence and assertiveness, controlling play and forcing the opposition to play on his terms. In that Alex Pietrangelo. (Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA Today) late stretch in May and June, Pietrangelo was everything the Golden Knights hoped for when inking him to a seven-year, $61.6 million Pietrangelo played instinctually with freedom and confidence in the contract. playoffs, and the results were exceptional. He tied for the most goals of any defenseman in the postseason, and the second-most points behind He was Vegas’ defensive anchor, leading the team in average ice time Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman. His underlying metrics were equally by two full minutes while being deployed almost exclusively against the impressive, as he generated the most expected goals of any defender in opposition’s top offensive weapons. He was also one of the Golden the NHL (3.53). That number is well clear of the next-highest: Hedman at Knights’ most effective players with the puck, finishing second on the 2.8. team in playoff points and scoring three key goals in the semifinal series alone. And it wasn’t just about the offensive production. Pietrangelo helped shut down the Avalanche’s top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog “I thought he was the best player in the series, on either team,” DeBoer and Mikko Rantanen. His average game score rose from 0.74 in the said of Pietrangelo after the Golden Knights closed out the Avalanche in regular season to an impressive 1.16 in the playoffs. Average game six games. “He was an absolute monster for us. Defensively blocking score is a statistic generated from a formula that weighs many individual shots, offensively the goal tonight. That’s what we brought him here for – stats and metrics that quantifies a player’s on-ice contributions with a for this time of year and for those situations.” single number. Pietrangelo’s average of 0.74 during the regular season ranked 31st in the NHL among defensemen. His playoff average of 1.16 After an underwhelming regular season that included several lengthy was second in the league behind only Boston’s Charlie McAvoy. absences due to an injury and one due to COVID-19, Pietrangelo finally looked like himself in the postseason. Now that the dust has settled on “It’s obvious he’s an incredible talent,” said Alec Martinez, who played that season and we look forward to 2021-22, it begs the question: What alongside Pietrangelo during the playoffs. “I think we complement each made Pietrangelo so much more effective as the season went on, and other well. We both have a similar outlook and understanding of the what should Vegas expect from him moving forward? game and kind of how we wanted to play. He’s obviously an easy guy to play with. He makes a lot of plays. He’s a horse, he does everything.” The most obvious reason for Pietrangelo’s slow start in Vegas was having to learn to play on a new team after 12 seasons with the Blues. With a full season in Vegas under his belt, Pietrangelo should be more effective during the 2021-22 regular season. Extrapolate his playoff “Playing in a new system is always different,” he said. “I pretty much production into an 82-game season and it would be roughly 16 goals and played in a similar system for 10 years (in St. Louis), so it took time to 33 assists. That would be an excellent season and would give Vegas one adjust and I started to feel more comfortable with the way Pete (DeBoer) of the best one-two punches on the blue line along with Shea Theodore. wants us to play on the back end as things moved on.” Only six defensemen topped 50 points in 2019-20 (Pietrangelo was one of them) and only 12 hit that mark the season prior. Not only does it take time to adjust to a new style of play, but Pietrangelo also needed to learn how to play with his new teammates. That’s the Pietrangelo will be instrumental for the Golden Knights this season, both case for any player changing teams, but can be especially important to a on and off the ice. With Vegas losing dressing-room leaders Marc-Andre puck-moving defenseman like Pietrangelo. Fleury, Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden this offseason, Pietrangelo will undoubtedly be asked to step up. He is one of two former captains on the The vast majority of his impact plays during a game rely on his team and is the only player to captain his team to a Stanley Cup anticipation of what his teammates will do. Pietrangelo is known for his championship. dazzling outlet passes that spring instant scoring chances, but those passes require impeccable timing, and knowing what move each forward While the Golden Knights have had plenty of success over the last four will make well before they make it is essential. seasons, they’ve yet to reach their true goal. If Pietrangelo is to help them get there in 2021-22, he will need to be the assertive, impact player “When you play with guys long enough, their tendencies kind of he was in the playoffs. become second nature,” Pietrangelo said. “I think that’s an important thing for me.” “It’s nice to make the conference finals,” Pietrangelo said. “I think all of us are proud of what we did this year, in a strange year. But there’s still a As Pietrangelo’s understanding of each forward’s tendencies improved, it sense of disappointment when you don’t get to that goal, do what you allowed his passing ability to shine. But I believe there’s another reason it want to do, and win. Was it a successful year in terms of getting to the took Pietrangelo some time to look like himself in Vegas, and it involves conference finals? Sure, but I think we all feel like we fell short of our the overwhelming success the Golden Knights had over the previous goal of winning.” three years. The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021 Pietrangelo joined a team coming off a trip to the Western Conference finals, one that had never missed the playoffs in team history, and he simply wanted to fit in. No longer was he the captain and franchise centerpiece that he was in St. Louis, and based on his play and comments throughout the season, I believe he was intentionally passive as he integrated himself into the Golden Knights.

