News Clips November 23, 2016

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02: Columbus Dispatch: gets big wins on draw PAGE 03: Columbus Dispatch: Veteran Sam Gagner among NHL players turning to skills coaches for extra help PAGE 05: The Hockey News: Why we shouldn't trust the Blue Jackets' hot start

Cleveland Monsters/Prospects

NHL/Websites PAGE 08: USA TODAY: What might the NHL's Las Vegas expansion team look like next season? PAGE 10: .CA: 5 things we learned in the NHL: Stay Golden, Vegas PAGE 12: Sportsnet.CA: 30 Thoughts: Patrik Laine and the Finnish league theory PAGE 20: Sportsnet.CA: How the 13 newest NHL teams picked their names PAGE 24: TSN.CA: introduced as NHL's 31st franchise PAGE 27: TSN.CA: Statistically Speaking: Subban stars in Nashville PAGE 29: TSN.CA: Viva Las Vegas! TSN Hockey's early expansion team lineup PAGE 31: TSN.CA: Which teams appear to be 12 forwards deep?

1

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2016/11/23/blue-jackets-notebook--dubinsky- gets-big-wins-on-draw.html

Brandon Dubinsky gets big wins on draw

By Aaron Portzline - November 23, 2016

When the Blue Jackets need a faceoff win late in a game, there is no mystery whom coach is sending over the boards.

Brandon Dubinsky is the only Blue Jackets center who has won more than 50 percent of his draws, and he is the only center who qualifies as a veteran. He also relishes big moments.

In three of the last four games, Dubinsky has won late-game faceoffs that led to goals by right wing , resulting in an overtime victory over Washington on Nov. 15, an empty-net to ice a win over the on Friday, and a goal with 6.5 seconds left in regulation to force overtime against Colorado on Monday.

In the fourth game, he won two of three faceoffs in the final minute to ice a win Sunday at Washington.

How badly does Dubinsky want to be on the dot in those situations? Tortorella relayed a scene from the win over the Rangers, for whom Dubinsky once played and Tortorella once coached. The Blue Jackets were protecting a 3-2 lead in the final minute.

“Dubi loses two draws in a row (against Rangers center ) and he’s burning a hole through me on the ice, daring me to take him off,” Tortorella said. “I’m thinking ‘Well, I’ve got ().’ And Dubi’s burning a hole through me, ‘Don’t you dare.’ I know him well enough that he is going to win the third one, and he does. That’s Dubi. He has been struggling offensively. But he has the will, that intangible … he just brings people into it.”

Tortorella grinned at the thought of how the situation could have ended differently.

“It would have been ugly if I took him off the ice,” Tortorella said. “I know he would have done something stupid going to the bench, and then I would have been on him and it would have turned into a mess. He was just daring me to take him off the ice … and I love it. I love it.”

Dubinsky has won 53.3 percent of his draws, followed by centers Lukas Sedlak (47.3), William Karlsson (45.5) and (44.5). Late in Monday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Colorado, Tortorella had left wings and stepping in for draws.

Slap shots Left wing Matt Calvert will play in his 300th career game Wednesday, all with the Blue Jackets. … Atkinson's two-goal game Monday pushed him into seventh on the franchise’s all-time points list at 182 (93 goals, 89 assists), one ahead of Nikolay Zherdev.

2

http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2016/11/23/blue-jackets--veteran-gagner-turns- to-skills-coach-turns-around-career.html

Veteran Sam Gagner among NHL players turning to skills coaches for extra help

By Tom Reed - November 23, 2016

Sam Gagner stood in the Blue Jackets’ locker room and dished out assists for his fine start to the season like they were saucer passes to streaking teammates.

He mentioned the organization for believing in him enough to offer a one-year, $650,000 contract after he scored only eight goals in Philadelphia last season. He credited the coaching staff for putting him positions to succeed. He cited his father, Dave, a former NHL player, who got back on the ice and worked with him in the offseason. Gagner also highlighted the contributions of Hall of Fame center , who began counseling the forward this summer and continues to advise him.

It’s the last name on the list that might surprise fans, seeing as Oates is no relation to Gagner and not in the employ of the franchise. He’s a freelance coach and part of a growing number of skills consultants helping NHL players and prospects.

“He has been great,” Gagner said. “I worked with him over the summer on a lot of different things he saw in my game last year that he felt I could improve on. We go over video after every game this year to find different ways to get better, and I think that has been really helping.”

Gagner, tied for the team lead with seven goals to along with five assists, believes he has the best of both worlds. The 10-year pro said he is benefiting from the knowledge of Blue Jackets assistant Kenny McCudden, who serves as the club’s skills and skating coach, and the instruction of Oates, a former Washington coach and and Tampa Bay assistant.

Some teams, however, are grappling with the idea of outside influence on their players. The New York Post reported that private skills coaches were a topic of conversation at the NHL general managers meetings in the spring.

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a text message, “What (Gagner) does away from the rink is his business,” whereas coach John Tortorella prefers the forward to work strictly with McCudden.

“I don’t want our players working with Adam Oates,” Tortorella said. “I want them working with Kenny. Easy answer … Kenny is the best in the business.”

The consultant field is growing. recently hired consulting pioneer Darryl Belfry, who mentors players around the league. The concept of coaches as independent contractors is nothing new. NBA players have employed private shooting instructors for years.

Steve Wicklum, founder of My Pro Hero, puts athletes in touch with tutors specializing in skills, nutrition, conditioning and even the “mental side” of sports. The idea, he said, is to hone a player’s individual attributes, which in turn should benefit their teams.

3

Oates, who emphasizes stick skills like picking up pucks off the boards, has a 40-player client list that includes , and . Last season, his presence at a practice to watch Parise irked former coach Mike Yeo.

Edmonton Oilers coach Todd McLellan said he sees both sides of the argument.

“I think a lot of the skills coaches do a tremendous job,” McLellan said. “They’ve got great ideas, great technique, and they’re working on some of the things we can’t work on during the season because it’s just overwhelming, the lack of time that we have with travel, games and that type of stuff. … (But) we might be asking (a player) to play a certain role on the power play, and if his personal coach is asking him to do something different, it’s not going to work.”

Gagner stressed that Oates has never dissuaded him from following the Blue Jackets’ philosophies. The forward is a key member of the team’s top-ranked power play, which is converting 31.1 percent of its chances.

“(Oates) is always asking me, ‘What do your coaches want here?’ ’’ Gagner said of watching clips together on video conference. “I explain what we’re doing in the system and he says, ‘Great.’ He never interferes with that, which I like. At the end of the day, you have to play within a team system to be successful.”

Gagner, the sixth overall pick in 2007 NHL draft, is one of the comeback stories of the season. He is an example of a player using as many teaching tools at his disposal to jump-start his career.

“He knows this is probably his last kick at the can, and it’s amazing what it does for athletes,” Tortorella said. “I think he has done some soul searching and to me right now, he’s a great story — and it’s with the Columbus Blue Jackets.”

4

http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/why-we-shouldn-t-trust-the-columbus-blue-jackets-hot- start

Why we shouldn't trust the Blue Jackets' hot start

By Matt Larkin – November 23, 2016

The Jackets have been a powerhouse early on this NHL season. Are they delivering on the promise they showed two years ago? Or is it smoke and mirrors?

We saw this coming from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then we didn't.

Two seasons ago, the Jackets ended their regular season with a sizzling 12-0-1 run. They carried a ton of momentum into 2015-16, especially after trading for . We at THN picked them to make the playoffs. They fell flat on their faces, embarrassing themselves and everyone who predicted big things from them. got hurt multiple times. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen replaced coach Todd Richards with John Tortorella and dealt franchise center to the for defenseman . The Jackets sputtered to a 34-40-8 season, missed the playoffs and wound up picking third overall in the draft.

How, then, has that same team exploded out of the gate in 2016-17, especially when its only off-season transactions of note were signing forward Sam Gagner and trading prospect Kerby Rychel for prospect Scott Harrington?

