Articles in NHL Teams

Not Much Has Changed For The Winnipeg Jets

09/07/2023 at 12:24pm EDT

from Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet,

If past behaviour truly is the best predictor of future behaviour, you can expect Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to remain patient in the coming weeks — and possibly months.

With Jets training camp just a few weeks away, what we know is that Cheveldayoff wasn’t bluffing back in July when he said he was comfortable with goalie Connor Hellebuyck and top-line centre Mark Scheifele going into this season on expiring contracts.

Just over two months later, both Hellebuyck and Scheifele remain in the fold and are set to roll into town to prepare for the new season.

Of course, the topic of conversation in the first media availabilities will revolve around the future of those players, and you can expect to see the art of deflection fully on display.

There’s a good reason for that.

This is uncharted territory for Hellebuyck and Scheifele as much as it is for the organization, and there could still easily be a couple of twists and turns before there is a resolution.

You can expect both players are going to do what they can to try to put the focus on the present rather than engage in a discussion about the potential outcomes — and that’s a wise strategy.

continued

Connor Bedard Has A Shot

09/07/2023 at 8:55am EDT

from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.

Connor Bedard circled the ice, waiting for his cue from a hockey card photographer for Upper Deck. He skated purposefully towards an empty net and unleashed a shot.

OK, not a shot, but the shot. That quick, powerful release that's his calling card as an NHL prospect. That skillful snipe that made him the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, and has positioned Bedard as the league's latest franchise savior.

The puck rocketed off his blade and landed snugly under the crossbar. How many goals will the 18-year-old score just like that? How many goalies will be left wondering how to stop Bedard?

"Just get in front of it. Somehow," said Sebastian Cossa, a goalie prospect for the Detroit Red Wings who attended the NHLPA Rookie Showcase in Arlington on Tuesday.

"He's definitely got a good shot," Cossa continued. "I played against him in junior and the world juniors. His pull-and-push is obviously pretty special. It's not really knowing what to expect. You just got to really be on angle and take away the net from him. He's a special player."

Bedard was the talk of the rookie showcase.

continued ($) plus more topics...

An Eight Year Deal For Jake Sanderson And The Ottawa Senators

09/06/2023 at 9:28pm EDT

OTTAWA – The Ottawa Senatorsannounced today that the team has signed defenceman Jake Sanderson to an eight-year, $64.4M contract extension. The contract has an average annual value of $8.050 million and includes the following breakdown: $8.050M in 2024-25, $8.050M in 2025-26, $8.050M in 2026-27, $8.050M in 2027-28, $8.050M in 2028-29, $8.050M in 2029-30, $8.050M in 2030-31 and $8.050M in 2031-32. The contract also includes a 10-team no-trade clause which will be applicable to the final three seasons of its duration.

Playing With The Salary Cap In Montreal

09/06/2023 at 3:52pm EDT

from Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette,

Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is hoping to wait until the NHL season starts before placing Carey Price back on long-term injured reserve.

Price isn’t expected to ever play again because of a knee injury, but the 36-year-old goalie still has three seasons remaining on his contract with an annual salary-cap hit of US$10.5 million.

Hughes wants to avoid the situation he was in last season when Price was placed on LTIR during the offseason to make room for Sean Monahan after acquiring the veteran forward and his US$6.375-million cap hit from the Calgary Flames in August. Teams are allowed to go over the cap by 10 per cent during the offseason. Once a player is on LTIR, his salary no longer counts against the cap.

“If we put Carey Price on offseason LTI his money’s gone and then we lose the flexibility during the year, which we did last year with all the injuries, and with the recalls and bonus money we get into overages, which carry the cap cost into the following year,” Canadiens GM Kent Hughes said during a video conference last month.

“So with each passing year we’re going to be more and more mindful wherever we can to try not to do that and to preserve Carey,” Hughes continued. “The unfortunate part is if we don’t put him on LTIR until in-season, it’s pretty hard to use $10.5 million of his money in-season. LTI isn’t a perfect situation for any team. I know some people think it’s simple and you just use the money that that player’s salary was occupying, but it’s a little bit more complicated.”

continued

A Contract Extension For GM Bill Armstrong In Arizona

09/06/2023 at 12:16pm EDT

Brad Marchand Talking Like The Next Captain For The Boston Bruins

09/06/2023 at 9:24am EDT

from Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald,

The Bruins are without a captain after the retirement of Patrice Bergeron. But if you took in Boston’s first “captain’s practice” on Tuesday and listened to him speak afterward, it was hard to miss the vibe that Brad Marchand just might be the captain-in-waiting.

