Articles in NHL Teams

The Mike Babcock Investigation Continues

09/15/2023 at 12:36pm EDT

from Matt Larkin of The Daily Faceoff,

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association are set to meet Friday in New York. While the meeting had been previously scheduled for a standard discussion covering multiple agenda items, as reported by TSN’S Darren Dreger, the two sides will focus primarily on the investigation into the conduct of Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Mike Babcock.

The meeting will take place one day after NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh and assistant executive director Ron Hainsey visited Columbus to meet with the Blue Jackets are part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that Babcock had invaded his players’ privacy by asking to see personal information on their phones.

The allegations surfaced earlier this week when former NHLer Paul Bissonnette told a story on his hit podcast Spittin’ Chiclets, claiming a Blue Jackets player told him Babcock had asked to see players’ phones and then AirDropped them on his office television screen....

As reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman Thursday night, the NHL and NHLPA were at first satisfied with explanations from Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau. “However, it appears things changed for both later that night when information was received that some of the younger Blue Jackets were uncomfortable with what had occurred,” Friedman reported.

more

Peter Laviolette's Style

09/15/2023 at 7:32am EDT

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

There is no doubt that Peter Laviolette will be a hands-on head coach. That has been one of Laviolette’s hallmarks throughout his 22 years behind an NHL bench. That is one of the qualities that differentiates him from Gerard Gallant, his immediate predecessor as Rangers head coach, who took more of a laissez-faire approach to the job.

The Rangers will notice that from the jump when main training camp opens on Sept. 21. Or maybe individual players already have detected that, if they’ve crossed paths with Laviolette in the corridors of the practice rink during the last week or so while getting onto the ice for informal prep sessions.

Laviolette brings a distinct style to the mix. Incoming assistant coaches Phil Housley, Michael Peca and Dan Muse bring fresh eyes to the equation. Entrenched norms — some of which had their origins under Gallant’s immediate predecessor, David Quinn — may be challenged, if not upended even after this two-year stretch in which the Blueshirts compiled the fifth-best record in the league with 110-point and 107-point seasons, respectively.

continued

Lack Of Commitments In Calgary

09/14/2023 at 8:56am EDT

from Eric Francis of Sportsnet,

Elias Lindholm didn't seem overly interested in trying to convince anyone he might re-sign with the Calgary Flames.

Noah Hanifin was equally as non-committal as Mikael Backlund was a day earlier.

All three arrived at the team’s annual golf tourney on Wednesday, praised the city, the organization and their teammates, and insisted they were excited to start the season.

Their collective message when asked if they'd prolong their stay in Calgary past this season: "We’ll see what happens.”

If it sounded an awful lot like the same script Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk read months before they bolted. And it's because with such a delicate subject, there’s really only one way to answer the media’s leading questions.

By playing along.

Everyone wants to know if there’s still a chance they’ll commit long-term or if GM Craig Conroy will ultimately have to deal them by the deadline.

Optimists will suggest they left that door open.

Pessimists remind everyone how sour Lindholm and Backlund were on returning as they excited Cowtown last spring, and of the summertime reports Hanifin had decided he wouldn’t re-sign.

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Aaron Ward On Mike Babcock

09/14/2023 at 6:48am EDT

from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,

Ward also wonders whether the Blue Jackets truly vetted this situation. Did they consider all of the fallout that could be coming their way prior to hiring Babcock? Revelations of how the longtime coach was bullying players were leading to his ouster from the NHL.

“From an organizational standpoint, I have no idea if this is anything they’ve could have projected, or thought about possibly being something that could happen to them in bringing Babock in,” Ward said. “But if they didn’t, they didn’t really do their research. The idea that maybe as an organization they didn’t do their full homework and search what potentially could be brought to their doorstep.”

Ward said that he’s also been hearing from someone within the Columbus organization. What he’s being told is how uncomfortable the situation is currently within the team.

“They’re right now on pins and needles trying to figure out what he’s all about,” Ward said. “There’s a little bit of an uncomfortable feel of how to absorb him.”

Ward also believes that from Babcock’s standpoint, he has to recognize that his every move will be under intense scrutiny.

more

The Tampa Bay Lightning Didn't Want To Be 'That' Team

09/14/2023 at 12:17am EDT

from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

The Tampa Bay Lightning didn't want to be that team.

That team — the first one in 19 years — to lose a playoff series to the Toronto Maple Leafs, to watch the visitors celebrate on your home ice, to have a three-year streak of trips to the Stanley Cup Final blow up in six wild games.

"In my head, we should've won the Cup. Every year we should win the Cup, in my head. Yeah, obviously we're pissed off. We don't want to lose," Lightning stud defenceman Mikhail Sergachev told 32 Thoughts: The Podcast Wednesday at the Player Media Tour.

"We don't want to be the team that Toronto finally got to the second round, and they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning. They didn't go through the second round. But we didn't want to be that and lose to them."...