First, let's out the obvious reasons why the Jackets look so darn good in the Metro Division, jumping out to a 10-4-3 start.

1. Sergei Bobrovsky. Thanks, Obvious.

'Bob' won a 2012-13 Vezina Trophy and earns more dough than any goalie not named for a reason. Bob has talent. When he's hot, he's as good as anyone, and he's recaptured that Vezina form early in 2016-17, appearing in 15 of 17 games and posting a .931 save percentage. A streaking goaltender, as we all know, can shield many other weaknesses on a team. Especially poor possession play. More on that later.

2. Zach Werenski, Calder Trophy contender

If you've followed Werenski's rise from the U.S. National Team Development Program to the University of Michigan to the AHL over the past couple years, you're not remotely surprised to see him becoming an impact NHL D-man right away. The guy is a horse. He can do it all at both ends of the ice. He's a player to build around for years to come. What's especially exciting for the Jackets is they essentially have two Werenskis, with phenom Seth Jones also patrolling their blueline. Werenski was a difference maker during AHL Lake Erie's championship run last spring, and his play has obviously made Columbus a new team. He averages 22:20 of ice time and has an outstanding 15 points in 17 games. That 0.88 points per game would top even 's mark of 0.72 last season, which was the NHL's highest for a rookie rearguard in 23 years.

5

3. Alexander Wennberg's breakout So maybe the Jackets dealt Johansen knowing they still had a No. 1 center in waiting? Wennberg has been a point-per-game player this season, flashing some nice playmaking skills. It's not like he's a fluke at all. He has ranked highly on top prospect lists, including THN Future Watch, since Columbus picked him 14th overall in 2013. But we thought he'd be something more like a No. 2 pivot, as my colleague Ryan Kennedy points out during this week's THN podcast (see the bottom of this article).

Wennberg's breakout has been a boon for linemate Nick Foligno, who's recaptured the form that landed him in the All-Star Game two seasons ago. Wennberg eases any pressure on the Jackets to rush Pierre- Luc Dubois, who projects as their long-term franchise pivot and now toils back in major junior another year.

Plenty to be excited about so far, but I'm not buying the start. The foundation has far too many cracks. Let's explore them.

1. Everybody will stop scoring on every . That's hyperbole, but the Jackets have serious puck luck so far. Their team shooting percentage of 12.0 ranks second in the NHL behind only the New York Rangers. Gagner has been a nice redemption story, with seven goals and 12 points already, but he's scored on 18.9 percent of his shots on goal. His career average in a nice, meaty sample size of 631 games is 10.0. Foligno has a solid 12.1 percent career mark, but he's still almost doubling that at 23.3. Same goes for , an 11.7 percent shooter clicking at 22.2 percent this season.

2. It's only a matter of time before Bobrovsky's next injury

It's not always smart to make predictions based on expected injuries, but…come on. Bob's starts the past three seasons have slipped from 57 to 49 to 37. He lost 14 games in 2013-14 to…a groin injury. A fractured finger and illness stole eight games from him early in 2014-15, followed by a 15-game absence due to…a groin injury. Last season, Bob sat for three extended stretches totalling roughly half Columbus' games because of…groin injuries. The past does not always predict the future, but what's that saying about insanity? It's doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. At this stage, soft- tissue injuries have reached near-certainty status for Bobrovsky. The Jackets are starting him more than ever, too, which hardly decreases his odds of re-injury.

3. The advanced statistics predict a fall Columbus isn't close to a good possession team. Its 5-on-5 team Corsi mark for 2016-17 sits at 48.59 percent, which ranks 23rd in the league. Columbus is especially weak on the defensive side, sitting 24th in 5-on-5 Corsi Against per 60 at 58.76. That highlights how much Bobrovsky's goaltending has masked their problems. One could argue the Canadiens are no different, but Bobrovsky ain't . Sorry.

4. Improving the team will prove difficult for Kekalainen

The Jackets are locked into their current roster right now. With 16 NHLers signed for next season, they already project to have just $5.24 million in cap space. Much of that must go to restricted free agent Wennberg, who is playing well enough to bypass a bridge deal. Kekalainen has loaded his team with

6 pricey veteran contracts, including David Clarkson's buyout-proof pact, so it's tough to imagine the Jackets trading for any high-impact veteran help down the stretch if they remain contenders. It's not impossible but would require some serious cap juggling, even if Kekalainen were only taking on expiring contracts. I suspect what we see is what we'll get from Columbus roster-wise all season, for better or worse.

Columbus is a fun story so far in 2016-17, but too many factors point to a sad ending. Don't bet on this team to own the Metro just yet.

7

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/columnist/allen/2016/11/22/nhl-las-vegas-expansion-free- agents-coach/94283436/

What might the NHL's Las Vegas expansion team look like next season?

By Kevin Allen - November 23, 2016

Tonight’s unveiling of the Las Vegas NHL expansion team’s name and logo (8:30 p.m., ET, NHL Network) isn’t a beginning as much as it is a reminder that the team’s first training camp is just over nine months away.

Las Vegas general manager George McPhee and his scouts have already started projecting which players will be available for the June 20 NHL and prioritizing who they want. They can take one player from each team.

Here is what you should know about the Las Vegas team as it prepares to play in 2017-18 as the NHL’s first expansion team since the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild entered in 2000:

Coach search: McPhee hasn’t provided a specific timetable for hiring the team’s first coach, and he could wait until after this season. No hints about his candidate list have emerged.

Coaches with NHL experience who could be in the mix include Bob Hartley and Kevin Dineen. Hot prospects include Phil Housley and Trent Green. One intriguing possibility: former Oilers Ralph Krueger. He was the media darling at the because of the job he did with Team Europe. His entertaining personality, coupled with his thorough coaching style, would make him an ideal choice for an expansion team.

Based on this season’s rosters, the potential expansion draft goalie pool could include Marc-Andre Fleury, , , , and perhaps Roberto Luongo, although his age and contract make him less attractive to an expansion team.

Future Las Vegas players?: According to the expansion draft rules, teams can protect either seven forwards and three defensemen or eight combined forwards and defensemen. Players with no- or no-movement clauses must be protected. First- and second-year pros are exempt. Based on that, here are some players who might be available:

Jakob Silfverberg, , Dmitri Orlov, , Tomas Plekanic, Mikkel Boedker, , Mikhail Grigorenko, , Marian Gaborik and Ryan Sproul. Although the NHL is providing Las Vegas with more attractive players than previous expansion teams have received, it’s not as if Las Vegas will compete for the playoffs in its first season.

McPhee is expected to concentrate on younger players or veterans who can be moved to other teams for draft picks.

Free agent head-start: Las Vegas has a 48-hour period before the expansion draft to negotiate with and sign potential unrestricted free agents.

8

The unrestricted list this summer includes goalie , defenseman . Kevin Shattenkirk, T.J. Oshie, , etc.

If Las Vegas signs a potential unrestricted free agent in that period, the team can’t take another player from the player’s former team in the expansion draft.

The 2017 regular draft: The Las Vegas team will be treated as a lottery team, receiving the same odds of winning as the team with the third-fewest points. The latest the Las Vegas team would pick in the first round would be No. 6.

There’s no Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews or Jack Eichel available in this draft.

The best prospect is 6-3 Canadian center Nolan Patrick who plays in the Western Hockey League. The best defenseman is Swede Timothy Lijegren who projects to be a dynamic, fast puck mover.

9

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/5-things-learned-nhl-stay-golden-vegas/

5 things we learned in the NHL: Stay Golden, Vegas

By Ryan Mckenna – November 23, 2016

Las Vegas finally has a team name, a potential goal of the year candidate and St. Louis takes on a familiar face.

Here’s five things we learned Tuesday night in the NHL:

The wait is over We finally learned the name of the Las Vegas NHL franchise and it may come as a surprise to some: the Vegas Golden Knights.