Not that Marchand, now the longest serving Bruin, was about to publicly lobby for the job.

“It’s not something I really think about too much. Obviously it’s a really big honor to be in the leadership group in this organization when you look at the guys who have been there before. But we’ve always done it collectively as a group,” said Marchand after an hour-plus session at Warrior Ice Arena. “So regardless of who wears it, it’s a collective thing. Even guys guys without a letters have stepped up through the years. When you lose Bergy and (David Krejci) and that leadership, it’s got to come from the group, and not one certain guy or a couple of guys. It’s got to be from a big group. So that’s what we’re going to rely on this year.”

That sounds like something a captain would say.

continued

Doug Wilson Now Part Of The Penguins Organization

09/06/2023 at 9:03am EDT

Mike Babcock Is Back

09/06/2023 at 5:46am EDT

from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the NHL's website,

Mike Babcock looks relaxed and happy. It’s a quiet morning in August, and he’s already worked out and water skied when he sits down at his “tiki bar,” a little piece of paradise down the hill from his house overlooking a lake. It has a roof, a bar, barstools, a fridge, a TV and wifi. There are hockey mementos on the wall.

Babcock spends a lot of time here, when he isn’t hunting on his land in Ohio or downhill skiing on a mountain in Colorado or vacationing at his place in Palm Springs, California. He and his wife, Maureen, love to visit their three adult children scattered across North America.

“My life has simply been about being around my family and hunting, water skiing and downhill skiing,” he says. “Those are the three things that I’ve done to bring me nothing but joy.”

The 60-year-old hasn’t coached an NHL game since the Toronto Maple Leafs fired him Nov. 20, 2019. He says he declined multiple opportunities until he joined the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 1, volunteering instead as an adviser at the University of Vermont in 2020-21 and the coach at the University of Saskatchewan in 2021-22.

“I said I was going to retire at 60,” he says. “I promised my wife. The 3 1/2 years early was like a gift from God. We enjoyed it so much.”

So why come back to the NHL now? Why take on the challenge of the Blue Jackets, who finished 31st in the NHL last season?

“This is a great question,” he says.

continued (long)

Video- Talking Unsigned RFAs

09/06/2023 at 5:12am EDT

Elliotte Friedman was on the NHL Network Tuesday to discuss the contract situation for a few restricted free agents.

Video- This Is Jack Hughes

09/05/2023 at 9:38am EDT

via Sportsnet's YouTube page,

This kid can PLAY! The New Jersey Devils sure got a special one with Jack Hughes. Take a look at all of his best moments from the 2022-23 season.

Tim Stützle Is Eyeing The Playoffs

09/05/2023 at 9:27am EDT

from TSN,

Entering his fourth season with the Ottawa Senators, Tim Stützle has his eyes set on playing playoff hockey for the first time in his NHL career.

The Senators finished six points out of the playoffs last season, extending their drought to six seasons. With a young core and off-season additions, expectations are high for the Senators this season, with Stützle agreeing that reaching the postseason is a realistic goal for the club.

"I think so, yeah," Stützle told NHL.com.(opens in a new tab) "At first when I came to Ottawa the playoffs were so far away and now I think we're making a lot of steps in the right direction, and you can just tell the playoffs are coming closer and closer every year. … We are in a really good age group right now that we have a chance to be good and now is the time to show our fans and give the fans something back. They have been waiting for a long time."

The 21-year-old winger, who was selected third overall in the 2020 draft, is coming off a breakout season, having posted 39 goals and 90 points in 78 games. He had 22 goals and 58 points in 79 games during his sophomore season....

Stützle is part of young Senators core that is signed long term. Entering the first season of an eight-year, $66.8 million deal, Stützle is one of seven members of the Senators signed through at least the next four seasons - along with captain Brady Tkachuk, wingers Josh Norris and Drake Batherson, defencemen Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub, and Korpisalo.

