Philadelphia Flyers Daily Clips- June 22, 2011 FLYERS Headlines 1. Philadelphia Daily News- Snider was force behind Flyers chasing goalie Bryzgalov 2. CSNphilly.com- Laperriere, other players react to NHL rule changes 3. CSNphilly.com- Greenberg: Flyers can't let Bryzgalov get away 4. CSNphilly.com- Flyers' Laperriere a Masterton trophy finalist 5. Delaware County Times- NHL’s equality claims don’t quite hold water 6. Camden Courier-Post- Flyers' Holmgren faced with decisions 7. Philadelphiaflyers.com- Good Luck Lappy 8. TSN.ca- Laperriere keeps positive outlook after concussion 9. TSN.ca- Report: Rangers to play Flyers in Philly in 2012 Winter Classic NHL Headlines 1. NHL.com- Star-studded treatment for NHL's best at Awards 2. NHL.com- NHL Board unanimous on Winnipeg sale, relocation 3. NHL.com- Bruins, Canucks meet again with Vegas backdrop 4. TSN.ca- Offseason Game Plan: Vancouver Canucks 5. TSN.ca- Report: Jagr wants to resume NHL career on short-term deal 6. TSN.ca- McKenzie: Nugent-Hopkins tops TSN’s final draft rankings 7. TSN.ca- Penguins coach intrigued by possibility of adding Jagr 8. ESPN.com- Three teams in mix for Jaromir Jagr 9. ESPN.com- Thrashers' move to Winnipeg approved FLYERS Articles 1. Philadelphia Daily News- Snider was force behind Flyers chasing goalie Bryzgalov Frank Seravalli LAS VEGAS - If there were ever any doubt about who controls the Philadelphia Flyers, Ed Snider put that to rest yesterday. The Flyers' chairman and founder, now 78, is no omnipresent figurehead. He is still the Snider made it clear that he is the one who wants Ilya Bryzgalov in a Flyers uniform next season, setting in motion a directive at the end of last season that put general manager Paul Holmgren on a mission. The Flyers acquired Bryzgalov's rights on June 7. "It had to be done," Snider told the Daily News, just after arriving here for tonight's NHL Awards show at The Palms Casino and Resort. "I was part of making it happen. It was hard to sit there and watch the Stanley Cup final, knowing what [Tim] Thomas was doing for Boston."

After Thomas and the Bruins hoisted the Cup last week - and spent $156,679 at the Foxwoods Casino bar partying last weekend - Snider said he was tired of hearing about how people say that it's possible to win without spending money on a goaltender. Since the NHL's salary cap was imposed in 2005, the Flyers have consistently been at the bottom of the league average in goaltending spending. With Bryzgalov under contract, reportedly in the $5-6 million range per season for up to 5 years, the Flyers would instantly rocket into the top third of the league. And Snider is the man behind the organization's change in philosophy. "By and large, you could not spend as much on forwards or defensemen and still win," Snider said. "It can be a crap shoot no matter who you bring in. But I'm hopeful that this is the guy that can make it happen. For me, the goaltender is the final piece on this team." Snider personally met with Bryzgalov last week, even sending his private jet to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport to ferry him to South Philly after a long flight from Moscow. "I was very impressed with him," Snider said. "He was intelligent, fun to be around. It really was a nice meeting." Bryzgalov returned to Russia, after touring the city and team facilities with his wife Yevgeniya, without a new contract. The Flyers resumed negotiations with Bryzgalov's agent, Ritch Winter, yesterday. Their exclusive negotiating rights with the former backbone of the Phoenix Coyotes expires on July 1. Technically, the Flyers cannot sign Bryzgalov to a new deal until the league announces the salary cap structure for next season, which Holmgren said usually happens before the start of the Entry Draft, without first moving salary. Round 1 of the draft kicks off Friday in St. Paul, Minn. Reports on Monday indicated that the 2011-12 salary cap will increase by $4.6 million from $59.4 million to $64 million. Until that number is officially announced, teams cannot exceed this year's salary cap number in next year's commitments. It doesn't take a calculus course to know that if the Flyers do sign Bryzgalov to a number anywhere close to his reported asking price, they will need to move a high-priced player or two to remain cap compliant. While Snider wouldn't comment on specifics - including rumors that have surfaced about trade talks including Jeff Carter - he did echo one of Holmgren's sentiments about soon-to-be unrestricted free agent and possible cap casualty Ville Leino. Someone will have to go.

"I think Ville played very well for us," Snider said. "I'm really hoping that we can find a way to keep him, because I think he was an important asset for us." Leino, back in his native Finland, could not be reached for comment yesterday. All 29 other teams can begin to pursue him on July 1. But none of that matters without first signing Bryzgalov. Snider doesn't seem worried, no matter the price. "I'm confident that we'll be able to work something out," Snider said. "Look, if you don't spend the money, you ain't going to get him. It's really that simple." Slap shots The New York Times reported that the Flyers will face the Rangers in the 2012 Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at Citizens Bank Park. . . . Soon-to-be Flyers unrestricted free agent defenseman Danny Syvret was at the Palms yesterday to support his buddy and Hart Trophy finalist Corey Perry. Syvret said he has not heard anything - and has not spoken to his agent - regarding reports that he has garnered serious interest in Europe. ON ICE NHL AWARDS When: Tonight, 7 o'clock Where: Palms Casino and Resort, Las Vegas TV: Versus, NHL Network Host: Jay Mohr FINALISTS: HART TROPHY: Most valuable player Corey Perry (ANA) Daniel Sedin (VAN) Martin St. Louis (TB)

Seravalli's pick: Perry VEZINA TROPHY: Top goaltender Tim Thomas (BOS) Roberto Luongo (VAN) Pekka Rinne (NSH) Seravalli's pick: Thomas CALDER TROPHY: Rookie of the year Michael Graber (NYI) Logan Couture (SJ) Jeff Skinner (CAR) Seravalli's pick: Skinner NORRIS TROPHY: Top defenseman Zdeno Chara (BOS) Nicklas Lidstrom (DET) Shea Weber (NSH) Seravalli's pick: Chara MASTERTON TROPHY: Perseverance, dedication to sport Ian Laperriere (PHI) Ray Emery (ANA) Daymond Langkow (CGY) Seravalli's pick: Laperriere LADY BYNG TROPHY: Sportsmanship, gentlemanly play Loui Eriksson (DAL)

Nicklas Lidstrom (DET) Martin St. Louis (TB) Seravalli's pick: St. Louis SELKE TROPHY: Top defensive forward Pavel Datsyuk (DET) Ryan Kesler (VAN) Jonathan Toews (CHI) Seravalli's pick: Toews LINDSAY AWARD: MVP as voted by players Corey Perry (ANA) Daniel Sedin (VAN) Steven Stamkos (TB) Seravalli's pick: Stamkos ADAMS AWARD: Coach of the year Dan Bylsma (PIT) Barry Trotz (NSH) Alain Vigneault (VAN) Seravalli's pick: Trotz Already decided: Conn Smythe (playoff MVP): Tim Thomas (BOS); Art Ross Trophy (points leader): Daniel Sedin (VAN); Rocket Richard Trophy (top goalscorer): Corey Perry (ANA); Plus/Minus Award (best plus/minus ratio): Zdeno Chara (BOS); Jennings Trophy (tandem with best goals against average): Roberto Luongo, Corey Schneider (VAN) -- NHL Draft