NHL Commissioner and majority owner Bill Foley were on hand at T-Mobile Arena to make the announcement, which had some difficulty getting going due to some technical difficulties.

The Golden Knights and general manager George McPhee can now turn their attention to getting a roster together for the 2017 season. Between the expansion draft and NHL Draft in June, Vegas will be busy over the next few months.

So what do you think? Are you a fan of the name?

Goal of the year candidate Stop what you're doing. I think we have a legit goal of the year candidate.

Canadiens forward Alexander Radulov helped Montreal gain a 2-1 advantage at 7:39 of the second period when he absolutely undressed 's Mike Hoffman and then finished with a beauty on Craig Anderson.

It was just Radulov's fourth of the season but the Russian has made a huge impact offensively for the Habs this year and provided some contagious energy.

Speaking of Hoffman...

Milestone for Karlsson Just two minutes before Radulov's jaw-dropping goal, Hoffman tied the game 1-1 with a one-timer off a feed from .

Also assisting on the goal was Senators captain . The Swede, playing in his 498th career game, recorded his 400th point on the play.

Karlsson would add the winner in the third period for good measure.

PIC.TWITTER.COM/GHOVLQHYUY

10

— SPORTSNET STATS (@SNSTATS) NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Hot Hurricanes Don't look now, but the (!) have won five in a row. Carolina (8-6-4) beat the 2-1 and has quietly had a good start to the season.

Defencemen Jaccob Slavin and have played a huge part of that early success, chipping in both offensively and defensively. Slavin logged 23:22 against Toronto with two shots on goal and -- get this -- he's only 22-years-old. Faulk also recorded two shots on net and played 18:44. He's just two years older at 24.

Slavin and Faulk are leading a young defence corps that's being built into something special, but they're just the tip of the iceberg. The entire Carolina team has been quietly impressive this season, ranking fourth in the NHL with a 53.27 CF% (Corsi For Percentage). Only Los Angeles, Boston and St. Louis have higher rates.

Welcome back, Backes Well, that must feel nice.

Former Blues captain , now playing with the , scored in his first game against his former team. It wasn't pretty, but they count just the same.

The 32-year-old forward played the past 10 seasons in St. Louis and served the last five as team captain. Backes signed a five-year deal with the Bruins as a free agent on July 1 worth US$30 million.

Backes wore his heart on his sleeve while playing with the Blues and there's no better example of that than during last season's Western Conference final when St. Louis was eliminated by the .

Backes also made sure that his ex-teammates were well fed prior to puck drop and American Thanksgiving.

THANKSGIVING CAME EARLY AT THE BACKES HOUSE. #STLBLUES PIC.TWITTER.COM/BLJN5SIR9H

— ST. LOUIS BLUES (@STLOUISBLUES) NOVEMBER 22, 2016

11

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-patrik-laine-finnish-league-theory/

30 Thoughts: Patrik Laine and the Finnish league theory

By Elliotte Friedman – November 23, 2016

When Buffalo drafted 16th overall in 2011, then-general manager Darcy Regier said part of the attraction was that Armia had 67 points in 102 games in the top Finnish league before he turned 19.

“That’s a man’s league,” Regier said at the time.

I’ve always wondered if that was true — if there was something to back it up. More and more research is being done, trying to figure out if certain leagues are predisposed to turning out legit NHL players. (The and are among the teams taking a deep dive.)

Of course, no one will talk about it.

Looking at the numbers from 2000-10, I counted approximately 25 Finns drafted into the NHL who played in their country's top league at age 17. How many played 100 NHL games? Eight (assuming I counted right).

How many go to 200? Six.

That’s a really good percentage, compared to everywhere else. The problem is that the sample size is too small. There are so many more potential CHL draftees in that league at 17. But it does give Regier’s theory some credence — enough to make teams take a longer look.

Anyway, this popped into my head because of Patrik Laine’s shooting. I can already see the Trumpian- level hatred hockey fans are going to have for Calder Trophy-voting journalists in June.

Laine vs. Zach Werenski vs. Auston Matthews vs. Mitch Marner vs. William Nylander vs. everyone else?

Yeah, everyone’s going to be so united with the result.

Laine averaged 0.7 points per game last season in . For someone who didn’t turn 18 until the season ended, that’s really good.

Jesse Puljujarvi (a month younger) was at 0.56, which is also very good. But I don’t know if anyone expected him to have the same immediate impact as Laine.

The 2016 No. 2 pick is such a spectacular talent, with such a spectacular shot. But there were still a ton of questions about the adjustment. People wanted to be conservative, because you never know how someone will adapt.

After 21 games, Laine is shooting 21.1 per cent. A rookie shooting that well used to be a fairly regular occurrence: Joe Nieuwendyk shot 24.1 per cent; Eric Lindros hit 22.8; Luc Robitaille 22.6 and Steve Yzerman 22.

Since the rules changed in 2005-06 to emphasize scoring and speed, those numbers actually dropped.

12

Only two players have reached 20 per cent in at least 60 games: Petr Prucha was at 23.1 in 2005-06 and 22.1 the next season. No one has done it since 2006-07.

The Finnish league keeps tracks of overall shot attempts (Corsi). Last season, Laine scored on fewer than seven per cent of all his attempts. This year? He’s at 12.

By comparison, Connor McDavid, who was obscene when he played in 2015-16, was at 10.

That’s a ridiculous number.

I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes. Laine is incredibly talented, but it is so freaking hard.

30 THOUGHTS

1. An example of Mark Scheifele’s improved skill level? The pass that set up Laine’s hat trick goal on Nov. 8. Scheifele worked to improve the zip of his backhand passes, and that’s a perfect example. That puck gets to Laine with some juice.

2. Not sure about the timeline to a finish, but the San Jose Sharks and Brent Burns have made serious progress on a contract extension. That’s going to disappoint a lot of suitors hoping for a summer of 2017 romance.

UPDATE: The Sharks have signed Burns to an eight-year deal.

BEING SIGNED AT THIS TIME. 8 YEARS AT APPROX $8M HTTPS://T.CO/HB0FPJXZON

— ELLIOTTE FRIEDMAN (@FRIEDGEHNIC) NOVEMBER 22, 2016

3. , asked by Scott Oake on After Hours if he, like Alex Ovechkin, will play at the Olympics no matter what:

“I’m not going to sit here and make any bold statements right now. But I definitely think as players and the league as well that we should keep pushing the issue, that…we can find ways to work it out. The best players in the world should be representing their countries at the Olympics. It’s great not only for the , but for our sport as well.”

We’ve seen this dance before. I’m one of those people who believes the NHL eventually decides to go. But, I have to admit, I’m more pessimistic this time than normal.

4. Michael Leighton is up with the Carolina Hurricanes as Eddie Lack recuperates from a concussion. Should the NHL not go, he’d be the kind of player in line for a shot on the Olympic team.

“It would be awesome,” he said. “It’s the one thing I’ve never had a chance to do, play for Team . But I still think (the NHLers) are going.”

Then, he added, “Tell them I’ll be the fifth goalie.”

5. The NHLPA will respond to the NHL’s offer of Olympic participation in exchange for a three-year CBA extension in time for the Board of Governors’ meeting, which begins Dec. 8. I’m curious to see if it is a flat no or if there is a formal counter-proposal.

13

There are some agents (and probably union employees) who think the NHLPA should not be discussing anything until they see what the new NBA CBA looks like. That’s expected shortly. To me, it’s an opportunity to see what you can accomplish, just like the NHL tried.

One source said the players — who cannot stand the uncapped escrow — should take a run at teams who place money “outside the system,” like Toronto. The Maple Leafs’ maneuvering is 100 per cent legal (and one of the few remaining places they can flex their financial muscle), but having big-salaried players like Nathan Horton, and Stephane Robidas collecting their money away from the game is an escrow killer. Teams would fight back hard, because it makes an inflexible cap even more restrictive. I’d be curious to see how the league felt.

