SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 07/26/19 Canadiens 1150104 Here come the 2022-23 Ducks — How will Anaheim look 1150128 Canadiens listed at 33-1 odds to win in three years? 1150129 Canadiens fans returning to Montreal for annual HI/O weekend summit 1150130 Revisionist history: What the Canadiens would look like if 1150105 Coyotes agree to 2-year affiliation with ECHL’s Rapid City we reversed ’s biggest decisions Rush 1150106 and Blake Wheeler? The alternate Coyotes universe had they kept all their first-rounders 1150131 What's next for NJ Devils' goalie prospects? 1150132 P.K. Subban is 'head over heels' to be with NJ Devils 1150133 What NJ Devils' prospect Reilly Walsh wants to show this 1150107 Our All-New England NHL team: Talented, gritty, and they season sound wicked cool 1150134 P.K. Subban brings everything the Devils have been missing 1150108 ready for 'exciting summer' to end, Sabres' season to begin 1150135 Decision time coming for Rangers’ salary-cap conundrum 1150109 Evan Rodrigues gets $2 million contract with Sabres 1150110 With a sudden abundance of defensemen, which combos NHL make the most sense for the Sabres’ top-six? 1150136 Virginia Mason signs on as a NHL team founding partner and official health care provider 1150111 Bell: Councillors take stand against arena critics 1150112 What’s expected of Sam Bennett and where in Calgary’s 1150137 2019-20 Flyers projection: Unpacking the complex lineup he may play after signing a two-year deal opening night lineup and roster possibilities 1150113 Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin is just one man but for some, 1150138 Penguins Prediction Rewind: Jake Guentzel’s contract he’s ‘the best one’ they know looks like bargain after 40- season 1150139 Ex-Penguin Max Talbot answers burning question about Blackhawks famous 2009 fight 1150114 ‘It was really tough to let go’: After 3 seasons away, 1150140 Tim Benz: Will addition by subtraction actually work for Andrew Shaw is back where he belongs — with the Steelers, Penguins? Blackha 1150115 Going to the Blackhawks Convention this weekend? Here are the panels to see, how to get autographs and more 1150141 Puppy love: Meet Finn, the San Jose Sharks’ newest 1150116 Introducing the All-Greater Chicagoland Team, which isn’t addition all that great 1150142 NHL expansion draft: Forwards who Sharks protect depend on approach 1150143 A look into the future: Sharks will need late-round picks to 1150117 Avalanche signs Sheldon Dries to 1-year contract blossom to remain competitive in 2022-23 St Louis Blues 1150118 The 2010s — Best Blue Jackets in a decade of change for 1150144 Blues hire Marc Savard in attempt to improve power play CBJ Maple Leafs Red Wings 1150145 Maple Leafs trade Andreas Borgman to Blues for Jordan 1150119 Local developer wants to buy site Schmaltz 1150120 Ex-Red Wings scout Jeff Finley lands with Jets 1150146 Maple Leafs forward Alex Kerfoot preparing for Toronto’s 1150121 Finnish defensemen hoping to work their way up to Red spotlight Wings 1150147 New Leafs Jordan Schmaltz has five assists 1150122 Bring it, Minnesota: Introducing our All-Michiganders NHL in 42 career NHL games. Team 1150148 Maple Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot preparing to step into Toronto spotlight Oilers 1150149 Kerfoot can't wait for Maple Leafs fans to get a nice, long 1150123 Lowetide: Joel Persson is ideally situated to win an look at Barrie opening night roster spot with the Oilers 1150150 Wheeler: Analyzing the Leafs’ seven depth signings, from 1150124 What the 2019-20 Oilers might look like without trade Pontus Aberg to Kenny Agostino missteps 1150151 Golden Knights’ Engelland: ‘This is where my heart is’ 1150125 Can the Kings contend at the end of their rebuild? What will their roster look like in 2022-23? 1150126 MATT MOULSON HEADS BACK EAST, SIGNS AHL 1150152 20 Burning Capitals Questions: Will keeping Carl Hagelin DEAL WITH HERSHEY over prove to be the right move? 1150127 Da Beauty League: Summer fun, games and a chance to make a name Websites 1150153 The Athletic / Helping us capture the spirit of the thing: The NHL All-Interview team 1150154 The Athletic / Tulloch: The NHL’s top 10 regression candidates for 2019-20 1150155 The Athletic / Team Bounce Back vs. Team Fade: Who wins a matchup of players poised to rebound or regress? 1150156 .ca / Leiweke: Francis the type of leader you 'want to build your culture around' 1150157 Sportsnet.ca / Calgary Flames' Bennett hoping to complement physical game 1150158 TSN.CA / Taking stock of the NHL goaltending picture 1150159 TSN.CA / Plenty of questions surround Jets RFAs Laine and Connor 1150160 USA TODAY / Stars on the field and in the front office: Ranking the best players-turned-GMs in sports

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1150104 Anaheim Ducks them with Getzlaf and that’s about $29 million committed on the high end.

And of the roster players they have now who need a contract before Here come the 2022-23 Ducks — How will Anaheim look in three years? then, we figure Ondrej Kase will be the one they’ll prioritize. (Especially if the young winger stays healthy and starts potting 25-30 goals). If that’s the case, we think the Ducks will try to bring him in at around $5 million By Eric Stephens AAV on a term deal. Now we’re at $34 million. Yeah, that cap space is starting to disappear. Jul 25, 2019 There’s $27 million left, but then there are the kids coming off entry-level

deals. Sam Steel. Troy Terry. Max Comtois. Max Jones. Isac Welcome to the dog days of NHL summer. Rough, rough. Lundestrom. They represent the future. The Ducks will determine who’s worth making long commitments to, then use their leverage when they League news slows to a drip. Not much is left on the unrestricted free can and divvy up that available money as they see fit. Add in agent shelf. That little brouhaha over the offer sheet was defensemen Brendan Guhle and Jacob Larsson, who could be other spicy but now it’s in the past. There is the occasional arbitration case bridge-deal candidates. being avoided or decided. But it’s to the where what creates a stir is trades involving overpaid fading scorers, or players who no longer play Remember that the club prefers to keep a budget that’s a few million for cap space, and little real money. Even the insiders have long since under the cap, whether out of pure preference to align with its revenue decided to put down their cell phones. (Occasionally.) taken in or to keep flexibility for in-season moves when they feel they’ve got a team that can contend. It is mighty quiet in Duckland and we’ve still got a full week left until August, when the dog days turn into the dead silent days. But the And we’ll stick with Anaheim’s model of drafting and developing its own – summer is also about fun. It’s about letting the mind wander. Being and then paying them. The Ducks could dip into free agency here and carefree. there to fill in the gaps, but we figure they’ll have the space necessary to do that once everything is said and done. Trades can happen, of course, What the heck? Let’s start thinking about Anaheim icing a playoff-bound and we wish our crystal ball had that kind of prediction ability. roster in the fall of 2022. Now let’s look at that 2022-23 roster. You determine if it is one that can Now there are three full seasons to be played and I readily admit that I win and make noise in the playoffs. tell folks to enjoy the here and now. But is that really as much as fun as thinking about what could be? Earlier this month, I looked at what the Forward Ducks’ opening night roster might look like. The curtain raises 10 weeks The Top Line from now. So we’re just extending this crystal ball look another 150 weeks or so. It’ll be here before you know it. The one thing we can predict with a fair level of presumed security is that Getzlaf – who should be the Ducks’ all-time leading scorer and only Again, this is a fun exercise. But there is a very interesting element to 1,000-point player in franchise history – won’t be the team’s No. 1 center who could be in Anaheim’s 2022-23 lineup and where they would sit. The then, if he’s still in the dressing room. If he is, that’s an issue unless he is contracts of Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler will have expired. Kesler stickhandling around Father Time and still setting up teammates. probably will be enjoying retirement at that point. Could Getzlaf be as well? Or would the Ducks have found ways to keep their longtime So, who is assuming that mantle? Trevor Zegras was the ninth overall in the mix as long as he wants to be? pick of this year’s draft but some believe his pure offensive talent could have made him a top-five selection. He already is an elite-level passer And that doesn’t begin to address the possibility of a nuclear summer. who oozes creativity and seems to have the personality to make a line Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell and Josh Manson all can become his. Give him two years at Boston University, another year for his NHL unrestricted free agents. All three are lifelong Ducks. All three are indoctrination into a club with fellow youngsters working toward their important players for now and in the future. All three will want one more primes, and then unleash him for 2022-23. venti-sized contract. Will all three be kept in the fold before then? Now imagine Zegras feeding shooters on his left and right. Rakell and Ooh, this is fun. Kase are their purest goal scorers now and they could remain so. As long As of now, the Ducks have only four players signed through 2022-23 or as they’re both kept in the fold, this trio could terrorize teams off the rush, beyond: John Gibson, Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg and Cam on a cycle in the offensive zone or on the power play. Fowler. There is also the final year of Corey Perry’s buyout, which is $2 The Second Line million. So that is nearly $25.6 million of salary cap space committed. This is another spot where there will be more transformation. Long gone Now let’s figure what the cap might be. There is the tricky issue of a new will be the days when Silfverberg operated with Kesler and Andrew collective bargaining agreement to be ratified, but let’s just say that both Cogliano as the highly valued and massively important shutdown line. If sides will truly want to maintain labor peace and avoid a work stoppage. scoring continues to bump upward, the Ducks will need more people who A new television deal also must be worked out. The last one resulted in a can finish. cap spike of nearly $5 million from 2010-11 to 2011-12. A similar jump could occur, and given a modest bump expected for 2020-21, the cap Silfverberg has that ability and I would hardly be surprised if he’s still a could be at $87 million for 2022-23. top-six performer by then. But we’re looking at those who might have more upside when 2022-23 rolls around. I’m going to look at a threesome Taking that into account, $61 million could be in play as far as filling up that tore up the rookie camp in Las Vegas last September and could be the Ducks’ roster. We’ll assume those five already signed Ducks will be doing some damage within the next three years. on the squad. Now we will start making a few other assumptions. Steel and Terry already possess strong defensive instincts while showing Let’s bank on Getzlaf transitioning into more of a supporting role than the that they can create offense for themselves and their teammates. Put leading one he has long held. He could be on his first or second contract those two with a strong-skating big body in Comtois, who has a nose for after finishing his eight-year, $63 million deal. The average annual value the net and is learning to work the corners and boards, and you could on a shorter-term contract could be a wide span. It could be $4 million. have a second line that can drive play. Or $7 million. Recall how San Jose rewarded with a one- year, $8 million deal in 2017, a year after his 82-point comeback season The Third Line and huge playoffs when the Sharks got to the Stanley Cup final. Now this could be the line of proven performers who can still be threats How will longtime Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf fit into their plans after his to score. Third lines often reveal how deep a team is – or is not. Getzlaf contract ends? (Stan Szeto / USA Today) could follow the Thornton example of gracefully moving down a lineup and still be a valuable and key player for the Ducks, provided he still Now what will it take to retain Lindholm, Rakell and Manson? Some day, wants to play into his late 30s. He can check and play a defensive- we’ll do a more extensive breakdown of what each player’s next contract minded game that will fit nicely, or be another setup man for his could be, as the Ducks are still safe for a couple of years, but we’ll figure linemates against some more favorable matchups. those three could come in around $20-22 million AAV combined. Put At 31, Silfverberg will still have the shutdown mindset that makes him a mover and asset on the power play, but he’ll have to tighten his game up great defensive winger. And if he continues to put up more seasons like in front of his own net. the career-high 24 goals that he had last year, then he could flip lines with Terry. Either way, those two will help make for a stronger top nine up Low-cost free agents have generally been signed to play the No. 6 spot front. Nick Ritchie? Need to see more from him to think about him being since the Ducks moved on from Kevin Bieksa. That could very well be here in three years. Jones is a faster version and his ability to hang onto the plan again in three years. But if in-house candidate Hunter Drew the puck meshes well with Getzlaf and Silfverberg (or Terry). continues to exceed expectations, he could play his way into that role of a right who can play with some snarl and chip in a little offense. Now does this leave Henrique out in the cold? Not necessarily. It’s not They do have to sign the 2018 sixth-round pick by next spring. that he’ll be in his mid-to-late 30s, and he plays the kind of nuanced game that could age pretty well. The Ducks could try to move his salary The Goalies in the coming years. But his ability to also play left wing could come in Barring any injury that would threaten his career, Gibson is the man and handy. His scoring touch could play here if Jones’ doesn’t materialize there doesn’t figure to be anyone ready to challenge him. Top goalies and he winds up as more of a fourth-line energy forward. tend to have a larger number of prime years and the Pittsburgh-bred lad The Fourth Line should still be rolling along. Lukas Dostal is quickly emerging as a netminder with a lot of potential. Dostal and Olle Eriksson Ek could be at Right now, the center position for the Ducks has its biggest question the point of competing for the backup job – and not developing so well marks since the 2005 lockout. But in 2022, it could again be a position of that Seattle considers pilfering one of the two. strength if players such as Steel lock down the second line and Zegras begins to realize his talent while vets Getzlaf or Henrique support them. The Finished Product

Lundestrom could ease in without the pressure of being a point producer. Is this a roster that can win the Stanley Cup? Make the playoffs? Stink up He doesn’t have the ceiling that Zegras or Steel possess but there’s the joint? Feel free to chime in below. And let’s check back in three already a well-rounded element to his game. And remember that he years. doesn’t turn 20 until November. He can start on the fourth line and work Forwards his way up to 3C. LEFT WING CENTER RIGHT WING The wings can be filled out. There are left wings like Jones or Ritchie (if he is still with the club). At this point, Devin Shore and Daniel Sprong Rickard Rakell (29) Trevor Zegras (21) Ondrej Kase (26) don’t look like long-term fits, but perhaps either pushes his way into that. Max Comtois (23) Sam Steel (24) Troy Terry (24) And it wouldn’t be smart to bet against Kiefer Sherwood, who is rough around the edges but makes things happen from working his butt off. Max Jones (24) Getzlaf (37)/Henrique (32) Jakob Silfverberg (31) Defense FA/Ritchie (26)/Shore (28) Isac Lundestrom (22) FA/Sherwood The Top Pair (27)/Sprong (25) Let’s put this scenario into something easy to chew on – or difficult to Defensemen digest. If Lindholm and Manson stay in Anaheim as defensive bedrocks, then they’ll be the duo that will handle the toughest assignments, as they LEFT DEFENSE RIGHT DEFENSE often have when put together and kept together. If either or both are gone, then the Ducks will have to do some shopping for replacements. Hampus Lindholm (28) Josh Manson (30) Their system now isn’t exactly chock full of defenders with that kind of Brendan Guhle (24) Cam Fowler (30) ceiling. Jacob Larsson (25) FA/Hunter Drew (23) There’s no Quinn Hughes or Bowen Byram or anyone of that ilk to plug in down the line. Will there be a potential No. 1 defender like Rasmus Goalies Dahlin in the 2020 or 2021 drafts? And would the Ducks even be in position to take such a defender? I imagine they’d rather be in position to STARTING BACKUP GOALTENDER compete over the next two or three years than bottom out and have a John Gibson (29) Dostal (22)/Eriksson Ek (23) high lottery pick, which has been exceedingly rare for them.

The Second Pair Eric Stephens Fowler’s big contract – which contains a clause of just four teams he’ll approve a trade to – runs through 2026 and virtually keeps him in an Anaheim sweater. Besides, if Getzlaf were to suddenly retire (he’s long said that he won’t play into his 40s), “CF4” is one of those on the roster The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 who could take over as captain.

If the Ducks already have an issue with finding a defender to fill out their top four now, think about what it could be then. Guhle probably has more offensive upside than Larsson but those two will be exposed to Seattle in the expansion draft, with one possibly plucked away. And they’ve got to develop into players who can handle a lot of minutes and play at a high level consistently over weeks and months. Both are still very unproven there.

This is where dealing Shea Theodore and Brandon Montour in successive years makes filling those holes tougher.

The Third Pair

Assuming one of their youngsters doesn’t get poached by the new team in the Emerald City, the Ducks could have some options here. If Guhle, Larsson or Josh Mahura doesn’t move up to the second pair, then one could slot in here.

It is on Mahura to make more strides over the next couple years. The left- shooting 21-year-old made a nice impression during his 17 games with the Ducks last season, but he didn’t particularly stand out when he returned to the AHL’s . Mahura can be a terrific puck- 1150105 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes agree to 2-year affiliation with ECHL’s

BY HUNTER HIPPEL

UPDATED: JULY 25, 2019 AT 12:25 PM

The Arizona Coyotes and Rapid City Rush are back in business with each other.

The Coyotes announced in a press release Thursday that the team has agreed to a two-year affiliation with their former ECHL affiliate. The announcement comes after the Coyotes completed the 2018-19 season with the Norfolk Admirals and the year before with the Fort Wayne Komets as their ECHL partners.

The Rush and Coyotes were affiliates from 2015-17.

“We are excited to once again partner with the Rapid City Rush as our ECHL affiliate,” said Coyotes assistant Steve Sullivan in a press release. “The Rush are a first-class organization with a passionate fan base. We look forward to working with owners Jeff Dickerson and TJ Puchyr (Spire Sports and Entertainment) as well as owner Scott Mueller and head coach Daniel Tetrault.”

The Rush, who play their home games at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota, completed the 2018-19 season without an affiliate, and in 2017-18 were affiliates of the Minnesota Wild.

The team finished last season with a 30-33-5 record and did not qualify for the ECHL playoffs. Tetrault will enter his third season with the team.

The Coyotes barely missed the last season, finishing four points out of the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150106 Arizona Coyotes Galchenyuk and Lawson Crouse. Below the picks is a breakdown by position, and then our projected lineup. Enjoy.

Coyotes first-round draft picks since 2003 Corey Crawford and Blake Wheeler? The alternate Coyotes universe had they kept all their first-rounders 2019: *Victor Söderström (No. 11)

2018: *Barrett Hayton (No. 5)

By Craig Morgan 2017: P.O. Joseph (No. 23)

Jul 25, 2019 2016: *Clayton Keller (No. 7)

*Jakob Chychrun (No. 16)

The Athletic is blitzing you with NHL lineup projections this month. In fact, 2015: Dylan Strome (No. 3) we’re calling it our Lineup Blitz (genius, right?) and it has produced a bevy of quality content, from all-state teams to forecasting for next *Nick Merkley (No. 30) season and beyond. 2014: Brendan Perlini (No. 12)

On July 1, we gave you some detailed thoughts on the Coyotes’ 2019-20 2013: Max Domi (No. 12) lineup through the eyes of coach Rick Tocchet, which is a lot more helpful than our own thoughts or projections on what a lineup might or 2012: Henrik Samuelsson (No. 27) should like. With the blitz in full effect, however, we have two more 2011: Connor Murphy (No. 20) stories planned for you. On Monday, Cat Silverman will reset the organization’s entire goalie depth chart, with projections on where each 2010: Brandon Gormley (No. 13) goalie in the Coyotes’ deep pipeline will land when the music stops. (No. 27) As I muddled through the possibilities for another offering of my own, I thought about all of the Coyotes first-round picks that have moved on 2009: *Oliver Ekman-Larsson (No. 6) over the years. There were painful ones such as Danny Briere. There 2008: Mikkel Boedker (No. 8) were maddening picks: Blake Wheeler, who wouldn’t sign with the team; and , whose holdout precipitated a trade. There were head Viktor Tikhonov (No. 28) scratchers like Brandon Gormley and Henrik Samuelsson, and picks that could come back to bite the Coyotes, like Max Domi and Dylan Strome. 2007: Kyle Turris (No. 3)

In choosing a time frame, I decided to go back to 2003, which is the last Nick Ross (No. 30) draft year for which there appears to be a significant number of players 2006: Peter Mueller (No. 8) still making an impact in the NHL, and also coincides with the Coyotes’ move west to Glendale from downtown Phoenix. In a stroke of luck, that Chris Summers (No. 29) time frame also produced 22 Coyotes first-round picks, one short of an NHL roster, and a nice blend of players to fill out every position, with one 2005: Martin Hanzal (No. 17) notable exception. 2004: Blake Wheeler (No. 5)

The Coyotes (not the Jets) have used a first-round pick only twice on a 2003: No first-round pick goaltender. In 1998, they selected Patrick DesRochers with the 14th overall pick. He played in just 11 NHL games, nine of them with the *still with the Coyotes Coyotes. In 2010, they selected Mark Visentin with the 27th overall pick. He played in just one NHL game. Position breakdown

To date, Robert Esche, Scott Darling and Louis Domingue are the most Centers accomplished NHL goalies the Coyotes have drafted. Ivan Prosvetov and Kyle Turris Adin Hill may change that, but it’s a good thing the franchise has traded for, or signed such key players as Sean Burke, Ilya Bryzgalov, Mike Martin Hanzal Smith, Thomas Greiss, Devan Dubnyk, Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper. Dylan Strome

For the purposes of this story, we are assuming that health never Barrett Hayton became a factor for any of the players in question, which means Visentin, Left wings Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzal are feeling fine. That also allowed us to put the hard-luck Visentin on the roster, but we still came up one goalie Max Domi (now playing center with Montreal) short. Clayton Keller Since the 2003 NHL Draft is widely regarded as the best draft of this Brendan Perlini millennium, we decided to rewrite history and pretend that then-general managers Cliff Fletcher and Mike Barnett didn’t trade away the team’s Mikkel Boedker (has also played right wing) first- (and second-) round pick in that watershed draft that produced Marc-Andre Fleury, , Ryan Suter, Jeff Carter (with the pick the Right wings Coyotes traded to Philadelphia), Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, Blake Wheeler Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry, Patrice Bergeron, , Corey Crawford, David Backes and Jimmy Howard, among others, in the first Peter Mueller (started at center but gradually moved to wing) two rounds. Nick Merkley We need a goalie, so we’ll pretend Barnett used it appropriately for the Coyotes’ first season in Glendale (which actually began in December Viktor Tikhonov 2003). Fleury went first overall so he would not have been available, but Left defensemen Crawford didn’t go until the 52nd pick so we’re making him the Coyotes starting goalie and we don’t care whom that offends. It’s our sandbox. Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Here’s a look at the 22 players the Coyotes have selected in the first Jakob Chychrun round since 2003, only six of whom are still with the organization. The list does not include first-round picks they signed as free agents, or for whom P.O. Joseph they traded such as Phil Kessel, Nick Schmaltz, Michael Grabner, Alex Right defensemen Victor Söderström

Connor Murphy

Chris Summers (shoots left but will have to adapt)

Goaltenders

#Corey Crawford

Mark Visentin

Reserves

Henrik Samuelsson

Brandon Gormley

Nick Ross

# — Selected with the imaginary 2003 first-round pick Cliff Fletcher did not trade

Lineup

Forward lines

Max Domi, Kyle Turris, Blake Wheeler

Clayton Keller, Martin Hanzal, Peter Mueller (played mostly center but shoots right)

Brendan Perlini, Dylan Strome, Nick Merkley

Mikkel Boedker, Barrett Hayton, Viktor Tikhonov

Defense pairs

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Victor Söderström

Jakob Chychrun, Connor Murphy

Pierre Olivier-Joseph, Chris Summers (shoots left)

Goalies

#Corey Crawford

Mark Visentin

# Selected with the imaginary 2003 first-round pick Cliff Fletcher did not trade

What did you think of this story?

Craig Morgan

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150107 Boston Bruins Second line

Max Pacioretty, Vegas Golden Knights, LW

Our All-New England NHL team: Talented, gritty, and they sound wicked New Canaan, Conn. cool 2018-19 stats: 22 goals, 40 points in 66 games

The former captain of the is rejuvenated in New By Joe McDonald England and becomes a perennial 30-goal scorer again. Even though he played his college hockey at Michigan, New England fans welcome him Jul 25, 2019 with open arms, and he doesn’t disappoint.

Kevin Hayes, Philadelphia Flyers, C

New England is a hockey hotbed. It always has been and it always will Dorchester, Mass. be a region that breeds talent, the type of blue-collared players known for grit and determination. 2018-19 stats: 19 goals, 55 points in 71 games

So, what would an All-New England Team look like in today’s NHL? It’s A healthy Hayes has the potential to put up some serious numbers in an impressive roster — with wicked-cool accents, too. Plus, with the front of the hometown fans. Using his 6-foot-5, 216-pound frame, Hayes exception of Keith Yandle and John Carlson, everyone on this squad produces a 25-goal and 60-point season in New England. played college hockey. We created this team at The Athletic and matched it against other regional-type teams. No matter the final Ryan Donato, Minnesota Wild, RW analytics, we believe this team could do some serious damage. Boston

Even our management and coaching staffs are ultra-talented. It starts 2018-19 stats: 10 goals, 25 points in 56 games with our team president, , who is a native of Johnston, R.I. Considered one of the best architects in the game, this Hall of Famer Donato returns from Minnesota and develops into an elite point producer. helped the New Jersey Devils win three Stanley Cups. Possessing better puck management, the former Harvard star registers 25 goals in his first season back in Boston. , of Worcester, Mass., is our director of hockey operations. A two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Devils and Penguins, he also Third line served as an assistant general manager during Pittsburgh’s consecutive Frank Vatrano, Florida Panthers, LW Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017. East Longmeadow, Mass. Tom Fitzgerald, of Billerica, Mass., is our general manager. He played 17 seasons in the NHL and most recently served as the assistant GM for the 2018-19 stats: 24 goals, 39 points in 81 games Devils. Our coaching staff, led by head coach Mike Sullivan (Marshfield, Mass.), is extensive. It’s filled out with John Tortorella (Boston), Peter Using his speed, Vatrano returns to Boston and unleashes his quick Laviolette (Franklin, Mass.,) David Quinn (Cranston, R.I.), John Hynes release and shooting ability to consistently score 25 goals per season. (Warwick, R.I.) and Jack Capuano (Cranston, R.I.). We can even mix in He becomes an integral part of special teams. It also helps that he and Brian Boucher (Woonsocket, R.I.) as the goalie coach. Noel Acciari open a fabulous pizza place in the North End.

Our AHL affiliate coaching staff would consist of Scott Gordon (Easton, Charlie Coyle, Boston Bruins, C Mass.), Tim Army (East Providence, R.I.) and John Torchetti (Boston). East Weymouth, Mass. Our training staff would include the Lightning’s Tom Mulligan (New 2018-19 stats: 12 goals, 34 points in 81 games Bedford, Mass.) and Mike Poirier (Smithfield, R.I.). Already a fan favorite, Coyle uses his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame and Without further ado, the All-New England Team, with some projections becomes a big-time point producer. He develops more of an attack on how such a team would fare in the NHL: mentality and imposes his will and determination against opposing First line goalies.

Chris Kreider, New York Rangers, LW Noel Acciari, Florida Panthers, RW

Boxford, Mass. Johnston, R.I.

2018-19 stats: 28 goals, 52 points in 79 games. 2018-19 stats: 6 goals, 14 points in 72 games

When he’s not jumping out of pools to showcase his tremendous leg His stay in Florida didn’t last long, and he decides to return to Boston. strength, the former Boston College Eagle returns home to become a Acciari brings grit, determination and a relentless style of play that prolific 30-goal scorer on our top line. motivates his teammates every shift of every game. No one in the NHL has a higher threshold for pain than this guy. He played three rounds of , Buffalo Sabres, C the playoffs with a broken sternum. Plus, he wanted to go into business with Vatrano. North Chelmsford, Mass. Fourth line 2018-19 stats: 28 goals, 82 points in 77 games Zach Sanford, St. Louis Blues, LW The 2015 Hobey Baker Award winner from Boston University returns and proves he can perform at an elite level in front of the hometown fans. He Salem, Mass. reaches the 30-goal and 100-point plateaus for the first time in his career. As the top-line center, he improves his two-way game and donates a 2018-19 stats: 8 goals, 20 points in 60 games portion of his $10 million-per-season contract to The Jimmy Fund. After helping the Blues win the 2019 Stanley Cup, Sanford brings his Cam Atkinson, Columbus Blue Jackets, RW experience back to Boston. He becomes a perfect fit on the third line with his 6-foot-4, 207-pound frame. Riverside, Conn. Brian Boyle, Unrestricted free agent, C 2018-19 stats: 41 goals, 69 points in 80 games Hingham, Mass. Playing on a line with Kreider and Eichel, Atkinson scores 50 goals. He becomes a mainstay on the top power-play unit, on which he scores 12 2018-19 stats: 18 goals, 24 points in 73 games goals. Even though he’s 30, he’s still mistaken for a college student at No question Boyle wears the “C” on his sweater for this team. He’s an BC. inspiration no matter where he plays, and after splitting time between the Devils and Predators last season, the former BC Eagle returns home for The Bruins attempted to trade up in the 2015 draft in an attempt to select the final stop of his impressive NHL career. Hanifin, but the Carolina Hurricanes refused and selected the talented defenseman No. 5 overall. After three seasons in Carolina, Hanifin was Jimmy Vesey, Buffalo Sabres, RW traded to the Calgary Flames. Now he’s back in New England, and the Boston former Eagle will make a dynamic pairing with the former Terrier.

2018-19 stats: 17 goals, 35 points in 81 games Defense: Third pairing

After playing for the Rangers and a brief stop in Buffalo (again), the 2016 Brian Dumoulin, Pittsburgh Penguins Hobey Baker Award winner from Harvard returns to New England in a Biddeford, Maine bottom-six role. With Boyle as a linemate and mentor, Vesey produces a 20-goal season. 2018-19 stats: 3 goals, 23 points in 76 games

Extras Having a two-time Stanley Cup winner on the third pair is an advantage for New England. The 27-year-old defenseman is reliable with his 6-foot- Chris Wagner, Boston Bruins 4, 207-pound frame.

Walpole, Mass. Ben Lovejoy, unrestricted free agent

2018-19 stats: 12 goals, 19 points in 76 games Concord, N.H.

Known for his relentless style of play, Wagner will battle for a job with this 2018-19 stats: 2 goals, 9 points in 71 games lineup. His ability to kill penalties and add grit will help. The 35-year-old veteran will add experience. It helps that he won a , Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2016. This could be the last stop for the Winchester, Mass. former Dartmouth and Boston College player.

2018-19 stats: 14 goals, 34 points in 78 games Down on the farm: Gavin Bayreuther (Canaan, N.H.), ; Tommy Cross (Hartford, Conn.), Cleveland Monsters. It’s tough to keep a two-time Stanley Cup champion off your roster. He’s versatile and has the ability to play with anyone in the lineup.

Nick Bonino, Nashville Predators Casey DeSmith, Pittsburgh Penguins

Hartford, Conn. Rochester, N.H.

2018-19 stats: 17 goals, 35 points in 81 games 2018-19 stats: 15-11-5 record, 2.75 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage Similar to Sheary, it’s difficult to keep a two-time Cup winner like Bonino off the roster. Despite having only 50 games (41 starts) of NHL experience, the 27- year-old netminder will get the majority of the starts. Down on the farm: Colin White (Boston), Senators. Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils Defense: First pairing Marblehead, Mass. Keith Yandle, Florida Panthers 2018-19 stats: 6-13-4 record, 3.06 goals-against average and a .903 Boston save percentage

2018-19 stats: 9 goals, 62 points in 82 games The former BC Eagle returns to New England and will battle for the starting position if he can remain healthy. Playing at home could A true ironman of the NHL, Yandle’s ability to play all 82 games every rejuvenate the 33-year-old’s career. season is remarkable. As a puck-moving, play-making defenseman, Yandle will quarterback the power play and register another 60-point Down on the farm: Joey Daccord (Boston), season. Plus, his knowledge of the best sushi restaurants in the city will go a long way with his teammates. Salary-cap situation

John Carlson, Washington Capitals With the exception of our extras, we’re under the $81.5 million salary cap at $78,267,857. It doesn’t help that we need to sign a couple of free Natick, Mass. agents, but we will be compliant by the time the puck drops on the upcoming season. 2018-19 stats: 13 goals, 70 points in 80 games Projected point total The 2018 Stanley Cup winner brings a wealth of experience and talent. He’s spent the majority of his hockey career outside of New England, but As mentioned earlier, even though the analytics don’t project well for this fans will finally get a firsthand look at his ability on the top pair. team with only 84 points, it will battle for a postseason berth and sneak into the Stanley Cup playoffs with a solid winning streak down the Defense: Second pairing stretch. Matt Grzelcyk, Boston Bruins — The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman contributed to this piece. Charlestown, Mass.

2018-19 stats: 3 goals, 18 points in 66 games Joe McDonald Grzelcyk’s ability to start the breakout consistently with a solid first pass and his QB talents on the second power play make him an important member of the blue line. The Bruins would’ve had a better chance to beat The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 the Blues in the Stanley Cup final if Grzelcyk hadn’t suffered a concussion. He’s becoming one of the league’s most elusive defenders when he has the puck on his stick.

Noah Hanifin, Calgary Flames

Boston

2018-19 stats: 5 goals, 33 points in 80 games 1150108 Buffalo Sabres "Last year, Buffalo was on the cusp of reaching new heights and I think this year there is a lot of excitement about getting to the playoffs and seeing what they can do."

Jeff Skinner ready for 'exciting summer' to end, Sabres' season to begin The Sabres' most recent move was acquiring 20-year-old defenseman Henri Jokiharju from Chicago for winger Alexander Nylander, who played only 19 games in a Sabres uniform after being drafted eighth overall in By Lance Lysowski| 2016. Jokiharju played 38 games in the NHL last season and should compete for a spot in Sabres training camp. Published Thu, Jul 25, 2019 As Vesey mentioned, the Sabres haven't lost much off their roster. They Updated Thu, Jul 25, 2019 didn't trade an NHL player and their only loss is Jason Pominville, who remains an unsigned unrestricted free agent. Restricted free agents Remi Elie, Linus Ullmark and Jake McCabe have arbitration hearings TORONTO — Jeff Skinner emerged from the doorway of the crowded scheduled. brewery, acknowledged the crowd and took his place among his fellow competitors Thursday night. The roster could change between now and training camp, though. The Sabres have a surplus of right-shot defenseman after acquiring Miller Skinner grew up only 25 miles from downtown Toronto, yet the reception and Jokiharju, creating more speculation about Rasmus Ristolainen's was not some sort of hometown welcome. The Buffalo Sabres left winger future in Buffalo. was one of 17 current or former NHLers competing in Smashfest, a charity ping-pong tournament that had raised $865,000 toward The team could be in the market for a top-six forward, but those roles concussion and rare cancer research. could be filled by two young players: center Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson. Their growth, as well as the further development of The event was a break from a busy offseason in which he signed an defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, has Skinner encouraged. eight-year, $72 million contract extension and watched his general manager, , add to a young core that includes Skinner, Jack "It’s going to be good," Skinner said. "Obviously, they’ve had good starts Eichel, Rasmus Dahlin and Sam Reinhart. to their careers so far, and they’re only going to get better. I think having a year under their belt and knowing what to expect and going into his Following the event, Skinner will return to his rigorous offseason training summer, having that in the back of their minds, will only help them. It’s a and still has six weeks left until training camp. However, the 27-year-old good sign for us because they’re already good players and they’re only is ready for his second season with the Sabres to begin. going to improve. They’re big pieces, big parts of what we’re trying to do. That’s definitely going to be exciting going into the season, too." "Pretty excited," Skinner beamed inside Steam Whistle Brewing in downtown Toronto. "We got some good players. It’s been an exciting That optimism is not limited to the on-ice additions. Prior to Skinner summer. Obviously, starting with the head coach and sort of getting that signing, the Sabres hired Ralph Krueger as coach. The move settled. Then made some pretty good moves in free agency and through accelerated contract talks between Skinner's representatives and the trades. Just excited to get going. You get to this point in the summer and Sabres since Skinner wanted to wait to see who would replace Phil things start to ramp up training-wise and you’re just excited to get going. Housley. Those new additions in Buffalo have sort of turned that excitement up even more." Upon his hiring, Krueger had a lengthy phone conversation with Skinner about the plan to bring playoff hockey to Buffalo. That chat has resonated Despite the Sabres holding an eight-season playoff drought, Skinner with Skinner. Now, he wants to work with his teammates, including those opted to remain in Buffalo and chose not to become an unrestricted free new additions, to make that vision a reality. agent. He scored a career-high 40 goals during his first season with the team and developed instant chemistry with Eichel. The decision to return "It’s nice the team shows that confidence in you," Skinner said of his new showed faith in his teammates and what Botterill is building. contract. "You want to prove them right. For me, sort of being a part of that young core and what they’re building there for the future is exciting. Botterill has since made additions to try alleviate some of the pressure I’m happy it’s out of the way and it ended up the way it did." from Skinner, Eichel and Reinhart.

Sabres Mailbag: What are trade options for Rasmus Ristolainen? Lance Lysowski One of the Sabres' additions was standing to Skinner's right during the media availability Thursday night: left winger Jimmy Vesey, a 26-year-old acquired from the New York Rangers when free agency began July 1. Buffalo News LOADED: 07.26.2019 Vesey has scored at least 16 goals in each of his three NHL seasons and was acquired to bolster the Sabres' depth after the team struggled to score goals during the second half of last season.

Additionally, Botterill addressed Buffalo's struggling defense by acquiring Colin Miller from Vegas in exchange for two draft picks.

The Sabres weren't major players when free agency opened, opting instead to sign depth players who will compete for roster spots in training camp. However, Botterill's big move came five days later when he signed winger Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $9 million contract. Though Johansson has scored only 18 goals over the past two seasons, he impressed during the Boston Bruins' run to the Stanley Cup Final this spring.

Johansson had four goals among 11 points in 22 games, showing he still had the skill and tenacity that helped him record two 20-goal seasons during his tenure with the Washington Capitals earlier in his career.

"Even before I was traded I thought the Colin Miller trade was awesome for Buffalo and then Marcus Johansson, it's fresh in people's minds the playoffs he had with Boston," Vesey told The Buffalo News. "Maybe some more subtle moves than other teams around the league, but talking with management one of the big things is they added some depth and didn't give up anything off their roster. Everyone is excited for the year and the new coach. 1150109 Buffalo Sabres goalie Erik Portillo, defenseman Linus Cronholm and winger Filip Cederqvist.

Amerks' preseason schedule Evan Rodrigues gets $2 million contract with Sabres Rochester announced its three-game preseason schedule Thursday and it features another game in Buffalo.

By Lance Lysowski The Amerks' first exhibition game will be held Thursday, Sept. 26, against Published Thu, Jul 25, 2019 Syracuse at RIT's Gene Polisseni Center, with faceoff at 7 p.m. Rochester will then face Toronto at Harborcenter on Friday, Sept. 27, at Updated Thu, Jul 25, 2019 7 p.m., and the schedule ends with a road trip to Newmarket, Ont., where the Amerks play the Marlies at Ray Twinney Complex. Faceoff for the

preseason finale is 4 p.m. An independent arbitrator found middle ground between the salary Ticket information for the two home games will be released at a later figures exchanged by the Buffalo Sabres and Evan Rodrigues' agent. date. Rodrigues, a 25-year-old restricted free agent forward who played a career-high 74 games with the team last season, was awarded a $2 million, one-year contract Thursday, a little more than 48 hours after his Lance Lysowski salary arbitration hearing in Toronto.

Sportsnet's reported that Rodrigues and the Sabres were $1.1 million apart when arbitration figures were exchanged ahead Buffalo News LOADED: 07.26.2019 of the hearing. Rodrigues was seeking $2.65 million, and the Sabres were offering $1.5 million.

Rodrigues, who has played 154 games with the team since signing as a college free agent in April 2015, made $650,000 last season, his fourth with the Sabres.

He had a strong arbitration case when he chose to file earlier this month.

He emerged as a top-six forward last season, posting career highs in goals (9) and points (29) in 74 games last season, while ranking fourth among Sabres forwards in average time on ice (15:49). Additionally, among Sabres forwards with at least 70 games played, Rodrigues ranked fourth in on-ice 5-on-5 shot differential.

He also ranked third on the team in faceoffs and fifth in defensive-zone starts. Despite earning a more prominent role, Rodrigues struggled at times offensively, converting on only 5.4 percent of his shots on goal and enduring a few difficult stretches.

Rodrigues had only two goals through the first 39 games before scoring six goals during an eight-game span from Jan. 14 through Feb. 7. He scored only one goal over the final 27 games. Though he won 46.4 percent of his 655 faceoffs last season, Rodrigues also spent time on the wing and could play either position for the team in 2019-20.

The Sabres signed Rodrigues as a college free agent following his senior season at Boston University in 2015, when he scored 21 goals among 61 points on Jack Eichel's wing. Rodrigues scored nine goals among 30 points in his first professional season with the in 2015-16 and earned a two-game, late-season callup with the Sabres.

Rodrigues scored 11 goals among 31 points in 78 NHL games between the following two seasons, including 25 points in 48 games in 2017-18. He did not become a full-time player for the Sabres until this past season, when he contributed on the power play and kill.

The Sabres have three other restricted free agents with arbitration hearings scheduled in Toronto: winger Remi Elie (Aug. 1), goalie Linus Ullmark (Aug. 2) and defenseman Jake McCabe (Aug. 4). Following Rodrigues' signing, the Sabres have 43 players under contract with $3.1 million in salary cap space remaining, according to CapFriendly.com.

Summer showcase

Defenseman Case McCarthy, a Clarence native, will join several Buffalo Sabres prospects for the World Junior Summer Showcase, which begins Friday in Plymouth, Mich.

McCarthy, a fourth-round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils last month, will be on the United States' white roster, while Sabres prospects Mattias Samuelsson and Ryan Johnson, both defensemen, are on the country's blue roster.

The showcase, which also features , Finland and Sweden, runs July 26 through Aug. 3 and is used by each country to pick its team for the IIHF World Junior Championship.

Center Dylan Cozens, the Sabres' top pick in the most recent NHL draft, is unable to participate for Canada because he is recovering from thumb surgery. However, the Sabres have three players on Sweden's roster: 1150110 Buffalo Sabres Marco Scandella 47.51

Rasmus Ristolainen 46.45

With a sudden abundance of defensemen, which combos make the most It probably doesn’t come as a big surprise that the guys who have spent sense for the Sabres’ top-six? most of the past three seasons with Buffalo are at the bottom of the list. For what it’s worth, Montour’s CF% in 20 games with Buffalo was 54.53. Miller topping the list playing for the Bruins and Golden Knights makes By Joe Yerdon sense and that percentage makes him out to be a shot attempt messiah compared to what we’ve seen in Buffalo the past few seasons. Jul 25, 2019 Based strictly on 5-on-5 CorsiFor, and keeping lefty-righty integrity, you’d be looking at a defensive setup like this:

In case you haven’t noticed, the Buffalo Sabres have a lot of Dahlin – Miller defensemen. Pilut – Jokiharju After the acquisitions of Colin Miller from Vegas and Henri Jokiharju from Chicago, as well as the signing of depth defenseman John Gilmour in Hunwick – Nelson free agency, there are at least 12 players contending for spots in the There’s a few things to work out here, although the top-four setup Sabres lineup on the blue line. That means competition will be fierce seems awfully tempting to run out there. They’d be fast, they’d generate come September, even after a potential trade that could clear the logjam a lot of shots and they’d possess the puck a ton. They also wouldn’t be a little bit. very physical at all, which could drive a lot of fans out of their minds. So As of now – and this could change at any point before or even during let’s figure out who exactly does the defending part of being a training camp – this is what the NHL competition shapes up to be: defenseman well.