Round 1: Friday, 7 o'clock ET Rounds 2-7: Saturday, 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn. TV: Versus, NHL Network Flyers picks: 3rd round (84th overall), 4th (116th), 4th (118th from Tampa Bay), 6th (176th), 7th (206th). 2. CSNphilly.com- Laperriere, other players react to NHL rule changes Tim Panaccio LAS VEGAS – All the NHL had to do to gain greater clarity in determining head shots was eliminate two words — lateral and blindside. The league’s Board of Governors did just that on Tuesday in New York, now making any hit to the head — where the head is the principal point of contact — illegal, regardless of how it was delivered or from what direction it came. Several NHL players here for Wednesday’s NHL Award presentation at the Palms supported the new language, while Flyers forward Ian Laperriere questioned whether the league is slowly eroding the physical essence of the game. “It’s a step in the right direction,” said Detroit’s Nick Lidstrom, a six-time Norris Trophy winner, who is up for the award this year with Zdeno Chara (Boston) and Shea Weber (Nashville). “We’ve seen some borderline hits that were legal from last season which I still say were head shots. I think this is good. We have to get head shots out of the game. And if it happens you have to pay for it.” Removing “blindside” helps, Lidstrom said, because the game moves so fast it’s not always possible for the officials to determine whether blindside was just that. “It makes it a lot more clear for everyone on the ice now that it’s a head shot, it’s a penalty,” Lidstrom said. Logan Couture, a finalist for the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, has had some concussions already as a San Jose Shark. “From a person who has had concussions and gone through it, you have to take those hits out of the game,” Couture said. “Players have to be conscious of what they do on the ice. I am a firm believer in that.

“You know what you’re doing on the ice. You know if you’re going to hit someone in the head. If your elbow is up or shoulder is up to the head. I’m in favor of [protecting] he players.” Laperriere, a finalist for the Masterton Trophy, thinks this will be a disadvantage to players with a considerable size advantage in terms of contact. “I’m not sure I’m a big fan of this,” Laperriere said. “I saw Chara. I don’t care if he hits me fair or not, he’s going to hit me in the head. He’s 6-9. It’s going to change the game if they apply it to a tee. Big guys won’t be able to hit little guys. “Like Prongs [Chris Pronger]. It’s going to be tough for him to play because every hit is to the head. But if that is what they want, that is what they are going to get.” The former wording to Rule 48 applied only to hits that came from the “lateral or blindside.” Those words are gone now. The change affects hits anywhere on the ice and from any direction. The Board of Governors also modified Rule 41, which deals with boarding. A penalty will now be given to a player who delivers a hit on a defenseless player that causes him to hit the boards violently or dangerously. Players must now try to avoid – or limit – contact against an opponent who is deemed to be in a defenseless position. At the same time, the officials are to take into consideration whether the other player placed himself in harm’s way. “It also allows the referee discretion to determine whether the recipient of the contact placed himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the collision and whether the check was unavoidable,” the NHL announced. Laperriere’s career is basically over because of post-concussion syndrome brought on not by a head shot, but a puck to the right eye in the 2010 playoffs. Concussions are the No. 1 head injury the league is trying to cut down on. Told that he was in the minority among players on this topic, Laperriere replied, “We’ll see when they start calling everything and the game is slowed down so much. It’s going to be a different game. “If you have big guys playing against small guys, there’s always going to be hits to the head. I believe in taking those stupid hits away from the game, like elbows to the head, unnecessary, like we saw from [Matt] Cooke. “But a good, clean hit should stay in the game.”

Yet, Laperriere did agree that blindside hits, such as Mike Richards’ hit a few years ago on David Booth, then legal at the time, was an example of a hit that needed to be remedied. “That should be out of the game because it’s blindside. He came from nowhere,” Laperriere said. “There’s no way a guy can protect himself.” Laperriere said the hitting is more violent now because obstruction has been taken away and players attack each other with speed unimpeded. “The same people who were complaining that our game was slow and hooking was part of it, now you are taking hooking out of it, obstruction away and the game is a lot faster,” he said. “Well what comes with speed? Injuries. You can’t hook. You take away the red line and now guys come with speed … I’m not saying bring obstruction back in the game, but at the end of the day, you got to live with the consequences when you change the game.” Tampa’s Marty St. Louis, who’s a finalist for the Hart Trophy, supported the rules change. “We have to protect the players,” St. Louis said. “They’re getting faster, getting stronger and when a hit to a head gets in the way, we have to find a way to let up. This is somebody’s livelihood … We have to be more cautious and play with more respect. Now maybe guys will think twice and slow down a bit.” 3. CSNphilly.com- Greenberg: Flyers can't let Bryzgalov get away Jay Greenberg Asked Monday whether it was dollars or years that still could keep Ilya Bryzgalov from becoming a Flyer, Paul Holmgren said: “Both.” The GM didn’t have to elaborate or put it into plain English that even Sergei Bobrovsky could understand. The shorter the contract for the most accomplished goalie of an underwhelming free-agent class, the better. It also would mean the greater the opportunity down the road to keep Bobrovsky, who in two years might turn out to be superior to Bryzgalov. But of course, less than two months after Peter Laviolette used three goalies into a second-round dead end and almost 25 years after the Flyers last went into any series with a clear advantage in goal, the deal is going to get done.

As the Flyers approach this weekend’s draft without a first-round pick for a third consecutive year, they are built to win now. Moreover, they have been at this point too many times over too many decades to keep willfully putting themselves at such a critical disadvantage. Flyer Nation has long believed that the team of Bernie Parent has been completely tone-deaf to the importance of his position. So perception has been reality, never mind that the Flyers have used the 22nd overall pick twice (Brian Boucher and Maxime Ouelett) to try to find the next Pelle Lindbergh, never mind that not every summer has a Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy been available for a signing or trade. There are only so many superior goalies out there. Still, in 1998, Bob Clarke did have his pick of Mike Richter, Curtis Joseph and John Vanbiesbrouck and made a hauntingly third-best choice in a situation that had parallels to the one Holmgren and Ed Snider face. On that July 1, Rangers GM Neil Smith had already negotiated a deal with Joseph. Richter was as good as gone from New York until the next day when the Joseph contract was shot down by a Madison Square Garden superior. Regardless, Clarke opted for a three-year deal with Vanbiesbrouck instead of the five-year deal Richter sought. Roger Neilson, the Flyers’ coach, had coached them both and, when asked by Clarke, had no preference. And when Richter jumped back in and took a lesser deal from New York than what Joseph had accepted, to Clarke it only confirmed his suspicion that Richter never intended to leave New York – he wanted only to use his hometown team to get more money out of the Rangers. Vanbiesbrouck, three years older than the 31-year-old Richter, was on the downside and got beat to the shortside repeatedly in his one Flyer playoff series, a six-game loss to Toronto. When the Flyers went to the conference final the next year, rookie Boucher was one win from a huge upset of the Devils when he let in a softie to open Game 5 and thereafter was outdueled by Marty Brodeur. A five-year window to a Cup with a Richter still in is prime never opened. And none of Clarke’s good work that produced three finalists and another four semifinalists is remembered as much as that he never got a goalie. Ultimately, that will be Holmgren’s doom too unless, 25 years after rookie Ron Hextall outplayed everybody – including Grant Fuhr – to get the Flyers to within one game of the 1987 Stanley Cup, they finally close this hole. Or, at least are perceived as having done everything they could do to close it. It’s bizarre that an organization that over the years has spared little expense to win has not given itself the best possible option at the game’s most important position. But Snider and Holmgren don’t have to be hit over head with this any longer to know that Bryzgalov is a deal they have to make. Even if it’s for a goalie who turns 31 on Wednesday and who, unlike a Richter of the same age in 1998, has had only one good playoff run (with