6. The easy answer is for the players to ask for what their NBA compatriots got: a maximum 10 per cent escrow payment per cheque.

It’s not that easy.

There are protections built into the NBA CBA in case the players still “owe” money because their share of the revenues is too large. NBA owners can dip into the players’ “benefits pool” to equalize things. If that’s not enough, they have the right to lower the next season’s salary cap. Nothing comes without a trade-off.

7. I did ask a couple of agents if any players would prefer an uncertain escrow to losing whatever percentage of their contracts to a lockout somewhere down the line. Not a lot of support for that thinking.

8. The conversations about a 19-year-old draft did not get as much attention last week as the Olympic conversations, but the more research I do, the more I’m impressed by Pat LaFontaine’s vision.

The conversation involves the NHL, NHLPA, CHL, NCAA, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey and the USHL. (If I forgot anyone, it’s because my ability to keep a list ends at seven.)

What he wants to create is a North American development model that has the best 16-year-olds in an elite midget league, 17-19 year-olds in Major Junior and 20-year-olds either in the NCAA or playing professionally. It’s tricky, (LaFontaine prefers not to discuss it at this time), but the sense I get is we’re getting to the point where the various leagues are going to have to make some concessions, change the way they do business. I think they’re prepared to do it, but it’s almost as if everyone is saying, “I’ll will, but I want to make that other person will, too.”

9. Some issues: Will the NCAA allow those who’ve played in the CHL to skate for their schools after their junior career is done?

Right now, dressing in one exhibition CHL game ruins your NCAA eligibility. I don’t think it’s ever going to happen for anyone who signs a professional contract, but if you don’t, it’s up for discussion.

Nick Kypreos reported USHL teams may get a shot to compete against CHL clubs for the Memorial Cup. I was surprised by that, but get it now. The NCAA and USHL were worried American-born players would all jump to Canada, but this gives an incentive to stay Stateside. That’s important to them.

14

Will “exceptional players” have an exemption? That sounds like the plan for both 16-year-olds at the major junior level and 18-year-olds in the NHL Draft. There are a lot of moving parts, but they’re talking. In a perfect world, a lot of people want this to happen because they think it’s best for the sport.

10. Obviously, the NHLPA could block it. I wondered if the Olympic situation could be a negative influencer, but another stakeholder said he didn’t get that sense — yet — and the union is listening.

“They’re asking as many questions as we are,” he said.

But we’re going to find out soon. If you look at almost every CBA signed in the last 20 years in MLB, the NBA, NFL and the NHL, rookies get hammered. They have no representation and veterans don’t want them making the money. What I don’t know is how strongly NHLPA leadership feels about it.

11. Here’s what it sounds like happened with , Buffalo and : There were a lot of assumptions the price would be low, that the Sabres would be so desperate to do this that the Canucks would get a steal.

Sabres GM Tim Murray made it clear that would not be the case. (Neither team would comment.)

If you look at the blockbuster with , the Sabres were willing to grow the deal to increase the return, and I would assume that happened here, too. One of the things I’ve heard Buffalo is looking for is speed, both up front and on the blue line. There are not a ton of logical fits. As mentioned last week, Vancouver is not giving up either Brock Boeser or Olli Juolevi unless the return is massive. And I don’t think Buffalo was too interested in anyone off the main Vancouver roster other than maybe Chris Tanev. In the end, the Canucks weren’t willing to do it.

12. Had a chance to talk with a few people to evaluate Kane as a player. He is really respected as a forechecker — among the best in the NHL. He’ll go after anyone, and hard. The main criticism is his shot. If he could develop a better one-timer, it would improve his stock. Takes him a little too long to release, and defences are very good at taking away your time.

13. American Thanksgiving is another critical point on the NHL calendar. Since the NHL expanded to 30 teams, 78 per cent of those in playoff positions as of that date reach the playoffs. As a result, teams have a better idea of what they are and what they need.

Some of the wishes are obvious. Colorado and Detroit are looking for defencemen that can make a difference, although it’s not as if you can grow them in Toews’ garden. (The Avalanche are looking for more than one, likely two.)

As mentioned, the Sabres are looking for speed. is open for business. half-joked he had “four checking lines” on Monday, as Minnesota eyes a scorer.

14. The and St. Louis Blues are a little different. They have legit championship aspirations and search for more pieces of that puzzle. I’ve mentioned before the Canadiens are looking at their blue line, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if GM eyed a powerful forward or two as well. It’s “all-in” for Montreal.

15. GM Stan Bowman said on the weekend that if he adds anything, it is a winger. He’s got enough defencemen as it is.

“But I’d like to take some time,” he added, “and see what our younger forwards give us.”

15

Nick Schmaltz got his chance with Toews and the last two games. Coach Joel Quenneville uses Kane and Toews with Artemi Panarin after kills from time to time, and those three look dynamite. Panarin and Toews aren’t together often, but by my count, when united at five-on-five they haven’t been on for a goal against. Not sure Quenneville can do that all the time, though.

16. We’ve talked a lot this season about the grind of the compressed schedule and the World Cup of Hockey, but there is one player who definitely benefitted from the extra action: Marian Hossa.

“In some of those games, he was playing 23 minutes,” said Bowman, part of Team North America’s management group. “We were staying at the same hotel and I asked him if he was okay with that. He said, ‘I feel great.’ We’d talked about resting him during the season, but now? We’ll see how it goes.”

Hossa said he benefitted from the Blackhawks’ unusually long summer and, at age 37, plans to play the four remaining years of his contract.

17. An OHL source had a good tip: When the made the decision to send Dylan Strome back to junior, they did it a little differently.

GM John Chayka and head coach took Strome to a local Over Easy restaurant for breakfast and a 90-minute conversation. They thought doing it in that environment would make it easier on Strome, who apparently appreciated the approach.

Just trying to figure which one of them ordered the breakfast poutine.

18. The 's is the first to wear the new, slim-fitting goalie pants. With them, he shut out the and , probably earning him two quiet ovations in NHL offices.

ANDREI VASILEVSKIY MADE 32 SAVES TO PICK UP HIS SECOND STRAIGHT SHUTOUT AND LEAD THE @TBLIGHTNING TO THEIR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE WIN. #TBLVSPHI PIC.TWITTER.COM/9ZQ11PMDGQ

— NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS (@PR_NHL) NOVEMBER 19, 2016

The league continues to receive complaints that the new fit will expose the hips in certain positions. We’ll see if Vasilevskiy’s success changes anyone’s mind. It never hurts when the first guy in the pool loves the water.

19. One netminder who switched equipment last summer? Cam Ward. Ward went to Bauer pads and found them to be lighter than his previous ones. For an aggressive, active goalie, it’s a subtle but important change. He’s got a new glove, too, and, apparently an adjusted off-ice routine.

(He wasn’t available to chat about it Tuesday morning in Toronto, as he is starting that game.)

Ward is coming off a phenomenal stretch where he’s beaten Montreal, San Jose, Washington and Winnipeg. When he’s on his game, you can tell shooters have no idea what he’s going to do.

20. The challenge for Carolina’s defenders in front of Ward is you have to think differently than you’ve been programmed. The Hurricanes set it up so Ward is responsible for the shooter and the defence must take the weak-side. So there will be situations where an opponent is coming at the net with the puck, and a defender instinctively wants to go at him, but isn’t supposed to. Those are smart young D learning to adjust.

16

21. How impressive has ’s start been for Montreal? Heading into last Friday’s game in Carolina, 12 teammates had points on goals Byron has scored or assisted on this season. This was equal to McDavid, Ovechkin, and . That’s really something. (The leader was Scheifele with 16. Jakub Voracek had 15 and 14.)

Putting him on waivers last year was a hard decision for the Flames. They liked him, but wondered if he’d be this much of a finisher. They suspected Montreal’s interest.