Whether it’s in professional sports or everyday life, no one wants to join a group with a track record of success and immediately make changes. Because of his role, Pietrangelo plays heavy minutes and inherently has the puck on his stick quite a bit. Rather than come in and immediately try 1219497 Washington Capitals

Did the Caps have a successful offseason?

BY J.J. REGAN & ANDREW GILLIS

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

Today's topic: Did the Caps have a successful offseason?

Andrew: This offseason was a slight (emphasis on slight) success for the Capitals, but only if you classify it with the understanding general manager Brian MacLellan was working with a stacked deck from the start.

Through an expansion draft and salary cap crunch, Washington lost just Brenden Dillon (and his $3.9 million salary) and gained a second-round NHL draft pick. Alex Ovechkin's contract extension came in at a slightly lower figure than most expected. Ilya Samsonov inked a one-year bridge deal. Those things were certainly positives on their own, but other than that, not much was done.

The Capitals have now failed to advance past the first round in the last three playoff runs after their Stanley Cup victory in 2018, so if you thought the team needed a bit of a shakeup, I won’t fault you. The problem is that it’s hard to see where that would’ve come from.

The team didn’t trade Evgeny Kuznetsov for pennies on the dollar and, aside from moving out a key (salary) piece of the roster like T.J. Oshie, John Carlson or Dmitry Orlov, there wasn’t much else they could do with such a tight salary cap situation. For any player they wanted to bring in, someone else had to move out.

I think the most prudent move for the Capitals this offseason was to stand pat and run the entire thing back once again. If more difficult decisions need to be made during or after the 2021-22 season, then so be it. But right now, in order to keep the team as put together as possible, they did what they had to do.

It might not be a major win, but I think what they accomplished was a victory nonetheless.

JJ: This is all a matter of perspective.

You can't look at this roster and claim the Caps got better. The offense and goaltending are both the same. Defensively, Washington is replacing Brenden Dillon and Zdeno Chara with Michal Kempny and, most likely, Martin Fehervary.

For a team that hopes to compete for a Stanley Cup and has lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, seeing no improvement in the offseason and seeing to key members of the defense get replaced by a player who did not play at all last season and a prospect is definitely a concern.

Having said that, Brian MacLellan's hands were tied. The team had to shed salary so there was literally no room for additions. Considering the hand he was dealt this offseason, MacLellan did some nice work. He managed to squeeze two draft picks out of Winnipeg for Dillon despite everyone knowing the team had to shed salary, he re-signed Alex Ovechkin for a (slightly) smaller cap hit rather than a raise, he kept the core intact and he managed to reacquire Vitek Vanecek from Seattle.

The Caps did not get better in the offseason, but I don't think you could have asked for much better from a GM considering the circumstances.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219498 Washington Capitals

SEE IT: Capitals' Oshie takes son out on ice for first time

BY KEVIN BROWN

Washington Capitals star T.J. Oshie took his one-and-a-half-year-old son, Campbell, out on the ice for the very first time at the MedStar Iceplex on Monday.

And surprise, surprise: Campbell's a natural.

It won't be long before Oshie's first son and third child is able to glide like his older sister, seen skating to his right in the video. Oshie and his wife, Lauren, have two daughters together, Lyla and Leni.

Two months removed from Campbell learning how to score a wraparound shot in the Oshie living room, all the hockey skills are starting to come together.