The Candidates Protecting the blue line

Left Defense Right Defense This is usually where a lot of the eye test comes into play. How many times have you seen a defenseman not hit a guy and it turns into a goal, Rasmus Dahlin Rasmus Ristolainen followed by you shouting about that defender “not doing what he’s supposed to do?” Probably a lot based on what I’ve read on Twitter the Lawrence Pilut* Brandon Montour past six seasons. But there’s more to playing defense than just hitting Jake McCabe Colin Miller guys. It’s preventing shots and preventing opponents from even getting into the zone to take shots too. Marco Scandella Zach Bogosian* Thanks to Sean Tierney and Corey Sznajder, we can see where Sabres Matt Hunwick Henri Jokiharju players fell last season in both how they defended zone entries and produced zone exits. There’ll be a couple charts to look at here and their John Gilmour Casey Nelson parameters are set on each axis with how well (or not) players break up (* – injured) entries on the left and how well (or not) players possess pucks upon exiting the zone at the bottom. First graphic is the Sabres: Even with Pilut and Bogosian potentially missing parts of training camp or even the start of the season, that leaves at least 10 defensemen. That’s As you see, Dahlin is the runaway best on the team at both denying not even factoring in guys expected to start in Rochester like Will Borgen, entries and getting possession of the puck to get out of the zone. The Jacob Bryson and Casey Fitzgerald. So who makes up the best starting only other Sabre on the right side is Pilut, but being in the bottom-right six? quadrant means he’s a bit more exciting. He’ll get the puck out of the zone, but he’ll let opponents do it too. Ristolainen and Nelson falling into Figuring out the best defensemen isn’t always just as simple as finding the “bad” quadrant is affected more by their lack of carry out of the zone the guys who generate the best CorsiFor rates, although that goes a long than the lack of success preventing entries. way. Being able to deny zone entries by opponents and exit the defensive zone with possession also counts. It’s not just about hitting When we add Anaheim, Chicago, and Vegas to that chart, we’ll see opponents and denying goals; it’s denying opportunities to even be in where Miller, Jokiharju, and Montour fall into the mix – I’ve circled them those positions. to show you where they are:

The raw data Adding two more players in Montour and Jokiharju to the “good” quadrant is obviously a positive move. Miller’s blue line defense makes sense if Before we dazzle you with graphs, we’ll lay the less than ideal shot he’s been spending a lot of time possessing the puck in the offensive numbers bare before your eyes. Thanks to NaturalStatTrick.com, I set zone. That signals he’s involved heavily in the offense and he’s spending these rates to cover the past three seasons with Buffalo. For some guys time getting back on defense. He compares slightly to Pilut, only a little (Dahlin, Pilut, Jokiharju) their information only goes back to this past more porous on the blue line. But again, the CorsiFor rate is so good. season. In Gilmour’s case it goes back to his time with the Rangers. For Miller, it’s Boston and Vegas. Contrast Miller with McCabe, however, and you’ve basically got the flip side of the coin. McCabe didn’t carry the puck out a lot last season and Player 5-on-5 CorsiFor % 2016-2019 he was average on blue line entry defense, but that makes him a fair bit better than Miller was at that. Colin Miller 56.82 There’s value on defending entry to the zone for sure, but that’s just part Henri Jokiharju 54.1 of the job. Doing that and getting it the heck out is even better. Making it Lawrence Pilut 53.22 hard for a puck carrier to get in the zone only to see them get behind the defender and maintain possession for extended time is something that’s Rasmus Dahlin 51.91 been a problem with many recent Sabres teams.

Casey Nelson 50.25 Balancing out blue line defense with the CorsiFor rates doesn’t do a lot to Brandon Montour 49.39 lift guys in the middle, but it does make stronger cases for Jokiharju and Montour and does a ton of damage to Nelson’s case. McCabe being on Matt Hunwick 49.07 the base level on blue line defense, albeit improved from recent years, makes him a more attractive option there. So let’s revise the top-six: Zach Bogosian 48.71 Dahlin – Jokiharju John Gilmour 48.12 Pilut – Montour Jake McCabe 47.53 McCabe – Miller Adding McCabe and Montour to this group adds some physicality. Montour made it clear he doesn’t fear delivering big hits and McCabe is as rugged as they get (along with Bogosian). Of course, the key thing The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 about the hits statistic (other than it being wildly subjective across the league) is that the more hits you’re delivering, the less likely it is you have the puck and without the puck you’re not scoring goals and that’s the whole dang point of the game.

But if hits are what you want, let’s just compare that to the CF%, shall we?

Player 5-on-5 CorsiFor % 2016-2019 Hits

Rasmus Ristolainen 46.45 562

Colin Miller 56.82 344

Jake McCabe 47.53 245

Brandon Montour 49.39 197

Zach Bogosian 48.71 152

Matt Hunwick 49.07 131

Marco Scandella 47.51 125

Rasmus Dahlin 51.91 91

Casey Nelson 50.25 84

Henri Jokiharju (38 GP) 54.1 46

John Gilmour (33 GP) 48.12 29

Lawrence Pilut (33 GP) 53.22 20

It feels like there hasn’t been a lot of Ristolainen discussion here, but hitting opponents is one thing he does exceedingly well and there is some value in that being physical can help clear the net or make opponents wary of going into corners or driving the goal mouth. Still, this positive part of Ristolainen’s game gives him a “Man Out of Time” feel of sorts.

In speaking with a mix of scouts and former NHL players around the league, they say Ristolainen gives an old school feel reminiscent of guys like and . The big Finn’s mean streak and strength are recognized by those that have been around the game awhile, but his numbers don’t mesh with what’s proven effective in the modern game.

Ristolainen isn’t an enigma. He’s a known quantity and he’s also an excellent power play scorer, but when you look at the players the Sabres have added you could reasonably theorize those players were brought in to take incumbent spots either right away out of camp or somewhere else not too far down the road.

If Ristolainen isn’t traded, the value of having a physical player who can do most of the things you’re looking for, albeit perhaps with fewer minutes or more specialized usage in special teams, you can work out a different lineup like this. Please hold your groans for after:

Dahlin – Jokiharju

McCabe – Montour

Pilut – Ristolainen

According to NaturalStatTrick.com, setting up Ristolainen with Pilut, and in turn McCabe with Montour, would lead to potentially strong possession numbers based on their play together last season. McCabe-Montour were 57.14 in nearly 70 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time together while Pilut and Ristolainen were 55.48 percent in nearly 230 minutes. There are possibilities to be had there, but it would seem strange for Jason Botterill to acquire Miller (or Jokiharju) to have them not play games.

Conclusion

The new faces provide a ton of intrigue and create a lot of new options. Of course, guys like Pilut and Jokiharju have options to go back to Rochester if needed. That may happen just because there are so many guys, although it may wind up upsetting many fans if they impress in camp and still start their seasons in the AHL . That possibility itself can’t be too attractive because there are young guys that need the ice time to develop their games.

Joe Yerdon 1150111 Calgary Flames Davison repeats the economic pitch. The arena … yes, it’s called an event … will help attract investors to Vic Park, an area currently world-famous for its parking lots.

Bell: Councillors take stand against arena critics Bars, restaurants, shops, culture, entertainment.

“If you don’t go to hockey games or you don’t go to cultural festivals or Rick Bell you don’t go to concerts, there’s still a win in this for the taxpayer,” says Davison. July 25, 2019 5:00 AM MDT “Uplifting this district will generate significant money for the city of Calgary.”

The score is 11-4 in favour of the arena deal. Sutherland says the city is close to a hotel deal in Vic Park.

Not much time. City council votes yes or no early next week. “Money is going to flow. Investment is going to flow.”

All the majority on council have to do now is not screw up for a little while Jeromy Farkas is one of four councillors almost certainly going to vote no longer. on the arena next week.

Yes, just run out the clock in these dog days of summer when many Farkas, as does fellow Coun. Evan Woolley, wants more time. Delay the Calgarians are out of town or have checked out from the often vote until everyone is back in September and people can go over the nauseating world of politics. details of the agreement.

Jeff Davison and Ward Sutherland lead the charge on the new arena. “What worries them about giving us more time?” asks Farkas.

The obvious question. Why only a week for the public to chew over the “If it’s such a great deal for Calgary prove it by giving us a little more time details of the arena deal? to look at it and admire it.”

Davison is blunt. He says those who demand more time often just want Davison feels good about the vote. to throw whatever is up for debate under the bus. “Calgarians need a win and I think this is it. We desperately need a win “We felt a week would be a long enough period to actually allow the and we deserve a win. We have to allow ourselves to take the win when public to get the information, digest it and move on,” says the councillor, we can. who pushed for the arena deal after talks fell apart a couple years back. “We want our city back.” Both Davison and Sutherland say city council knew where negotiations were going. There were no surprises. Nothing came out of thin air.

Besides, the two councillors say, the deal doesn’t allow more time. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 07.26.2019

“These are time-sensitive agreements,” says Sutherland.

“Delaying it could cancel the deal. It’s that simple.”

Davison jumps in.

“And frankly, that’s it. The deal has a time-specific limit on it. That is the deal. If you don’t like the deal, vote against it.

“It’s like putting your house on the market, having an offer come in and then saying: Can I have two months to think about it? Did you really want to sell your house?”

Another question on some people’s minds. Calgary city council is cutting $60 million from its budget but the city is forking out $275 million for an arena?

Davison says he recognizes this deal comes “at a very precarious time for our city.”

But the councillor says you can reduce the size of government and, at the same time, invest in projects providing the city a return.

And Davison insists the deal isn’t corporate welfare to an NHL hockey team.

“We own this facility. We own the land this facility sits on. We own the adjacent lands. This is somebody writing a significant cheque to us. No one is giving them money. They’re giving us money.”

Davison also wants to talk about something he said at city council earlier this week. He told his colleagues if the deal died on their watch they would “forever be known as the council that likely lost the Calgary Flames.”

The councillor explains.

“The Flames have never threatened us with leaving. Never. But we have to be clear. Businesses will look to find competitive offers in any jurisdiction in any sector,” he says.

“If Calgary’s not willing to compete to keep that business, you should expect they’re going to leave.”

Sutherland says not getting the arena deal nailed down would be an economic and psychological disaster for Calgary. 1150112 Calgary Flames But the offence has been slow to come in the NHL.

The 36 points (18 goals, 18 assists) collected over 77 games during Bennett’s rookie season remains the high-water mark. Over the past What’s expected of Sam Bennett and where in Calgary’s lineup he may three regular seasons, Bennett has finished with 26, 26 and 27 points. play after signing a two-year deal It has forced the forward to find other ways to contribute, which at first, wasn’t easy.

By Darren Haynes “My path has been a little bit slower and not the way that I was expecting Jul 25, 2019 it to go,” Bennett said. “But I’ve had a little bit of a transition into a little bit of a different player.”

That player being a prickly presence on the ice, who gets in hard on the Playoff Sam Bennett. forecheck, can staple guys into the end boards as ferociously as anybody and is someone who will always step up when there’s been in It’s not so much a nickname as it is a way of being. A damn effective one, indiscretion committed against a teammate. too. When No. 93 goes into his version of beast mode — opposition, look out. “I definitely knew I had that physical side of my game, but I didn’t think I would be the guy that handles those situations, no, not by any means “One of the things that’s been a staple in Sam’s game, he’s been an was I expecting that,” Bennett said with a chuckle. “But things go different impactful player at playoff time, every time he’s been in the playoffs and ways, you transition into different players and you grow your game.” we saw it again this year,” said on Wednesday after signing the 23-year-old forward to a two-year, $5.1-million deal, thus That’s been the key. Finding ways to impact games beyond contributing avoiding arbitration. The contract represents a $600,000 raise on his goals and assists. average annual value over the past two seasons. “Everyone wants to score goals and get points, but it’s not as easy as How close did the two sides get to their arbitration hearing on Saturday? some guys make it look in this league and sometimes you’ve got to find Very close. When Treliving got the call from Bennett’s agent, accepting other ways to contribute and help your team win,” Bennett said. “I’ve the offer, he was at the Calgary airport, just about to go through security always had that physical aspect to my game and I think last season, it ahead of his flight to Toronto. grew that much more, and I was able to establish myself as more of a physical presence out there last year and I’m going to be able to carry With business out of the way, the focus shifts to hockey and how the that with me the rest of my career as well.” Flames can morph playoff Bennett into regular-season Bennett. Coming to terms with that and finding those other ways to positively “Now in a couple of those playoff series, it wasn’t long and that’s no fault impact the team is one of Bennett’s greatest areas of growth over his first of him,” Treliving said. “But he’s at his best when it’s hard. He’s at his four seasons. best when it’s tight, there’s no space, no room, when there’s close- quarters hockey and it’s got a little bit of edge to it. That’s his kind of “When you’re 18 and 19, you think the only way you can impact the team game.” is being a top, top offensive player. But it doesn’t happen for everybody,” said Treliving. “He’s a unique player in a lot of senses in that he’s got a In last year’s abrupt five-game dismissal by the Colorado Avalanche, real edge to his game, he can inject emotion. There can be different Bennett was one of Calgary’s few bright spots. He led the team in scoring layers to your game and you can do other things that have an impact and with five points (one goal, four assists), despite ranking 15th on the team help a team have success and not only is Sam realizing that, he’s in average ice time (13:14), just 11 seconds more than defenceman embracing it.” Oscar Fantenberg. That said, by no means is Bennett content with his regluar-season Talk about making a lot from a little. offensive production. For context, consider this. Over the last dozen years, 139 players have You can tell by the deliberate tone of his voice that he’s not ready to averaged a point-per-game or more in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Ninety- accept the notion that he’s hit his ceiling. Still a young man, he very much nine of them averaged more than 20 minutes per game in ice time. Of the thinks there’s more offence to give — a lot more. 40 others, 37 averaged between 15 and 20 minutes per game. There was one more at 14:31, another at 13:55. At the very bottom of the list It’s probably for that reason that his third NHL contract is yet another was Bennett’s performance from last year. bridge deal. While the trend for star players coming out of their entry- level deal is to seek out lucrative long-term contracts– see teammate “That was some of the better hockey I’ve played for the Flames. If there’s Matthew Tkachuk — this is Bennett’s second two-year pack since his any positive from the playoffs, that would be it,” Bennett said. ELC. It’s reasonable to think the team would have been willing to go Excelling in games that matter most is how it’s always been for Bennett, longer at a similar AAV, but it’s unlikely Bennett would have been. who has thrived in the postseason ever since cutting his teeth as an Instead, it’s another two years to prove himself. Something he’s been NHLer during the 2015 playoffs. After slipping into game 82 of that trying to do his entire career. regular season for his debut, he never came out of the lineup, spending most of that playoff run on a line with Mikael Backlund and Joe Colborne. “I’m happy with the way my game has gone, but I’m not done yet,” Bennett said. “I don’t think I’ve reached the surface of where I can be as Thankfully, the stat P/60 exists — your average points per 60 minutes of a player and I still have a lot more to show and a lot more to prove.” ice time. For a guy like Bennett, it’s a great equalizer. In 20 career playoff games in which he’s amassed 11 points (six goals, five assists), But in looking to contribute more offensively, the key is to not cheat or Bennett’s P/60 is 2.40, which ranks 39th among active players who have take short cuts. appeared in at least 20 postseason games going back to 2005-06. Some of the names that surround him? Joe Thornton (2.36), Corey Perry “Coming out of junior, they all know how to play with the puck, they don’t (2.37), Joe Pavelski (2.37), Nicklas Backstrom (2.40), necessarily know how to play without it,” Treliving said. “He’s learning (2.42), Patrice Bergeron (2.44), (2.44) and Brad each and every year how important it is to play without it. How important Marchand (2.44). it is to be responsible without it and then you get it back.

“I’m a real competitive guy so I think that’s a huge trait to have for “He wants and we all want to continue to find ways to have or increase myself,” Bennett said. his offensive side, but it can’t come at the detriment of being a careless player with the puck and turning it over and putting yourself in bad The task now is to repeat his playoff prowess over the next two regular positions.” seasons. One environmental change that could open up a path to increased ice Drafted fourth overall in 2014, Bennett was a big-time scorer in junior. In time this season is the team’s excess of left wingers, which will probably his draft year, he piled up 91 points (36 goals, 55 assists) in 57 games for force one or two players to skate on their off wing. Switching to right wing Kingston (OHL). The next season, which was shortened due to shoulder is an opportunity Bennett is looking forward to. surgery, he had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in just 11 games. You will remember in Game 5 of the playoffs last season, Bennett played on the right side of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. With Michael Frolik’s status unclear — the Flames still need to clear out salary and Frolik is a candidate to depart with just one year left at $4.3 million — that opens up another possibility, that right wing spot alongside Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund. That’s the benefit of the contentious departure of James Neal There’s no longer a brooding, veteran top-six expectant right wing in waiting.

If you think about, what a promotion that would be for Bennett. Instead of stuck on the left side, buried on the depth chart behind Gaudreau and Tkachuk, arguably the team’s best two forwards, now he’d be playing opposite one of them every night. Plus at center, instead of Mark Jankowski, his pivot would be Monahan or Backlund.

“I think I’ve established myself as a physical presence on the ice and I think offensive production and just being trusted and relied on in a top- two role. I think that’s an ideal situation for me and that’s what I want to prove. That I can be a top-six forward on an NHL team,” Bennett said.

Not only does Bennett enjoy playing on the right side, in some situations, he prefers it.

“Entering the zone. When you’re coming in on the right side of the ice, as a lefty, you have your stick in the middle and it gives you so many more options, whether you want to make a play in the middle or shoot the puck, you’re just a lot more dangerous coming in from that side,” Bennett said. “So, that’s the main one. Another one would be one-timers. It’s a lot easier to open up for a one-time on that side, you can get shots off a lot quicker in the offensive zone.”

The key is going to be consistency and bringing that same game he brought in the playoffs — and he’s always brought in the playoffs — all 82 games of the regular season.

“He wants to see himself playing higher in the lineup and those are things that are earned,” Treliving said. “But I think he sees it in the right frame of mind now that it’s not just going up there and playing loose, but being responsible and adding an element that maybe complements other players higher in the lineup.”

At the end of the day, Bennett is a player that possesses many positive attributes. If he can break camp this October in a top-six role and in doing so, contribute a bigger chunk of offence, the Flames will have themselves a very useful player. While the offense may not be fourth overall caliber, $2.55-million AAV over the next two years is still a bargain for a player of Bennett’s calibre.

“When he first entered the league, if he wasn’t impacting the game on the score sheet, I think Sam put so much pressure on himself, that he felt that he was letting the team down, himself down. So I think he learned now, sure I want to create offence, sure, I think I’ve got offence in me, but if it’s not going in, there’s other things I can do. And what that does, it allows you to have your fingerprints on a game.”

It sets up to be an interesting couple years with a real lucrative deal in waiting, if he can pull it all together. If not, it is certain that Calgary’s offer will reflect that.

“He plays on the inside. He plays in the guts of the game,” the GM said. “It’s an important ingredient. In a lot of ways, he can inject emotion into our team. We’ve got a lot of competitive people and there’s not too many nights where I thought we were flat, but he’s got the ability, whether it’s with a big hit or driving the net, there’s a recklessness a little bit to his game and I say that in a positive sense.”

Regardless of where Bennett lines up for the season opener, you may not recognize him from the playoffs now that his bushy Lanny McDonald- esque mustache is gone. Although not for long.

“I always bring it out for Movember, so we’ll definitely see it in the month of November and from there, time will tell if it sticks around or not,” Bennett said with a laugh.

Mustache. No mustache. As long as Bennett is contributing to wins on a nightly basis, I don’t think anyone cares.

Darren Haynes

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150113 Carolina Hurricanes Robert and Wendi got married. They grew their family. They gave all their children Biblical names. They raised Justin, Jordan, Jaccob, Josiah and Jeremiah to always keep faith at the forefront and to make time for it no Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin is just one man but for some, he’s ‘the best matter what they were doing, even if it was playing hockey on weekends. one’ they know Jordan was a defenseman who played four seasons for the University of North Dakota women’s team. Josiah, who is a left winger, is a prospect who will play next year at . By Ryan S. Clark Jeremiah, who is also a defenseman, is only 14 and is already 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. Jul 25, 2019 “We’ve always been active in the church and when the kids started

playing hockey, it’s hard to get to church every Sunday,” Wendi said. “So, BOULDER, Colo. – Upon first glance, there is a certain amount of we put them in Christian school. That way they were able to learn every regality that comes with Sewall Hall. This is, after all, the oldest dormitory day and learn from the Bible every day because you don’t always get a on the University of Colorado’s already naturally scenic campus. chance to go to church with five kids playing hockey and their schedules.” Numerous shades of brown-colored brick surround taupe-colored portico along with Spanish tile roofing shingles that have likely been replaced Family plays so much of an important role that practically all of them since Sewall first opened in 1934. Even the parking lot comes with have a fingerprint on the camp. Jaccob is the lead instructor while Jordan crushed rock guarding the blooming flowerbed of bright colors offsetting also does teaching. Josiah is a camp counselor while Jeremiah is a the familiar white parking tickets placed on the windshield of every car in participant. As for Wendi? She is the coordinator who keeps everything the first set of spaces. running smoothly and on schedule.

All is quiet until the loud cadence of shouting children can be heard from Jaccob Slavin (in tie) is surrounded by family. (Courtesy of the Slavin more than 100 feet away. There is a line of around 25 of them between family) the ages of 9 and 12 forming outside one of Sewall’s main doors. Each of This is the fourth year Jaccob has done the Colorado camp. He’s done them is wearing T-shirts and shorts as they wait to purchase some sort of the one in Raleigh for three summers and started attending HMI’s snack while also selecting just one white plastic mini-stick with their initiatives for a number of years now. favorite NHL team’s logo on it in an organized stack on an adjacent table. Slavin knows the campers who are first-timers versus those who have The sugar rush of Skittles coupled with the mini-sticks paves the way to come more than once. It was evident after dinner when they broke an impromptu game being played inside a large, open room where chairs everyone into two groups to play dodgeball and kickball. There were a turn into makeshift nets. One young man, as play is about to resume, few campers who had questions. One asked, “Don’t you play for the uses his mini-stick like a tennis racket to swat the ball beyond one of his Hurricanes?” Slavin politely said “Yes” before receiving condolences for peers for a goal. being swept by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference final. “Hey! That’s not fair!” says one of the adults in the room. “I’m pretty sure “Oh, that’s OK,” he said to the camper. that’s a high stick!” He was then faced with another question from a different camper. Getting playfully called out by an adult can be a nervous moment when everyone is looking. That only intensifies when the grown-up in this “Who’s your roommate in the dorms?” the child asked. instance is Jaccob Slavin. The 25-year-old Colorado native who grew up in the Denver suburb of Erie says this with a smile so big it almost makes “My roommate is my wife and daughter, and we’re staying at my parents’ his light-brown hair, even lighter-brown beard, green mesh T-shirt with a house in Erie!” Slavin said. slight camouflage pattern and gray shorts seem like an afterthought. This answer generates several reactions. One of them comes from Caleb Next to him are the two items he takes everywhere on a day like this. The Dutton. He grew up with Slavin and is a worship leader at his church first is a black water bottle. The second is his Bible. back in northwest Indiana. Dutton is a camp leader who was supposed to be Slavin’s dorm mate for the week. The fact Slavin is at his parents’ Slavin having his water bottle on a mid-summer day in July makes sense house becomes a running joke throughout the day. Dutton remarked how because Boulder, while stunning, can get dry. But exactly why is he it was warm on the first night of camp and he went to move his bed carrying around a Bible? It’s because he is the lead on-ice instructor at a closer to the window. week-long summer camp organized by Hockey Ministries International. He initially had reservations about moving his bed but realized he could Thirty-five of these camps are held throughout Europe and North do it because, “Oh yeah, I’m by myself!” America over the course of summer. And they are exactly what they say they are in that the focuses are on hockey and faith. Slavin’s camp is six Dutton’s remarks make everyone, including Slavin, immediately laugh. days long for children between the ages of 9 and 17. During the day, they But go back to the initial statement. The line about being with his wife receive on- and off-ice training to improve for their respective upcoming and daughter is something those close to Jaccob and Kylie understand. seasons. They recently adopted a baby girl and cannot discuss certain specifics – like the child’s name – because the process is still being finalized. At night, however, is when the group has chapel where they talk about the teachings of Jesus Christ and how to incorporate those beliefs into What can be discussed, however, is the path Jaccob and Kylie took to being a better person every single day. get this point. Jaccob was playing for the in the United States Hockey League when he randomly came across one of her tweets “I mean, there are so many examples but even just this camp,” Slavin about God. He clicked on her profile, read her tweets and saw she was said. “The one in Raleigh this year, I did an alter call-out at the end of genuinely devout. one of the chapels. I think there were 10 kids that raised their hands to accept Christ as their savior. Hopefully, one day I am able to win a “She loved the Lord, I clicked on her picture and I was sold,” Jaccob said. Stanley Cup, but I don’t think the feeling of winning the Stanley Cup will “I clicked ‘follow’ and she did not follow me back for a couple days, and I even come close to seeing those 10 kids raise their hands to accept had to work at it to finally get her to talk to me. She posted a tweet Christ as their savior and have their eternity change. saying, ‘Snapchat me, I’m bored’ and with me being a bored junior hockey player, I’m going to take full advantage of that. So, I sent her a “That’s not something I take lightly. I think that’s why I am so open about Snapchat and she was like, ‘All right, this guy’s OK.’ it. It’s more than just hockey. It’s truly impactful.” “She snapped me back and started following me and then we started Faith is at the bedrock of what Slavin and his entire family believe. His talking.” mother, Wendi, met her first husband in the church, but he died while she was pregnant. She returned to the same church where her first Kylie lived three-and-a-half hours south of Chicago and Jaccob drove husband’s funeral was held. That’s where she later met her second down there to spend the day with her and her family for the first time husband, Robert, who was smitten with Wendi the first time he saw her. when his season ended. He then stayed in a hotel before driving back to Colorado. That was the start of them having a long-distance relationship Kylie and their daughter are at the camp. They both spend so much time for about a year-and-a-half. around her that Dutton joked how the couple has “play fights” over who gets to feed and change her. They knew pretty early they were headed down a certain path. Jaccob said their first Skype call went four or five hours. He said they were both Slavin invests more than 12 hours a day with his campers. There is the 19 and talked about everything imaginable. But the moment he knew she on-ice instruction but he is also heavily involved during the chapel was the one? They started talking about their love for Wendy’s chicken services as well. On Monday, he set up the slideshow that allowed the nuggets and how they love dipping them in their Frosty. campers to follow the lyrics to the songs played by Dutton and also then spoke to the group. “We always joke about how from that moment, we knew,” Jaccob said. “In all seriousness, she was the first girl I ever dated that truly and He shared the story of ‘The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” It’s the tale of genuinely loved the Lord and followed the Lord with all of her heart. That how the younger son wanted his father’s possessions and squandered it was the thing I was drawn to the most.” all to the point he asks his father for a job as his servant. The father welcomed him back with a feast to the dismay of the older son, who felt Jaccob enrolled at Colorado College and Kylie moved to Colorado with a differently. family friend so they could be closer during his freshman year with the Tigers. She then moved in with Jaccob’s family in Erie during his “God is like the father in this story,” Slavin told the campers. “He loves sophomore season. Slavin, a fourth-round pick by the Hurricanes in you regardless.” 2012, then signed his entry-level deal and they got married in August 2015. R.J. Enga is a Colorado College assistant who was also an assistant with the Steel. He was with Slavin for two years in Chicago and for what Exactly how did Jaccob propose? He went to visit Kylie and her family for would be his final season in Colorado Springs. Enga stresses how the a week during summer vacation. He asked Kylie’s mom if she had any talent was always there but that Slavin would do the extra work on small photo albums. Jaccob took one of those albums with the idea of having details until they were perfect. Even then? He did it again to ensure his the first part of the book being photos of her childhood before efforts were not a fluke but in fact, routine in nature. transitioning to pictures of them being together with captions with the last page asking for her hand. Enga, however, can speak to more than just the hockey acumen. He said Slavin always “carried himself well” off the ice and served as a great “I woke her up from a nap because she had to go to work and told her teammate in college and in juniors. There are two items Enga shares before she left, ‘I want you to come up to the kitchen,'” Jaccob said. “She about Slavin that adds even more definition to his former pupil’s didn’t know it was about to happen then and throws a Hot Pocket in the personality. microwave. It’s a great story! It’s a great story! It gets even better! She finally sits down while her Hot Pocket is in the microwave. As she’s The first being humility. Enga said Slavin possesses the sort of reading this and my mom asks, “Hey Jake? Can you tape Jeremiah’s selflessness that results in him texting and finding time for an old coach hockey sticks before he has to go to practice?’ despite being in the NHL.

“So, as I’m proposing to my wife, my mom comes in and asks me to tape And the other? Slavin does not swear. a hockey stick. I didn’t think about but I was like, ‘Yeah, sure.’ I’m taping “No. He doesn’t,” said Enga, who spoke at Slavin’s camp Wednesday. my little brother’s hockey stick and she nears the end where I am about “That’s a true fact. I’ve never heard him swear. You never will. It’s just not to get on my knee and I put the stick down and she gets jokingly upset to part of who he is and what he is about. I try to do the same, I’ll be honest. this day that I was taping a hockey stick while I was proposing to her.” That’s the truth. It is not part of who he is.”

But she was eating a Hot Pocket? Can she really be that upset? Dutton was asked the same question and he says the same. Slavin, “No, no, she wasn’t eating the Hot Pocket, it was in the microwave when asked about it, admits he’s never done it in a way that is so mild- cooking,” Jaccob said. “After we got done celebrating, she goes, ‘Wait! mannered, it would be as if asking someone if they’ve ever pumped gas My Hot Pocket is in the microwave!” and runs over to the Hot Pocket so before. He’s the same way about drinking in that he’s never felt the need she can start eating it. So, that’s how that all went down. Hockey sticks to ever try alcohol. and Hot Pockets.” Slavin said there were times growing up when other kids called him “The Adopting a child is something Jaccob and Kylie talked about for a while. Christian Boy” but it never bothered him. They did it because of the gospel of how God has adopted them into his “Yes, they poke fun at you but they know you’re the guy that they can family but they also felt there were so many children who needed homes. come to if something is serious or something is happening or if they need Wendi recalled how the couple said it did not matter to them if they someone to talk to, they know they can come to you,” he said. “I adopted an alcohol- or drug-addicted baby. Nor did it matter if the child remember a couple seasons ago, I got a message from my buddy on was born with a disability. Facebook who I played with when I was 14. I get a message from him They just wanted to give a child a good home. saying, ‘Hey man. I know I may not have said this when I was 14 or whatever but you had an impact on my life back then because of the way Jaccob said Kylie always felt that way, but he needed time and prayer you lived your life. before fully coming on board with adopting a child who might have one of those conditions. “‘I follow the Lord now. It didn’t happen right then but that’s where it started.’ Just hearing those kind of instances where, yeah, all the fun- “I got to a point where I was like, ‘All right God. This is in your hands. making just happens. … I take it all with a smile, I guess.” You’re going to give us the child that you want for us,'” he said. “We were open to anything, really. There were a couple cases we were in the Dutton shared a story about Slavin. OK, he shared quite a few. He said running for a couple kids that had disabilities, whether it was physically or being involved in this camp helped him believe he could successfully mentally. It was tough. There was a lot of prayer. … God wanted me to make the transition from being an assistant men’s basketball coach at his stretch my heart out and just trust him.” alma mater, Trinity Christian College in Illinois, to becoming a worship leader and tech director at his church. Reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs was already enough of a rush until the couple received a phone call saying their daughter was being born at “If I don’t come to this camp last year … I’m still doing things that are a hospital three hours away from Raleigh. He flew after Game 1 in awesome but there is no way I am in ministry without this camp,” Dutton Washington D.C. to be with the baby after she was born before flying said. “And without Jaccob.” back for Game 2, which was in the afternoon. Watching his childhood friend become an NHL success story while “That was a tough game to play because I was so tired,” said Slavin, who remaining grounded is “unreal” for Dutton to experience and he admits played nearly 29 minutes while picking up two assists in a Game 2 there is no way he could pull it off exactly like Slavin. overtime loss to the Washington Capitals. “But at the same time, my “Are you kidding me? He has tens of thousands of people that are booing prayer was ‘God, I need your strength because I am not getting through him when he does bad and cheer for him when he does well and he goes this by myself!’ It was a whirlwind of emotion and excitement.” every night completely unfazed,” Dutton said. “Not that he doesn’t care. Believe me. I have called him on a couple nights. Like that butt-whoopin’ they took up in Washington and he wasn’t happy after that but he went home and picked up his little girl and he’s just fine.”

Dutton recalled an anecdote about when Slavin signed a seven-year, $37.1 million contract last summer. Like any friend, Dutton was stoked that Slavin was able to be heavily rewarded for all the years of hard work.

“He was like, ‘Yeah, man, it’s pretty exciting,'” said Dutton, who intentionally sounded flat to convey how matter of fact Slavin was about his new contract. “He’s like, ‘Dude, if I never played another game of hockey, that’d be OK with me.’ I’m like, ‘Dude? You’re 24, you’re making whatever you’re making, you got a wife, you have a house in Raleigh. You’re at the climax of life. You should be out partying and doing all this kind of stuff.’

“And he’s like, ‘Why? That’s not going to glorify God.'”

Knowing his childhood friend has that mentality leads Dutton to say one more thing that might be the most profound statement of all when it comes to Jaccob Slavin.

“He’s a man,” Dutton said. “He’s just the best one I know.”

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150114 Chicago Blackhawks does he know them? Not really. That will start to change this weekend at the Blackhawks Convention, when he also begins to reacquaint himself with Hawks fans.

‘It was really tough to let go’: After 3 seasons away, Andrew Shaw is “It’s going to be awesome,” Shaw said. “It’s going to be overwhelming, for back where he belongs — with the Blackhawks sure. But that’s all part of it. I’m excited to see everyone, I’m excited to see all the fans. Maybe it’s like throwing gasoline on a fire. Maybe that fire’s going to get a little bit bigger.” By JIMMY GREENFIELD [Most read] 3 things we learned as the Bears reported to training camp, JUL 25, 2019 | 11:12 AM including Khalil Mack’s summer goals and Akiem Hicks’ approach to ‘dating’ Chuck Pagano »

If Shaw were fire with just a speck of talent, he would still be toiling in the Andrew Shaw knows how fortunate he was to play in Montreal, a minors, or perhaps some beer league. But Shaw has always been able to gorgeous cosmopolitan city with a Canadiens franchise that is the most provide enough offense, a testament to his willingness to camp out in storied in NHL history. front of the net. Last season, he scored a career-high 47 points in just 63 Over three seasons, he gave the Habs all he had. But Shaw couldn’t give games. something he didn’t have with him. Therein lies the rub. Shaw’s willingness to play with reckless abandon While his talent and insatiable will to compete were in Montreal, Shaw’s finally came with a price. After missing only 15 games with the Hawks in heart never really left Chicago. 4½ seasons, Shaw missed 64 games the last three seasons to an assortment of injuries. “Guys always joked in the dressing room about cutting the cord, but it was obviously tough,” he said. “Five successful years in Chicago. It was Even so, Shaw doesn’t plan to scale back his frenetic play. His plan, as a team that took a chance on me in the draft and gave me an opportunity always, is to play harder than his opponents and serve as an example for my first year in pro, then winning two Stanley Cups. his teammates.

“Becoming friends with all those guys in the locker room, it was really “If I don’t see it, I make sure I go and (play hard) so others can see it,” he tough to let go. I never really did. I had to move on, but (Chicago) was a said. “It would make me want to do it more. You need that. I’m going to part of me. I was never going to forget it and move on completely.” do it no matter what.

As excited as Blackhawks fans may be to get Shaw back, it doesn’t come “If it helps people get into the game, get involved and fuel their fire, then close to the thrill Shaw received last month upon learning the Hawks had it’s going to be a fun year.” reacquired him for three draft picks.

“It’s something you wish for,” Shaw said. “You don’t actually think it’s Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.26.2019 going to come true. It did and I’m excited, I’m happy. (I’m) a lot different from when I left three years ago. I have a wife, a kid and I’ve matured a little bit. Chicago’s still going to get the same hockey player but maybe a little bit of a different person.”

Can not wait to make more amazing memories! https://t.co/sWMSbqwIrc

— Andrew Shaw (@shawz15er) July 12, 2019

When Shaw was traded to the Canadiens in 2016 for a pair of draft picks — one of which the Hawks used to take Alex DeBrincat — it was because he was due a healthy raise as a restricted free agent. Despite former coach calling him an “irreplaceable” player — a compliment Shaw said he still hasn’t forgotten — he became a salary- cap casualty just like many Hawks before him.

Times changed and this summer the Hawks were in a much more favorable position with their cap. The six-year, $23.4 million contract the Canadiens gave Shaw was no longer an extravagance the Hawks couldn’t afford.

However, the biggest factor in reacquiring Shaw was that Quenneville’s assessment proved true. Shaw was, in fact, irreplaceable. Over the last three seasons, the Hawks didn’t have anyone like him. They lacked the toughness and fearless play that were Shaw’s calling cards and endeared him to fans.

Since he has been gone, the Hawks have made one postseason appearance and haven’t won a single playoff game. They’ve all too frequently become a punching bag for much of the NHL without the ability to punch back.

Shaw plans to punch back. And he plans to enjoy it when his teammates do as well.

“When I see a guy block a shot, it gets me going,” Shaw said. “I see a guy make a hit, it gets me going. I see a guy stand in front of the net taking a beating just for his team to score, that sort of stuff gets me going.”

Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw is known for his toughness and willingness to camp out in front of the net, as above against the Lightning in 2015.

Only six players remain from when Shaw was last with the Hawks: , Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, , Erik Gustafsson and Corey Crawford. The NHL is a close-knit fraternity, so Shaw has met a few of the Hawks who have arrived since he left. But 1150115 Chicago Blackhawks Tickets were still available as of Wednesday and can be purchased at Blackhawks.com/Convention.

Can I go to every panel I want? Going to the Blackhawks Convention this weekend? Here are the panels to see, how to get autographs and more Not unless you have a clone. The good news is that on Friday and Sunday you won’t have to make any choices. Friday’s events include the opening ceremony followed immediately by the Blackhawks Variety By JIMMY GREENFIELD Show.

JUL 25, 2019 | 8:00 AM Sunday has only two panels, but they’re both excellent and won’t overlap. The first, starting at 10 a.m., is a live podcast with DeBrincat and Strome discussing their longtime friendship. It’s hosted by Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis. If it’s the end of July, it’s time for the Blackhawks Convention. The convention finale, titled “Storytelling with Hockey Fall of Famers,” The annual event, first held in 2008, will once again feature dozens of begins at 11 a.m. and includes Hall of Famers Doug Gilmour, Esposito, current and former players and will give fans their first chance to Savard, Hull and Chelios. It’s moderated by another Hall of Famer, celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2010 Stanley Cup championship former Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Verdi, who now works for the team. Hawks as their team historian. What else is in store? Let’s take a look at the best way to enjoy this Not a bad way to close out the weekend. weekend’s convention. So I will have to make some choices on Saturday? When does it start? Yep, no two ways about it. The toughest decision will probably be at 2 The convention begins Friday with the opening ceremony and concludes p.m. when two strong panels are set to start at the same time. on Sunday. Rabid fans who want to get the best spots for the opening ceremony can begin lining up as early as noon. Exhibit halls are open In the International Ballroom will be the Blackhawks Family Feud, hosted from 3-9 p.m. with the opening ceremony starting at 5. by Boyle. One team of current Hawks players (Saad, Shaw, Strome, Brendan Perlini and Slater Koekkoek) will face off against a team of Saturday’s activities run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday they will go alumni (Roenick, Bolland, Belfour, Adam Burish and Jamal Mayers) with from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the winner going up against a family of Hawks fans who won a contest. Where will the convention be? At the same time, over in the Continental Ballroom, a team of four of the The Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave. Hawks’ top executives — general manager , senior vice president of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, assistant GM Is it worth going to the opening ceremony? and VP of hockey operations Mark Bernard — will talk about an offseason that saw big changes. If you like pep rallies, this is your bag. Hawks broadcaster will be the emcee for Friday’s opening ceremony, which will include What’s the next best thing on Saturday? introducing all the current and former players who are at the convention. There’s some good stuff. In no particular order and without regard for Afterward, around 8 p.m., it’s the “Blackhawks Variety Hour” featuring on- overlapping start times, here are my five top choices. stage games with players and fans. Reliving the 2010 Stanley Cup, 4:30 p.m. ( Sharp, Burish, Bolland, Bryan Where should I park? Bickell and Kris Versteeg, moderated by Troy Murray). This will serve as a puck drop on a season-long celebration of the 2010 Stanley Cup You can spend a pretty penny and park in the Hilton Chicago garage, but champs. your best bet is to download the SpotHero app and find discounts at the many parking lots that are within a short walk. Welcome Back, Andrew Shaw, 3:30 p.m. (moderated by Chris Kuc). Shaw has been back for less than a month and he already has a panel What about public transportation? all to himself. It’s no wonder. Shaw’s toughness and willingness to do Honestly, it’s the best way to go. The closest L stop is the Harrison anything to win despite being undersized made him beloved during his station on the Red Line, which is just two blocks west of the Hilton first stint with the Hawks. Chicago. And there are several bus routes that will drop you off nearby. My Next Guest Is … Patrick Kane, 10:30 a.m. (moderated by Bob Verdi). Who will be there? This panel is described as “a unique one-on-one conversation on hockey memories.” They got the right guy for it. Kane is a hockey savant, he Only 4 more days until the #Blackhawks Convention! eats, sleeps and breathes hockey and knows everything that’s happening around the NHL. Verdi is certain to jog Kane’s memory about the first 12 What's your favorite part of the weekend? #BHC2019 seasons of his brilliant career. pic.twitter.com/BCkmOZ3F5U Blackhawks Top Prospects, 4 p.m. (Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin, Philipp — Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 22, 2019 Kurashev, Chad Krys and MacKenzie Entwistle, moderated by Chris Tons of current and former Hawks, including Patrick Kane, Jonathan Boden). The star of this panel should be Boqvist, who had a tremendous Toews, Alex DeBrincat, Brent Seabrook, Andrew Shaw, Robin Lehner, development camp last week and is getting more comfortable in front of a Dylan Strome, Brandon Saad, Connor Murphy, Kirby Dach, Collin Delia, microphone. The other prospects are in a tier below Boqvist, but each Adam Boqvist, Murray Bannerman, Ed Belfour, Dave Bolland, Brian has a good shot at playing for the Hawks within a year or two. Campbell, , Tony Esposito, Stu Grimson, Bobby Hull, Steve Colliton’s Command, 9:30 a.m. (, Sheldon Brookbank, Larmer, Eddie Olczyk, Jim Pappin, , Phil Russell, Denis , Tomas Mitell, Jimmy Waite, moderated by John Savard, John Scott, Patrick Sharp, Pat Stapleton and more. Wiedeman). This will be Colliton’s first convention since taking over for OK, I get it. So who won’t be there? Joel Quenneville and the response he gets from fans should be telling. It’s not clear yet if he has been fully embraced despite leading the Hawks So far it looks like Duncan Keith, Erik Gustafsson and are the to a 27-16-7 mark over the final 50 games of the season. Brookbank, a biggest names who the Hawks said have prior commitments and don’t former Hawk, joined the staff last season while Crawford and Mitell are plan to be in attendance. newcomers. Waite has been the goaltending coach for the last five I really only want to go on Saturday. Is that possible? seasons.