Anaheim in 2006) and isn’t universally considered the best – some like Tomas Vokoun – on the market. That’s why Tim Thomas, 37, with two years to go on his deal, would have been the preferred fit, but he was just playoff MVP for a Cup-winning team. And besides, with Tuukka Rask signed for next year too, the Bruins can put off that decision for a year. The Flyers don’t have that luxury, which is why another draft choice (a third-rounder) went to Phoenix for negotiating rights, and almost all the leverage belongs to Bryzgalov. 4. CSNphilly.com- Flyers' Laperriere a Masterton trophy finalist Tim Panaccio LAS VEGAS -- Ian Laperriere can hardly contain his excitement. Three times during his 16-year NHL career, the Flyers forward has been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Wednesday night at the Palms, the NHL Awards will be presented. Laperierre is among the three finalists for this recognition. “I’ve never been a finalist until now,” said the 37 year old. “It’s very flattering, trust me. You always want to play the right way and be the right kind of person on and off the ice.” The Masterton trophy is given by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Laperriere was nominated by the Philadelphia chapter of the PHWA. His competition happens to be made up of ex-Flyers – Anaheim goalie Ray Emery and Calgary centerman Daymond Langkow. “I wasn’t shocked to be nominated, but to be a finalist, that was a surprise,” Laperriere said. He was previously nominated in Los Angeles and later, in Colorado. “When I was first nominated, I went and looked up Bill Masterton, so I know the history,” Laperriere said. Masterton, a member of the Minnesota North Stars, died on Jan. 15, 1968, when he collapsed onto the ice after a routine check, striking the back of his head. Players didn’t wear helmets in that era. The official cause of death was “cerebral contusion.”

An investigation this past May by The Toronto Star showed Masterton had been complaining of severe migraine headaches a week prior to his death after suffering a suspected concussion during a game. The night before Masterton died, he attended a party in Minnesota and complained to teammates that he didn’t feel right. The innocuous check against the Oakland Seals that felled him only escalated the brain trauma he had been experiencing for days. We now know, in retrospect, Masterton was suffering from post-concussion syndrome when he died. Back then, very little was known about concussion effects and the term “post-concussion syndrome” wasn’t even part of the medical community’s jargon. Laperriere’s immediate family and his mother will attend the award ceremonies. “I’m excited for my kids,” Laperriere said. “It’s always nice to be recognized. My boys are big hockey fans and for them to see this up close and personal it’s going to be a big experience for them. It will be good memories for them.” Previous Flyer recipients of the Masterton were Bobby Clarke in 1971-72 and Tim Kerr in 1988-89. The last Flyer to win one of the major individual NHL Awards (Hart, Calder, Selke,Vezina, etc.) was Eric Lindros, who won the Hart Trophy in 1994-95 as league MVP. Lindros also won the Lester B. Pearson award that year, voted by the players’ themselves, as the league’s best player. That award has since been renamed the, “Ted Lindsay Award.” The last Flyers to be recognized at the league level in a lesser award capacity were Roman Cechmanek and Robert Esche, who combined to win the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2002-03 for fewest goals against (166). 5. Delaware County Times- NHL’s equality claims don’t quite hold water Anthony San Fillippo It’s a good thing for the Flyers that they are one of the “haves” in the NHL, because every year, the league that calls itself a champion of the little guy allows the big boys to get stronger and the little guys to get weaker. That became all the more evident Monday when it was learned that the 2011-12 salary cap is increasing to $64 million and the salary floor is going up to $48 million. By contrast, six years ago, when the league emerged from a lockout that cost it an entire season, the cap was $39 million and the floor was $23 million.

We were told then that the salary caps put in place were done so to provide cost certainty throughout the league — in other words, a way for the smaller market teams to compete financially with the bigger market ones. The league justified that decision in the first year after the lockout when traditionally lower-spending teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers met in the finals. A year later, the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators were playing for the Cup. Each time, league commissioner Gary Bettman put on his Cheshire cat grin as he continued the masquerade that he was the voice of the populous. Then came 2007-08 when the Detroit Red Wings, one of the financial elite, won the Cup over the Pittsburgh Penguins, who quickly became a top-tier NHL franchise after being able to draft Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury in successive seasons. A year later, the same two teams were back in the Finals. Then came 2009-10, when it was Philadelphia and Chicago — two more free-spending teams who flirt with the salary cap. This year, it was Boston and Vancouver, again, two teams in the upper echelon of spending. And as each season passed, both the cap number and the floor were increasing exponentially. In the process, the Phoenix Coyotes went bankrupt and had to be kept afloat by the league. The Atlanta Thrashers were sold and moved to Winnipeg after too many years in the red, and other organizations continued to flounder financially — like the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers. Meanwhile, nine of the 11 lowest-spending teams in the NHL missed the playoffs entirely. Guess the system really doesn’t work, does it? Sure, the NHL has built some momentum in recent seasons, but again, that’s because its richest, most recognizable teams are the ones in contention every season. The NHL recognizes this, even if it won’t publicly admit it, but why else would the league constantly go back to the same teams for its marquee events — like trips to Europe or the Winter Classic? Take the latter for example. The league has used Pittsburgh twice and now the Flyers twice. The reason? The league can only truly market so many teams to a U.S. audience,

and when you’re talking about dollars from NBC/Comcast, the U.S. market is all that matters. In the states, there are only a half-dozen teams that draw much interest: The Penguins because of Crosby and Washington because of Alex Ovechkin; the four American clubs of the Original Six franchises (Chicago, Boston, the Rangers and Detroit); and the Flyers. Statistical evidence to prove this next point wasn’t readily accessible, but the next time there is an NBC game of the week without one of those teams it may be the first since the lockout. All of this means the Flyers, who need to offer many millions of dollars to Ilya Bryzgalov to lock him up as their goaltender, will have a bit more flexibility. Sure, they still have to move salary, but now, with 19 of the 30 NHL franchises below the salary floor, teams are going to be desperate to take on salary — like the Florida Panthers who are $30 million below the floor. So when Paul Holmgren says the Flyers have options, he isn’t kidding. 6. Camden Courier-Post- Flyers' Holmgren faced with decisions Cuck Gormley

Maybe Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren knows something the rest of the NHL doesn't. Or maybe he's orchestrated a series of moves that will topple like perfectly aligned dominoes at the start of the NHL draft Friday night in Minneapolis.

In a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon, Holmgren said he would like to sign goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and re-sign right wing Ville Leino while also acquiring a pick in the first or second round of the draft, something the Flyers have not had since 2008.

As of today, Bryzgalov and Leino remained unsigned and the Flyers do not own a draft pick until the third round at No. 84 overall.

To check off any of the items on their To Do list, the Flyers almost will need to shed significant salary from their current payroll, which is a mere $450,000 under the current salary cap of $59.4 million. That cap reportedly will inflate to about $64 million when the NHL officially announces its salary ceiling and floor later this week.

Since June 7, the day the Flyers acquired the negotiating rights to Bryzgalov in exchange for Matt Clackson and a 2012 third-round draft pick, it was widely assumed that in order to remain cap compliant, the Flyers would need to trade Jeff Carter ($5.3 million cap hit), Kris Versteeg ($3.1 million) or Matt Carle ($3.4 million).

But if the NHL salary cap rises to $64 million or higher and the Flyers can stretch out the length of Bryzgalov's contract, Holmgren believes there will be enough money to keep the core of his team intact.

"There's not a fire sale going on here," Holmgren said. "We're going to continue to try to sign Ilya, obviously, and continue to try to sign Ville and then we'll see. It's not like we're caught between a rock and a hard place."

Not yet, anyway. Last week Holmgren met with Bryzgalov and his agent, Ritch Winter, to establish some parameters on a contract for the Russian goalie, who will turn 31 on Wednesday. On Monday Holmgren acknowledged the two sides are at odds over the length of the contract and its worth.