With Campbell now skating at the Capitals' practice facility, it's safe to assume Oshie, 34, will be getting a miniature golf club or two in his hands soon enough. Oshie, who's an avid golfer himself, wrote in his Instagram caption in March 2020 when Campbell was born that he now had a "golf partner for life."

Campbell will have plenty of bonding time at the rink with his father in the years to come.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 08.17.2021 1219499 Winnipeg Jets Kyle Connor Mark Scheifele

Blake Wheeler Jets offseason depth chart 5.0: A complete roster brings camp battles into view Pierre-Luc Dubois

Paul Stastny

By Murat Ates Aug 16, 2021 Nikolaj Ehlers

Andrew Copp

Twenty-four hours after the Jets’ playoff exit — a stunning, dominant, Adam Lowry four-game sweep at the hands of Montreal — we published Winnipeg’s offseason to-do list. Kristian Vesalainen

Whether it was about surviving Seattle expansion or finding a way to get Jansen Harkins value from the entry draft, each of our 10 crucial “to-do” items was a Riley Nash simple statement on paper but a gargantuan task in execution. Dominic Toninato Number one on that list? “Fix the defence.” David Gustafsson Winnipeg did that by acquiring Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt on back-to-back July days. Combine their arrival with a resurgence from LD Josh Morrissey and continued excellence from Neal Pionk, fresh off his four-year, $5.875 million contract extension, and Winnipeg has its best RD collection of defensive talent since Dustin Byfuglien was a Jet. Josh Morrissey

Instead of playing depth defencemen in top-four roles, Winnipeg will be Nate Schmidt able to push two very good ones onto its third pair — Logan Stanley, the sophomore, who has proven he can handle third-pairing minutes, and Brenden Dillon Dylan DeMelo, the veteran, who has succeeded in those and survived a Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl matchup, too. Neal Pionk

This is progress, folks. Logan Stanley

A proper reflection on Winnipeg’s offseason to-do list provides more Dylan DeMelo highlights. Drafting Chaz Lucius, a consensus top-10 pick, at No. 18 Nathan Beaulieu overall was the Jets’ most effective way of ensuring value from a draft in which they made only four picks. Losing Mason Appleton to Seattle was G not without cost, nor was it a catastrophe. The cap situation has been Connor Hellebuyck managed, with just one piece of capology (that we’ll get into shortly) left to address. Paul Stastny is back. Lucius bolsters what had been a Eric Comrie dwindling array of top-end prospect talent, adding to Cole Perfetti and Ville Heinola as potential game-breakers of the future. LTIR (Day 1 of regular season)

Pionk is a long-term Jet. Andrew Copp is not, but his post-contract press Bryan Little conference hit so many Jets-appreciative notes that the relationship Note that, despite much consternation, these Winnipeg Jets are cap between club and player still looks strong. compliant. They even cost roughly $200,000 less than they theoretically His long-term future may be uncertain but Copp is a key cog in what has could while moving Bryan Little to long-term injured reserve (LTIR.) become a win-now team. Traditionally, a small cushion like this would be a good thing — cap As a result of all of these moves, Paul Maurice will coach the best roster space is calculated daily during the regular season, meaning that it can he’s had since 2018-19, one that has been constructed perfectly in his prorate. When a team is not in LTIR, saving space like this lets it image. The Jets have every opportunity to run a dynamic top-six forward accumulate, allowing a team to make a proportionately larger swing at group, a tough-minutes shutdown line and a defence good enough at the trade deadline. Winnipeg took advantage of this principle when it both ends of the ice to give those forwards a few more opportunities per added Stastny at the 2018 trade deadline and Kevin Hayes in 2019. game. The stopping power is back, the breakout should be better and we But these Jets will move Little’s contract to LTIR in time to start the should see more up-ice aggression and pace than we have since regular season. Winnipeg was looked at as a team that could win multiple playoff rounds. This means that they won’t be able to build up cap space throughout the With this power comes pressure but, given the recent Jets defence year. Shuffling players from the Jets to the Moose won’t create cap corps, one suspects that pressure feels like a privilege for the veteran space the Jets can use, nor will there will be any major swings at the coach Maurice. trade deadline this season — Winnipeg already made them by acquiring So just how good is this Jets team? Dillon and Schmidt.