Yep. For the first time, the Hawks are offering single-day passes that are Uh, aren’t you forgetting the kids-only press conference? the best option if you plan to attend only one day. Weekend passes are Not at all, figured it deserved its own mention seeing that it’s one of the $95 and single-day passes are $60 apiece. So if you’re planning to go for highlights of the convention. Fans under 12 are given the opportunity to two days you’re better off purchasing the weekend pass and saving $25. ask Hawks players questions and this year’s group consists of DeBrincat, Saad, Delia, Connor Murphy, Drake Caggiula and, as always, Tommy Hawk. It will be moderated by Troy Murray.

The line to ask questions gets really long so be sure to arrive early.

Can adult fans ask questions at the other panels?

Yes, but not many. According to the Hawks, each panel is scheduled to last about an hour with fan questions permitted as time allows.

What’s the process for getting autographs?

There will be roughly 50 autograph and photo sessions with current and former Hawks throughout the weekend. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis using a wristband distribution system. Times and locations for wristband distribution will be in the event program.

In addition, every convention passholder has a chance to attend a VIP autograph and photo session. Fans in attendance must register for this by going to the “Event Registration” area on the lower level in Salon B and present their convention pass.

What’s new this year?

The Hawks have blended the unique story of Scott Foster, the world’s most famous emergency goalie, and the fun of escape rooms to create the “Emergency Goalie Challenge,” which will ask fans to solve clues in order to navigate from the Hawks’ locker room to the ice.

Important: If you’re interested in doing this you MUST sign up in advance at the “Emergency Goalie Challenge” area in the Continental Ballroom to book a time, which will be subject to availability.

Fans can also find out what it’s like to be on the ice with a virtual-reality experience that provides a behind-the-scenes look at a Blackhawks gameday from spots throughout the .

Will any historical artifacts be at the convention?

You mean besides Bobby Hull? Ha, I kid. A showcase will be on display that includes trophies, Hawks artifacts and each of the six Stanley Cup rings.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150116 Chicago Blackhawks One of a handful of ex-Blackhawks returning home to play for the Greater Chicagoland, Hinostroza is coming off his best season, proving once and for all that he’s a viable middle-six winger, and that his hands have finally Introducing the All-Greater Chicagoland Team, which isn’t all that great caught up with his blinding speed.

C Nick Schmaltz, Arizona Coyotes

By Mark Lazerus Madison, Wis.

Jul 25, 2019 2018-19 stats: 7 goals, 25 points in 40 games with Chicago and Arizona

I know Chicagoans tend to go to Arizona to retire, but this is getting ridiculous. As pleased as the Blackhawks were with the trade that The Blackhawks’ influence can be found all across the hockey world. Ask brought Dylan Strome to Chicago, Arizona was quite happy, too. just about anyone in the league under the age of 25 and they’ll probably Schmaltz posted 14 points in 17 games with the Coyotes before suffering tell you how they “grew up” watching Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. a season-ending injury. The skilled two-way center’s potential remains Top draft pick after top draft pick, such as Trevor Zegras, will tell you how awfully high. He’s only 23. they modeled their game after Kane. Prospect after prospect, such as Jake Wise, will tell you how they became Blackhawks fans because of RW Craig Smith, Nashville Predators the skill- and speed-based style they helped usher into the league in the Madison, Wis. early 2010s. 2018-19 stats: 21 goals, 38 points in 76 games But nowhere is their influence stronger than in Chicago, naturally. Youth hockey has exploded since Toews and Kane were rookies, and Chicago- With at least 21 goals in five of the last six seasons, Smith has quietly put area kids are getting drafted higher and higher every year, including Alex together a very nice career. And he played for a team called the Waterloo Turcotte and Alex Vlasic last month. It’ll be a few more years until the big Black Hawks in the USHL, so, uh, there’s a Chicago tie. wave breaks into the NHL, but make no mistake, Chicago’s coming. Third line So this all-Greater Chicagoland team might look a lot more imposing in a few years. For now, I have no choice but to rope in the Milwaukee and LW J.T. Compher, Colorado Avalanche Madison areas into a Much Greater Chicagoland area to have a chance Northbrook, Ill. to compete. But Corey Masisak included parts of New Jersey that are south of Philadelphia AND the Buffalo suburbs on the same team, and 2018-19 stats: 16 goals, 32 points in 66 games Mike Russo has a guy from Nebraska and a guy from Washington on his Hailing from the rapidly growing hockey hotbed of the North Shore, All-Minnesota team, so I don’t feel too bad about it. That said, I tried not Compher just signed a four-year deal worth $14 million to stay with the to get ridiculous, and kept my Wisconsinites near the Illinois border. Avalanche for four more years. He was a college standout at Michigan, Sorry, Joe Pavelski. You’re more Canadian or Minnesotan than but we won’t hold that against him. Chicagoan. C Alex Turcotte, Los Angeles Kings Forwards Island Lake, Ill. First line 2018-19 stats: 27 goals, 62 points in 37 games with the US National LW Ryan Dzingel, Carolina Hurricanes Team Development Program Wheaton, Ill. Sure, Turcotte hasn’t played a game in the NHL yet, but the No. 5 pick 2018-19 stats: 26 goals, 56 points in 78 games with Ottawa and and dynamic two-way center is an easy choice for this team. And he Columbus gives Northwest Indiana — which, unlike Wisconsin, actually is part of the Greater Chicagoland area — some much-needed representation, as A poor stint in Columbus after the trade deadline seemed to dull interest his dad, Alfie, was born in Gary. in the productive winger, and he signed for less than expected in Carolina. But 49 goals over the past two seasons makes him a viable RW Ryan Hartman, Minnesota Wild top-six winger. West Dundee, Ill. C Alex Galchenyuk, Pittsburgh Penguins 2018-19 stats: 12 goals, 26 points with Nashville and Philadelphia Milwaukee, Wis. Hartman was born in Hilton Head Island, S.C., but moved to the Chicago 2018-19 stats: 19 goals, 41 points in 72 games with Arizona area when he was little and considers himself a native Chicagoan (though HHI remains the family’s preferred vacation spot). Once a Another erstwhile person of interest for the Blackhawks’ front office, budding star for his hometown Blackhawks, scoring 19 goals as a rookie Galchenyuk hasn’t been able to duplicate his breakout 30-goal seasons in 2016-17, Hartman has quickly become a true journeyman. Since in Montreal in 2015-16, but is a steady producer with 105 goals in the February 2018, he’s played for the Blackhawks, Predators and Flyers. He past five seasons. was then traded to the Stars, who promptly allowed him to become an Phil Kessel, RW, Arizona Coyotes unrestricted free agent and sign with the Wild.

Madison, Wis. Fourth line

2018-19 stats: 27 goals, 82 points in 82 games with Pittsburgh LW Christian Fischer, Arizona Coyotes

Traded for Galchenyuk, Kessel remains an elite offensive force and an Chicago increasingly worrying defensive liability. He’s scored at least 20 goals in 2018-19 stats: 11 goals, 18 points in 71 games 11 straight seasons, and is a proven playoff performer and two-time Stanley Cup champion. He’ll be 32 when the season opens, but he’s Yep, it’s another Arizona guy. The No. 32 pick in the 2015 draft took a coming off back-to-back point-a-game seasons. step back in his second full season after posting 15 goals and 33 assists as a rookie, but he’s still a solid power forward in the making and an Second line excellent skater with a big shot.

LW Vinnie Hinostroza, Arizona Coyotes C Christian Dvorak, Arizona Coyotes

Bartlett, Ill. Palos, Ill.

2018-19 stats: 16 goals, 39 points in 72 games 2018-19 stats: 2 goals, 7 points in 20 games Is this an all-Chicagoland team or an all-Arizona team? I can’t tell 2018-19 stats: 0 goals, 0 points in 2 games anymore. We could have gone with Nick Schmaltz’s brother Jordan here, but tie RW John Hayden, New Jersey Devils goes to the true Chicagolander. Jake Chelios was another option here, but he’s heading to the KHL next season. So we’ll go with Belpedio, who Chicago represents the north burbs and a bit of Indiana, having attended the 2018-19 stats: 3 goals, 5 points in 54 games with Chicago Culver Military Academy.

Another ex-Blackhawks player makes the team. Hayden grew up in Extra: Jordan Schmaltz (St. Louis), Madison, Wis. Denver and now hails from Greenwich, Conn., but he was born in Goaltenders Chicago. The physical Yale graduate never put it all together (and never got much of a chance to) in Chicago, but has all the tools to be a solid Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators power forward in the NHL. Park Ridge, Ill. Extras: RW Drew Stafford (UFA), Milwaukee, Wis.; RW Nick Lappin (Devils), Geneva, Ill. 2018-19 stats: 17-27-4, .903 save percentage, 3.51 GAA

Defensemen The venerable veteran started his career with his hometown Hawks after being drafted in the third round way back in 2001, but he’s been a Top pairing stalwart in Ottawa for a decade now.

Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild Scott Darling, UFA

Madison, Wis. Lemont, Ill.

2018-19 stats: 7 goals, 47 points in 82 games 2018-19 stats: 2-4-2, .884 save percentage, 3.33 GAA with Carolina

The ultimate iron man, Suter led the league in ice time at age 34, with Could have gone with Elmhurst’s Garret Sparks, who was just traded to nearly 27 minutes per game. He also played all 82 games for the seventh Vegas from Toronto, and whose stock is rising while Darling’s has time (he played all 48 in the lockout-shortened 2013 season, too). Suter plummeted since leaving the Blackhawks. Darling, like Hartman, isn’t has averaged at least 26 minutes per game for eight straight seasons. technically a Chicagoland native, either, as he was born in Newport News, Va. But he was raised in Lemont, considers himself a Chicago Will Butcher, New Jersey Devils guy, and became the first area player to win a Stanley Cup with his Sun Prairie, Wis. hometown Hawks. Sure, he’s really from Virginia. But come on, how many Virginians do you know that have the Chicago skyline tattooed on 2018-19 stats: 4 goals, 30 points in 78 games their arm?

A native of the Madison suburbs, Butcher was a highly sought-after The good news is, our cap hit is a mere $69,574,294, so we have money player coming out of the University of Denver two years ago, and has to spend. The bad news: we really, really need it. Here’s our team, using quickly become a staple on the Devils’ blue line. Unfortunately for our Sean Tierney’s WAR model, which incorporates data from Evolving purposes, he’ll be playing on his off side, but that’s because the Much Hockey. It’s projected as a (gulp) 58-point team. And that’s being Greater Chicagoland area has produced more lefties than righties. generous. When you add the extras into a regular rotation, it comes out to a 49-point team. Second pairing But hey, the Avalanche were a 48-point team two years ago, and now John Moore, Boston Bruins they’re among the betting favorites to win the West. Hopefully, with the Winnetka, Ill Blackhawk Effect taking full effect, Team Much Greater Chicagoland can have a similar turnaround. 2018-19 stats: 4 goals, 13 points in 61 games

The New Trier product (who overlapped one year with Tommy Wingels) has been a reliable blue-liner for five teams, with his best two years The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 coming in New Jersey. In fact, this team has almost as many Devils ties as it does Coyotes ties, which brings us to…

Connor Carrick, New Jersey Devils

Orland Park, Ill.

2018-19 stats: 2 goals, 11 points in 34 games with Dallas and New Jersey

Hailing from the vaunted land of the strip mall, Carrick is part of that generation that was turned on to hockey by the Blackhawks. When he started playing hockey as a kid, he said his friends looked at him like he was an alien. By the time he was in high school, however, everyone was into the Blackhawks, and Carrick even served as an interpreter/ambassador of sorts for his friends, explaining the finer details of the game.

Third pairing

Mike Reilly, Montreal Canadiens

Chicago

2018-19 stats: 3 goals, 11 points in 57 games

Like a few other guys on this team, Reilly is a bit of a stretch. He was born in Chicago, but grew up in Minnesota, and played college hockey for the Golden Gophers, where he was first-team All-America. Look, our defense isn’t great, OK?

Louie Belpedio, Minnesota Wild

Skokie, Ill. 1150117 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche signs Sheldon Dries to 1-year contract

By JOE NGUYEN

PUBLISHED: July 25, 2019 at 12:45 pm

UPDATED: July 25, 2019 at 1:25 PM

The Avalanche signed forward Sheldon Dries to a one-year contract on Thursday.

The two-way deal is guaranteed to pay Dries at least $450,000, with the forward eligible to make as much as $735,000 depending upon how much time he spends with the Avs, a team source confirmed.

Dries, 25, tallied three goals and three assists in 40 games for Colorado in his rookie season last year. He signed with Colorado as an undrafted free agent.

He also recorded 11 points (three goals and eight assists) in 25 games with the franchise’s AHL affiliate, the .

Denver Post: LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150118 Columbus Blue Jackets and points (48) scored by a rookie and has emerged as the club’s No. 1 center.

Brandon Dubinsky (2012-current): Only two Blue Jackets have scored The 2010s — Best Blue Jackets in a decade of change for CBJ more points than Dubinsky (225) since 2010, but the center’s greatest value has come away from the puck. He was the fire and spirit of the club after coming to Columbus in the Nash trade with the New York Rangers. Alison Lukan and Aaron Portzline His game-tying goal with 22 seconds left in regulation of the first-ever home playoff win over Pittsburgh is seared into memory. Jul 25, 2019 Artem Anisimov (2012-2015): Anisimov spent just three seasons in

Columbus, but in that time he brought stability down the middle of the ice COLUMBUS, Ohio — This is a surprisingly difficult exercise, not because and managed to put up the third-best goals-per-60 minutes among all there aren’t enough candidates — that was the first decade of the Blue centers over the past decade (.87). He also was a fixture on the penalty Jackets — but because the cut line changes on an all-decade team when kill and a smart defensive center. you adjust the criteria even slightly. Note: Alexander Wennberg was in and out of this conversation. He Here is The Athletic’s take on the Blue Jackets’ best players from 2010- certainly looked to be on the path to being a top center in the NHL after a 19, a mixture of star players who had great seasons, good players whose 59-point season in 2016-17. But the following year was challenging to the body of work earns a mention and players who were part of big moments center who faced multiple injuries (shoulder, concussions), and last that are forever etched on the consciousness of fans in central Ohio. season was a struggle as Wennberg scored just two goals and was scratched late in the regular season and into the playoffs. Four of the defensemen chosen are still on the roster, as are six of the 14 players at forward and goaltender, not counting recent free-agent Right wing departures Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, respectively. Cam Atkinson (2011-current): Among skaters, Atkinson is the most The goaltender and coach were easy picks, but you’ll have issues with surefire member of this club. He leads all Blue Jackets this decade in some of this. Make your arguments in the comment section. games played (527), goals (186), points (342), power-play goals (38), short-handed goals (12), game-winners (38) and overtime game-winners Left wing (five), and in some cases he’s way out in front of second place. He tied Nash’s single-season goal record (41) in 2018-19. Artemi Panarin (2017-19): Yes, Panarin left quite a mark in just two seasons in Columbus, setting single-season scoring records in both R.J. Umberger (2008-14): We’ll get to the numbers in a sec. Umberger’s 2017-18 and 2018-19 and establishing the highest points-per-game role in the pregame soccer kerfuffle with the St. Louis Blues back in average (1.06) in franchise history. He scored big goals, too: the OT 2010-11 should never be forgotten. Those were dark days for the playoff game-winner versus Washington in 2018 and the incredible goal franchise, but Umberger’s pride and passion never waned. He’s also versus the New York Rangers that clinched a playoff spot in Game No. fourth in goals (81), seventh in points (177) and top 10 in most significant 81 this past season. Don’t cry that Bread’s time has passed, smile that it categories during this decade. happened. Josh Anderson (2014-current): Anderson’s goal totals the last three Rick Nash (2002-2012): It’s pretty incredible, really. Nash played only two seasons (17 to 19 to 27) have skyrocketed, and he’s just getting started. seasons this decade, too, but only three left wingers had more goals than Outside of Nash, Anderson might be the best true power forward to play Nash (62) and only four had more points (125), and all of them — other for the organization, and he’s still trying to figure out how to mix skill with than Panarin — played at least 200 more games. If this were an all-time power. ALSO: He fought Zdeno Chara. Full marks. franchise list, Nash would be atop the list of skaters, of course. Vinny Prospal (2011-13): Prospal left a mark in both seasons he played Nick Foligno (2012-current): This seems like a mild snub given the blood, with the Blue Jackets. In 2011-12, he was the first player to publicly sweat and elbow grease he’s brought to the Blue Jackets since he came question the coaching ability of Scott Arniel. In 2012-13, he taunted aboard in 2012. He’s played in an All-Star Game, had a 30-goal season, Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader by pointing at Nationwide Arena’s scoreboard fought the toughest fighters and scored the game-winning OT goal in the late in a Blue Jackets win. Prospal also led the Jackets in scoring in that first-ever home playoff win. Early this coming season he’ll become the lockout-shortened season of 2012-13, when they nearly made a late sixth player to dress in 500 games with the Jackets. charge to the playoffs.

Boone Jenner (2013-current): A 30-goal season in 2015-16 now looks Note: It’s difficult to leave ’s name off this list, given the role he like an aberration, but Jenner has been a no-frills, hard worker for the last played in so many games (331) over most of this decade. But the tough several seasons. Good teams all have a player (or players) like Jenner. guys always have a hard time cracking the “best of” lineups. Same goes He’s expected to play center this coming season, but he has played for Derek Dorsett. mostly left wing to this point. Defense Notes: Just missing the cut was Scott Hartnell (2014-17), who had a surprisingly productive three years in Columbus as his career wound Seth Jones (2016-current): Heck with the decade, Jones is the best down. … Matt Calvert (2010-18) had at least three unforgettable blueliner the organization’s ever had. He didn’t arrive until 2016 (269 memories with the Blue Jackets: his fight versus Nash in Nash’s return games), but Jones leads all Columbus defensemen this decade in points (2014), his OT winner in Pittsburgh for the first playoff victory (2014) and (165) and ice time per game (24:35) and is second in goals (39). He’s the night in 2017 when he was struck in the face with a slap shot, left the been named to three All-Star Games and one postseason All-Star team, game but returned with a large wrap/bandage on his head to score a and he was a two-way beast in the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring. Hot short-handed game-winner. question in Columbus: When does Jones win his first Norris Trophy?

Center Zach Werenski (2016-current): Werenski made a statement from the start of his rookie season, setting franchise rookie records for points (47), Ryan Johansen (2011-16): Arguably the first true No. 1 center the Blue assists (36), shots (188), average ice time (20:54) and becoming a Jackets ever had, Johansen is fifth in total points over the last decade finalist for the Calder Trophy. He subbed in for Jones at the 2018 All-Star (193) while playing more than 100 fewer games than any other player in Game. Columbus won’t soon forget his determination to return to a the top five (309). He was the 2015 All-Star Game MVP and put on a playoff game after taking a puck to the face. That’ll earn you a T-shirt show that night in Nationwide Arena. Don’t forget his shootout move … with your bruised and swollen mug on it. “the dirty dangle downshift,” that helped him convert 11 of 29 shootout attempts. Jack Johnson (2012-2018): Before he even stepped on the ice, Johnson made his mark as a player who wanted to be a Blue Jacket, joining the Pierre-Luc Dubois (2017-current): Jarmo Kekalainen never looked more team via trade in exchange for Jeff Carter. That plus Johnson’s physical confident than when he went off the board and selected Dubois No. 3 play earned him the loyalty of fans as he racked up the second-most overall in the 2016 draft. Now, with two NHL seasons under his belt, points of any defenseman (154) over the past decade. Johnson also Dubois has yet to miss a game, has set a franchise record for goals (20) showed a hidden talent in shootouts, scoring three times, twice to win the game. David Savard (2011-current): It took him three seasons to cement a spot, but Savard is now a Blue Jackets fixture. He’ll play in his 500th game this coming season and will soon dress in more games than any other Columbus blueliner. His career plus-46 is the highest in franchise history, never mind the decade. Savard has been challenged to keep pace with today’s NHL, but he’s hanging in there.

Fedor Tyutin (2008-2016): The only defenseman of the old guard to make the roster, Tyutin holds franchise records, among blueliners, for games played (553), points (185) and assists (146) and over the past 10 years, he still sits in the top four in each category. For many seasons, Tyutin was the bedrock on a back end that was constantly up on blocks.

Ryan Murray (2013-current): Injuries have put many a stop-start on Murray’s career, but whenever he’s healthy he shows why he was the No. 2 overall pick in 2012. He’s totaled 13-88-101 in 320 games, but he’s played on both sides of the ice and all the way from top pair to third pair.

Note: James Wisniewski made the final spot on this list difficult, if only for his 2013-14 season (7-44-51) that was, at the time, the most productive ever by a Blue Jackets defenseman. Dude could tee up a one-timer on the power play, too.

Goaltender

Sergei Bobrovsky (2012-19): This would be the worst bar argument of all time. Bobrovsky owns the franchise record books, and he did all of his damage this decade, winning two Vezina Trophies, making two NHL All- Star Games and two postseason All-Star teams. He pitched 33 shutouts and accumulated a .921 save percentage in Columbus, and he’s also the only Blue Jackets goaltender to win a playoff game. Case closed? It was never open.

Curtis McElhinney (2013-17): McElhinney served as Bobrovsky’s backup for four seasons, only one of them a playoff season. He was leaned on hard when Bobrovsky had groin injuries early in his time in Columbus, but McElhinney had a very respectable .909 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average. He also had two shutouts, which are gravy from a backup.

Notes: We struggled here with Joonas Korpisalo (41-31-9), who has a better record than McElhinney (26-33-8), but slightly worse numbers in the other categories.

Coach

John Tortorella (2015-current): He’s the longest-tenured and winningest coach in franchise history (176-118-27), but he’s also the coach who helped elevate the standards and expectations in Columbus. Tortorella has rubbed a few people the wrong way, said a few things he regrets and spoken out of turn a few times — what’s new? — but nobody defends the city of Columbus more ardently than this Boston native.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150119

Local developer wants to buy Joe Louis Arena site

Louis Aguilar

Published 1:07 p.m. ET July 25, 2019

Updated 7:20 p.m. ET July 25, 2019

Detroit — Even as the vacant Joe Louis Arena is dismantled, the plan to figure out what happens next at the riverfront site has taken another unexpected turn.

The bond insurer that gained the property as compensation for losing $1.1 billion in Detroit's bankruptcy no longer wants the property. Bond insurer Financial Guaranty Insurance Co., or FGIC, is in talks with an unnamed local development group that wants to buy the arena site and an adjacent parking garage and find a new use for the site.

FGIC "would like to remove themselves from the city of Detroit and sell their interests," said Matthew Walters, the city's deputy group executive for jobs and the economy.

Under the current deal with the city, FGIC needs to find a development partner for the site. The potential new arrangement would mean FGIC exits the deal, said Walters, who briefed an economic committee of Detroit City Council on the plan for the site last week.

It's not yet a done deal and the development group was not named. FGIC has been in talks with the development group for several weeks, Walters said.

"I have a high level of confidence this deal will get done," Walters said. He described the development group as having a proven track record in Detroit "They have an ability to execute deals," he said.

The developer wants complete ownership of the property, which also means buying out the city interests, Walters said.

The arena site along with an adjacent parking garage was the final pawn in Detroit's plan to get out of Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy in 2014. New York-based FGIC was a major creditor that lost $1.1 billion in the bankruptcy. The city agreed to give the arena site and parking garage to FGIC as part of the settlement deal. The city must tear down the arena as part of that deal.

But the relationship between FGIC and the city has been marked by legal battles and years-long delays. According to the bankruptcy agreement, the city was to have started demolition of the venue within 90 days of the late 2014 deal. The original deadline to come up with a development proposal was late 2017.

This week, city council approved delaying the deadline for the project plan from Jan. 15, 2020, to January 2021. The arena opened in 1979 and closed down in summer 2017. The Red Wings moved to newly constructed on Woodward that fall.

Calls to the FGIC were not returned. City officials also had no further comment.

Detroit News LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150120 Detroit Red Wings

Ex-Red Wings scout Jeff Finley lands with Jets

The Detroit News staff

Published 11:47 a.m. ET July 25, 2019

Updated 12:22 p.m. ET July 25, 2019

Former Red Wings scout Jeff Finley has a new job with the .

Finley, the chief scout with the Wings for the past three years, was hired last week by the Jets as an amateur scout. He replaces longtime scout Marcel Comeau, who is retiring this offseason.

The Red Wings released Finley and amateur scouting director Tyler Wright on July 11, three weeks after the NHL Draft in Vancouver and three months after was named general manager on April 19.

Finley, who played 708 games in the NHL, was a former member of the Jets in the 1995-96 season and posted six points (one goal, five assists) and 81 penalty minutes in 65 games.

The 52-year-old native of Edmonton spent the past seven years in the Wings' amateur scouting department after serving as an assistant coach with the of the from 2007- 2009.

In his 10-year career as a defenseman with the , St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes and Jets, Finley had 83 points (13 goals, 70 assists) with 457 penalty minutes.

Detroit News LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150121 Detroit Red Wings “A lot of stuff like quick feet and having the puck with me, kind of like those tight areas, whether it’s like gapping up; everything has to do with quick feet and edge work,” Kotkansalo said.

Finnish defensemen hoping to work their way up to Red Wings “This summer I feel like I’m strong, obviously a couple years in college, too, that helps. That’s going to be the main focus.”

Posted Jul 25, 6:01 AM The Red Wings have had only three Finnish players in their history – Valtteri Filppula, who they re-signed to a two-year contract on July 1, as By Ansar Khan well as Ville Leino and Teemu Pulkkinen, neither of whom panned out.

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have had defensemen from Sweden, Michigan Live LOADED: 07.26.2019 Russia, the Czech Republic and even Germany through the years, but none from Finland.

That could change this season, with free agent Oliwer Kaski competing for a roster spot in training camp.

In a few years, other Finnish blueliners could follow, including Antti Tuomisto, the Red Wings’ second pick this year (35th overall) and Kasper Kotkansalo, their third selection in 2017 (71st overall).

Both are good-sized defenders – Tuomisto is 6-4, 193, and Kotkansalo is 6-3, 205.

Tuomisto described himself as an “offensive defenseman and great playing with puck and passing the puck up to the forwards.” He likened himself to Esa Lindell of Dallas.

“He’s a big kid, good shot, smart player, moves well for a big guy and plays hard,” Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said. “If he fills out and gets stronger, it will make him more powerful. We like the way he thinks the game, we like his tools, his size.

“Somewhat like (top 2019 pick Moritz) Seider. They’re different players, but big right-shot D that move pretty well, can pass the puck and defend reasonably well.”

Tuomisto will spend another season with Assat’s Under-20 junior team in Finland (he had nine goals and 26 assists in 45 games) and then come to the U.S. to play in a college yet to be determined.

“I think it’s good hockey there. North American hockey,” Tuomisto said. “Also, the education is a big plus on the side, but the hockey is good, and I think that’s the right step for me.”

“I think it’s a good route. And I think it’s the right route for me.”

Hakan Andersson, the Red Wings’ director of European scouting, said of Toumisto: “I think we all liked him. (European scout) Antonin Routa has done great homework on attitude, what kind of kid he is. Very good skater and plays with a natural bite. He’s got some physical game and he also has a very heavy shot.”

In comparing Tuomisto to Seider, Andersson said, “I think Seider has more ability with the puck.”

Kotkansalo, 20, will be starting his third year at Boston University, where he is coming off, by his own admission, a lackluster season (no goals, 11 assists, minus-8 in 38 games).

“Not good. I had a tough season for sure,” Kotkansalo said. “As a team, individually, a very, very tough season. But I’m still very confident going into the next one. I don’t doubt myself or the team at all. I guess that’s just something that happens sometimes.”

Consistency was his main issue.

“The team didn’t do so well (16-18-4); I wish I could have stood up myself around those hard times,” Kotkansalo said. “I think I was pretty inconsistent through the year. I had really good games and then fall off with some bad ones. It’s my third year now so I’ve gained some confidence and I’m in great shape. I feel really good and I think that’s what’s going to lead into next year.

“I really have no excuses. I’ve played about 80 games now in college. I think I can do well in that league.”

He must improve his skating. He was among the players that worked with Daniel Broberg, who specializes in skills development, during last month’s development camp. 1150122 Detroit Red Wings Copp’s contract situation is finally wrapped up as of Wednesday, and, just like the Jets, this team can feel good about landing him for just over $2 million a year. A sound all-around player who drives a lot of his value Bring it, Minnesota: Introducing our All-Michiganders NHL Team defensively, Copp fits nicely with these linemates — although it may not be ideal to have a second line be a shutdown unit. There might be a bit more offense in there for the Ann Arbor product, but this probably isn’t the grouping to coax it out of him. By Max Bultman Center: Luke Glendening, Detroit Red Wings Jul 25, 2019 East Grand Rapids, Mich.

2018-19 stats: 10 goals, 23 points in 78 games There’s been an awful lot of stretching borders this week, as The Athletic has rolled out All-State teams as part of our NHL lineup blitz. Glendening is normally better suited to a bottom-six role, where his high- energy, grinding game plays perfectly. On this team, though, that’s just We’ve seen Washingtonians playing for Team Minnesota. New York and going to be how the second line approaches things. Pencil him in as a New Jersey forming a joint team. That doesn’t fly in Michigan, though. penalty killer, as well. It’s also worth pointing out that we’re five players Below, you’ll find the best collection of Pure Michigan hockey talent that into this roster and Glendening is already the fourth Michigan alum. can be assembled. It runs from coast to coast, from Holland to Port Maybe Red Berenson needs to be on the coaching staff. Huron — but not an inch farther. This team plans to lead the league in Right wing: Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins Michigan per 60, and to do so, it means every last one of these guys needs to be a full-on Michigander (at least as far as eliteprospects.com is Pontiac, Mich. concerned). 2018-19 stats: 18 goals, 35 points in 72 games Listed below, then, are seven Michigan Wolverines, three Michigan State Spartans and two Western Michigan Broncos. Five of them are actually Rust is the fourth-highest scoring forward on this team, which is a little Detroit Red Wings (or were last season). They add up to the best blue troublesome at just 35 points. But while there will definitely be a couple line to take the ice in this state in years, and, while it still probably could defensemen who challenge and/or surpass him in that department, he have probably used another star young center and another scoring wing nonetheless takes on a substantial role. He also bears a substantial load … it’s a pretty dang impressive lineup. as one of three players with Stanley Cup experience on the team. He gets an “A.” So, without further ado, the All-Michigander team: Third line Line 1 Left wing: Austin Watson, Nashville Predators Left wing: Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets Ann Arbor, Mich. Clinton Township, Mich. 2018-19 stats: 7 goals, 16 points in 37 games 2018-19 stats: 34 goals, 66 points in 82 games This team needs Watson to create as much offense as possible, which Connor has become one of the premier young wingers in the league, with means it needs this season’s version of the player more than it does the back-to-back 30-goal campaigns in his first two full seasons. He’s just 22, two previous (even at just 16 points, he was on a career-best pace). But, so he may have one more step forward in him, and playing alongside if he wanted to recapture some of his solid defensive expected goals Larkin and Alex DeBrincat may be the easiest way to coax that out of numbers from 2016-18, that would be more than OK, too. This team can’t him. Connor also probably should have won the 2016 Hobey Baker, a really get too picky with its asks of its forwards. fact the coach of this team would no doubt remind him of in the mornings leading up to any games against Jimmy Vesey and Team Center: Tyler Motte, . Port Huron, Mich.

Center: , Detroit Red Wings 2018-19 stats: 9 goals, 16 points in 74 games

Waterford Township, Mich. There was some serious temptation to reunite Motte with Connor, 2018-19 stats: 32 goals, 73 points in 76 games recreating a line that absolutely terrorized the Big Ten when they were in college. But it just wouldn’t feel right without J.T. Compher, who is Wearing the “C” for this bunch, Larkin’s been in Michigan for the long trapped in Illinois. So, Motte centers the third line instead. He didn’t light haul: from growing up in Waterford, to playing for the U.S. NTDP, to Ann the world on fire in his first full NHL season this year, and this team Arbor for college and then onto stardom with the Red Wings. He’s also in certainly won’t ask him to, but it might need him to play a more offensive the prime of his career, a bona fide top-line center who can play the role on this third line. toughest minutes out there. And on this team, he’s gonna have to. Right wing: Austin Czarnik, Calgary Flames Right wing: Alex DeBrincat, Chicago Blackhawks Washington Township, Mich. Farmington Hills, Mich. 2018-19 stats: 6 goals, 18 points in 54 games 2018-19 stats: 41 goals, 76 points in 82 games If the Czarnik that tore up the AHL for three years in Providence shows One of the top young scorers in the league, DeBrincat rounds out a up to this team, he could really step up here. His 18 points in 54 games positively deadly top line. Potting 41 goals as a 21-year-old is star in Calgary are fine, but the dynamic of this team is likely going to material, and he’s done more than his part to continue proving small necessitate this being a scoring line of some kind. It’s time for the players need not be overlooked. On this team, in fact, he’s squarely in Czarnik who put up three 40-point seasons at Miami (Ohio) to surface. the spotlight as the go-to scorer. In a perfect world, though, he’d probably be down a line to spread out the offensive wealth. This team just can’t Fourth line take that chance with a pretty thin core of centers. It needs peak Left wing: Justin Abdelkader, Detroit Red Wings DeBrincat. Muskegon, Mich. Second line 2018-19 stats: 6 goals, 19 points in 71 games Left wing: Andrew Copp, Winnipeg Jets At 32, time might be catching up to Abdelkader, who isn’t turning in 40- Ann Arbor, Mich. point seasons any more. He maybe should be a line higher, but the 2018-19 stats: 11 goals, 25 points in 69 games computer (we’ll get to that in a minute) said to put him here, so we will. The story for Abdelkader on this team will be mostly the same as it is with the Red Wings — he’s a good penalty killer, and certainly useful to the leadership group, but can’t be depended on to fill the nets. That’s not Danny DeKeyser, Detroit Red Wings ideal at his cap number, but in this role, he still should get the job done fine. Clay Township, Mich.

Center: Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks 2018-19 stats: 5 goals, 20 points in 52 games

Livonia, Mich. DeKeyser had something of a bounce-back year in 2018-19, albeit a year shortened by injuries. He’s 29, and unlike the real Red Wings, this 2018-19 stats: 5 goals, 8 points in 60 games defense corps doesn’t need him to stretch for offense to succeed. It just needs him to handle a tough load in the defensive zone, and, on Let’s imagine a healthy Kesler for this exercise, for starters. He makes occasion, use his strong skating to impact the rush. That’s a role this team as the career points leader among active Michigan-born DeKeyser can handle quite well. NHLers, and while his scoring days are likely behind him … well, let’s just try a thought exercise for a minute. If he comes back with a high-tech Jeff Petry, Montreal Canadiens robotic hip, and gets favorable matchups on the fourth line … it’s worth a shot, right? Ann Arbor, Mich.

Right wing: Luke Witkowski, 2018-19 stats: 13 goals, 46 points in 82 games

Holland, Mich. Petry’s had something of a late-career breakout, topping 40 points in each of his last two seasons after having never hit 30 prior to that. So 2018-19 stats: 0 goals, 2 points in 34 games even though he’s 31, he’s not slowing down yet — he deserves to be higher in the lineup. But playing him here, with a strong defensive partner Another one the computer liked over a few AHL and young NHL like DeKeyser, gives him lots of room to freelance and impact the alternatives (sorry to Cooper Marody and Mackenzie MacEachern, either scoresheet. And hey, maybe this group can add his dad, Tigers great of whom could easily be the 13th forward). Witkowski makes this team to Dan Petry, to its broadcast booth or something. do what he does best: playing a high-energy, physical game. He can play forward or defense, which makes him valuable should injury strike. He’ll Seventh D: Greg Pateryn, Minnesota Wild also be a ready and willing combatant should it come to that — which, in a battle for intra-state supremacy, it might. Also a great locker room guy, Sterling Heights, Mich. and the designated follow on social media. 2018-19 stats: 1 goal, 7 points in 80 games

First pair defense Pateryn won’t be in the lineup night in and night out, but he’s the change- Torey Krug, Boston Bruins of-pace option when the defense needs a more shutdown feel. He could slot in really anywhere to achieve that—next to DeKeyser to create a true Royal Oak, Mich. stopper pair, or next to Petry, Krug or Werenski to give them maximum freedom offensively. The Wild defenseman has a knack for suppressing 2018-19 stats: 6 goals, 53 points in 64 games shots around the net, and while this team needs offense more, it is more The gem of this team, without question, is on the blue line. Whereas the than happy to find a place for Pateryn. center depth ran thin fairly soon, this team has top-four defensemen all Starting goalie: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets over the place. That starts with Krug, who will QB the top power play. Krug gets the other “A” as a venerable playoff vet, giving the old CCHA Commerce, Mich. schools a sweep of the leadership team. 2018-19 stats: .913 SV%, 2.90 GAA in 63 games Jacob Trouba, Winnipeg Jets Goaltending is a real strength for this team. Hellebuyck’s save Rochester, Mich. percentage dipped a bit last season, but he’s still a player who topped .920 or came close to it twice in his first three NHL seasons. This team 2018-19 stats: 8 goals, 50 points in 82 games might need him back in that range to really have a chance against some The Detroit dream of Trouba in a winged wheel probably died when of the top-end teams (hello, ), but even just being above .910 is Trouba signed his long-term deal with the Rangers, but he can still play perfectly respectable anyway. on Team Michigan’s top pair. He’s a good partner for Krug because, Goalie: Jack Campbell, L.A. Kings even if he can’t repeat a banner year offensively, he can handle some of the dirty work in his own end while still contributing to the play up ice. Port Huron, Mich.

Second pair 2018-19 stats: .928 SV%, 2.30 GAA in 31 games

Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets Still just 27 years old, Campbell seems to have found his footing in Los Angeles. His 31 NHL games last year were a career high, and they Grosse Pointe, Mich. brought with them career bests in save percentage and goals against as 2018-19 stats: 11 goals, 44 points in 82 games well. It’s not enough to unseat Hellebuyck and his track record for the lead job, but he’s a very strong second option, and one who could be Werenski just turned 22, and in time he may be the No. 1 defenseman for ready for a bigger load should the circumstances call for it. this team. For now, he mans the second pair and second power play. In real life, the Blue Jackets could probably use a little more stay-at-home In the system: Cooper Marody, Reid Boucher, Mackenzie MacEachern, from Werenski, who is on the ice for a decent share of shots against. Dominik Shine, Alec Regula. This team, however, wants offense, offense, offense. Team Michigan Salary cap situation needs Werenski and Alec Martinez to compensate for a lack of depth in high-impact forwards, letting some responsible wingers and centers So, what’s a team like this going to cost to put together? cover for them a little bit. This team is definitely going to innovate. Actually, not that much. The main expense is on the blue line, where Alec Martinez, Los Angeles Kings there are top-four guys up and down the lineup. That was to be expected. But the forwards are made up of so many role players that they create Rochester Hills, Mich. plenty of room. (DeBrincat’s entry-level contract helps too.)

2018-19 stats: 4 goals, 18 points in 60 games There are a couple notable RFAs, but there’s enough cap space Similar story as Werenski, although Martinez’s production numbers have available to get something shorter-term done with two of this team’s taken a dip since his strong turn in 2016-17. He’s 31, so maybe those young stars. days are just gone, but this team will ask him to try and recapture some In general, though, it would be a fairly efficient cap sheet if not for an of the mojo. And if that’s enough, he at least won’t have to suffer through extremely pricey fourth line. any more California winters. Forwards Third pair Left wing Center Right wing

Kyle Connor (RFA) Dylan Larkin ($6.1 m) Alex DeBrincat ($778,333)

Andrew Copp ($2.28 m) Luke Glendening ($1.8 m) Bryan Rust ($3.5 m)

Austin Watson ($1.1 m) Tyler Motte ($975,000) Austin Czarnik ($1.25 m)

Justin Abdelkader ($4.25 m) Ryan Kesler ($6.875 m) Luke Witkowski ($700,000)

Defensemen

Left defense Right defense

Torey Krug ($5.25 m) Jacob Trouba ($8 m)

Zach Werenski (RFA) Alec Martinez ($4 m)

Danny DeKeyser ($5 m) Jeff Petry ($5.5 m)

Greg Pateryn ($2.25 m)

Goalies

Connor Hellebuyck ($6.17 m)

Jack Campbell ($675,000)

Total cap hit: Approximately $66.453 million (before signing Connor and Werenski)

Cap space: About $15 million

Projected point total

OK, moment of truth.

Using Sean Tierney’s WAR-projecting lineup generator (estimating how many wins above replacement a team can generate for each player, then adding it up to project its standings points), this team actually comes out pretty decent.

Lineup generated by Sean Tierney’s lineup tool, chart by Shayna Goldman

It wouldn’t have much chance of making the postseason in the Eastern Conference, but maybe it could petition for a spot in the Western, where it would have been just two points shy of a berth. As for how it stacks up against the other All-State teams, though … it might be tough sledding. The Minnesota team is pushing 99 points. New York/New Jersey is at 95. So it might be a bit of an uphill climb.