"Oh yeah. It's unreal. Having those guys there who have been committing long term too, you just can tell that everybody wants to be there and that's the biggest part for us," Stützle added. "And now having Korpisalo and Tarasenko coming in, the deals they signed, and getting Tarasenko from free agency, you can tell he believes in the group the same way we do and that's fun to see. Korpisalo signed for five years. He's been a really good goalie in this league and him committing to us long term is unreal.

"And it's awesome to see all those young guys signing with Ottawa long term and really believing in this group of guys."

read on

What To Do With Alexis Lafreniere?

09/05/2023 at 8:48am EDT

from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

Maybe if it had been a normal summer. Maybe if it had been a normal training camp. Maybe if the pandemic did not coincide with Alexis Lafreniere’s first-overall selection by the Rangers in 2020, the organization would have done the, well, right thing by immediately moving the lad to right wing in order to avoid the Chris Kreider-Artemi Panarin blockade he would confront on the left side.

Three disappointing seasons later, Lafreniere remains somewhat of a mystery. His rate production as a third-liner with negligible power play time is impressive, third on the Rangers over his tenure with 0.9 five-on-five goals per 60 minutes that ranks third behind only Pavel Buchnevich’s 1.08 and Kreider’s 1.04 among players with 700 minutes of ice time. But his impact has not been commensurate with that fancy stat.

There is shared blame for that. A lot of rationalizations, with some of those no more than excuses. If the Rangers have to assume responsibility for this, Lafreniere — who will turn 22 the day before the Oct. 12 opener in Buffalo — has to take ownership of his career.

That means whether he is on the right or left side. That means whether he starts the season as a top-six winger or begins again on the third unit. Me? I’m moving No. 13 to the right because, I’m sorry (no I’m not in the least), I am not demoting Kreider — the NHL’s seventh-leading goal-scorer over the last two years — to the third line.

continued

Is Long Island The Destination For Tomas Tatar?

09/04/2023 at 7:50pm EDT

from Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News,

Silence.

That's been the New York Islanders since they signed a trio of depth forwards on July 5 after retaining their own free agents a few days prior.

Currently sitting $486,625 above the allotted salary cap, the Islanders are more than likely -- out of necessity -- to subtract a player from their roster rather than add.

However, there is one player still on the market after two months of free agency that's a real head-scratcher: Tomas Tatar.

The 32-year-old is coming off a 48-point season (20 goals, 28 assists), his second in New Jersey. Tatar is a rather versatile player, as he played up and down the Devils' lineup, even seeing minutes on the top line.

So, why does he remain unsigned?

Well, do we know that is the case?

Is it possible a certain team signed Tatar, with the announcement not being made public yet?

It's not impossible.

continued

Leaning On Filip Hronek In Vancouver

09/01/2023 at 12:28pm EDT

from Travis Yost of TSN,

Who is Filip Hronek?

Not in the literal sense. We have seen Hronek play in more than 300 games at this point of his career, with the 25-year-old blueliner spending five seasons with the Detroit Red Wings organization before being dealt to Vancouver at last year’s trade deadline.

Despite his looming restricted free agency status (his current three-year contract expires at the end of the 2023-24 regular season), the Canucks were aggressive in their pursuit, and ended up forking over a first- and second-round pick to add the defenceman. Perhaps for good reason: Hronek at his best is a fantastic puck carrier and transitional player, one who can ignite a team’s offence from the blueline. We saw flashes of it when he was with Detroit, even amidst a rebuilding lineup that was shallow on high-end talent.

But it hasn’t always been great with Hronek. On those same talent-weak teams, we saw him struggle from time to time defending the run of play. Video of the first few years of his career is ripe with turnovers against sustained defensive-zone pressure, and even when Hronek wasn’t giving the puck away, he was all too willing to chip the puck out of the zone or simply play it off the boards.

That style of play tends to run very counter to what teams expect from top-four puck movers in the modern era, as defencemen are increasingly tasked with driving offensive play.

continued

A Shakeup In The Broadcast Booth For The Penguins

09/01/2023 at 12:08pm EDT

from Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

A significant shakeup is coming to the Penguins’ television broadcast team in the wake of the team purchasing and rebranding AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Steve Mears and Bob Errey will not return in their roles, per sources. Josh Getzoff is expected to move over from the radio side to replace Mears as the play-by-play man. Colby Armstrong will likely also take on a prominent TV role.