How will Maurice deploy his lines? The good news about having a little bit of cushion? If a young, slightly more expensive player like David Gustafsson ($814,500) outplays a And which jobs will be most hotly contested at training camp in slightly more affordable veteran pro like Luke Johnson ($750,000), the September? Jets can safely give Gustafsson a roster spot. It’s a tiny bit of wiggle room for a team that could just as easily have had none at all. Here’s a projection of Winnipeg’s opening-night roster, a look at some crucial capology and the acceptance of the cold reality that exciting Does that mean Gustafsson will make the Jets’ roster? What about young players — Perfetti, Heinola and others — will give way to veterans Perfetti, Heinola or Dylan Samberg? in the name of cap compliance. Answering that question, particularly for the forwards, starts with a look at Let’s go. Winnipeg’s summer signings.

Now that Copp has signed his one-year, $3.64 million contract extension, You may not be tremendously familiar with offseason signings Johnson the Jets can ice the following roster: or Austin Poganski, but they could be very important to Winnipeg this season, particularly on opening night. We’ll get to the capology of why in Your 2021-22 Winnipeg Jets? a moment, but first: the introductions. Johnson (26 years old) and Poganski (25) are in a similar position this The checking line — whether it’s used as one during the regular season summer to the one that Winnipeg’s first-round, Game 1 goal-scorer or saved for the playoffs — is just as obvious: Adam Lowry is a Dominic Toninato was one year ago. They’re AHL veterans who have prototypical shutdown centre while Copp was raised as a centre and can each demonstrated the ability to be impact players in the minor leagues have a tremendous defensive impact as a wing (although his 2020-21 — Johnson for the Rockford Icehogs and Iowa Wild, Poganski for the was more impressive offensively than in his shutdown results). San Antonio Rampage. They’ve also played a few NHL games, just as Toninato had before signing with Winnipeg, without yet becoming full- Riley Nash is a brand new Jet — the inevitable fourth-line veteran — and time NHL players. (And, for fun: They played together for the University should be an upgrade over Nate Thompson, Trevor Lewis, Matt of North Dakota on stacked 2014-15 and 2015-16 teams that also Hendricks and Mark Letestu in terms of his on-ice impact. The 32-year- included former Jets defenceman Tucker Poolman.) old former first-round pick is a right-shooting centre who could anchor the fourth line or play right wing with Lowry and Copp if no Appleton, Joel Why are these players so important to the “win-now” Jets this season? Armia or Brandon Tanev can be found.