But when was the last time a team won the Stanley Cup without a Michigander on the roster?

Oh, just 13 months ago? Ah, well. More time to enjoy the Tigers!

Shayna Goldman contributed to this story

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150123 this season the team bled a little more than average when he was on the ice (while playing in more important parts of the game):

Växjö allowed 71 even-strength goals in 52 games during 2017-18, Lowetide: Joel Persson is ideally situated to win an opening night roster giving us a team total of 1.36 goals-against per game. In 2018-19, the spot with the Oilers Lakers gave up 90 even-strength goals in 52 games, making it 1.73 goals-against per game. If we examine the team’s defencemen by time on ice (even strength) and goal differential, we see Persson in an By Allan Mitchell interesting light:

Jul 25, 2019 Linus Hoberg: 16:02 per game, +9 goal differential

Joel Persson: 16:00 per game, +7 goal differential

A lot has changed since Joel Persson signed his original contract with Daniel Rahimi: 16:05 per game, +5 goal differential the Oilers but the role he might fill on the NHL roster remains the same a year later. Back in January, when I ranked Persson as the No. 9 prospect Niclas Burstrom: 15:37 per game, 0 goal differential in the Oilers system, he appeared to be on track in terms of power-play Peter Andersson: 11:17 per game, -1 goal differential contributions and the scouting reports suggested he had improved his overall play from 2017-18. As he prepares to attend his first NHL training Arvid Lundberg: 16:20 per game, -3 goal differential camp, and push for NHL employment, how good was his 2018-19 season compared to the previous campaign, the one that won him an The Lakers in 2018-19 deployed four men around 16 minutes per game NHL contract with Edmonton? Is he closer or further away after a year in at even strength and Persson was No. 2 in goal differential in the the SHL? discipline. That reflects the words of Zanier, who discussed a player who took on a larger role and had success. Remember, this is a player who The eye test has made tremendous progress in a short space of time. Quoting Zanier “the last two seasons have been an incredible ride for Joel from Division We’re blessed with great input on Persson from Mike Zanier, former NHL 2 hockey in his hometown to an opportunity to play in the NHL.” That’s an player (and Oilers goaltender). Mike does colour for radio broadcasts of incredible journey and the numbers show Persson has been taking on a SHL games in Sweden, so he has a bird’s eye view of the player’s heavier load and delivering results. progress. From Zanier: Even strength points “This season was very successful, you saw the growth of a young player in both his game and his role. Comparing now to when the Oilers signed One area where we saw a strong surge from Persson is scoring at even Joel, he has become a much more complete all-around defenceman. strength. He played more in this game state and delivered handsome When the Oil signed Joel in 2018 he was known mostly for his offensive offence: skill and ability to run a PP. Though he still has that, he has turned into a solid D who is a gifted offensive D who makes a very good first pass and That’s a terrific uptick, especially considering the Lakers were without has a very good shot. He reads the play well and has very good instincts Pettersson in 2018-19. The most encouraging math comes here, with and anticipation that allows him out of trouble easily. He is stronger and Persson able to impact the game in the most difficult area, with a lesser more confident in his own game. This really showed up after his first stint roster. on the Swedish national team last fall as when he came back to the SHL What does it all mean? he was the best player on the ice most nights. He most likely would have had a good chance to play in the last World Championships if not for an Persson signed an unusual deal with the Oilers last year, one that injury in the SHL playoffs.” delayed his arrival with the team by one year. It was a risky agreement. If Persson stumbled, the interest from the Oilers would have waned and it’s Armed with that kind of intel, it allows us to examine the numbers from a possible the player would have made a brief training camp appearance year ago secure in the knowledge that Persson is growing into the role before heading back to Sweden. he’ll hopefully play in the NHL. But there’s a player here. Persson will come to training camp as one of The power play the legit options for the Oilers’ NHL defence and possibly a key member One of the main reasons Peter Chiarelli signed Persson was his power- of the power play. Persson bet on himself and is on the verge of play ability. However, after the 2017-18 season, there was a sense that measuring his ability against the best hockey players in the world. Persson’s numbers had been zoomed by teenager Elias Pettersson, now There’s always an unknown when it comes to European players coming a member of the Vancouver Canucks. Now, with a season as power-play to North America, Oilers fans have witnessed the entire gamut of quarterback with and without Pettersson, how well did Persson deliver for outcomes from Risto Siltanen to Anton Belov. the Växjö Lakers? Persson’s story is a unique one. He has made gigantic leaps in the past The drop-off without Pettersson is seen in Persson’s numbers, despite and is about to try another one. His next chapter may occur in the NHL in the fact his point total led the Lakers in 2018-19. However, Persson’s Edmonton. impact on each power play was impressive. In 2017-18, Persson had a point on 24 of 42 goals (57 percent), and in 2018-19 he delivered 14 points on 26 team goals (54 percent). Pettersson zoomed the 2017-18 The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 number, but Persson was able to deliver at the same level (although with a less talented group of teammates) in 2018-19.

What does that mean for Persson and the Oilers? He’s right-handed and has been successful two seasons running a professional power play. Entering training camp, it’s reasonable to suggest Persson will get enormous time at 5-on-4 during preseason games. If the Oilers are going to make special teams a strength, a formidable quarterback from the right side is required. Evan Bouchard is unlikely to be ready for the NHL this fall, so Persson would appear to be the primary candidate.

Even strength goal differential

There are two key areas in the evaluation of defencemen when it comes to even-strength minutes. The first statistic is time on ice, as coaches tend to play their best players a lot. Second is on-ice goal differential, a measure of goals scored and given up while the player is on the ice. In 2017-18, Persson was about team average in goals against per 60, and 1150124 Edmonton Oilers Edmonton trades D Jeff Petry to Montreal for a 2015 second-round draft pick and a conditional fifth-round pick (March 2, 2015)

As with the Dubynk trade, it’s hard to blame the Oilers too much for What the 2019-20 Oilers might look like without trade missteps trading Petry when they did. They were 29th in the standings as the trade deadline loomed and the 27-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent. By Daniel Nugent-Bowman The trade itself by Craig MacTavish wasn’t bad, either. New GM Peter Jul 25, 2019 Chiarelli packaged the second-round pick to acquire goaltender Cam Talbot, who led the Oilers to their only playoff appearance in recent

memory in 2017. The fifth-rounder was upgraded to a fourth when Although James Neal should be an upgrade for the Oilers over Milan Montreal made the second round of the playoffs and the Oilers selected Lucic based on his contract structure, track record and his greater defenceman Caleb Jones, a strong candidate to make the 2019-20 team. potential as a top-six winger, the deal was made to correct a past wrong. However, Petry has blossomed into an excellent two-way defender for Lucic was, of course, signed in July 2016 to replace Taylor Hall, who was the Canadiens, chipping in 40-plus points with great possession metrics. flipped in an infamous one-for-one swap for defensive defenceman Adam He’s the type of defenceman who’s been sorely missing on the right side Larsson. If Hall – the 2018 Hart Trophy winner – isn’t dealt, Lucic isn’t of one of Edmonton’s top two pairs. signed and Neal isn’t an Oiler right now. If the future versions of Dubynk and Petry actualized in Edmonton, they That got us thinking: how different would the Oilers roster be if some would have been upgrades over Talbot or Koskinen and Jones. other questionable transactions weren’t made? Edmonton trades 2015 first- and second-round picks to the Islanders for Naturally, the team would look pretty darn good – much closer to Stanley D Griffin Reinhart (June 26, 2015) Cup contention than the current version, which merely aspires to be in This deal drives Oilers fans batty. Reinhart, the fourth-overall pick in the playoff hunt in a weak Pacific Division. 2012, spent his first pro season mostly with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate The point of this exercise is to reverse as many past misdeeds on the and the Oilers mortgaged picks No. 15 and 33 in 2015 for him. trade front as possible and recreate a roster that’s still cap compliant. As Oilers exec Bob Green, Reinhart’s former junior GM, lauded the trade for a result, not every move can be put back into the bottle. the player’s leadership capabilities. But Reinhart played a grand total of For instance, speedy winger Andrew Cogliano is still a serviceable depth 30 games for the Oilers over the next two seasons before Vegas NHLer and could fit on the current Oilers. He was dealt to Anaheim in selected him in the expansion draft. July 2011 for a second-round pick, which turned into career minor- With the first-round pick they received, the Islanders chose future Calder leaguer Marc-Olivier Roy. But Cogliano is too expensive for this team Trophy winner Mathew Barzal. (Their second-rounder was sent to the with a $3.25-million cap hit. Lightning, who selected Mitchell Stephens.) Although the Oilers Cost will come into play at the bottom of the lineup as well. Defenceman reportedly had eyes for eventual-Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek, either Kris Russell and Matt Benning are too pricey. For the sake of this piece, player would have been a big upgrade over Reinhart. Just for fun, it’s the former isn’t signed to his first contract in October 2016 and the latter worth noting the next two players chosen after Stephens were Travis ends up being jettisoned for a draft pick or two. Dermott (Toronto) and Sebastian Aho (Carolina).

With the lineup tweaked, Markus Granlund probably doesn’t need to be Edmonton trades D Justin Schultz to Pittsburgh for a 2016 third-round signed nor does Kyle Brodziak, who might be demoted to the AHL for pick (Feb. 27, 2016) cap savings on the real edition of the 2019-20 Oilers. It’s likely only one This is another example where it was probably time for a player to leave of Joakim Nygard and Josh Archibald would be signed this offseason. Edmonton. Schultz was in the midst of his worst season and fans were Their one-year salaries are nearly identical. We’ll take Archibald only souring on him. A new city to call home was the best-case scenario for because this version of the Oilers needs more help on right wing. the defenceman. Buried money includes the buyouts of Benoit Pouliot and Andrej Sekera Boy, could the Oilers have used – and continue to use – his puck-moving because they were signed before or in early stages of most mistakes and offensive abilities, though. In his first full season in Pittsburgh, made on the trade front. Eric Gryba’s buyout isn’t included because it Schultz had 51 points during the regular season and 13 more in the would have made more sense to bury his contract in the AHL last season playoffs as he won his second consecutive Stanley Cup. and end payments by now in the first place. The player the Oilers drafted, defenceman Filip Berglund, must be signed A few final caveats. These weren’t the only bad trades made in recent by next June or the club loses his rights. years, but they’re the ones that directly affect the current roster. There were a few trades made where the player was best served by a change If Schultz being dealt was a necessity, his replacement that summer may of scenery. The problem was the GM at the time didn’t get enough for have been Jason Demers. Demers was a player the Oilers were courting him and the organization was greatly hurt by losing a key asset for before the 2016 free agency period opened but he ultimately signed with pennies on the dollar and/or watching him flourish elsewhere. Also, some Florida after what transpired next. of these players have been re-signed by their current teams after being dealt. Their current salaries are used for this projection. Edmonton trades LW Taylor Hall to New Jersey for D Adam Larsson (June 29, 2016) The bad trades Larsson has been a fine, and at times very good, defenceman for the Edmonton trades G Devan Dubnyk to Nashville for Matt Hendricks (Jan. Oilers. However, he’s no league MVP and he never will be. Hall, a 15, 2014) lightning-quick offensive winger, is exactly what the Oilers are missing from their lineup. He’d be perfect on either of the first two lines. Huge disclaimer: the Devan Dubnyk the Oilers traded was nowhere near the goalie he would become. He was a mess through 32 games that As a bonus, not trading him would have prevented the Oilers from season. By the spring, then with Montreal’s AHL team, he wasn’t even signing Lucic (who’s now the 32-year-old Neal). called up during the Canadiens’ playoff run when Carey Price was injured. Edmonton trades RW to the Islanders for C Ryan Strome (June 22, 2017) A year later, Dubnyk was third in Vezina voting and fourth for the Hart. He’s been an excellent to good goaltender ever since. Although he’s two Moving out Eberle on the surface wasn’t the issue here and may have years older than the Oilers incumbent goaltender Mikko Koskinen, he even been justified. He disappeared in the 2017 playoffs with just two makes less money. assists in 13 games, a poor showing for any offensive player let alone one making $6 million. Although a useful bottom-six forward, penalty killer and beloved glue guy, Hendricks doesn’t stack up to a No. 1 goalie. It’s a shame the Oilers The mistake was the return in the trade. The rationale of getting a third- couldn’t resurrect Dubnyk’s career. line centre with some offensive upside in Strome was sound, but he wasn’t enough. The deal was meant to save the Oilers money – $3.5 million in cap space for the 2017-18 season – but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have pried a draft pick or prospect out of the Isles.

To make matters worse, Chiarelli downgraded again by trading Strome to the Rangers for Ryan Spooner last season. At least his interim replacement Keith Gretzky scored a minor win by later flipping Spooner for Sam Gagner 2.0.

Edmonton trades LW Drake Caggiula and D Jason Garrison to the Blackhawks for D Brandon Manning and D Robin Norell (Dec. 30, 2018)

Forget about Garrison and Norell in this deal. Oddly enough, they finished last season together with Djurgårdens of the SHL and are now both free agents. This trade is essentially Caggiula for Manning – a swap that made no sense then and makes no sense now.

Caggiula’s seven goals for the Oilers last season were good for seventh in that department by the time April rolled around. And he played just 29 games before the trade.

Manning couldn’t find a regular spot in Chicago’s lineup and struggled to earn ice time with the Oilers even with injuries to their blueline. By the time they returned to full health, he was banished to the minors. That’s where he’ll probably be this year, too, which isn’t exactly where you want a $2.25-million defenceman.

The here and now

If this roster existed in the present day, the team would likely be a lock to make the playoffs in the poor Pacific. But the Cup-contending window would be closing rapidly.

Although Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle and Oscar Klefbom are under control on team-friendly deals until at least 2023, the rest of the core pieces need new contracts soon.

Hall and Schultz are both unrestricted free agents in June and the former is bound to get at least a 50 percent raise. Eriksson Ek is a restricted free agent now and wouldn’t command a big pay bump, but the same can’t be said for Barzal when he’s up in a year. Darnell Nurse also needs a new hefty contract as an arbitration-eligible RFA next summer, something GM will have to worry about for real.

Dubnyk, Petry and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are UFA eligible in 2021.

It’s also worth noting Barzal, Evan Bouchard, William Lagesson and Mike Smith also have performance bonus clauses in their 2019-20 contracts. Those bonuses could result in overages for the following season’s cap.

So, the 2019-20 season could have the last kick before retooling. However, almost the entire core would have been in place for at least four seasons prior. Only Eriksson Ek or Barzal, a few depth forwards, the bottom pair on defence and the backup goalie were not locked into place.

It’s impossible to know what kind of playoff success that roster would have had in years past or would have this season. Surely, though, the results would have been better than the alternative.

Because instead of trying to win a Cup this season, the Oilers are merely still trying to work their way up.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150125 Los Angeles Kings guy whose leadership, two-way nature and effort is important on a winning team.

*Of note, Gabe Vilardi, the Kings’ first-round pick (No. 11) in the 2017 Can the Kings contend at the end of their rebuild? What will their roster draft isn’t listed in this exercise. Again, he wasn’t included in our look like in 2022-23? projected opening-night roster (made in early July) because of continued uncertainty about his future. One option would have been to do one roster with and another without him, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense By Lisa Dillman right now.

Jul 25, 2019 Left Wing

ADRIAN KEMPE

Call it a sign, an early troubling sign for the Los Angeles Kings last fall in ALEX IAFALLO Las Vegas. NIKOLAI PROKHORKIN Their rookies were outscored by a combined 19-7 in three losses in a September rookie tournament at City National Arena, capped by a 7-2 CARL GRUNDSTROM drubbing at the hands of the Golden Knights. Two of the players listed here, Kempe and Prokhorkin, are projected as The takeaway: The Kings’ future looked grim. But one excellent draft has second- and third-line centers, respectively, for the opening lineup this a way of improving the narrative and Corey Pronman, The Athletic’s season. Those experiments might turn out to be the right moves this prospects guru, gave the Kings an A for their 2019 draft in Vancouver, up season and even next season. But the arrival of Turcotte and Thomas from a B in 2018. and the leadership and grit of Anderson-Dolan could allow the Kings to bolster the left side. Iafallo already has exceeded expectations at every Help could be on the way, and for that matter, looking into the future and turn and Grundstrom will be well into his prime three years down the trying to predict what the Kings’ roster might look like in 2022-23 is a fun, road. useful exercise. Right Wing First off, why three years? RASMUS KUPARI Not all NHL teams missing the playoffs this past season are at similar stages of the rebuild. AUSTIN WAGNER

The Athletic colleague Arpon Basu examined what the Montreal SAMUEL FAGEMO Canadiens might look like after the summer of 2021. In Detroit, Max MICHAEL AMADIO Bultman projected what the Red Wings’ roster might look like in three years. There will have to be a couple upgrades here via free agency or trades to strengthen this part of the lineup. Kupari could be starting his fourth NHL With the Kings, it makes more sense to take a longer look into the future, season by 2022-23 but it is more likely his Kings’ debut won’t come until a la Detroit. Many of their anchor contracts (like Dustin Brown’s) will have 2020-21. expired by 2022-23. Not all are gone … but, hey, we’re not magicians around here. The real wild card here is Fagemo, a second-round choice in June, an overage draft pick. The Kings thought enough of his abilities to trade up They will still have one year left on the buyout. Although to get him in the second round and he has one year remaining on his the cap recapture penalty from the Mike Richards contract vanishes after contract with Frolunda in the . 2019-20, they still will be paying a portion of Richards’ terminated contract through 2025-26. Left Defense

Think about it: They will owe money on the contact after two more U.S. TOBIAS BJORNFOT presidential elections. KALE CLAGUE Similar to our friends in Montreal, this projection comes with two disclaimers: ignoring the possibilities of free agency and options in the MIKEY ANDERSON trade market. Clague, who spent this past season with AHL Ontario, was scheduled to Fans are hoping that doesn’t happen in the real world. make his NHL debut with the Kings this past season, but a broken foot curtailed those plans for the skilled puck-mover. Could Bjornfot crack the So, here is our projected roster, of how the rebuilt (contending?) Los Kings lineup this coming season? An eye-opening training camp could Angeles Kings might look like on opening night in October 2022. fast-track his development. Mikey Anderson could be a next-generation Matt Greene, in terms of leadership and the heart-and-soul presence. Center Right Defense ANZE KOPITAR DREW DOUGHTY ALEX TURCOTTE SEAN WALKER AKIL THOMAS SEAN DURZI JARET ANDERSON-DOLAN Hard to believe that Doughty will be entering the grizzled veteran stage of Amazing how the sun shines just a little bit brighter with the addition of his career – 32 at the start of the 2022-23 season, five years older than one high-end center. Turcotte has the potential to give the Kings their Walker. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Doughty arrived on the scene best one-two punch at the position since the days when they were as a teenager and went on to become arguably the most impactful winning Cups. In three years, after a season at Wisconsin and two in the defenseman in franchise history. pros — or two seasons in college and one in the pros — Turcotte will be nicely positioned for a leading role. In three years, Walker would be preparing for his fourth NHL season, a mid-career player helping lead the younger generation. Durzi, who was The added bonus of having the likes of Turcotte and Thomas, who is part of the Jake Muzzin trade with the Maple Leafs in July, is projected as projected as a second or third-line center, is that it then offers the Kings a third-pair D man, in Pronman’s opinion. additional roster flexibility, including the option of putting Adrian Kempe and Rasmus Kupari on the wing. Goaltender

Though Anderson-Dolan may be listed as a fourth-line center, think of CAL PETERSEN him more as a Jarret Stoll type than your typical bottom-six forward. A JACK CAMPBELL Petersen’s status in the organization was telegraphed when the Kings announced his three-year contract extension earlier this month. The telling detail is that he will be paid one-way money in the second and third years of the contract. He will be in the first year of either a bridge deal in 2022-23 or in the first year of long-term agreement, cementing a place as their franchise goalie. Campbell’s work ethic and team-first attitude should serve him well as a valued No. 2 at this stage of his career.

Conclusion

Three years is practically an eternity in professional sports. For proof, there were eight skaters in the Kings’ opening-night lineup in 2015 who were gone by the season opener in 2018. (Note: This does not include Brown, who missed the opening 10 games of last season because of a broken finger but went on to play the final 72 games.)

This rapid churn rate is probably not going to change with the Kings still very much in a transitional stage. While the three-year roster projection may seem like it features a lot of new faces and the absence of many familiar ones, that’s the stark reality of what they will go through in a rebuild.

Some breakthroughs will be unexpected. Others are hard to predict. But the pieces are in the pipeline, which is at least a start. If the Kings are going to be contenders, some of the prospects will have to realize their potential in three years.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150126 Los Angeles Kings

MATT MOULSON HEADS BACK EAST, SIGNS AHL DEAL WITH HERSHEY

ZACH DOOLEY

JULY 25, 20190

Happy Trails, Matt Moulson – The veteran winger signed a one-year, AHL contract with the yesterday afternoon, ending his tenure with the .

Moulson was one of the most successful players in Reign franchise history, with his 28 goals and 62 points setting single-season franchise records during the 2018-19 season. Across his season plus with Ontario, Moulson amassed 108 points (46-62-108) from 117 games played, good for a tie for third with Jonny Brodzinski in all-time franchise scoring. Dating back to time spent with Manchester, however, Moulson is the all- time leading AHL scorer between the two franchises combined. The veteran winger also tallied 160 points (74-86-160) from 188 games played with the AHL-Monarchs, ranking eighth all-time in Manchester history and good for a whopping 268 points in 305 AHL games in the Los Angeles organization. Not a bad track record!

Moulson combined with Mike Amadio and Matt Luff to form one of the AHL’s most formidable trios. Though the group was only together at sporadic points during last season, the combination brought out the best in all three players and provided the Reign with a legitimate scoring threat every time out. When the three were all in the lineup together, the Reign’s winning percentage jumped by nearly 90 percentage points.

“They’re two great players,” Moulson said of playing on that trio during the season. “I played most of the year with Mads last year and he’s one of the smartest players I’ve seen play the game of hockey, so it’s pretty easy to play with him. Luffer, he just keeps stepping up his game and improving from where he was last year. I thought our line even played better last night than we did tonight, but it was a lot of fun to play with those two.”

The veteran of 650 NHL games was more than just a scoring presence, however. Moulson wore an “A” this past season on the Reign and was a positive influence on the Reign’s younger players throughout the season. Moulson took in Luff as a tenant, a relationship that both spoke positively of throughout the season. Moulson would also frequently have younger teammates over to his house to spend time with his family and make them feel more comfortable as pros. Many of the younger Reign players spoke positively about Moulson’s impact in the locker room.

Reign Head Coach Mike Stothers made it clear following the season that he would love to have had Moulson back for another season in Ontario, though it wasn’t in the cards.

“I’ve made it known that I want Mouly to come back, hopefully we don’t have any more announcements of some of my favorite players retiring, because that’s hard on the emotions,” Stothers said in April. “I hope Mouly comes back and I certainly want him back, I’ve made it known to the Kings organization that I think he’s a great vet and if you’re trying to develop some young players, you need quality guys like him around. I think he wants to, so hopefully him and Sutts will be [back], I hope.”

The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman reported, however, that Moulson’s preference was to return east, which he does with Hershey. Moulson could re-unite with former Reign teammate Philippe Maillet, who signed an entry-level contract with Hershey’s NHL affiliate, the Washington Capitals.

With the Bears, Moulson will have a chance to reach the 1,000 game mark as a pro. The North York, ONT native has appeared in 955 regular- season games between the NHL and AHL and you root for a player like Moulson – who was great to work with this past season – to reach that mark. Moulson played in his 900th professional game in November against Grand Rapids.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150127 Minnesota Wild Star Tribune LOADED: 07.26.2019

Da Beauty League: Summer fun, games and a chance to make a name

By Randy Johnson

JULY 25, 2019 — 7:39AM

On a blue-perfect midsummer early evening, one by one they filed into a hockey arena. Sure, the sunny skies and 83-edgree temperatures might have screamed, “Why the heck are you going indoors?’’ but into Edina’s Braemar Arena they streamed.

The reason: This is Minnesota, and the sport is hockey. Specifically, it was Da Beauty League, a gathering of NHL, minor league and college players who train for much of the summer in Minnesota. The league -- which began July 10, plays next on July 31 and runs Mondays and Wednesdays through Aug. 21 -- features four-on-four play, no body checking and two 23-minute running-time periods. And, oh, all penalties result in a live penalty shot, with action continuing immediately if the goalie makes the save. Admission for three games beginning at 5:30 p.m. each session is $10, and proceeds go to charity.

Think of the intensity as NHL All-Star Game-like, though it does ramp up as the six teams vie for the John Scott Cup in August.

It’s an interesting mix of stars, grinders, journeymen and prospects honing their skills and conditioning. Wednesday’s action included 37 NHL players, with the first matchup featuring marquee, high-dollar players in Team Tradition’s Zach Parise ($7.54 million per year) of the Wild facing Team Walser’s Ryan McDonagh ($6.75 million) of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

One of Parise’s Tradition teammates Wednesday was incoming Gophers goalie Jared Moe, who acquitted himself nicely in a 6-5 overtime loss to Team Walser. Moe, a former Holy Family standout from New Prague who spent the past two seasons with Waterloo of the USHL, showed agility, athleticism and a calm net presence. His first-period highlights included a save on a penalty shot, and in the second period he reached back to stop puck that trickled past him just before it would have crossed the goal line.

The evening, however, wasn’t all good for Moe, who suffered a cut on his left thumb when Walser’s Jonny Brodzinski sliced the Tradition lead to 3- 2 on a 2-on-0 goal. After a brief delay to get the wound bandaged, Moe returned to the net. After the game, he needed a couple of stitches.

In the three-on-three OT, Moe made a spectacular sprawling save that had the crowd of roughly 1,000 gasping. But a couple of minutes later, former Gopher Steve Johnson beat Moe for the winner.

“I thought it was good. I would’ve liked to get the win, but that’s not how this league works,’’ Moe said, describing his play amid the racehorse hockey that features plenty of 2-on-1s and 2-on-nones. “That three-on- three [OT] is so tough.’’

Moe might be the front-runner for the Gophers’ starting job this fall. He’ll compete with fellow freshman Justen Close and Michigan transfer Jack LaFontaine. Facing such offensive talent in Da Beauty League should help, Moe said.

“It gives you a chance to show what you’ve got,’’ he said. “I like trying to make some athletic saves, especially in summertime when you can try some different stuff.’’

It’s the fall and winter in Dinkytown, however, that’s on Moe’s mind.

“I’m super excited. I think we’re going to have a good team,’’ he said. “Obviously, I’m going to do whatever I can to help the team do better and hopefully win a national championship.’’

Moe wasn’t the only Gopher turning heads. Sophomore Sammy Walker of Edina had a hat trick for Team BIC in a 7-6 overtime loss to Team Jack Link.

“It’s awesome playing against all these pros,’’ said Walker, who has five goals in two games in the league. “They’re guys you grew up watching, and now you’re playing with them.’’

1150128 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens listed at 33-1 odds to win Stanley Cup

STU COWAN,

Updated: July 25, 2019

The Canadiens haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993 and the odds of them winning the 25th in franchise history next season aren’t very good.

The sportsbook SportsBetting.ag released its Stanley Cup odds this week and the Canadiens were listed at 33-1. The Canadiens have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and three times in the last four years.

SportsBetting.ag also listed its over/under odds this week for points totals for NHL teams during the 2019-20 season and the Canadiens were at 88.5. Last season, the Canadiens posted a 44-30-8 record for 96 points — a 25-point improvement over the previous year — but still came up two points short of the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Only twice in franchise history have the Canadiens missed the playoffs three straight years — the last time in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01. GM Réjean Houle and coach Alain Vigneault were both fired 20 games into the 2000-01 season after a 5-13-2 start, replaced by André Savard and , respectively. The only other time the Canadiens missed the playoffs three years in a row was 1919-20, 1920-21 and 1921-22. The NHL was five years old in 1921-22 with only four teams — the Ottawa Senators, Toronto St. Patricks, Canadiens and Hamilton Tigers — playing a 24-game regular season with the top two then playing for the O’Brien Cup. The St. Patricks beat the Senators 5-4 in the two- game, total-goals final. NHL teams started competing for the Stanley Cup in 1926.

SportsBetting.ag has the Tampa Bay Lightning listed as the favourites to win the Stanley Cup next season at 7-1 odds, followed by the Boston Bruins (12-1), Vegas Golden Knights (12-1), (12-1) and Colorado Avalanche (14-1). The biggest long shot to win the Cup is the Ottawa Senators at 150-1 odds.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150129 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens fans returning to Montreal for annual HI/O weekend summit

STU COWAN,

Updated: July 25, 2019

The annual HI/O We Are Fans Weekend Summit will be held in November this year when the New Jersey Devils visit the for a game against the Canadiens on Saturday, Nov. 16.

It will be former Canadien P.K. Subban’s first game in Montreal as a member of the New Jersey Devils. The Nashville Predators, who acquired Subban from the Canadiens in exchange for Shea Weber on June 29, 2016, traded the 30-year-old defenceman to the Devils at last month’s NHL Draft in exchange for defencemen Jeremy Davies, Steven Santini, a second-round pick in 2019 (right-winger Bobby Brink) and a second-round pick in 2020.

The annual HI/O Summit is organized by Ian Cobb, a 75-year-old retired businessman and lifelong Canadiens fan who grew up in Montreal and now lives in Belleville, Ont. The first HI/O Summit was held in 2007, bringing together a small group of passionate Canadiens fans who follow the team on the Montreal Gazette’s hockeyinsideout.com website for a weekend in Montreal and a game at the Bell Centre. It has grown bigger over the years, bringing together Canadiens fans from across North America and beyond.

This year’s event will kick off on Friday, Nov. 15, with a meet-and-greet at Hurley’s Irish Pub on Crescent St., where fans can watch the Canadiens play the Capitals in Washington. The next day there will be a charity raffle for the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation and a pre-game meal at La Cage restaurant at the Bell Centre and the possibility of a guided tour of the Bell Centre, followed by the game against the Devils.

“There were a lot of highlights over those years (with Montreal and Nashville),” Subban said this week on the Devils’ website. “And I’m very proud of that, but coming to New Jersey, it’s a different situation that I believe, can contend for a Stanley Cup in a very short future. My job is to just come in and be a part of this team and be a part of the growth process with all these players and young talent. I’m really, really excited about that.”

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150130 Montreal Canadiens At No. 39, they choose the player Chicago ended up picking: 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat. With the 45th choice, the Hawks selected USHL defenceman and Boston University commit Chad Krys.

Revisionist history: What the Canadiens would look like if we reversed But if the Canadiens had been at the podium, there’s a strong likelihood Marc Bergevin’s biggest decisions they would have taken defenceman Samuel Girard of the Shawinigan Cataractes, who was taken two picks later at No. 47 by the Nashville Predators. By Sean Gordon Given they picked Victor Mete, another small, swift-skating defenceman, Jul 25, 2019 later in the draft, it’s a reasonable assumption they weren’t concerned about size. Also, there were contemporaneous rumours and later reports

the Montreal scouting staff loved the kid. Trevor Timmins did a very poor Entire literary genres have been built on the “what if” conceit; life is highly job of hiding his disappointment that he wasn’t able to grab Girard that contingent and it’s fun to imagine where the road not taken might have day. led. Eller’s contract expired after the 2017-18 season, but given he re-upped Winston Churchill famously did it in 1931, sketching out a world where with Washington for five years and the same $3.5 million AAV rather than the Confederacy had prevailed in the U.S. Civil War for an anthology that explore the UFA market – and that Montreal was happy to consent featured several eminent historians (Churchill theorized it would have slightly more cap space to Shaw for six years – we will assume he headed off the First World War). Alternate history, or what the British decided to re-sign with the Canadiens. writer D.J. Taylor more recently termed the “historical subjunctive,” really June 29, 2016 entered into vogue in the mid-20th century, even if the modern fondness for it probably dates back a couple of hundred years to European This day will forever be remembered for the craziest 23 minutes in recent debates on philosophy and military strategy. hockey history. The frenzy began with these memorable words, which can still be found on t-shirts in the Greater Newark area: It’s controversial academically, which doesn’t mean the approach can’t be applied to lighter pursuits. Seventeen minutes later, Sportsnet’s broke the news that Montreal had shipped P.K. Subban to Nashville for Shea Weber. Like hockey. Almost immediately after that, Steven Stamkos re-signed with Tampa on I started thinking about this when the Canadiens traded Andrew Shaw team-friendly terms. back from whence he came for essentially the same package of assets; it’s almost like it never happened. It most certainly did, of course, but The Subban for Weber move was a bit of a talker. There’s no point in re- what if it hadn’t? hashing the merits of a trade that has been written about to death, this is strictly an exercise considering what the team would have looked like had Montreal’s front office began overhauling the club’s core in the spring of the move not been made. 2016, but how would the roster look if Marc Bergevin had taken the opposite decision on his key trades and signings? If he’d taken door Subban had six years left on an eight-year, $72 million contract with an number two instead of door number one? infamous no movement clause kicking in two days after he was ultimately, in this reality, not traded. So he sticks around for a while. What follows is entirely speculative and will surely provoke hilarity, scorn and/or rage, but what the hell, it’s the middle of summer so let’s June 15, 2017 daydream a little. Here is your All-Counterfactual Canadiens roster.Some quick background is in order. When the summer of 2016 rolled around After finishing atop the division and faltering against the New York the Canadiens had missed the playoffs in Max Pacioretty’s first season Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, Bergevin decides his team as captain, falling off a cliff after a hot start mostly because Carey Price needs more offence. So he swings a deal with Tampa to acquire was limited to 12 games. impending RFA for Sergachev and immediately signs him to a six-year, $33 million contract. Cultural change was in order, and Bergevin set about making it. The endeavour would take longer than he likely would have predicted. Here Yeah, no. Didn’t happen in our alternate universe. are the pivotal points in the process. At this point, Bergevin was also on the verge of another major decision, June 24, 2016 which he announced on . . .

The 2016 NHL draft was held in Buffalo, and Bergevin was a busy man in July 2, 2017 the hours before Auston Matthews was announced as the top pick. That would be the eight-year, $84 million contract extension for Carey First, he traded to the Washington Capitals for two second- Price. But what if, in the considered judgment of the club, which was well round picks (one in 2017, the other in 2018). aware of their franchise goalie’s contract ask, they had decided to embark on a mini rebuild and – deep breath here – move on from Price? We can start there. Okay, let’s take a minute to let that possibility sink in. Eller, who was then 27, was signed for two more years at $3.5 million and was coming off a season with 13 goals and 26 points; he was a 30- The Price deal has its detractors in the hockey world; to them the idea of point, two-way, third-line centre and a very good one. making a goalie the club’s best-paid player constitutes sub-optimal roster construction. For the sake of argument, we assume that to be the If Bergevin had kept him, the Canadiens would not have had the extra prevailing view in the Bell Centre executive suite after the playoff draft picks that netted them Joni Ikonen, Jordan Harris and Samuel disappointment, one where Price played extremely well but the Houde (the 2018 second-round pick was traded at the draft for a third Canadiens’ inability to score was once again the culprit. and a fifth-round pick). Thus, the club quietly begins establishing the market for the best goalie The Eller move was just the taster. Bergevin made a simultaneous deal in the world ahead of the 2017 draft. with Chicago to acquire Shaw for the 39th and 45th picks in the 2016 draft. A short time later it was announced the two-time Stanley Cup Trades involving goalies, even elite ones, have tended to fetch winner, who was an arbitration-eligible RFA, had signed a six-year underwhelming returns. This is not exactly news. contract paying him $3.9 million a season. True, the Canucks turned Cory Schneider into Bo Horvat at the 2013 In the revisionist history of that day, the Canadiens keep Eller and the draft, but Schneider had two years left on his deal and was 26. The picks they used to acquire Shaw. return for one year of Price at age 30 (he turned 30 on Aug. 16, 2017), even if he was coming off a second Vezina nomination in three years, With the ninth overall choice, Montreal grabs defenceman Mikhail would be lower. Sergachev. At the 2017 trade deadline, All-Star netminder Ben Bishop was traded from Tampa to Los Angeles for a package that included a B+ prospect (Erik Cernak, who has become a second-pairing defender), a middling There would even have been enough money left after the Lucic contract backup goalie (Peter Budaj), a conditional second-rounder and a to sign a goalie. Why not Bishop? Or a short-term deal with Elliott and seventh-rounder. then a trade one or two seasons later for a number one. Robin Lehner, say. They could even have brought back Jaroslav Halak for nostalgia’s One mitigating factor in real-life Bergevin’s favour: the 2017 free agent sake. goalie market dropped off steeply after Bishop (ie., Brian Elliott, Ryan Miller, Jonathan Bernier). The significant butterfly effect from trading instead of signing Price: Hintz, Frost, Comtois, Markov, Radulov, Lucic and Bishop. Prior to signing his extension, which came with a full no-move clause, Price had a list of 15 teams to which he would not accept a trade. Some Would the Canadiens have made the playoffs in 2017-18? Maybe, given assumptions are required here. Price is a Westerner, so is his wife, and Price only played 49 games in real life due to injury. But the Stars missed the up-and-coming teams hunting for number one goalies that summer the playoffs too, even though Bishop’s numbers were appreciably better were primarily in the Western Conference. than Price’s. It’s impossible to be categorical about any of the probabilities resulting from all these moves. There is a non-zero chance There was Calgary, which swung a pre-draft deal for Mike Smith. There the Canadiens would nevertheless have finished in the lottery with the was Colorado, where Semyon Varlamov had an injury-riddled year and third overall pick. looked sub-par on the occasions he did play. Most of all there was Dallas, which ended up acquiring Bishop’s negotiating rights from L.A. for But it’s more likely they would have contended for a postseason berth. a fourth-round pick it obtained from, er, Montreal and quickly signed the Had Bishop, who played 53 games for Dallas, posted his .916 save big man to a six-year extension before he could hit the UFA market. percentage that season for Montreal in the 49 games where Price put up a .900 save percentage, the Canadiens would have given up 22 fewer The Stars held two first round picks in the 2017 draft – they grabbed their goals. That equates roughly to seven points in the standings, which franchise defenceman, Miro Heiskanen, with the third pick overall – and would have resulted in a 23rd place finish overall rather than 28th. Given they were clearly loading up, pursuing players like free agent winger the 19 percent odds of winning a top-three pick in the lottery from that Alexander Radulov. slot as opposed to the 28.8 percent odds in the 28th overall slot, we’re Dallas had assets to trade, a clear need, an ambitious plan to fill it and an going to assume that means no top-three pick for Montreal in 2018. And aggressive GM. Also, the Lone Star State is a Price kind of place. before anyone starts, yes Carolina finished 21st and won the chance to draft Andrei Svechnikov second overall with even slimmer odds, but that Would the Stars have traded the third overall pick for a season’s worth of doesn’t mean Montreal would have improved its draft position. Six teams Price? No, of course not. But they surely would have parted with the 26th slid back a spot from the final standings that year, Ottawa and Arizona choice and Bergevin could have also reasonably demanded the 39th pick each fell by two. and a prospect. Say, a still-obscure 2015 second-rounder named Roope Hintz. So let’s make that the trade, Price to the Stars for the No. 26 and June 15, 2018 39 picks in the 2017 draft and Hintz. After a dispiriting season where the Canadiens flopped again, Bergevin With the 26th pick, the Canadiens could have followed up taking Ryan famously blamed the team’s attitude and decided to proceed to phase Poehling at No. 25 by scooping up OHL star Morgan Frost (the 27th pick two of the Great Roster Amputation. who was high on their draft board that year) or sharp-shooter Eeli The first shoe dropped in a late Friday night trade announcement – Tolvanen (No. 30) or defenceman Connor Timmins (No. 32). With the taking out the trash, as it were. 39th pick, they might have taken WHL scorers Aleksi Heponiemi (No. 40), Jaret Anderson-Dolan (No. 41) or homegrown power forward Alex Galchenyuk was out, Max Domi was in. Maxime Comtois (No. 50). Rewind that tape. Galchenyuk stays, despite the team having wearied of The point of moving on from Price would have been to maintain cap his inability to establish himself as an NHL centre (and persistent flexibility and stock up on futures. rumours about his active off-ice lifestyle). That means Domi’s breakout 2018-19 season never happens, at least not in Montreal. But in the summer of 2017, Bergevin was in a spendthrift state of mind. June 22, 2018 He offered to match the offer Radulov ultimately accepted from Dallas (five years, $6.25 million), but did so too late in the game. A Canadiens With the ninth overall selection of the 2018 draft in Price’s new NHL source told me two years ago Radulov wanted something in the area of home Dallas, desperately needing a centre of the future, the Canadiens $8 million to stay in Canada rather than move to low-tax Texas. take the best one left on the board, OHL star Ty Dellandrea.

Given the extra cash derived from moving Price’s $6.5 million for 2017- But in the lead-up to the big day, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported 18 and the $10.5 million in savings thereafter, Montreal could have there was a trade in place to send Pacioretty to Los Angeles, but it fell afforded to be more aggressive with Radulov. In this version of reality, through because Pacioretty would not agree to sign a contract extension they give him something close to what he wants and he re-signs before with the Kings. hitting the market. On day two of the draft, my colleagues Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine The Canadiens would also have had the means to accede to Andrei Godin wrote the definitive piece on why Pacioretty decided to fire his Markov’s two-year contract demand. This is not mere conjecture. As he agent, and how the situation with the Canadiens got so bad. finalized the Price extension, which couldn’t be signed before July 1, 2017, Bergevin said he had limited funds to work with and was no longer It would only be a matter of time before the second shoe dropped. willing to negotiate with Markov (in our re-telling, the strange game of July 1, 2018 broken telephone in negotiating directly with Markov is quickly ironed out because the club has made it a priority to keep their longest-serving During the 2017-18 season Bergevin dealt Tomas Plekanec to Toronto player.) for a second-round pick and two AHL prospects, one of which he eventually used to pry Brett Kulak out of Calgary. The Plekanec deal Having Markov back in the fold and Sergachev primed for a roster spot doesn’t rise to the level of a major move, so we won’t bother reversing it. on the left side of the defence would have also forestalled another Although if we did it wouldn’t affect matters dramatically (yes, we’re important move from that summer: signing Karl Alzner to a five-year UFA cherry picking in order to hang on to Kulak, express your ire in the contract for $4.625 million per annum. comments if you like).