The Flyers are believed to be seeking a six- or seven-year deal that will keep Bryzgalov's salary cap number in the $5 million range. Bryzgalov is believed to be seeking a four- or five-year contract that averages at least $6 million a year. The two sides will talk again today.

"We know where they're at and what they want to accomplish and I think they know where we're at," Holmgren said. "Obviously, to make a deal there's going to have to be some compromise. It's going to take some time, but we're going to keep working on it."

From a planning standpoint, it would be ideal for the Flyers to hammer out a deal with Bryzgalov before Friday's draft, allowing Holmgren to know how much salary needs to be cleared to remain cap compliant. However, Holmgren said he does not see Friday as a deadline since the Flyers own Bryzgalov's rights until free agency starts July 1.

"There's still enough time after the draft to get a deal done," Holmgren said. "The important thing right now is that there was progress made in the few days Ilya and his agent were in town and I don't see any reason why that's not going to continue."

If a compromise results in Bryzgalov with a cap hit of $5.5 million and the NHL cap increases to $64 million the Flyers would enter the draft about $500,000 over the league threshold. To sign Leino they would need an additional $3 million in cap space and another $3.5 million to sign restricted free agent wingers Darroll Powe and Andreas Nodl, along with unrestricted free agent defenseman Sean O'Donnell.

That's why it is still entirely possible Holmgren will trade Carter, Versteeg or Carle for a draft pick that gets the Flyers into the first two rounds for the first time since 2008 when they selected defenseman Luca Sbisa with the 19th pick of the draft. (A year later Flyers later traded Sbisa to Anaheim in the Chris Pronger deal).

Ironically, the Flyers could use Versteeg, for whom they forfeited a first- and third-round pick in this year's draft, to get back into the first round. They could also trade restricted

free agent Dan Carcillo, for whom they gave up Scottie Upshall and a second-round pick, to get into the second round.

"The fact we don't have any second-round picks is not an ideal position and we haven't had one for a while," said Holmgren, whose last second-round pick was in 2007 (D Kevin Marshall)."

7. Philadelphiaflyers.com- Good Luck Lappy Philadelphia Flyers Staff Ian Laperriere has been waiting. Waiting for nearly two months. Well the waiting is down to its final hours and the Lappy family has finally landed in Las Vegas for the NHL Awards Show. (Wednesday, June 22 @ 7 pm ET on VERSUS) Laperriere is one of three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey”. It is the first time he has been named a finalist for an NHL Award, but that doesn’t mean the Flyer forward is at all nervous. “I’m not so much nervous. I’m more excited,” said Laperriere. “Excited for my family, my kids to see all of the NHL Stars and be a part of something special. It’s going to be what it is, but it’s fun to be in Vegas with the family.” Back in April, the Philadelphia chapter of the PHWA submitted Laperriere for nomination to the NHL, as all 30 club are entitled to. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top three vote-getters were designated as finalists. Laperriere will be going up against two other former Flyers as well. Goaltender Ray Emery, and forward Daymond Langkow are up for the award. Laperriere is the first Flyer to be a finalist for an NHL award since Michael Richards was a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the forward who excels in defensive play back in 2008-09. Richards lost by a slim margin to Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk. Should Laperriere take home the Masterton he would be the third Flyer to do so and first since the 1988-89 season when Tim Kerr won. Bobby Clarke also won the Masterton for the 1971-72 season. For now however, “Lappy” is putting all that aside and being just one of many family men out there enjoying a small vacation with his family.

“We’ve been sitting by the pool and we’re going to see Cirque de Soleil, spend the day with the kids and walk around. They’ve never been here before and there’s a lot to see, so we’re going to do all of the tourist stuff.” 8. TSN.ca- Laperriere keeps positive outlook after concussion Associated Press PHILADELPHIA - Ian Laperriere was dazed, his blood squirting all over the ice. On all fours, a towel pressed to his face, Laperriere begged the Philadelphia Flyers trainer for some good news. "Is my eyeball still there, Jimmy? Do I still have my eye?" he asked trainer Jim McCrossin. Yes, the right eye was in place, even though he'd need about 70 stitches to patch up his face. Laperriere had his eye and his eyesight — but he lost his career. Laperriere, a gutty forward who built a 15-year career as a pesky agitator, has not played since the 2010 playoffs. He missed all of this season because of the lingering effects of the concussion he suffered from the vicious shot to the face when he tried to block the puck in a playoff game against New Jersey. In Philadelphia, he's become a bit of a folk hero. In the NHL, he hasn't been forgotten. Laperriere is one of three nominees for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Goalie Ray Emery of the Anaheim Ducks and forward Daymond Langkow of the Calgary Flames also were nominated, which will be presented Wednesday at the NHL awards in Las Vegas. Emery and Langkow both returned from injuries to play this season. Laperriere wasn't so lucky. He hasn't retired yet ("there's a chance because I'm breathing") but doctors have told him to quit and he's all but played his last game. He should have been wearing that No. 14 sweater and helping the Flyers in their playoff push had he simply worn a visor. By his own admission, Laperriere was too macho to wear the protective shield because of his reputation as the type of player who absorbed any kind of hit, or dished them out, if it would help his team win.

He was never much of a scorer — 121 goals, 336 points in 1,083 career games — and knew if he wanted to stick around the NHL, he'd have to perform the dirty work the other player battling for his spot might not want. So he took off his shield and started fighting. Laperriere played for three teams in 1995-96, but that final stop in Los Angeles was a fortuitous one. Kings assistant coach Dave Tippett told Laperriere he needed to suck up injuries and stay in the lineup for 75-80 games, not 60. "I was happy he told me that," Laperriere said. "It made me play through a lot." Maybe too much. He lasted eight years with the Kings and four with Colorado before signing with the Flyers in 2009. He surely would have made Tippett proud, playing in all 82 games and setting the example for a still-blossoming nucleus about playing with pain. Laperriere was blasted in the mouth by a puck against Buffalo, needed 100 stitches and lost seven teeth. Nasty, right? He returned to play later in the game. "They brought me here to show the young guys what it is to be a pro," he said. "James van Riemsdyk was next to me in the locker-room and I was thinking, I've got to go back and show them that if you're OK, you've got to play. "Stitch me up, come on boys. I've got to go back." He didn't miss a game — and refused to add a shield. "I don't regret it. It made me the player I was," he said. "I know it's tough for people to understand." Laperriere paid the ultimate price for his decision last April. His face took the brunt of New Jersey Paul Martin's slapper and the gruesome injury had lasting effects. He suffered a brain contusion and mild concussion. Worse, he could have been blinded. Horrific, right? He returned to play later in the post-season as the Flyers advanced to the Stanley Cup finals.

"I have to play," he said. "It's easy for Sidney Crosby to take three years off. Ian Laperriere can't take any time off." He did have time off during the summer, and he couldn't shake the headaches and the uneasy feeling that he wasn't right. Laperriere reported for training camp, even his passed his baseline test, but he could not play. Laperriere had no solid answer when the Flyers asked what he wanted to do next. All he knew was that he wanted to remain connected with hockey. So he kept busy, serving as a team ambassador of sorts. He did promotional work, was a post-season TV analyst, rang the opening bell on Wall Street, and skated with Chris Pronger when the injured defenceman tried to return from injury. He tried to stay out of the way of his teammates who were always prepping for the next game without him. "It's tough to be around the guys when you can't go," Flyers forward Danny Briere said. "But he's always a part of this team, even if he can't be out there. Look at what he gave up for us." Sticking around the game helped ease the tough times. The easygoing and popular Flyer said he never felt depressed, even when doctors and second opinions told him his career was over. "I won't eat my emotion, I won't drink my emotion," he said. "I'll keep myself fit to help my head heal. I don't know how I would have taken it if the team pushed me aside. It would have been a lot harder this year." Laperriere could lace the skates and hit the ice for some light workouts without any setbacks. But when he pushed himself — and what athlete doesn't? — he hit the wall. He played in two charity games and the lights and the crowds and the movement just threw him off. He blames nerve damage in his right eye more than the concussions for his condition. The 37-year-old from Montreal suffers from some blurred vision, but chuckles, "I don't care because I won't get hit by a 230-pound, 6-4 guy." He's devastated he can't play. Just not bitter. Because of hockey he met his wife. Because of hockey he's adored by fans in each of his NHL homes. "I've got everything because of the game," he said. "Why me? I'm not like that."