It’s all about maximizing the amount of cap relief Winnipeg gets from Jansen Harkins will get more of an NHL opportunity this season than last Little’s contract. and what he does with it could be the difference between seizing the third-line opening and being relegated to a fourth-line role. Recall that the Jets won’t automatically get cap relief for 100 percent of Little’s $5.292 million contract without a bit of clever capology. The trick Vesalainen is an internal front-runner to play third-line right wing, for the Jets is to arrange their opening-night roster so that it’s as close to although some factors work against him. The players who have $5.292 million over the cap as possible before moving Little to LTIR. succeeded in that role have traditionally been speedsters like Tanev or veterans like Perreault. Vesalainen earned his first-round selection status So the roster we looked at above, with roughly $200,000 in cap cushion? primarily as a big, strong, power forward with an impressive shot. He may The Jets can — and will — do even better. not be a prototypical fit for Copp and Lowry but, if they can find There is a way, using Johnson and Poganski as capable end-of-the- chemistry, he’ll add a unique element as a shooter. Working against him, roster players, to file a 23-player opening-night roster that comes within at least on opening night? Vesalainen’s entry-level contract makes it $12,855 of the cap maximum after moving Little to LTIR. This means that easy for the Jets to start him in Manitoba on their way to maximizing nearly the entire amount of Little’s contract will be available as cap relief LTIR space. — roughly $280,000 more than with the roster I listed above. Thus it’s entirely possible that the two remaining forward spots on this Why in the name of Byfuglien’s foot does this matter so much? chart will go to players like Toninato and Johnson, while Poganski becomes Winnipeg’s 13th forward. Jobs, for one. Some of your favourite prospects won’t be getting them. The one player who could disrupt all of this? Gustafsson, the big, strong, Johnson and Poganski are going to get a very real shot to make the Jets’ left-handed centreman who could someday be a shutdown centre with a season-opening roster submission. In the immediate term, this will come bit of NHL offence, too. He’s yet to convince Maurice of his NHL at the expense of more promising long-term players like Perfetti, who is readiness and it may be tough for him, at 21, to be entrusted with the likely to start the season starring for Manitoba. fourth-line centre’s job — especially when big AHL minutes are available — but his contract is cheaper than Vesalainen’s or Perfetti’s and he plays On defence, the exact same principle applies: Heinola ($863,333 plus a more responsible all-around game. I suspect the young lion will play a bonuses) and Samberg ($925,000 plus bonuses) are going to start the second straight as a Moose, controlling the pace of the game and making season as Moose, even if their training camps are spectacular. incisive passes throughout the offensive zone. They’re almost too highly touted and too expensive for their own good. It’s possible that another $750,000 veteran with some penalty-killing That’s enough theory for now. Let’s get to the lineup. acumen will be signed, too. Copp, Lowry and Nash should be front- runners for the PK jobs, and Harkins is a possibility as well. Who will make the Jets’ opening roster? On the power play, one wonders if Ehlers will find a spot on the top unit Forwards or whether there’s a risk that the team’s most productive scorers are all on unit “two.” (Winnipeg’s top five power-play scorers last season per Kyle Connor minute of ice time were Ehlers, Copp, Dubois, Pionk and Wheeler.) Mark Scheifele Ehlers was also Winnipeg’s most productive scorer at five-on-five, so Nikolaj Ehlers perhaps the question extends beyond the power play and into “Will the Jets give Ehlers his due?” Pierre-Luc Dubois Defence Paul Stastny Josh Morrissey Blake Wheeler Nate Schmidt Andrew Copp Brenden Dillon Adam Lowry Neal Pionk Riley Nash Logan Stanley Jansen Harkins Dylan DeMelo Vying for spots: Kristian Vesalainen, Toninato, Johnson, Poganski, Gustafsson, Perfetti, Michael Eyssimont, Jeff Malott, Joona Luoto, C.J. Vying for spots: Nathan Beaulieu, Sami Niku, Heinola, Johnny Suess, Kristian Reichel, Lucius Kovacevic, Samberg, Nelson Nogier, Simon Lundmark, Declan Chisholm, Leon Gawanke We start our search with the sure-fire NHL players — those players who are no longer waivers-exempt and who spent the full 2020-21 season in The top six spots on Winnipeg’s defence corps are obvious. the NHL. Some combination of Morrissey, Schmidt, Dillon and Pionk will be the Winnipeg’s team has been perfectly built to recreate the formula of two Jets’ top four, sharing the biggest minutes against the toughest scoring lines, one checking line and one seldom-used fourth line from opposition. Maurice’s best teams. Stanley and DeMelo will be the Jets’ third pair, primed to outperform their The stars are obvious: Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Nik Ehlers, Blake somewhat more sheltered minutes against teams’ third and fourth lines. Wheeler. Stastny will play a major role, doing a pile of little things right for It’s the best top six Winnipeg has had since Byfuglien was a Jet. Actually, whoever his linemates happen to be. Pierre-Luc Dubois will seek to given that 2018-19 was rife with injuries to Byfuglien, Morrissey and prove that he is who he was for the first three years of his career and not Jacob Trouba, this could be the best Jets defence we’ve seen since the 20-point, 41-game Winnipeg Jet from a year ago. 2017-18’s deep playoff run. The biggest mystery is what happens next. Dominic Toninato

Beaulieu is an extremely popular teammate and, given his commitment Luke Johnson to shot-blocking and standing up for his teammates, I suspect he’d be a highly appreciated seventh D. LD

Niku’s stock has fallen sharply in recent seasons but his speed and skill RD haven’t gone anywhere, so it’s possible he can step into a third-pairing Josh Morrissey role and contribute in a pinch, especially on a defence as well-rounded as this one. Nate Schmidt