But Bergevin also took a run that summer at Milan Lucic, who was But when free agency opened in 2018, Montreal offered a new contract definitely interested in listening to what he had to say. Peter Chiarelli to the veteran Czech centre so he could play his 1,000th NHL game with ultimately saved Bergevin from himself. the team that drafted him.

With tons of cap space resulting from the Price trade, the Alzner non- It wasn’t as egregious a mistake as needlessly signing Plekanec to a signing and not giving Drouin his $5.5 million a year contract either, two-year, $12 million extension early in the 2015-16 season. But it’s a Montreal would have had more than enough readies to remain in the mistake nonetheless, one that had no real consequences since Plekanec bidding and make a massive mistake on Lucic. agreed to walk away from the contract and retire. Still, in our retelling, he doesn’t make it. Nor does Bergevin agree to take on Steve Mason’s contract and buy it the likes of Tatar, Domi and Kotkaniemi. Plus, there are more players on out as the cost of acquiring Joel Armia from Winnipeg, or blow $1.3 the wrong side of 30 up front and, with Lucic, an anvil contract the likes of million on a one-way contract for Matthew Peca for each of the next two which would make the discerning fan plead for Alzner’s deal instead, seasons. even though that fan would never know it existed in this alternate universe. Later that summer Bergevin does re-sign Phillip Danault, an RFA he acquired for rentals Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann at the 2016 In the real world, Price’s contract is expensive and long, but he’s still trade deadline, just before our revisionist window opened (a trade which, among the best in the business. Weber is aging, but he’s still the Man by the way, also netted the Canadiens defence prospect Alexander Mountain, a unique and effective player. Kotkaniemi looks like he’ll be the Romanov). Danault’s $3.1 million salary is eminently reasonable, and centre the club has craved for decades. Domi plays like he was born to signing him through his age 27 season isn’t a major move so much as it’s wear the CH, despite his bloodlines. Claude Julien has turned the a no-brainer, so it stays. He also opts to extend Paul Byron, because you Canadiens into a 5-on-5 juggernaut. We could go on. need versatile veterans and the cost is palatable, even if the term might not be – again, the point of this piece is to look at major moves since The main flaw of counterfactuals is they can’t possibly account for every 2016, and while Byron is part of the leadership group, the decision to alternate possibility of every major move, even less so the multiple keep him around does not rise to the level of ‘major’. residual effects of each one. The further you venture from a particular inflection point, the shakier the link between cause and effect. Individual Sept. 10, 2018 moves, in isolation, are of course subject to criticism and second- guessing. But that’s not what we are doing here. The idea, again, is to After some ugly schoolyard style sniping between new agent and team – catch a glimpse, as a whole, of what might have been if every one of Mooooom, he asked for a trade! Did not, you’re a big fat liar! –Bergevin Bergevin’s significant moves in our window were reversed. ships Pacioretty to Las Vegas for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick in 2019. In conducting this exercise, it seems as though Bergevin’s biggest moves, hotly contested though they may have been and continue to be, Nope. have collectively brought the Canadiens to at least as desirable a place History followed a different course. Pacioretty, uh, patched things up with as this set of alternatives. In fact, it’s a better place in several meaningful his boss. Vegas decided to give Tatar an actual chance, Suzuki remains ways. a jewel in the Knights’ crown, and Montreal doesn’t get the chance to Dissenters from that view are invited to hash it out with sympathizers in draft Mattias Norlinder and Jacob LeGuerrier last month (Bergevin once the comments. again turned one draft pick into two, which is a story for another day.)

Because the Canadiens aren’t committing 14 percent of their cap to their starting goalie, the money is there for Pacioretty to re-sign with the The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 Canadiens, which he claimed to his last days in Montreal was all he ever wanted to do anyway.

Right. So that’s that.

Present day

Does Bergevin end up acquiring Jordan Weal, Nate Thompson and Christian Folin at the 2019 trade deadline? Each was a low-cost option, so sure. Does he end up re-signing all three this summer? Why not. Again: bargain, minor. Is Ben Chiarot a Canadien with Sergachev and Girard around? Unlikely. Will Bergevin sign Keith Kinkaid to a cheapish one-year deal? Assuming he’d have gone the route of short-term contracts for veteran backups, as he’s done essentially since arriving in Montreal, we say yes. Does Ryan Poehling sign out of college and play the final game of 2018-19? Probably, given that signing him in 2019-20 would have provided no benefit (he’d have been eligible for a two-year ELC rather than a three-year, which is effectively what he got by burning the first year of his ELC in 2018-19).

The prospect pipeline doesn’t contain Suzuki, Ikonen, Harris, Houde, Norlinder and LeGuerrier, but it features Frost, Dellandrea and Comtois.

Here’s what the lineup would look like heading into the 2019-20 season in our fantasy world with Markov having departed into the sunset this summer amid great acclaim:

Assuming each of those players is signed to a similar contract, or a slightly higher amount in the case of Radulov, Lucic and Pacioretty, to what they are in reality, that’s a cap compliant lineup.

Does Timeline 2 look better than Timeline 1 (a.k.a. the real world) in our little experimental multiverse?

Not to these eyes, but it’s close and certainly debatable.

That’s a very nice, mobile blue line in Timeline 2. The power play hasn’t looked the same since Galchenyuk left, so it’s a good bet that aspect of the game – one of the factors that scuttled the Canadiens’ playoff hopes last season – wouldn’t have cratered as badly. There is also considerably more firepower on the wings, where it looks bizarre to slot DeBrincat as a third-line right wing. That said, Radulov is a point-per-game possession monster who made Pacioretty soar and Gallagher is the soul of the team, a player who generates more chances than basically anyone else in the league at his position. Scoring depth is a good thing.

Now, the down sides. The defence is loaded with puck movers but is lacking size and/or a physical element. The centre position, for now at least with Dellandrea and Frost still on the way, remains an area of overall weakness. There are fewer playmakers and play drivers without 1150131 New Jersey Devils percentage in 15 AHL games after brief stints in the ECHL and with the University of Guelph.

Gilles Senn, Schmid’s Swiss countrymate who recently signed an entry- What's next for NJ Devils' goalie prospects? level contract with New Jersey, will come stateside and is expected to back up Cormier.

Abbey Mastracco “Gilles is going to come over to North America and battle for that 3-4 spot,” Fitzgerald said. “We don’t know how much time that will take but Published 4:59 p.m. ET July 25, 2019 it’s going to be a different game.”

Updated 5:30 p.m. ET July 25, 2019 According to the intel from development coach and former New Jersey goalie Scott Clemmensen, Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in

Binghamton isn’t an easy arena for young goalies, so the club is NEWARK — Akira Schmid knew he’d be going a long ways from home expecting a learning curve. when he left Switzerland to take the next step in his hockey career. He “Playing in Binghamton is tough for goalies because of the size of the just didn’t realize how many cities it would take him before he could find rink, how much shorter the neutral zone is, the corners are a little more something that resembled home in North America. shallow, the pucks come to the net a little bit quicker,” Fitzgerald said. “It The big goaltender drafted by New Jersey in the fifth round of the 2018 will be an adjustment for him and we believe he can end up being an draft bounced from Lethbridge, Alberta, after a short stint in the Western NHL goalie and he’s going to start in Binghamton and see where it goes Hockey League to Corpus Christie, Texas, before finally catching on with from there.” a USHL team last season. The population of Schmid’s tiny hometown of

Nesslau is only in the thousands, so going stateside was going to be a culture shock for any teenager in that situation, but being squeezed off Bergen Record LOADED: 07.26.2019 the roster in Lethbridge and forced to bounce around made it that much tougher.

But Schmid found a home in Omaha, Nebraska, with the USLH’s Lancers. And he quickly established himself as a steadying presence in net despite all of the unsteadiness around him. Schmid put the league on notice with a .926 save percentage in 37 games and played in seven for the Swiss team in the IIHF World Championships.

“I think I got more resilient for sure,” Schmid said recently at Prudential Center during the Devils’ annual development camp. “Tough times make you stronger and I think I’m mentally stronger right now.”

Devils assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald is still not happy with how everything went down, saying it was unfair to a young player. But the club is very pleased with his development in the USHL, which is where he’ll return for the upcoming season.

“He’s going to go back to Omaha and hopefully dominate that league,” Fitzgerald said. “Then we need to make a decision after that whether we sign him and he becomes part of that 3, 4, 5 mix next year. But I like him as a goalie. He looks really good out there.”

The 6-foot-5 Schmid brings good size in the net. He’s lanky but he put on 15 pounds last season and thinks he could put on another 15 this season, possibly even more. He doesn’t want to put on too much weight and limit his mobility, but he knows he needs to be able to show he’s durable and strong enough to handle the NHL.

While Schmid performed well on a smaller ice surface for the first time, he’s still trying to make adjustments. He wants to improve his lateral movements and his timing.

“Getting used to American hockey style, that’s probably the biggest thing,” he said. “The angles are different for sure, but if you stay on the puck it’s kind of the same playing field. But everything is faster and shots are better here.”

He’s also eyeing another spot on the Swiss junior national team. And this time, it’s the No. 1 spot.

“I want to show them that I can be the starter for World Juniors next year,” he said. “It would mean a lot. It’s always a big stage there to show what you’ve got. Especially for New Jersey and just the whole NHL, really the whole world. So it would be a big honor.”

Schmid is happy to be back in a place that feels like home in Omaha. He’s hoping his next home is in New Jersey.

More: What NJ Devils' prospect Reilly Walsh wants to show this season

More: Why NJ Devils' prospect Aarne Talvitie was rooting for Kaapo Kakko in NHL Draft

In the pipeline

Without Cam Johnson in the fold, Evan Cormier is set to take over as the No. 1 netminder in Binghamton of the and the Devils’ No. 3 on the depth chart. Cormier went 5-8 with a .902 save 1150132 New Jersey Devils Subban led the Predators to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season there, but had a dropoff last year in his point totals and some underlying numbers.

P.K. Subban is 'head over heels' to be with NJ Devils P.K. Subban talks with Devils announcer Matt Loughlin on stage at Prudential Center.

Sean Farrell His pricetag became a problem for cap-strapped Nashville, who recently signed free agent to a lucrative seven-year deal. But Published 11:22 a.m. ET July 25, 2019 Subban was a luxury the Devils could afford with almost $17 million to work with and restricted free agents Pavel Zacha and Will Butcher Updated 8:29 p.m. ET July 25, 2019 unsigned.

Now Subban will get to play alongside three No. 1 overall picks in Hall, NEWARK – It was an entrance like only P.K. Subban could make. Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.

The Devils called it an introduction, but Subban made it a pep rally on "I'm really excited to be here," said Subban, who has yet to win a Stanley Thursday when he was officially welcomed to his new team. Cup. "On the day that I found out that I was being traded, all I really wanted to know was where I was going. To find out that I was going to The superstar defenseman stepped out of the tunnel and into his new New Jersey, I was head over heels ecstatic." home, as the Rolling Stones blasted throughout a smoke-filled arena. After a drum line revved up a crowd of about 1,500 fans, Subban excited Trading for Subban does come with some risk. It's very possible that his them even more when he took the stage at Prudential Center. best hockey is behind him. He is coming off a down year and recently turned 30. His 31 points and 63 games last season were both career- One of the biggest personalities in hockey has finally arrived. And he's lows. But on Thursday, Subban said that he hasn't been this excited for now just a few miles from the biggest media market in America. training camp since his rookie year.

"People mention New York a lot, but I don't play for New York," Subban Even as a league veteran, he understands that he'll have to prove said. "I play for New Jersey. That's where my focus is." himself all over again to stay up in the lineup.

P.K. Subban takes the stage at Prudential Center to be introduced as a "I've never tried to look too far down the road," Subban said. "I think New Jersey Devil. everybody wants to win a Stanley Cup. Everybody dreams of one day being in the Hall of Fame. That's great. But I hope to have a lot of years New Jersey won the Subban sweepstakes last month by trading and a lot of hockey ahead of me." defensemen Jeremy Davies and Steve Santini to Nashville, with the No. 34 overall pick in this year's draft and a second-round pick in 2020. He added, "I want to take it one step at a time."

Subban, who's signed for $9 million in each of the next three seasons, gives the Devils a bona fide No. 1 defenseman and expedites the rebuilding process. The former Norris Trophy winner has 98 goals and Bergen Record LOADED: 07.26.2019 310 assists in 645 career games. Only five other defensemen have scored more points than Subban since his first full season in the league.

"He's certainly the type of person and player that we feel is going to be a tremendous fit on and off the ice for our team," coach John Hynes said.

More: NJ Devils send message with P.K. Subban trade: We're in this

A player like Subban is a hot commodity in today's NHL. He's a right- handed shot who can drive possession at even strength and lead a power play. He can also take pressure off aging captain Andy Greene and the rest of the Devils' 'D' corps by taking on big minutes.

If Sami Vatanen and Damon Severson both stay on the right side, the Devils will be deep at a premium position.

"We felt like we needed to get a little bit bigger and stronger, a little bit nastier," Hynes said. "We needed to add some talent to our blueline as we did with P.K."

Oct 25, 2018; Newark, NJ, USA; Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (76) defends against New Jersey Devils left wing Taylor Hall (9) during the first period at Prudential Center.

Subban's influence is more than just what he brings on the ice.

The Devils are getting a larger-than-life personality with 1.1 million followers on Twitter and thousands more on Instagram. Throughout his career, Subban has used that platform to give back to his community and be an ambassador for his sport. He spoke openly on Thursday about growing up in an inner-city neighborhood where many others couldn't afford to play hockey.

"I look forward to helping as many kids as I can whether you're white, yellow, purple, black, brown, I could care less," Subban said. "As someone who grew up in Toronto, my parents coming from the Caribbean, I understand what I represent in the sport of hockey. I embrace that."

This isn't the first time a trade involving Subban has shocked the hockey world. The Toronto native began his career in Montreal, then was sent to the Predators in a blockbuster deal in 2016. That move came on the same day the Devils got Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson. 1150133 New Jersey Devils More: Devils farm system is restocked, but assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald says nothing is given

More: Why NJ Devils' prospect Aarne Talvitie was rooting for Kaapo What NJ Devils' prospect Reilly Walsh wants to show this season Kakko in the NHL Draft

In the pipeline

Abbey Mastracco, Case McCarthy of the U.S. National Team Development Program will Published 5:07 a.m. ET July 25, 2019 take part in the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan, before heading off to Boston University in the fall. The recently-drafted blue-liner is an excellent passer capable of playing a physical game would like to improve his quickness in college. NEWARK — Few things can replicate the type of adrenaline that courses through an athlete during the closing moments of a tight game. A “The speed aspect of my game, becoming faster and becoming more chopper to third with the bases loaded and two out, a game-winning agile,” he said. “I have the physical components to compete but I think three-pointer, a Hail Mary. the next step to dominating the college level is my speed and playing a little bit of a quicker game. Other than that, just continue to build my all- You want to be out there to protect that lead or break that tie but first, you around game because you can’t be great in one thing and not great in have to show that you’re capable of handling those moments. Those the other because that balance will shift.” players want to be relied upon in tough situations. Ty Smith, New Jersey’s top defense prospect, will join McCarthy in the Reilly Walsh already knows he can be relied on in tense moments. As a event, playing for Team Canada. caddy for the Golf Club of Cape Cod, he’s relied on to read a green for a clinching putt. It’s his knowledge that helps members win rounds and win Colby Sissons will have a chance to show he belongs in the American wagers. So it’s natural that Walsh, an incoming junior for Harvard and Hockey League but the Devils seem to be mulling over whether or not he one of the New Jersey Devils’ top prospects, wants to be relied on in the should spend some time in the ECHL, where he played nine games last closing minutes of hockey games as well. season. His move to the AHL last season was more out of necessity for the organization and Fitzgerald said that while he played well, he wasn't “Just that guy where any situation, I could be on the ice,” Walsh said always put in a position to succeed based on inconsistent lineups and recently at Prudential Center during the Devils’ annual development personnel. camp. “Whether you’re up by a goal, down by a goal, tie game and 4-on- 4 — any situation.” Sissons, an undrafted signee for the Devils in 2016, has succeeded at every level of hockey and the Devils believe the 21-year-old will continue For the most part, Walsh has shown that through two seasons at to if they get back to a development plan. Harvard. An offensive-minded defenseman, he’s chewed minutes and been an integral part of the Crimson power play. But with the departure “It’s not just throwing prospects in the pool and letting them drown,” of Adam Fox, he wants to kill penalties and show that he can play in Fitzgerald said. “If he’s in the American Hockey League, he deserves to crunch time. be in the American League and he’s playing well in the American League. If he’s not, that’s OK too. We have a path for him and anyone “The biggest thing I got out of Foxy leaving is 5-on-5 and penalty kill,” he else to develop. We’ve got a great relationship with Adirondack. We’re said. “We’ve had success on the power play in my first two years there treating that like New Jersey treats Binghamton.” but something I’ve really worked on this last summer was my ability to impact a play 5-on-5. And leading that with maturity thing too is being able to kill penalties.” Bergen Record LOADED: 07.26.2019 Walsh’s assessment of his development is on par with that of the Devils’. New Jersey has watched him grow at Harvard after taking the son of former New York Islander Mike Walsh in the third round of the 2017 draft and saw a player who played well with new Rangers’ acquisition Fox.

Now that Fox will be across the Hudson playing at Madison Square Garden, Walsh will have an opportunity for more ice time but the Devils want to see what he can do with that ice time.

“Playing without the puck has nothing to do with Adam Fox. Having the trust of the coaching staff during a game has nothing to do with Adam Fox,” Devils’ assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. “He’s got to take advantage of it and continue to earn it. I don’t think anyone is just going to throw him to wolves, he’s got to show he can defend in the last minute of the game.”

Walsh prides himself on his work ethic and leadership skills. Few players in his position would choose to have a part-time job but he enjoys the structure that comes with balancing training and working and feels as though it allows him to enjoy his offseason even more. Walsh is working an NHL skating coach and an NHL strength coach, both of which are affiliated with the Florida Panthers.

And the fact that he’s helping pay his own tuition is an equally important point of pride. It’s all part of maturing and becoming a leader.

“The past couple years I’ve focused a lot on just on-ice stuff, which is really important because you can’t make it to the NHL if you’re not a good hockey player,” Walsh said. “But I think I’ve learned a lot more in the values of the on-ice but you can’t perform at your best if you don’t have good habits.”

Plus, caddying is fun.

“A lot of my buddies, we’ve been doing it since we were in high school,” he said. “It’s really good for meeting people and learning a lot about golf and making some good money too.” 1150134 New Jersey Devils

New York Post LOADED: 07.26.2019

P.K. Subban brings everything the Devils have been missing

By Brett Cyrgalis

July 26, 2019 | 12:32am

No , these are not Lou Lamoriello’s Devils.

The red carpet was brought out in concert with all of the pomp and circumstance that this formerly buttoned-up organization could muster to introduce its new star, P.K. Subban, at Prudential Center on Thursday afternoon. It was a spectacle that included a drum line preceding Subban’s smoke-machine entrance into an arena populated with a couple hundred screaming fans, and a Ric Flair robe presented to Subban with his No. 76 emblazoned on the back while everyone screamed, “Woo!”

And the celebrity goes beyond the electric defenseman obtained in a trade with the Predators at the draft just short of a month ago. It goes to his oft-mentioned girlfriend, retired Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, who was brought up by managing partner Josh Harris at almost first mention during an earlier press conference.

“Let’s face it — P.K., and we’re lucky enough to adopt Lindsey also, they’re major stars,” Harris said. “I think that it’s welcome here in New Jersey, it’s welcome in our culture, and I think it elevates our organization. I’m very excited about it. I think it’s a win-win on all sides, and we’re lucky enough to have someone who’s very good at it, embraces it and connects with fans.

“We’re trying, as much as we can, roll that out in an effective way.”

What the Devils are trying to do is reinvigorate a fan base that has been beleaguered not just by missing the playoffs in six of the past seven years, but by sliding into irrelevance. Maybe taking Nico Hischier with the No. 1-overall pick in 2017 brought a slight buzz, as did Taylor Hall winning the Hart Trophy in 2018.

But taking Jack Hughes with another top pick last month, then obtaining Subban for what was essential a song — unheralded young defensemen Steven Santini and Jeremy Davies, as well as two second-round picks — woke everyone up. General manager also traded for Blackhawks defenseman John Hayden and signed rugged forward Wayne Simmonds. Harris added that the absent Shero “wasn’t done” and that he was still “wheeling and dealing.”

But it still comes back to Subban, who has a rare panache that most around hockey lack, even if at 30 years old he is coming off the worst statistical season of his career. But he has been embraced by this club since the trade happened, and he spent that past week being showered with praise by the fans and organization.

“Just a lot of love,” Subban said. “It’s very, very difficult, in my opinion, to craft that type of culture in an organization, from everybody.”

Subban started his career in Montreal, in front of the most fickle fan base in all of sports, and his personality eventually wore thin. The trade to Nashville never resulted in the expected Stanley Cup, and the $9 million salary-cap hit that he carries for the next three seasons made him an obvious choice for them to move and clear some much-needed space.

But in both stops, Subban was a staple of the community, giving his time and money with stupendous generosity. It’s something he plans to do in New Jersey, once he and Vonn get settled in the suburbs.

P.K. Subban

So no, there doesn’t seem to be any plan for them to live in Manhattan and assault Madison Avenue with new marketing opportunities. Of course, they will come. But right off the bat, Subban wanted to make sure it was clear that he cares about hockey, looking up at the Devils’ Stanley Cup banners from 1995, 2000 and 2003 — “legit banners,” he said with longing — and make his intentions here known.

“People mention New York a lot, and I don’t play for New York, I play for New Jersey,” Subban said. “So that’s where my focus is, on New Jersey and what I can do to help this organization and help this city.” 1150135 New York Rangers

Decision time coming for Rangers’ salary-cap conundrum

By Brett Cyrgalis

July 25, 2019 | 3:11PM

The devil is in the details, and the time for decisions is drawing closer.

After non-stop offseason action for most of the past month, the Rangers are once again on the verge of having to make difficult choices for how they manage the salary-cap crunch that — remember — is a good thing in the midst of their accelerated rebuilding. The impetus is Monday’s arbitration hearing for restricted free agent winger Pavel Buchnevich.

The 24-year-old Russian, who has shown signs — albeit inconsistently — of being a capable offensive player, likely would be awarded a one- year deal in the $3 million range. With the Blueshirts already into the 10- percent summer allowance above the $81.5 million salary cap, that would create the need for some big cuts.

But if the club doesn’t trade Buchnevich’s rights before then, and the two sides come to an agreement either on their own or an arbitrator delivers an award, three days from that date opens a 48-hour window during which they could execute a contract buyout. So let us say Buchnevich is the first Ranger to reach an arbitration hearing since Nikolai Zherdev in 2009 and a deal is awarded on Monday, then the team could buy out the contract(s) of Kevin Shattenkirk and/or Brendan Smith on Thursday or Friday.

Buying out the remaining two years on either of those deals would create dead cap space for the next four years. But immediate relief would come this season.

There also could be immediate relief if general manager Jeff Gorton can find a suitable trade return for power forward Chris Kreider, who is entering his final year of a deal that carries a $4.625 million hit. Kreider, 28, has been a team leader and a noble Ranger, but cuts need to come from somewhere. With his market value on an extension far exceeding what Gorton is willing to pay at this juncture — somewhere around seven years for $7 million per — talks have stalled and a trade seems inevitable.

The Rangers can carry the summer cap overage until just before start of the regular season on Oct. 3. But it surely would be an unwanted distraction if Kreider was in training camp answering questions about his future every day. The same could be said on a lesser level with Vlad Namestnikov (one year, $4 million) or Ryan Strome (one year, $3.1 million).

And that is mostly because the Rangers have parlayed some deft managing by Gorton and some fortunate breaks from key players wanting to come to New York into a rebuild that went faster than almost anyone thought.

By stockpiling picks, Gorton was able to obtain defenseman Jacob Trouba from the Jets in June, later signing the 25-year-old righty-shot to a seven-year deal worth $8 million per. Gorton also was able to pry the rights to Harvard defenseman Adam Fox from the Hurricanes, adding another righty-shot into the mix — therefore marginalizing a possible role for Shattenkirk. Gorton was able to take advantage of Trouba and Fox not wanting to sign with their respective teams.

Just as it was advantageous when the prize of the free-agent market, winger Artemi Panarin, took less money to sign his seven-year, $81.5 million blockbuster deal with the Blueshirts.

But it won’t be easy for coach David Quinn, whose roster will be very young and will look a bit different than it does right now. After a small breath in what has been a monumental summer for the Rangers, very soon Gorton will be forced to make decisions that will shape not just this coming season but the near-future of the organization.

New York Post LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150136 NHL

Virginia Mason signs on as a Seattle NHL team founding partner and official health care provider

July 25, 2019 at 9:41 am

Updated July 25, 2019 at 11:33 am

Geoff Baker

An NHL Seattle ice resurfacing Zamboni machine no doubt anticipated by eager local hockey fans made a public appearance Thursday morning, though rather than cleaning KeyArena’s rink between periods it was driving on city streets.

NHL Seattle CEO and his Virgina Mason counterpart, Gary S. Kaplan, took to the streets in the machine as part of an announcment that the health services company will be a founding partner of this city’s incoming hockey team and rebuilt arena as well as the squad’s official health care provider. Virginia Mason will also open an outpatient clinic at NHL Seattle’s planned Northgate Mall training center for both the squad and the public.

“The Virginia Mason team will play a big role in keeping our players and staff healthy as NHL Seattle’s health care provider of choice,” Leiweke said in a release. “This is a big win for us, and their expertise is going to be critical to keep our athletes at the top of their game. Virginia Mason’s commitment to youth hockey and the new clinic at the Northgate Ice Centre also makes this a win for the community. We’re excited to grow the game of hockey together.”

Virginia Mason is also exploring partnerships with local youth hockey teams, clubs and organizations in which it wll offer clinics, educational programs and other experences. Further details of the Northgate clinic are to be released at a later date.

“Our partnership with NHL Seattle reflects our commitment to serving the community, providing quality care, and supporting health and wellness throughout the region,” Virginia Mason chairman and CEO Kaplan said n the same release, adding: “We are excited to be affiliated with Seattle’s new professional hockey team. The partnership with NHL Seattle will create unique opportunities for Virginia Mason to expand its work as a leading health care provider and community resource.”

Virginia Mason’s name is already on the Seahawks’ training facility and it serves as health care provider for this Sounders soccer team and Seawolves professional rugby squad.

Bellevue-based Symetra life insurance was announced last month as the team’s first founding partner.

Geoff Baker

Seattle Times LOADED: 07.26.2019

1150137 Philadelphia Flyers Assuming all players are available for Game 1, the Flyers’ top six on the depth chart seems fairly clear. Trade rumors swirled around Shayne Gostisbehere this summer, but with the end of July near it appears Ghost 2019-20 Flyers projection: Unpacking the complex opening night lineup Bear will return for another season in the Orange and Black. Matt and roster possibilities Niskanen and Justin Braun weren’t acquired to begin their Flyers tenures as healthy scratches. The organization is extremely excited about the upside of Travis Sanheim, and it is bullish enough on Philippe Myers that Fletcher and assistant general manager Brent Flahr said a driving force By Charlie O'Connor behind trading was to open up the third-pair right-handed Jul 25, 2019 defenseman spot for Myers.

Provorov’s contract situation presents the first bit of uncertainty.

Some general managers used July 1 as the primary day to reshape their My best guess: When the puck drops Oct., 4 in Prague, Czech Republic, NHL rosters. , on the other hand, was largely finished his Provorov will be on the ice for the very first shift. But the Flyers and work by the time the opening bell of unrestricted free agency sounded. Provorov’s camp remain far apart on terms, with negotiations in something of a holding pattern as both sides wait for new comparables The intense activity of the Flyers’ front office during June inspired a (Zach Werenski, Charlie McAvoy) to emerge. The possibility Provorov watchful sort of anxiety throughout the following month. Could moves like could hold out into training camp — even potentially into the regular signing Kevin Hayes and trading for Matt Niskanen and Justin Braun be season — cannot be ruled out. just a prelude to even wilder restructuring of the roster? Surely, Fletcher couldn’t be finished making moves before many teams even began, This has a trickle-down effect on the rest of the defensive depth chart. right? Including Provorov, there are eight defensemen realistically in contention for a roster spot, with Robert Hagg and Samuel Morin likely on the Well, it’s now more than three weeks into July, and the Flyers indeed outside looking in as far as the opening night lineup. Teams sometimes appear to be largely done with their offseason work. Two major items choose to open the season with 13 forwards and 8 defensemen on the remain in the form of Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny’s contracts, and roster, but most clubs prefer the 14 forward/7 defenseman look, which the importance of both — particularly the former — should not be complicates the situation for Hagg and Morin. Remove Provorov, understated. But in terms of roster additions, it seems the Flyers are however, and the mix becomes a no-brainer — roll with a seven- basically done. defenseman group until Provorov’s contract situation is resolved.

Even so, the Flyers’ 2019-20 roster remains surprisingly unclear. There But let’s say Provorov is signed by the end of camp — again, the aren’t many spots available on the team’s 23-man roster, but the number scenario I view as the most likely outcome. Then, the Flyers have of plausible scenarios for filling those openings is staggering. Essentially, decisions to make on the bottom of their defense depth chart. it’s a gigantic game of “if/then,” one which will play out over the month of September in training camp battles, waiver decisions and even holdout Keeping all eight defensemen on the roster is the path of least possibilities. resistance. But if the Flyers do not feel comfortable with only 13 forwards, then they’ll have to remove a blueliner from the NHL roster. Today, we dive into the complexities of Philadelphia’s looming roster and lineup battles, beginning with a look at each of the three positions — At first glance, Morin would seem the most likely candidate for a goalie, defense and forward — to determine which players are locks to demotion. He’s yet to establish himself as a full-time NHL player, and begin the season with the big club, and which spots remain up for grabs. even though he is no longer waiver-exempt and would have to be And then, for the sake of entertainment, we’ll provide a roster/lineup exposed to the entire league before being reassigned to the Phantoms, projection of our very own. it’s not impossible to imagine 30 teams passing on a 24-year-old with just eight games of NHL experience — particularly at the end of September, Goaltender when every organization is desperately trying to slip its own players through waivers. This is by far the most straightforward part of the depth chart. Assuming health, it’s impossible to imagine the Game 1 lineup not including Carter Morin would benefit from regular playing time, and he almost certainly Hart and Brian Elliott. won’t receive it with the Flyers to start the year. They could view waiving Morin to be worth the risk of potentially losing him for nothing. Following the announcement of Elliott’s one-year, $2 million extension, Fletcher said that he envisions Hart and Elliott sharing duties in 2019-20, That said, it appears the Flyers remain high on Morin as a role player at with both netminders receiving somewhere between 30 and 50 games. the NHL level. My read is that they’re not itching to put him on waivers That, of course, leaves open the possibility for either player to seize the and remove him from the roster mix. If they do choose to keep Morin with “No. 1” job and earn a majority of the starts. the big club but still want to cut down the number of defensemen on the roster to seven, Hagg could be the odd man out. Make no mistake, however — the organization is hoping that Hart ends up closer to the 50-start mark. He’s clearly the higher-upside goalie, and Not only is there stylistic overlap between Hagg and Morin, but Hagg’s he’s probably the franchise’s best hope for a true star to emerge from the spot in the lineup also was essentially taken by Braun, who fills a similar stockpiles of young talent acquired by former general manager Ron role while being more experienced, better defensively and right-handed. Hextall. But he’s going to have to earn it, and 21-year-old goalies can It’s not crazy to wonder if the Braun acquisition could ultimately push struggle; for example, take Carey Price, who followed up a 0.920 save Hagg out. Like Morin, Hagg is no longer waiver-exempt, but considering percentage in his rookie season with a disappointing 0.905 save his 153 games of NHL experience, one presumes another team would percentage at 21 in his sophomore year. Re-signing Elliott prepares the claim him and his $1.15 million cap hit. If the Flyers choose to remove Flyers for that contingency. Hagg from the roster, a trade would be the most likely way.

Of course, Hart and Elliott likely won’t be the only goalies to appear for Forwards the club in 2019-20. Elliott comes with a recent history of core injuries, and even Hart got banged up briefly in his rookie season. If one or both This is where the lineup prediction game moves from “challenging but end up on the shelf, goalies like longtime Phantom Alex Lyon, new depth doable” to “essentially impossible.” signing Jean-François Bérubé and even prospect Felix Sandstrom (if he In one sense, the Flyers’ forward situation isn’t terribly complicated. transitions quickly to the North American game) wait in the minors, There are 11 players who are basically roster locks, forwards who can be hoping for a chance to step up. But Hart and Elliott clearly top the NHL written into the final 23-man group in pen barring a camp of disastrously depth chart right now, with priority given to Hart in the pecking order — if epic proportions. That leaves at least two spots open — and potentially his on-ice play justifies it. three, if management chooses to cut the defense corps to seven bodies. Defensemen It’s the sheer number of plausible combinations that makes predicting This is where it starts getting interesting, even if the complicating factors Philadelphia’s opening night lineup a fool’s errand. remain relatively easy to break down. By my count, 10 forwards have at least a remote chance of earning one of the two or three available spots on the final roster. Not all of them have the same odds, of course — some are serious long shots, who would the NHL with at least 500 minutes together since 2017-18, only five of need nearly perfect camps to make the big club, while others are highly them can boast a shot share over 55 percent, an Expected Goal share touted youngsters banging on the door — but each one could potentially over 55 percent and a goal share over 60 percent. The Flyers’ top line is see his name still on the board after final cutdown day. one of the five, having posted 57.26 percent, 56.57 percent and 62.65 percent, respectively, in the three categories. The candidates (in alphabetical order): Andy Andreoff, Nicolas Aube- Kubel, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Kurtis Gabriel, Carsen Twarynski, It seems foolish to break up the imposing Giroux-Couturier duo, Isaac Ratcliffe, German Rubtsov, Chris Stewart and Mikhail Vorobyev. particularly now that Giroux no longer has to play center to lessen Nolan Patrick’s workload. As for Konecny, the impact of his occasional With the exception of Twarynski (who is probably the biggest long shot defensive mistakes has been limited when skating on a line with play- here but stays on the list due to his strong camp last September) and drivers, so this combination would seem to be the best way to maximize Stewart (who by virtue of the tryout contract is in the mix by default), all of his skill set while minimizing his weaknesses. History tells us that it’s the above players have been named on the record by Fletcher or Flahr worked before — there’s no reason to think it won’t be successful in (or both) as legitimate candidates for a roster spot. 2019-20 as well.

The truly fascinating part is that while the 10 players are theoretically in Kevin Hayes, the Flyers’ new 2C. (James Guillory / USA Today) competition with each other, they’re not all competing for the same spots. Some would only make the team as fourth liners or regular healthy Line 2: Oskar Lindblom — Kevin Hayes — Jakub Voracek scratches (Andreoff, Gabriel), as they lack the offensive upside to be candidates to play third-line wing. On the other hand, scoring forwards The surprise in this group is Lindblom, who jumps over the higher-paid such as Frost or Ratcliffe are probably only earning the open spot if they James van Riemsdyk to take over 2LW duties with the newly signed play in the top nine; it’s highly unlikely an organization would allow them Hayes and franchise mainstay Voracek. to kick off their professional careers in limited, fourth-line minutes. But Lindblom established himself as one of the Flyers’ best 5-on-5 Candidate Most plausible roles Waiver-exempt? wingers last season. He trailed only Giroux, Konecny and Couturier in Primary Points/60 (1.50), and became one of the team’s best play-drivers Andy Andreoff fourth-line wing, healthy scratch no — particularly in terms of helping his teammates to dominate the shot- quality battle. Nicolas Aube-Kubel third-line wing, fourth-line wing, healthy scratch no Lindblom strikes me as a player the new coaching staff will appreciate, and his steady, positionally focused game has historically complemented Joel Farabee wing on first/second/third line yes Voracek’s more offensively oriented style quite well (53.29 percent xGF Morgan Frost wing on first/second/third line yes in more than 728 minutes together). Meanwhile, Hayes would aim to be an upgraded version of Patrick, who thrived between Lindblom and Kurtis Gabriel fourth-line wing, healthy scratch no Voracek in the final few months of 2017-18.

Carsen Twarynski fourth-line wing yes Can Nolan Patrick take a big step forward in 2019-20? (James Guillory / USA Today) Isaac Ratcliffe wing on first/second/third line yes Line 3: James van Riemsdyk — Nolan Patrick — German Rubtsov German Rubtsov third-line wing, fourth-line center, fourth-line wing yes OK, now things are getting interesting.

Chris Stewart third-line wing, fourth-line wing, healthy scratch Patrick was ticketed for 3C duties the minute the ink was dry on Hayes’ on PTO massive contract. And while fans might blanch at seeing a player with a $7 million cap hit playing on Line 3, the truth is that JvR thrived on Mikhail Vorobyev fourth-line center yes Toronto’s third line with Tyler Bozak as his primary center. Van Riemsdyk The positional flexibility of Scott Laughton, in particular, allows for many may not have exhibited much chemistry with Patrick in 2018-19, but it’s different scenarios. Laughton could easily play on the third line at wing if worth seeing if that changes with over-the-summer growth in Patrick’s none of the candidates for that scoring role earn the job. But he could skill set and the easier minutes that the third-line role will bring. also slide back down to 4C if the top nine is filled up. He could even As for Rubtsov, my read is that he has a legitimate chance of making this move over to wing on the fourth line if multiple bubble forwards earn roster. He’s not as flashy as Frost or Farabee, but he doesn’t come with spots. Laughton’s flexibility opens up a fascinating number of possibilities the pace or defensive concerns of the former or the physical readiness for the final roster and lineup. concerns of the latter. Throughout development camp, Rubtsov simply During the summer, general managers and coaches often will say their looked like an NHL player, both in terms of his physical appearance and final roster will be decided at camp, even if the 23-man group is largely the decisions he made on the ice. I’m not sure I’d say the same about set in stone. But this time, that’s not just Fletcher paying lip service to the Farabee or Frost, as impressive as they were. idea of competition. The final mix of Philadelphia’s forward corps will truly The biggest factor working against Rubtsov is his limited track record as be decided by the performance of bubble players in camp and during a pro in North America: He played only 14 games in the AHL last season preseason games — and there are a lot of them. before going down with a shoulder injury. But his playing style is one that Projecting the lineup and roster will likely endear him to NHL coaches quickly — Fletcher and Flahr acknowledged as much in recent weeks — and he comes with fewer Yes, it may be a fool’s errand to attempt to predict the Flyers’ 2019-20 question marks than the other “big-name” forward prospects gunning for lineup and roster before camp begins, given the number of possible a spot at camp. He also has experience playing the wing from his time scenarios that could play out. But here I am, taking on the role of with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the QMJHL. unabashed fool. To be clear, Rubtsov is far from a lock to make the big club. But he does Some parts of this projection are no-brainers. Others are educated seem like the kind of player poised to impress during camp. guesses based on probable lineup and stylistic fits. Still others rely mostly on public comments from the Flyers’ brain trust and my perception Scott Laughton racked up a career-high 32 points in 2018-19. (Dennis of the team’s internal depth chart. But one thing is nearly certain: This Schneidler / USA Today) projection — as is the case with almost every outlook put together in late Line 4: Michael Raffl — Scott Laughton — Tyler Pitlick July — will not match Philadelphia’s eventual 23-man roster and opening night lineup. Essentially, the chalk fourth line. Vorobyev should make a push to earn a spot, but that would require him to outplay one or both of Raffl and Pitlick, Still, let’s give it a go. since Vorobyev making the team in this scenario would push Laughton to Why break up this dynamic duo? (Eric Hartline / USA Today) wing and one of those two players to the press box. Ultimately, I suspect his inability to rapidly translate the positives of his game to the NHL level Line 1: Claude Giroux — Sean Couturier — Travis Konecny last year will keep him off the opening night roster this time, even if he again impresses in September. Over the past two seasons, the Giroux-Couturier-Konecny line has been one of the better regular trios in hockey at 5-on-5. Out of the 38 lines in That leaves the other fourth-line candidates — Andreoff, Aube-Kubel, most prudent route if they want to minimize their chances of losing a Gabriel, Twarynski and Stewart — as the only options to push Raffl or drafted-and-developed player for essentially nothing. Pitlick into healthy scratch territory. Aube-Kubel probably has the strongest “on paper” case to do so (and he’s also no longer waiver- As for Andreoff, he’s certainly not an exciting choice. But it’s fair to note exempt), but his name was noticeably absent when Fletcher ran down that Fletcher brought his name up unprompted on July 1 when asked if the top internal options to make the Flyers back on July 1. In our the apparent “hole” at third-line wing made it more likely a youngster conversation with Flahr, he noted that Aube-Kubel does remain in the would make the big club. mix, but my read is that the wing has an uphill battle ahead of him to earn “There are several players (in the AHL) that can play games,” he said. a spot. “Never mind Andreoff, who’s a player that will make a very strong push to That leaves the club with a perfectly fine fourth line, led by a center make our team this season.” coming off a career-high, 32-point season. It maybe doesn’t qualify as an Andreoff’s NHL track record is nothing special — 24 points in 159 games elite trio, but it’s certainly a better-than-average bottom-of-the-lineup — and he spent all of last season in the minors. But he did produce the group. best offensive season of his pro career last year with the Syracuse Ivan Provorov has played 82 games in each of his first three NHL Crunch (55 points in 75 games), he can play center in a pinch and he seasons. (Eric Hartline / USA Today) brings a degree of grit that some might argue the Flyers are missing with players such as Wayne Simmonds and Gudas gone. It wouldn’t shock First pair: Ivan Provorov — Matt Niskanen me to see him slip onto the roster as a 13th or 14th forward, though players such as Gabriel and Stewart will also be in contention for such a In this scenario, Provorov and the Flyers find common ground on a new role. contract prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, and he suits up in his usual spot in the lineup. Provorov’s asking price may be high, but both sides are highly incentivized to come to an agreement before any games are missed; the Flyers because of the internal expectations for this The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 season, and Provorov because the young man simply wants to play hockey.

Since being acquired last month, Niskanen has always been Provorov’s most likely partner. The former Capital was largely deployed in first-pair duties in Washington, and the fact that he’s a right-handed shot makes him a more natural fit next to Provorov than past partners such as Sanheim, Gostisbehere, Hagg, and Andrew MacDonald. It remains to be seen if Niskanen can bounce back from an underwhelming 2018-19 showing and prove he’s worthy of such lofty status in the lineup, but he’ll probably get the first crack at it.