22. Florida’s had a great line about teammate Jaromir Jagr. Trocheck’s first NHL goal was an empty-netter against the in March 2014. There is a photo of the future Hall-of- Famer chasing the young centre as he scores. When Trocheck told him that, he said Jagr replied, “What were you doing on the ice in a one-goal game?”

23. ’s return should make a difference for Florida. If opponents have one critique about the Panthers, it’s that they are a bit small. “[Jonathan] Huberdeau was starting to become a beast, too,” said one coach. He’s due back in the New Year.

24. Six years ago, Mike Vernace played the last of his 22 career NHL games with the Lightning. But, as he said Monday, “I love to play hockey. You watch , he’s only getting better and he’s a year younger than I am. If he wants to get better, why can’t everyone else? That’s my mindset, truthfully.”

Now 30, Vernace is playing for the ECHL’s Brampton Beast, his second season in that city after trips to Germany and Sweden. Eventually, someone will drag him off the ice, but as he continues to compete, he is among a growing group getting involved in skill development.

It began a few years ago with his cousin, Justin, asking him to go through some game tape.

“He asked me for feedback, and then a few others on his team followed. I had no intention of going back to them, but they came to me [the next] summer, asking ‘Can we do this again?’" he explained. "The main thing I looked for was the same thing scouts graded me on: one-versus-one battles, puck races. Do you win your battles? We track them. We do Corsi now as well, and pair that with bread-and-butter notes. It’s what we would get from our teams.”

25. Justin, who is 18, now plays for the Toronto Junior Canadiens. Vernace decided to stick with this work.

“The main reason: the amount of improvement we saw in the kids we were working with. Some improved by leaps and bounds…we didn’t think they would play past Midget AAA.”

His company, Shifted Hockey, is small — partially because he wants to make sure he’s doing a good job and partially because he and brother Daniel are still active. (Daniel plays for the Fayetteville FireAntz of the Southern Professional Hockey League.)

How much of a family business is this? Wife Claudia wrote the business plan as part of her Master’s Degree while they were in Germany.

26. Vernace played for two current NHL coaches while in the Lightning organization: Guy Boucher (NHL) and Jon Cooper (AHL).

17

“With Coop, we would always play in Charlotte, one of our biggest rivals, at three in the afternoon, be done by 5:30. He’d say, ‘OK guys, the bus is not leaving until midnight.’ One thing he did well, he gets guys to be a team, do stuff together.”

He also played for Boucher at AHL Hamilton.

“Intense, fiery. Whether you play three minutes or you play 35 minutes, he wants everyone to stay engaged.”

He laughed when thinking of Boucher’s intensity.

“We had a great team. But I remember one player at a practice asking, ‘Guy, what do you want me to do here?’ and he said, ‘Hey, when we’re on the ice, I’m not your friend, I’m your coach.’”

No one called him “Guy” after that.

27. The KHL is going through some issues, with president Dmitry Chernyshenko saying last week he thinks “it's possible that the league could contract if the board takes that decision.”

It sounds like leadership also is wrestling with another issue: competitive balance. Less than 35 games into the season, the difference between No. 1 (St. Petersburg) and No. 29 (Metallurg Novokuznetsk) is 64 points. That’s a huge number so quickly into the season, and a look at the standings shows an obvious split between haves and have-nots.

So, what is being weighed is cutting teams not only for money, but also to improve the quality of play. The better the teams, the better the product, the better the rivalries. The second-tier Russian league (comparable to the AHL) set an attendance record last weekend when 9,765 fans showed for a game between two clubs from St. Petersburg. Word is, however, that many teams in trouble are from other countries, which makes this a political challenge. There are some tough decisions to make.

28. Upon returning to , Pavel Datsyuk completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management from Ural Federal University.

His final thesis: “Management of Sports Preparation of Young Hockey Players on Sports and Fitness Stage and Initial Stage of Preparation.”

I’m sure that’s less wordy in Cyrillic.

29. The ’ director of goaltending development, Mike Valley, is releasing a new book with Justin Goldman, who runs The Goalie Guild website. It’s called Embracing the Grind. Via text, Valley said what stands out for him is “how honest the goalies we interviewed are…you can have all the skills in the world, but if you cannot control your mind you will never fully succeed.”

As someone who has embraced the thinking preached in The Obstacle is the Way and The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a $&%*, I’m looking forward to the messages.

30. It is impossible not to be moved by the outpouring of emotion for Craig Cunningham, fighting for life after collapsing prior to an AHL game last Saturday.

I don’t know him well, but we all know someone like him — someone who’s not the biggest, or the strongest. They are, however, the toughest and most determined.

18

Privately, we think they won’t beat the odds, then smile when they do because we were stupid enough to doubt them. Most of that comes from within. But some of it comes from knowing others believe in you, too.

We’ve learned that person is his mother, Heather, who raised three boys after husband Alvin died in a 1996 car accident. They are strong people, and I hope that strength carries them now.

19

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/how-did-nhl-teams-get-their-names-expansion/

How the 13 newest NHL teams picked their names

By Luke Fox – November 23, 2016

Anyone who’s ever brought a baby into this world or a gerbil home from the mall knows well the painstaking process of choosing the right name.

With the NHL’s new Las Vegas team set to unveil its moniker on Tuesday evening, we look back at the NHL’s 13 most recent additions — expansion and relocated franchises from 1990 onward — to see how those clubs arrived at their nicknames.

Plus, we remember some of the runners-up that came oh so close to seeing the light of day.

—

Anaheim Ducks (1993) Emilio Estevez—the brother who kept his cool—starred in the 1992 Disney vehicle The Mighty Ducks. Christened The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Disney-owned hockey club was marketed to capitalize on the blockbuster success of the film.

Did you know? The expansion fee for the Ducks was $50 million, and the box office rake of the film was $50 million.

When Disney sold the team in 2005, the name was simplified to and the goofy cartoon logo was soon ditched.

—

Arizona Coyotes (1996) Coyotes was the champion in a name-the-team contest after and the relocated to the desert for good.

More than 10,000 entries were submitted. Scorpions finished second. Mustangs, Outlaws, Wranglers and Freeze were also in the running.

(This feels like a good time to tell you that I once nailed a beautiful eight-iron and dropped my golf ball within four feet for the hole. A coyote hobbled out of the bushes, gobbled up the ball like a robin's egg, then retreated back to the forest. This happened in , but legend has it there are a lot of golf courses in Phoenix.)

Atlanta Thrashers (1999) Thrashers was actually the runner-up to Flames in a name-that-team fan vote. (The NHL's original Atlanta Flames had moved to Calgary in 1980.)

20

Club owner Ted Turner instead went with the fans' second choice and dubbed his expansion club after Georgia's state bird, the brown thrasher.

Fun fact: the first encampment (circa 1839) of the area that would grow into Atlanta was called Thrasherville. The Thrashers would relocate to Winnipeg in 2011; that city would rename the club after its original NHL franchise, the Jets.

—

Carolina Hurricanes (1997) Peter Karmanos, owner of the United States' smallest-market team, picked up and moved the Hartford Whalers to Raleigh in 1997 under short notice. As a result of the tight timeline, Karmanos named the relocated club instead of holding a contest. The team derived its name from the storm system that frequently hit the area.

The Whalers' colours of blue, green and silver were replaced by a black-and-red scheme that matched the North Carolina State University Wolfpack. The Hurricanes and Wolfpack shared the city's creatively- named Entertainment and Sports Arena.

—

Colorado Avalanche (1995) Denver's previous NHL team, the Colorado Rockies, bolted to become the New Jersey Devils in 1982.

By the time the got around to replacing them, the city's new Major League Baseball franchise had already played finders-keepers with that nickname. Within shouting distance from some of the country's best (and deadliest) ski-able terrain, Avalanche won out over Extreme, Outlaws, Storm, Wranglers, Renegades, Rapids, and Cougars.