But Beaulieu’s $1.25 million contract makes him a possible cap casualty. Brenden Dillon

Niku’s inability to carve out a Jets career (blame him, blame coaching, Neal Pionk blame whomever you like; his games played totals are what they are) Logan Stanley suggests that his time in Winnipeg may be short despite a perfectly cap- friendly $725,000 contract. Dylan DeMelo

If Winnipeg is looking for a strong all-around defender with a similar Sami Niku contract to Niku’s, they might also consider 24-year-old late bloomer Kovacevic ($750,000), who was simply excellent for the Moose last G season. Nogier ($725,000) has played 11 NHL games and also has been Connor Hellebuyck called up as injury insurance multiple times. Eric Comrie How the Jets decide to handle their seventh defenceman will be a fascinating story at training camp and beyond, especially if full health LTIR leads to an abundance of options. History teaches that the best-laid plans of ice and (defence)men often go awry — and sometimes in a good Bryan Little way. Look no further than Stanley’s emergence less than one year ago. In this scenario, Beaulieu has been successfully passed through waivers, Goaltenders so $125,000 of his contract still applies to the cap.

Connor Hellebuyck Niku remains, thanks to his $725,000 contract.

Eric Comrie And instead of gaining just over $5 million of cap relief from Little’s contract, the Jets get all of it, less just $12,855. Vying for spots: Mikhail Berdin, Arvid Holm Remember that the Jets don’t have to run this 23-man roster all season There is no mystery here. long. The point of arranging it just so is to maximize Winnipeg’s LTIR pool from Little’s contract. Connor Hellebuyck is your starter, your star. Eric Comrie is a full-time Jet for the first time, protected by his affordable, non-waivers-exempt Note: There is one more level of maximizing available. If Winnipeg can contract, looking to prove that he belongs. pull off this same trick, getting as close to the cap maximum plus Little’s contract as possible before moving him to LTIR while also maximizing Berdin and Holm are Winnipeg’s next goaltending wave and are the amount of performance bonuses on its roster, it will create a larger projected to watch over the Moose. A brilliant season from either player performance bonus pool to start the season with. The advantage is that it would immediately make him Winnipeg’s top goaltending prospect. would give Winnipeg more freedom to call up players (like Vesalainen, Let’s go back to the problem with which we started this piece. Perfetti, Gustafsson and Heinola) who have bonuses built into their contracts if they should choose to do so. Without a sufficient performance Remember that, on a team whose salary-cap situation is such a tight- bonus pool, the value of these players’ bonuses would count against the rope act, some players’ jobs will be dictated by contracts as much as by LTIR pool. performance. The Jets’ first priority will be to maximize the cap relief they get from moving Little to LTIR and then, once that cap relief is If that sounds complicated, it’s because it is. Generating a day-one roster established, they can assemble their roster as they see fit. that maximizes both the LTIR pool and the performance bonus pool while also respecting the Jets’ preferences is well above our pay grade. Just So how do the Jets build an opening-night team that maximizes LTIR rest assured that contracts will have a uniquely important role in relief? determining who gets which job to start the season.

Here’s one version: a 23-player roster that takes advantage of the From there, it’s business as mostly usual. league-minimum contracts of Nash, Harkins, Toninato, Johnson and Poganski to get the Jets within $12,855 of the maximum $5.292 million From the day after Little is moved to LTIR onward, the Jets can demote relief pool. players and promote players as usual, including carrying a 21- or-22 player roster. This means that there could be large swaths of the season Maximizing Winnipeg's LTIR Pool in which Vesalainen is promoted or the end-of-the-roster players are just a little bit different than I’ve presented here. The key is that Winnipeg Kyle Connor can’t exceed the amount of money in their relief pool at any time, and Mark Scheifele that’s why it’s so important to maximize it on day one.