Would Justin Braun and Travis Sanheim complement one another on a second pair? (Darren Yamashita / USA Today)

Second pair: Travis Sanheim — Justin Braun

Sanheim concluded the 2018-19 season on the first pair with Provorov, and it seems unlikely he’d drop all the way to third-pair duties after proving fully capable of taking on a larger load. As for Braun, with Myers clearly ticketed for third-pair usage to begin his rookie season — Fletcher and Flahr have reiterated that’s the plan — he’ll begin his Flyers career no lower than on the second pair.

Ideally, the offensively gifted Sanheim and defensively sound Braun form a perfect partnership, allowing the former to freelance more with the puck and giving the latter a major boost to his shot-creation results. The worst- case scenario would be if Braun dramatically drags down Sanheim’s results and proves he’s no longer capable of holding his own in a top-four role. The Flyers are banking on the more positive of those plausible outcomes.

After getting 21 NHL games under his belt last season, Philippe Myers will likely begin 2019-20 on the third pair. (Eric Hartline / USA Today)

Third pair: Shayne Gostisbehere — Philippe Myers

Gostisbehere and Myers spent a bit of time together at the end of 2018- 19, to mixed statistical results (positive by Corsi, significantly negative by xG). But the hope is that Gostisbehere returns re-energized after a down season, and Myers improved his skill set over the summer. This would be a risk-taking duo, but what better place for such a mentality than a sheltered third pair?

How many games will Carter Hart end up playing in 2019-20? (Bill Streicher / USA Today)

Goalies: Carter Hart and Brian Elliott

Again, the most straightforward part of this projection. As long as both are healthy, these are your two NHL goalies to begin the 2019-20 season. The only question is who will take the lead in the tandem — and if Elliott can show his injury issues are behind him.

Healthy scratches: Robert Hagg, Samuel Morin, Andy Andreoff

In this projection, the Flyers choose to hang onto both of their 2013 top draft picks, and begin the season with an eight-man blueline corps. That’s far from a guarantee to be their final decision, but it’s probably the 1150138 Pittsburgh Penguins scorer, as his playoff history showed, but he might not be hearty or consistent enough to thrive over a long, 82-game season. Some also wondered if he was simply a product of playing on Crosby’s line. Those Penguins Prediction Rewind: Jake Guentzel’s contract looks like bargain doubts have largely been erased. after 40-goal season LESSONS LEARNED

• When it comes to predicting contracts, teams don’t usually get creative JONATHAN BOMBULIE with their true top-tier talents. An unrestricted free agent might get an unpredictably long or lucrative deal because of the nature of a Thursday, July 25, 2019 4:36 p.m. competitive market. A fringe player might get what the team can afford to give him under the cap. When it comes to key players, teams generally

look at comparable contracts and keep it simple. Last summer, beat writer Jonathan Bombulie made a series of predictions leading up to the start of the 2018-19 season. Some were OK. Some were hilariously off the mark. In this series, Bombulie will Tribune Review LOADED: 07.26.2019 explain what he was thinking and where his logic went off course.

THE QUESTION

Jake Guentzel is playing on the final year of his entry level deal. What will his next contract look like?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A. Short-term bridge deal

B. Long-term, average salary $5.75 million or less

C. Long-term, average salary of more than $5.75 million

THE PREDICTION

C. Long-term, average salary of more than $5.75 million

THE RIGHT ANSWER

C. Long-term, average salary of more than $5.75 million

THE RATIONALE

• Coming off a remarkable playoff performance in 2018, it was becoming clear Guentzel was a future star who had great chemistry with and a proven track record as a postseason performer. Those factors meant his next deal would look something like the one Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau got, which was six years with a $6.75 million salary.

• If Guentzel had another 22-goal season like he did in 2017-18, perhaps the Penguins could catch a break and get him on a deal comparable to Minnesota’s Nino Niederreiter, San Jose’s Tomas Hertl, the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad, St. Louis’ Jaden Schwartz and Washington’s Tom Wilson, who have salaries around $5 million.

• A bridge deal was always highly unlikely because they’ve largely fallen out of favor in the NHL and wouldn’t benefit Guentzel.

READER REACTION

A sample of Facebook comments:

• “Jake is great, but is he great without Crosby? Except for a brief and unimpressive tryout at center last season, circumstances haven’t allowed him to prove he’s great in his own right. Pens have to be wary of signing a player to a long-term contract who will no longer be productive once age slows Crosby.”

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

• Guentzel jumped out to another strong start to the season, posting 15 goals and 33 points in his first 36 games, before agreeing to a five-year contract extension with an annual salary of $6 million in late December.

• By the end of the season, the deal looked like a bargain. Guentzel was one of 13 NHL players to crack the 40-goal mark. He was third in the league in even-strength goals with 33, tied with Alex Ovechkin.

THE FLAWS IN THE LOGIC

• While this prediction was the best one of the series so far, pretty close to being right on the money, there were some flaws in the logic that led to it. First and foremost, Guentzel didn’t get more than the Niederreiters and Hertls of the world because of the inevitable inflation of NHL salaries. He got more because he’s well on his way toward being considered one of the top goal scorers in the world.

• There were also some lingering doubts about Guentzel at this time last year. Most notably, there was a sentiment that he was a big-game 1150139 Pittsburgh Penguins

Ex-Penguin Max Talbot answers burning question about famous 2009 fight

Jonathan Bombulie

Thursday, July 25, 2019 1:29 p.m.

Most Pittsburgh Penguins fans remember Max Talbot’s fight with Daniel Carcillo and subsequent shushing of the Philadelphia crowd as a pivotal moment in the team’s run to the 2009 Stanley Cup.

In a recent appearance on Spittin’ Chiclets, a podcast hosted by ex- Penguins players Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney, Talbot answered one nagging question about the incident.

The Flyers held a 3-0 lead in Game 6 of a first-round series when the fight took place. Why did Carcillo agree to drop the gloves and risk giving the Penguins a chance to take momentum back?

It’s a question that analyst Ed Olczyk was asking on the NBC broadcast of the game before the fight even ended.

Well, Carcillo and Talbot played together with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2005-06. During that time, Carcillo got to know Talbot well. The one time Talbot fought while they were teammates, he was rag-dolled by Philadelphia’s Ben Eager.

“He knew, because we played together, that he was going to (win),” Talbot said. “So he was like, ‘(Heck), yeah.’ He saw me getting beat up a couple times before, so it was just like, ‘Why not?’ It was so natural. There was nothing that we said (disrespectful). It was just like, (Heck), yeah, let’s go.”

Carcillo won the bout handily, but the Penguins came back for a 5-3 victory.

Talbot discussed many aspects of his time with the Penguins during the podcast and was particularly complimentary of longtime friend and linemate Evgeni Malkin.

He talked about how he answers when people ask him who the greatest player he ever played with is.

“I always say, for one game, at his best, I’ve never seen anyone dominate as much as Evgeni Malkin,” Talbot said. “For one game, at his best, I will take him before anyone in the world. When we won the Cup in 2009, he won the Conn Smythe, but the series against Carolina, he just took over. … It was like a man versus child.”

Talbot, 35, announced his retirement last month after a three-year stint in Russia’s KHL. He has begun working with CAA Hockey with his sights set on becoming a player agent. He said he also plans to do some TV work in his home province of .

Tribune Review LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150140 Pittsburgh Penguins We should just admit it.

Brown, Bell, Kessel. They are all amazing talents who became enormous pains in the backside. For as good as they were athletically, they weren’t Tim Benz: Will addition by subtraction actually work for Steelers, worth the price in terms of cap cost or chemistry. Penguins? Those were choices the teams made. The positives of those decisions may outweigh the negatives in the end. The Steelers and Penguins are Tim Benz banking on that.

Let’s not kid ourselves, though. Those are three amazing talents, and we are trying to spin the yarn that Pittsburgh is a better sports city with them We sure are big on the concept of addition by subtraction around these playing elsewhere. parts, aren’t we? Oh, by the way, technically, Bell wasn’t here last year, either. And the The Steelers will be better because Antonio Brown is gone. Ben Steelers weren’t better without him, even though his replacement (James Roethlisberger won’t force the ball to a single receiver anymore. Brown’s Conner) was pretty good. ridiculous social media behavior will be happily absent. The game- planning to help Brown’s stats was holding back the Steelers this whole Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, we mock Browns fans for being optimistic over time. all the additions they have had since the start of 2018.

The Steelers will be better because Le’Veon Bell is gone. All that Pfft! Stupid Browns. It doesn’t matter how much you improve your roster. speculation about his contract — and the cap room he kept hostage — is You’re still the Browns. You’ll never win. now a thing of the past. Funny, right? Imagine the Steelers getting rid of an idiot coach, improving The Steelers will be better because Joey Porter is gone. He was nothing at quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, linebacker, running back and but a loudmouth assistant coach who thought he still was a player. pass-rusher. Then having Cleveland tell us the Steelers weren’t going to be any better. The Steelers will be better because Mike Munchak is gone. After all, he … uh … well … Ha! We’d laugh in their faces.

…we’ll come up with something for him later, I’m sure. Yet that’s exactly what we are doing here. All the while, pumping our own team’s tires based on “improved intangibles.” But the Penguins will be better because Phil Kessel is gone! It could go down that way. In both directions. The Browns could regress, All those turnovers. That bad defense. That lack of coachability. Oh, and and the Steelers could find themselves atop the AFC North once more. he was a bad influence on Evgeni Malkin, too, in case you hadn’t heard. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a lot more than the football/hockey And don’t get me started on Olli Maatta. If only they could ditch Jack version of “Bye, Felicia” to have that hope pan out. Johnson next. And I still don’t have an answer for Munchak. Yup. Addition by subtraction sure has become the siren song for optimism on the Pittsburgh sports scene.

It has to be. Unless of course you consider the addition of a Donte Tribune Review LOADED: 07.26.2019 Moncrief here and a there enough to offset the departures of such superstars.

Because they aren’t. And if you think they are, you are kidding yourself.

However, Moncrief, plus an improved James Washington, and a potential draft sleeper in Diontae Johnson, and better slot play from Eli Rogers or Ryan Switzer, and 16 healthy games from Vance McDonald? That could help balance out the loss of Brown.

All of that. At once. Coalescing. Perfectly.

Similarly, Kahun blossoming in Pittsburgh even beyond his surprising results in Chicago, plus Alex Galchenyuk finally reaching his potential, plus Brandon Tanev equaling his scoring surge a year ago could erase the loss of Phil Kessel’s 82 points in 2018-19.

Could.

But forget all that. The easier thing to do is just say: “We’re better off without ‘em! We never needed ‘em anyway!”

And leave it at that.

Jilted-ex syndrome. Bask in it. Wallow in it. Say it loud enough, long enough and it may become true. You might just believe it.

Look, there are merits to lots of those points. Roethlisberger really might throw fewer interceptions this year without trying to appease Brown. The passing game may become more diversified. The locker room will certainly be quieter.

Without Kessel, the Penguins likely will take better care of the puck. Malkin’s line will be more defensively responsible. The occasional one- timer from the left wall on the power play might be a welcomed change. Mike Sullivan’s message will be more easily heard.

However, ask yourself this. About 365 days ago, would most of Pittsburgh have said, “Please, let’s give away Antonio Brown and Phil Kessel as fast as possible, regardless of return?”

No. What we are doing now is rationalizing after the fact. That’s all. 1150141 San Jose Sharks

Puppy love: Meet Finn, the San Jose Sharks’ newest addition

He’s cute, social media savvy and has a goal to be an assistance dog

By Sal Pizarro

The San Jose Sharks may have lost Joe Pavelski, but they picked up a new team member this summer who has an even more adorable mug. He’s Finn, a 2-month old yellow Labrador puppy who the team will be supporting in his quest to become an assistance dog with Canine Companions.

Finn, who was officially introduced at an SAP Center event Wednesday, already knows how to work a crowd. And he’s cute enough that beloved Sharks mascot S.J. Sharkie better watch out. Finn has a growing social media presence at @SharksPup on Twitter and Instagram, where he’s seen doing all those things puppies do — playing, posing around San Jose and being generally cute.

He’ll spend the next year and a half being raised by Shari Rodenberger, a volunteer puppy raiser and the president of the South Bay chapter of Canine Companions for Independence. Her job will be to teach Finn approximately 30 commands that would prepare him for a job as an assistance dog. After that comes six to nine months at Canine Companions Northwest Regional Training Center where he’ll learn specific skills like picking up dropped items, opening and closing doors, and turning lights on and off. If he graduates from that training, he’ll be paired with a new partner.

This isn’t the Sharks’ first involvement with Canine Companions. The group received a $50,000 grant as part of the Sharks Foundation’s Season of Giving Campaign in 2017, and that December an assistance dog named Lake and his 17-year-old companion, Danny, dropped the first puck at a game. Let’s hope we see Finn out on center ice this season.

STRONGER TOGETHER: The YWCA Silicon Valley announced Thursday that it was merging with the YWCA San Francisco & Marin, creating what will surely be a powerhouse Bay Area organization devoted to empowering women and families and fighting sexual assault and racism.

Like many other mergers of Bay Area organizations with similar missions — the United Way, Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Silicon Valley Education Foundation are recent examples — the two groups said in a missive to supporters that the merger will allow the groups to leverage their combined resources and make a greater impact regionally.

The combined organization will have a new name next year — the higher-ups are working on it, but if it’s anything but YWCA Bay Area, they’ve wasted their time — and Tanis Crosby, who has been CEO of YWCA Silicon Valley since 2014, will lead the new group. Otherwise, locations and programs will stay in place for now, and if you donate to either current group, all the tax information is remaining the same.

MUSIC TO CAMP BY: Bay Area residents rejoiced at the news that Yosemite National Park has regained the Ahwahnee name for the park’s grand hotel. But only one was crooning about it — Don Neely, the San Jose State University music grad who formed the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra and has made a career of reviving 1920s and ’30s jazz classics. Neely also writes music in the style of that era, and in 2006 he debuted one of his whimsical tunes, “I Want to Camp at the Ahwahnee,” a welcome refrain to anyone who prefers a bed to a sleeping bag.

Trad jazz fan and Mercury News colleague Linda Zavoral reports that last weekend, to the delight of the crowd at Radio Day by the Bay in Alameda, Neely reprised the song and announced that he knew constant pressure on the scalawags who had claimed rights to the name would eventually win out. “That and $12 million,” he drolly remarked.

The band’s upcoming gigs are scheduled for Oakland, San Francisco and Monterey. But Neely and the Royal Society will make a rare appearance in the South Bay on April 26 next year in the Los Gatos Community Concert series.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150142 San Jose Sharks

NHL expansion draft: Forwards who Sharks protect depend on approach

By Marcus White July 25, 2019 9:27 AM

Editor's note: This week, NBC Sports California will look ahead to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, at which time the Seattle franchise officially will join the league as its 32nd team. Every team in the league will be affected, as players from (nearly) every roster will be made available to Seattle for its inaugural roster. We continue with an examination of which forwards the Sharks likely are to protect and expose.

The Sharks are well-positioned to hang on to their key forwards when the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft rolls around. As long as they take a similar approach to the previous expansion draft, that is.

San Jose can either protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goaltender or eight skaters (regardless of position) and a goaltender. Sharks general manager opted for the latter option ahead of the 2017 draft, protecting then-pending unrestricted free-agent forward Ryan Carpenter and six others from being exposed to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Carpenter joined the Golden Knights the following season after the Sharks waived him, but there were few other forwards they could protect while also satisfying the NHL's mandate that two under-contract forwards who played at least 70 games in the two seasons before the expansion draft or 40 games in the season immediately preceding it. Those rules remain in place for 2021 when Seattle joins the league, and the Sharks would have quite a few forwards with expansion eligibility who are under contract and/or team control beyond then.

Tomas Hertl (contract expiring in 2022), Timo Meier (2023), Evander Kane (2025) and Logan Couture (2027) all signed multi-year deals over the last two summers. Kevin Labanc, Dylan Gambrell and Antti Suomela each are at least two years away from unrestricted free agency. Hertl, Meier, Kane, Couture and Labanc figure to be established parts of the Sharks' forward corps by the time the expansion draft rolls around, even as Kane approaches his 30s and Couture moves deeper into his. San Jose has hopes Gambrell and Suomela can join those five as well.

Thus, much of that group should form the backbone of the Sharks' protected forwards list in 2021. Some, however, could be exposed depending upon what other forwards are on the roster.

Prospects like Joachim Blichfeld, Sasha Chmelevski and Ivan Chekhovich automatically will be protected because they've not yet accrued any professional seasons. Depth forwards Melker Karlsson (2020), Barclay Goodrow, Lukas Radil and Marcus Sorensen (2021) conceivably could hit the games requirement, but each player would have to be re-signed in order to be eligible for exposure in the draft.

If the Sharks opt to once again protect seven forwards in 2021, they shouldn't have to worry about exposing Hertl, Meier and the like. The risk drops if any of the previously mentioned role players re-signs, or if Gambrell and/or Suomela plateau as regular bottom-six regulars. Growth from any of those aforementioned players beyond a spot on the third or fourth line could present Wilson some difficult decisions, but he likely wouldn't sweat additional development from anyone in that group too much.

Protecting eight skaters increases the risk of losing a talented forward, however slightly. Defensemen Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic must be protected because of their no-movement clauses, and protecting an additional blue liner leaves room for just five forwards. Still, it's difficult to envision the Sharks protecting any more than three defensemen as things stand right now, considering top prospects Mario Ferraro and Ryan Merkley won't be eligible for exposure.

At that point, it wouldn't make sense for the Sharks to intentionally protect fewer forwards than the maximum allowed under the rules. As long as they acquire or re-sign depth forwards who are eligible to be exposed, Wilson and the Sharks likely won't have to stress losing a key piece up front to the NHL's newest team.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150143 San Jose Sharks Top six

Three weeks ago we predicted the Sharks’ opening night lineup for 2019- 20. As it turns out, our top six now is the same as our top six for three A look into the future: Sharks will need late-round picks to blossom to years in the future. remain competitive in 2022-23 By the time the 2022-23 season gets underway, Tomas Hertl could potentially be their highest-paid player. He’s due to be an unrestricted By Kevin Kurz Jul 25, 2019 free agent in the 2022 offseason and, at 28 years old, he should be right in the prime of his career. Surely the Sharks hope that he’ll be a dominant top-line center by then, and if he keeps building off what he did last season, he could be. Evander Kane remains, as does Kevin Labanc, For years, the Sharks’ “window” to win it all has been a much-debated who we predict will be making more than $1 million by then. topic. Logan Couture — whom we assume will be the captain of this squad — It was supposedly closed after they lost back-to-back Western will be in the fourth year of his eight-year contract. At 33 years old, he Conference finals in 2010 and 2011. It was closed after they lost in the should still be an effective player and second-line center. Timo Meier will first round in 2012 to St. Louis, after they were reverse-swept by the Los still be just 25 years old and could very well be a 40-goal scorer by then. Angeles Kings in 2014, when they missed the playoffs in 2015, and then after they dropped their first-ever Stanley Cup Final to the Pittsburgh On the right wing of the Couture line, we are leaving Sasha Chmelevski Penguins in 2016, too. in that place, even though the organization probably hopes that he’ll be a center at some point in his career. But just as Hertl did, Chmelevski could Surely some prognosticators will say the same in a few weeks when the probably use a couple of seasons on the wing before moving to the preseason predictions come out, now that on- and off-ice leader Joe middle full-time, while serving as another faceoff guy on a line with Pavelski is gone. Couture. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Chmelevski centering the But as colleague Craig Custance recently expressed with some Sharks’ third line by then if he turns out to be the real deal. interesting facts and figures, the Sharks have been remarkably Third line consistent in the last 12 years of the Doug Wilson era. According to Custance’s formula, the Sharks have been legitimate Stanley Cup Gambrell, who turns 23 in August, is about to enter a vital time in his contenders in six of the last 12 seasons, bettered only by the Boston career this coming training camp in October. A second-round pick of the Bruins (seven). They’re clearly a well-run team. Sharks in 2016, Gambrell wasn’t able to crack the NHL roster in 2018-19 on a full-time basis, playing just eight games (and two in the playoffs, Yes, a championship has eluded them, but the Sharks have iced a including Game 6 against St. Louis, when he scored the only goal in a competitive roster nearly every season for more than a decade. They season-ending 5-1 loss). There is a question as to what his true potential should do the same in 2019-20, too, with Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns really is, but a bottom-six center still seems reasonable at this point. still on the blue line and some young, improving players in Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc still emerging. Flanking Gambrell we have a pair of the organization’s top prospects at wing. Chekhovich was the QMJHL’s second-leading scorer with 105 But what about three years in the future, in 2022-23? Is it possible that points last season and was tied for fourth with 43 goals. He’s also done the window will still be open then? Or should we just stop talking about very well in a pair of brief stretches with the AHL Barracuda, posting 18 this stupid window altogether? points (6g, 12a) in 19 games in the past two seasons (including playoffs). Several NHL team beat writers here at The Athletic have taken a stab at That success with players bigger and older than those he’s used to in predicting their respective team’s future lineup in a fun (we think) juniors bodes well. exercise that sheds some light on the organizational depth and what can Joachim Blichfeld is another guy who could be primed to become a full- perhaps be expected in the future. From the Sharks’ perspective, they time NHL player sooner than later. An over-age player in juniors this year already have many players locked up on long-term deals, so many guys at 21, he was named as the WHL player of the year with a league- that should be key contributors three years from now are already on the leading 114 points (53g, 61a) for Portland. roster. Here’s one NHL amateur scout’s take on Blichfeld: “For me, an excellent Before we get to the future roster, here are the ground rules I’m using: seventh-round pick that may provide depth in the organization at the NHL 1) If a player is under contract, he’s on the roster. level. Good goal-scoring instincts and shooter.”

2) I can extend contracts for free agents where it’s reasonable, but I can’t This scout pointed out that Blichfeld played with an elite playmaker in sign any unrestricted free agents. Portland this past season in Cody Glass, the sixth-overall pick by Vegas in the 2017 draft, but Blichfeld “did his part in finishing/scoring.” So here it is, the 2022-23 Sharks roster: Fourth line Forwards Obviously, it takes a bit of guesswork to fill out the forward lines, but we’ll LEFT WING CENTER RIGHT WING go with a pair of guys in Gregor and True that have consistently been named by the organization this summer as guys that are potential NHL Evander Kane Tomas Hertl Kevin Labanc players. We’ll also throw in Bergmann, whom the Sharks signed as a free Timo Meier Logan Couture Sasha Chmelevski agent out of the German league on May 28.

Ivan Chekhovich Dylan Gambrell Joachim Blichfeld Let’s start with the 21-year-old Gregor, a fourth-round pick of the Sharks in 2016. He’s coming off of an 88-point season with Prince Albert of the Lean Bergmann Noah Gregor Alex True WHL.

Defensemen Here’s what one NHL scout had to say about Gregor’s game: “Nice skater, skilled. Shot is pro-level. I have concerns about his compete and LEFT DEFENSE RIGHT DEFENSE courage level on a consistent basis at the pro level.” Mario Ferraro Erik Karlsson Gregor will almost certainly begin the 2019-20 season with the Radim Simek Brent Burns Barracuda, so we’ll keep an eye on his development over the course of the season. Marc-Edouard Vlasic Ryan Merkley True, 22, is another guy that Sharks seem to like, especially after he the Goalies led the Barracuda with 55 points (24g, 31a) in 68 games last season. He STARTING GOALTENDER BACKUP GOALTENDER seems like a good option on the fourth line at some point either at center or on the wing, with his 6-foot-5-inch frame and playmaking ability. Martin Jones Josef Korenar Finally, we’ll round out our forward group with Bergmann, who’s listed at Still, the success of the Sharks both now and in the future will depend 6-1 and 206 pounds. Bergmann’s NHL ceiling is probably as a fourth- primarily on how their key core players perform as they get older. Will liner — he’s not a huge scorer, but has racked up a ton of penalty Karlsson and Burns still be as dangerous on the blue line then as they minutes and a few fighting majors over his three seasons in the USHL are now? Will Couture and Kane still be elite-level playmakers and and one season in the German league. We’ll assume that having a little scorers? Will Hertl’s previously injured knees allow him to take that next sandpaper on the roster remains important to the organization in 2022, step in his career from a very good player to a great one? Are Meier and especially if Pete DeBoer is still behind the bench. Labanc the real deal?

First defense pair If the answer to the majority of those questions turns out to be yes, and a few of the young prospects develop into solid NHL depth players, the The Sharks brass loves Ferraro. As a left-handed defenseman, he Sharks would seem to be in pretty good shape. already has experience playing with a highly-skilled partner in Avalanche prospect Cale Makar, who was Ferraro’s partner in college. The beefy, 6- The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 foot, 195-pound Ferraro could very well be penciled in as the ultimate replacement for Brenden Dillon, who is about to enter the final year of his contract.

Karlsson will be in the fourth year of the eight-year, $92 million extension he just signed in June. Will he remain healthy enough from now until then to still be an elite player?

Second defense pair

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, assuming Simek gets locked up (he’s currently a pending unrestricted free agent). After fitting in so nicely with Burns last season, he could be the Wookiee’s partner for now and the future. Burns will be 37 years old by the time we get to 2022-23, and he’ll have two years left after that on his current contract, so the Sharks will have to hope he’s still at least somewhat of a force at that point.

Third defense pair

The Vlasic contract is the most worrisome on the Sharks roster after the defenseman had an uneven 2018-19 campaign. The 2022-23 season will be just the fifth of his eight-year deal, and he’ll be 35 years old, to boot. We’ll slot him in as a third-pair guy for 2022, along with Merkley, who will probably have broken into the league by then and is currently viewed as the organization’s top prospect. Depending on how Karlsson and Burns are at this point, perhaps Merkley is in the top four.

The goalies

Jones will be in the fifth year of his six-year contract by 2022-23, so he’s still on the roster. But the Sharks have a strong crop of goalie prospects in the system, so it’s fair to wonder if Jones will be unseated as the starter at some point over the next few seasons.

Korenar might be the front-runner for the second roster spot on our 2022- 23 roster after he impressed with the AHL Barracuda last season, but Zach Emond and Andrew Shortridge both look like strong prospects, too. It’s extremely difficult to predict a goalie’s development, which is probably part of the reason the Sharks have made it more of a priority in recent years to find netminders that have true upside. It’s been a while since the Sharks had as deep of a pool of goalie prospects as they seem to have now.

Overview

The Sharks have been proficient under Wilson in unearthing talent in the late rounds of the NHL draft, and they’re going to need a handful of those guys to develop over the next few years to keep that window open. Scouting director Doug Wilson Jr. will have been in charge of the draft for six years by the time 2022 rolls around (he took over in 2017), so the team’s performance will increasingly reflect his ability to find quality players.

Our 2022-23 roster features nine total players taken in the fourth round or later (or who weren’t drafted at all).

“Our singular scouting goal that we talk about every year is we’re at a point where all we do is we acquire and develop playoff-caliber players,” Wilson Jr. said earlier this month. “That’s all we tell our scouts. The state we’re in, we’re not looking to draft or trade for every potential 20-goal scorer out there. We’re looking for a collection of different weapons so Pete has got as many options as possible when it comes to certain playoff matchups in the future.

“We’ve played the most playoff games in the NHL since Doug became the GM in 2003, so we have the ability to go back and look at internal data on what has worked for us and what hasn’t. We just keep learning and trying for that. Our scouts, they do a great job of identifying who potential playoff-caliber players could be. … Our scouts just look at every pick like it’s a top-10 pick — they put the same amount of work into the sixth round as they do the first.” 1150144 St Louis Blues Unprompted, Savard brought up one key member of the Blues’ offense.

“I look forward to working with Vladi,” he said. “I was able to play with Ilya Kovalchuk in Atlanta. We had some great seasons together. I think I can Blues hire Marc Savard in attempt to improve power play can really help Vladi along the way here, so I’m excited for that challenge and working with all those players, helping them offensively, helping the young guys. I know they’ve got a great young corps, some big bodies. I By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch look forward to working with those guys. It’s such an amazing opportunity here. I’m really looking forward to it.”

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 07.26.2019 The Blues may be the Stanley Cup champions, but their season was far from perfect.

Their power play, for instance, stunk.

In the Stanley Cup Final against Boston, the Blues went 1 for 18 with a man advantage, on their way to a 16.3 percent success rate in the postseason. That was 12th-best among the 16 playoff teams. In the 2017-18 season, the Blues were next-to-last in the league at 15.4 percent. They got off to a quick start in ‘18-19, sitting at 30.8 percent 13 games into the season, but they were 18.4 percent the rest of the way.

In an effort to change that, the Blues hired Marc Savard as an assistant coach on Wednesday, with his main responsibilities being special teams, especially the power play. The 13-year NHL veteran, whose career was ended in 2011 by concussions, was most recently an analyst for on the CBC and did pregame and postgame radio work for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he said he missed the hands-on work with players.

“Me and Craig (Berube) have had many, many discussions when he took over the Blues this year and I just have some philosophies,” Savard said from Toronto. “I’m still a hockey watcher day in and day out and I’ve picked up a lot of stuff on the power play and what works, what doesn’t and I think I’ll be able to bring lot of adjustments and new looks and help the Blues have a fresh look, different options. They’ve got a lot of great pieces. If I’m able to work with them, we should be right up there in the league in power play next season.”

“I was fortunate to play with Marc during my career and I’m very familiar with his passion and acumen for the game,” Berube said in the team’s announcement of the addition. “He was a tremendous player and possesses an elite offensive mind.”

Like many, the Blues’ power play last season left Savard baffled. With the offensive talent they had, why did their game drop off so much when they had an extra man?

“I was a little surprised,” he said. “It gets a little frustrating I know at times. It doesn’t always go well and you start gripping the sticks a little bit. I’ve been in those situations, so if I can help with my experience and help those great players like (Vladimir) Tarasenko, (David) Perron and (Brayden) Schenn, (Ryan) O’Reilly and the defense corps there, the list goes on. There’s a lot of great options. It’s just about bringing them all together, making them all work together and having two great units. I think there’s players to have two solid units, kind of go off each other and I think they have guys that can really be successful if put in the right situations.”

The Blues had an opening on their staff for an assistant after Berube was promoted from associate head coach to head coach after the firing of Mike Yeo on Nov. 19. Savard and Berube were teammates at Calgary in the final two seasons of Berube’s career when they would drive to the rink together. The two have stayed in touch.

“We see hockey a lot in the same light, so that was easy to get together on the same things,” Savard said. “When we talked, when he did take the team over, it wasn’t so much power play, it was just talking and being a bouncing board for him when there were some tough times. He did a fantastic job. ... We’ve had a lot of talks as well once this started to become real. But me and Chief go way back. We’ve kept in touch all the way through and I’m really looking forward to this challenge and new chapter in my life and getting back in the game I love so much.”

Savard, 42, was born in Ottawa and broke in with the Rangers in 1997 before playing for Calgary, Atlanta and Boston, which won the Stanley Cup in his final season, 2011, though he didn’t play past January. (He said he would have been happy with either team winning last season, but was mostly rooting for Berube.) He scored 207 goals and had 499 assists in 706 games. Since his playing days ended, he also did skills and development work for the Petersborough (Ontario) Petes junior team. 1150145 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs trade Andreas Borgman to Blues for Jordan Schmaltz

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Jordan Schmaltz skates during a game against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sept. 18, 2018.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired defenceman Jordan Schmaltz from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenceman Andreas Borgman.

The 25-year-old Schmaltz collected two assists in 20 regular-season games with the Blues last season, and nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 36 games with the American Hockey League’s .

The Madison, Wis., native has registered five assists in 42 career NHL games and 93 points (15 goals, 78 assists) in 180 career AHL games.

Schmaltz was selected by the Blues in the first round (25th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft.

Borgman, a 24-year-old native of Stockholm, had four goals and 13 assists last season with the AHL’s . Injuries limited him to 45 games.

He split the 2017-18 season between the NHL and AHL, recording three goals and eight assists in 48 games with the Maple Leafs and had four goals and five assists in 25 games with the Marlies.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150146 Toronto Maple Leafs Smashfest, which sees NHLers compete in a tournament with hundreds in attendance, had raised more than $865,000 in support of research and awareness for concussions and rare cancers heading into Thursday’s Maple Leafs forward Alex Kerfoot preparing for Toronto’s spotlight eighth edition.

“It’s a great event for a great cause,” Kerfoot said of Smashfest, which is put on with the support of the NHL Players’ Association. “Dom reached JOSHUA CLIPPERTON out to me and I was happy to get involved.”

Switching his focus back to the ice, Kerfoot said having off-season training partners Barrie and Rielly in the locker room should help make Alexander Kerfoot has an idea of what’s coming. He grew up alongside his transition to the Leafs easier. And the fact he and Rielly grew up Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly, and his father owns a playing in the same minor hockey association and remain close doesn’t professional soccer team. hurt either. But actually living in the spotlight that comes with playing hockey in “Both of our dads went to school together, we grew up in the same area Toronto is something entirely different. so the families are close,” said Kerfoot, who has put up 43- and 42-point “I don’t think you can really prepare for the market until you get here,” campaigns in the NHL to go along with two goals and three assists in 18 Kerfoot said. “I’ll just try to embrace it.” playoff contests. “It’ll be pretty cool to play with him.”

He’s going to have to. Kerfoot, whose family built an indoor rink on their property in Whistler, B.C., when he was a youngster, can play centre or on the wing and looks The soft-spoken West Vancouver, B.C., product was enjoying Canada likely to start on the third line in Toronto. Day with family in the province’s interior when a call came from Colorado Avalanche general manager telling the forward that he and “The Leafs talked to me about what they expect from me as a player, the blue-liner Tyson Barrie had been traded to the Leafs for centre Nazem type of game they want the team to play,” he said. “But they haven’t got Kadri and minor-leaguer Calle Rosen. into specifics.

Kerfoot, who turns 25 next month, played junior-A in the BCHL, starred at “That’ll come once we get to training camp.” Harvard University and spent the last two seasons in relative NHL And so will a new level of scrutiny. anonymity in Denver. “It’s great to play in markets where fans are interested and there’s Those days are now over, and he knows it. exposure,” Kerfoot said. “I’m just looking at it as a positive. “It’s obviously nothing like what I’ve experienced,” Kerfoot said ahead of “Hopefully it works out well.” Thursday’s Smashfest charity ping-pong event in Toronto. “It’s going to be different from that side of things, but at the end of the day it doesn’t Globe And Mail LOADED: 07.26.2019 impact how you play on the ice.

“I don’t think I can let it affect me.”

Kerfoot does know a thing or two about being the centre of attention, even if it’s begrudgingly.

His dad, Greg Kerfoot, is majority owner of Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps. The elder Kerfoot, who made his fortune in computer software, guards his privacy closely.

He prefers to stay in the background of the club’s operations and doesn’t give interviews. There isn’t even a biography for the reclusive Kerfoot on the team’s website.

His son is well aware that won’t fly in Toronto.

“It comes with the business. You get used to it,” said Alexander Kerfoot, who signed a four-year, US$14-million contract extension as a restricted free agent with the Leafs after the trade. “I’m more than happy to make appearances, to talk to the media, to do whatever’s asked of me. That’s one of the great things about this market.

“I’m looking forward to that.”

Kerfoot, who has registered 34 goals and 85 points in 157 NHL games, was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft by the New Jersey Devils out of the second-tier BCHL, but chose instead to go the U.S. college route.

He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in his senior season at Harvard before signing with the Avalanche in 2017.

“Everyone has to make the right decisions for themselves,” Kerfoot said of picking the Crimson over going pro. “I was primarily focused on academics to set myself up if hockey didn’t work out.

“It was a great experience for me. I learned a lot, became a better player. I can’t say enough good things.”

That connection to Harvard, and not the trade to the Leafs, is what brought him to Toronto for Smashfest.

Former NHLer Dominic Moore organizes the event and also happens to be a Crimson alumni. He was living in Boston and practising with Harvard last fall waiting for an opportunity to continue his career when Kerfoot’s younger brother — a forward on the squad — mentioned Alexander’s ping-pong prowess and put the two in touch. 1150147 Toronto Maple Leafs

New Leafs defenceman Jordan Schmaltz has five assists in 42 career NHL games.

By Star staff

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Jordan Schmaltz from the St. Louis Blues for fellow defenceman Andreas Borgman on Thursday.

Schmaltz, 25, collected two assists in 20 regular season games with the Blues last season and recorded nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 36 games with the American Hockey League’s San Antonio Rampage.

The native of Madison, Wisc., has five assists in 42 career NHL games and 93 points (15 goals, 78 assists) in 180 career AHL games.

Schmaltz was selected by the Blues in the first round (25th overall) of the 2012 NHL draft.

Borgman, 24, signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Maple Leafs in March and spent last season with the AHL’s Marlies, recording four goals and 13 assists in 45 regular-season games.

Borgman made his NHL debut during the 2017-18 season, posting three goals and eight assists and a plus-4 rating in 48 games with the Maple Leafs.

Toronto Star LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150148 Toronto Maple Leafs Switching his focus back to the ice, Kerfoot said having off-season training partners Barrie and Rielly in the locker room should help make his transition to the Leafs easier. And the fact he and Rielly grew up Maple Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot preparing to step into Toronto playing in the same minor hockey association and remain close doesn’t spotlight hurt either.

“Both of our dads went to school together, we grew up in the same area, so the families are close,” Kerfoot said. “It’ll be pretty cool to play with By Joshua Clipperton him.”

Kerfoot, whose family built an indoor rink on their property in Whistler, B.C., when he was a youngster, can play centre or on the wing and looks Alexander Kerfoot has an idea of what’s coming. He grew up alongside likely to start on the third line in Toronto. Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly, and his father owns a professional soccer team. “The Leafs talked to me about what they expect from me as a player, the type of game they want the team to play,” he said. “But they haven’t got But actually living in the spotlight that comes with playing hockey in into specifics. Toronto is something entirely different. “That’ll come once we get to training camp.” “I don’t think you can really prepare for the market until you get here,” Kerfoot said. “I’ll just try to embrace it.” And so will a new level of scrutiny.

He’s going to have to. “It’s great to play in markets where fans are interested and there’s exposure,” Kerfoot said. “I’m just looking at it as a positive. Hopefully it The soft-spoken West Vancouver, B.C., product was enjoying Canada works out well.” Day with family in the province’s interior when a call came from Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic telling the forward that he and Toronto Star LOADED: 07.26.2019 defencemanTyson Barrie had been traded to the Leafs for centre Nazem Kadri and minor-leaguer Calle Rosen.

Kerfoot, who turns 25 next month, played junior hockey in the BCHL, starred at Harvard University and spent the last two seasons in relative NHL anonymity in Denver.

Those days are now over, and he knows it.

“It’s obviously nothing like what I’ve experienced,” Kerfoot said ahead of Thursday’s Smashfest charity ping-pong event in Toronto. “It’s going to be different from that side of things, but at the end of the day it doesn’t impact how you play on the ice.

“I don’t think I can let it affect me.”

Kerfoot does know a thing or two about being the centre of attention, even if it’s begrudgingly.

His dad, Greg Kerfoot, is majority owner of Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps. The elder Kerfoot, who made his fortune in computer software, guards his privacy closely, stays in the background of the club’s operations and doesn’t give interviews. There isn’t even a biography for the reclusive Kerfoot on the team’s website.

His son is well aware that won’t fly in Toronto.

“It comes with the business. You get used to it,” said Alexander Kerfoot, who signed a four-year, $14-million (U.S.) contract extension with the Leafs after the trade. “I’m more than happy to make appearances, to talk to the media, to do whatever’s asked of me. That’s one of the great things about this market. I’m looking forward to that.”

Kerfoot, who has 34 goals and 85 points in 157 NHL games, was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 draft by New Jersey but chose to go to college in the U.S. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in his senior season at Harvard before signing with Colorado in 2017.

“Everyone has to make the right decisions for themselves,” Kerfoot said. “I was primarily focused on academics to set myself up if hockey didn’t work out. It was a great experience for me. I learned a lot, became a better player. I can’t say enough good things.”

That connection to Harvard, and not the trade to the Leafs, is what brought him to Toronto for Smashfest.

Former NHLer Dominic Moore organizes the event and also happens to be a Crimson alumnus. He was living in Boston and practising with Harvard last fall, waiting for an opportunity to continue his career, when Kerfoot’s younger brother — a forward on the squad — mentioned Alexander’s ping-pong prowess and put the two in touch.

Smashfest, which sees NHLers compete in a tournament with hundreds in attendance, had raised more than $865,000 in support of research and awareness for concussions and rare cancers heading into Thursday’s eighth edition.

“It’s a great event for a great cause,” Kerfoot said. “Dom reached out to me and I was happy to get involved.” 1150149 Toronto Maple Leafs Schmaltz, 25, has five assists in 42 career NHL games, all with St. Louis. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Schmaltz was a first-round pick, 25th overall, by the Blues in 2012.

Kerfoot can't wait for Maple Leafs fans to get a nice, long look at Barrie In 20 games last season, Schmaltz had two assists. In 36 games with San Antonio, the Blues’ American Hockey League affiliate, Schmaltz had one goal and eight assists. Terry Koshan A native of Madison, Wisc., Schmaltz is under contract through 2019-20 with an annual average value of $700,000.

As pumped as he is to put on a Maple Leafs sweater for the first time, Schmaltz will compete at training camp for a depth job with the Leafs, but Alex Kerfoot is just as excited to have Tyson Barrie along for the ride. could have an edge on the sixth spot considering he shoots right. The Leafs also have added two other right-handed shooting D-men, Barrie “I really don’t think he does (get the credit he deserves),” Kerfoot said on and Cody Ceci. Thursday night. Schmaltz’s main competition likely will be Justin Holl, who has been “Being (in Toronto), he will get a lot of exposure. His numbers (307 points knocking on the door for a couple of seasons, if Babcock is adamant in 484 NHL games) speak for themselves. Not many defencemen in the about having a right-handed shot on his third pair. league in the last few years who have put up the types of numbers that he has. The physical Borgman had 11 points in 48 games with the Leafs in 2017- 18, but eventually became an afterthought with the Toronto Marlies. His “People have critiqued his defensive game at times, but we have seen it AAV for this season also is $700,000. first-hand (as teammates with the Colorado Avalanche). He is a good defensive player as well and think that sometimes people are a little too The Marlies, meanwhile, announced a pair of pre-season games against hard on him in that sense. the Rochester Americans.

“I think he can change the game just with what he brings on a day-to-day On Sept. 27, the AHL rivals will meet at the HarborCenter in Buffalo. On basis, his pace, his ability to make plays in the offensive end, and he is a Sept. 29, the clubs will square off in Newmarket at the Ray Twinney great teammate in the locker room. I think he’ll fit very well with this Recreation Complex in a game hosted by the Central York Girls Hockey group.” Association.