"We'll see when camp starts how pissed off we are. The guys are very competitive even now. Usually before camp we skate [together]," Sergachev said.

"We'll do five drills and play a game. Usually it's like beer-league hockey. Now, it's intense. Some hitting, too. It's great. Competitive. No one is going to let me walk them on the blue line. It's not acceptable anymore."

read on

All Pat Brisson

09/13/2023 at 2:54pm EDT

from Michael Russo and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic,

What’s the latest on unsigned Ducks restricted free agent Trevor Zegras? And Canucks star Elias Pettersson?

Agent Pat Brisson, who represents some of the NHL’s biggest stars, joined Pierre LeBrun and Michael Russo on Wednesday’s The Athletic Hockey Show, providing updates on both as well as an array of other clients, from why Jake Sanderson went long-term with the Senators to how that deal impacts Owen Power’s future with the Sabres to the timelines for unsigned Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews....

On the future of Kane, who underwent hip resurfacing surgery in June and was expected to miss four to six months

Well, I’m so proud of him. First of all, his rehab has been unbelievable. He’s been so dedicated … because rehab is as important if not more than the surgery itself. We’ve had many conversations here and there. There’s a lot of interest with Patrick Kane. But our goal here is to see if and when he clears — and again, I’m not going to put dates, whether it’s November or December, I don’t know. At that point, we’ll look at the landscape, we’ll look at what the needs are going to be for certain teams, the cap space. There’s gonna be so many other factors that we don’t know yet in three months or four months or two and a half. And I think we’re going to be in a really good seat at that point to make the right decision with Pat.

On the future of Toews

With Johnny, he’s doing well. He’s feeling well. He released a statement a few weeks ago that he wants to take some extra time. He knows his body, knows what he wants. Would I be surprised if he calls me in November or December and wants to play again? Maybe. I don’t know. But the one thing I know is he’s in a good place right now.

read on ($)

Opening Night Stats

09/13/2023 at 12:27pm EDT

via the NHL PR department,

The 2023-24 NHL season opens with a tripleheader Oct. 10, 2023, when the Predators visit the Lightning, followed by Sidney Crosby and Penguins host the Blackhawks after the latter selected Connor Bedard with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft. The Golden Knights will close out the night when they raise their first Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters of T-Mobile Arena prior to their game against the Kraken – the only time the clubs will meet before a showdown in the 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic.

Goodbye Long Island

09/13/2023 at 11:13am EDT

from Josh Bailey at The Players' Tribune,

Over the past couple of months, there have been quite a few moments that have brought me to a pause. I think what has hit the hardest is realizing that this chapter has come to an end. All of the things that I love about putting on the Blue and Orange are now just a memory. Although it has made me emotional at times, I will always cherish those memories.

I want to thank not just this great fan base, but the people of Long Island as a whole.

This place is special. From the outside, I think a lot of people would agree. What’s not to love? But what really makes this place unique is the people. All of you. That’s why Long Island will always be home for me and my family.

From playing my first game in the Isles sweater at 19 to my last at 33, it has been quite a ride. Not always the smoothest of rides, but I wouldn’t change a thing. The tough times make you stronger and allow you to enjoy the good ones that much more, and we had plenty of good ones. I do recall some rather funny moments at the Coliseum. Some nights, if I was starting, the national anthem could be a vulnerable 90 seconds standing there at the blueline. (I heard it all — the encouragement and the “encouragement.”)

continued

Video- What's Going On In Columbus?

09/12/2023 at 11:36am EDT

Tomas Tatar Signs With Colorado

09/12/2023 at 11:13am EDT

Boston Bruins Name Their Top 100 Players To Celebrate Their Centennial Year

09/12/2023 at 11:05am EDT

Adam Lowry Named Captain Of The Winnipeg Jets

09/12/2023 at 11:01am EDT

from Jamie Thomas of WinnipegJets.com,

There are not many honours in team sports bigger than being named captain.

That honour was given to Winnipeg Jet forward Adam Lowry officially Tuesday morning as he becomes the third captain in franchise history since the team moved here from Atlanta. He follows Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler who served as captain for five and six years respectively.

“When I found out, I was pretty excited, almost a little speechless. It’s something growing up you kind of can dream about and something that seems almost unattainable,” said Lowry.

“Getting to be a captain of a Canadian NHL team is pretty special and something I’m really looking forward too.”

continued

Torey Krug Dealing With A Foot Injury

09/12/2023 at 10:57am EDT

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today that defenseman Torey Krug suffered a right-foot injury while training for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Krug is scheduled to be re-evaluated on Oct. 1.

Krug, 32, is entering his fourth season as a Blue. Overall, the Livonia, Michigan, native has posted 444 points (85 goals, 359 assists) and a plus-31 rating in 701 career NHL regular-season games, including 107 points (18 goals, 89 assists) and a plus-8 rating in 178 regular-season games with the Blues.