New owner COMSAT Entertainment group initially filed to copyright the moniker Black Bears, presumably to ease Ray Bourque's transition from the Bruins.

—

Columbus Blue Jackets (2000)

More than 14,000 entries were received for Columbus's name-our-expansion-team contest. The NHL helped Columbus narrow the list to 10 candidates.

The NHL and team owner John H. McConnell then whittled it down to two finalists: Blue Jackets and Justice.

The former was selected to celebrate the state's rich Civil War history.

Ohio contributed more residents to the Union Army than any other state, including William Tecumseh Sherman (who led the burning of Atlanta), Ulysses S. Grant, Philip Sheridan, and George Custer. —

Dallas Stars (1993)

21

When the relocated south to Texas in 1993, it made a ton of sense to drop "North" from the club's name.

Also handy: Texas is the Lone Star state, and Cowboys fans are used to buying merchandise that prominently features a giant star.

Fun fact: In Minnesota's final two seasons, the team redesigned its logo and omitted "North," foreshadowing the migration.

—

Florida Panthers (1993) Franchise owner and Blockbuster Video magnate Wayne Huizenaga selected "Panthers" in effort to draw awareness for the state's native wildcat and official animal.

The panther was endangered at the time. Still is.

In 2013, it was reported that there were only 160 of this cougar subspecies in the wild, living mostly in the swamps and forests of southern Florida.

—

Minnesota Wild (2000) Replacing the much-lamented North Stars in Minnesota, the nickname Wild was picked as a tribute to the state's rampant wildlife and the locals' outdoorsy reputation.

Wild won out from a group of six finalists, trumping the Blue Ox, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, White Bears, and Freeze.

The new moniker was introduced to fans with Steppenwolf's Born to be Wild blaring through Aldrich Arena's speaker system.

—

Nashville Predators (1998) A nine-inch fang belonging to a saber-toothed tiger was uncovered during the construction of a Nashville office building. In a bizarre sequence of events, owner Craig Leipold unveiled the team's saber- toothed logo prior to determining a moniker.

The franchise held a fan vote to determine the name. Three choices were culled from a wide net of 75 options: Ice Tigers, Fury and Attack.

Leipold then added his own choice, Predators, to the mix.

Once the contest closed, Predators ended up being the winner. Hmmm....

—

Ottawa Senators (1992)

22

Awarded an expansion franchise in 1991, the new ownership group, led by real estate developer Bruce Firestone, reached back to reclaim Ottawa's successful past.

Founded in 1883, the original Senators raised 11 Stanley Cups before an ill-fated move to St. Louis in 1934.

An easy and popular (if uninspired) name reboot that would be replicated in when the moved to Winnipeg.

—

San Jose Sharks (1991) The Sharks should've been named the Blades. That was the first-place finisher in a mail-in fan vote that saw more than 5,000 potential nicknames. (Some samples: Rubber Puckies, Screaming Squids, Salty Dogs, Fog, Icebreakers, Redwoods.)

Owners Gordon and George Gund were concerned over the violent gang imagery "Blades" might evoke and thus shiv'd the rightful winner in the lunch hall.

Sharks, the runner-up, makes sense. Seven varieties of the lean, mean fish make their home in the Pacific Ocean's "Red Triangle," adjacent to the Bay Area. Two of those species wear unruly beards.

—

Tampa Bay Lightning (1992) Tampa Bay is considered the "Lightning Capital of North America." Florida averages 10 deaths and 30 injuries from lightning strikes annually; several of these occur in or around Tampa.

University of Florida lightning expert Martin A. Uman calculated that the average Tampa resident is within a half-mile of 10 to 15 lightning strikes every year.

A doozy of a thunderstorm in 1990 inspired franchise president to go with the nickname for his hockey team.

Fun fact: NASA recently proclaimed Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo the "Lightning Capital of the World," as it receives an average rate of 233 flashes per square kilometre per year. Lake Maracaibo dethroned Africa's Congo Basin for the title.

Reports that Gary Bettman is considering expanding his Sun Belt to Venezuela remain unconfirmed.

23

http://www.tsn.ca/vegas-golden-knights-introduced-as-nhl-s-31st-franchise-1.614604

Vegas Golden Knights introduced as NHL's 31st franchise

By Frank Seravalli – November 23, 2016

LAS VEGAS — These Knights will be Golden.

As gold confetti blasted into Sin City’s neon-drenched night sky, owner Bill Foley dubbed the NHL’s 31st franchise the Golden Knights, finally giving the first major professional sports team to call Las Vegas home a name and identity.

The Vegas Golden Knights will begin play in Oct. 2017 as the NHL kicks off its second 100 years. The “Las” in Las Vegas was officially dropped from the team’s moniker because the team said that’s how most locals refer to their city.

Within minutes of the unveiling, the Golden Knights logo - reminiscent of a spartan’s warrior helmet with a “V” for Vegas as to central focal point - adorned digital billboards up and down the Las Vegas Strip.

“Our name and our logo is really going to exhibit the highest element of the warrior class: the knight,” Foley said. “The knight protects the unprotected. The knight defends the realm. The knight never gives up, never gives in, always advances, never retreats. That’s what our team is going to be.”

The Vegas Golden Knights logo: pic.twitter.com/hmDEUt9cx8

— SportsCentre (@SportsCentre) November 23, 2016

Foley’s enterprise was somehow able to keep the team’s detail under wraps for more than three months, building to a crescendo of excitement on Tuesday night. Foley said Golden Knights GM George McPhee learned of the team’s name in September and didn’t even spill to his wife or kids.

“It’s nice to have an identity,” McPhee said. “It’s finally coming to life.”

More than 2,000 fans crammed into Toshiba Plaza outside of T-Mobile Arena just steps off the infamous Strip for the glitzy, glitter-filled party headlined by Cirque Du Soleil.

Fans draped over levels of an adjacent parking garage just to get a glimpse of the new Golden Knight warrior’s helmet while youth hockey players skated on an outdoor rink next to the stage. Patrons from the neighbouring outdoor bars overflowed into the plaza. Helicopters flew overhead and dropped t- shirts into the crowd.

It really was quite a scene: quintessential Vegas. Where else would an NHL team reveal its name but in the shadow of a rollercoaster at New York, New York Casino?

There was a slight technical glitch to the party. A video failed to play on the stage’s big screen which would have segued into the unveiling of the logo.

24

Foley instead counted down to the long-awaited realization of his dream.

“Believe me,” Foley said. “We won’t screw up the first game like we screwed up the video.”

Las Vegas was officially invited to join the exclusive NHL old boys club on June 22, but this party made it feel real. The assembled fans and season-ticket holders even booed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

“Keep booing me,” Bettman quipped. “This proves you’re now an NHL city.”

Bettman said he hoped to one day return to be booed as he delivered the Stanley Cup. McPhee was also repeatedly heckled by a fan so boisterously that it threw off the veteran GM during his remarks, leaving him to wonder aloud whether the ceremony had morphed into “a Donald Trump rally.”

Foley, who will own 85 per cent of the franchise with the other shares belonging to former Sacramento Kings owners the , was forced to zag after realizing his preferred name - the Las Vegas Black Knights - would not be possible. He wanted to pay homage to his alma mater, the United States Military Academy, but ran into trademark, domain and other logistical snares with West Point and also the OHL’s .

As a result, the name was tweaked to one of three finalists: the Golden Knights, Silver Knights and Desert Knights.

Foley compromised with the Golden Knights, but still got to use a colour scheme similar to Army’s Black Knights with gold and black as the primary colours. The official names of the colours are steel grey, gold, red and black.

The entire process may have seemed slow. But it took only five months for the name, logo and jersey to be agreed upon. McPhee reminded that the ’ current jerseys took more than two years to assemble.