Blake Wheeler So if the Jets set their roster this way — or close to it — at the end of training camp, prompting the #freePerfetti, #freeHeinola and Pierre-Luc Dubois #freeSamberg movements to explode, know that Winnipeg is doing Paul Stastny exactly what it needs to do to make the most of its cap situation. The more flexibility the Jets can give themselves with their opening Nikolaj Ehlers submission, the more comfortably they can manage their roster from Game 1 against Anaheim through the rest of the year. Andrew Copp It won’t be without consequence, but it will absolutely be within reason. Adam Lowry The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021 Riley Nash

Jansen Harkins

David Gustafsson

Austin Poganski 1219500 Vancouver Canucks For example, let’s say a team is spending $80 million against the cap and has an injured player with a $5 million cap hit whom it needs to place on LTIR. This team isn’t automatically allowed to spend $5 million over the cap. It is granted a relief pool equivalent to the amount by which it needs Jason Dickinson signs: Can the Canucks now ink Quinn Hughes or Elias to exceed the cap. Because the team already has $1.5 million in space in Pettersson to a long-term deal? this hypothetical setup, it’s allowed to spend only to $85 million (in other words, the team was allowed to capture only $3.5 million of the injured

player’s $5 million cap hit as LTIR relief). By Harman Dayal Aug 16, 2021 In practical terms, this means that it’s best to get as close as possible to the $81.5 million cap ceiling on the day a player is put on LTIR in order to maximize the relief. This is why you’ll often see teams manipulate their Securing term was one of the Canucks’ top priorities heading into rosters with one-day paper transactions and such before an LTIR negotiations with recently acquired restricted free agent Jason Dickinson. placement. They didn’t want to sign a just a one- or two-year deal and risk his cost going up or losing him to free agency. By coming to terms with Dickinson For the Canucks, the timing for placing Ferland on LTIR going into the on a three-year deal at a $2.65 million cap hit over the weekend, the season will make a crucial difference in how much flexibility they have to Canucks bought out two UFA years and accomplished their objective. re-sign Pettersson and Hughes.