The Maturing Edmonton Oilers

09/11/2023 at 7:22pm EDT

from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

It was one of those conversations you have when you walk into your first rink of the fall. With a scout, a trainer, a GM, a player… Maybe the Zamboni guy.

They’re happening all over the National Hockey League this week.

“How was your summer?” “Play some golf?” “What lake are you at again?”

But at some point this one led to how many Edmonton Oilers players had come in early for the Captain’s skates, and from there, how many actually own homes and spend the majority of their summers here in Edmonton. It’s way up from where it used to be.

“It’s not like 10 years ago when guys were all parachuting in here at the last minute,” I said.

“We’ve got men on our team now,” came the reply. “Not boys.”

Men, not boys. We hadn’t looked at it that way.

For years in Edmonton, it’s been a bunch of kids who were supposed to take this team over the top. Along with a collection of older vets who only signed here because the Oilers paid them 20 percent more than the market should have.

But as Connor McDavid noted the other day, times have finally changed:

“There are stages to winning. Stages to every group’s maturity level. Everybody's in their prime,” began McDavid, who engaged wife-to-be Lauren Kyle this summer. “You know, it's not like we're waiting on the first round pick to have an amazing season and come save us, or get us into the playoffs — like it has been at times in Edmonton. Everybody's ready to go.”

continued

The Rebuild In Montreal

09/11/2023 at 4:17pm EDT

from Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette,

The Canadiens are heading into the second full season of their rebuild and there is real reason for optimism. More than half the team will be age 25 or younger this season and there will be several solid prospects playing for the AHL’s Laval Rocket. The Canadiens also hold 21 picks at the next two NHL Drafts, including two first-rounders in 2025.

But how long will Canadiens fans remain patient?

Before teeing it up at the team’s golf tournament Monday, executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton was asked what would make this season a success.

“That’s a good question,” he said. “Listen, I know that everybody would like us to say the ‘P’ word (playoffs). … For us internally, I’ve said this since I got here: We’re going to try to get better every day and I know it’s a cliché and I’m sorry for that. But that’s how we’re going forward.”

When asked about goals for the coming season, general manager Kent Hughes said: “At the end of the day, this is a game of wins and losses and we want that. But it has to come from within, from the group of players and the expectation. We don’t want to burden them with it’s a zero-sum game where you either accomplish this or it’s a failure. Games are played for a reason and we’ll see where it takes us.”

When asked what his mission statement would be for this season, head coach Martin St. Louis said: “Win every day. That’s it. Just win every day.”

read on

Zach Parise Makes A Decision On His Immediate Future

09/11/2023 at 3:10pm EDT

from Rachel Luscher of NewYorkIslanders.com,

With the on-ice portion of rookie camp set to start on Thursday, New York Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello held a season-opening press conference on Monday morning at Northwell Health Ice Center. ...

While Zach Parise will not be on Long Island when the Islanders begin training camp on Sept. 21, the 39-year-old winger has also not announced his retirement from the NHL. Lamoriello made it clear on Monday – as well as over the summer – that there will always be a home for Parise on Long Island, should he make the decision to play this season.

“Zach will be with his family,” Lamoriello said. “We'll see how the rest of the season goes. Right now it's important for him to be there [after] he spent a couple of years away. That is the decision at this point.”

Parise has played 18 seasons in the league, including two with the Islanders, 21 goals and 34 points last season. Lamoriello drafted the Minnesota native 17th overall in the 2003 NHL Draft for the New Jersey Devils.

“I think everybody knows the relationship that I have with Zach,” Lamoriello said. “I understand, appreciate and respect the decision of where he's at. He made the right decision for his family and we’ll leave the door open for him.”

more on the Islanders...

Looking At Tyler Myers As A Trade Option

09/11/2023 at 1:57pm EDT

from Travis Yost of TSN,

Is there a trade market for Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers?

That’s not a question I figured to be exploring in September with the season approaching, but owing to a contractual wrinkle, there is a possibility Myers could be on the move.

The 33-year-old veteran blueliner, who is on pace to cross the 1,000-game threshold this year, will see his contract expire at the end of the 2023-24 season. That deal – a five-year, $30-million pact inked back in 2019-20 – is heavily paid by way of signing bonuses. With his $5-million signing bonus for the approaching season now paid, the remaining money owed on Myers’ contract is just $1 million. (Note: Myers does also have a 10-team no trade list.)

With such little real money owed, and with Vancouver in need of cap space, Myers becomes an intriguing trade option – both for teams that may be searching for artificial help to reach the cap floor and for teams that think Myers has some game left in the tank.

The second scenario is the more pertinent one. With such little cap growth around the league in the post-COVID era, teams have had less difficulty reaching the cap floor, so the appetite for contracts where cap hits may dwarf real salary is muted.