Kerfoot, acquired from the Avs with Barrie on July 1 in the trade that sent IT’S A SMASH Nazem Kadri and Calle Rosen west, talked to media at the eighth annual Smashfest, the charity ping-pong tournament hosted by former Leaf Smashfest has become such a success that plans are being hatched to Dominic Moore. take it to other cities, while keeping an annual event in Toronto.

Since 2012, the tournament has raised over $865,000 for concussion “We started this with a small idea, so to see what it has become, is and rare cancer research. extremely gratifying to see what we’ve been able to do with the money,” Moore said. “We want to bring the event to more places and more Kerfoot was among the Leafs in attendance along with goaltender people. We want to embrace growing it.” Frederik Andersen and defenceman Ben Harpur, acquired during the off- season from the Ottawa Senators. Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.26.2019

Kerfoot, who signed a four-year contract with the Leafs on July 4, has had discussions with coach Mike Babcock and general manager about his role.

But centre or wing? That remains to be seen.

“We’ve just had conversations about what they expect out of me, how the team wants to play, but haven’t got specific in where I’m going to slot into the lineup,” Kerfoot said. “I’m happy wherever they want me to play.”

NAME TAGS REQUIRED

With the numerous changes the Leafs have made to the roster in the off- season, Andersen acknowledged it could take some time for the club to come together.

“It’s going to be a challenge, but I think most hockey players are pretty easy to get to be good friends with each other and I think that’s something we can do pretty quickly,” Andersen said. “Trying to acclimate myself with the new guys and saying goodbye (to others) that I got to know a lot over the last few years. It’s going to be tough, but that’s part of it.”

Part of Andersen’s off-season regimen has been working on the groin issues that have popped up in the past. He said he is “excited” to see how fellow goalie Michal Neuvirth, signed to a pro tryout, does in camp, and in conversations with the unsigned Mitch Marner, said Marner “is confident” that he will be in camp.

Among Andersen’s summer highlights? The wedding of teammate Zach Hyman, the first Jewish wedding Andersen has attended.

“Little different than what I have experienced before, a little different when you lift everyone up in the chairs and break the glass,” Andersen said. “It was a lot of fun.”

LEAFS GET SCHMALTZ

The Leafs acquired defenceman Jordan Schmaltz from the St. Louis Blues for defenceman Andreas Borgman, adding right-shot depth to their blue-line corps. 1150150 Toronto Maple Leafs Because there are a number of qualities the Leafs coaching staff will quickly like in Aberg.

The first is that those are the kinds of skills that make him an option for a Wheeler: Analyzing the Leafs’ seven depth signings, from Pontus Aberg second power-play unit, a unit the Leafs will be looking to reinvigorate to Kenny Agostino under new assistant coach Paul McFarland after they struggled last season.

By Scott Wheeler Jul 25, 2019 Because of his ability as a shooter, Aberg functions best in the slot on the power play, which is where the Wild used him:

The second is that Aberg is a willing forechecker and often slides around “Who!?” defenders to either apply pressure and finish a check:

I don’t blame you if that was your reaction when the Leafs announced the Or outright win his race: signings of seven (yes, seven) new players on a Wednesday afternoon in late July. The problem with Aberg’s game, at least as it might pertain to his fit with the Leafs, is that he’s not a strong boards player. Despite being nifty with In a period of the summer when most NHL teams have slammed the his stick (you might have picked up on the little chip play above) and brakes following a busy free-agency period, Kyle Dubas and company willing to finish his checks, Aberg is often rubbed out when attempting to have continued to play cap management Jenga. win a board battle:

Wednesday, though, felt like the final pre-Mitch Marner bow on the Leafs’ It’s not for a lack of effort, though. Aberg is fearless, in some ways. He’s summer. It left the Leafs with 48 player contracts, two shy of the willing to go to the front of the net and take a beating: collective bargaining agreement’s 50-contract limit. And it gave them some intriguing options. That has always been true of his game, and it was true against the Predators: While the latest round of moves appears insignificant in the aftermath of a Nazem Kadri-for-Tyson Barrie trade, the signings set in motion a reality On this sequence, he goes back thrice: that has been taking shape all summer: The bottom half of the Leafs On another, after joining the rush and driving the net, he releases to the roster is going to have a decidedly different look in 2019-20. slot for a tip:

In the interest of digging in on the impact Wednesday’s signings might Defensively, he’s willing to put in the effort to get back and support the have for the Leafs, I have broken down all seven players below. The play, even if once he retrieves the puck he decides to try to slide the puck analysis is based on a combination of my work watching them play in the through his teammates’ skates when he didn’t really need to: AHL for the past few years, a review of some of their recent NHL tape and the available data. Off the puck, he does a good job staying above the play as the high guy in the offensive zone when he needs to. He did a nice job staying high Pontus Aberg, LW/RW, 25 (one year, one-way, $700K) and disrupting the Preds’ exit here:

As I was sifting through the Leafs’ news release, Aberg’s name was the He did a nice job doing the same and applying pressure to force a dump- first that jumped out. in here, too:

Aberg was a 37th overall pick who put together an impressive young After his shot attempt on the left wing, he also did a nice job tracking the career in Sweden’s top two pro leagues before making the jump to the play across the zone to push it back in at the opposite wall here: AHL as one of the league’s more entertaining players. I have really enjoyed watching him play with the Milwaukee Admirals, where he Ultimately, though, what the Leafs are getting in Aberg is a depth player became one of the league’s dominant finishers, with 36 goals and 60 with flair who can add offence lower in a lineup (particularly as a shot points in 62 AHL games across parts of the past three seasons. generator rather than a playmaker) and help out on PP2 if need be. If they’re looking to get heavier at the bottom of their lineup (which Dubas’ That play has earned him a number of NHL auditions for three teams, moves don’t seem to indicate but Babcock’s words have), he’s probably totaling 43 points in 127 games for the Predators, Ducks and Wild. The not the ideal fit. 25-year-old’s NHL results have been mixed, though. While he tends to drive shots and possession (that was particularly true in the first half of At his best, though, there’s a lot to like in Aberg as another legitimate last season when he was possession-positive on the heavily negative option to challenge for the opening night roster. Ducks before being dealt to the Wild), Aberg’s defensive results have been sporadic. This sequence speaks to that by blending that forecheck I talked about with the on-puck speed needed to create retrievals and make plays: Stylistically, it’s not hard to see why. So does this sequence, through the way he applies pressure to force a For the purpose of this analysis, I rewatched all 16 (13 at even strength, turnover and get pucks to the net here: three on the power play) of his shifts from his final game of the 2018-19 season with the Wild, totaling a little less than 12 minutes of ice time that The assumption is that the Leafs’ top nine includes the following players: produced three shot attempts. Mikheyev/Johnsson — Matthews — Nylander

Aberg is a lot like some of the Leafs’ other recent depth pursuits, Nic Hyman — Tavares — Marner Petan and Tyler Ennis (who also fell out of favour with the Wild), in that: Mikheyev/Johnsson — Kerfoot — Kapanen He’s under 6-foot. Before Wednesday’s news was official, that meant you had Jason He plays a bit of a haywire style that lends itself to some productive Spezza and Frederik Gauthier fighting for 4C and a combination of offensive zone shifts but doesn’t necessarily do it with the elements some Petan, Trevor Moore and Jeremy Bracco fighting for the final two spots coaches (the Leafs’ coach included) covet in a fourth-line player. on the wing.

Aberg (No. 26 in all clips) likes to try things. I believe Aberg gives the Leafs another contender in that fight for 4RW Sometimes, he’ll attempt a backheel pass to a teammate in the slot and it and 4LW (both of which he can play because he prefers left wing but will fail, resulting in a turnover: shoots right).

But sometimes, he’ll also deftly control the puck on the back of his heel Aberg isn’t the only name who I believe adds to that conversation on the and step over it to remain onside: fourth line, though. Which brings me to …

None of this is to say that this style is going to typecast Aberg as a player Kenny Agostino, C/LW, 27 (two years, one-way, $737.5K) Babcock doesn’t like. Agostino was the second of the seven names that jumped out at me. (Though we’ve known for a while that Agostino, Shore and Gravel were signed, even if the Leafs hadn’t confirmed as much.) Unlike Aberg, though, I have always appreciated Agostino for the games, with Shore on the ice. He was great for reliability of his game. If Aberg offers the offensive mystique that Babcock and really turned it on in their brief playoff run, too. might not love in that role, Agostino offers the comfort we know Babcock has often leaned on deeper in the lineup. Given how the Leafs have lacked organizational depth at centre for the third and fourth lines for a while now, it’s a natural fit. Shore’s arrival likely His two-year deal and slightly better salary than Aberg probably indicate means that he and Spezza insulate each other at 4C, pushing Gauthier that the Leafs see that same level of comfort, too. out of the fold. If injury strikes to one of Matthews, Tavares or Kerfoot, Spezza can slide up and help out offensively on the third line and Shore Though Agostino has always been a borderline more productive player can play 4C. than Aberg at the AHL level (Agostino led the AHL in scoring in 2017 and was named the league’s most valuable player on the back of 83 points in Shore doesn’t have the ability to play up in the lineup the way other Leafs 65 games), he did it in a considerably less flashy way. depth forwards such as Moore, Petan and Aberg do, but he’s the kind of player Babcock has wanted in a fourth-line centre who can penalty kill. That’s true in his NHL game, too. And it was reinforced when I reviewed That has value for a Leafs team that has asked its wingers to take a lot of all 17 of his shifts (more than 14-and-a-half minutes) in his final game of PK draws in recent years (to varying degrees of success). last season with the Devils. Kevin Gravel, LHD, 27 (one year, one-way, $700K) Agostino (No. 17 in all clips) makes simple plays, whether that’s hitting his teammates with a cross-ice pass through the neutral zone rather than If Shore gets typecast as a player who makes sense for the Leafs’ carrying it or following up that pass by winning the puck back below the analytics bent, Gravel won’t. Though he played to positive results in a goal line and making the simple play back to the point: sheltered role with the Kings in 2016-17, Gravel has struggled in two seasons prior. Those simple plays, when repeated, can create positive results, like the zone exit below. His signing is likely driven more by a perceived (and potentially real) need for the Leafs to get bigger — and it lines up with the additions of Here, the quick decision to play the puck back rather than force it forward Cody Ceci and Ben Harpur in that way. allows Agostino to get it back a second time and make another simple play across the neutral zone to a teammate: Gravel, at his best, is a third-pairing defenceman who can play low-event hockey and kill penalties. One thing that’s worth noting about Gravel after Agostino’s more of an east-west player vs. Aberg’s north-south tempo. having watched him play in the AHL: Despite being 6-foot-4 and more That little play off his backhand at the boards to the middle of the ice is a than 210 pounds, he’s not a punishing physical threat. He and Harpur common one. play very different styles in that way, despite looking the same.

Here, it’s the same exact play in a different zone: Given that Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci are And here it is from his forehand in the neutral zone: almost certainly the Leafs’ top four defencemen to start the season (especially before Travis Dermott returns from injury), Gravel probably Even in transition, his drives into the middle normally end in a kick-out: has a real shot to challenge for a spot out of camp.

In the offensive zone, Agostino also prefers to pass rather than shoot. In With handedness, style of play and Babcock in mind (i.e. a lefty with a this situation, Aberg is almost certainly trying to pick his spot. Instead, righty, a steadying presence with a carrier, etc.), below are the potential Agostino looks to pass and finds his man for what should have probably third pairings before Dermott returns. These pairings are sorted by what I been a drawn hooking penalty: believe will be the most likely battles dependent on the direction they opt to go with style of play (green being most likely, red being least likely), Like Aberg, Agostino is also a willing forechecker: not by personal preference: Once he wins the race, he’s more capable on the cycle, though. And that, Garrett Wilson, LW/RW, 28 (one year, one-way, $725K) along with the low-risk nature of his game, might be the difference for a coach such as Babcock. Though Wilson was signed to a one-way deal, I suspect he’s a serious camp long shot and not a factor in the fourth-line battle in the same way This cycle sequence really impressed me for the way Agostino absorbs a Aberg and Agostino will be. hit, leverages his weight to give a hit and forced a turnover and then retrieves the puck for a third time below the goal line in 20 seconds: Wilson’s biggest advantage vs. Agostino and Aberg will be his size (6- foot-2), length and physicality (he’s not afraid to drop the gloves). If he’s Where Aberg would try to hang onto the puck (a lot like Ennis would), going to be a factor, it will likely be because Babcock feels the Leafs Agostino will race for a retrieval and then quickly find the next pass: need more snarl at the bottom of the lineup. Where Aberg probably stops and corrals a puck at the point and attacks Otherwise, I imagine Wilson is placed on waivers, likely clears and slots into the space provided to pick his spot, Agostino just gets the puck on in with the Marlies as a veteran presence and leader who is there as net (this goal was disallowed for a high stick): Leafs depth if injuries strike and they aren’t yet comfortable with younger, There are legitimate arguments to be made in favour of both styles. more talented options such as Bracco. The Marlies lost the entirety of Ennis provided a unique dynamic to the Leafs’ fourth line for chunks of their non-Rich Clune captains when they decided to move on from last season and Aberg might be that guy again. But Babcock has always assistants Vincent LoVerde, Chris Mueller and Colin Greening this preferred players such as Agostino — and there’s value in the way summer. Wilson, who was Wilkes-Barre’s captain last season when he Agostino plays, too. wasn’t in the NHL with the Penguins, could help fill that void. He’s a decent AHL-level offensive threat, in a way that a player such as It’s worth noting that Agostino also played up and down the Devils’ lineup Greening never was. last season, including an extended stint on its first line. In the game I reviewed, he was used for two key defensive zone shifts in the final three Tyler Gaudet and Kalle Kossila, C/LW, 26 (two-way, $700K) minutes. Gaudet and Kossila are Marlies depth and really similar, not only in their Nick Shore, C, 26 (one year, one-way, $750K) shared age but in their shared positions and contracts.

The Shore signing makes a ton of sense for the Leafs. He’s an analytics The 6-foot-3 Gaudet has made a name for himself as an excellent two- darling who has proven he can be a reliable, safe, possession-driving way player in the AHL, and he has previously played under both Dubas depth forward. and Sheldon Keefe with the Soo Greyhounds. He gives the Marlies size and support on their third or fourth line, without being a real threat to He should have gotten an NHL deal a year ago and his re-entry after a challenge players such as Bracco, Adam Brooks and Dmytro Timashov year in the KHL is well-earned. In his last season in the NHL in 2017-18, for offensive opportunities. Every organization needs that guy. Shore was 53 CF% player in 49 games with the Kings, a 56 CF% player in six games for the Senators and a 55 CF% player in nine games with The 5-foot-10 Kossila has some offensive flair, has been a point-per- the Flames. Those results aren’t an anomaly, either. They’re Shore’s game player in the AHL before and will almost certainly be given a norm. In the three prior seasons, all in L.A., the Kings outshot their prominent role on one of the Marlies’ power-play units. There’s an actual opponents 915-709, a rate of 56 percent across a sample size of 172 NHL future for him, so I’m not surprised that his contract is a year longer than Gaudet’s. He was an excellent college player and finished sixth in the NCAA in scoring as St. Cloud State’s leading scorer in 2016.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150151 Vegas Golden Knights The Golden Knights only committed one year to Engelland, who does not see his upcoming 11th season in the league as a victory lap. How long he plays is anyone’s guess, and ditto for how long he will be a Golden Golden Knights’ Engelland: ‘This is where my heart is’ Knight.

“You talk to a lot of guys that have retired after long careers, and they wished they played longer, and they tell you play as long as you can,” By Justin Emerson (contact) Engelland said. “The body’s holding up well, so keep going and try to help the team achieve the ultimate goal of winning in any way that we

can.” Deryk Engelland never wanted to leave the Golden Knights. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 07.26.2019 But as July 1 ••— the opening of NHL free agency — grew nearer, he was hearing offers from other teams and not much from Vegas. He gave the front office a call to make sure they were on the same page. He was satisfied, and got the deal done this week.

“This is home; this is where my heart is,” Engelland said. “We’ve started such a great culture here and I want to see it through to the end.”

Engelland signed a one-year, bonus-laden deal with Vegas on Tuesday. It came three weeks after free agency began, but neither side was worried about Engelland wearing a different jersey next season.

“I don’t think there’s any real urgency to it because he knows where we are,” general manager George McPhee said on July 1.

Engelland’s contract pays him a base salary of the league-minimum $700,000, with performance bonuses that can push the deal to $1.5 million. A PuckPedia report says those bonuses are based on games played, ice time and team playoff performance, and most appear attainable.

What comes next is figuring out Engelland’s role.

He was third on the team last year in regular-season ice time and was first in short-handed ice time and ice time for the seven playoff games. He played the second half of the season on the top pair with Nate Schmidt and was the team’s unofficial captain. He’s also the only right- handed shot returning after the Colin Miller trade.

But Engelland is 37 years old and will be 38 come playoff time. Last year, he had his fewest points and goals in a season in four years and was worth a team-worst -1.09 wins above replacement, according to Corsica.

Before performance bonuses, Engelland will have the lowest cap hit of any defenseman next year, including any rookies. Even if he reaches all his bonuses, he will top out at fifth among team blue liners.

So where does he play?

He started last year playing with Shea Theodore, before swapping partners for Schmidt in January. Theodore developed terrific chemistry with Brayden McNabb and saw both his possession and scoring numbers rise with McNabb.

Schmidt, meanwhile, dropped from a 50.7 Corsi percentage and 52.7 expected goals percentage player with McNabb to a 46.3 Corsi percentage and 45.1 expected goals percentage with Engelland.

Maybe that’s McNabb’s defensive prowess allowing offensive players like Schmidt and Theodore to shine, but it could be Engelland slowing them down.

Next year, the Golden Knights will run out mostly the same blue line, minus Miller and plus a rookie defenseman to be named later. Schmidt, Theodore, McNabb, Jon Merrill and Nick Holden are back, with Nicolas Hague, Jimmy Schuldt and Zach Whitecloud among those battling for the last spot.

Theodore and McNabb figure to stay together in one of the top-two pairs, with Schmidt grabbing another spot. It could be Engelland, allowing Merrill, Holden and the rookie rotating through the bottom pair.

But the Golden Knights liked what Engelland did for Theodore’s development, allowing a young offensive defenseman to grow alongside a veteran defensive-first player, and history could repeat itself. Engelland could help ease Hague or Schuldt into the lineup and allow them to play their natural left side.

That leaves Schmidt playing with either Merrill or Holden, and a potential opening night lineup of McNabb-Theodore, Merrill-Schmidt and Hague- Engelland. 1150152 Washington Capitals For now, keeping Hagelin over Connolly makes sense. Washington will miss Connolly’s offensive production from its lineup, but if the team gives up fewer goals next season then it will not need as many. If the team 20 Burning Capitals Questions: Will keeping Carl Hagelin over Brett suffers an injury to the top-six, however, it has lost that obvious candidate Connolly prove to be the right move? to bump up into a bigger role. If the team does not improve defensively quite as much as anticipated, those missing 22 goals will loom large as the team certainly looks a bit more top-heavy offensively than the past few years. By J.J. Regan July 25, 2019 10:00 AM Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 07.26.2019

The long, endless summer is only halfway done. The Capitals last played a game on April 24 and will not play another one until Oct. 2.

But with free agency and the NHL Draft behind them now, the 2019-2020 roster is almost set and it won’t be long until players begin trickling back onto the ice in Arlington for informal workouts.

With that in mind, and given the roasting temperatures outside, for the next three weeks NBC Sports Washington will look at 20 burning questions facing the Capitals as they look to rebound from an early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs, keep alive their title streak and get back to their championship form of 2018.

The list will look at potential individual milestones, roster questions, prospects who might help and star players with uncertain futures. Today we look at the team’s decision to re-sign Carl Hagelin.

Will keeping Hagelin over Brett Connolly prove to be the right move?

As the Caps entered the offseason with a number of important personnel decisions to make, one of them was whether to re-sign Hagelin or Connolly. Both players needed new contracts but the team could only afford to re-sign one of them.

Hagelin is a very versatile player. He could fit into just about every offensive line if the team needed, has great speed and is a top penalty killer. His offensive upside, however, is limited as he has never scored more than 17 goals and 35 points in a single season and he did that back in 2014-15. He was limited to just five total goals last season. Connolly, on the other hand, is not nearly as versatile a player. He is not great in his own end and not overly physical or fast. He is a sniper and the one thing he does well is score goals.

Last season was a career year for Connolly who scored 22 goals and 46 points, topping his previous career-high set the year before by 19 points.

With enough money for one player, the Caps elected to keep Hagelin and signed him to a four-year, $11 million contract with a cap hit of $2.75 million per season.

But was it the right move?

Initially, it sure didn’t look like it. Twenty-goal scorers do not grow on trees and Connolly was able to score 22 goals despite playing on the third line with only 13:20 worth of ice-time per game. Washington got only five goals from its bottom-six in seven playoff games last season and Connolly had two of them. Now they were going to let him walk?

But Brian MacLellan had a plan. While offensive depth looked like an issue, team defense may have been a bigger one. Per Natural Stat Trick, only one team in the NHL allowed more high-danger chances over the course of the 2018-19 season than the Caps did. Washington held the third-worst high-danger scoring chance percentage and has seen that percentage get worse in each of the past five seasons. As one would expect, this is leading to more goals in the back of the net. In 2016-17, Washington allowed just 2.16 goals per game. Over the past two seasons, that average has skyrocketed to 2.90 in 2017-18 and 3.02 in 2018-19.

The additions of players like Richard Panik, Garnet Hathaway and Brendan Leipsic are a clear indication that the team is looking to get better defensively. With that goal in mind, it makes sense why MacLellan would value a player like Hagelin, who fits the mold for what the team is trying to accomplish with its bottom-six, as opposed to Connolly.

Connolly would ultimately sign a four-year, $14 million deal with the Florida Panthers giving him a cap hit that was $750,000 higher than Hagelin’s. That is not a huge amount, but when you consider the Caps currently sit over the salary cap after Christian Djoos was awarded a $1.25 million contract in arbitration, that is a difference in hindsight the team really could not afford. 1150153 Websites whether it’s taking punishment in front of the net on the power play or building relationships in the dressing room as was obviously the case when he made his emotional departure from New Jersey prior to last The Athletic / Helping us capture the spirit of the thing: The NHL All- year’s trade deadline. That honesty extends to reporters as well. It’s the Interview team willingness to really consider a question before preparing an answer. It might seem like a small thing but how often do we say this is a details game and Brian Boyle understands that the details are important on every level, even if it’s talking to ink-stained wretches like us. By Craig Custance Third line:

Ryan Reaves (3) – Joe Thornton (3) – Nathan MacKinnon (3) Sometimes we’re a bit hard on hockey players when it comes to interviews and the tendency to give vanilla answers. And it’s true, they do Joe Thornton brought us one of the greatest hockey quotes of all time, often seem to loathe to say anything interesting. They lean too much on sharing his thoughts on how he’d celebrate a four-goal game. That alone cliches. I’ll be the first to admit that I occasionally feel media envy puts him on the team. He also seems to prefer doing every interview watching an NBA press conference. without a shirt on, so he has that going for him… MacKinnon is great because he’s not afraid to say something interesting. He speaks But I also realized just how good we have it when I asked the NHL honestly, with confidence and insight. When Colorado starts going on writers at The Athletic to help out with an All-Interview team as part of our long playoff runs here in the next several years, he’s going to be a media Lineup Week package of stories. The request was made to name the favorite. three forwards, goalies, defensemen and coaches they enjoying interviewing the most. In all, 36 writers responded and over 120 different Jesse Granger’s scouting report on Reaves: Ryan Reaves is as brash off players were mentioned. That’s crazy. Everybody seemed to have the ice as he is on it, and it makes for a fantastic interview. He’s witty different favorites and players they go to for insight and information. And enough to crack a joke or two but more importantly, in the end, he will so, this All-Interview team is part appreciation, part recognition and a talk very candidly about the game, not using cliches to censor his glimpse for subscribers to see just who we enjoy chatting with the most thoughts. when the dressing rooms open up. Fourth line: The panel: 36 of our NHL writers who aren’t on vacation right now. Total votes in parenthesis. David Backes (2) – Auston Matthews (2) – Taylor Hall (2)

Forwards Backes is just an absolute pro. Great guy. Great conversationalist. But also willing to share information and insight so that you leave the Top line: conversation feeling like you’ve learned something. When he was with the Blues and you were covering a playoff series you had to consciously Nick Foligno (6) – Sidney Crosby (7) – Justin Williams (6) make a point of going elsewhere for quotes or else every story had a The top vote-getter amongst the forwards also happens to be the best Backes quote in it… I was certainly concerned that Matthews would go to player (arguably!) in the NHL and one of the best to ever play the game. Toronto and lose his personality under the spotlight and that hasn’t Crosby has continued a lineage that started with , was happened. He’s got a bit of an edge to him at times, which I like. He can passed to and exists now with him where he understands be engaging, funny and interesting. his stature in the game. He knows he’s going to be asked about league Corey Masisak’s scouting report on Taylor Hall: One thing that stands out issues. He knows his quotes are going to become headlines. And he still about Taylor Hall is his willingness to be objective about his team’s play. makes an effort to give thoughtful, extended answers to nearly every Another thing is his grasp of what is going on around the NHL (and other question thrown in his direction. He also earns points here because of his sports, considering his tweet about the NBA during the playoffs) and his accessibility. I’ve covered a million playoff games involving the Penguins ability to provide context and insight on issues large and small. And he and you can always count on Crosby to answer questions after, win or might be the most fluent player in the sport when it comes to analytics — lose… Nick Foligno is just a beautiful human being. He’s funny. He’s conversations with him can (and usually do) go well beyond the basic insightful. He’ll take every last question. One of the all-timers. concepts like Corsi and PDO. Sara Civian’s scouting report on Justin Williams: Williams is thoughtful Others receiving multiple votes: Gabriel Landeskog, Jason Spezza, Brad and isn’t afraid to call you out on your cliches in a way that actually Marchand, Brad Richardson, Patrick Kane, Vincent Trocheck, Brandon makes you better. You have to spar with him for a minute but if you make Dubinsky it out alive, you have something more substantial than anything in the NHL these days that is just so original. Anyone who has interviewed him Defense even twice knows he’s going to be a stellar coach when the time comes because of the way he articulates his answers and everything he knows. Drew Doughty (12) – Brent Burns (8) Not that this is about media members feeling validated, but he will Ian Cole (6) – P.K. Subban (5) address you by name and look you in the eye — something colleague Eric Duhatschek has essentially called a lost art between media and Nate Schmidt (4) – Victor Hedman (4) players. Keith Yandle (4) – Ben Lovejoy (4) Second line: The defense is loaded. Oh man. Drew Doughty is the best. I’ll let Lisa Steven Stamkos (4) – Matt Duchene (5) – Brian Boyle (4) break him down further but he always delivers. He seems to enjoy the process more than any player in the league… You never know where a Stamkos is another player who earns points for his stature in the game conversation with Brent Burns is going to end up. I once interviewed him and willingness to answer questions with courtesy and consideration. He and accidentally ended up buying a 35-foot Winnebago… Ian Cole might doesn’t lean on cliches. He listens while you’re asking the question and be the best in the league when it comes to talking about his teammates. tries to share his insight. You never feel rushed and it ends up feeling A great guy to go to for insight into the player sitting next to him. Ben more like a conversation than an interview… Matt Duchene was in my Lovejoy and Nate Schmidt are very similar… Subban is smart, fun, top three. He’s a hockey nerd and I mean that as a high compliment. entertaining, not afraid of making a statement. If there’s something He’s a great guy to talk to about anything league related or to get insight controversial in a game, you want him involved because you know he’s into opposing players. He can explain things about the game that only a going to say something interesting about it afterward… Hedman is a bit player who sees the game at a high level can do. He’s great. low key but incredibly smart and articulate. If you want to know what Scott Burnside’s scouting report on Brian Boyle: I think what draws makes an opposing player great, and really get specific about it, you ask people in our business to Brian Boyle in terms of being a go-to guy for Hedman. interviews is what draws teams like the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lisa Dillman’s scouting report on Drew Doughty: Drew Doughty would Lightning, New Jersey Devils and most recently the Nashville Predators have been on an All-Interview Team in any decade, really. Think of him to Brian Boyle when it comes to leadership and creating a culture of as an unplugged, unfiltered throwback in a day where cliched caution winning. It’s the honesty that Boyle brings to all the moments of the game seems to be the operating philosophy. I remember him telling me last season that he loved the Jimmy Butler story, of Butler calling out the Timberwolves. Doughty: “I could see myself doing something ridiculous like that. But not to that extent.” If he decides to … well, we’ll be waiting.

Others receiving multiple votes: Torey Krug, Ryan Suter, Seth Jones, Mark Giordano, Zdeno Chara, Connor Murphy, Kevin Shattenkirk, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson

Goalie

Marc-Andre Fleury (7)

Henrik Lundqvist (5)

Pekka Rinne (3)

Ryan Miller (3)

Cory Schneider (3)

Antti Raanta (3)

This list could have been about 20 deep. Goalies are fascinating because so many of them are students of the game. From a media perspective, one of the worst trends has been the limitation of their media access in the morning of games because every guy on this list is insightful, thoughtful and a blast to chat with.

Rob Rossi’s scouting report on Marc-Andre Fleury: Marc is funny. He likes to have fun. He acts in the same manner with the media as he does with his teammates — accountable in tough times, but always focusing on something positive. He’s does that with his self-depreciation and a wit that is quicker than his glove.

He has been through enough to provide insight on almost any issue, and he is happy to serve as a voice for a story about teammates or league issues. His experience as the face of a couple of franchises gives him a unique perspective on the role media plays in framing a narrative. And he came up at a time when media and players playfully bantered, so he is comfortable building relationships with reporters. As he has often said: “It’s a game, you know. We play it, you write about us playing it. We have good jobs.”

Probably also helps he doesn’t read the stories. A lot of players say they don’t. He doesn’t. Frees him to be expansive and engaging.

Coach

Head coach: Paul Maurice (9 votes)

Assistants: John Tortorella (6 votes), Bruce Boudreau (3 votes), Barry Trotz (3 votes)

Others receiving multiple votes: Bruce Cassidy, Jon Cooper, Peter DeBoer

These are the guys we deal with the most. There are conversations every morning. There are press conferences after every game. You don’t make it as an NHL head coach without having an advanced hockey mind and an ability to communicate and that’s what makes most coaches such an interesting conversation. You’ve seen the Tortorella highlights but he’s also extremely engaging when he wants to be and brutally honest. It’s a great combo… Boudreau is funny, a fantastic story-teller and good for at least two great one-liners in every conversation… Trotz is a teacher. Ask him a good question and you’ll definitely learn something new.

Murat Ates’ scouting report on Paul Maurice: By now, everyone knows that Paul Maurice is charismatic, clever and quotable whether he’s offering insight or just shooting the shit. That said, I think what’s most unique about Maurice is how quickly he reads the room — how well he makes reporters feel understood. Personally, Maurice and I went from zero to him joking about stealing my laptop and slashing my tires in an awful hurry and I think that’s a great example of Maurice knowing his audience and speaking directly to it.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150154 Websites of Draisaitl’s career – where he was shooting 11 percent prior to last season.

Realistically, we should expect him to regress to his career average in The Athletic / Tulloch: The NHL’s top 10 regression candidates for 2019- 2019-20 (which is now closer to 13 percent after last year’s 50-goal 20 season). If he can find a way to keep generating shots at a high volume, especially on the power play, he can help stave off some of that regression (with his talent, I wouldn’t put it past him). If he spends most By Ian Tulloch Jul 25, 2019 of the season running Edmonton’s second line, however, it’s likelier he takes on more of a playmaking role and finishes the season closer to 35

goals – which is still superb when you’re capable of generating 50-plus A few days ago I published my top 10 breakout candidates for 2019-20, assists like Draisaitl. which seemed to generate a lot of buzz. With that being the case, I 3. Morgan Rielly, LD, Toronto Maple Leafs thought it would be fun to take a look at the opposite end of the spectrum. Which players are most likely to take a step backwards next If there were any concerns about my Leafs bias, I hope this will help season? dispel them. Much like Draisaitl, Rielly is a great player who I expect to perform well in 2019-20. The issue is that he shot well above his career If we’re going to look for indicators that a particular type of player is going average last year, resulting in a 20-goal season that he realistically won’t to break out, we need to be looking for signs of regression the other way. be able to repeat. Answering this question is never fun, but it’s an important aspect of predicting future performance. The best predictors tend to be shooting The biggest question last season was whether Rielly had drastically percentage-based; we know that players aren’t likely to continue shooting improved his shot quality. We can look into that using a metric called well above their career average. The same logic applies to goaltenders, “Expected Goals”, which determines how often a particular shot should although I didn’t include many of them on the list due to the volatility of result in a goal. For example: a three percent shot from the blueline is save percentage from year to year (it’s much more difficult to predict). worth 0.03 expected goals, whereas a 20 percent shot from the slot is worth 0.20 expected goals. When you see one of your favourite players listed here, please try to remember that this isn’t a reflection on their play; it simply means they’re Looking at the numbers, we can see that Rielly increased his shot unlikely to produce as well as they did in 2018-19. Since most players volume last season, but his shot quality remained roughly the same. It’s are unlikely to repeat career years (or spikes in shooting percentage), possible he generated a few more open looks off the rush, but nothing that opens the door for a lot of big names to make the list. There are that would justify the shooting percentage boon we saw last year. bound to be disagreements over which players were and weren’t Realistically, we should expect him to regress closer to his career included, which I genuinely enjoy; they can lead to some great average shooting percentage moving forward, which is probably going to discussions in the comments section (we’ll try our best to keep things cost him about eight goals at five-on-five. civil, though, since I know this can be a touchy topic). Try to keep this in mind when you’re reading the “What’s wrong with Without further ado, let’s dive into things! Morgan Rielly” articles a few months into the 2019-20 season. He’s still the same player, he just went on a shooting percentage bender last year. 1. Andrew Shaw, RW, Chicago Blackhawks 4. John Carlson, RD, Washington Capitals We’re going to start with Shaw because he’s the best example of what we’re discussing. He’d always been a player who produced roughly 30- What’s interesting about Carlson is that he and Rielly had very similar 40 points per season, but he exploded in 2018-19 with a career-high 47 seasons last year. Both finished in the top five of Norris voting after points in only 63 games. putting up monster point totals and a high plus-minus in big minutes (plus-minus is a terrible stat, but it’s typically a major consideration for Something doesn’t add up here. I could see this making sense if he was Norris voting). playing on a line with Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid for the first time, but his most common linemate was Max Domi (who we’re going to talk Unlike Rielly, I doubt Carlson’s goal totals are going to drop dramatically. about later). We’ve seen Shaw play with talented players like Jonathan My bigger concern is how well he’s going to impact goal differential at Toews and Brandon Saad in the past, so I don’t think linemate quality is five-on-five, not to mention his assist totals (for fantasy owners out there). a strong enough argument to justify such a big increase in points. In 2018-19, Carlson was on the ice for a lot of goals, which helped prop up his assist numbers and plus-minus. The problem is that those Looking at it more closely, power-play time wasn’t a factor either; he only numbers aren’t sustainable when you look at the Capitals’ shooting put up six points with the man advantage in 2018-19, which is exactly his percentage with him on the ice. career average. This all comes down to even-strength production, and there’s one simple explanation for his meteoric rise last season: a I’ve heard the argument that Carlson gets to play with some extremely shooting percentage bender. talented finishers in Washington’s top six, but that also would have been the case in his previous seasons with the team. If we’re looking at this Here’s a look at how Shaw’s team has shot with him on the ice at five-on- objectively, we shouldn’t expect the Capitals to shoot north of 10 percent five throughout his career (we call this On-Ice Sh% – the team’s shooting with Carlson on the ice next season, let alone 12 percent. percentage while Shaw was on the ice). It’s worth noting that I still think Carlson and Rielly are effective top- To help explain how unsustainable those numbers are, Crosby’s pairing defencemen, but everything went right for them in 2018-19. That Penguins have only shot 8.7 percent with him on the ice at five-on-five isn’t likely to repeat itself next season (especially in the shooting since 2013. We just don’t see players sustain on-ice shooting percentage department), which is why I doubt either player finishes in the percentages north of 11 percent – even the best players in the world – top five of Norris voting in 2019-20. which is why we should expect some serious regression for Shaw in 2019-20 (and his linemates, which we’re going to discuss later). 5. Elias Lindholm, RW, Calgary Flames

2. Leon Draisaitl, C/LW, Edmonton Oilers The Dougie Hamilton trade worked out nicely for both teams last season, with Carolina adding a top-pairing defenceman en route to their first Let me start by saying that Draisaitl is a phenomenal player (I wouldn’t be conference final appearance since 2009, and Calgary getting 78 points surprised if he puts up 35 goals and 55 assists next season). With that out of Elias Lindholm (not to mention Noah Hanifin’s strong year on the being said, his 50-goal total from last year seems unsustainable when we second pairing). The question I keep asking myself is: how much of take a look underneath the hood. Lindholm’s production is sustainable? A 20 percent shooting clip isn’t a sustainable number moving forward. He was roughly a 40-45 point player in Carolina the previous four Even the best snipers in the league don’t convert on that many of their seasons, but skyrocketed into a near point-per-game forward with shots at five-on-five (Steven Stamkos hovered around 16 percent in his Calgary in 2018-19. I understand that he turned 24 (which research prime). We could make the argument that Draisaitl’s going to spend a suggests is when most players peak) and got to play big minutes with solid chunk of next season alongside McDavid, who can help inflate his elite talent (Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan), but something still shooting percentage, but those two have actually shared the ice for most feels a bit off. His most common linemates were Sebastian Aho and Jeff Skinner in 2017-18, both of whom had excellent seasons the year after As a longtime Kessel fan, it hurts to say this, but age (and context) is without Lindholm. That makes me wonder how much the “quality of going to catch up with him sooner rather than later. linemates” argument should factor into the equation here. 8. , RW, St. Louis Blues When I try to isolate for Lindholm’s individual impact on offence, it’s hard to see much that screams point-per-game player. You’re probably wondering why Perron is on this list considering how well he’s produced over the last two seasons (66 points in 70 games with He doesn’t touch the puck that often in transition, isn’t a high-volume Vegas two years ago, followed up by 46 points in 57 games with St shooter and generates shot assists (passes leading to a shot) at a Louis). Initially, I was in the same boat. I assumed that a player who slightly above league-average rate. That doesn’t explain Lindholm’s produced at a 77- and 66-point pace would continue that level of offensive explosion in 2018-19. production unless there were some major red flags.

The better explanation is that he shot well above his career average at I ended up finding quite a few. even strength (11.9 percent compared to 7.3 percent in the five years prior) and generated a bunch of secondary assists, which we know aren’t The biggest thing that stood out was his shooting percentage on the as repeatable. Neither of those aspects are likely to repeat themselves in power play; he shot over 39 percent with the man advantage last year, 2019-20, which is why Lindholm finds himself on this list. which is wildly unsustainable (his career average was 11 percent heading into 2018). That’s obviously not going to repeat itself, but it’s his 6. Max Domi, C, Montreal Canadiens five-on-five play that I find even more concerning.

Remember when I brought up how Andrew Shaw’s line had an As you can see, he generated shot assists at an elite rate when he was unsustainably high shooting percentage at five-on-five? Max Domi was in Vegas, which helps explain why his assist numbers were so strong in another major benefactor of that, potting 28 goals last season despite 2017-18. Fast forward a year, and he isn’t generating nearly as many only scoring five the year before when you exclude empty-netters. The passes in the offensive zone (the sample size isn’t the greatest, but as reality is probably somewhere in between those two figures, so let’s try the graphic indicates, these microstats tend to normalize around 30 our best to work this out. games).

Prior to last season, Domi scored on 7.8 percent of his shots at five-on- That helps explain the drop-off in his assist rate last season. The only five. In 2018-19, that number jumped to 14.7 percent – almost double reason Perron’s decline hasn’t been more prominent is because he’s what he was shooting before). If we add everything together (all of his been propped up by an unsustainable shooting percentage; he converted five-on-five shots throughout his career), we get a career average of 10 on 16.7 percent of his shots at five-on-five last year despite being a 10 percent. If he takes roughly the same number of shots next year (152), percent shooter in his previous six seasons. When you combine that with we should expect him to shoot at his career average shooting his five-on-four shooting percentage, it becomes clear that his goal totals percentage, scoring 15 goals (seven fewer than the 22 he had last year are going to take a big step backwards. at five-on-five). There’s also the Shaw factor we have to consider (his most common linemate last season). If you’re thinking about drafting Perron in your fantasy league this year, I’d strongly urge you to reconsider. All signs point to his production falling It’s unlikely that both Domi and Shaw repeat career years in shooting off a cliff in 2019-20, which might sting for the St Louis Blues fans percentage, which is why it’s a safe bet for both of them to take a reading this. Then again, I can’t imagine they’re going to be too worked significant drop in five-on-five point production. Now, there’s a chance up about it. that Domi’s overall point totals don’t take too much of a hit if Montreal can fix its power play, which finished second last in the NHL last season. We (Winslow Townson / USA Today) know he’s an excellent passer, so if the Canadiens can find a way to take 9. Ben Bishop, G, Dallas Stars advantage of it at five-on-four, there’s a chance Domi doesn’t drop off as much next year. I was thinking about putting a section where I would list off half of the league’s netminders – since save percentage is so volatile from year to 7. Phil Kessel, RW, Arizona Coyotes year. The best goalies tend to perform worse in the following year and What’s interesting about Kessel is that he doesn’t fit the same criteria as the worst ones tend to do better. I ended up deciding against it (the joke the players ranked above him. His shooting percentage last year was that’s going to get me in trouble comes in the next section), but I thought right in line with what he’s done throughout his career and he hasn’t been that I needed to include at least one goalie on the list. relying heavily on secondary assists. So why does he find his way on the I ended up going with Ben Bishop based on the fact that he turns 33 in list? November, has a history of groin injuries (which is concerning when It really comes down to two words: Evgeni Malkin. you’re 6-foot-7), but most importantly: he drastically outperformed his career averages last season. Malkin has been Kessel’s most common linemate over the past two seasons, which has helped him produce at an elite rate (92 points in Here’s a quick comparison of his actual save percentage at five-on-five 2017-18 and 82 points in 2018-19). He’s also been a staple on over the last few years compared to his “expected” save percentage (a Pittsburgh’s stacked power play with Malkin, Crosby, Kris Letang and metric that determines the percentage of saves we would expect a one of the best net-front players in the league, Patric Hornqvist. goaltender to make based on the shots he faced).