9. TSN.ca- Report: Rangers to play Flyers in Philly in 2012 Winter Associated Press NEW YORK -- The New York Times is reporting the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers will play at Citizens Bank Park in the next Winter Classic game. The annual outdoor game will be played on Jan. 2, because Sunday, Jan. 1 is scheduled to be the final week of the NFL's regular season. Citizens Bank Park is the home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The newspaper reported the details of the game on its website on Tuesday. NHL Articles 1. NHL.com- Star-studded treatment for NHL's best at Awards Shawn P. Roarke In a town known for its big names and bigger-than-life performances, the National Hockey League will honor its best and brightest Wednesday night in a star-studded affair at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino. The 2011 Awards show (7 p.m. ET, Versus, CBC) brings the game’s best players together with stars from the entertainment world in a celebration of a historic 2010-11 season -- a season that opened with the Boston Bruins as one of six teams in Europe and ended with those same Bruins doing a victory lap with the Stanley Cup last Wednesday after a Game 7 triumph against the Canucks in Vancouver. Two of those Bruins, perhaps the two biggest Bruins, are here hoping to add to their hardware haul. Boston goalie Tim Thomas, the Conn Smythe winner as Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP, is up for the Vezina Trophy as the game’s best goalie. Boston captain Zdeno Chara, meanwhile, is in the running for the Norris Trophy as the game’s best defenseman. With the Stanley Cup already in their possession, neither player is all that concerned with taking home the individual honors on offer Wednesday. “I have been fortunate to win the Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup already this year and the Vezina is another one of those trophies that is a huge honor to win,” Thomas said Tuesday. “It’s another thing that is special. There are two other goalies here that are awesome, too.”

Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo and Nashville’s Pekke Rinne, the other candidates for the Vezina, may be awesome, but they seem to be on the outside looking in when it comes to the Vezina. “I hope he enjoys the Vezina because he’s probably going to win it,” said Luongo, one of four Canucks up for individual awards Wednesday night. Luongo, who will share the 2011 Jennings Trophy (fewest goals allowed) with teammate Cory Schneider, is joined by Ryan Kesler (Selke Trophy), Daniel SedIn (Hart Trophy) and coach Alain Vigneault (Adams Trophy) as Canucks hoping to salve the wounds of a traumatic Game 7 loss last week with some individual glory. "A lot of guys had really great seasons and career seasons," Vigneault said. "You've got to give them full marks for that." That is what Wednesday is all about. It is about giving full marks to many of the stars in the NHL solar system. In the race for MVP, Sedin is joined by 50-goal scorer Cory Perry and Tampa Bay icon Martin St. Louis. The Norris Trophy race features former winner Chara, youngster Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators and Detroit’s Nicklas Lidstrom, who owned the Norris for much of the past decade. Meanwhile, the Calder Trophy race celebrates the continued infusion of youth into the League. Carolina’s Jeff Skinner, San Jose’s Logan Couture and Michael Grabner of the New York islanders are already stars after just one season. And those are just a few of the trophies that will be handed out on this night. With so many on-ice stars on hand, it seems only fitting that some of the biggest stars from the entertainment field also be present as entertainers or performers. Among the presenters Wednesday night are Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Mad Men star Jon Hamm, illusionist Criss Angel, actresses Jennifer Beals and Cobie Smulders and directors Jason Reitman and Kevin Smith, as well as the legendary Donny Osmond. Hockey legends Mark Messier, Ted Lindsay, Luc Robitaille, Jeremy Roenick and Craig Patrick will also be on hand, joining the entertainment legends in a walk down the red carpet at the Palms before the awards show. Country star Dierks Bentley and hip hop/electro pop sensation Far East Movement will perform Wednesday night during the two-hour show. 2. NHL.com- NHL Board unanimous on Winnipeg sale, relocation Dan Rosen

The wait officially is over. Winnipeg is back on the National Hockey League's map. The League's Board of Governors gave its unanimous stamp of approval for the sale and relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to the group from Winnipeg at its meeting in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday. It's the first franchise relocation in the NHL since 1997, when the Hartford Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes. True North Sports & Entertainment purchased the club from the Atlanta Spirit group for a reported $170 million and paid the NHL a $60 million relocation fee to move the team to Winnipeg, which hasn't had an NHL team since the Jets left for Phoenix after the 1995-96 season. "The Board unanimously approved both the sale of the Atlanta franchise to True North, which is Mark Chipman and David Thomson, and the relocation of Thrashers to Winnipeg," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Obviously, everybody is sorry and distressed and unhappy that we found ourselves in the circumstance where our franchise was leaving Atlanta. We feel particularly sorry for the fans over there. But obviously, based on the reception that we've gotten, everybody is extremely excited about the opportunities in Winnipeg for our return." "We are very honored by the NHL Board of Governors' unanimous decision today. We know that the fans of this province have an appetite for NHL hockey that is rivaled by few in the League and intend to work very hard to make Manitobans proud of our franchise for years to come." -- Mark Chipman, True North Sports & Entertainment Chairman of the Board The still-unnamed Winnipeg franchise will begin play in the Southeast Division in 2011-12, with the expectation that it will be moved to the Western Conference starting in 2012-13. "We are very honored by the NHL Board of Governors' unanimous decision today," said Chipman, Chairman of the Board, True North Sports & Entertainment. "We know that the fans of this province have an appetite for NHL hockey that is rivaled by few in the League and intend to work very hard to make Manitobans proud of our franchise for years to come." Winnipeg will play its home games in the 15,015-seat MTS Centre, which previously was home to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. The MTS Centre will be the smallest arena in the NHL, but it likely won't feel that way with 13,000 season tickets already sold and, according to Bettman, "somewhere in the vicinity of a quarter of a million expressions of interest in having season tickets for the franchise."

True North announced earlier this month that 7,158 season tickets were sold in a three-day pre-sale and the remaining 5,842 were purchased online in four minutes and officially processed in 17 minutes. "The fact of the matter is people have noticed very clearly what Winnipeg has accomplished in a very short period of time," Bettman said. "The response from the corporate community has been outstanding as well. Sometimes it's not just the size of the market; sometimes it's a function of the intensity of the market." That said, Toronto President and GM Brian Burke said there is cautious optimism among the Board of Governors that Winnipeg will work as an NHL market in the long term. "I think Winnipeg could have sold the building out three times. The challenge isn't the first five years," Burke said. "What I've said is I believe in the marketplace, but everybody in Winnipeg has to support this team. It's far from over with the fact that they sold the building out in two minutes or 10 minutes. The first five years is the easy part, that's the low-hanging fruit. It's harder if you're in Year 5 and the team hasn't won a championship and you're renewing all those things. That's the test. "We're all glad the team is back, but there are challenges in that market. It's that simple. It's the smallest market we're in. People need to support this team." Winnipeg has been operating as a franchise since the sale was announced May 31. Kevin Cheveldayoff was hired as the team's general manager June 8, replacing Rick Dudley, who was not retained despite having three years left on his contract. Craig Heisinger, formerly the GM of the Moose, was hired the same day to be Winnipeg's Director of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager. Cheveldayoff and Heisinger currently are in the process of hiring a new coach to replace Craig Ramsay, who was told Monday that he will not be back with the team even though he still has one year left on his contract. Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Haviland and Claude Noel, who coached the Manitoba Moose last season, reportedly are the top two candidates for the Winnipeg coaching job. Marcel Comeau, who has been the Thrashers' head scout since 2003, is expected to implement Winnipeg's draft strategy this weekend at the 2011 Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minn. Winnipeg has the seventh selection in the first round Friday. Thrashers Director of Amateur Scouting and Player Development Dan Marr no longer is with the franchise. "They have been a city pursuing an NHL franchise for a period of time," said Devils CEO/President/GM Lou Lamoriello. "The ownership there has been fantastic in the American Hockey League. They made as good of a presentation as you can ask for. I think they deserve it. I think it's just going to work out fantastic."