But there’s always an appetite for NHL-ready defencemen, and the allure of Myers’ size and skating ability has followed him throughout his career.

continued

Quinn Hughes Named Captain Of The Vancouver Canucks

09/11/2023 at 11:55am EDT

via the Vancouver Canucks,

Wearing the Captain’s “C” on the front of an NHL jersey symbolizes leadership, strength and courage. What that prestigious letter doesn’t always tell you though, is the path, trials, tribulations and significant growth a player must take in order to be bestowed one of hockey’s greatest honours.

By entrusting the Canucks captaincy to Quinn Hughes on Monday, it marks the culmination of years of dedication and sacrifice that the young blueliner has had to make; an incredible hockey player who continues to grow up right before Canucks’ fans' eyes. “It means a great deal to me to be named captain of the Canucks,” Hughes said with immense pride. “When I came here 5 years ago, I knew what I was walking in to having grown up in Toronto; just a crazy hockey market and a passionate fan base. It has been a pleasure and treat to play for this franchise and to be the captain is something that is incredibly special and something that I couldn’t ever imagine would happen.”

Devon Levi's Summer

09/10/2023 at 9:43am EDT

from Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News,

Parents rolled heavy equipment bags and sticks toward the exit, their precocious, young goalies in tow, as a crowd began to gather at Quartier Hockey on a humid August afternoon.

“You know who that is, right?” a father said to his son.

A group of children emerged from an adjacent hallway, completing a sprint from the locker rooms, and the sight of the ice sheet caused one boy to belt out, “He’s on this side!” They raced toward the glass and playfully jockeyed for the best view.

On the ice, Devon Levi listened to instructions from his longtime goalie coach, Marco Raimondo, then skated toward his crease to prepare to stop a barrage from three shooters. One by one, Levi stymied their attempts to score with ease, each movement as perfectly executed as the last with a singular objective on his mind: stay square to the puck.

A few of his saves evoked audible gasps from the dozen or so people who stuck around to watch the goalie who became a larger-than-life figure to kids in the Montreal area. His journey to the NHL began with the same passion that attracted them to the try to stop pucks and, as someone who grew up nearby, he’s a symbol that the dream is attainable.

It wasn’t long ago that Levi was the kid hanging around the rink after practice to try to meet the athletes he adored.

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All Rasmus Andersson

09/09/2023 at 9:32am EDT

from Tom Gulitti of the NHL's website,

Forward Tyler Toffoli was traded to the New Jersey Devils with a season left on his contract and several players are entering this season on expiring contracts, including forwards Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund and defensemen Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadorov and Oliver Kylington. Is there concern among the players about that?

"I've gotten this quite a bit. It's different for everyone. For Backlund (34 years old) and Tanev (33), for example, they're a little older and they haven't won (the Stanley Cup). They probably want to play this out and see if we have a good enough team that they see if we can win or not. With Lindholm, those who have been in that situation before always say it's a business. And it's a business from the Flames' side and Lindholm's side and they've got to find their perfect middle.

"I don't know what the numbers are or anything like that. I'll leave that up to [Conroy] and Lindholm to figure that out, so I don't want to speak too much on their part. But they're all really good hockey players and we obviously hope they'll be back for more than this year. But everyone knows how it works with contracts and expiring deals. You usually get traded with a year left on your deal. So it's something that's in the hands of the players and the management and the owners."

more Q & A

Keep An Eye On These Teams

09/08/2023 at 1:11pm EDT

from Adamo Marinelli of The Hockey News,

With NHL training camps right around the corner, teams will begin finalizing their rosters to prepare for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Some teams – such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes – are set to contend for the Stanley Cup. Several others – including the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames – are hoping to make the playoffs after missing last season. And then there are other teams – hello Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets – that will continue to rebuild for the future.

Here’s a division-by-division look at teams that we expect to be overachievers, underachievers and X-factors this season.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Overachiever: Toronto Maple Leafs

Superstar Auston Matthews is signed long-term, William Nylander and John Tavares both have two years left on their deals, and GM Brad Treliving immediately got to work adding grit to the roster by bringing in Ryan Reaves and Dylan Gambrell. He also added quality forwards such as Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi to take some of the offensive pressure off the Leafs’ stars while simultaneously strengthening the defense corps by bringing in John Klingberg and Simon Benoit on cap-friendly deals. A 50-win team last season, they’ll contend for the division and ride the momentum of their first playoff series win in 19 years.

continued

Morning Line -Eric Duhatschek

09/08/2023 at 9:28am EDT
But for now, September is the month of hope, before the reality of the NHL’s regular season comes along and deals clubs a sober dose of reality. Hope, as they say, springs eternal. May as well enjoy it while it lasts.

-Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic where you read much more ($) on the summer moves this year....

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