Now that Kessel has been traded to Arizona, he’s going to be playing There’s no denying that Bishop was phenomenal in 2018-19 – he with significantly less talented players. I’d imagine his power-play probably would have won the Vezina if he got a few more starts. The production takes a big hit (especially considering Arizona hasn’t shown issue is that he’s extremely unlikely to repeat that performance in 2019- as much willingness to play their top unit as often as Pittsburgh). 20. He’s much likelier to regress closer to his career average, which is roughly a league-average starter when you adjust for shot quality. Image from Dom Luszczyszyn’s article The good news is that Dallas has done an excellent job of limiting high- I’m a big fan of Clayton Keller’s game, but he isn’t in the same tier as quality shots under Jim Montgomery, so Bishop should be able to hover Malkin when it comes to inflating his wingers’ point totals. When you around the .915-.920 SV% range if the team continues to prevent shots combine that with Kessel’s age (32 in October), it’s a safe bet that we from the dangerous areas like they did last season. I just wouldn’t count see his production decline in 2019-20. on him being the second-best goalie in the league again next year.

Another concern is just how one-dimensional Kessel has become at even 10. The 2018-19 New York Islanders strength over the past few years. In his prime, he used to impact shot differential but Pittsburgh has actually been getting shelled at five-on-five There were so many regression candidates on last year’s Islanders team when Kessel was on the ice. After adjusting for his usage, here’s a look that I decided to bunch them all into one section (I’m sure this will go over at his impact on driving play at even strength. well in the comments). Again, this isn’t to say that all of the following players are going to play terribly next year, the evidence just suggests CF: Shot impact that they aren’t likely to perform as well as they did last season. xGF: Expected Goal impact Now that we’ve got that caveat out of the way, let’s start with the goaltenders. GF: Goal impact Robin Lehner, G, Chicago Blackhawks: After putting up a career-high unlikely for that to happen again. If he put up 40 goals and 65 assists save percentage, it’s unlikely that Lehner is going to have the same kind next season, I wouldn’t bat an eye, but I don’t think he approaches the of success behind Chicago’s defence (which has been notoriously weak 128-point pace he was on last season considering the power play’s sky- over the past few seasons, even despite their veteran additions this high shooting percentage and the number of secondary assists he was offseason). It’s never a great bet to assume a goaltender is going to able to put up at even strength. repeat a career-high in save percentage, which is why I’d put my money on Lehner regressing closer to league average next season. As we all The Hyman-Tavares-Marner line, Toronto Maple Leafs: Removing myself know, though, goaltending is voodoo (so don’t actually put money on from my Leafs bias, this is another situation where everything went right this). (which isn’t likely to repeat itself). The Leafs shot over 11 percent with these players on the ice, converted on over 20 percent of Thomas Greiss, G, New York Islanders: I’ve loved Greiss as a goaltender his shots at five-on-five en route to a 47-goal season, Mitch Marner’s for a while now which is why I hate saying he’s going to regress next primary assist rate was one of the highest we’ve ever seen and Zach season, but we just don’t see goalies repeat career years. Very few Hyman scored six empty net goals. I don’t think any of those things are goalies have put up a .927 save percentage in back-to-back seasons going to happen again in 2019-20, but I still expect them to be one of the (and the ones who have are probably headed to the Hall of Fame). As better lines in hockey. much as I like Greiss, I don’t think he’s in that echelon, which is why I expect him to regress closer to .915 next season – which would still be Jeff Skinner, LW, Buffalo Sabres: Part of me wonders if Jack Eichel can very solid. inflate his linemates’ production the same way we’ve seen players like Malkin and Tavares do it. The other part of me looks at the fact that Valtteri Filppula, C, Detroit Red Wings: I couldn’t believe Filppula’s Skinner has consistently underperformed his expected goals throughout numbers when I first looked them up – he scored 17 goals at age 35 last his career (scoring less than we would expect based on his shot season. A lot of that was smoke and mirrors. He shot over 20 percent at locations) and then drastically outperformed them in 2018-19. The five-on-five, which is well below his 11.5 shooting percentage over the answer probably lies somewhere in the middle, but it’s a safe bet that he last seven years. I always root for aging players like him to stay doesn’t approach 40 again next season. productive in their later years, but I don’t think he’s likely to repeat his performance from last year. Dylan Strome, C, Chicago Blackhawks: As fun as it was to see Strome finally break out, it’s worth noting Chicago shot 12.9 percent with him on Leo Komarov, RW, New York Islanders: Individually, Komarov’s shooting the ice at five-on-five. That number is going to drop significantly next percentage wasn’t that high (it was actually below his career average), season, which is going to lead to a lot of questions about Strome (when but he benefitted from wildly unsustainable percentages at the team realistically, we probably shouldn’t expect him to keep scoring at a near level. When you add up the team’s shooting percentage with him on the point-per-game rate). ice (9.6 percent) and save percentage (94.5 percent), you get a PDO of 104.1, which is bound to regress closer to 100 next year. This means The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 he’s unlikely to keep outscoring the opposition, since he was only controlling 45 percent of the shots and scoring chances at five-on-five. The same can be said of Filppula.

Casey Cizikas, C, New York Islanders: I always root for my fellow Mississauga natives, but I have to point out that Cizikas shot well above his career average last year at five-on-five. We know that fourth-liners aren’t going to repeatably shoot above 15 percent at even strength, so realistically, he probably drops down closer to 13 goals next season (despite putting up 20 last year).

Honourable Mentions

Cody Eakin, C, Vegas Golden Knights: He just missed the cut for this list, shooting over 18 percent at five-on-five last season (double his career average heading into 2018). It’s always fun when a player breaks the 20- goal barrier for the first time, but it doesn’t look likely that Eakin will hit that plateau again.

Esa Lindell, LD, Dallas Stars: This isn’t so much about Lindell’s point production as it is his play-driving ability. He’s actually been one of the worst puck-movers in the NHL over the last few seasons, relying heavily on John Klingberg to do the heavy lifting. With Miro Heiskanen likely to get more minutes with Klingberg on the top pairing next season, I’m not sure how much I trust Lindell to drive his own pairing.

Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues: This isn’t to take anything away from his magical 2018-19 season. I just don’t think it’s a safe bet for a rookie goaltender to repeat a .927 save percentage across a larger sample. If his playoff numbers are any indication, regression to the mean is probably the safest bet for Binnington (and all goaltenders if we’re being realistic).

Pekka Rinne, G, Nashville Predators: Speaking of regression to the mean, it’s unlikely that Rinne outperforms his career averages again next season (after accounting for shot quality), especially considering he turns 37 in November.

Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Nashville Predators: I hate including players that I love on these lists, but I have to be objective. Arvidsson converted on over 16 percent of his shots at five-on-five last year despite being a career 8.2 percent shooting coming into the year. He was on pace to score 47 goals across 82 games, which everyone in their right mind knew wasn’t sustainable, but even 40 seems like a stretch. He’s always been a high-volume shooter, but I’d imagine his shooting percentage drops back closer to the 9-10 percent range.

Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning: I feel evil for even bringing him up, but after a magical season where everything went right, it’s 1150155 Websites up front and should provide more than a little offensive cushion for a team that now has a renewed sense of playoff purpose under sophomore head coach David Quinn. Lundqvist is going to be a significant factor in The Athletic / Team Bounce Back vs. Team Fade: Who wins a matchup managing and, in theory, meeting those elevated expectations. The of players poised to rebound or regress? venerable netminder who declined to entertain thoughts of leaving the Rangers to try and hunt down an elusive Stanley Cup ring is one season removed from a .915 save percentage and two seasons removed from the last of a remarkable seven-season run with a save percentage of at By Scott Burnside Jul 25, 2019 least .920. He’ll be back. Book it.

Defense Last week’s trade of Milan Lucic for James Neal may be the ultimate in Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers wishful thinking deals. P.K. Subban, New Jersey Devils Both players have shown in the past they are elite players. But the elite bus seems to have left the station for both of them. Or is it just idling Since winning the Calder Trophy in 2014-15, Ekblad has seen his around the corner? The Calgary Flames are banking that Lucic can developmental arc at best flat-line and at worst decline. His point totals bounce back and provide a much-needed blend of scoring touch and may not reflect this necessarily but he has not ascended to become truculence (sorry, Brian Burke, for appropriating your oft-used term) for a either an elite defender and/or elite offensive producer the way a first- team that followed up a dynamic regular season by laying a five-game overall pick should be expected to evolve. Whether it’s an issue of playoff egg against the eight-seed Avalanche. The Oilers are projecting conditioning or commitment, last season Ekblad had point droughts of that Neal, 10 times a 20-goal scorer, hasn’t jumped the goal-scoring six, six, nine and seven games and the Panthers missed the playoffs for shark after producing a paltry seven goals last season in Calgary, his first the fourth time in five seasons since Florida took him No. 1 in 2014. after signing a five-year deal worth $28.75 million, and following that up Under Joel Quenneville, though, expect Ekblad to resume the career with a forgettable postseason that saw him a healthy scratch by the time ascendency his rookie season promised with improved play defensively the series ended. and his point totals edging into the high 40s or low 50s. In fact, one source familiar with the team said one of the main reasons the team was It’s a compelling story either way but certainly far more compelling if both so keen to bring in Quenneville was to reshape the blueline – the or one of these players can channel their former selves (or each other’s Panthers were 28th in goals allowed per game – and to get Ekblad back former selves for that matter). But they aren’t alone in searching for a on track. bounce-back season — there are lots of players looking forward to putting the past firmly in their rearview mirror. Here’s a look at our Team As for Subban, the reality is that the high-energy, high-profile Bounce Back. For the sake of brevity, we’ve included a bounce-back defenseman isn’t for everyone and maybe he’s not built to last a long forward line and a couple of spares, a bounce-back defensive pairing and time in any one place. The New Jersey Devils won’t care as they’re a spare and two bounce-back netminders. For what it’s worth we don’t getting Subban at just the right time, highly motivated after he struggled have either Lucic or Neal on our squad. through an injury-plagued 2018-19 in Nashville and then was a mess, as was the entire Predators team defensively, in getting knocked off by And then, since Team Bounce Back has to have someone to play against Dallas in the first round of the playoffs. With just three years left on his just like those guys who showed up in the Iowa cornfield in Field of contract, this seems to be the perfect time for both Subban to rebound Dreams, what about having our bounce-back squad face off against and the Devils to take advantage. Look for head coach John Hynes to players who might be poised to take a step back? You know there are get the most out of Subban, assuming Subban remains healthy, with top- going to be a handful of players who have built up unreasonable end power-play minutes and lots of even-strength ice time. Given the expectations with exemplary play last year who will regress or find it plethora of young talent GM Ray Shero has collected, including 2019 No. impossible to regain the level of play/production they established last 1 pick Jack Hughes, Subban should see his goal totals should get back season. With that in mind, further below we give you Team Fade. to the 20 mark after registering just nine a season ago and his point Team Bounce Back totals should edge into the 50s if not higher after a pedestrian 31 last season. Goaltenders Josh Manson, Anaheim Ducks Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils It wasn’t so long ago the Ducks and their stable of young defensive talent Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers was the envy of the league. But Brandon Montour, Shea Theodore and Sami Vatanen have all found new homes and last season was a difficult We recall a conversation with Brian Boyle shortly after Boyle was traded one for young defensive mainstays Hampus Lindholm and Manson. The from New Jersey to Nashville. He was talking with great affection and two had been steady partners two years ago when Manson, son of admiration about his close pal Schneider, who was battling his way back longtime NHL defender Dave and the 160th overall pick in 2011, hit a from hip surgery and trying to resurrect his promising career. Never career-best 37 points and was an impressive plus-34. Last season complained, completely focused on getting his game back, Boyle said. It Manson, separated from Lindholm by former coach , was, he added, inspirational. By the end of last season, Schneider, slumped to 16 points and he was a minus-eight as the Ducks crashed limited to 26 games and just six wins, started to show signs that he had and burned their way out of the playoffs chase early on. Big, rangy with indeed turned a corner. While youngster MacKenzie Blackwood, 22, above-average offensive smarts Manson figures to return to a productive showed last season he has the goods to be the heir apparent to the New top-four role and it will be a surprise if Dallas Eakins, who comes in as Jersey goal if the Devils are to bounce back from a miserable 2018-19 head coach to replace Carlyle, won’t at least reunite Lindholm and campaign, Schneider, 33, will be critical in providing consistent quality Manson for a look-see. We’re guessing the results will help the Ducks starts and mentoring the talented Blackwood. back into the playoff picture in the Pacific Division. Across the river it was a similarly distressing campaign for Lundqvist, Forwards whose Hall of Fame career is winding toward its conclusion. He did not endure the injury issues that Schneider did but Lundqvist is looking to Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins rewrite his current narrative after posting his worst-ever GAA (3.07) and a .907 save percentage that was likewise his worst since arriving in the Tanner Pearson, LW, Vancouver Canucks NHL in 2005. Perhaps more troubling than the stats were the number of Corey Perry, RW, Dallas Stars games where Lundqvist seemed overwhelmed, completely unlike the Lundqvist that has made him one of the most popular Rangers of all- After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 and then time. Lundqvist allowed four or more goals 18 times last season and advancing to the second round in ’18, last season was a largely often those games came in clumps. By the end he had been replaced by forgettable one for the Pittsburgh Penguins and specifically their Hall of Alexandar Georgiev as the team’s starter if not in name certainly in deed. Fame-bound center Malkin, who saw his goal totals cut in half year over Lundqvist, among the most forthright of players, admitted as much at the year to 21 and his point total drop from 98 to 72. Yes, injuries were an end of the season. But this is a Rangers team that has quickly cast aside issue but Malkin admittedly was out of sorts and that carried into a four- the ‘rebuild’ label with Jacob Trouba locked in on defense along with game sweep in the first round at the hands of the New York Islanders. collegiate star Adam Fox. No. 2 pick Kaapo Kakko joins Artemi Panarin There’s no doubt in our minds that after an offseason that saw Phil Kessel ushered out of town and talented young forward Alex Galchenyuk Kuemper. The 29-year-old, drafted 161st by Minnesota in 2009, eclipsed coming in to fill the offensive void that Malkin will reverse the trend this career marks in games played (55) and wins (27) by a country mile while season and be back in the 100-point realm. turning in a sparkling .925 save percentage which saw him tied with Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy of Tampa. The Coyotes should As for the wingers on our bounce-back squad, for the briefest of times be better just by sheer dint of being even a little bit healthier not to Pearson was actually a teammate of Malkin’s in Pittsburgh and if memory mention adding point machine Phil Kessel. But what is realistic for serves sat near the Russian great in the Pens’ dressing room. The Kuemper, who stepped in admirably for the injured Antti Raanta but who problem for Pearson, a one-time 24-goal scorer in Los Angeles where he will have to re-establish himself as the team’s goalie of record? Maybe won a Cup in 2014, the Penguins were one of three teams for whom the Kuemper is Tim Thomas redux peaking well into his career. More likely is 26-year-old toiled last season and his paltry nine goals reflected that. But that he finds his number regressing. having settled into Vancouver, where the Canucks added J.T. Miller and Tyler Myers to bolster a push to the playoffs, we’re looking for Pearson to Defense eclipse career highs in goals (24) and points (44) for the emerging Canucks. Erik Gustafsson, Chicago Blackhawks

Finally, it’s fashionable to write off Perry, the former Hart Trophy and Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild Rocket Richard Trophy winner who was bought out of his contract by Maybe last season wasn’t an aberration for Gustafsson who jumped from Anaheim in the offseason, as having hit the end of the runway. And five goals total in his first 76 NHL games split over two seasons to 17 last there’s lots of reason to believe it is so as injuries and age have left Perry year. And maybe his 60 points, sixth among all defensemen, will become a shadow of his former self. He scored just six times in 31 games last the norm for the offensively gifted defender. But that’s a pretty big season. But Perry will find lots of help in Dallas in terms of production mouthful for the 27-year-old who was a fourth-round pick back in 2012 and leadership after signing a one-year deal with the Stars. Under Jim and who still needs to work on his all-around game to claim elite status. Montgomery, and given Perry’s obvious motivation, we don’t think hitting More likely is that there’s more than a little settling in terms of his the 20-goal mark will be that big a surprise and he could be closer to 30 offensive production, maybe a lot. when all is said and done for a Dallas team that has emerged this offseason as a viable Stanley Cup contender. As for Suter, the veteran defenseman is coming off one of the most impressive performances we’ve seen in a long time. Suter returned from , Washington Capitals a gruesome ankle injury that doctors thought might end his impressive Nazem Kadri, Colorado Avalanche career and instead the 34-year-old not only returned for the start of the season but played in all 82 games. He recorded 47 points, the seventh We recall a conversation with Washington head coach Todd Reirden just time in his career that he’s had at least 40 points. And, oh yeah, he led all before training camp last September about his high expectations for the NHLers in average ice time per game at 26:42. Remarkable. But now gifted Kuznetsov on and off the ice after Kuznetsov had played a critical what? Surely it is asking too much for Suter to replicate his workload and role in the Capitals’ first-ever Stanley Cup triumph in the spring of 2018. It his production. Isn’t it? didn’t really happen for Kuznetsov, who fell from 27 to 21 in the goal department and recorded 11 fewer points before scoring once in a Alexander Edler, Vancouver Canucks seven-game first-round defeat to Carolina (he did add five assists). For a The Vancouver back end was fortified this offseason by the addition of guy who looked to be stepping into the Hart Trophy conversation, it was Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn and there are important young pieces like a pedestrian season. He should be highly motivated to resume that arc Quinn Hughes on the cusp but it’s easy to argue that veteran defender this season and we’re projecting him to be north of 80 points. Edler remains one of the most important pieces of the Canucks puzzle. Speaking of motivation. After putting the kibosh on a trade to Calgary, The Canucks believed so much that this was so that they signed the 33- Kadri ended up in Colorado in a blockbuster deal that saw Tyson Barrie year-old to a two-year deal worth $6 million per year even though he head to the Leafs. Last season was a forgettable one for the gritty, gifted played in just 56 games last season after missing close to a month with a pivot as Kadri saw his role diminish with the arrival of John Tavares and concussion. He still led Vancouver in ice time at 24:34 and chipped in an his goal totals drop by 50 percent from 32 to 16. Kadri then found himself impressive 34 points. Even if he takes a slightly reduced role with the suspended for the second playoff season in a row for a reckless hit as emergence of Hughes and the arrival of Myers can he still be the kind of the Leafs once again lost in seven games to Boston. The change of difference-maker that has made him one of the team’s most popular and scenery should benefit Kadri, who should be north of 30 goals as part of important players? The Canucks have gambled heavily that they’re ready a high-powered Avs offense. Look for him to be a key part of a team to jump into the playoff picture in the Pacific Division. Having Edler at his many including this author believe is destined for a deep run in the spring best is key to that happening. Just not sure it’s asking too much of him at of ’20. this stage of his career and with his questionable durability.

Greg Thompson / Icon Sportswire Forwards

Team Fade Elias Lindholm, C, Calgary Flames

Goaltenders Jeff Skinner, LW, Buffalo Sabres

Robin Lehner, Chicago Blackhawks Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes After maxing out at 17 goals in his first five seasons after Carolina made him the fifth-overall pick in 2013, Elias Lindholm exploded for the Calgary OK, a pretty easy pick here to suggest that after having a career year Flames last year with 27 goals. Part of a draft weekend blockbuster in coming off immense personal battles that Lehner might take a step back 2018, Lindholm garnered lots of Selke Trophy love not to mention his 26 in his evolution. And would there be any shame in that? None power-play points were just one behind team leader Johnny Gaudreau. Is whatsoever. Lehner, who shared the Williams Jennings Trophy for that the real Lindholm? Or is his real production level more in keeping allowing the fewest goals in the NHL with Thomas Greiss and who was with his previous life in Carolina? We’re suggesting it’s the latter and he’s also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, is going to be under considerable pressure to show that last year was not a going to face significantly greater challenges in Chicago where the blip on the radar. Blackhawks last year were 30th in the league with a 3.55 combined GAA compared to first overall under Barry Trotz with the New York Islanders. On Lindholm’s left side maybe it’s the eight-year, $72-million deal that Lehner remains one of the feel-good, nay, empowering stories of last Buffalo handed Skinner. Maybe it’s how determined Carolina was to season. But it’s going to be mighty hard for the 27-year-old to replicate move on from the gifted winger and former rookie of the year and how what happened on the ice this coming season. the Canes ended up going to a conference final while Skinner once again played on a team that didn’t make the playoffs. But the fact is there’s just The same might be said for another terrific, if undertold, story from last something that screams ‘danger Will Robinson, danger’ about the coming season which was the emergence of Darcy Kuemper as the man season in spite of the fact Skinner lit it up with 40 goals. The problem between the pipes for a plucky Arizona squad. Beset by injuries to key was that during a 22-game stretch when the Sabres might have asserted personnel all season the ‘Yotes hung tough in the playoff race far longer themselves as a playoff team from mid-February to the end of March, than expected due in large part to the commitment to team defense Skinner scored just once. Our gut tells us that even with a master of under head coach Rick Tocchet and the stellar goaltending provided by schemes and team-builder like Ralph Krueger behind the bench this could be a tough road for Skinner living up to last year and the monster contract that it yielded.

Finally, we know Leafs fans won’t like this much but even if the Marner deal does get done in a timely fashion, and who knows if that happens or not given how the William Nylander negotiations bled well into the regular season, there is bound to be some fallout. With all of the attention focused on the deal and the fact that Marner went six straight games in the first round without scoring a goal in the Leafs’ seven-game loss to Boston, he’s about to enter uncharted territory in terms of pressure and scrutiny. No one is suggesting he needs to get back to the 94-point plateau he achieved last year but the potential for a whopper drop-off is very much real.

Max Domi, Montreal Canadiens

Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks

Domi, not unlike Lindholm, eclipsed previous goal-scoring highs in new environs last season. In Domi’s case with Montreal. His 28 goals were 10 more than his career-best achieved during his rookie season in Arizona and more than three times the nine times he scored in his last season with the Coyotes. Having failed to bring in Sebastian Aho from Carolina via an offer sheet the Canadiens look very much the same as they did a year ago and it might be too much to ask Domi in terms of repeating his offensive output.

Meanwhile, with longtime Sharks center Joe Pavelski in Dallas there will be increased pressure on Tomas Hertl to show last year’s 35-goal, 74- point explosion was a harbinger of things to come and not an aberration. Hertl is just 25 and critical to the Sharks remaining a Stanley Cup contender even as they continue to evolve by getting younger up front with Pavelski’s departure and the decision not to repatriate Patrick Marleau. But his previous goal high was 22 and to expect him to return to the mid-30s or higher seems questionable.

The Athletic LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150156 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Leiweke: Francis the type of leader you 'want to build your culture around'

Sportsnet Staff | July 25, 2019, 9:32 PM

A slew of boxes remain unchecked, with Seattle’s NHL franchise still in need of a roster, a coach, a finished arena, even a name. But the fledgling club does have one key box checked off so far after naming Hall of Famer the organization’s first general manager earlier this month.

The weight of that move is sure to be significant, as was seen a few years ago in Las Vegas, when the decision to call on front-office veteran George McPhee as the Golden Knights’ inaugural GM resulted in a Stanley Cup Final appearance in Year 1.

All eyes will be on Francis to replicate that success in Seattle’s debut season. And according to Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, whose organization is responsible for renovating the franchise’s arena, the club got the right man for the job.

“How do we do as well as George did? I think it was a brilliant first step to get Ron Francis,” Leiweke told Sportsnet 590’s Prime Time Sports Thursday. “To me, the most impressive thing about Ron Francis is the ‘C.’ Everywhere he went, he wore the ‘C.’”

“I think those kinds of people, those kinds of leaders, those kinds of character, that’s what you want to build your culture around. And that’s what [Seattle] got in Ron,” Leiweke continued. “I think [they] got a man that is universally respected by everyone in the league. And a gentleman that ultimately became a quiet but fearless leader on every team he was ever on.

“A guy that won Stanley Cups. A guy that’s in the Hall of Fame.”

Francis enjoyed 23 years in the NHL before retiring from the league in 2004. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native spent 10 years with the , eight years with the Pittsburgh Penguins and six years back with his original franchise after it had relocated to Carolina — he served as captain of all three franchises at different points in his career. Francis also played 12 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs during his final year in the league.

During that run, the star pivot amassed two Stanley Cups — both with the Penguins — three Lady Byng trophies, one King Clancy Memorial Trophy and one Frank J. Selke Trophy. His 1,798 career points rank as the fifth-highest total in league history.

Following his playing career, Francis served as GM of the Hurricanes from 2014–18, during which time he laid much of the groundwork that helped spur the club’s current success, including drafting star centreman Sebastian Aho in 2015.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.26.2019 1150157 Websites He was arguably the Flames best skater, much like four years earlier in the playoffs against Vancouver when he and Micheal Ferland first made names for themselves.

Sportsnet.ca / Calgary Flames' Bennett hoping to complement physical “I thought I played a lot more like myself – a lot more confident,” said game Bennett, who has battled confidence issues throughout his four full seasons in the NHL.

Eric Francis | July 24, 2019, 11:51 PM “I want to be that aggressive and effective player to start the season and roll from there.”

Bennett’s signing leaves the club with $7.42 million left to sign RFAs For a player as fearless as Sam Bennett, the prospect of heading to Matthew Tkachuk, Andrew Mangiapane and starting netminder David arbitration Saturday was no more daunting than a dental appointment. Rittich, who has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday.

“I wouldn’t say I was worried about it – I was actually kind of curious Even with an inevitable buyout of Michael Stone’s final season, saving about what it was like,” said the Calgary Flames winger of the boardroom $2.33 million in cap space, GM Brad Treliving will almost certainly have bloodbath most players pray to avoid. to shed salary by way of trade to make the finances work.

“But I’m happy it’s all done.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 07.26.2019 The restricted free agent agreed to a two-year deal with the Flames at $2.55 million annually on Wednesday.

His curiosity now matches that of his fan base, wondering if he’ll be on the third line with Milan Lucic and Mark Jankowski as part of a decidedly unpleasant trio to play against.

“For sure I think that’s a possibility,” said Bennett, a left-shot winger who said he’d be comfortable switching to right wing to accommodate the Flames high-priced trade acquisition.

“I think he’s one of the scariest guys to play against in the league. Anytime you get to add a guy like that to your team or especially your line it makes you feel a lot taller.

“He’s one of the most intimidating players I’ve ever played against. That’s something we did need a little bit, and I’m sure he’ll be a good addition. I talked to a few guys and everyone is excited. A couple of guys that know him said he’s a great guy and a great guy in the room.”

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Last season the six-foot-one, 195-pound Bennett became a fan favourite by assuming a relative tough-guy role, leading the team with a career- high 93 penalty minutes, which included five fights.

He finished second on the squad in hits, stood up for teammates whenever it was called for and became an aggressive menace many nights.

Credit to the 23-year-old, it was a role he was never asked to play – he simply figured it out.

“That was never discussed – it kind of just came into its own,” said Bennett, whose mindset behind taking the evolved role speaks to maturity and experience that betrays his age.

“At times during the year, you have to do things to help the team win if you’re not producing or getting a chance that way. You’ve got to help the team or you’re really not going to get the opportunity.”

“I think this year I took a lot more physical and aggressive role. I was sticking up for my teammates if the situation presented itself and I was comfortable with that role. Every team needs that.

“I’m definitely not going to change my game – I was happy with the physical play and the aggression this year – that’s part of my game. But I hope to add a little more offensive upside.”

Drafted fourth overall in 2014, the expectation was certainly for Bennett to score at a much higher clip than the 13 goals and 27 points he had last season.

He hasn’t given up on regaining the scoring touch he had in junior, and the team is certainly betting on him to improve in that vein.

“I don’t want to be known as just a physical, aggressive player – I still believe in myself and I can add a lot more offensively,” said the versatile Bennett, who will be an RFA once again when his deal concludes.

Bennett further endeared himself to fans this spring when he led the team in playoff scoring (one goal, four helpers) in a five-game dismissal by Colorado. 1150158 Websites major question marks when it comes to the 20 or so games we would expect to see the backup, and that’s not insignificant.

Think about it from St. Louis’ perspective for a moment. In the nearly TSN.CA / Taking stock of the NHL goaltending picture 3,000 minutes Binnington didn’t play last regular season, the Blues managed a team save percentage of 90.1 (predominantly from Jake Allen and Chad Johnson). Toronto had similar issues, with a 1.7 Travis Yost percentage point drop-off between the likes of Andersen and the Garret Sparks/Michael Hutchinson duo. Those are considerable gaps, and they

do make winning those games – even if we are only talking about 20 Absent a few lingering restricted free agents, the National Hockey games, max, in a given season – more difficult. League off-season is all but wrapped up. At this point, we’re starting to There will be a couple of other goaltending stories to watch this season. I get a feel for how teams will head into the 2019-20 regular season. There mentioned Colorado’s decision to go with Grubauer over Varlamov have been substantial changes across the hockey landscape over the earlier, and I think there are a few other situations where we may see past three months, and perhaps no group has experienced more turnover similar change. than goaltenders. Nashville’s Pekka Rinne has been fantastic for the Predators over the The biggest name to shift was Sergei Bobrovsky, who left Columbus for a past three seasons, but Juuse Saros is really making life difficult for seven-year, $70-million contract in Florida. Robin Lehner, who finished coach . Rinne will keep his job for as long as he third in the Vezina voting last season on Long Island, is now in Chicago. continues to play well, but having one of the league’s best backups His replacement is Semyon Varlamov, who signed a four-year contract behind you can’t be a good feeling. with the Islanders after being pushed out of Colorado by the up-and- coming Philipp Grubauer. More pressing than that might be in New Jersey, where Cory Schneider is at risk of losing his job to Mackenzie Blackwood. (Quite frankly, I think you get my point. There was a bit of a chain reaction that ended Blackwood might really be the “1A” goalie in this duo to start the year.) up impacting a number of teams across the league. Edmonton would be another team to watch on this front, with Mikko One of the things I wanted to do when the carousel finally stopped was to Koskinen really being a major unknown heading into the season and the reassess all of the goaltender depth charts to see which teams were addition of veteran Mike Smith. carrying a competitive advantage heading into the season and which I’ll end with Ottawa and Columbus. The immediate goaltending situations teams might be victimized by poor play in the crease. are dire (in Columbus’ case, that could be an understatement), but in Trying to forecast goaltending production is one of the trickiest things an both cases help is on the way. The Senators have Filip Gustavsson, analyst can do. Goal scoring is extremely volatile, and a good piece of Marcus Hogberg and Joey Daccord all on the way. Columbus has Veini performance is contingent on the type of defensive play executed in front Vehvilainen and Daniil Tarasov in the queue. So there is plenty of reason of each netminder. to be excited for the future.

Think of San Jose and Martin Jones last year for a moment. There’s no The present? Well, it could get a little bumpy. doubt Jones struggled (in some games, mightily) last year. But there is TSN.CA LOADED: 07.26.2019 also no doubt that San Jose frequently carried a “defence optional” approach. Then think of Devan Dubnyk in Minnesota. Dubnyk is a fantastic goalie, but Minnesota was as strong as any team in the league at limiting dangerous shot attempts. How do we reconcile individual performance and team effects, and how do we get a better understanding of the value a goaltender is bringing to his respective team?

One of the ways I like to look at this is by using Goals Above Average. Here, we are trying to assess each goalie’s impact on the odds of a goal being scored. This takes into consideration the shot volume and the shot quality each goaltender faces, and consequently attempts to put each goaltender on a level playing field.

Using some forecasted goaltender depth charts, I looked at a three-year Goals Above Average horizon to get a feel for talent. Then, I created two buckets – the first being where a standard starter/backup relationship would likely exist, and the second being where a timeshare or something closely resembling a timeshare would likely exist. It’s not a perfect science because you are trying to predict coaching behaviour, but directionally I think it’s relatively defensible.

From there, it’s carrying out how many goals we would expect each tandem to save for every 60-minutes of play. Here is how I see the depth charts stacked up league wise. (Note: for Pavel Francouz and Elvis Merzlikins, the two goalies with basically no NHL experience, I assumed performance would sit in the bottom 25th percentile in a normal “backup” role.)

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Anaheim Ducks appear to have the strongest goaltending tandem in the league, and it’s not particularly close. John Gibson has emerged as a perennial Vezina Trophy candidate and is arguably one of the two or three best goaltenders in the entire league. Ryan Miller, though there are surely concerns about his age (39) at this point, is still a quality backup who has stopped 91.2 per cent of shots in his last 48 games. Even if Miller experiences some further age degradation, the Ducks also have Anthony Stolarz in the fold.

I mention Miller and Stolarz because having credible backup goaltending does matter. It’s not as if Gibson is night-and-day better than the likes of Jordan Binnington in St. Louis, Grubauer in Colorado, Bobrovsky in Florida or Frederik Andersen in Toronto. But all of those teams have 1150159 Websites these RFAs (Laine and Connor included) will NOT be signed by training camp. Should that happen, it will give some younger players the chance to get some valuable game time, at least in preseason. Laine signing in TSN.CA / Plenty of questions surround Jets RFAs Laine and Connor Finland is already out there.

It would be easier for Paul Maurice with all hands on deck. Clearing the way to focus on some defensive combinations. With Jacob Trouba, Tyler Dennis Beyak Myers, Ben Chiarot and Joe Morrow gone, all eyes will be on the Jets' D group. From a fan’s standpoint, that topic may take your mind off of Laine

and Connor. Pionk and Josh Morrissey, Morrisey and Dustin Byfuglien, So now that Neal Pionk and Andrew Copp are under contract for the Nathan Beaulieu with Byfuglien because he plays a similar game to upcoming season, the financial picture for the Winnipeg Jets is a bit Chiarot. Where does Sammy Niku fit? Does veteran Dmitry Kulikov get clearer. But still plenty of questions surround RFAs Patrick Laine and an opportunity to play up in the lineup, perhaps with Byfuglien? Logan Kyle Connor. Stanley is coming off a very good second half with the Moose, how close will he be? There are many who believe a healthy Tucker Poolman can But around the NHL there are many teams with the same focus – getting be an NHL regular. And there are others in the mix including Nelson young, talented restricted free agents under contract. Nogier and newcomer Anthony Bitetto. Players are always looking for that one opportunity. Usually there are parameters for first contract to second contract. That is not the case with this group. From the two Jets to Mitch Marner, to The start of the schedule does not give the Jets a lot of room for “learn , to Matthew Tkachuk, to Mikko Rantanen, the financial on the job”. A four-game swing through the Metro to start, then a stretch jump to the second contract is huge. Best example is Auston Mathews, of 11 of 15 on the road in November. But it’s the NHL – no one said it will who went from a $700,000 base salary this past season to $11.6 million be, or should be easy. AAV this coming season. And just to be clear – the performance of this group warrants a big raise in pay. How big is the question. In the mean-time enjoy the rest of summer, and as the song goes “See you in September”. So, when might we see some of these deals get done? These negotiations will not be easy and with no pressure point until September, TSN.CA LOADED: 07.26.2019 we shouldn’t expect anything anytime soon. As frustrating as that might be. Next pressure point is training camp, then preseason games, then a couple of preseason games left to get into game shape, then the start of the NHL season, then some point into the season.

And each case is different. There may be some RFAs that really like the situation they are in, know they will sign at least one more contract after this, so perhaps a hometown discount and staying put is the preference. But that player is not going to sign until training camp so as not to lower the bar for other players. The players association will keep a close watch on that.

Others understand that there is a teammate making X amount, and therefore the player shouldn’t expect more than that. Blake Wheeler will make $8.2 million next year, Mark Scheifele $6.1 million. Should Laine and Connor look at that as a guideline? Should the Wheeler number be the max? Point knows that makes $9.5 million. Is that his bench mark? It gets more complicated for Rantanen with Nathan MacKinnon at $6.3 million, Tkachuk knowing Johnny Gaudreau is making $6.7 million and Sean Monahan making $6.3 million. In Toronto, Marner knows that John Tavares, with over 700 NHL games under his belt, is making $11 million, but he also knows that Matthews is above that so a precedent has been set. Marner played all 82 games and tallied 94 points, good enough for 11th in league scoring. Some feel he has to be the next to sign, then others will follow.

Then you get into term. Bridge, long-term to have your player under contract as long as possible, mid-term that gets the player to unrestricted free agency faster.

The offer sheet threat seems to have quieted down. Montreal’s offer sheet to Sebastian Aho basically ended what the Carolina Hurricanes thought was going to be a summer of negotiation.

And is there yet another obstacle in getting these players signed? This thought was always in the back of some minds. Will the players association really keep close tabs on this, be sure prices stay high, to reinforce a theory that draft, develop and salary cap are not a fit. A tweet from agent Allan Walsh might have confirmed that thought. Basically, that the salary cap is preventing NHL teams from resigning and retaining the players it needs.

Players' biggest issue with the current CBA is escrow, and that is all tied into sharing revenues and establishing a yearly salary cap. Will losing players at a young age because of cap restraints be appetite enough for owners to take a look at this?

Next on that front is September. The owners have until September 1 to open the current CBA (expectation is they won’t), players have until September 15 to open the current CBA (expectation is they will – but hopefully I am wrong).

So, as coaches prepare for the upcoming season, putting line combos together is difficult. There is a very good possibility that a number of 1150160 Websites Wilson isn't in the Hall of Fame, but he had a terrific playing career that spanned 16 years and featured three all-star appearances, mostly with the Chicago Blackhawks. And he hasn't won the NHL's General Manager USA TODAY / Stars on the field and in the front office: Ranking the best of the Year award, but he's long been one of the league's elite GMs. In players-turned-GMs in sports 15 seasons with Wilson as general manager, the San Jose Sharks have missed the playoffs only once.

4. Danny Ainge (NBA) Tom Schad USA TODAY Ainge is one of the few players on this list who has arguably been a better general manager than player — and he was a pretty good player. The former Boston Celtics guard won a pair of titles in the 1980s, made When retirement approaches, every professional athlete is confronted one all-star game and racked up nearly 12,000 career points and 4,200 with the same question: What's next? career assists. And as a GM, Ainge has helped Boston reach the playoffs And for many, the answer lies in the front office — the chance to build a 13 times in 16 seasons, including a pair of trips to the Finals and a team, rather than play on one. championship in 2008 after acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

There's John Lynch in San Francisco and Elton Brand in Philadelphia. Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge during a news conference to James Jones in Phoenix. Steve Yzerman in Detroit. John Elway in introduce Brad Stevens as coach. Denver. Magic Johnson was part of the group, too — until his abrupt 3. Joe Dumars (NBA) resignation in April. Dumars was one of the most tenacious defenders of his era, a key cog in All told, 30 of the 123 general managers across the NBA, NFL, NHL and the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" teams that thrived in the 1980s. He was MLB played professionally in their respective league — which means named to five all-defensive teams and six all-star teams, on top of nearly 1 in 4 of those jobs are currently held by former players. Ten winning two titles. Then, after retiring, he was charged with leading active general managers were all-stars during their playing careers, but Detroit's front office. Though the Pistons slipped a bit toward the tail end some have proven to be more effective in the front office than others. of his tenure, Dumars deserves credit for helping construct those Pistons THE FUTURE: Which current All-Stars would be the best GMs? teams of the early 2000s — including the 2004 NBA champions.

So as the summer rolls on, USA TODAY Sports decided to take a look at 2. Ozzie Newsome (NFL) the people who have had experienced the most success in both roles — Newsome really is in a class of his own when it comes to players-turned- as a player, and as a general manager or team executive. Here are the executives in pro football. He followed up a Hall of Fame playing career best of the best so far. with a Hall-of-Fame-caliber tenure as a general manager, becoming the 9. Larry Bird (NBA) first African American GM in NFL history in 2002. The longtime Cleveland Browns tight end helped the Baltimore Ravens win a pair of Super Bowl He was a legendary player, of course, appearing in a dozen all-star titles and was among the most respected team-builders in the sport games and winning three titles with the Boston Celtics. And while he before he retired at the end of last season. might not be the first person who comes to mind for a list like this, his track record as president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers 1. Jerry West (NBA) is relatively solid: Eight playoff appearances in 13 seasons, two trips to Nobody has had more success as both a player and executive than "The the Eastern Conference finals and an Executive of the Year award in Logo." The numbers tell the story: 14 all-star appearances in 14 seasons 2012. as a player. Two NBA Executive of the Year Awards as a member of the Indiana Pacers' Larry Bird announces that he is stepping down as front office. One title as a player, and three as a general manager — President of Basketball Operations during a press conference at Bankers though one could argue West laid the foundation for several others Life Fieldhouse on Monday, May 1, 2017. Executive Vice President of before leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002. Though the 81-year-old Basketball Operations and General Manager Kevin Pritchard will be has shifted into the background in recent years — he is currently a replacing Bird. consultant with the Los Angeles Clippers — his legacy as both a player and executive is secure. “8. Bob Watson (MLB) Others receiving consideration Watson wasn't necessarily a Hall of Fame-caliber player, but he did spend parts of 19 seasons in the big leagues with four different teams — Elgin Baylor (NBA); (NHL); George Brett (MLB); John Elway including 14 with the Houston Astros. He was a career .295 hitter, and he (NFL); Magic Johnson (NBA); Michael Jordan (NBA); Mitch Kupchak was voted an all-star in 1973 and 1975. And as an executive, he was a (NBA); Kevin McHale (NBA); Willis Reed (NBA); Nolan Ryan (MLB); Joe true pioneer, becoming the first African American general manager to win Sakic (NHL); Isiah Thomas (NBA) a World Series when he led the New York Yankees to a title in 1996. He USA TODAY LOADED: 07.26.2019 also spent two years as the Astros' GM prior to his Yankees stint.

7. Steve Yzerman (NHL)

"Stevie Y" was a legendary player, a first-ballot Hall of Famer who is right up there with Gordie Howe as the best to ever play for the Detroit Red Wings. And he's been a solid general manager, too. As GM, he led the Tampa Bay Lightning to five playoff trips, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance and three conference finals in eight seasons. He also was the 2015 General Manager of the Year. Yzerman, who also helped construct the Canadian national teams that won back-to-back Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, rejoined the Red Wings as general manager earlier this year.

6. Al Rosen (MLB)

Here's a good piece of trivia: Who is the only MLB player to win an MVP award as a player, and an Executive of the Year award as a general manager? Answer: Rosen. He spent his entire playing career with the Cleveland Indians, winning the 1948 World Series and the 1953 AL MVP award, before going on to work for 14 years as an executive with three different teams. His best work came with the San Francisco Giants, who won the NL pennant in 1989.

5. Doug Wilson (NHL)