“It’s actually been a remarkably short time,” McPhee said. “These things take a while. There’s so much to go through legally and design-wise. It’s not only a name and identity, it’s about colours and making them work on a uniform.”

Fans lined the block outside T-Mobile Arena to purchase new merchandise. Foley and McPhee both sported Golden Knights hats. The only thing missing for sale were jerseys, which have been designed, but are not expected to be produced until mid-February.

“I’m very proud of our name,” Foley said. “And I’m very proud of our logo.”

25

http://www.tsn.ca/statistically-speaking-subban-stars-in-nashville-1.614091

Statistically Speaking: Subban stars in Nashville

By Scott Cullen – November 23, 2016

Subban stars in his new locale, Guentzel’s debut, Fedun, Grabner and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking.

HEROES

P.K. Subban – The Nashville defenceman scored a pair of goals in a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay. He has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in the past seven games and has been much better since he was paired with .

Jake Guentzel – Making his NHL debut, the 2013 third-round pick scored both Pittsburgh goals, and led the Penguins with five shots on goal, in a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. After playing three years at Nebraska- Omaha, Guentzel started playing in the AHL late last season and he has produced 37 points in 37 (regular season plus playoff) games at that level, so it appears that the 22-year-old is ready for his NHL trial.

Taylor Fedun – The 28-year-old Sabres defenceman had a couple of assists in a 4-2 win against Calgary, giving him four assists in three games since getting called up from the AHL. The Princeton grad has only played 15 career games in the NHL, with Edmonton, San Jose, Vancouver and Buffalo, yet he’s put up 11 points.

Michael Grabner - The amazing run continues for the Rangers speedster, who had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win at Pittsburgh. He has 13 points (10 G, 3 A) in the past 12 games, and is tied for the league lead with 12 goals. Grabner last scored more than 12 goals in a season during the 2012-2013 campaign.

ZEROES

Sidney Crosby – Well, this is unexpected. Pittsburgh’s superstar was on the ice for four goals against (one while on the power play, one empty-netter) in a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. It was the fourth time in his career that he’s been minus-4 or worse in a game.

Nikita Zadorov and Andreas Martinsen – The Avalanche defenceman and winger both were on the wrong end of play against Columbus. Zadorov (10 for, 27 against, 27.0 CF%, 2-11 scoring chances) and Martinsen (12 for, 32 against, 27.3 CF%, 3-17 scoring chances) had the worst numbers among Avs to play at least 10 minutes at 5-on-5.

Corey Crawford – Chicago’s goaltender wasn’t able to pick up the pieces for his team and allowed five goals on 27 shots in a 5-0 loss at Edmonton. His save percentage has dipped to .876 over the past five games, bringing it down to .921 for the season.

VITAL SIGNS

26

Matt Duchene – Returned to the Avalanche lineup, and scored the overtime winner, after missing 10 days with a concussion.

Seth Jones – Was back in the Columbus lineup after missing more than two weeks with a broken foot.

John Klingberg and Stephen Johns – The Stars sat out Klingberg for being late to a team meeting and Johns was a healthy scratch for the third time this season in a 3-2 overtime win against Minnesota.

Johan Larsson – With Ryan O’Reilly and Jack Eichel out, there are big minutes available to the Sabres centre, and he’s averaged 19:32 of ice time per game over the past five. His goal against Calgary snapped a seven-game point drought.

SHORT SHIFTS is off to a fantastic start for the Rangers.

Flames LW Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 loss at Buffalo; he had one goal and no assists in his previous six games…Sabres RW produced a goal and an assist in the win, after posting two assists in the previous seven games…Sabres C Sam Reinhart contributed a pair of assists against Calgary. He had one goal and no assists in his previous seven games…Rangers C Kevin Hayes tallied a goal and an assist, giving him 15 points (7 G, 8 A) in the past 12 games…Rangers LW also had a goal and a helper, after producing a goal and an assist in the previous eight games…Rangers D Ryan McDonagh contributed a couple of assists; he had two assists in the previous nine games…Penguins RW assisted on both of Guentzel’s goals, and has 14 points (2 G, 12 A) in the past 13 games…Avalanche D scored a goal and added an assist in a 3-2 overtime win at Columbus; he has six points (1 G, 5 A) in the past seven games…Blue Jackets RW Cam Atkinson scored both Blue Jackets goals, and had 11 shot attempts (7 SOG), in the loss to Colorado, and has nine points (3 G, 6 A) during a five-game point streak…Predators D assisted on all three Nashville goals against Tampa Bay, giving him six points (3 G, 3 A) in the past seven games…Oilers C Connor McDavid picked up a pair of assists in a 5-0 win against Chicago, moving him into the league lead with 24 points (8 G, 16 A) in 20 games…Oilers C scored two goals and added an assist against the Blackhawks; he has six points (3 G, 3 A) during a four-game point streak…Oilers D contributed a goal and an assist, and has four points (3 G, 1 A) in the past three games…Sharks D Brent Burns had a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win over New Jersey; his shot rate has gone way down (12 shots on goal in the past seven games, dropping his shots per game to 4.26 for the season).

Playing most of the night against Pittsburgh’s star centres, Sidney Crosby and , Rangers D Dan Girardi turned in an uncharacteristically strong possession game (17 for, 8 against, 68.0 CF%, 8-1 scoring chances)…Colorado’s fourth line of Matt Calvert, William Karlsson and Josh Anderson controlled play (16 for, 4 against, 80.0 CF%, 5-1 scoring chances) in a 3-2 loss to Colorado…Sharks RW had 15 shot attempts (8 SOG) in a 4-0 win vs. New Jersey. The Sharks line of Joonas Donskoi, and Joel Ward dominated play (12 for, 1 against, 92.3 CF%, 3-0 scoring chances) against the Devils.

Cam Talbot has been solid for the Oilers.

Rangers G Antti Raanta stopped 29 of 31 shots to beat the Penguins, and has a .938 save percentage in six starts this season…Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov turned away 40 of 42 shots in a 3-2 overtime win at Columbus; he has a .944 save percentage in his past five starts…Predators G had 24 saves

27

on 25 shots in a 3-1 win against Tampa Bay, giving him a .953 save percentage in his past nine starts…Oilers G posted a 31-save shutout in a 5-0 win over Chicago. He’s leading the league in minutes (1067), shots against (553) and saves (509) on his way to a .920 save percentage in 18 starts…Sharks G Martin Jones had a 26-save shutout in a 4-0 win over New Jersey, giving him a .940 save percentage in the past six games.

FIRSTS

Julius Honka – The 14th pick in the 2014 Draft, Honka made his NHL debut for the Dallas Stars, recording an assist and generating nine shot attempts (5 SOG) in 21:01 of ice time. He had 12 points (3 G, 9 A) in 16 AHL games this season before getting called up.

Dan O’Regan – A fifth-round pick in 2012, who played four years at Boston College, O’Regan made his NHL debut for San Jose against New Jersey. He had 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in 11 AHL games to earn his promotion.

FANTASY FOCUS Some players owned in more than 80% of TSN leagues who aren’t producing lately:

Artem Anisimov – Remember when Anisimov was leading the league in scoring? Good times. He has no goals, one assist and seven shots on goal in the past six games. Owned: 86.3%

Milan Lucic – The Oilers want him to ride shotgun with Connor McDavid, but results have been uneven, at best, and Lucic has three points (1 G, 2 A) in his past 12 games. Owned: 91.1%

Evgeny Kuznetsov – After a 77-point season last year, Kuznetsov has just seven points (2 G, 5 A) in 18 games this season. Owned: 93.1%

Ryan Getzlaf – Anaheim’s playmaking power forward does have 14 assists in 16 games, but he’s scored just one goal and has six shots on goal in the past six games. Owned: 98.7%

28

http://www.tsn.ca/viva-las-vegas-tsn-hockey-s-early-expansion-team-lineup-1.614039

Viva Las Vegas! TSN Hockey's early expansion team lineup

By Frank Seravalli – November 23, 2016

LAS VEGAS - TSN’s first crack at a mock 2017 NHL expansion draft for Las Vegas started in net with Marc- Andre Fleury - a clear and obvious backbone - but then got significantly weaker and more complicated from there.