Despite tremendous local ratings with the previous crew calling games on ATTSN, major changes seemed possible as the Penguins and Fenway Sports Group homed in on their purchase of ATTSN from Warner Bros. Discovery.

News of changes to the TV broadcast team began to leak out Friday, one day after the Penguins announced they had agreed, effective Oct. 2, to acquire ATTSN and would rebrand the regional sports network as SportsNet Pittsburgh.

continued

Not A Good Off-Season

08/31/2023 at 10:08am EDT

from Matt Larkin of The Daily Faceoff,

Which franchises have gotten noticeably worse on paper as training camps approach? I’ve marked down five.

5. Winnipeg Jets

Out: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler, David Rittich, Sam Gagner

In: Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, Laurent Brossoit

If you’re a Jets fan, would you rather see them higher on this list, having also traded Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele? We knew GM Kevin Cheveldayoff eyed some significant changes entering the offseason, but he’s opted for more of a half measure at the moment after shipping out Pierre-Luc Dubois in a blockbuster with the Los Angeles Kings and buying out Blake Wheeler. As it stands, the Jets have replaced two of their top-nine forwards with lower-ceiling depth, albeit Gabe Vilardi did break out for 23 goals last season. But they’re also still in possession of Hellebuyck and Scheifele for now, meaning they haven’t totally turned over their team identity. Is this team a contender or stuck in limbo between retool and rebuild? Whatever they are, they don’t look like a better team than they were a year ago.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Out: Michael Bunting, Ryan O’Reilly, Luke Schenn, Noel Acciari, Alex Kerfoot, Erik Gustafsson, Justin Holl, Zach Aston-Reese

In: Tyler Bertuzzi, John Klingberg, Max Domi, Ryan Reaves, Martin Jones, Simon Benoit

New GM Brad Treliving took over as GM of the Leafs in late May and, after roughly a month of assessing his roster, went to work making over the team with an evident focus on intangibles. The likes of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reaves don’t constitute upgrades over the losses in Toronto’s top nine, but they theoretically bring more of the pushback Toronto lacked at crucial moments during their Round-2 defeat to the Florida Panthers last spring. John Klingberg makes for an interesting reclamation project, but he’s a wobbly replacement for Luke Schenn, who was Toronto’s best all-around defenseman after coming over as a trade-deadline rental last winter. This team has injected plenty of personality and vigor but looks decidedly shallower and less defensively conscientious than it was by the 2022-23 season’s end. If you’re trying to see a silver lining? Tell yourself that the Leafs have traded in a few regular-season wins for the fiery types of players who help will them to a few more playoff wins.

3 more teams....

Eye Injury Forces Carl Hagelin To Retire

08/30/2023 at 6:09pm EDT

from Tom Gulitti of the NHL/s website,

Carl Hagelin announced his retirement Wednesday after 11 NHL seasons.

Hagelin, who won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, hasn't played since sustaining a left eye injury when he was struck with a stick blade during practice with the Washington Capitals on March 1, 2022.

The 35-year-old forward also twice underwent surgery on his left hip while spending all of last season on long-term injured reserve with Washington.

"It's been an amazing ride but it ends here," Hagelin posted on Instagram. "Unfortunately, my eye injury is too severe to keep playing the game I love. I'm extremely grateful for all the memories hockey has given me and I've loved every single day of it."

continued

Sheldon Keefe Signs A Multi-Year Extension With Toronto

08/30/2023 at 12:06pm EDT

via the Toronto Maple Leafs,

Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving announced today that the club has signed Head Coach Sheldon Keefe to a multi-year contract extension.

Keefe, 42, was named the 31st Head Coach in Maple Leafs history on November 20, 2019. Through parts of four seasons with the club (267 regular season games), Keefe has coached the team to a 166-71-30 record to rank him sixth in wins in the franchise's 105-year history. Under Keefe, Toronto has set franchise records for most wins (54) and points (115) during a single season (2021-22) while also recording consecutive 50-win campaigns over their two most recent seasons. Since joining the Maple Leafs, Toronto has posted a .622 winning percentage under Keefe, ranking them only behind the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes in that span.

Video- A Salute To Bob Barker

08/29/2023 at 10:35pm EDT

The guys from the NHL Network looked back at some of the well known games from The Price Is Right and then looked at a NHL team for the game.

Example, the game Cliffhanger was tied into which non-playoff team will make the post season.