Winnipeg did not have any representation at the Board of Governors meeting because it officially was not a member of the League, but former Thrashers President Don Waddell was here representing his now-defunct franchise. He wished the franchise well and said he believes the team can compete for a playoff berth this season. "It's a sad day for hockey fans in Atlanta, but the franchise is going to a good place and run by good people and I wish them well because they have a lot of good people that are going to go with them," Waddell said. "They (the Board of Governors) heard the story of why it wasn't working in Atlanta and the bright side is what's happening in Winnipeg with ticket sales and so forth. So, it was voted by all 30 members." 3. NHL.com- Bruins, Canucks meet again with Vegas backdrop Shawn P. Roarke Time has not healed all wounds for the Vancouver Canucks. Less than a week removed from a Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Final, a contingent of Canucks descended Tuesday afternoon upon Las Vegas for the 2011 NHL Awards show at the Pearl Theater in the Palms Casino on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; Versus, CBC). Ryan Kesler, Daniel Sedin, Roberto Luongo and coach Alain Vigneault are all in town, hoping to take home some hardware to at least partially erase some of the sting of losing the Stanley Cup in a winner-take-all Game 7. "There is only one trophy we play for,” said Kesler, who is nominated for the Frank Selke Trophy as best defensive forward. That trophy is the Stanley Cup, and the Boston Bruins ripped it out of Vancouver's hands with an impressive 4-0 victory in last Wednesday's Game 7 at Rogers Arena. While the Vancouver players were still coming to grips with the what-ifs that have plagued their every waking moment for the past six days, Boston's Tim Thomas, up for the Vezina Trophy, and Zdeno Chara, nominated for the Norris Trophy, arrived in town still riding the wave of happiness enjoyed by all Cup winners. "When you listen to players that have won it and they go on about how hard it is and what it takes to win it, until you have actually done it and you are playing hurt and tired, the mental pressure and the physical exhaustion, you don't really realize how it is,” said Boston captain Chara, almost unrecognizable with his face shorn of its playoff beard. "I am so glad I had a chance to experience it, go through it and live it. The best part is to see the whole team, all my teammates, being so happy and relieved. That is just a memory I

will never forget -- to look in their faces and see their smiles; everybody just having that joy and happiness. That is the best feeling. " It is a feeling that the Canucks can only guess at after watching a 3-2 series lead evaporate in just 72 hours. Kesler can't even think about it. "It is too early to even talk about it,” Kesler said Tuesday afternoon. "Right now, I am here to focus on the Awards.” Does seeing the Bruins and the Stanley Cup, which also made the trip to Vegas make it an even more difficult process? "I haven't seen any Bruins yet,” Kesler said. "I will let you know how I feel when I do.” Will it be awkward for Kesler when he sees Chara or Thomas on the casino floor or at Wednesday's Awards show? "It would probably be awkward, yeah,” he said. Luongo, battling Thomas for the Vezina Trophy as top goalie, hasn't come to grips with the loss but seems a bit closer than Kesler. "Obviously we didn't really have time to digest what happened last week yet, so it is a bit touchy to probably see those guys and them holding the Cup and stuff like that,” Luongo said. "It's not easy, it's a tough loss, but it's something that's going to heal with time." What about the perceived rift between him and Thomas that came about during a contentious series that featured several wars of words? After Game 5 of the series, Luongo said he could have stopped the game's only goal -- the game-winner by Maxim Lapierre. The next day, Luongo complained that Thomas had not given him enough credit in the series. Those comments remained a storyline for the final three games of the series. Luongo said Tuesday that there's no rift. "I think everything's cool,” he said. "We had a few words after the series was over and, you know, I've always had a lot of respect for him and I've always said that from the start. Wish him all the best tomorrow and hope he enjoys the Vezina because he's probably going to win it." Thomas also took the high road Tuesday. "I remember one of the things I told him going through the (handshake) line is: ‘For the record, I think you are a great goalie and you had a great season.' Whether (the comment)

was taken out of context or whether it was just part of the mental game that was trying to be played, it was just something that happened. "What matters in the end is who won; who won the Cup. It doesn't matter. I hold no ill feelings or ill will toward anyone about what was said." Eventually, everyone will move on for the elation or disappointment of last week's Game 7. For some, like Kesler, it may take more time. But according to Vigneault, nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy as the League's best coach, it will happen because that is the way hockey players are programmed. "I had a good talk with Chara a couple minutes ago and when I came in, I came in with Thomas; those are great people,” Vigneault said. "They are competitive. They wanted to win. We wanted to win. They did everything they had to win and we tried everything we had to win. "Any guy that is in this business, whether you are a player or a coach, you know what you have to do to get it done and you know what the opposition is going through, so respect for that is huge. So, after a couple of days, you are able to turn the page." 4. TSN.ca- Offseason Game Plan: Vancouver Canucks Scott Cullen The Vancouver Canucks came so close to winning their first Stanley Cup, but came up short in Game Seven, leaving a long summer to think about what could have been. Off-Season Game Plan looks at an obviously talented Canucks team that GM Mike Gillis will presumably want to keep intact as much as possible heading into next season. Part of the reason that the Canucks shouldn't be looking to make drastic moves is that their lineup was rather depleted by the time the Final was finished. With defencemen Dan Hamhuis and Aaron Rome out due to injury and suspension, respectively, and second-line wingers Mason Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson both hurt, the Canucks' depth was put to the test. Given those circumstances, the Canucks' best plan going forward may be to try and maintain as much of the status quo as possible, with minor tweaks to improve the depth in the organization. After all, the Canucks finished with a franchise-record 117 points and led the league in both points and goal differential, so making wholesale changes based on losing Game Seven against Boston, would be taking a rather narrow view of this team's abilities and shortcomings.

That's not to say the Canucks can't improve or don't face challenges heading into next season. Improved secondary scoring never hurts and if the Canucks can keep their defensive core mostly intact that continuity would be welcome to a team that is attempting to return to the Final. Moreover, Gillis has eight unrestricted free agents to deal with this summer along with some players that are going to be recovering from injuries over the summer, not least of all Mason Raymond, Manny Malhotra and Dan Hamhuis. If the Canucks return relatively healthy next season and make a few smart additions, the Canucks will give themselves a chance to return to the Final. Trouble is, in the Western Conference, just having a chance to return still means battling through Chicago, Detroit, San Jose and others just to get to the Cup Final. And now that the Canucks have been there, just getting to the Final isn't enough. 5. TSN.ca- Report: Jagr wants to resume NHL career on short-term deal The Associated Press Jaromir Jagr is ready make an NHL comeback. "Quite a few teams are in the picture, but I've been talking to Detroit and Pittsburgh the last couple of days," Petr Svoboda, Jagr's agent, said Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press. "He is looking for a one-year deal and I think he will have one in the next week or so." Jagr, 39, was the NHL MVP in 1999, a five-time scoring champion and two-time Stanley Cup winner while he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He went on to play for the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. "They've contacted us and we've expressed an interest," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "We'll continue to stay in touch." Jagr hasn't played in the NHL since the 2007-08 season with the Rangers. He left the league to play for Avangard Omsk in Russia, but he and his agent are working on getting a deal done with a team in North America. The six-foot-three, 245-pound forward had a hat trick last month in a 4-0 win over the United States in the quarter-finals of the ice hockey world championship, where the Czechs finished fourth.