TSN Director of Scouting and resident GM , who went through six expansion processes during his 19-year NHL career, realized almost no selection is independent of another.

One player must be selected from all 30 teams, but they are all intertwined.

“Who you decide to select from one team has serial impact on what you do with every other one,” said Button, the former GM. “There are lots of combinations and permutations.”

Las Vegas GM George McPhee will be mandated to choose a minimum of 14 forwards, nine defencemen and three goalies when he submits his list of 30 names June. 21.

Seven months before the new Las Vegas roster will be released, TSN simulated what McPhee will experience by compiling projected protected and exposed lists from all 30 teams and then having Button pick a 30-man roster.

The end result was a roster Button graded as A-minus for goaltending, C-plus for defence and D-minus for forwards.

The results are revealing if not unexpected: McPhee will have a relative surplus of bottom-end blueliners and a shortfall of high end scoring power available to him.

Button’s team features Fleury, a Stanley Cup-winning goalie, steady defencemen such as Jonas Brodin and Brandon Davidson, but just two 20-goal scoring forwards in Jacob Silfverberg and Matt Read.

The roster’s weakness was demonstrated with Mathieu Perreault projected as the top line centre. He is a fine player and a consistent producer in the NHL, but Perreault has never been tasked with that heavy role in his eight-year NHL career. Young forwards such as , Jacob De la Rose, Ryan Dzingel and Kerby Rychel also dot the roster, but have not proven themselves as full-time NHL players yet.

June is still a long way off. But as Button also realized, the picture won’t be getting any brighter for Las Vegas.

“Teams will ensure the player pool is even less enticing,” Button said.

METHODOLOGY

29

- Stay as close as possible to the salary cap lower limit ($43.8 million) to be able to act as a life raft and take advantage of other team’s cap issues. Keeping the payroll low also leaves space to sign unrestricted free agents.

- Maximize the number of defencemen taken - Button selected 13 - as they are the game’s best currency in trades.

- Maximize the number of 2018 expiring contracts - including eight players who become unrestricted free agents after one season - to take advantage of a potentially strong unrestricted free agent class, which could include John Tavares, John Carlson, , , , Martin Jones and .

Button’s team ended up at $45.03 million, approximately $1.2 million above the minimum threshold. The average age of the 30 players selected is 25.5 years old. All salary, contractual and games played requirements – for instance, players who have played 70 games over the last two seasons - were met.

Of course, Button was unable to negotiate side deals with other GMs in this mock exercise, which will change Las Vegas’ prospects and shake up the draft board.

“George will find a way to get two players for one,” Button said. “Meaning, he will draft a player and trade him back for two more, or receive one in a trade if agreeing not to take a certain player. That will be a big key.”

30

http://www.tsn.ca/which-teams-appear-to-be-12-forwards-deep-1.613848

Which teams appear to be 12 forwards deep?

By Travis Yost - November 23, 2016

One of the biggest developments in the over the last decade or so has been the increased focus in bottom-six forward competency across all organizations.

It’s borne out of necessity as teams have realized the talent spread at the NHL level is razor thin. While top-end skill will always drive the majority of what happens in the win/loss column, depth players have been given significantly larger and more important roles.

The other important piece of this is, empirically, this stuff matters quite a bit come the postseason. Far too often, top-heavy teams have crashed and burned in the early going when competition improves, while the truly balanced groups – the Chicago Blackhawks under Stan Bowman are one of the best examples - have a better chance of fighting into May and June.

One of the ways you can test depth competency is to draw a line between a team’s non-depth forwards (historically regarded to as the “top six”) and depth forwards (historically regarded to as the “bottom six”). Traditionally, the elite 5-on-5 teams see their non-depth forwards obliterate competition and win about 55 per cent of the shots and goals when they are on the ice. Further, their depth forwards can usually stem the tide - if the bottom six can take about 50 per cent of the shots and goals when they’re on the ice, you’re talking about a 12-man forward group that really has no weakness.

Let’s look at all 30 teams as we near the quarter pole of the regular season. Which teams are top-heavy? And which teams have the requisite depth to not only reach the playoffs, but maybe make a run beyond game 82?

Here’s how each team’s top six and bottom six split (Corsi% at 5-on-5, where forwards are sorted by their average ice-time per game and with at least eight games logged):

The first order of business is to identify the teams that are winning the shot battle regardless of who is on the ice - usually an encouraging sign. That group includes Calgary, Carolina, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Jose, St. Louis, and Washington. I think it’s fair to say at least three of these teams, and maybe four, are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

Calgary is an interesting inclusion here. The Flames have been chasing the game more than they have been protecting it, so maybe you expect their shot advantages to be marginally inflated. Even then, I’m not sure we are talking about a bad Flames team here - certainly not to the tune of the 7-11-1 record they have posted in the standings. The Flames aren’t getting out-gunned, but rather out-percentaged: Their shooting and save percentages are both in the bottom 10 off the league at 5-on-5, and they have scored a pathetically low number of goals on the power play. So the Flames might have a bunch of problems, but skating with the rest of the league at evens for 48 minutes a night isn’t one of them. If anything, we should be bullish on this team.

31

One other point on this group: In a year where very few teams are really distinguishing themselves as leaders, the St. Louis Blues make a very good argument. They returned a strong roster from last year and are playing in a suddenly average Central Division. , and Robby Fabbri are all guys who can play against elites and perform admirably. But it shouldn’t go unnoticed that , Dmitrij Jaskin, Scottie Upshall, and Kyle Brodziak really are having strong seasons too.

The next group is the teams that I’d consider top-heavy (and, if playoffs are on their mind, they should be prioritizing depth player acquisition from now until the trade deadline): Anaheim, Boston, Chicago, Colorado, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg.

This list is intriguing. We have talked for no less than three years about the Bruins’ top-heaviness and how much and company are burdened with - this year, the Corsi% spread between their top six and bottom six is close to nine per cent. I don’t know what the breaking point is for the Bruins, but if I’m GM Don Sweeney and I see a wide-open Eastern Conference, I’m picking up the phone to find out who is out there. Their bottom-six forward group includes names like , Austin Czarnik, Dominic Moore, Jimmy Hayes, Tim Schaller, and Noel Acciari. Maybe this is good enough in the regular season, but are you really beating the toughs in the East or West with this group? I’m skeptical.

On the other side of the ledger, you have to wonder where this season goes for a team like Vancouver. I think there’s some truth to the argument that the Canucks are better than a couple of other teams around the league, and certainly their top-six forwards can still play. But the clock is ticking on the Sedin twins, and I think there’s a good argument to be made that they’re holding the entire operation from falling into a 20-year abyss. I’m not sure what the solution is short-term or long-term, but there’s no way they’re good enough to be competitive in the playoffs this year. Still, I’d be a shade surprised, barring a total fire sale, if they finished 30th.

The last group is the list of teams that are really getting wacked regardless of who is on the ice. For the sake of isolating on the bottom of the pool, I’ll focus on the ones at the bottom of the drain. The big three here are Arizona, Columbus, and Detroit (though the Islanders aren’t far off).

Arizona has been dangerously bad this year - they’re getting out-chanced at record differentials and even if they weren’t supposed to be competitive this season, one would’ve thought they’d show some improvement year-over-year. Columbus and Detroit, on the other hand, were supposed to be good this year. They are not.

The Blue Jackets are basically getting by on an all-world power play. If and when that dries up - they’re shooting over 22 per cent right now there – this team’s going to be exposed. Detroit is very similar, just without the power-play greatness, and that’s why they are one point ahead of dead-last in the Atlantic Division. If you are betting on two teams fading as the season progresses, the bet is here.

32