One of the key considerations for the club is that it believes Dickinson, They essentially have two main options: whose career high is 22 points, has untapped offensive upside. • OPTION 1: Submit an opening-day roster with Ferland not on LTIR. In “He’s in his prime years right now at 26 years old, and he’s a guy that I other words, be under the cap with Pettersson and Hughes’ deals plus think with more opportunity can show more on the offensive side,” Ferland’s cap hit and then place him on LTIR after. general manager Jim Benning told The Athletic. “We know he’s a real • OPTION 2: If the Canucks are over the cap and need LTIR relief right good defensive player and penalty killer already, so he’s young, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, fast and he can play with good players on the wing. away, they can place Ferland on LTIR before opening-day rosters are submitted. “Maybe he gives Travis (Green) options if he wants to play him on the It’s better to be cap-compliant before needing LTIR relief for in-season wing with Petey (Elias Pettersson) and (Brock) Boeser and keep (J.T.) roster flexibility, so the first option is definitely superior. Last year, for Miller in the middle. He’s a versatile guy, so I’m happy we were able to example, the Canucks papered Nils Höglander down to the AHL when get him for three years.” submitting their opening-day roster because it allowed them to stay under Dickinson makes the most sense for the Canucks as the third-line centre, the $81.5 million mark and follow Option 1. but given the number of times the club has mentioned his ability to play Why does all of this matter for Pettersson and Hughes’ contracts? Well, the flank, it wouldn’t be surprising if he gets top-six chances on the wing the Canucks can spend just over $16 million on Pettersson and Hughes, at times. If he gets those chances up the lineup, it makes sense why the but that figure is predicated on their following Option 2, under which they team believes he could produce more offensively. And if he produces would enter the season over the cap and would need to place Ferland on more offensively, he would have certainly cost more down the line had LTIR before opening-day rosters are submitted in order to be cap- the Canucks simply signed him to a one- or two-year deal. compliant. Option 2 is more restrictive for making day-to-day roster Giving Dickinson term provides cost certainty and shelters the Canucks moves because you’re automatically using 100 percent of the relief pool from a modest offensive breakout. But even if he doesn’t take the next you get from LTIR. step offensively, $2.65 million is a reasonable rate in light of the two UFA Let’s walk through a scenario: Suppose the Canucks sign Pettersson and years they bought. Dickinson should be worth that number based on his Hughes to more expensive extensions and submit an opening-day roster defensive value alone, with colleague Dom Luszczyszyn’s GSVA model that’s at $84.9 million including Ferland’s contract. Vancouver would be pegging his value at $8 million over the next three years ($2.66 million $3.4 million over the cap, so they would have to place Ferland on LTIR annually), almost exactly what Vancouver signed him for. before submitting the opening-day roster. Because of Ferland’s LTIR Between Dickinson and Brandon Sutter, the Canucks will now spend only relief, Canucks would be allowed to run this new upper limit of $84.9 a combined $3.775 million for their bottom-six centres. That’s far tidier million. But remember: Ferland’s cap hit doesn’t disappear even when than years past and signals that the club is perhaps finally understanding he’s LTIR, so although the Canucks would be cap-compliant, they also the importance of allocating minimal capital to the bottom end of the would have literally zero cents in wiggle room. roster. The only way to clear additional room during the season would be to “The cap’s not going to go up this year from last year, and it could be manufacture it through a trade, waivers or loaning a player. This has the like that for the next two or three years moving forward,” Benning said. potential to cause headaches when injuries strike, as a team might not “It’s a sign of living through the pandemic and us adjusting to the flat-cap have the cap space to recall players or even claim someone off waivers. world.” For instance, there were parts of last season when we suspected that the Canucks were unable to play Olli Juolevi and had to keep him on the taxi How much space do the Canucks have left to sign Elias Pettersson and squad because they didn’t have the requisite cap space. And remember, Quinn Hughes? that was last season, when the team wasn’t even using the more restrictive second LTIR option for Ferland. In the aftermath of Dickinson’s signing, fans online began trying to figure out exactly how much the Canucks can commit to RFAs Pettersson and Let’s contrast that with a hypothetical scenario using Option 1. If Hughes. Vancouver submitted an opening-day roster that’s at $81.4 million including Ferland’s cap hit, the Canucks could place him on LTIR People arrived at different numbers, as there was confusion about how, afterward and be allowed to spend to the same $84.9 million ceiling. The exactly, the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) relief for Micheal Ferland’s difference is that because they were cap-compliant, including Ferland’s contract works. This is where things are more complicated than they cap hit, they’re not spending to that $84.9 million ceiling — meaning that appear on the surface. I’m going to do my best to explain this as clearly they’ll actually have some money to play around with during the season. as possible, but fair warning: It gets complex. It’s an important topic important to dive into, though, because it directly affects the club’s wiggle The Canucks will need to do intricate modelling and run through mock in- room for the star RFAs. season scenarios to analyze whether they’re comfortable running with the second LTIR option. Other teams have done it, including the Tampa Contrary to popular belief, placing a player like Ferland on LTIR does not Bay Lightning, but one former cap strategist for an NHL team warned that remove his cap hit — his $3.5 million always remains on Vancouver’s there are nuances to Tampa’s situation and that the Canucks would be cap payroll and continues to count on the books as normal. Here’s what walking a narrow tightrope by following it. So although the Canucks changes: When he gets placed on LTIR, the Canucks are granted a relief technically have around $16.3 million in space to sign Pettersson and pool that allows them to exceed the $81.5 million salary cap. The amount Hughes, it may not be prudent to use all of it because they could wind up they can spend over the cap is not automatically equivalent to Ferland’s with extremely limited roster flexibility during the season. $3.5 million cap hit; it’s calculated on the day he’s put on LTIR based on how close Vancouver is to the cap. How much cap space would the Canucks have to re-sign Pettersson and Hughes if they want to follow the first LTIR option?

My modelling has them at just shy of $13 million, which can be bumped up to the $14.5 million-to-$15 million range if they submit an opening-day roster with fewer than 23 players.

Internally, meanwhile, the Canucks front office believes it has around $15 million to $16 million available to extend Pettersson and Hughes. But again, that $16 million could require placing Ferland on LTIR before opening-day rosters are submitted, which might or might not be practical for the club.

It’s going to be up to the Canucks’ collective bargaining agreement and cap experts to walk through mock LTIR scenarios to determine an exact budget for Pettersson and Hughes within the monetary range they believe they have available.

Based on this general range, however, one would think that the Canucks likely have space to give a long-term deal to only one of them.

The intrigue continues.

The Athletic LOADED: 08.17.2021