"He's still got it, for sure," U.S. captain Mark Stuart said. "He's hard to play against. One of the hardest guys ever to take the puck off." Jagr has 646 goals and 1,599 points in his NHL career, ranking among the game's all-time best. He had 25 goals and 71 points in his last season with the Rangers three years ago when he finished strong with 15 points in 10 playoff games. The Czech star is one of 25 players with a Stanley Cup and gold medals from the Olympics and world championships. 6. TSN.ca- McKenzie: Nugent-Hopkins tops TSN’s final draft rankings Bob McKenzie It has been an unprecedented roller-coaster ride with as many as five legitimate contenders dating all the way to back to September, but with this year's entry draft almost upon us there is finally some clarity atop TSN's draft rankings' leaderboard. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the clear choice as No. 1 on TSN's draft rankings' leaderboard.TSN's Top 60 final rankings for the 2011 NHL entry draft, which goes this Friday and Saturday in St. Paul, Minn. Nine of 10 scouts surveyed by TSN have the offensively-gifted Red Deer Rebel centre at No. 1. The lone dissenting view was a ballot cast for forward Gabriel Landeskog, the Swedish captain of the Kitchener Rangers. In three previous TSN rankings – a pre-season poll in September, a mid-season survey in January after the World Junior Championship and a draft-lottery edition in mid-April – no prospect ever received more than six first-place votes. Until now. “He has elite vision, elite playmaking skills, elite goal-scoring ability, he's an elite offensive player,” one NHL scout said of Nugent-Hopkins. “He has a lot of really special qualities that make every player on the ice better, not just him.” Whether the Edmonton Oilers, who have the No. 1 overall pick for the second consecutive year, agree with the vast majority of scouts remains to be seen on Friday. Oiler general manager Steve Tambellini and chief amateur scout Stu MacGregor will meet with their entire scouting staff and hockey operations department on Thursday in the Twin Cities to formally decide which player they will take first overall. “Our process is the same as last year,” Tambellini said. “We obviously have had a lot of discussion back and forth all season long on a lot of players because there are some really

special players to choose from. But we haven't had our whole group together and we'll go through all the possibilities one more time and arrive at our final decision after that.” While Edmonton has exhaustively studied all the high-end talent in this year's draft, it's believed the Oilers have legitimately looked hardest at the four elite prospects which top TSN's final rankings – Nugent-Hopkins at No. 1, Swedish defenceman Adam Larsson at No. 2, Saint John Sea Dog forward Jonathan Huberdeau at No. 3 and Landeskog at No. 4. It would appear Drummondville centre Sean Couturier, who is No. 5 on TSN's final rankings, played his way out of true No. 1 consideration, but each of those five prospects received one or more No. 1 votes in TSN's four rankings. Larsson was tied with Couturier for the No. 1 ranking in the September pre-season poll of scouts. Each had four votes, with Nugent-Hopkins picking up the remaining two. Larsson is a big, mobile defenceman who logged big minutes in this, his second season playing against men in the Swedish Elite League. He's a complete package who looks as though he's ready to make the jump to the North American pro game and would most definitely fill a positional need for the Oilers if they were to go in that direction. Nugent-Hopkins, by the way, went from two first-place votes in September to three in January (ranked No. 2 behind Larsson) to six in April, when he was first designated the No. 1 prospect. Huberdeau is the rising star of this year's draft. He didn't get a single vote (at any number) in our poll to determine a pre-season Top 10. In fact, Huberdeau is the only one of TSN's Top 5 prospects who didn't get a No. 1 vote at some point of the season. He was ranked No. 9 on the mid-season list in January, moved up to No. 4 on the draft-lottery edition in April and settled at No. 3 on the final list. Huberdeau is the scouts' consensus choice as the “smartest player” available this year. He was MVP of both the Quebec League playoffs and Memorial Cup and was instrumental in the Saint John Seas Dogs' Memorial Cup win. Landeskog is undisputed choice of the scouts as “most ready” to play in the NHL. He's been dubbed the Swedish version of Philadelphia Flyer captain Mike Richards, a strong, two-way forward who will fight, hit, block shots, make plays, score goals and shut down the opposition's best forwards with off-the-scale intangibles in terms of heart and desire. Landeskog received one first-place vote in January, two in April and one for the final ranking – the only player besides Nugent-Hopkins to get a first-place vote. Scouts say the Oilers couldn't go wrong taking any of those four. And while Couturier is no longer considered a true candidate for No. 1, reports of his demise as a high-end prospect would seem to be greatly exaggerated. Six of the 10 scouts surveyed by TSN had Couturier at No. 5 or higher. He was no lower than No. 8 on any ballot. While his game lacked the dynamic quality of the other Big Four, he's still a talented two-way centre who is as good without the puck as he is with it and his point production remained notable – his point-per-game average in the QMJHL

on a relatively weak Drummondville team was better than any of the elite prospects in this draft. It would appear there's a fairly strong consensus top nine in this draft. Niagara defenceman Dougie Hamilton at No. 6, Niagara teammate and offensive centre Ryan Strome at No. 7, Kitchener offensive defenceman Ryan Murphy at No. 8 and Swedish centre Mika Zibanejad at No. 9 kept turning up in top 10, over and over and over again. Swedish defenceman Jonas Brodin rounded out TSN's top 10, but there was a gap between the top nine and the rest of the field. Beyond that group of nine, though, the scouts' opinions were wildly divergent and there's a real scattergun feel to the draft outside of the top 10. Finally, a word about the process used to determine these rankings. This is not a subjective analysis of who TSN believes will develop into the best prospects or the order that they should be taken. It's not a scouting report, per se. It is a more objective numerical ranking based on the consensus of opinion gathered from 10 NHL scouts, a barometer of where we think a player is most likely to be taken in the draft. 7. TSN.ca- Penguins coach intrigued by possibility of adding Jagr The Canadian Press Dan Bylsma sure sounds like a guy who would welcome the opportunity to insert Jaromir Jagr into his lineup. The Pittsburgh Penguins coach admits that he's intrigued by the possibility of the team adding a player of Jagr's calibre. The 39-year-old is eyeing a potential return to the NHL after spending three years in Russia and the Penguins are a possible landing place. "Hypothetically, you're talking about a guy who in his last year in the National Hockey League had 75 points," Bylsma said Tuesday at an availability for the NHL awards. "That's leading our team last year. That's an intriguing thing to think about -- a power-play guy, what you saw him do in the world championship against NHL-calibre players was nothing short of outstanding. "Those are intriguing things to think about hypothetically and it's tough not to think about adding 75 points to your roster if that's something you're capable of doing." Jagr started his NHL career with the Penguins in 1990 and spent 11 years with the franchise, teaming with Mario Lemieux to help the franchise win back-to-back Stanley Cups. He also claimed five scoring titles and one Hart Trophy.