Video- Adam Fantilli's Journey

08/29/2023 at 6:42pm EDT

via the YouTube page of the NHL,

The Columbus Blue Jackets made Michigan star Adam Fantilli the 3rd overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Watch Fantilli give an inside look of his life playing for the Wolverines to him embracing his family in Nashville after being picked by Columbus.

It's All About The Playoffs For Auston Matthews And The Leafs

08/29/2023 at 3:37pm EDT

from Travis Yost of TSN,

Over the course of Matthews’ career in Toronto, the Maple Leafs are just one goal better than their opponents with him on the ice in the playoffs. That’s still markedly better than the -11 differential the team sees without Matthews, but I think this is the best (and simplest) explanation as to why the Maple Leafs continue to run into walls when it matters most.

When their best player (and best units, by and large) are on the ice against tougher competition, the Leafs can compete, but usually towards break-even. When that group comes off, Toronto is a net-negative team.

Laying significant blame at the feet of Matthews for Toronto’s postseason undoing doesn’t feel appropriate, but it also seems too kind to be dismissive of it as an issue. And when you are soon to make $13.2 million per year in the seasons ahead, waiving away the lack of impact in the postseason just isn’t going to fly.

Toronto, and Matthews specifically, need to figure out how to take their regular-season dominance – and that’s precisely what it’s been, dominance – into April and beyond. With a new contract in tow, the pressure to do just that has increased considerably.

more

Pressure On The Edmonton Oilers To Win The Cup?

08/29/2023 at 2:38pm EDT

via the NHL Network's YouTube page,

The Edmonton Oilers have two of the league's top players in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but the duo is still chasing their first Stanley Cup. NHL Tonight discusses whether or not it's Stanley Cup or bust for the Oilers.

Toronto Talk

08/29/2023 at 6:35am EDT

from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,

- Brad Treliving comes across with a fairly good sense of humour, combined with a decent big-picture take on the world. He’s certainly quotable. Like Brian Burke without the bleeps.

Treliving recalled a story in which he was asked about contract negotiations and whether the two sides were “close.” He told his questioner: “We’re getting there ... there’s only two issues left. We’ve just got to figure out the term and the money.”

- Speaking of uncomfortable, the same goes for Sheldon Keefe after the hiring of Guy Boucher to run the power play. Considering Treliving didn’t hire Keefe, it’s worth watching what kind of start the Leafs get off to. Boucher is an experienced NHL coach who took both Tampa Bay and Ottawa to the Eastern Conference final, and he was on Brendan Shanahan’s short list in 2015 before the Leafs hired Mike Babcock. He’d be the favourite to be the interim” coach if things go sideway for Keefe’s Leafs.

- Not sure what to make of the Leafs defence. John Klingberg wasn’t exactly the kind of blueliner they needed, unless the idea is for Morgan Rielly to play more of a shutdown role. Does Rielly-Klingberg, Jake McCabe-T.J. Brodie, Mark Giordano-Timothy Liljegren do it for you?

more

Video- Elliotte Friedman On A Few Topics

08/28/2023 at 10:53pm EDT

via the YouTube page of the NHL Network,

Elliotte Friedman is back to give his last update of August. He joined NHL Tonight to talk about the Washington Capitals, the NHL's international plans, and the Edmonton Oilers.

Terry Pegula Is Now The President Of The Buffalo Sabres

08/28/2023 at 11:44am EDT

via the Buffalo Sabres,

Owner Terry Pegula has been named President of the Buffalo Sabres. He will continue to work closely with COO John Roth leading the business side of the organization and general manager Kevyn Adams leading the hockey side of the organization.

In conjunction with these changes, Pegula Sports & Entertainment (PSE) will be separating resources between the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, allowing each respective organization to focus singularly on their efforts.

"We are thankful for the work and effort so many individuals have put into PSE over the years, but feel it is the right time for them to return home to separate organizations," Sabres owner and president Terry Pegula said. "We feel that now is the right time to dissolve PSE and allow everyone to focus solely on their respective organization. It is a great time to be a Buffalo sports fan and we have a tremendous amount of confidence that this restructuring will allow our businesses to continue to elevate with our teams."

Pegula and Roth will continue to work collaboratively with the business leadership group at the Buffalo Sabres as they guide the organization towards its goal of winning championships.

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