His agent, Petr Svoboda, told The Associated Press on Tuesday he's had discussions with Pittsburgh and Detroit about signing his client to a one-year deal. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has even spoken on the phone with the flashy Czech forward. At this point, Bylsma hasn't reached out. "I've talked to Mike, not to Jaromir," he said with a laugh. Bylsma is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year after helping the Penguins crack 100 points despite dealing with major injuries to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. He'll be up against Vancouver's Alain Vigneault and Nashville's Barry Trotz on Wednesday night. "It would be special (to win)," said Bylsma. "Now that I'm here, you're kind of like this is something I'd like to be able to get. Again, I think it's a big indication of our organization right from the top on down, right through the players and what they were able to do this year." 8. ESPN.com- Three teams in mix for Jaromir Jagr Pierre LeBrun Jaromir Jagr could not put a time frame on his NHL negotiations but had nothing but great things to say Tuesday about the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, the two front-runners to land the 39-year-old winger. "I don't know," Jagr told ESPN.com when asked how much longer his decision would take. "Sometimes it takes a few hours, sometimes it takes a week. I'm not sure how long it's going to take," added the five-time NHL scoring champion. Jagr's agent Petr Svoboda told ESPN.com earlier Tuesday that the Penguins and Red Wings were front-runners for Jagr's services as well as a third, unidentified team. The Penguins would represent a return to his original NHL roots. "In Pittsburgh, I played there 10 years. I still have a house there. I was too lazy to sell it," Jagr said with his trademark laugh. "Obviously Mario (Lemieux) is the owner. The team they got, (Sidney) Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin, plus other great players, if I went there it would be a lot easier," added Jagr, speaking to ESPN.com via cell phone from his native Czech Republic. "But on the other side, Detroit has great players and play closer to my style, a Euro style. That's a plus. And (Nicklas) Lidstrom is there, plus (Pavel) Datsyuk and (Henrik) Zetterberg -- great, great players."

Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock spoke to Jagr over the phone last weekend, a source told ESPN.com. "Both teams are contenders to win the Cup every year and that's the most exciting thing as a hockey player," said Jagr, not tipping his hand. While Svoboda said earlier Tuesday that the NHL was a stronger probability than Russia's KHL, where Jagr has played the past three years, one cannot discount that possibility either. The Red Wings have publicly confirmed their interest in Jagr while the Penguins have not. Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero did not return a message seeking comment from ESPN.com, but coach Dan Bylsma talked about the prospect of signing Jagr at the media session for NHL awards nominees Tuesday. "Hypothetically, you're talking about a guy who in his last year in the National Hockey League had 75 points," Bylsma said. "That's leading our team last year. That's an intriguing thing to think about -- a power-play guy, what you saw him do in the world championship against NHL-caliber players was nothing short of outstanding. "Those are intriguing things to think about hypothetically and it's tough not to think about adding 75 points to your roster if that's something you're capable of doing," he said. Montreal Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier declined comment via email to ESPN.com on Tuesday when asked about his team's rumored interest in Jagr. 9. ESPN.com- Thrashers' move to Winnipeg approved Associated Press Don Waddell has been through it all with the Atlanta Thrashers since they entered the NHL in 1999. From general manager to coach to team president, Waddell endured the ups and downs -- mostly downs -- as the franchise struggled on and off the ice. After 13 years and only one playoff appearance that produced no wins, Tuesday was the day for Waddell and Atlanta to say goodbye to its second hockey team. The NHL board of governors unanimously approved the sale and relocation of the Thrashers to Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Tuesday, clearing the final big hurdle in the process. "We've been through the emotions and the frustrations the last few weeks, but when I look back and being there 13 years, it's been a great run," said Waddell, who served as

general manager from the start until the 2009-10 season. "Since '98 when I got hired, there are only four general managers that are currently with their teams. "You've got to look at the positives. To be able to stay in one place for so long, it's been tremendous for me," he said. The same can't be said of the team that once featured star players such as Dany Heatley, Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa but couldn't keep them for one reason or another. True North Sports and Entertainment bought the team last month and announced it was bringing the Thrashers to Winnipeg, which lost the Jets to Phoenix after the 1995-96 season. "Obviously, everybody is sorry and distressed and unhappy that we found ourselves in the circumstance where our franchise was leaving Atlanta," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We're particularly sorry for the fans that are there, but obviously based on the reception that we've gotten, everybody is extremely excited about the opportunities in Winnipeg for our return." The sale is reportedly for $170 million, including a $60 million relocation fee that will be split by the rest of the owners. The Thrashers are the fifth NHL team to move since Bettman became commissioner in 1993. Following the Flames, who moved to Calgary 31 years ago, the Thrashers are the second NHL team to leave Atlanta. Those clubs are also the last two teams to relocate to Canada. Seven of the league's 30 teams reside north of the border. "It's a sad day for hockey fans in Atlanta, but the franchise is going to a good place and run by good people," Waddell said. "Sports in general have been tough in Atlanta. I can't say (hockey) is finished forever ... but they've had two tries at it now and it's been difficult for all ownership groups to make it work. "College football in the South is like hockey in Canada. It's the No. 1 sport. When UGA plays football on a Saturday, the party starts on Thursday. We've got a lot of competition in the marketplace," he said. The NHL is giving up an American market that has more than 5 million people in the metro Atlanta area and heading to Winnipeg, which will be the league's smallest market with the smallest arena. The team will play in the 15,015-seat MTS Center, but in a wave of enthusiasm, the club sold out 13,000 season tickets in a matter of minutes earlier this month once they were made available days after the sale was announced.

The Thrashers made the playoffs in 2007 but were swept in four games by the New York Rangers. Atlanta had only one season in which it won more games than it lost. Now the Thrashers will be a footnote in hockey history. Although the Winnipeg franchise has yet to pick a name, it will not be the Thrashers. The club will bear no resemblance to the one that briefly called Atlanta home. Waddell, general manager Rick Dudley and coach Craig Ramsay won't make the move to Manitoba. Dudley completed just one year of a four-year deal after he replaced Waddell, and Ramsay was one year into a two-year contract. The Thrashers' ownership dealt with major financial problems and declining attendance in recent years. The team had the league's third-worst attendance last season, averaging fewer than 14,000 a game. "They certainly made every effort they possibly could to have it work. It didn't work," New Jersey Devils president Lou Lamoriello said. "Winnipeg is excited, the league is excited right now. What they have been able to do there in a short period of time is just tremendous." Winnipeg had set its sights on the troubled Phoenix Coyotes, hoping to bring back the former Jets, but that team was saved last month for at least another season in the desert after the city of Glendale, Ariz. -- where the club's arena is located -- voted to subsidize the team as it seeks a new owner. Canadian billionaire David Thomson, who heads the Winnipeg ownership group along with Mark Chipman, went hard after an NHL team when the Coyotes and the Thrashers fell into serious financial trouble. The Coyotes are owned by the NHL and likely would have returned to Winnipeg if Glendale hadn't agreed to provide a $25 million subsidy for this year and then approved another for the 2011-12 season while the team tries to complete an agreement with a prospective new owner. That kind of deal was never an option for Atlanta. "People are pretty excited about putting a team back in Winnipeg," Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said. "There are some challenges in the market, but I think everyone is pretty comfortable that everyone can and will meet those challenges. "It's nice to have Winnipeg back in the big show. It's not a slam dunk. Everyone in Winnipeg has to support this team," he said.

Thrashers co-owner Michael Gearon and the rest of the Atlanta Spirit group came under heavy criticism for the way they ran the team, especially when it was revealed in court documents they were looking to sell the club almost as soon as they acquired it in 2004. Gearon said they have lost $130 million since taking over the franchise -- including $20 million in 2006-07, the year the Thrashers won the Southeast Division and made the playoffs. This season, the Thrashers were in contention for a playoff spot but faded down the stretch.

-FLYERS-